being stuck at home

it has been 2 weeks since i gave birth and i have been stuck here at home. thank god for internet access, books and of course tv to entertain me or else i would have gone crazy while being stuck with kids under the age of 5.

i may be lacking sleep taking care of a newborn, giving attention to two active toddlers but the feeling is very much rewarding. i'm making up for all the lost time and the late nights i came home. it's such a fun feeling, them seeing you the moment they wake up and before they go to sleep. i'm also thankful for my nannies who are there to lend a hand even if they're busy as well.

i'm happy that i can still sneak a liitle me time while the kids are asleep in the afternoon. i can check my mail, visit blogs, catch up on my favorite websites, and just watch tv. if only there was a Direct TV Service much like my godmother in the US where she gets to watch more than a hundred channels. now that would make the most of my maternity leave.

maybe this Direct TV would be the next best thing to hit the philippines.

is it time for a new pet?

we've noticed that kyle has had this early fascination with animals. and since he's turning 4 next month, we've been thinking if it is indeed time to introduce him to a new phase in his life where he has to be responsible in taking care of pets.

hubby and i are thinking about getting him his own dog or cat since usually this are the first pets as a kid. but looking back at my own childhood, my first pet was a duckling. although i was mommy to this duckling for a good 2 weeks before it passed away. it felt good.

hubby and i are thinking that being responsible and the maintenance that goes with pet care can be quite big for kyle, we're sure he'll pass with flying colors. and maybe a new pet can be good alternative to the usual robots and blocks he asks as a gift.

News thru photos

Of late, I have been envious of photojournalists who with just one photo can deliver the news. Their photos speak a thousand words, their photos deliver the message straight to the viewer. How I wish I could be that.

Admittedly, I am still quite a newbie in this photography business. All I have right now is my / our trusty family point and shoot digital camera. But according to some family members, I have some photos that are worth sharing. I even joined a weekly online photography club where a weekly theme is followed for photo submissions.

And recently, I have discovered a website that has everything. Photography, news, everyday life, humor, human interest – for newbies and professionals alike. All you need is a camera and you’re good to go. There’s a Photo Contest waiting and your photo might be the next one you’ll see featured in the site. I’ve signed up in the site and I’m starting to build my collection of photos. Some are quite creative, funny, newsworthy, and everyday photos of people.

Why not take a visit as well let me know what you think!

getting ready for the big day

as some of you know, hubby and i have been planning our church wedding on and off. but by some sheer force, we've been determined more than ever to make sure we do get wed this year. we're not after all those extravagant trimmings that go with the usual weddings. what we want now is a simple celebration with close friends and family only.

first on the agenda is meeting the event planner at the end of this month. the fun part of this one of them is due to give birth in june, a month ahead of me. we've given them our target locations for the church and reception. and starting this week, they'll call up the churches and reception areas to block off or even to just pencil mark the dates for us. we're also attending the wedding expo of martha stewart and hubby has been eyeing some apparel for him and his male entourage. this task would be easier for him since men require just tailored suits versus all the drama we women have to go through in choosing the perfect dress. hubby has to make sure though that the important details such as the motif will be followed when he gets to select the perfect tie to go with the suit

one step at a time to a new look for the home

been hearing my mom gripe to my dad that she wants to improve the look of the living room and i can't help but agree with her. the living room now looks too old with the sofa almost giving up on us in terms of how much we get to abuse it day in and day out. the coffee table needs a new polish. the tv needs a new home along with all the dvds we accummulated, not counting the ones the kids watch over and over.

but i suggested to mom to start with the lighting . with two lamps to light the living room, i think it's not enough, we need a better lamp something that would create mood lighting but at the same time provide enough light if one chooses to read rather than watch tv. i do hope mom would choose a nice lighting fixture that would match the look of our living room.

if not, i might ask hubby to buy a lamp for our own room instead.

summer has begun!

we're just counting down the days to kyle's recognition day. since he's officially on summer break i think my big boy deserves a little treat. he has been drawn to techy things, hubby and i decided to indulge in his hobby. he has been a fast learner in using his uncle's ipod, psp and even the family desktop. we can leave him there for a good hour or so to focus on tasks or to spend one on one time with keon.

and since he has been a good older brother. hubby has decided to reward with a gadget to call his own. now all we need is to check out which gaming console would be appropriate for his age and with mommy's seal of approval.

now all i have to worry about is hubby getting all child like and wanting one for his own. he's been very vocal about being able to own almost all of those games and consoles when he was a kid. well we were blessed too as well. but i'm not stopping him, if he wants to look for the latest games and controllers, he's free to do so. as long as he'll let me play with my dolls too. haha

time to save up

the economy is down, prices are going up, so where do we stand? how do you cut down on spending but at the same time make sure your family is living comfortably?

one of the things we cut down on spending is buying newspapers on a daily basis. with news being available and up to date when we access the internet, it's not a practical choice anymore to buy newspapers daily. and considering almost everyone in my family is out, either in school or at work. so, we opted to buy them during the weekends when the whole family is at home and not glued to the pc. we not only save the environment but at the same time save up on having my parents visit their eye doctor and have their eyes checked, their eyeglasses checked and if their lenses require an upgrade to a higher grade. Buying new eyeglasses and lenses is no joke, it must fit comfortably and it wouldn't cause a lot of strain on the user. thank god for stores that sell affordable eyeglasses.

christmas and my mom

it's the time of the year again and my mom has begun her early christmas frenzy. she's been making these long lists of relatives whom she'll give presents to. from her uncles, aunties and nieces etc. it seems she shops for the whole clan!

so with her list making tendencies, and this list gets lost along the way, i think it's time for her to create a family tree, one site offers Ids genealogy that can help her out in her list making frenzy. she can even search through its database of information about a certain family member. what's fun is that she can discover a lot of new things and information about our ancestors! we might even be related to someone famous. now that would tickle mom's fancy!

and hopefully, this would end her yearly list making.

iron chef bobby flay

everytime we get to watch iron chef, it never fails to amaze us when bobby flay is the iron chef. i've been dreaming to try or be even half the talent that he has in the kitchen. with my boys at home, they sure love to have their food, grilled, barbequed, roasted, baked and with lots of sauces, garnishes, spices and side dishes.

i heard, bobby flay is one of the chefs that has a lot of restaurants sprinkled all over the US. i've been bugging my godmother to try out his restos when she gets to travel the states. and kill me with envy (sadistic much?). it wouldn't be any hassle to her reserving a seat since she can call the resto anywhere she is. all she needs is toLocate Area Codes and she's good to go. all she needs is to get the area code and local number of his resto and reserve a date with her girlfriends.

and the moment i get to visit her, she has to take me to at least 2 of his restos.

IT for Me

One night while watching House, Aishi and I had an out of the blue discussion: What if we could go back to school, what would we pursue?

Aishi wanted to take up his masters, this would help a lot in the field and the management level that he is in. he would certainly learn a lot and share with his subordinates. i'm sure aishi would excel when he does take it up.

He then reverted the question to me, if i were given a chance what would i take up in school? i didn't wait for a second to answer, i wanted to take up IT, web design, and web programming. in the field that i am in, this is a huge requirement. as of now i'm just learning through online tutorials when i have the free time at work. i'd love to go back to school as much as aishi does. aishi was even kind enough and surprisingly very much concerned that i want to pursue an IT course, he recommended to get aCisco certification.

i have to agree, with thr growing need to be online almost 24/7, you need the best people with IT experience and the numbers are growing. take for example my bro G, who has one semester to go and a lot of opportunities have been presented to him. a degree / certification in IT would open a lot of doors to a great career whether in programming, design, animation. you wouldn't appreciate your disney movies if not for those cool IT guys. or the sites you visit everyday, it wouldn't be up and running if not for the IT guys.

once the finances are in order, you'll see lining up and taking up course on IT and web design. hey, i might even throw in a SEO certification. now that would be sweet!

mommy bloggers are the coolest!

once upon a time there was this mommy. working 9-5, monday to friday. one perk in her office is the unlimited internet access. one day she decided to create a blog. she blogged about her kids - funny stories about her kids, their milestones, and little stories about her life and her discoveries.

but she wanted something more from her blog. she wanted it to be interesting, she wanted her blog to earn but still maintain her blog's theme and identity. she met a lot of "frogs" on the net who promised the sun and moon but delivered nothing. until one day, while in one of her moods, she stumbled upon SocialSpark.

she found what she was looking for. SocialSpark took her for what she is - a mommy blogger.

SocialSpark found a gem in mommy bloggers. a new target market that has the power to convince and influence. so if you are a mommy blogger and you have met a lot of frogs, i think it's time you check out SocialSpark it might be your prince charming of earning while you blog.

Social Networking and Earning at the same time

i have thought long and hard if i should plunge into paid blogging. i've been given good points and positive feedback from good friends. and having extra income won't hurt. something extra for little indulgences.

after a lot of google searches, a few hits and misses, i finally stumbled upon SocialSpark. the site does not bank on just giving you opportunities to blog about but a medium to create a community and interact with the other bloggers in socialspark. imagine that, you get to earn and at the same time, meet new friends and contacts. the people inSocialSpark are very sociable. the same day i signed up, i got new messages and even props to my blog (props are like "points" or "pokes" or "votes". ) and it gives a great feeling that they do make an effort in visiting my blog. it shows, i have mybloglog and blog catalog to track those who visited.

anyway, enough about me, this entry is all about socialspark and how it will help my blog.

this site is one of the most credible paid blogging sites i have encountered. imagine, they have a code of ethics that you have to read to know what you can and can't do. they do not require you to indicate that you are getting paid for blogging. personally i find it quite of a hassle if you are required to shout out to the world that you are getting paid for blogging. at socialspark, you still have power over your blog at it's personality. as much as possible, they want your entries as personal as it can get.

speaking of the code of ethics, here are the things that are noteworthy:

-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
-100% Transparency
-100% Real Opinions
-100% Search Engine Friendly

oh, and get this, you can also create opportunites for the bloggers in your community. it's a win-win situation in socialspark. so i suggest, if you have time in your hands, go and create and account with them. the opportunities and payout is great. there might be a gem of a blog post there worth $100. can that convince you enough?

conversations with a soon to be nurse

Was talking to Tita E a few weeks back about her choice to move professions, she was once a banker for a few good years until she got tired of it and retired. now she's on a new path to serve people. she has decided to be a nurse.

i understand her neverending quest for knowledge. after retiring from the bank, she decided to pursue a master's degree, after earning her stripes so to speak, now she's halfway there in becoming a nurse. and i have never been so proud of her. i was silently wishing that i could have that thirst for knowledge and the will to study as much as she has.

but i digress. i was asking her how studying nursing was and i was bombarded with a lot of terms that only in the medical profession you'll get to encounter. she was mentioning something about never events , pressure ulcers and elopement . so i had to ask her to explain to me one by one these terms and all the other terms that i heard while watching house, csi, grey's anatomy and all those other medical drama/series.

and i didn't notice that we have been talking (well, her talking most of the time) for almost 2 hours. she was even trying to convince me to try out nursing. but unfortunately i have to decline. i have issues with needles and people in pain.

the next time i see her, i'm sure we'll get to talk about new things in the medical world. and hopefully she'll get to share stories about her encounter in the OR and ER. this is like watching another medical drama!

reaping the rewards

shallow as it may seem but it feels so rewarding!

me? a domestic goddes?

having a family of my own i have finally realized that i am not like the other moms out there. i'm not the one who cleans the house, washes the clothes, changes the bedsheets. i'm the un-domestic mom. i've realuzed that i have been pampered enough that there is someone to clean up after me or i'll be forced to clean up by mom. either way, i'm not the type who would clean the house on a whim.

but, i think if there are those cool gadgets that would make cleaning fun and easier, i wouldn't mind being the domestic goddess. until i got word about Dirt Devil . this is not your ordinary vaccum cleaner. it makes vaccumming a lot more glamorous! and the best part of it, and why i'm itching to have one: it's cordless! i don't have to worry about the kids tripping on the wire or getting disconnected from the socket. i could go on and on around the house.


imagine this wonderful house helper would be there for every spills and mess - either by the kids or the adults. and it's Energy Star approval makes the Dirt Devil a whole lot better than its competitors, imagine saving almost 70% of your energy. that's a lot more time of bonding and playing with the kids!

happy food

i was chatting with a client thru ym yesterday and we were discussing our happy food, i mentioned several of my happy food which included: burgers, chips, pasta in white sauce, and the ever favorite of women: chocolate. and so the conversation then moved to chocolate.

she shared with me that she has this passion for loving to munch on dark chocolate while watching sappy movies. i have to agree with her on this. there's something about chocolate that makes it all better.

she also told me that she has been dreaming about the perfect chocolate gift from her hubby who was the one who introduced her to dark chocolate. and for a good few minutes of the conversation, it all revolved around chocolate, what brands we love, what we wished were still in production ( hello, alpine white!), and what food best matches chocolate when you have the munchies.

so now, even i am thinking about getting her a dark chocolate gift for her birthday. i'm sure she would be really happy when she gets one.

ninang b back in the phils!

i'm just happy that my ninang b is here again. she has been in the US for quite a while because of her teaching job. she's a teacher to special needs children. here in the philippines, she was a teacher to deaf-mute students.

anywa, we're just so happy she's here because we can really catch up on things. the past few months mama and i have been talking to her through instant messenger. imagine the lag and the delay of the messages. and especially when mama wants to do something while talking to ninang at the same time but she can't because she has to be in front of the pc. so i decided to search the net for something that would ease mama and ninang's moments, i finally found something that would make our communications much easier. i told ninang b to purchase an ip phone . less hassle for us since its like using a regular phone. the only difference between a normal phone and an ip phone is that it has to be connected thru the internet using the VOIP technology. now mama can cook, watch tv, play her sudoku, even play with my kids while talking to ninang. how fun and convenient is that?

so now, our only dilemma is what kind of ip phone we're going to get. mama wants something that would still match our home. haha!

so, you want to be a model?

http://www.lookoftheyear.com

every girl has this fanatsy of being the most beautiful model. the next tyra banks, the next kate moss, the next heidi klum. and to pursue that dream, they enter beauty contests, try out commercial modelling, any gig that can get them one step into fame.

i too had dreams like this when i was young. i wanted to be like barbie, that beautuful woman people look up to. that men drool over.

and i guess that dream is over. at least i have the man that drools over me. and that ain't bad at all.