Marian Offering

Our village hosted an Alay kay Maria - Santacruzan yesterday. The event was organized by resident volunteers including my husband, Jules. The event is a lovely tradition that expresses Catholic Filipinos’ love and devotion for Mother Mary. The celebration started with a mass followed by the Sta. Cruzan.

It was raining the whole afternoon. Organizers were already thinking that the procession could not go through due to the rain. After the mass, the rain subsided into a drizzle but it was amazing that once the image of Our Lady was out of the venue (village clubhouse), the rain disappeared completely. It was as if someone above just turned off the rain to give way to the procession. It was a nice blessing. Children in lovely colorful gowns took part in a procession around the village followed by the image of our Lady.

After the Sta. Cruzan was the Marian offering. Children showered Our Lady with beautiful flowers including floral letters forming the words AVE MARIA.

Yohan saw the girls holding the letters and he told me, "Mommy, I want a white letter too." I told him that only girls carried the letters. He also noticed a few girls wearing tiaras (form of crowns). He asked me, "Are they princesses?" I haven't answered his question yet when he added, "I want to be prince." :)

After the Marian celebration, food and drinks were served to everyone. It was a successful event and I'm so proud of my husband and his fellow organizers for doing a wonderful job.

Fear of Goodbye

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so
I never have to live without you." - Winnie the Pooh

Last night Jules and I went to the wake of Jules' cousin, M who died from a stroke. He is in his late 40s. When we went to offer our condolences to his wife, I felt very sorry for her but I didn't know what else to say. Her eyes looked very tired from sleepless nights and there were telltale signs of recent tears. We're not close but I still feel great sympathy for her and her two young daughters, the eldest of which is Jules' goddaughter.

We just saw their family a week earlier in a recent birthday party we attended. Who would have known, that M was going to die soon. Life is shorter than most of us imagine.

Death of a loved one is a frightening thought. After leaving the wake, I told Jules, "Huwag mo ako iiwan ng ganon." (Don't leave me like that.) I just don't think I could live without him. Jules told me that we're lucky to be healthy and alive. That we should always be thankful for things that we easily take for granted. He's right, life is a great blessing by itself and we should thank God each day for keeping our loved ones safe.

Yohanism #10

Yohan and I were playing make believe. We used his new PlayDoh molders to make different kinds of fruits and ice-cream out of clay. We were pretending to eat the food when the banana accidentally touched my lips. Yohan was quick to notice it and said ... "Mommy, don't eat it! Just pretend."


As some of you know, Yohan is a late talker but now, all he do is talk and talk. Yesterday, I was trying to watch TV but Yohan was talking about his Pokemon toys. He was telling me all sorts of stories about the Pokemon characters he owns. I love my son but believe me, there are times I get a little fed up. So I got the remote and aimed it at him and said ...

Me: Yohan pause please. (I was kidding of course.)
Yohan: (serious look) Not me! Pause the TV.

Then he continued talking. I had no choice but to turn off the TV. hahaha!

The Magic of the Rain

When I was in College, I loved rainy days. I didn't mind the inconvenience of going to school because I loved the feel and smell of rain in the air. It just lifted my spirits in a way I couldn't explain.

I remember how my friends and I would take advantage of a rainy weekend night by driving to one of our favorite bars in Quezon City called East St. Louis (ESL). It had large glass windows and it was a perfect place to hang out during a rainy evening. We would spend the night talking, listening to our favorite music, drinking vodka, tequila and Bailey's and glancing out of the window to watch the rain pour down.

Life was so carefree back then. My parents were very lenient and I didn't have any curfew. Sometimes I would go home at 3 am without being grounded. My parents told me how much they trusted me. I kept my promise to do good in school and not get into trouble in exchange of curfew-free nightouts with friends.

I dated this guy for a while. He lived just a few blocks from ESL but he would drive all the way to pick me up in our house in Manila to go to ESL for a few drinks. There was a time when classes were suspended due to a typhoon. It was raining very hard and yet he asked me if I wanted to go to ESL and I said yes. While we were on the road, we felt the wrath of the typhoon. Leaves and small unidentified debris kept obstructing our view. It was crazy but weird how I found it exciting. I must have been out of my mind! When we arrived at ESL, people inside seemed oblivious to the storm happening outside. Everyone was just having a fun time. Imagine that! Those were the days, when I didn't care too much about safety. Shame on me!

Years have passed and the magic of the rain seemed to disappear. Ever since I became a mom, I detested the coming of the rainy season because it brought constant fear of diseases such as dengue. Rain also prevents us from enjoying afternoon strolls and playing in the backyard. Successive rainy days mean longer time for the laundry to dry and thunderstorms prevent me from turning on my computer to go online. Rain also causes major traffic buildup. It's amazing how my perspective about the rain had a complete turn around.

graphic source

Tagged :: 7 Things About Me

I was tagged to do the same meme again by Shona Tiger of House of Stone. I know you've seen me do this meme several times already but I hope you don't mind if I'm at it again. :) I decided to make it 7 visual things about me. I kept it light this time by mentioning little things that happened recently ...

1. I received these lovely gifts from my sister-in-law, Ves and family. They recently went to the province of Bohol for a vacation. Bohol is famous for its majestic Chocolate Hills. There are so many beautiful places in the Philippines that I have yet to discover.

2. My husband and I enjoy bringing Yohan to children's parties. Last week, we attended the 7th birthday party of a Jhornalaine at Jollibee. We all had a terrific time.

3. I was sad because the strap of one of my favorite bags got torn so Jules bought me a new one last week to replace it. I love this new bag because of the many functional slots/pockets it has inside.

4. Watched Pirates of the Carribean : At World's End at Power Plant last Saturday with Jules. We really enjoyed the movie. I love the character of Jack Sparrow. He's so amuzing!


5. Here are some of the food we had this weekend. Seafood pasta from Spaghetti Factory, Pizza and Oriental Salad from Cucina Victoria, Ice Banana and Buko Pandan from Ice Monsters, Pistachio, Mangoes n' Cream, Berries n' Cream ice-cream from BIC.


6. I'm so thrilled because I won Connie's Charm Giveaway. I feel so lucky! Connie is one of my dear blog friends and she is such a sweet, warm and thoughtful person. Thank you Connie!

photo borrowed from Connie's site

7. I was at Rever Salon last Friday for some pampering. I had a haircut, eyebrow threading and pedicure. But the best thing that happened that day was seeing the face of someone special. I was flipping through the pages of a magazine and lo and behold I saw him ...


Here's a little trivia I learned about Dominic Purcell (a.k.a. Lincoln Burrows): His first showbiz gig was being the Marlboro man in the Philippines.

Happy 35th Anniversary!

Recipe for New Friendship (Pinoy Moms Network)

I had a wonderful lunch with fellow bloggers from Pinoy Moms Network yesterday (May 26, 2007) at Swiss Deli and Bistro. It was my very first EB and it was an overall delightful experience. I was so happy to meet some of the mommy bloggers. Everyone was so warm and friendly that I immediately felt comfortable and at ease.

Recipe for New Friendship

Start with a wonderful mixture of 12 lovely moms.

Combine a dozen servings of smiles and laughter.

Add heaping measures of warmth and kindness.

Plus generous portions of fascination and delight.

Then sprinkle with promising common goals.

With a touch of anticipation and excitement.

Stir in together until everything is well blended.

Then you have a friendship cake with sweet

and colorful icing.

(Standing L-R): me, Lynn, Noemi, Connie, Dine, Chats (back),

Feng (with son Nico), Cess, Julie, Lisa (with son Lex)

(Sitting L-R): Jane, Salen

Photo Hunt :: Colorful

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Here's my son Yohan, taken during one of his classes at The Little Gym. There are many colorful visual aids around. Yohan always sees his Dad cooking and he seems to be interested in it too. :)

Yohanism #9

#1 - Funny how Yohan can sometimes think of an excuse not to finish his food ...

Me: Yohan, please finish your food so you'll be strong and healthy.
Yohan: I'm full mommy. (I thought otherwise. He wanted to continue watching Bob the Builder.)
Me: You have to finish everything on your plate so you'll grow tall.
Yohan: I might bump my head there (pointing to the roof).

#2 - Discovering something new ...

Yohan: Ate (referring to our maid) got the white thing like an umbrella with a stick on it.
Me: Oh, you mean the mushroom from the garden.
Yohan: Yes, the mushroom. I don't want Ate to get it! (He was somehow upset that our maid removed it from the garden.)

#3 - Yohan heard the word "loser" from one of the cartoons he was watching and I heard him mimick it before. I told him not to say it because it's a bad word. Then one time he came to me saying ...

Yohan: Daddy said a bad word.
Me: What bad word?
Yohan: He said "loser". Naughty Daddy.

I didn't want Yohan to know how funny the situation was. I asked his Dad to 'apologize' infront of Yohan and promise not to say it again. Jules and I had a good laugh when Yohan wasn't looking.

Tagged :: Eating Out Meme

I was tagged by Tisha of Crazy Working Mom with this meme last week. Sorry for the delay. Anyway, here are the rules:

1. Link to the name of the person who tagged you.
2. Include the state and country you’re in.
3. List your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location (locally).
4. Tag 5 other people (preferably from other countries/states) and let them know they’ve been tagged.

I'm from the Philippines and I like eating at the following restaurants ...

1. Outback Steakhouse - My family likes ordering Bloomin Onion, Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie, Kookaburra Wings and Rib Eye Steak.

2. Red Crab - We always order their Szechuan Crab in a bucket.

3. Antonio's Tagaytay - I'm not fond of steaks unlike my husband but Antonio's serves the best steak I have ever tasted. This is a special place we like going to when celebrating special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.

4. Sugi - This is my favorite Japanese restaurant. I love the Japanese interiors and how the waitresses are dressed in kimono. I love their tempura, assorted maki and yakisoba while my husband loves their fresh sushi.

5. Jollibee - My son's favorite fast food restaurant. :)

I'm not going to tag anyone but please feel free to do this meme. Let me know when you do.

Shrimp with Lemon Butter Sauce Recipe

Thank you everyone for visiting my Photo Hunt last week with the theme Cooked. For those who requested for the recipe, I decided to share two shrimp recipes that my husband does. Hopefully, you can choose one that you like.


Recipe #1 (easy version)

1. Devein large shrimps.
2. Open slightly in the middle then add salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.
3. Grill until shells turn hot pink. Remember not to overcook the shrimps.

Lemon Butter Sauce:

Mix the following in a bowl.
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Serve grilled shrimps while hot. You may put the sauce directly on the shrimp or you may put the bowl of lemon butter sauce alongside.

Recipe #2 (another version)

Ingredients:

1 tbps. butter
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tbps diced green bell pepper
1 small can cream of potato soup
3/4 cup cream
2 tbsps. parmesan cheese
2 tbps lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 1/2 cups cooked shrimp - peeled, tails removed

Procedure:

1. Sauté onion and peppers in butter over medium heat until tender.
2. Stir in potato soup and cream gradually and heat slowly, stirring constantly to a boil.
3. Stir in cream, cheese, lemon juice, spices and shrimp. Heat through.

Tagged :: 7 Random Facts

I've done this meme twice or thrice already but I don't mind doing it again for Jeanette. So here are 7 more Random Things about myself that I hope you'll find interesting.

1. I love tulips but I have never received one before.

2. I'm scared of sleeping alone ever since I was a child.

3. I like covering my face with a pillow when I sleep.

4. I get annoyed when people inside the theatre talk during a movie.

5. I'm smitten with Lincoln Burrows from Prison Break.

photo source
6. Procrastination is a bad habit of mine.

7. I love wearing jeans all the time.

Lasang Pinoy 18 :: An Invitation from Toni

image courtesy of Toni

Toni of Wifely Steps is hosting Lasang Pinoy 18: Oh my Gulay! According to Toni, "Lasang Pinoy was created to promote Filipino food." She invited me to share some interesting vegetable stories, experiences and dishes.

Here are some of my personal stories about certain vegetables and simple dishes that I would like to share ...

LABANOS (Raddish)
photo source
My mom told me that when she was pregnant with me, she always craved for ensaladang labanos. Filipinos refer to this food craving during pregnancy as paglilihi. Here is a very simple recipe of ensaladang labanos based on how my mom did it.


Ensaladang Labanos

Ingredients:

3 pcs. labanos
2 pcs. tomatoes
1/2 onion
vinegar
salt
sugar

Procedure:

1. Wash and peel labanos (raddish). Cut diagonally into thin slices (circular).
2. Put salt and squeeze bitter juice out.
3. Wash and squeeze dry.
4. Put in a bowl. Add thinly sliced tomatoes and onions.
5. Add vinegar, salt and sugar.

Ironically, I don't eat labanos (raddish). I don't like the smell of ensaladang labanos. This dish, however, fondly reminds me of my mom because it's one of her favorite side dishes.

OKRA
photo source
When we were young, my mom and yaya (nanny) would mix okra seeds with our rice to make eating faster. They said, my brother and I took so long to finish our meals and the okra seeds mixed in our rice helped us swallow our food faster. Thus, ever since we were children, my brother and I would cut our okra in the middle to get the seeds out. We never ate the outer okra. Relatives and friends would find our okra-eating-habit amuzing.

Would you believe it was only several months ago when I learned to eat a whole okra? My sister-in-law planted okra in her garden. She gave us some freshly picked okra and convinced me to try eating the whole thing. I did. Amazing how crunchy fresh okra could be. With some bagoong (shrimp paste), I realized blanched okra could be quite tasty.

Now, I eat okra just like everybody else. I still have to convince my brother though. :)

PATANI (Lima Beans)
photo source
I'm familiar with the name Patani because of the Flipino song Bahay Kubo but I have never tried it when I was young. I tasted it for the first time when my mother-in-law cooked some for lunch. My husband also cooks it from time to time. Patani is widely available in the Philippine market during months of June to August. Let me share with you the recipe of Patani with Sotanghon.


Patani with Sotanghon

Ingredients:

2 cups patani (lima beans)
1 cup tomatoes diced
1/4 cup sliced onions
1 cup minced pork
5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsps. garlic chopped
250 grams sotanghon
salt & pepper to taste
kuchay (young garlic shoots) chopped

Procedure:
1. Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes. Add minced pork. Wait until golden brown.
2. Mix the patani (lima beans).
3. Add chicken broth.
4. Put sotanghon, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Once patani (lima beans) are cooked, add chopped young garlic shoots.

Prison Break Addiction and Shrek 3

Sorry I have been absent for a few days. I just got hooked on Prison Break. I finished Seasons 1 and 2 in a matter of 4 days.

I borrowed Season 1 DVD from Jules' cousin. Jules noticed that I have been glued to the TV because of it. To my delight, he bought me my own copy of Prison Break, Seasons 1 and 2. The Season 2 ender was a major cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Longing for Season 3 ...

We watched Shrek 3 several days ago. We had a great time. Personally, I still like Shrek 1 & 2 better but Shrek 3 was still worth watching on the big screen because of Yohan. After the movie, we played a few games at the arcade and Yohan enjoyed a carousel ride.

McDonald's Happy Meal is featuring Shrek 3 and we bought Yohan 3 out of 8 characters. Look, even the dip of the Chicken McNuggets is green. I guess we'll be eating more at McDonald's until we complete the gang of Shrek 3.


Sorry I haven't visited you for a while, I'll make it up to you soon. Thanks everyone for dropping by.

BTW, for those who were asking, I'll share the recipe of the shrimp thermidor soon.

Prison Break photo source

Photo Hunt :: Cooked

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My husband cooked shrimp thermidor with lemon butter sauce and mixed veggies several weeks ago. Good thing I was able to take some photos which came very handy for this week's theme. It was a delicious lunch.

In case, you have trouble posting a comment on my HaloScan, kindly don't hesitate to leave a message on my chat box instead. It will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Yohanism #8

Yohan was due for his flu shot last week. I talked him through it and he seemed okay with it. When it was our turn to see the pediatrician, he walked inside Dr. Silva's clinic and announced ...

Yohan: I don't like injection. I don't like injection.
Doctor: How about a check-up?
Yohan: Ok.

He seemed fine as the doctor checked his breathing and so on. Then when the doctor started putting alcohol on a piece of cotton ball, Yohan got agitated. He knew it was coming! We tried to calm him down but he started shouting ...

Yohan: I don't like injection!!!

Oh my, his voice could be heard outside the clinic. Jules and I had to hold him down while the doctor administered the flu shot. Yohan was so angry and he started crying. I tried to console him and explain that it was for his own good but he was too upset with everyone in the room. He wouldn't stop crying even as we got into the car. I promised him ice-cream earlier so I bought him a sundae at Jollibee. That somehow calmed him down. With tears still rolling down his face, he ate his ice-cream.

It was lunch time when we got home. After having lunch, it didn't take long before he took a nap. He must have been exhausted. After his nap in the late afternoon, I let him play with his clay while I was on the computer. He was playing merrily and then all of a sudden he started crying and said ...

Yohan: The doctor is so naughty!
Me: Why did you say that?
Yohan: He hurt me!

Then he continued to cry. I guess the earlier events suddenly came to his mind and made him upset again. I felt so sorry for what he experienced that day but the flu shot was for his own good. Dr. Silva has been his doctor since he was born and he is so gentle and kind to him. I tried to explain that the doctor is his friend and he just gave him a shot to protect him from getting sick.

Yohan is due for a vaccination in August and I'm afraid it will be a little difficult to bring him to the clinic this time. How do you prepare your child for a vaccination? I would appreciate some suggestions for Yohan's next visit to the doctor. Thanks.

Thank You Leah

Last April 22, 2007, I happily posted that I was a lucky winner on Leah's 100th Post Contest.

Look what I got in the mail recently ...

Leah of Mga Muni-Muni sent me this beautiful Turquoise Coast Necklace as a prize for winning her 100th Post Contest. I love it! It's really something I would personally wear.

Thank you Leah for this lovely necklace.
Your gift made me feel special.
Thanks for being so generous.
Your thoughtfulness gave me quite a lift.

May 14, 2007 Elections

indelible ink on our fingers
Legislative and local elections were held in our country yesterday, May 14, 2007. The positions included for this election were half the seats in the Senate, Congressional seats, Governor, Vice Governor, Provincial Board seats (provinces only), Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City/Municipal Council seats.

The atmosphere was calm and peaceful as we casted our vote at our local public school. I noticed that there were printed pictures beside the names in the official list of voters. I think it's a good improvement and hopefully a good deterrent against flying voters. It was peaceful in our area but as I watched the news, I'm saddened to hear some people injured or killed because of election related incidents. Election returns are being tallied and I hope that election fraud and violence can be minimized.

A Mom's Heart

This is my fourth Mother's Day and it's very special because this is the first time Yohan has successfully uttered the words Happy Mother's Day. As some of you may already know, Yohan was a bit of a late talker and last year, he had difficulty completing the words but now, the words are so clear that it just touched my heart. It felt so good to hear him say it.

My husband gave me a beautiful card. Here's what it says inside ...

Know what I love about our life together?
It's the fact that you're my partner and we're a team.
I couldn't ask for a better friend, companion,
and confidante from day to day.

Together, we make it though
the hard days ...
the easy days ...
the crazy days ...
the funny days ...
There's nothing that can stop us
as long as we have each other to love.

Simple happiness such as these are enough to fill a mom's heart.

Before heading to the mall, we went to visit Yohan's grandmothers (my mother-in-law and her twin sister). Yohan gave them the personalized "photo bags" (which I featured before on my blog). They like the bags very much. Yohan's cousin, Darlene and family gave me a box of delicious brownies.

The three of us celebrated Mother's Day by having lunch at Tempura Japanese Grill in ATC. Notice Yohan wearing the I ♥ My Mommy t-shirt we bought him a few days ago. We ordered Yakisoba, Ebi Tempura, Chicken Terriyaki, Sashimi and Assorted Maki. The restaurant gave me a free mini chocolate cake in honor of Mother's Day. A prety girl carrying a basket of roses came to our table and gave me one. I read the card and it was from Ayala mall. I think it was a sweet gesture.

We spent the rest of the day playing at the arcade which Yohan loves. Then after the mall, we visited another grandmother, Lola Mary and gave her a Mother's Day present. She was happy to see us. Lola Mary gave me a rosary bracelet that she personally made.

Yohan was excited to go home because he wanted to play with the new Dora video game that we bought for him that day. That night before sleeping he said he wanted to put the video control under his pillow because Swiper (the fox character in Dora the Explorer) might swipe it. I said he couldn't put it under his pillow because it's too big and promised to guard it from Swiper. He reluctantly agree and fell asleep after a few minutes. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

background source

To My Mom ...

To my mom,

Thanks for the unconditional love you've showered on me all these years. You are my strength and hope in life. Thank you believing in me. You see the best in me when even I, myself have difficulty seeing it. Thank you for holding my hand during the highs and lows of my life. I have never felt alone because I know you are always there for me. I love you with all my heart.

me and my lovely mom

Photo Hunt :: Five

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My Babushka Doll

A Babushka Doll is also known as a Matryoshka Doll, Russian Nesting or Stacking Doll. It is a set of decreasing doll sizes placed in one another. It is considered to be a symbol of motherhood and fertility. My Babushka Doll is made out of five dolls in different sizes.

Tagged :: 7 Deadly Sins

I've been tagged by Bongga Mom to do the 7 Deadly Sins meme. This meme made me ponder and I think it is the most challenging one I have encountered so far.

Below is my list of "deadly sins". They are not exactly sins per se but I think they will suffice for this interesting meme.

1. Lust - I flip through the pages of FHM. I like GIRL EMERGENCY. A page of suggested gifts that a guy could give to a girl when he needs to make up for something he has done which has upsetted her in some way.

2. Gluttony - I could devour many slices of Becky's blueberry cheesecake if I don't mentally control myself.

3. Greed - I onced maxed out my gold card and I almost died from the interest. A hard lesson learned. Credit card companies love sending me pre-approved cards. Before I couldn't resist but now I don't think twice about cutting them in half.

4. Sloth - I have a mountain high of papers (mostly statement of accounts, payment receipts) that need to be filed. My mom has always been so organized. A trait I didn't seem to inherit.

5. Wrath - I get easily high strung when someone does something that offends my family.

6. Envy - I envy those beautiful girls with flawless skin and slim bodies.

7. Pride - There was a time I could go on days and weeks not talking to someone because of a certain disagreement. But now, I don't like to end the day with something heavy in the air left unsettled.

Interested to do a version of it? Go on and let me know so I could visit your list.

Win Win Situation

Yesterday, on our way home from watching Spiderman 3, I asked Jules about one of the characters, Gwen Stacy. I told him she looked very familiar. After a few minutes, it hit me that she was the same girl from the movie, The Village. Jules contested that it wasn't her. We didn't know her name at that time. I was so sure it was the same girl, so I asked Jules if he was willing to bet on it. He agreed on the spot. The stakes: If Jules won, I would buy him new badminton shoes. If I won, he would skip badminton on Thursday (today) and treat me at Cupcakes by Sonja's at Serendra.

The moment I got home, I went on-line to search for the cast of The Village and guess what ... I was right! The name of the girl is Bryce Dallas Howard. She both starred in the movies The Village and Spiderman 3. I won the bet! I was smiling and humming the whole evening. :)

Earlier today, Jules requested if we could go to Market Market first because he wanted to buy new badminton shoes. Fine with me. We left after lunch and I accompanied him shopping. He decided on Adidas which has the ankle support he badly needs. He has been experiencing some pain on his heel lately and the ankle support will be a great help.

At Market Market, I saw this cool shirt perfect for Mother's Day... I didn't hesitate to buy one for Yohan. :) There's also a version of I ♥ My Daddy but we only bought the mommy version.


Here are more cool shirts on display. Check out the red shirt. It says, "My Mom is HOTTER Than Your Mom. " So cool! Cute but I don't have the guts to buy one for Yohan. ha! ha!


Jules and I went to the store of Crocs at Serendra to buy some jibbitz. We bought 4 jibbitz: a blue crab, a four leaf clover, strawberry and a heart with wings. The crab is for Yohan's Crocs to replace the letter Y that got lost. The four leaf clover is for Jules while the two others are for Joan (a belated birthday gift).

New designs/styles just arrived and I couldn't resist buying a new pair. This is called the Cleo. I love it more than the Beach Crocs I bought before.

this hip, modern flop mixes style with comfort

After shopping, we finally stopped by at Cupcakes by Sonja's. We heard raves about this place and it was about time we try it for ourselves. Our verdict: Best cupcakes we have ever tasted!

We ordered ...

Vanilla Sunshine - A fluffy and very soft yellow cupcake with vanilla buttercream on top.

Strawberry and Cream - Mouth watering cupcake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream on top.

Sonja, the owner of this remarkable place had once worked for the famous New York Magnolia Bakery. She has made good use of her training by putting up her own bakeshop at the posh Serendra Piazza.

I realized that even though I won the bet, it was a Win Win situation because we both had a lovely time!

Third Spidey

Jules and I usually prefer watching much awaited movies on the first day of showing. However, we decided to wait a while to watch Spiderman 3 because we wanted to bring Yohan along. He was well behaved on our last movie (TMNT) so we thought he deserved to watch Spiderman 3 on the big screen. We just didn't want him to endure waiting in a long line. Besides, we weren't able to make reservations, so there was uncertainly of getting tickets on the first few days.

I'm glad we let a week pass before watching Spiderman 3 because there was no long queue and the movie theatre (at ATC) was half empty. We even had the whole row to ourselves, much to Yohan's delight.

Sitted comfortably on his booster seat with his popcorn and Sprite, my lil' boy had a great time watching Spiderman 3 and so did we.

Mary Jane Watson: We've all done terrible things to each other, but we have to forgive each other. Or everything we ever were will mean nothing.

Amy's Scavenger Hunt

I'm enjoying playing along Amy's Random Thoughts Scavenger Hunt. It has been six days since it started and I always look forward to the exciting task of the day.

I made this sign for the Scavenger Hunt. In case, you're a participant, feel free to use it too. Just right click and save the photo on your computer.

Happy Hunting!

Tagged :: 8 Random Facts/Habits

I have recently done a similar meme but I've been tagged this time by Judy of Welcome to My World of Dreams. Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are 8 random facts/habits about me ...

1. I love Julia Fordham (singer). I have all her CDs and I've seen her concert twice when she went to the Philippines. The first time she went here for a concert, I splurged on a second row seat. I watched it with two other friends.

2. My dog Bruno (Black Labrador) earned a medal in a local dog show when he was a puppy. We had him trained for basic obedience skills when he was still a puppy. The trainer would go to our house 3x a week to teach Bruno for 30 minutes/day.

3. As a child, I love Hello Kitty. I still do. I have a small collection of Hello Kitty things.

4. My yaya (nanny) who took care of me when I was baby is still with me. She never got married and chose to live with us. She is like a second mother to me.

5. I had a delicate pregnancy. I was on bed rest for the first trimester because of spotting.

6. After what I went through during pregnancy, I was grateful I had an easy and painless delivery.

7. My parents are American citizens but ironically, I've never set foot in America before.

8. I love cupcakes!

I won't be tagging anyone but feel free to do this meme if you are interested.

Ideal Mother's Day Gift

Sorry I haven't done my usual blog visits. I've been a little preoccupied lately but I'll catch up with my visits starting today. :)

Mother's Day is just around the corner. I saw this ideal gift that you can give to family, friends or for yourself. It's a cute, clear bag ...

You don't seem to like it? It's very useful. You can practically put anything in it. Let me show you more ...

Still not convinced? Perhaps, you think it's too plain. Well, the best thing about this bag is you can transform it into something really cool and lovely. How? It has a photo slot in front where you can put a favorite picture (4R or 5R). Check this out ...


That's not all. There are more photo slots at the back. You can put a 3R picture for each slot or pocket. This bag has 4 pockets. Instead of 3R photos, I placed Yohan's wallet sized pictures instead. See how it turned out ...


It would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day (or other special occasions). This one in particular is mine. :) I bought a couple of clear bags to send to my mom and to give to my mother-in-law and her twin sister. I'm still in the process of finding photos for the bags that I will give them.

For those living in the Philippines, you may get it at Kodak outlet at Glorietta for a surprisingly affordable price. It comes in 3 sizes. I'm not sure if other Kodak outlets have it too.

edited (05/08/2007): Toni of Wifely Steps said that it is also available in SM. Thanks for the info Toni.