The Journey Continues...

Our blog received an award from meeya. Was so touched and honored! Didn’t know that our readers find our blog nice and is worth reading. Hehe! Thanks again mama meeya! Mwah!

The award says:

“I love their blog because its a real tag-team effort, Toni writes and Paul writes, too! Sometimes, though, I get confused as to who wrote the entry, haha! I especially love looking at their son, Lance’s, pictures. Ang cute-cute kasi, tabachoy!! Their relationship really brings a positive note to the blogosphere because their blog truly bridges the distance (especially when Paul is away, as in far away for work and they can’t be physically together as a family). I should give one award for each of you, but I’m running out of awards hehe. Share, ok!”

Now I would like to give the award to some bloggers who I frequently visit. I would like to give it to Mia also because I’m really fond of reading her posts, from transferring to one city to another, and most of all the stories about her little girl Ninna. She really deserves the award but like what she said, spread the love so I’m giving it to other bloggers who I frequently visit.

According to the rules, the Nice Matters Award goes out to:

“Those who are just nice people, good blog friends, and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those who care about others, who are there to lend support, or those who are just a positive influence in our blogging world.”

Here are my awardees:

Aggie of Mommy Talk, Wife Stories, Girl Speak

I really am a fan of aggie’s site. I enjoy reading her posts especially if it’s about her two wonderful kids, Matthew and Martha. Plus I admire her for being so open about her life, discussing about anything that’s been going on with her, including her financial concerns (whenever she has one). And last but not the least, I often go to Aggie whenever I have questions on anything about blogging and recently on paid posts. She’s the one who got me into it and I’m glad I joined. :)

Nice of We Are Family

I also visit nice’s blog if not everyday, at least thrice a week. I also love reading her posts and admire her for being business-minded. They have panwich and now diaper cakes. I also like her stories on their cute son, Andre. :)

Kitts of Marriage?! - Think Twice

Kitts is one the bloggers whom I haven’t seen yet, but I enjoyed chatting with her and eventually became a friend. I love visiting her blog and I can sometimes relate to her posts. Some of them may be short but worth reading. And I also love her scrap book layouts, with or without her adorable daughter, Dani.

I was tagged by Nice. Thanks sis! I enjoyed it!

1. 2 THINGS YOU ALWAYS BRING IN YOUR BAG (ASIDE FROM WALLET)
- mobile phone and tissue

2. 2 TV SHOWS/TELENOVELAS YOU LOVE TO WATCH
- Marimar aww!, and Prison break

3. 2 SOFTDRINKS YOU ENJOYED DRINKING
- Coke & Rootbeer

4. 2 MAGAZINES/BOOKS YOU LOVE READING
- Smart Parenting and HP books

5. 2 PLACES/COUNTRIES YOU LOVE VISITING OR WOULD LOVE TO VISIT
- Europe and US

6. 2 HOBBIES YOU ENJOYED
- Blogging and Reading

7. 2 ACTORS YOU WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A DATE
- Brad Pitt and Dennis Trillo (hehe!)

8. 2 WEBSITES YOU NEVER FAILED TO OPEN EVERYDAY ASIDE FROM EMAIL AND YOUR OWN BLOGS/SITE)
- PayPerPost and INQ7.net (same with you nice)

9. 2 FONDEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
- going to batangas with my cousins to visit my other cousins there every summer. then we will teach the younger ones about God and then teach them also some subjects in school like math, english, etc. And after the class, we also prepare snacks for them. Aside from that, I also enjoyed offering flowers to mama mary every month of May which is a tradition in our place, they call it "paalay" where there is a family in-charge per day for the whole month of may. They gather/pick flowers, send invitations to those who will offer, then will also serve snacks after.

- going to CCP to bike with my cousins every weekend and summer outing every year. ( i think i was 4 then)

10. 2 SCARY INCIDENT/ACCIDENT/INSTANCE THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET
- My uncle who's suffering from cancer was rushed to the hospital. We were with him at the ambulance. it was my first time to ride in an ambulance and wow, the driver was really good and fast! I was really scared first for my uncle and also for our dear life since the driver is really driving so fast.

- When i had a miscarriage (enough said).

That's it. Most of the bloggers i know have done this already so if you haven't go tag yourself. This is fun!

People invests on a lot of things, either buying their own car or purchasing properties and most of them uses bridging loans to help them pay for what they’re investing. I’d say that it is a good way of managing your resources since you’ll be able to allot money for what you’re buying and there’s a company that helps you out. I’ve heard of a company that also offers open bridging loans and closed bridging loans. These two types of bridging loans are important because it makes the risks of the lender either high or low depending on the type of loan you will get. Sound good, right? For more information on bridging loans, you may visit www.bridgingloans.co.uk

If there are some things I miss about my last job, one of them would be going out with our clients for dinner and a few drinks. It isn’t everyday you get to have wine and a full course meal and the company would pick up the tab, right? I wasn’t really fond of wine when I started working there, but after three years, I admit I’m starting to like it. We even had a client that was somewhat of a wine connoisseur. He has wine coolers at his house where he chills his wine and champagne. I learned almost everything I know about wine from that guy. Having a fun working environment surely takes the stress out of your day. I hope my next job would be just as fun as the last one.

Lance’s party is just 10 days away and I just want to make sure that everything’s ok na.

1. Venue rental – made downpayment already. Full payment on the day of the event
2. Food – made downpayment na with blue petals
3. Kiddie meal – need to contact Jollibee
4. Invitation / streamer – done. Paul to pick up the items from maver.
5. Host / magician – booked c/o apple
6. Loot bags – for delivery c/o apple
7. Balloons / décor – done c/o apple
8. Prizes – done. Bought items at divisoria two weeks ago
9. Photographer – done. Booked John Aguas
10. Cake – contacted Arlene of Layers and Layers, for downpayment
11. Guestbook – kitts finished with the layout. For printing at picturebooks
12. Outfit – bought online. Just waiting for my parents’ arrival.

I guess that’s it. Looks like everything’s settled na. We just pray that it won’t rain during the party. :)

I got this from an egroup and thought of posting it. Nice no! :)

1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.
2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one!
3. It's all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry too. I do.
4. You've made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It's all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.
5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn't easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.
6. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.
7. You can change your mind. It's good to decide, but it is also fine to change.
8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!
9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!
10. I have a surprise for you. It's not your birthday. It's for no reason at all. Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.
11. I can wait. We have time. You don't have to hurry this time.
12. What would you like to do? It's your turn to pick. You have great ideas. It's important to follow your special interests.
13. Tell me about it. I'd like to hear more. And then what happened? I'll listen.
14. I'm right here. I won't leave without saying good-bye. I am watching you. I am listening to you.
15. Please and Thank You. These are important words. If I forget to use them, will you remind me?
16. I missed you. I think about you when we are not together!
17. Just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You might like it. Let's see. I'll help you if you need it. I think you can do it.
18. I'll help you. I heard you call me, here I am. How can I help you? If we both work together, we can get this done. I know you can do it by yourself, but I'm glad to help since you asked.
19. What do you wish for? Even if it's not yet time for birthday candles and we don't have a wishbone, it's still fun to hear about what you wish for, hope for, and dream about
    

I’ll be patriotic now in my post. :)

It saddens me whenever I hear Filipinos making fun or just neglecting our National Anthem. Like during first screening or last full show in theaters, the National Anthem is played and most of the moviegoers don’t even put their hand on their chest. I don’t think it’s that difficult to do. Just by doing that, you can show that you’re proud to be a Filipino and that you love your country, so why can’t some people do it?

As I was watching the evening news, they showed a certain celebrity who missed two lines while singing the National Anthem. But before showing the actual footage, they showed first the girl who sang during one of Manny Pacquiao’s fight in 2006. She got out of tune while singing the song which is really disgusting. And now, Christian Bautista, who was asked to sing the National Anthem in a boxing match, forgot two lines while singing the National Anthem. C’mon man! Do you have a memory gap? And funny thing is, he sent a text message apologizing for what happened and was saying that he was sick or something. Now you’re blaming your fever or colds?!?

I admit, if you seldom sing the song you might really forget the lyrics but hey, you can always practice, right?

Anyway, Christian Bautista, this is for you:

Lupang Hinirang

Bayang magiliw
Perlas ng Silanganan,
Alab ng puso,
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.

Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.
Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim.
Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati't pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo;
Aming ligaya, na pag may mang-aapi
Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.

I just found a website that specializes in jungle / animal themes. All their products are themed, and they have a huge selection too. They have clothes, inflatables, toys, mugs, and a whole lot of other stuff. You’d be surprised with the sheer number of products. They even have costumes for infants to men (extra large size at that) – these would be great for Halloween. What caught my attention was their animal jewelry; their selection is just so huge. You really have to check it out, the designs are so great. If I was to buy one, I’d probably get the one with dragon designs. I don’t know why I have a fascination with dragons. It could be because I was born in the year of the dragon, or maybe by playing Dungeons & Dragons when I was a kid. Lol!

It’s just a week from now and Lance will turn one already. How soon time flies! Of course, we want to have a party for his first birthday. When Paul and I were talking about the things that we need for the party, we listed down the things that we need to have. These are as follows: party invitations, caterer, balloons, cake, game prizes, loot bags, and host or magician. So far, we have everything already. I’m getting the invitations later so that we can distribute it this week. We’re all set! I do hope it won’t rain and that Lance will be happy on his party.

Paul and I donated blood last Friday for my niece who is confined now at FEU hospital due to dengue. She already had 14 bags of blood transfused to her and thank God she’s now past the critical stage. She’s still bloated though that’s why she can’t’ be discharged yet. She still has water in her tummy, lungs and all other parts of her body. The doctor said that it may take a few days before she totally release all the water.

Anyway, we arrived at FEU at 8:15pm, just in time because their cut off is at 8:30pm. We then waited for the doctor who will interview us and see if we’re qualified as donors. The doctor arrived after an hour and examined and interviewed us. After that, they took a vial and got some blood for screening. We were then again asked to wait for another 45 mins – 1 hour. So we waited. And because of too much waiting, we were not able to see my niece. Their visiting hours is only until 9:00pm so it’s just my sister who was able to see her. My aunt naman, joined us at the laboratory waiting for our turn for the blood extraction.

After an hour, we asked for the results and if we’re ok na to donate. So that’s when pa lang they told us to get inside the laboratory for blood extraction. It was a first for me, and I’m having mixed emotions. Hehe! I was scared and excited at the same time. Scared because I’m not sure if it hurts and I don’t know how long it will take. Excited naman because it’s my first time and it’s for a good cause. Paul naman on the other hand is a veteran. Lolz! That was already his 4^th time to donate blood. The first two were during college days and the last one was last year when I needed donors after giving birth. The experience was just ok. We both were asked to lie down in bed then they inserted the needle and gave us squeeze balls to help extracting the blood. We filled up 450ml bag and after that they just asked us to wait for the donor card and gave us juice and cupcakes. May libreng merienda! Hehe!

We left the hospital at 11pm. The actual blood extraction is not really long, siguro it took us less than 30mins. Natagalan lang because we waited for the doctor and for the result of the screening. Ayun, I do hope my niece will get well soon. Hirap ng may sakit eh, draining both for the patient and for the parents. Kaya kami din tuloy sa house, we’re really careful. Syempre all of us naman doesn’t want our kids to get sick di ba! Let’s just guard our kids and pray that they won’t get sick.

I visited an old friend of mine the other night. We just had a few drinks in his place and tried to catch up with what’s happened since we last saw each other. That was several years ago. He’s still the same old guy I know, but his place was totally different from what I remember. I really like what he did to his house. I especially loved his mini bar. It was complete from the bar to the rack where you hang the glasses and really cool bar stools. His bar even had those brass foot rests at the bottom. It really felt like being in a proper bar. Anyway, we were so busy talking about the good old times that we lost track of time and I ended up going home way later than expected. It was great to see a good old friend though. Looks like I’m going to hang out in his place more often.

Last Sunday after hearing mass, Paul and I together with Lance and Ate Rose went to Megamall to have our radio repaired since it’s still under warranty. Unfortunately, SM said that appliances bought from sony must be sent directly to sony for repair. Good thing though, there’s a sony near our place so Paul just brought it there.

Anyway, from the appliance section, we then went to the grocery to buy items we need for the house and also Lance’s milk and diapers. When we got Lance’s diapers from Huggies, a girl approached me and told me that they have a promo for Huggies. I just present the receipt at their counter and Lance will have a free picture in costume. So upon paying we then went to the huggies section and presented the receipt. As always, Lance was mistaken for a girl. The lady from huggies was recommending a fairy costume for Lance but we told her that he’s a boy so we got the cow costume instead. When they were about to take a picture of Lance, he doesn’t want to be alone so I joined him and wore a hat. Hehe! We got the picture right away and there it is. Ang cute ni Lance while ako mukhang haggard! Lolz!! We went home na after that since we want to have lunch at home and it's already 1pm. :)

A lot of people are into online shopping. I would like to do that as well but I’m having problems with my paypal account, but that’s another story. Anyhow, people who have been into online shopping are really enjoying it and telling me how easy it is. Most merchants provide shopping carts where buyers can just put the items that they’ll buy in the cart.

I also have a few friends who are selling their items online and they are thinking of getting an online shopping cart and be familiar with the shopping cart software. I told them about Ashop Commerce which provides free tech support, secure hosting, 99.8% Guaranteed uptime, free upgrades for life, daily backups, free SSL Certificate, inbuilt web optimization, etc. I also told them of the benefits of ecommerce shopping carts like reducing the cost of order processing since customer orders can automatically come straight to their orders database from the website. Also, there will be savings from operational costs and the like, plus they can reach a much wider audience thus having the possibility of increase in sales.

So for those of you who are into online selling, you might want to visit http://ashop.com.au and get an online shopping cart.

Paul and I went to Divi last Saturday to look for prizes for Lance’s first birthday party. I sure had fun buying stuff there. Sabi nga namin ni Paul, if we only live near divi, malamang we’ll go there often and shop. Aliw talaga!!

Side kwento: naaliw kami sa barkers. Usually yung mga tao, tawag nila, divi but for barkers, you’ll hear them shout “soria! soria!” which stands for “divisoria”. You’ll see them when you get off from lrt recto station. Tapos naman, from divi going back to lrt station, you’ll once again hear barkers shouting and this time “rayta! rayta!” which stands for “morayta”. Hehe! La lang, naaliw lang kami. At first kasi, I did not understand what they’re saying, I understood it lang when I saw the sign on the jeepney. Kasi since we live in Marikina, we don’t really go to divi kaya I’m not really familiar. :)

Anyway, back to my kwento. Paul and I saw one toy store there in divi, recommended by my cousin. We listed down all the prices first and told the lady that we’ll just come back once we have the list of what items to buy. We then went to divi mall where we bought some items for the lootbags. After that I made computations na to fit our budget for the prizes then went back to the toy store. I really had fun buying those toys because they’re so cheap. I was tempted to buy more because we were able to save P700 from the budget that we set but Paul was telling me to stop buying na since we already met the advised quantity given by our party organizer. :)

We went home with two big plastic bags filled with toys and other stuff. I had a hard time carrying it because it was heavy and we did not bring a car because we’re not familiar nga with divi. Sakit tuloy sa kamay. Hehe! But it’s all worth it considering the savings we had compared to buying those toys at the malls.

We’re starting to confirm the guests attending Lance’s party at the end of the month. We’ve asked one of Lance’s godfathers if he would attend; unfortunately, he couldn’t. Then he asked when we were going to have the next baby. Toni and I haven’t really thought about having another baby as Lance isn’t even a year old yet. Well, we have to face the fact that our baby, as well as our family, is growing up (and quite fast too!). That being said, we’d need more space for the kids. And as they grow older, a new room. We’d probably get them bunk beds. It’s a very nice space saver. I remember my brother and I had one of those when we were kids. What’s neat is that some of these have built-in dressers. We know it’s not needed until after several years but at least we know what we’ll do get even before we’d need it.

I haven’t blogged for the past few days and I miss it. I’m just busy with work since we’ll be having audit again before the year ends. I’m also busy preparing for Lance’s 1^st bday party. Excited na ko. Hehe! Paul is having a headache na because of the expenses and we’re trying to cut down the costs, hopefully bumaba nga siya. Hmm what else… My parents will be arriving by end of the month and we’re all looking forward to it. It wll be their first time to see Lance. Lance naman is growing up fast. I just hope I can spend more time with him as he grows.

Hmm.. there are not much opportunities for paid posts and aside from that I’m having problems with my paypal. Haayy… hope I can resolve this na. Btw, how can I transfer my paypal account addressed in New Zealand? I would like to transfer it to a US address eh. Anybody there who knows? Pa-help naman! Thanks!