Tuesday, March 30, 2010

After Justin finished his second bottle of milk yesterday morning, he hurriedly went to the bathroom because he needed to pee. He asked me these questions afterwards.

Justin: Mommy, why does the milk I drink become my pee, and why does the food I eat become my poop?

I didn’t have a ready answer to his questions, so I just told him instead that “Those are very intelligent questions, baby!” I was laughing silently and pondering the answers to the same questions in case he asks them again.

What would you tell your kids if they ask you these questions?


I love giving gifts, and I make sure I have gifts for my loved ones on their birthdays and on Christmas Day. Because of my busy schedule, however, I don’t have time to hop from one store to the next to find the perfect presents for the people who matter to me. I usually end up buying practical gifts for all. I realize now that they will feel more special if I give them personalized gifts instead. Soon, my youngest brother and his wife will move to their new home, and I just found a unique and lovely present for both of them. I hope they’ll like it.


Sunday, March 28, 2010

We had a very fun family outing at Dona Jovita Garden Resort in Calamba, Laguna last Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27, 2010. We planned this special event for the following reasons: (1) it’s Nanay’s 59th birthday on March 31, (2) it’s Nanay and Tatay’s 39th wedding anniversary on March 31 also, and (3) we have a new nurse in the family; Justin’s Ate Ayie, my niece, passed the December 2009 Nursing Licensure Exam and has recently taken her professional oath.

This swimming party was a success because we had 100% attendance. We rented one cottage, which was enough to accommodate all 16 of us (13 adults and 3 kids). We brought our own home-cooked food (grilled fish and pork, chicken and pork adobo, spaghetti, and ensaladang mangga at kamatis [green mango and tomato salad]). We all enjoyed dipping in the various pools at the resort and just being with family.


From left to right: Nanay, Tita Meann, Tito Orlan, Ate April with Kuya Ron, Ate Ayie with Justin, Tetcha and Ate Hazel (front)



Tetcha and my niece Ayie, our new nurse!



Justin pretending he knows how to swim. LOL!



Dennis, Meann, Ayie, and Tetcha



Justin’s cousins: Ate Ayie, Ate Tin-Tin, and Kuya Ron (Where’s Ate Hazel?)



Justin’s Daddy and Tito Dennis



Charlie’s Angels: Ayie, Meann, and Tin-Tin



All of us before leaving the resort

Nestled at the foot of Mount Makiling, Dona Jovita Garden Resort has an assortment of pools and Jacuzzis that can be supplied with Hot Spring water as desired. The pools can also be reserved for exclusive use. Ornamental plants and trees adorn the place as well, which makes for a more relaxing vacation. You can also enjoy a game of billiards with friends, sing your heart out with the resort’s videoke machines, or go horseback riding around the area. Admission fees are as follows: Children below 3 ft. (free), children 3 ft. to 3.9 ft. (Php130.00), children 4 ft. and above and adults (Php150.00).


Friday, March 26, 2010

Do you always find yourself buying products that you don’t need because of their attractive point of purchase displays? Don’t be surprised. Companies are now spending more on custom POP displays to heighten product awareness and increase product sales. However, customers nowadays are more discerning, that is, they tend to purchase items whose POP displays reflect the quality of the products being advertised. Business owners should take this into consideration when hiring people to do their POP displays.


Thursday, March 25, 2010

mommy moments

Summer is the perfect time to cool out in the pool or at the beach. This early, Justin is already looking forward to his Daddy’s annual company summer outing on April 10 and 11 somewhere in Batangas. We’re also having our own family outing and swimming in Calamba, Laguna this weekend, but I don’t want to miss Mommy Moments, so I’ve uploaded here our summer escapades for two consecutive years.

Club Balai Isabel Resort in Talisay, Batangas (April 2008)






Montemar Beach Club in Bagac, Bataan (April 2009)





Click on the badge above to see more exciting summer adventures.


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Are you a basketball fan? Would you like to see your favorite basketball team live in action? Perhaps, you’d like to purchase New York Knicks Tickets or Los Angeles Lakers Tickets in advance? To keep your wife and kids preoccupied, you can also get them Disney On Ice Tickets. I’m sure they’ll have a wonderful time watching this magical show!

Now, you don’t have to wait in line or spend several hours on the phone to purchase premium event tickets. You can save a lot of time if you book your tickets early through ACheapSeat.com. A Cheap Seat is a privately-owned online ticket agency that buys and resells tickets to major sporting, theater, and concert events around the world.

First off, customers are allowed to scan the different seating sections and prices so they can choose seats according to their needs. A Cheap Seat also provides customers access to tickets that are usually not made available to the general public, such as Super Bowl and Masters Golf. What’s more? Their friendly and knowledgeable sales representatives are always ready to assist.


Chris of Chris Chronicles and Willa of My Daily Thoughts & Ramblings tagged me with Hershey’s Better Basket Blog Hop.

Here are the rules:
* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this Better Basket Blog Hop and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.


Now, I’m tagging Enchie, Renz, Cecile, Beng, Mylene, and everyone else in my blog roll who thinks this is a worthy cause.


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Every once in a while, we would go to a hotel for an overnight stay. That’s to break the monotony of our normal everyday activities. Do you know what I like about hotels? Aside from the amenities they offer and the delicious food, I also like looking at the little stuff inside and outside the hotel, like door hardware, for example, from the stylish entrance handlesets to the elegant door knobs to the modish passage levers at hallway doors or closets. Eyeing those seemingly trivial things really makes my hotel stay even more interesting. Oh, how I wish we have a front door knocker in our condo unit, too!


My sister Meann and I went to Makati Medical Center last Saturday for our Ob/Gyn appointment. We both had breast exam and Pap smear. Our breast exam turned out okay, and our Pap smear results will not be out till Thursday or Friday this week. As part of her fertility workup, my sister had to undergo transvaginal ultrasound, too. She will also go back to the doctor this week for a followup checkup and for the interpretation of the result of her ultrasound.

As for me, the doctor asked me if I plan on having another child, and I said no. That’s because I don’t know how long I’ll be taking medication for the regulation of my prolactin hormone. I have a history of prolactinoma, excessive production of prolactin hormone from the pituitary gland, for which I had to undergo open-head surgery for the excision of pituitary tumor in 2004.

She checked my record and gave me a list of things I have to do this year. She said I need to do all of these things, and then I’ll be okay.
Cervical cancer vaccine (3 shots at Php2,500.00 each) = Php7,500.00
Hepatitis B vaccine = 1,800.00
Tetanus vaccine booster = 1,500.00
Screening mammography = 2,300.00
TOTAL =Php13,100.00

Whoa! I didn’t know it costs a lot to be okay! I need more writing opportunities, please!


Monday, March 22, 2010

How many times have you been lured into buying a product because of the many good things that advertisements proclaim the product can do? Take this advice from someone who has been fooled too many times in the past by the same false promises. Before making a purchase, do your research first. Listen to what others have to say about the product. There’s Acnezine, for example. It’s an all-natural medication that promises to be the ultimate acne solution. If I were you, I’ll read an Acnezine review first before buying. This way, you’ll hear stories of real people who have actually tried the product, which can help you decide if it’s the right acne treatment for you.


Nope, it’s not my son who’s drooling over the Transformers toys that McDonald’s is currently offering for free with their Happy Meals. It’s Mommy! My son only likes Bumblebee. He already had a Bumblebee toy from Jollibee before, but he couldn’t seem to get enough of this little fellow. So, off to the mall we went last Thursday to buy Happy Meals with Optimus Prime (which he called “Octimus Prine” then) and his all-time favorite Bumblebee.


Before they transform: Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Ratchet



After they transform

Because I find the toys of good quality, I decided I’ll surprise my son with the rest of the gang. When Justin’s Tita Meann had breakfast yesterday at McDonald’s near Makati Med where the two of us were supposed to meet, I texted her to buy a Happy Meal and get Megatron. Come lunch time, we dropped by McDonald’s again to buy another Happy Meal, so we can get Ratchet, too. Now, all four characters are proudly displayed at home for Justin's delight, or is it Mommy's? LOL!


Sunday, March 21, 2010

My almost four-year-old son gets a good laugh when he sees and touches Mommy’s love handles. I usually laugh with him as I find his childlike innocence amusing. But after our laughter and giggles die down, I’m left wondering how on earth I got this big lump of fat in my belly. Does age have something to do with it? I wouldn’t want my love handles to be the laughing stock of my son forever, so I need to find a solution fast. Do you have any top fat burners that you can recommend?


I’m so grateful to Mys of Pieces of Me for the following lovely awards.





Now, for the 7 things about me:
1. I’m a neat freak.
2. I prefer rice over bread.
3. I graduated cum laude from UST.
4. I had an open-head surgery in 2004.
5. I love White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt.
6. English is my favorite subject in school.
7. I’ve been wearing prescription eyeglasses since high school.

Finally, I’m sharing these awards with the following awesome bloggers: MelCole, Mizhelle, Nuts, Kayce, and Anne.


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Hemorrhoids are masses of tissue within the anal canal containing blood vessels. You might not know it, but hemorrhoids are present in everyone. In fact, they play an important role in normal elimination. Hemorrhoids only cause problem when the veins in the rectum or anal area become swollen and inflamed.

Some of the common causes of hemorrhoids are poor fiber intake, spicy foods, constipation, diarrhea, straining to move stool, pregnancy, and tumors in the pelvis. Hemorrhoids can cause anal itchiness, painful passing of stool, and rectal bleeding.

Because of fear and embarrassment, people with hemorrhoids delay seeking treatment. What they probably don’t know is that there is a painless, safe, and effective hemorrhoids treatment available for them. Seeking professional medical advice can put an end to this nasty and irritating problem.


Friday, March 19, 2010

I’m trying to finish all of my tasks today because my sister and I are going to my Ob/Gyn for consultation and Pap smear tomorrow morning. I know I’ll receive a really good scolding from my doctor because my Pap smear is long overdue, 6 months to be exact. Blame it on my really hectic schedule, work and blogging combined. LOL!

The truth is my busy schedule is not the only reason why I haven’t visited my Ob/Gyn for so long. I hate Pap smears! Having a speculum inserted into your birth canal to collect a sample of cells inside and outside the cervix isn’t the most comfortable thing on Earth! If I could do away with Pap smears, I would, but I can’t. All of us women need to have annual Pap smear for our peace of mind. So I have no choice but to submit myself for an examination. Wish me luck!


If you think cellulite happens only to overweight women, think again! Over 85% of women, fat or skinny, have cellulite. There have been different theories about the causes of cellulite. Some believe that cellulite is caused by free radicals or hormonal imbalance; others surmise that cellulite is brought on by lack of physical exercise or bad diet. Recent studies revealed, however, that cellulite is a disorder of the circulatory system that damages the connective tissue. I haven’t tried any cellulite treatment cream yet. That’s because I’m not sure which products are safe to use. Any suggestions?


Thursday, March 18, 2010

mommy moments

A field trip is a journey by a group of individuals to a place away from their normal environment. Field trips are both educational and recreational. They provide kids with the opportunity to experience hands-on learning while they are also being introduced to new environments.

I remember that Justin’s nursery class went to the house of one of his classmates. The purpose of this field trip was to introduce the kids to the different things that can be found in the different areas of the house. I don’t really have pictures to share because the school did not encourage the parents to go with their kids on this particular field trip.

One of our New Year’s resolutions for 2010 is to go to Manila Ocean Park, the Philippines first state-of-the-art oceanarium, and we did just that in January. We know for a fact that the Manila Ocean Park is a favorite field trip destination for students. I have actually written an earlier post about our visit there, and you can read about it here.

For this week’s theme, I’ll just be posting some of the pictures that I haven’t used in that previous post. Justin enjoyed looking at all the animals at the oceanarium, but he was particularly scared of the crocodile. LOL!




















Tickets for the oceanarium cost Php400.00 for adults and Php350.00 for kids 4.5 ft. and below. Manila Ocean Park is located at the back of Quirino Grandstand Luneta, Manila.

Click on the badge above to see more children’s field trips.


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