Yohan is Featured in K-Zone Magazine

Yohan loves reading K-Zone. He has a bag filled of old K-Zone magazines at home that he likes reading every now and then. I always make it a point to buy him a new one every month and I even cover each one with plastic.

Several months ago, he asked me if it was possible for him to be featured in the section Birthday Bits. I said it was possible but I told him not to have high hopes. I made it clear that the magazine can only choose one celebrant for that section each month. I didn't want him to be disappointed in case they choose another July celebrant instead of him.

I helped Yohan send an email to K-Zone with his picture and short details around 3 months ago.  We didn't get any reply or feed back.

The K-Zone July issue is now out. I grabbed a copy and I was so happy to see my little boy in the magazine. Yohan was thrilled when he saw his picture.

I'm grateful to K-Zone for featuring my son. It's a nice advance birthday gift for him. Yohan's picture appeared again in the magazine's July calendar sheet. :)

Jollibee's Brief Appearance in Glee

Our very own well-loved Pinoy fast food chain, Jollibee makes a cameo in Glee. Jollibee’s appearance on Glee was brief and yet the online world couldn't get enough of it.

The much talked about Jollibee appearance in Glee can be seen on the episode “Dream On” which was directed by Joss Whedon. Dream big --- that’s what Artie (Kevin McHale) did as he and other dancers strutted in a flash-mob style daydream sequence to the tune of “Safety Dance” (originally performed by Men Without Hats in the 80’s).

When Bryan Ryan (Neil Patrick Harris) asks Artie to write down his greatest dream, Artie wrote the single word "dancer." A person in wheelchair who dreams of becoming a dancer will touch anyone’s heart. It’s a really a heart-wrenching moment.

Viewers are used to seeing Artie confined to his wheelchair because of a spinal cord injury. It’s a pleasure to see Artie rise from his wheel chair and dance with such explosive energy in the dream sequence. The unadulterated Glee flash-mob dance is a captivating scene filled with vibrant moves.

Honestly, I thought Artie was a real wheelchair bound person. He portrays his role very convincingly.

While people are mesmerized by Artie’s great dance moves and flexible maneuvers, a familiar red sign peeks at the corner of the screen. Jollibee's brief international exposure in Glee even became a trending topic in Twitter.

Please check out my POC Sosyal article about it. - Jollibee is in Glee!

Appreciating Preschool Years

Yohan graduated from preschool last Friday (March 26). I'm so proud of my son for earning three awards on graduation day. He received three medals namely Word Smart (English), Nature Smart (Science) and Academic Excellence. My husband and I took turns going up the stage to give Yohan his awards. It was a heartwarming experience.

Preschool is a fun and memorable part of a child’s early years. As a parent, I appreciate how preschool has helped my son learn new things, build confidence and harness his strengths as an individual. Preschool is also a great start for early academic milestones.

• Social Skills – My son is an only child and preschool gave him a chance to socialize with other kids. I witnessed how he learned to overcome his shyness. He learned how fun it is to play and interact with other kids.

• Self-Confidence - He gradually abandoned his timid self and became more sure of himself. I still remember how he enjoyed talking in front of the class about his favorite pet during Show and Tell day.

• Problem Solving - There are many preschool activities that let students think for themselves. This motivates preschoolers to solve problems and overcome challenges independently.

• Arts and Crafts - Yohan enjoys making art projects in school. He is always excited to show it to us when his he gets to bring home his work. He loves to draw at home. I always make it a point to buy bulk paper for his drawing inspirations. Even my husband and I enjoy conceptualizing costumes for Yohan's school activities.

• Math Basics - My son appreciates learning numbers the fun way.  Preschool has interesting ways of teaching addition, subtraction, time telling and fractions.

• Reading Books – Thanks to preschool my son is becoming a little bookworm. Every student has a ‘reading passport’ in class. It encourages parents to read to their children at least once a week. The parent records the title of the book on the ‘reading passport’ and the child also brings the book to class to share with classmates. I read to Yohan every night and I invest in books for him. The school also has regular Reading Festivals that the kids enjoy tremendously.

• Creativity - Preschool allows my son to express his creativity in a lot of ways both inside and outside the classroom.

• Music & Rhythm – Song and dance numbers by preschoolers during special events are worth watching.

• Listening – Young kids often have short attention span so preschool teachers incorporate fun activities with lessons to encourage participation and listening skills.

• Exploration -  Preschool is not confined inside the four walls of the classroom. Field trips give the kids a chance to explore new places and learn new things.

• Independence - The Preschool Camp gave my son a taste of independence. I admit it wasn't easy on my part to let him go but I'm glad I did because Yohan had a terrific time with his classmates and teachers. It was a learning experience for both of us.

• Writing – At the beginning, his unsteady hands slowly learned to write the alphabet. Now he can write sentences and even a short story.

There are many more great things that make Preschool memorable for kids and parents. These memories will live on and bring smiles to our faces.

Top in Class and a Valedictorian

His family’s love for good food and his mom’s delicious home cooked meals helped fuel his passion for cooking at a young age. He was inspired to do his own cooking and he learned to experiment with his own dishes through the years.

He has always wanted to take up Culinary Arts but he was sidetracked to another field. When a culinary school opened nearby, he took it as his cue to pursue his interest in Culinary Arts. He's grateful that he was given a chance to learn new things and hone his skills in cooking.

I'm very proud of my husband for completing his 6-month course in Culinary Arts at MOST Institute. He graduated top of his class and best of all, the Valedictorian of the graduating batch.

Congratulations Jules! I'm happy that you are following your dreams.

Godiva Cocoa Drink

It seems like the rainy season has come early in the Philippines. I'm not fond of the rain but it's nice to have some relief from the summer heat. However, several straight days of rain can somehow dampen the summer spirit.

On rainy days, I like having hot cocoa. Let me share a virtual cup of hot cocoa with you...

Godiva Caramel Hot Cocoa

Godiva Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa

PREPARATION

STOVETOP: Bring 1 cup of milk to a simmer, making sure not to boil. Pour milk into a cup or mug and stir in 3-4 tablespoons of Godiva hot cocoa.

MICROWAVE: Pour 1 cup of milk into a microwave-safe cup or mug. Heat on high for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes or until hot, making sure not to boil. Add 3-4 tablespoons of Godiva hot cocoa.

Aloha Friday #66

Rules: Post any question on your blog on a Friday, share your answer and sign Kailani's Mr. Linky. Then have fun answering the questions of fellow participants by visiting their blogs.

Is there an online game that you enjoy?

I love playing Pet Society on Facebook. It's exciting to see my home expand. I started with one empty room and I now have 4 fully furnished rooms: living room, bathroom, bedroom and a kitchen. I love earning coins to buy clothes, food, furniture and fixtures. Here's Anya about to have a bath. I'm happy that I was finally able to save enough PS coins for a bathtub.


I'm happy about my brand new kitchen. Hubby's cousin, C gave me a kitchen showcase. It would have taken me weeks to complete it but C was generous enough to provide me with all the kitchen comforts I need. :)

Pet Society on Facebook

In the world of Pet Society you and your pet can have a great time! You can play games, decorate your house and even bring gifts for your friends when you visit them.

I love playing Pet Society on Facebook. Thank you to Ichigo (Toni's pet) for the invitation to join the community. I would like to introduce to you my pet. Her name is Anya. She started with a humble home. Now she has three rooms and it's still expanding.

Anya owes a lot to her generous friend Missy (Noemi's pet). She gave Anya a lot of furniture, clothes and cool things around the house. Anya felt as if she won the lottery when she received so many great gifts from Missy.

Below are screen shots of Anya's home. Check out Anya's cute Easter outfit. If you look closer, you can see she's wearing bunny shoes. :)

The chandelier makes this part of the room very elegant.

Check out the jukebox, guitar and cute lava lamp.

Anya loves her pretty bedroom.

Anya enjoys relaxing by watching TV.

Anya waiting for the laundry to be finished.

Anya's bathroom. I want to buy a bathtub for her next time.

The coins on the upper left side is equivalent to money. As you can see, I only have 85 coins left. I'm always eager to go shopping. :)

Let me know if you want to join me on FB. If you already have an account, hope you can join Pet Society. I would love to have you as a neighbor. :)

Smart Bro

I mentioned before that I was happy that my son's school had free wi-fi. Unfortunately that didn't last long. For some reason, the school decided to limit to access to school personnel. I stopped bringing my laptop to school.

Early this week, I was so glad because my husband's cousin, Nina lent me her SmartBro (prepaid wireless broadband). I've only used it twice but so far I haven't encountered any problem. Now I can go online while waiting for Yohan to finish his class.

My Blog is Featured at The White Hat

Good day friends! I'm happy because I'm the featured blog at The White Hat website. You may click on the image below to take you there.

Update: HaloScan is Back to Normal

Thank you to everyone who left messages on my chat box while HaloScan was down. Please give me some time to get back to all of you. I checked HaloScan today and I'm glad that it's up and running again.

A String of Blessings

How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it!" ~ George Elliston

I want to thank three beautiful and sweet Filipina friends for the wonderful awards they gave me. I feel so blessed! It almost feels like it's my birthday.


It was just recently when Darlene of My Life, My World gave me an I ♥ YOUR BLOG AWARDand I'm so overwhelmed that she gave me two new awards. This very sweet lady awarded me a FABULOUS AWARD and NET BUDDIES FRIENDSHIP AWARD. Darlene has a new site called Mommy's Gibble Gabbles where she proudly shares about her home and the people close to her heart.

Thank you again Darlene! Sending you my heartfelt gratitude for giving my a multitude of kindness.


Lynn of Everything and Then Some gave me the EGEL NEST BLOG AWARD. I had the wonderful privilege of meeting Lynn in person during the PMN lunch. I admire how she successfully balances her great career and her role as a wife and mother. Lynn is a terrific mom to A. I love reading about their mother and daughter bondings. Lynn has a flair for finding the best places to eat in the metro. I love going with her on a virtual gastronomic tour. :)

Thank you Lynn for the sweet recognition and the kind words you wrote about me on your blog.

Rachel, the most awarded blogger I know. :) She deserves every recognition she gets. Like Chats, we've met and looking forward for more EBs. :) She is naturally sweet especially to her little mister sunshine, Yohan. Check out her sketches too, she's very creative. ~ Lynn

Rowena of The Sweet Life gave me an I ♥ YOUR BLOG AWARD and EGEL NEST BLOG AWARD. I haven't met Rowena in person yet but I already feel a connection with her. I was drawn to her sweet and friendly nature. I appreciate her daily visits and messages on my blog. It's nice how she would sometimes send me mobile text messages to let me know she read my post or simply greet me a great day ahead.

Thanks Wenchie for these wonderful awards. I hope to meet you in person soon.


♥♥♥ I will post another entry soon to share these awards to my blog friends. ♥♥♥

Spreading Love for Blogs

I'm so touched to receive this wonderful award from two equally sweet blog friends. Nothing can beat a double serving of thoughtful gesture.


I would like to thank...

Mitch of When Silence Speaks. I'm so happy to know she loves my blog and I love hers in return. Mitch is a proud Overseas Filipina Worker-mom. She is blessed with a loving husband and a beautiful daughter named Deye. I admire Mitch's creative digiscraps and dedication to her personal blog and Pinoy Moms Network ~ Parenting.

Darlene of My Life, My World is a lovely Filipina living with her family in Utah. She is an excellent homemaker. I admire her strength and determination in overcoming many challenges in her life. I'm flattered that she gave this badge of appreciation even though we only met each other a few months ago. I love visiting her blog because of the wonderful recipes she likes to share and the wonderful things she writes about her loved ones.

~~o~~o~~o~~o~~o~~o~~

My Desktop Free View Instruction:
I was tagged by Tina (KK) to do this meme.

This was taken at Yohan's school on Orientation Day (no need for uniform that day).

A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop.It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. You can do a screen capture by Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key). Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V).
If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it.

B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of icons. Things like that.

C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well. D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants

I'm tagging the following:
1.MJ
2. Rowena
3. Alice
4. Princess
5. Jo

List of Free Viewers:
iRonnie - I Set No Corner
Thess - Thesserie
Rebecca - Skippy Heart
Knoizki - A Dialogue With K
Beng - Kauderwelch
Tina - My Good Finds
Rachel- Heart of Rachel

Cocktail of Happy Thoughts

1. I had a wonderful opportunity to meet Filipina blog friends, Jo and Liz for the second time last Saturday at Glorietta. It was very nice of Jo to spend time with me and Liz (despite her busy and hectic schedule) before heading back to Canada.

It's been a pleasure meeting both of you. I really enjoyed our lovely chat. Liz, thanks for sharing the nice window of opportunity in blogging. I'm excited to give it a try. Jo, thank you for the lovely dinner and delicious dessert at Friday's. I'm grateful for all the lovely gifts.

2. I received another Nice Matters Award. This time it's from Mike of Mike's Homefront. I'm touched that he has thought of me for this award even though we've only known each other just recently. Mike's thoughtful words about me ...

Rachel Heart of Rachel, as she is known around Blogdenville, is one of the sweetest people I have come across here. Her comments are very kind and very uplifting. I know she already has a Nice Matters Award but she is so nice she deserves another one.

Thank you Mike! I really appreciate your kind words.

Mike has a very interesting site with fun, entertaining and insightful weekly features. My favorite is Mikie's Friday Funbags where he features a portion of a photograph and lets his readers guess what it is. The first one who guesses it correctly wins a nice personalized badge.

3. I'm very happy for my best friend, Chary and Jules' cousin, Nina for passing the June 2007 nursing board exam. I know they invested a lot of time and effort in their studies and made a lot of sacrifices. I'm glad everything was worth it.

I know you have to study for another big exam. Good luck to both of you! I know you can do it.

4. My Auntie Josie is here for a vacation. It's been so many years since her last visit. I was in my early teens when she left for the States. It was wonderful to see her again. We spent an afternoon reminscing about the old days and catching up with recent events in our lives.

5. My friend, Cora, gave me freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (Vegan version). I was surprised to learn that she didn't use any eggs in her recipe. I love the chewy consistency of the cookies she made.

Sweet Rewards of Blogging

Thank you to a dear friend, Sandy of Flip-Flop Floozie for giving me these wonderful awards.



These awards are given for the following reasons:

"For those who answer blog comments, emails and make their visitors feel at home on their blog. For the people who take others people's feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping other bloggers design, improve and fix there sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others. "

Sandy, I really appreciate the sweet things you said about me and my blog.

Rachel from Heart of Rachel is from the Philippines. I love getting to know people from different countries. She is a young mom with a little boy and a husband that COOKS!! wow!!Right there I am a fan!! A man that cooks!! Rachel has a HAPPY blog. She just changed her template and now it is even friendlier and happier blog!! She has a sweet spirit and again would be fun to meet in person.

Sandy is a wonderful blog friend and I admire her for being a great mother, a sweet grandmother and a very loyal friend. She is a person you may depend on during good and difficult times. I find it remarkable how she inspires people and give others the strength to face some obstacles in life. She is a blessing to many,

I would like to share these awards with the following friends (in no particular order):

1. Pea of Pea's Corner - Kind, sweet, creative and fun-loving. That's how I see my friend, Pea. She has a gift of creating beauty around her. Her beautiful garden is an example of that gift. I love the beautiful flowers especially the faerie garden that she built. She is also a collector of many lovely things and I appreciate how she shares her treasures with her readers.

2. Connie of Serious Mumbo Jumbo - She's very sweet and generous. Connie enjoys rewarding her readers with fabulous gifts. A sign of a thoughtful and generous soul. Connie has a geunine kindness and her lovely smile certainly gives that away. She easily makes people smile with her friendly and caring ways.

3. Susie of Susie's Place - I find it heartwarming how she shares happy and memorable moments in her past and present. She also takes pride in showing her priceless mementos that have been passed on from generation to generation. Susie's blog is like a treasure chest overflowing with wonderful memories.

4. Sidney of My Sari Sari Store - He has an amazing photoblog showcasing the Philippines. He passionately takes photographs of interesting people, places and events in our country. Sidney is in Belgium right now and will be back in August. I look forward to seeing more of his fabulous pictures when he gets back.

5. Toni of Wifely Steps - Her award winning blog is an inspiration to many including myself. She shares many interesting and inspiring things on her site. I always learn something new when I visit her because of the refreshing insights, great tips, advices and creative links she share on her blog. Toni is celebrating her birthday soon and I would like to take this opportunity to greet her a Happy Birthday! May she have many more great and wonderful opportunities in life. Stay happy my friend!

My Little Chef

I had a one-on-one meeting with Yohan's teacher today. I'm very happy because of the positive things she mentioned about Yohan. Teacher Renn said Yohan easily absorbs lessons, great in following instructions and enjoys participating in class. She admires Yohan's ability to influence his classmates in doing classroom activities. Teacher Renn finds it amuzing how Yohan would whisper the answer to his classmate who might be having a hard time answering her question. Both Teacher Renn and Teacher Malou are touched by Yohan's sweet nature or in Filipino, "malambing."

I'm so proud when Teacher Renn said that Yohan is showing exceptional progress in class and seems to be ahead of his classmates. In fact, she relates how the other day she gave Yohan an individual activity from the rest. She just told him the instructions and left him to do it on his own while his other classmates worked hand in hand on the same activity together. She just wanted to see how Yohan would do and to her amazement, Yohan did remarkably well.

The teacher said that Yohan's weakness is his shyness. She sees a lot of potential in him but sometimes he can be a little shy especially when there is an observer in class. He is often shy of new people. The teacher told me that perhaps we can work together in helping Yohan overcome his shyness.

I told my husband about the teacher's favorable remarks and he said, we should give our son a little incentive for doing well in school. It was perfect timing because it was the first day of showing of Ratatouille. We decided to have lunch at the mall after the meeting and watch the movie together. We all enjoyed the movie. It's a great film for both kids and adults. It's funny and moving at the same time. I appreciate the life lessons shown in the film.

When we got home, Jules and I thought of donning Yohan in an apron and making him a chef's hat. I remembered that he had a toy rat and used it for this fun make believe shot. Do you see him holding it? It was fun taking this picture. We even put some toy fruits and vegetables and gave Yohan a wire whisk for props.

Rewards of the Heart

I've been awarded my fourth Rockin' Girl Blogger award and it feels absolutely great. The first three awards were from my sweet blog friends Hootin Anni, Julie, and Connie. The Rockin’ Girl Blogger concept was started by Roberta Ferguson.

This time, the Rockin Girl Blogger award is from my dear blog friend Alice of Hello, My Name is Alice. I'm so touched the way she described me and my blog...

Rachel of Heart of Rachel:
She has the sweetest spirit!
I always leave Rachel's blog feeling
happy and contented. Reading her entries
is like watching a feel-good movie.
~~ Alice

Thank you Alice for being so sweet. I'm smiling because of you. I'm happy to have met you through blogging. You have a gift of spreading happy and positive thoughts to your readers. Take care!

I'd like to share this wonderful award to the following people (in no particular order).

1. Vicki of Mahal Kaayo - A kindhearted soul. Her thoughtfulness and generosity are among her greatest strengths. Vicki is a great homemaker, supportive wife and fabulous mother to her two lovely children. Thank you Vicki for touching our hearts in so many ways.

2. Rowena of The Sweet Life - A nurturing person who devotes her time and energy to her family. She has a big and sympathetic heart, easily moved by events happening around her. Thanks Rowena for always taking time to greet me a wonderful day.

3. Mary Jane of Vineyard - One of my closest friends since grade school. She was into blogging before I even knew what a blog was. She has always been the smart one, always topping exams with minimum effort. I'm thankful for the many times she has helped me in school (from grade school to graduate studies). Imagine that! We've certainly come a long way. Miss you MJ! Hope to see you soon.

4. Luiza of Beyond Normal - A pretty face and a beautiful heart. I admire her for being strong in life. Sometimes it's not easy and she experiences setbacks but she's a fighter and a survivor. Luiza, I hope you'll find the happiness you deserve.

5. Kia of Italian Cozy Corner - I admire her sweet and gentle nature. She always goes out of her way to let you know that she's thinking of you even though she's a little busy. Kia is on a little break right now and I'm going to miss her. She left me this lovely message. Thank you Kia and Zeno. See you again this September.

To Vicki, Rowena, Mary Jane, Luiza, and Kia: Each of you may share your award to 5 other people of your choice. Go on and spread some smiles around us.

updated: 2:26 P.M.

PMN E-zine Launched

I'm thrilled because the new and exciting Pinoy Moms Network (PMN) is out and now running in full swing. The old PMN website has undergone a wonderful transformation. From a site that showcased latest members' blogs , it is now a remarkable e-zine (electronic magazine), launched last July 10, 2007. The PMN e-zine is an interesting source of original articles shared by Filipino mothers, divided into the following sections:

• Parenting
• Home and Garden
• Food & Cooking
• Lifestyle & Fashion
• Bringing Up Mom
  

The PMN e-zine was conceptualized by probloggers Connie and Noemi and together with the other hardworking section editors, Annamanila, FeistyMomma, Pinoyexpat, and Sexy Mom), the PMN e-zine team is off to a great start.

We are not dictating and we claim no expertise. We are mothers and we want our voices to reverberate all over the world. - Connie

The idea of putting up an e-zine was first presented to PMN members during our successful Mommy Lunch two months ago at Swiss Deli and Bistro. Everyone gave their all out support to the project. In just two months, it's fascinating how fast the idea turned into reality. You may visit the PMN e-zine here.

When it Rains, it Pours

You're probably aware of the saying, "When it rains, it pours."

I couldn't believe it! Just moments ago I posted about Jules' recent winning moment when I received an MMS from him. His text message included this photo below ...

It's a fresh shot of his latest triumph in badminton this very day.

Congratulations to Jules and his partner, Dr. Lulu F for winning the 1st Runner Up (Level 6 Mixed Doubles) at the GV 99.9 Tournament.

Jules and Dr. Lulu have been partners before. In fact, they won the championship at the Summer Smash 2007 Badminton Tournament held last April 2007. Great job to the both of you. Keep up the good work!

Even the weather is rejoicing because I could hear the rain falling outside ...

Another Deserving Win

Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is. - Zig Ziglar

Congratulations to my husband Jules and his partner Rodel for winning the 1st Runner Up (Men's Doubles) at the NFHF 5th Open Badminton Tournament last June 27, 2007.