Gold Pouch

Filipino Mom Blog's fabulous finds color theme for this week is gold.

I want to share the gold pouch in the middle which I bought to keep the bracelets I will give to my nieces and nephew for the new year. All pouches come in gold tassels too. They're good buys - cute and reusable (at least for the recipient).

Metal

My husband owns this. He rarely uses them now though and just stays in his cabinet drawer. Now it's put to good use. :)


It's photo hunt time! I have another entry at The Mommy Zone. Happy weekend! :)

Lazy Frog

Today's theme for photo hunt is lazy. I was browsing in my files of pictures when I chanced upon Kerokeropi. It used to be my daughter's stuffed toy. Look at its eyes and the way it sat on the computer chair. Sure looks really lazy to me. :)


You may click here for other photo hunters.

Files and Pictures

I have some free time today so I thought to declutter my files both online and off line. I have several email accounts for different purposes - for my blogging, for my personal mails and for my online transactions. They all come with the unlimited email storage feature but old emails like those from my several e-groups are still there. They just crowd my inbox and my folders.

It's like my files want to breathe. And so I will give them some breathing space. It is the same scenario with the files in my computers. I save pictures in a DVD but I still have a lot of photoshopped pictures stored in one folder. I believe it is time to back them up too even if I have the original, untouched versions of them. One way to make the computer faster is to declutter them too. That's a no-brainer I know. :)

I will have to buy some DVDs later when I go out to back up all my files and safely keep them in my drawer. I also checked three boxes of pictures stored in one of my cabinets. I will put them all in a photo album for better safe keeping. For one thing, it is relaxing for me to just browse on old pictures - pictures when I was still a child and playing with my cousins, my classmates, pictures when we were all still young.

As I was checking each pictures I came to the box where pictures of my grandparents living in the US are neatly stored. I marveled at how my grandmother have kept her house so spic and span clean. She does it alone, mind you. She is one active woman and a great tennis coach and player. Even at age 65, she still does her tennis perfectly well back then.

What I have always loved looking at in their house is their gas fire. As a child growing up in a tropical country where gas fires or electric fires are not a common site in households, I have always wondered how it is to have one in the house. While growing up, my fascination with fireplaces have never ceased. I have seen a lot during our visits to Baguio City. It's kind of romantic I think. A lot of romantic scenes in movies use fireplaces as a back drop. But I digress.

The kind of fireplace one decides to keep contributes a great deal to the character of the house. It can be modern, traditional or avantgarde. For those without chimneys, there are flueless gas fires you can enjoy at even lower prices. Now that my parents are living in the U.S., they have their own gas fire with a pebble bed which blends well with their newly renovated house. My mother is a very talented woman too especially in decorating, arranging or doing some relayouts in her house. I can't wait to help her out in another relayout she'd been mulling about.

Another Home Improvement

One of my goals this year is to have the toilet and baths remodeled. The last time we had a bathroom remodel for the master's bedroom was about six years ago. And the one near the kitchen and upstairs was when we moved in here which was more than a decade ago. That long. I clearly remember how my then four year old daughter looked at the videotape while doing some funny lines with all the remodeling inside the house then. She acted like she was a host or something of a television show. We were also remodeling our kitchen at the same time with the bathroom. Half of the house was a mess but it was worth it after all the works were finished.

At four years young, my daughter just picks up everything she can while construction was going on. I have to follow her every time. Imagine that. My husband and I delegated our work. I was in charge of my daughter, keeping her off wherever there is construction going on. My husband who knows more about bath tub refinishing than I do oversee the work being done. I just want it glossy, that's it. I do not care
about the nitty gritty of it actually.

She just turned ten years old and still loves taking a video of herself while singing or dancing or acting like she is in television. But I highly doubt if she will act in front of the camera while the house (or at least the bathrooms) are being remodeled. Yes, we are on to another bath tub refinishing project. I guess we have to do this every year or two to preserve their new look. I do not want the slippery of course but I want them glossy like they are newly purchased.

Looking Back

Ours is a closely knit clan. You can say we are your typical Filipino family. We normally do things together. We love celebrations, we love giving gifts to each other no matter what the occasion is. Needless to say we comfort each other in times of needs and challenging situations.

Like how it was when both my grandparents were hospitalized at the same time. I do not know if it was some stroke of faith or a mere coincidence. But the hardest part here was that they were in different places.

My grandmother on my mother's side was in the country so it was easier to look after her. We can monitor her regularly. Anytime we want we can call her doctor and ask how she was progressing. We can go to the hospital where she was confined anytime we want. Us, her grandchildren took turns looking after her.

It was a different story with my grandmother living in the U.S. then. Only my father and my aunt were able to visit her. We were constantly on the phone asking about how she was doing. We were really worried since my father mentioned that all sorts of medical equipment were attached to her body to help her breathe properly. She had pneumonia. Even so we anticipate good news every time the phone rings. My father and my aunt update us so we all know what is going on with our grandmother.

My grandmother from my mother's side went well in a couple of weeks, five days of which she spent in the hospital. She had severe arthritis so she had to be on a power wheelchair which cost quite a sum but the family pitched in so she can be comfortable during her therapy. We just wanted her to be well in no time. Used medical equipment in the U.S. are no problem but it was quite hard to find one here. Refurbished medical equipment are often a good choice since quality is assured at a lower cost. Anyway, true enough, her therapy was quick at only a month and she was back on track.

My father stayed in the U.S. for two months to be with my grandmother. She was released from the hospital after two weeks. What's good was she did not need any therapy but it was as if she did not get pneumonia when she stepped out of the hospital. I fondly recalled she wanted to play tennis right away after that. But of course she needed a lot of rest and my father was there to look after her.

Both my grandmothers are in heaven now but as a family, it's always a heart warming recollection whenever we reminisce how it was with our loving grandmothers.

Rainy Monday

Today's a Monday but not really manic. It's quite slow actually what with the rain. It's been raining all day but I love it.

What do you do when you are feeling very sad or depressed?
I pray. I cry it out, alone, to release whatever sadness I feel. I write my thoughts down sometimes. And then I start feeling better. I have always been an optimistic person.

Who was your first crush?
I can't remember. I think he's a neighbor of mine, older than I am by three years. He's funny that's why. I was nine I think.

If given a chance to skip work for a day (without repercussions), how would you spend the entire day?
Spend the whole day with my daughter doing whatever we feel like doing at the moment. Bliss.

Dance

The picture below was one of the intermission numbers in our program for the ceremonies in honor of the franchisees. See one of the performers on top of the two other dancers? He has some good support there from colleagues else he could have landed on the floor. That's major ouch.

Today's photo hunt is all about support. See more of them here.

And for my other support entry, please visit The Mommy Zone. Thank you. :)

Taking a Break Part 1

It's almost eleven in the evening and I'm still up. I'm finishing something I want to present tomorrow. I don't want to postpone them anymore as I want to discuss my performance review of my managers already.

But I need a break. So I'm doing the Monday Meme even if it's already Tuesday night here.

What sound or noise do you love?
I love my daughter's giggles. It's so cute. It's a habit to call her when I'm at the office to ask how her school was, how she's doing. I love hearing her voice especially when stress is starting to creep into my system.

I also love the listening to Apologize by Timbaland the past days.

What sound or noise do you hate?
I don't like it if our dog keeps on barking and barking.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I'd like to have a career in Human Resource as an Organization Development practitioner. Or I'd like to write for a magazine type of show.

What profession would you not like to do?
Anything that's quite dangerous for my taste.

Angelina:Jolie?

This week's mutterings as follows.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Loneliness :: Gloom and doom
2. Traffic :: EDSA (It's a major thoroughfare in Manila which is heavily congested 80 to 90 percent of the day.)
3. Chaos :: Disorder
4. Burp :: Baby (Babies burp all the time. :D )
5. 500 :: 300 (the movie)
6. Movie :: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (That's the latest movie I've watched with hubby and daughter.)
7. Coma :: Prolonged Sleep
8. Bark :: Toochie (That's my aunt's dog who keeps on barking for no reason at all.)
9. Stare :: Ogle
10. Angelina :: Wanted (That's her latest movie, right?)

Purchase:Cracker

Today's unconscious mutterings, read on.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Purchase :: Buy
2. Squeaky clean :: Spic and span
3. Blended :: Mixed
4. Wednesday :: Thursday
5. Function :: Form
6. Look down :: Check
7. July? :: Lots of birthdays
8. Raspberry :: Sour
9. Assertive :: Firm
10. Cracker :: Nut

Children's Mystery Book

It runs in the family I believe, the love for reading. I grew up seeing the adults in the family most of the time when they are in the house heads bowed down so absorbed to what it is they are reading at the time. Newspapers are a common sight in our house too. My father is a voracious reader. He loves current events and biographies. My grandfather, as far as I remember, loves history and books dealing with politics. My cousins are in my father's side collects their own books. One cousin older than I am has this collection of Mills & Boon, Sweet Valley High and the like.

I learned to read early, maybe about four years old. At five I find myself borrowing my cousin's text book from her English class, "More Stories on Parade". I almost memorized the stories that it was so easy for me to relate to them when I finally had the same book at fifth grade. Until now books are part of my monthly budget.

I can proudly say my daughter grew up loving books too. She started with nursery rhymes, The Giving Tree, Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss books. She is in her tweens now and I see that she is experimenting with different kinds of books. Ever since watching Nancy Drew, she developed an interest in mystery books. She loves adventure books all the more. She not only reads them but also searches about the author and the characters over the internet. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the computer's Home Page would be her current book interest. As a mother, I encourage my daughter's interest in reading. Sunny's adventures will definitely get my daughter's attention with its fun-filled detective stories. I checked its Buy the Book page to see its shipping methods and its prices. A call to my sister based in Vegas will probably a wise thing to do too since she loves sending my daughter different kinds of books. Here's one my daughter will surely appreciate. :)

Cash Management

Husband and I belong to two different worlds when it comes to our careers. He is an entrepreneur while I am an active player in the corporate world. We have different sources of income but I can say we manage our resources accordingly. We have to be wise about our finances. We have our needs and wants, we have to manage our savings religiously as well our insurances and mortgages. Certain amounts of our incomes are already allotted to meet all the commitments I mentioned. The wants we do away with if we have to. We are very strict in terms of keeping the percentage amount we agreed on for our savings.

At times though, no matter how you think you have mastered budgeting, there are expenses that will appear that are not as scheduled. They need to be addressed immediately. Examples of unforeseen expenses are major repairs on an appliance like your air conditioning unit. Or science projects of your son or daughter at school which is exceeding its original budget. Tell me about that. I have experienced that several times. But as a mother, I have to support my daughter's activities the best way I can especially this is bringing her so much fulfillment since she was the chosen leader for their "little village" project. Mommy is there to subsidize additional expenses. Not to mention incidental expenses like snacks and dinner of her group. This lasted for two weeks mind you. But that's okay. :)

Fast cash payday loan is advantageous in this kind of situation. It offers easy payments and will help manage those unexpected expenses in between paydays. It's wiser this way as long as you settle them promptly.

Disoriented Rambling

Let me see what I'm going to mutter this time.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Rambling :: Thoughts
2. Magnetic :: Horseshoe
3. Again! :: Once more
4. Acoustic :: Guitar
5. Mahogany :: Wood
6. Promises :: Possibilities
7. Ill fitting :: Hideous
8. Sublime :: Majestic
9. Poop :: Smelly
10. Disoriented :: Lost

More mutterings here.

X-Files?

First words that come to mind given all the words at the right side. I don't edit my thoughts here and I find some quite senseless. Big grin to that.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Gossipping :: Talking endlessly
2. Misplaced :: Lost
3. Spaceship :: X-Files >>> Lol, that's the first thing that came to mind.
4. Ignore :: Snob
5. Bodily :: Physical
6. Tweezers :: Scissors
7. Goodnight :: Sweet dreams
8. Curls :: Big hair
9. Faucet :: Water
10. Right? :: Of course I am!

13 Celebrities

I was on leave from work since yesterday. It is more of a career contemplation kind of leave. Should I stay or should I go? It's been quite stressful but my mind is made up. I want to throw stress out of my system. Excuse me, stress.

What better way to do that is to think of things that relaxes me. I've done this several times - goofing around with my daughter, a good book, a massage, etcetera. At this moment, what's on my mind is to put in here thirteen of my favorite people in Hollywood. I love movies, I love entertainment. Watching them on television gives me some relaxing time.

1. Wentworth Miller - I like actors who are intelligent and those who do not spread themselves too thin.

2. Johnny Depp - He is adorable. And from what I read, he loves his fans and was never a snob.

3. Reese Witherspoon - She's funny as Elle Wood. And I also love her in Sweet Home Alabama. She should have taken Mr. Dreamy though. :)

4. Ashton Kutcher - For being the romantic boy that he is. His sincerity is what makes him admirable. And he's funny.

5. The Cast of Friends (Joey, Ross and Phoebe most especially) - I can see three of my friends in them.

6. The Cast of Sex and the City - I love their quirks and middle age angst. Lol.

7. Josh Hartnett - Just because.

8. Renee Zellweger - She is just so cute! I love her innocent face and her voice. I love her in Jerry Maguire and Chicago.

9. Rachel Ray - She is just so refreshing.

10. Nigella Lawson - Just like how it is to be a domestic goddess. That's one of my goals. :)

11. Cameron Diaz - She's funny and sexy.

12. John Stewart - I like his being outspoken.

13. Katherine Heigl - A pretty face and it feels like she is really one good natured girl.

This is Mine!

I'm the cookie monster. :P

This is my entry for this week's Wordless Wednesday. Check the others and click the link. :)

Sunday Mutterings

This is my first time to join Unconscious Mutterings. I think I will love this one as I am fond of word association. Let my thoughts flow starting now.

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Referral :: Buddy
2. Indiana :: Jones >>> hehe
3. Foil :: Wrapper
4. Horizon :: Sky
5. Event :: Happening
6. Sailing :: Water
7. Footage :: Video
8. Sunday :: Monday
9. Breathtaking :: Wow!
10. Dude! :: Hey!

I wonder what these words mean or if these associations I was able to produce mean anything at all.

If & What

This is my first Manic Monday. The questions that need answers for today are the following.

If you knew that every minute of the next 24 hours of your life would be recorded on camera is there anything you would change about your habits?
I'm not sure exactly what since I don't have any habit that is really annoying or embarrassing. Maybe my eating binges. :D

If you could take a one-month trip to any single destination in the world and money is not a consideration, where would you go?
Europe, I want to explore it.

What is the best example of “perfection” that you can think of?
Perfect...I once read this and it stuck to mind, from Bob Dylan, "A man is successful if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between; does what he wants to do". That's perfect. Also perfection is when everything is in harmony even if there are differences in opinion, in likes and dislikes. Everything just complements everything. Bliss.

Big City

My once a week does of feast has come again. What do you know, days fly by so fast. But who's complaining? Well, sometimes I do, lol. Anyway, here's my take for this week's Friday's Feast.

Appetizer
What is the nearest big city to your home?
I live in a big city and I think the next big city to where I am is Caloocan City. That's just a guess.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?
I think a 10, 9 at times. I am very good at keeping secrets.

Salad
Describe your hair (color, texture, length).
I just had my hair dye and highlight so it's light brown now. Texture, it's pretty normal. It gets dry if I don't have my usual hot oil. I have a naturally coarse hair that's why. I'm sporting a short, short 'do. I got tired of long hair. I'll grow my hair again but in the mean time, I'm enjoying my short hair.

Main Course
What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?
I still don't drive. Pathetic me. But I'm learning. I know I'd be a courteous driver.

Dessert
When was the last time you had a really bad week?
I don't really want to recall anything beyond positivity. How's that? :)