To Be, To Be. Tutubi.

One of the places that I would like to visit is Portugal. I want to see the Belem Tower and the Hieronymites Monastery in Lisbon. These two sites have been classified by the UNESCO as World Heritage sites and they have been preserved and cared for. I was thinking of getting a cheap car for hire in Portugal, so I can also take a look at nearby areas and interesting scenery in Lisbon. It is very easy to hire a cheap car in Portugal if you take a look at 121 Car Hire Portugal. Traveling from Manila is also very easy via KLM. Hotels in Lisbon are also relatively cheap and there are even alternative lodgings such as hostels and inns. Or if you have the budget, you can stay at the Marriott. So, I will save up for this trip and visit Portugal one of these days!

Last Sunday, husband and I headed to Heritage Park in Taguig for our first ever 5K run. My company hosted the event and it was such a huge success. Being our first time, we just paced ourselves and generally just had fun. It was a fun run after all!


We actually had no time to train for this race because we were so busy last week. Coming from Bohol last weekend, I was swamped with work and Mommy duties. That's also the reason why we just run and walk at a comfortable pace and just aimed to finish the race.


The highlight of my first 5K experience was having my picture taken with Mr Lance Gokongwei who himself is an avid runner. Yes, I ran with Lance! I was starstruck!


It was really such a fun experience for me and my friends. We hope to do this again next time and maybe try to win some prizes next time.

Art is life. Art depicts our lives more intimately and more truthfully than anything else. All through out history, either love or war, anguish or joy, exultation or pain has been captured by art works all over the world. So visiting an art gallery is like viewing human history at its rawest and honest form. And I am glad when I saw online this Paragon Fine Art Gallery in Los Angeles. I can now view and choose to buy some great creations like these!
When I read, I paint a picture of the characters and of the settings in my mind. All through out the book, I have a clear image of how things are transpiring and how the characters look while showing their different emotions. And when I look at paintings, a story always comes to mind. When I saw these Michael & Inessa Garmash creations, I could imagine how their story goes. Their art depicts their love. And true enough, the artists said " Our love has been the inspiration for our work. It is with the paint brush that we express our true emotions." Their paintings are alive with love and other emotions that are associated with it! I saw a painting of a woman pining for a lover and I can really feel the emotion. Great huh!

So if you are interested in original paintings by up and coming artists like Michael and Inessa Garmash, check out their website. They even have fine art specials so you are lucky if the painting you want is on sale!

My husband bought flu vaccine for the kids last week and I had them vaccinated the other day when classes were suspended. We are taking this extra protection for the kids given the incidence of the A(H1N1) virus outbreak in the country.
My eldest son and myself are already Bakunado, thanks to Sanofi and Nuffnang, while my husband gets his shot for free yearly in his work.

The kids were so brave! They did not cry and was already playing with each other immediately after the shot. But they wont let me take out the cotton where the needle was inserted, like it was badge of honor or something. When their father arrived from work, they rushed to show him how cool it was to have a flu shot!
Now that the virus scare is here, we can never be too careful for the safety of our children and family. Aside from the flu shots, I have also been giving them their vitamins regularly and giving them enough rest by asking them to sleep early to strengthen their immune system. As parents, these are some of the things things that we can do to make sure that our kids are safe and healthy.

This was our second trip to Bohol, and as before, we were not disappointed. Bohol really has a lot to offer and you should go there if only once in your lifetime. For our trip last weekend, we visited those place we were not able to go to before, when we had the kids with us.

In Maribojoc, we went to the Punta Cruz Watch Tower and the Sta Cruz Church. Then we went to the other side of town and visited the Dauis church complex, the Loboc church and museum, the Clarin Ancestral House, the Loay Church and the Albur Church. We also went to Panglao Island Nature Resort and Hinagdanan Cave. We rode a habal-habal and we were sunburned and I now have a very red nose. This is our first vacation trip as a couple and we also dubbed this as our honeymoon trip. It was really a fun vacation and I love Bohol! If my story is not making much sense, try to come back later. I'm just overwhelmed with work and Mommy duties. Will post pictures (I took some 1,000 pictures, I think!) later, and I think I'm getting a hang of the err, skill. He he.

I have a thing for cabinets. They make life a lot easier for a mother like me. See, with 3 kids, a sister, a mother and a husband living under one roof, can you imagine the amount of laundry we have and the amount of time it takes to organize the clothes back in the cabinets? Not to mention the horror that would ensue should one not find a clothing needed this very moment?

I am sure most of you can relate. An organized cabinet saves you time and energy. Getting the clothes you need is a breeze once you have them all sorted out and in their proper and familiar place. But finding the cabinet that suit your family is not easy. There are cabinets for sale but it comes with a lot of limitations. Installation and assembly is one, for those do-it yourself cabinets nit to mention, making it fit a limited space in your house. So, if I have my way I will have my cabinets made by Orlando Cabinets. They can make cabinets that will fit your limited space, thereby maximizing it. They can also do it in your desired color and design. You have complete control over your budget because the materials will depend on your choice. That's a big relief right? Where else can you find a cabinet that you like, in the color that you want and in the design that you love yet in the price you can afford? So, if you need cabinets, not only for the rooms but for the kitchen as well, check out Build World Direct Corp. for their great cabinet service!

Yes, husband and I will be in Bohol tomorrow for a quick weekend get-away! This trip was supposed to be last December but due to the seat sale, we had to rebook this ticket when I was able to get cheap seats for the whole family. This trip will be an advanced birthday (June 23) and Father's Day gift for the husband. So expect lots of pictures from the beautiful island of Bohol from this blogger next week!

Bohol, here we come (again)!

Fatherlyours, is back in the blogging world and is having his first ever contest called " Who will be Manny Pacquiao's Next Opponent Contest" to announce his return with a bang!To join, all you have to do is participate in the poll and blog about who you think Manny should fight next.

Me, I just texted my husband and he replied "Miguel Cotto" right away without even asking me the reason for the question. So my husband being a certifiable fan, then Miguel Cotto it is.

The prizes at stake in joining Fatherlyours contest are:

Islander Sandals (Ang Sandals ng Bayan!) of your size, shipped to your place (free of charge anywhere in the country)
1,000 EC credits from Tech Talk
1,000 EC credits from The Struggling Blogger dot Com
1,000 EC credits from Money OnLine
1,000 EC credits from Roysville
1,000 EC credits from House Of Puroy

Oh, and writer of the most creative post will also win another pair of the much coveted Islander Sandals! So, lets all welcome Fatherlyours back and join his contest now!

One of my dearest goal in life is to give my kids a happy childhood. I want them to have happy memories and delightful experiences so that they will become responsible and well-adjusted adults. It doesn't mean that I spoil them, but I do give them the best of what I can. Its not always much, but my kids have learned to appreciate the simplest things in life.

A Sunday picnic at the park or a swimming party is already a big treat for them. But the hugest treat ever is a party on their birthday. It could be a birthday party with friends, cousins and the whole neighborhood, or a party in school with their classmates, or just a simple family dinner. It could be just the usual spaghetti-fried chicken and cake party but it is still a huge treat! But there has to be a cake, otherwise its not a birthday party.

For other family, it could be the ice cream, but for us, its always the cake that signifies a birthday celebration. And it cant be just any cake, it has to be a Goldilocks Cake.

My family's all time favorite is the Brazo de Mercedes, good for birthdays but even better as pay-day pasalubong. < Of course, a Fruity cake or a Triple Delight will always be most special for the birthday celebrant.

With a candle on top of the Goldilocks cake to blow after a Happy Birthday song, any child's birthday is complete.

Oh, and not just for kids, its best for all birthday celebrants, regardless of age! Below is my mother-in law blowing the cake for her 60th birthday.

And another of my mother and my mother-in law taking turns in licking the remains of a delightful Goldilocks birthday cake.


So birthdays are one of the happiest birthdays a child could ever have. And I make sure to make it special for my kids, however simple the celebration is. And I truly thanks to Goldilocks for helping make this possible. Really, You're the One Goldilocks, because you make being the Best Mother In The World a very easy and enjoyable thing to do!

And my kids have whispered those very words to me after a specially fun birthday. So, thanks Goldilocks!

My kids are enrolled in a Catholic school and they have a religion subject. Aside from the Bible readings and reflection, they sometimes have homework on the lives of saints and martyrs and other topics which I have either forgotten or really do not know.
Of course, there is always the Internet for that. However, there are instances when you cannot find what you are looking for. Maybe because you don't know where and how to look. But sometimes, its because the information you need can be found by talking to or chatting with people who are living the faith. That is a very simple solution really. Its like talking to people whoa re experts on the subject. Thankfully, I found this free christian chat room that made helping my kids out a lot easier. This Christian Chat City is very easy to use, and discussion is very wholesome. You find people really willing to help a fellow in need. Good Samaritans are really everywhere, even in chat rooms! Not only is the chat room a good place for information, there are real people willing to share and discuss topics about the faith. So if you need to connect and interact with Christians, this is a very good chat room to visit.

The body of Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez, sister of beauty queen-actress Rochelle Barrameda was found cemented inside a drum which was inside a steel case in Navotas yesterday. According to Rochelle in an interview with Arnold Clavio of Unang Hirit this morning, her sister was strangled with a belt, there was a plastic on her head and she was handcuffed before she was placed in a drum and cemented. She died a very gruesome death. She said she identified her sister through her clothes and her earrings.

Ruby Rose Barrameda-Jimenez has been missing since 2007, and Rochelle said in the interview that she personally suspects the husband of his sister as the mastermind of this gruesome crime. Her sister filed a complaint against her husband prior to her disappearance. They were only able to get a lead on this case after an informant surfaced. The informant, according to Rochelle, was the right hand man of the Jimenez's.

Seeing the video in the news, and hearing Rochelle in the interview, I was aghast at the violence of this crime. I can only imagine the suffering that Ruby Rose went through. I also feel for the family, that after two years of painfully waiting to hear anything about their loved one, to be shattered once again at the gruesomeness of this discovery.

I fervently hope that justice can be served in this case.

I was on leave yesterday because I was on Mommy Duty. It was the first day of class for my First Grader and I had to be with him. I was all ready to assure him that there is nothing to fear and that everything will be all right. But he took to school like fish to water!

He was just too excited! I guess all that pep talk about how fun school is really made a big difference. And my eldest, who is now in Grade 6 was in full-Kuya mode! He checked on Danniel every chance he got. Good thing his classroom is just across the school yard.

My little girl was also very excited to go to school this morning. No trace of any anxiety or worry. Maybe because she already know her teachers after attending her summer class there as well.

They dont have regular classes yet this wee and mostly just familiarization of the routine for my first grader and kinder. Next week, the real fun begins!

To other mommies out there, don't you just feel they are growing up too fast? :-(

If you are a second hand car owner like me, chances are, you are always on the look out for dealer prices on replacements parts. Trying to squeeze more life out of your car will always be easier if you can find cheaper alternatives. So, if you need apower steering rack, that are of high quality but at dealer prices, then check out Carsteering.com. Not only are you sure that stocks are always available, you are also assured that the parts of the highest quality and with complete warranty. Besides, with Carsteering.com, you wont need to sacrifice the quality of replacements parts just because you are looking for the best deal! And they have the best prices and shipping is absolutely free! A very great deal indeed!

"Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives."

I live in the 4th District of Quezon and I am represented by the Honorable Nanette Castelo-Daza.

Now, the House Bills she authored are all well and good, often for the benefit of women and the elderly. I often see her face on the street signs in our Barangay for this project and that. She was even there during the graduation rites of my sister last April. She greets us with lots of banners during Christmas, New Year, Graduation, Mother's Day, Valentines Day, Fiesta and every other event you can think of. Very recently, there was a dance for the elderly that she sponsored. A project for the beautification of the high school also has her name on its walls. You could even say that she is, or her face is indeed very visible in our area. I don't want to think that these are all for name recall or what. You could get the impression that she is working very hard for us, her constituents and that we are very well represented.

However, the Honorable Representative made decisions that are not representative of my sentiments as her constituent. According to a report, she was one of the recipients of the P728 million Fertilizer Funds in 2004, when our district, as far as I can tell, have no agricultural lands. She also voted against the impeachment case filed against the president in 2008. It was shown live on national TV and I heard her vote to junk the complaint. Then allegedly, there are junkets. But now, she voted for HB 1109, a move to amend the constitution through a constituent assembly, of which I am, as a citizen of this country is opposed to. I am all for amending the constitution, to make it more attuned to the present times, but not so near the elections and definitely not under the present leadership.

Now, Neal Cruz said that we should kick out con-ass solons in next year's polls and I think, that is what I would do. I want my congressman to be a man or woman who will serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency. Cong. Daza may have a lot of redeeming qualities, but I feel that she has failed me where and when it matters most.

I hope that the coming elections (and I, like Earthlingorgeous hope that there will be one) will offer us new choices and therefore, a new hope for a better Philippines. I want my children to inherit that from us. We owe our children that much.

While reading the news and the blog reactions to the yet another nauseating antics of those people who dare to call themselves Representatives (what they represent, we can only guess) the song Pilipinas Kong Mahal came to mind and I share with you the lyrics here:

Ang bayan ko'y tanging ikaw
Pilipinas Kong Mahal
Ang puso ko at buhay man
Sa iyo'y ibibigay

Tungkulin ko'y gagampanan
Na lagi kang paglingkuran
Ang laya mo'y babantayan
Pilipinas kong Hirang...

Earth was fuming mad in her blog, with good cause, at this yet another blatant attempt to amend our constitution. I say, there is nothing wrong with our constitution. Its the people we elect, (or not elect, but are still in position anyway) that is wrong in this country. The timing is very suspect and the pledge to not extend the terms of offices of these officials is so laughable, its downright funny.


Who would stop these people from backing away from this pledge? Well us, actually and that brings me back to the song above. I have never participated in any rally for any cause whatsoever. I was never in EDSA during our People Power movements, but maybe this time, should it look like (and it does look and feel like it, doesn't it) as if they will trample once more on our rights, then I will be there.

If you want to read the full text of the House Resolution 1109, read it here and look closely at the complete list of those honorable representatives who endorsed this proposal to amend or revise the constitution.

One of the blogs that I follow regularly had a problem with his web hosting. He is on the running to be one of The Most Influential Blogs of 2009, but unfortunately he cannot access his blog since March this year. This means a loss of potential earnings for him. Not only that, can you imagine the emotional torture that a failed domain hosting could give you?

This blog, aside from being an outlet for me to release my emotions and creativity, is also an avenue for me to connect with parents out there: to exchange parenting tips and tricks, joys and pains and triumph or loss. This is not just another waste of Internet space for me. This is my own place in this world wide web, so to speak. That is why, the search to find a refutable and reliable web hosting is a challenge. Sure, there are a lot of free or cheap web hosting being offered around, but is it worth it? I am not tech savvy , and the free hosting service that I enjoy now is very user-friendly, so aside from reliability, one of my other major requirement in finding a web host is a simplified content management . That way, I will only have to worry about what I want to write, which is my main purpose anyway, and not bother with the nitty-gritty details of web hosting. So if you are on the search for the above requirements like me, visit Webhostinggeeks.com where you can read about everything you need from Web Hosting 101 to Web Hosting Reviews to the Top 10 Best Web Hosts of 2009. Surely,you can find all the answers to your questions here and decide on the best one for your web hosting needs.

My second son is an incoming Grade 1 this year. He is a picky eater. Unlike most children, he does not eat spaghetti or fried chicken. His favorite food are noodles, egg, pancit canton and plain soup. When we have Sinigang or Nilaga, he will just have the sabaw, and some leaves and potatoes.

This school year, his classes will be from 7am to 130 pm and he needs to have packed lunch. Since May, we have been telling him to eat a little faster since he takes forever to finish his meals. This morning, while cooking breakfast, I told him to make a list of what he would like to have for lunch starting Monday and you can see his list above. He initially wanted to put noodles and pancit canton but I told him those are not allowed. We don't have time to bring his lunch over at meal time so I will prepare all our baon in morning before I go to work. Now, what do I do?

I hope other parents out there can give me some tips on what to prepare him for lunch. This will really take a lot of creativity and resourcefulness from any parent, don't you agree?

One of my greatest dreams in life is to build my dream house. I even have a blog about the journey towards that dream. However, aside from difficulty in sourcing funds, coupled with the reality of living expenses, this is still a dream. However, that does not stop me from researching in advance about ways to build this house when the right time and opportunity comes.

Good thing my search lead me to this Houston General Contractor. See, if I were to build this house and part with my hard-earned money, I will make sure that the general contractor for my house is highly qualified but at the same time affordable. A to Z Remodeling and Maintenance understands that as they boasts "Don't look any further for an efficient Houston General Contractor. We're here." I know that the general contractor will take care of all government permits which I have no time for and manage subcontractors and suppliers which I have no patience for. With this kind of arrangement, the other requirement for a general contractor is their trustworthiness and their past track record.

So if you are planning on building that dream house or remodeling your existing home, be sure to check out the qualifications of A to Z Remodeling and Maintenance as they maybe the general contractor you are looking for!

One of the best way to save money is by putting them in banks where it will earn some interest. But to get more out of this is through a CD or Certificate of Deposit. A Certificate of Deposit is a low-risk debt instrument purchased directly from a commercial bank or other savings and loan institution. The CD basically says that you have deposited a certain amount of money for a specified time at a specified interest. Of course, CD rates and terms vary between banks and you must look for the most profitable Bank CD Rates available for you out there.

Its one sure way to save and earn money in these uncertain times.

Of course, I had to try my new camera with my favorite subjects in the world:

the loving family:some artsy shots for Litratong Pinoy:to document journey towards a dream [house]:


and just some social commentary.


This camera is nothing to what other people had gained by blogging but since this is my first time to buy something from this passive source of income, please indulge me.

This blogging thing is not bad, not bad at all!

No man is an island, an old saying, only means that we all need other people. We need to interact, to connect, and feel that we belong or that we are part of a group. This is just human nature. Sometimes whoever, our lives have become so busy that we don't have time to socialize anymore. But the need to talk to a fellow human being does not fade no matter how occupied we are. Good thing that the evolution of the Internet has made communication easier and a lot better. Now, you have chance to connect with people in your area with this local chat room. With a local chat room, you find people who probably lives in the same area and you can share similar experiences and discover similar interests! You can also find out the latest happenings, like parties and shows in your local and maybe meet up and put a real face to that interesting person in the chat room. Besides the availability of chat rooms for locals, Online Chat City also is very safe and user-friendly. You can easily find people of the same interests and sign up on group chats. So why not sign up at Online Chat City and maybe get lucky and meet the person you have been looking for!