40 Random Things (Part II)

Continuation ....

21.  I believe that if you can’t say anything nice, it’s always best to keep quiet.

22.  A little kindness goes a long way.  Never underestimate the power of a kind gesture or a smile.

23.  I’m always fascinated with nature. I love watching the sunrise and the sunset. I love seeing flowers bloom, butterflies fluttering, and birds singing. The full moon never fails to catch my attention.

24.  I love capturing special moments. Taking pictures make me happy.

25.  I regret many things in life. I learned that in order to attain peace within, the first step is letting go. Once you do, moving on is easier.

26.  The people you love can sometimes break your heart too. Open your heart to forgiveness.

27.  Driving still remains a dream. May be one day, I can find the courage to go behind the wheel.

28.  I’m not a perfect mom but I’m trying my best to be a good one.

29.  I’m thankful for my writing job. I learn something new from every topic I write.

30.  Kare-kare will always be my favorite Filipino dish.

31.  I don’t want to think of myself as a middle-aged woman. I always want to feel young.

32.  I love bags. I wish I could buy as many bags as I want.

33.  I have a small closet. I wish I can have a walk-in closet in the future.  

34.  When the Internet is down, I feel down.

35.  I enjoy watching horror films even though my fear always gets the best of me. The Walking Dead is currently my favorite TV program.

36.  I’m thankful to modern gadgets.  I can easily connect with my loved ones in the States.

37.  I’m happy that Bruno, my Labrador is still going strong at the age of 13.

38.  I have my own share of flaws. I’m impatient, impulsive and I tend to worry about small things.

39.  Life is full of opportunities. Never be afraid to try something new.

40.  I don’t know what the future has in store for me. I only pray that God will continue to bless me and the people I love. 

40 Random Things (Part I)

Today I turn 40. It's another milestone in life that I'm grateful for. Let me share 40 random things I've learned, realized, and discovered in this lifetime. 

1. It’s never too late to start exercising. I’m thankful that I found the motivation to walk and run around the village. 
2. 8K is possible after all. Who knows, maybe I have the strength and endurance to run/walk up to 10K.
3. Biking is fun. I just bought a mountain bike and I’m rediscovering how fun it is to be on two wheels. 
4. It feels great to lose weight and enjoy shopping again. When I was overweight, I was always frustrated when I go shopping for clothes. I just hope I can maintain my weight now. 
5. I can finally wear dresses again.
6. Getting gray hair is not the end of the world. Thank goodness for hair coloring products. 
7. I have the best parents in the world. They are kind, understanding, generous, and selfless. I love them very much. 
8. I admire my brother for being so wise and responsible in life. I may be older than him but sometimes he’s more like my kuya. 
9.  My yaya (nanny) has taken care of me since I was a baby. I’m blessed that she chose to stay with me all these years. 
10. I'm thankful to have a loving, supportive, and kind husband.  He gives me strength and hope.
11. I have a wonderful son who inspires and motivates me to face challenges and continue dreaming. 
12. Home is where the heart is. I realized that there’s no better place than home. 
13. Life is not perfect but once you overlook at the imperfections, you’ll realize that life has so many beautiful things to be grateful for. 
14. Life is a learning process.  There's always something new worth discovering and exploring.
15. Disappointments are part of life. Learn from your mistakes. When you fail, there’s no harm in trying again. As long as there’s life, anything is possible.
16. I cannot please everybody. It’s a waste of energy to get rattled by what other people think of you. 
17. Focus on the positive things in life. 
18. I haven’t conquered my fear of heights but I gathered the courage to ride the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster. I’m still hoping to experience the zipline. 
19. I love happy endings. I will always be a romantic at heart. 
20. People come and go but real friends are there for keeps.

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. :)

Aloha Friday #67

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.

What 3 simple joys did you experience today?

1. Good morning kisses from hubby and son.
   
2. Hubby's delicious home cooking.
3. A sweet SMS from my mom.

Red Wine Apple With Ice-Cream

The other day, I got frustrated when I couldn't find the Chocolate Truffles ice-cream flavor at the nearby convenience store. Hubby knew I was terribly disappointed. He made me feel better by making a delicious dessert. I enjoyed it and I forgot all about my Chocolate Truffles craving. Let me share the dessert my hubby made...

How To Make Red Wine Apple With Ice-Cream

1. Boil around half a bottle of red wine and 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Add 1 cinnamon stick and 2 tbsp of grated ginger.

2. Peel some apples and put them in the boiling mixture.


3. Let the apples absorb the red wine mixture. Simmer until the apples become a little tender.


4. Remove the apples from the saucepan and let them cool for a while.


5. Whip pre-chilled all purpose cream.


6. Core the apples cooked in red wine.




7. Put whipped cream inside the hole of the apple using an icing decorating tube or bag. If you don't have one, you can simply use a spoon to fill the hole with whipped cream.


8. Place a scoop of ice-cream (preferably vanilla) beside the apple.


9. Crush some toasted cashew nuts (you can also use almonds) and add them on top of the ice-cream.


10. Put some honey as a finishing touch. This is step is optional.


11. Serve it immediately. Enjoy!


I enjoyed this dessert. I appreciate my hubby's gesture. My son didn't eat the apple but he enjoyed the ice-cream part. :)

Weekend Snapshot #72

To join this weekly meme, click here.

Ferrari Model Cars 2009

Last December 2007, hubby collected 6 Ferrari toy model cars in one of Shell's promotions. This year, Shell has come up with 7 new Ferrari cars with real engine sounds.

We started with three models. My hubby, son and I each had our turn to pick one ...

Our first Ferrari batch.

Hubby's pick: FXX

My pick: 599 GTB Fiorano

Yohan's pick: F430 Challenge

After a few weeks, we were able to complete all 7 cars. I took this photo last night...

Yohan's complete Ferrari toy model cars.

You still have until May 17, 2009 to collect all 7 new Ferrari models.

Photo Hunt :: Walking

Come and join the hunt here

Sorry I missed last week's photo hunt. I'm glad to be back. The photos below were taken late March of this year during Yohan's Family Fun Day activity at Blue Rose Farm, Lipa City. After the activities, we checked out the camp area where they we saw this rope line. I was surprised when hubby started walking on the rope.


Yohan got excited and asked his dad if he could have his turn. Yohan was thrilled to give it a try. It was a fun day for all of us.

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. :)

Weekend Snapshot #70

To join this weekly meme, click here.

Smile Good Enough To Eat

Yohan was thrilled to see a cute smiling face on his plate for breakfast ...

You could tell from Yohan's eyes that he just woke up. :)

BreadTalk's JJ Baby - chocolate filled smile.

My favorite - BreadTalk's Cheese Floss

Weekend Snapshot #69

To join this weekly meme, click here.

Easter Egg Hunt

Hope you had a wonderful Easter celebration. My SIL and I prepared an Easter egg hunt for the kids. I bought half a dozen of oversized plastic Easter eggs and stuffed them with small toys and sweet treats. My SIL prepared 4 trays (40 eggs in total) of small plastic Easter eggs with ready made treats inside. The eggs were hidden all around my MIL's lawn and the kids had fun searching for them. Yohan's youngest cousin, Sofie was the first one to find the first Easter egg. Below are some photos of the fun Easter egg hunt.

Over sized plastic Easter eggs.
You can see the size difference of the plastic and the real egg.

Sweet bunny lollipops.

Three cute caterpillars.

The Easter goodies.

I got one.

One more here.

Showing off their Easter eggs.

Yohan and his cousins with their Easter goodies.