Justin’s school held its second Parent-Teacher Conference for this school year last Friday. I was glad that I was able to persuade (a.k.a. coerce) Justin’s dad to go with me to meet Justin's teachers and discuss our son's progress in school. He was late, though, because aside from walking from his office to Justin’s school for 10 minutes, he also waited for us at the lobby of our condo building when Justin and I were already in school. I couldn’t call him because I was already inside Justin’s classroom talking with his teachers. LOL! Our appointment time was 9:15am; my husband arrived a few minutes late.

According to his teachers, Justin can now work with minimum supervision. The teachers will just give him instructions on what he needs to do, and he can be left to finish the task on his own. He is also the only one in his class who can write his first name without any of his two teachers guiding his right hand. Our son really made us proud that day.

Our three-year-old son co-sleeps with us in our double-sized bed. Because there is limited space to move around and because our small bundle of joy hogs the bed, my husband and I are usually confined to the sides of the bed or we end up getting kicked out of our bed altogether. Head bumping is also not uncommon. As we have limited space in our condo unit, buying a bigger-sized bed is out of the question.

We plan to purchase a bunk bed instead. Bunk Beds are bedroom space savers, perfect for our family’s needs. Spacify has a great collection of designer bunk beds that your family will love. Going gaga over the lovely beds that they have to offer, I have finally made up my mind: a brand-new comfortable and stylish bunk bed is what I want for Christmas. Soon, our sleeping nightmares will be over.

Justin’s school will have a Christmas presentation on December 12. Each class, from Nursery to Kindergarten, will have its own production number. Justin’s Nursery class will be performing “Frosty, the Snowman.” All parents were advised to have their kids’ costumes ready by December 1 for use during rehearsals, so I went to the mall last weekend to buy what my son needs.


I bought him a bonnet, a scarf, and winter gloves. They’re supposed to have mittens, but I can’t find a pair, so winter gloves will do. I didn’t need to buy him a jacket anymore; he’ll just use an old one sent to us by one of his godparents who lives abroad. He’ll also use an old pair of jeans and rubber shoes to complete his getup.

So, there, we’re ready. I just hope Justin doesn’t get sick on the day of their presentation because that will be his first time to perform on stage.

“Smoking is dangerous to your health.” That cigarette advertising slogan that we see every day is telling the truth. Cigarette smoking kills. Did you know that a cigarette stick contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds and hundreds of toxic substances? Smoking likewise reduces a smoker’s life expectancy by 7 to 8 years. If those data don’t scare you, think about the various diseases that kill smokers, such as heart disease, lung cancer, and emphysema among others.

Despite these health risks, however, there are still people out there who aren’t keen on listening or just don’t have the power to quit their dangerous habit. My mom, for example, didn’t stop smoking until after she suffered a mild stroke two years ago. Had I known that there was a better alternative to smoking, I would have been the first to recommend that to her.

I have only recently come across SmokeTip Electronic Cigarette, a healthy substitute for those nicotine-laden cigarette sticks, which helps reduce smoking or quit smoking. SmokeTip is non-flammable, and it’s also cheaper than cigarettes. Each SmokeTip Electronic Cigarette kit you order comes with free shipping, money-back guarantee, and lifetime warranty. Now, you can save your lungs and your life.

What a great way to end my work week. Hazel of Delineating Des gave me three wonderful awards. Thanks so much, Hazel!






Now, I am passing on these three lovely awards to the following wonderful bloggers:
Chris, Juliana, Evan’s Mom, Phoebe, Niko, Shy, Enchie, Laine, Beth, and Willa

Are you planning a vacation with your family now or in the near future? If your vacation destination happens to be California, you might want to give Santa Monica Beach Hotel a try. Bayside Hotel Santa Monica is your home away from home. It is only a few steps away from the beach and is very near Santa Monica, Venice, and Marina del Rey, some of the must-see places in Los Angeles.

You can choose an ocean-view, courtyard, or economy room with a fully-equipped kitchen. All the rooms at Bayside Hotel are non-smoking; wheelchair-accessible rooms are also available. Santa Monica Beach Accommodations include but are not limited to the following: high-speed wireless Internet service, free parking, maid service, snack kiosk, and lots of smiling and friendly faces. Check out this site for more info.

Parents should give their children tasks to do so they learn to become responsible. The results of a study conducted by the University of Minnesota showed that children who performed housework had better feelings of responsibility and self-worth years later. Children who feel good about themselves are more respectful of others.

Even if my son is only 3 years and 4 months old, he already knows how to put away his toys, but he does this only when he’s in a good mood. LOL! There are two household chores, though, that he would do anytime: dusting and sweeping the floor.




Does your kid enjoy doing housework, too?

Click on the badge above to see more Mommy Moments’ entries.

Ugg boot is a type of Australian boot made with sheepskin. “Ugg” is short for “ugly, so “ugg boots” literally mean “ugly boots.” They are probably called this way because they were crudely made at first. Ugg boots are meant to keep the feet warm, especially during winter.

Because ugg boots are soft, comfortable, and versatile, they have become popular among Hollywood celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey and Paris Hilton. And why not? Ugg boots can be worn with just about anything, and you can wear it anywhere you like. They come in different styles, colors, and sizes, so there’s a pair available for every member of the family.

You might want to check the ongoing ugg boots sale at ugg-mall.com. They offer a vast collection of beautiful and fashionable ugg boots, which are perfect gifts for Christmas.

Today is only the third time that Justin wore briefs to school. The first time was unsuccessful. He peed in his pants the very minute I left his classroom. I told the teacher’s aide who assisted him that time to make him wear diaper for the remainder of his class. Yesterday, he peed in his shorts again, but when he changed into clean clothes, he began calling his teachers’ attention whenever he feels the urge to pee. That was definitely a lot better than last time. Today, however, is a totally different story because he went home with dry shorts and briefs, the very same pair that he had on when he went to school this morning. This means he’s already comfortable going to the bathroom in school whenever he needs to. Hurray!

I’m sure you’ve heard about DIRECTV, America’s No. 1 satellite TV service. But what is satellite TV, by the way? Satellite TV, as the name implies, is when TV broadcasts are delivered by a satellite and received by a satellite dish and set-top box. Satellite TV offers many benefits, such as better picture, improved sound quality, and more channels and services.

If you’re a cable subscriber and you’d like to switch to satellite TV, Direct Sat TV can help you get started. They offer a wide range of DIRECTV programming and packages that caters to each and every member of your household. Up to 200 direct tv channels are available. What’s more? Installation and setup come at no extra cost when you avail of directv service. Find out how much savings you can enjoy from direct television by filling out a quick quote form from Direct Sat TV.

Justin has been nagging us to take him on a real train ride through our very own Metro Rail Transit (MRT). Last November 14, when we went to see his Daddy’s doctor for a checkup, we yielded to his request. We went to Ayala Terminal, got MRT cards a.k.a train tickets, went down to the train station, and waited for the train to arrive. At first, Justin was daunted by the loud sound of the approaching train, but he soon got over his initial fear when we finally made it inside.

Because he is such a fan of Thomas the tank engine, he thought we were actually riding either Thomas or Gordon. He even asked me where the Fat Controller is. LOL! We opted for a round trip to give our son more time to experience being in a real train. He already rode twice last week, but he insists on riding again. He just can’t get enough of it.

Did your kids have a grand time on their first train ride, too?

I’ve been working long enough to see that not all employees are doing their best in their jobs. There are even some who are not really doing their jobs. This happens most especially when the supervisors are not around. The old adage “When the cat is away, the mice will play” holds true in most cases. As an employee who does her fair share of the work, I really get affected when there are people in the workplace who slack on their jobs. I think it’s unfair that management does not see who among their employees are working well and hard and who are just goofing off.

Monitoring productivity of all employees can help the higher-ups decide which workers they need to retain and which they can terminate based on work performance. ActivTrak is a productivity monitoring software that records time-wasting activities that employees do while at work, including non-work related emails and chat sessions. This alerts employers on each and every employee abuse that is happening in the workplace. Further, when employees are aware that their every move is being watched, they tend to be more productive.

This incident happened last month in Justin’s school. I made a mental note to write a post about it, but it slipped my mind because I’ve been really busy lately. I was peeping as usual into Justin’s classroom, waiting for dismissal time, and I saw my son sitting closely beside a pretty girl classmate. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he was pointing to an insect bite on his forehead while talking to his girl classmate. What happened next caught me off-guard. Justin’s girl classmate kissed his forehead. Whoa! I wasn’t prepared for that. I’m the only one who kisses my son whenever he feels something ouchie in his body. I should think nothing of it, right?

My son loves trains: toy trains and real trains. His penchant for trains started when he first laid eyes on Thomas & Friends. He also likes riding on trains, and he had a grand time last Halloween riding two trains at two different malls.


At SM Sta. Rosa with Mommy


At Festival Mall ith Tito O.
Justin is also fond of cars: toy cars, racing cars, online car games, arcade car games, etc. He had a chance to drive a bump car last Halloween, too, at Festival Mall. At first, his Dad and I were hesitant to allow him to ride the bump car on his own, thinking that he was too young and too small for it. He insisted he could do it, and lo and behold, he drove it like a pro!


Justin's first bump car ride
Are your kids fascinated by trains and cars, too?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dirt Devil. All opinions are 100% mine.

With Christmas just around the corner, I’m sure a lot of us are scrambling for gifts to give to family and friends this holiday season. Despite the economic crunch, most, if not all, of us would still like to feel the Christmas spirit, and what better way to do that than to give gifts. The question is: Where can we find the ideal Christmas presents to give to our loved ones that won’t hurt our budget?

You might want to take a peek at Dirt Devil’s Holiday Buying Guide for 2009. Here, you’ll see a collection of Dirt Devil product deals, perfect gift ideas for your mom and dad and just about any member of your household. Enjoy great savings each time you purchase any of their online specials.



The Dirt Devil Holiday Buying Guide also offers a great selection of coupon and discount websites that saves you a lot of money. You’ll be amazed to see over 300 websites, strategies, and smart ways to save when shopping online. You can also download free shopping shortcuts on DirtDevil.com, plus you get free shipping on selected items. Special offers start on Wednesday, November 25.

Aren’t you glad you stumbled upon this?

Justin is quite a picky eater. I think he takes that after his Daddy and his grandfather on his Daddy’s side. Like most kids, he has his favorite treats, too, which include pizza, ice cream, spaghetti, french fries, and Auntie Anne’s pretzel. Too bad, I wasn’t able to take a picture of him eating pizza, specifically Chef d’Angelo’s Four Cheese Deluxe.








I just love seeing my son enjoying his food. I guess all moms are like that, huh?

Click on the badge above to see more Mommy Moments’ entries.

The Fresh Air Fund (FAF) is an independent, non-profit organization that has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income families since 1877. OneSight, A Luxottica Group Foundation, is a family of charitable vision care programs that provides free vision care and new eyewear to those in need. Together, they work to make a difference in people’s lives.

For the fifth summer in a row, OneSight offered to bring their traveling optical clinic to FAF camps to help many Fresh Air children who do not have access to affordable vision care. This summer, OneSight volunteers screened 3,295 children and counselors, gave 1,757 eye exams, and made 1,629 pairs of eyeglasses.


You can help improve the lives of these children, too. Visit this site to find out how you can help.

What would our world be without lockers? Lockers are an important part of our everyday lives because we use them for storage and safekeeping. Students put some or most of their stuff in school lockers to ease the burden of having to carry their personal belongings with them wherever they go. Gym lockers, on the other hand, are good companions for those who work out regularly. These gym enthusiasts can concentrate more on the task at hand because they have a safe place to leave their clothing and valuables.

In my present work, we have a tiny office that accommodates a small group of tutors. The problem with having a cramped space is that there’s no place for each tutor to deposit his/her things. We either put our bags or whatnot on top of our CPUs or under our desk, which is really unsightly. I think a wood locker can work wonders for us, but where can we find lockers for sale?

Morelockers.com offers a great selection of lockers at very low prices. You also don’t need to worry if you know nothing about lockers because their knowledgeable customer service representatives will assist you with whatever questions you may have. They’ve been in business for years, and they know their products inside and out. Check out their site if you wish to know more about them.

Thanks so much for these fabulous awards, Mommy Jac!




"You can see this box of chocolates is filled with different and unique candies and just like the chocolates we are all different and unique people. We are the same in that we all have common ingredients that make us more alike than not. Except for the frosting, which represents our personalities, we are indeed very similar on the inside.”

And of course there are rules:

1. That you must pass this award to others.
2. Link back to me when you have passed them forward.
3. Write a nice post about this award.
4. You must read this award with a southern accent. I call it southern day where we all have to speak with a southern accent. I know that will be hard for some of you, but for the rest of us, we will be fine. So now, ya’ll just enjoy this little ol’ award and have fun with it.
5. And of course let your folks know that they have a nice award waiting for them.



For those receiving this award it is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to six bloggers who must choose six more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I’m passing on these awards to everyone in my blog list. Feel free to grab these awards, guys!

Protein is one of the essential nutrients that should be included in our diet. Proteins help build muscles, heal wounds, boost energy levels, lose weight, and prevent disease. Proteins consist of long chains of amino acids. There are 22 types of amino acids, which can be classified as essential and non-essential amino acids. Non-essential amino acids are those that can be manufactured by our body. Essential amino acids are those that we get from the food we eat.

However, we don’t always get all of the essential amino acids that our body needs to function properly. This is where protein supplements come in handy. A good way to receive the health benefits of protein is to add a liquid protein supplement in our diet. DietDirect.com offers a wide variety of ready-to-drink liquid protein products, which are especially helpful for patients with increased protein needs. All purchases come with a money-back guarantee.

Since we spent Halloween at my sister’s place in Laguna, we didn’t pass up the chance to drop by Kanin Club at Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna to savor their famous dishes. My husband heard great raves about this restaurant from his officemates. We ordered Crispy Liempo, Crispy Dinuguan, Seafood Kare-kare, and Vegetarian Delight.


Crispy Liempo @ Php127.00 – Light and crunchy pork belly strips for dipping in 3 kinds of sauce


Crispy Dinuguan @ Php233.00 - Spicy pork stew flavored by vinegar and pork blood; contains crispy pig internals and crispy chicharon bulaklak


Seafood Kare-kare @ Php267.00 – Mussels, shrimps, squid, and vegetables slowly cooked in peanut sauce and served with bagoong


Vegetarian Delight @233.00 - Banana blossoms and three kinds of mushrooms, with wheat vegemeat and tofu, sauteed in vegetarian oyster sauce

We didn’t order desserts anymore because we were in a hurry to get to another destination. So, did we enjoy our meal? Definitely! Just look at the smiles in our faces.