Joaqui at UST

A few of you might wonder why I wasn't online at YM lately and there were no updates here at my blog.

Well, it's because Joaqui is still at UST Hospital. He was admitted last Tuesday right after his pedia visit. I should say I was kinda prepared for it.. seeing him not responding to Paracetamol made me panicky the whole day. So I packed our stuff knowing that he will be admitted. And I was right.. he almost had pneumonia..good thing naunahan na namin. He immediately had CBC and XRAY exams. The CBC results were okay, except for the white blood cells which is a bit lower than the normal. But the XRAY is a different story. Phlegm as usual was one of the culprits.. add to that an asthma attack (read: hingal).. the paranoid mom was restless.. or should i say.. still restless up to now.

He is a lot better now. He drinks his milk, eats rice, biscuits and waffles. His appetite is getting back to normal. He is getting active again. *sigh* If you only saw him last Tuesday, he looks like "lantang gulay".. i swear, he looks paralyzed! But now, he is a lot better. We might go home tomorrow.

I have lots of stories to share. Iam currently inside an internet shop along Dapitan. I need to check if i miss some opps :)

Grabe, i think I gained weight from my marathon eating episodes! I love the food stalls at the parking lot of UST! Pig out na naman ako! Name it.. I tried it.. LOL

Now I can laugh!

** i miss blogging and bloghopping too! need to catch up with you guys**

Need Cash ?

Have you experienced a need for emergency cash recently? Well, I am glad that Gelo and I are still meeting up our budget and we can still save some from it. But still, we never know when the need will arise.

I checked out some sites that offer cash advance. Quick assistance in time of emergencies would be a great help. I am browsing the site for additional information regarding cash advance and loans. I am not really knowledgeable with that so it is best that i study the terms and conditions carefully. And after surfing, I was amazed to see that they offer a variety of cash advance suited for everyone's needs. Some are depending on the amount you need or the items that you eant to purchase. They even have an Enrollment Loan, and a Silent cash loan if you want the loan to be confidential. Wow! I think I'm gonna be needing that if i want to buy something that Gelo doesn't need to know. LOL.

Check out the site , something is fitted for you there for sure. Who knows, we might need an emergency money soon, so we all better be prepared.

The router Hunt

Been thinking of getting my own laptop soon, something really not fancy, as long as it has the basic features that I can use. What's important is that I can carry it around and do some works when I'm not at home or when I'm at our living room. So i'm also checking out a Linksys router to go with my broadband connection. I have a few requirements when it comes to routers and i think that this one would best fit unto it.

I previously worked as a technical asssitant for an internet connection and we always deal with the routers when connectivity problems arise. Having a trusted brand is a big factor,and add to that the technical support they provide. I checked on the price and it is really reasonble too. So I might be getting one too as soon as I have the laptop. Sounds great! I can blog anywhere around the house without getting stuck in our room.

Panglao Island Nature Resort experience

Here's the 2nd part as promised..

We arrived at PINR at exactly 1:45 in the afternoon , after our Bohol country side tour. The check in procedure was so smooth, no problems at all. We rode the golf cart along with our luggage and the driver toured us at the vicinity first. Our room was a seaview bungalow ( with the to -die-for Jacuzzi at the lanai) which has a queen size bed and a cot for Joaquin. We rested after checking out the room, as we were all tired. The little boy was all over the room. We went to the infinity pool at 4pm, but Joaqui is still not in the mood! Cry to death talaga in his Plouf outfit! Forgot to take a pic pa while he was wearing that. After a few minutes, he was a t peace with the water na. So we all stayed at the pool for a few minutes. Dinner was served at the Restaurant from 6:30 til 9:30pm. I had a massage at the Mithi Spa a few minutes after dinner. It was a 30 minute back massage that is included in the package. It was a good basic one too. But I am more into the spa experience at Plantation Bay ( Relaxation Indulgence package cortesy of my sis). I ended the night cleaning the bottles LOL.

Saturday morning, we had breakfast at the gazebo, which is like the extension of the main resto. What a view! Overlooking the sea and the islet of course. After breakfast, swimming again til 9am i guess. At 10:30, we went to the Bohol Quality Mall (owned by the PINR Mgmt) with the shuttle provided by the Resort. It was a 15 mins trip, with no traffic at all.. I love Bohol for that! We had lunch at Mc Donalds (its cheaper that way than eating at the resort for lunch LOL), and bought some more shirts for us, and the PINR plate souvenir. We saw Fun House, the newly opened playhouse for kids. It opened the day we arrived at Bohol. And literally, Joaquin was the first Manileno to play there :) Kaya pala madami kids watching hi, the playhouse is new to their eyes. Joaqui never played on a playhouse here at Manila yet, dumayo pa talaga sa Bohol. Oh, and we also went to their grocery to buy a box of Star Peanuts.. yum oh yum! never leave the place without it. Bought a few chips too and a box of Joaqui's milk. I have a feeling mauubos dala ko.. and i'm absolutely correct for that. Went back to the resort at 1:30pm.

Gelo and Joaquin stayed inside the room while I enjoyed the sun. I was at the infinity pool t first, pero bitin ako sa init ng sun, so i decided to meet Mr. Sun at the beach! I so wanted to get tan all over, pero wala.. i'm not toasted at all, considering todo sun bathing ako. So I went back to our room and stayed naman at the jacuzzi for 10 minutes hehehe.

When Joaquin woke up, we went naman to the Cambagat Cave which is inside the PINR premises. First time namin sa cave.. ahaha! Gelo wanted to enter pa, but he literally needs to crawl, so i said NO!. Next stop was the islet :) what a beautiful place. Joaquin never cried with all the sand and seawater. He loves it to death! He would walk and run around the sand. Haay sulit na nag bayad! Gelo and I can truly say that our little boy had fun too. He never wanted to leave, but its getting dark, so we decided to go back to our room. Dinner as usual is yummy! Still had it at the resto, and God, I think I gained a few pounds after that. ( I will post a seperate review for that).

Sunday morning, was kinda sad, kasi we are going back to manila na. We went to the islet immediately after breakfast. Since it was still low tide then, we let Joaquin walk all along. when we were at the islet already, Gelo couldn't resist the beach. So I was left carrying joaquin at my right, and clicking a few shots while he was down swimming, talk about multi asking and me being the octopus mom , LOL. We were still not satisfied after our trip to the islet, we went swimming again at the infinity pool where we just stayed for an hour. We then went back to the room as we need to prepare for our departure. Left the resort at 11:30 for our 1:30 flight. Good thing we checked in early, no longlines at all. And we were able to get a window seat hehehe! It was just a small pre departure lounge, and by 12:30, it was jampacked with people.. still lots of kids this time.

Oh, don't ask me if we wanna go back there! I miss Bohol already! (OA Ba?!) I was telling Gelo that we should get a place at Panglao if we hit the Lotto jackpot, LOl. I love tha place, I love the people, i love the food! .. love the beach.. love the sun.. love the weather.. love them all! Can't wait to be there again!

My special thanks to all of you who helped me out during the planning stage! Super thanks for all the feedbacks .. really helped a lot.

Click here for the Bohol Countryside tour kwento.

Click here for the rest of the pics.

E commerce software

I am so much into online shopping recently that I already made a few friends from there. They sell hot and trendy items too like dresses and tops. We would usually chat on ways to improve their site since it is the first thing the client would see. So it should be of good interface, easy to access and to navigate for the customers.

I helped them out looking for an ecommerce software that they can try. The software usually includes a shopping cart software that would best track the customer's items, making it easy not just for the buyer for the sellers too. The e commerce software is so affordable, that even starters like us can get one. Oh, and it's not just a software, it's a complete package. They also have a technical support and customer service team that can help you out in case a problem arises. Did I mention that the wesite is award winning too?! My friends just can't wait to try it out. Let's wait and see.

Now, online shopping just got better and a whole lotta easier.

My Videoke King

He is unstoppable once he gets hold of the mic. Wait til you see the videoke prince of the house.

(Pic taken last august 25 at calamba , laguna during the family outing)

Life Insurance

Many people would think that getting a term life insurance is such a complicated process that would involve big amount of money. Not this time. There are websites that can help you out in purchasing one easily not to mention the affordable prices that they offer. I will be recommending this to my sister-in-law who is planning to invest in insurance. I guess, now is the right time as she is not getting any younger , LOL. This site can help her from start to finish , and in case of any problems, they have life insurance specialists who are available to discuss issues or answer questions. What more can she ask?

Soccer Ball Bedding

We have been co - sleeping with Joaquin eversince he was born, so that is around 1 year and 7 months now. Most of our beddings are now oh so colofrul, with animal prints or is usually in the shade of blue. However, we still use my favorite red hearts design. Since he is prone to allergies, I am very careful in choosing our beddings. I am surfing the net to look for some Teen Bedding that our family can use. I'm not limiting myself to baby designs for now, since I have an active toddler. It's good that I saw this Soccer bedding. Joaqui is so much into balls now. I know he will be so delighted to see a big soccer ball in our bed. I am really planning to get one since it is reasonably priced. And I have read that it is made of cotton, which is exactly what I'm looking for.I would have it shipped at my mom's place to save some money. Take a look.

The new Fita Commercial

I actually love most of their commercials, especially the one where the guy shared a piece of his Fita to an old woman who later became a fairy and gave her a piece of a car? Nice and Funny.

But the latest is a diferent story. I was able to catch it on TV while watching Ysabella, and boy! It really made my eyebrows raise.. literally. I am not a member of any women's civic group, but the commercial hit me like a punch!

If you havent seen it yet, here's how it goes..

* a pretty woman inserted coins in a vending machine to buy fita, but suddenly the machine was busted and wasn't able to dispense her biscuit. A guy appeared (who looks like he'll use the machine too). He made his way to help the pretty girl get the stucked Fita. Miraculously, nakuha nya. So the girl asked for it without saying a word by opening her hands, palms up.. at ang lalaki, nag dalawang isip pa... and gave the girl peso coins as a payment for the Fita! Bwiset! Ang babaw nya! *

If the concept of the commercial line is something like "all for Fita".. oh well, hindi sila nag succeed sa 'kin. All for a piece of biscuit! Considering that the girl is pretty pa, what more if she's not hot.. God! I wonder what he'll gonna do..

If ever Joaqui will see that, naku, I'll tell him its not a good thing to do to any girl. A few steps from a building can land him to a piece of biscuit , and still remain a gentleman! Life and death situation ba ang hindi pagkain ng Fita?! Kainis! Obvious ba that I'm suuppeerr inis?!

Maine Bed and Breakfast

It's 6 in the morning and I am wide awake. I am chatting with my sister in California, and we are talking about her business trip to Maine. It's just for two short days and she is checking out which Maine bed and breakfast location would be near their office. She is actually excited for this as she would get to visit another state. She has been in a lot of places at California, and this would be her first time in Maine. She is quite picky with places to stay, so I hope she can find a good one realy soon.

All about me :)

Thanks for the tag Trinity :)

Q1: What are you doing 10 years ago?
** 1997 - I was a 3rd year Industrial Engineering student at Mapua then. It was also in that year when Gelo and I became officially together. 10 years na pala :)

Q2: What were you doing 1 year ago?
** 2006 - Busy being a stay at home mom to my Joaquin. I also started with his bday preps.

Q3: What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
1. French Fries
2. Pizza (snack pa lang yan ha)
3. Banana Q
4. cheese floss from breadtalk
5. Bicho Bicho in Cheesey ( im such an addict!)

Q4: What are 5 songs you know the lyrics to?
1. missing you by case
2. All my love by innervoices
3. confessions by usher ( yes, I AM a fan!)
4. wait for you by elliot yamin
5. joey albert songs when it comes to OPM

Q5: 5 things you would do if you are a millionaire
1 million?
1 . shop ( of course!)
2 . invest ( plastic!)
3. travel
4. donate
5. business

Q6: 5 bad habits
1. leaving the bathroom lights on after using it :)
2. impatient
3. impulsive buyer (sometimes)
4. being too observant, sometimes OA na

Q7: 5 things you like to do:
1. eat!
2. blog
3. play wit joaquin
4. clean his bottles (plastic ka na naman)
5. a good chat with gelo before sleeping

Q8: 5 favorite toys: **
1. our DSLR
2. portable DVD
3. PC
4. Joaquin's roboraptor and robopet ..
5. cellphone

Q9: 5 things you would never wear:
1. hanging shirts
2. short shorts
3. baggy pants
4. shirt immitations.. i would rather wear a Php 50 unbranded shirt from Divi. I just don't patronize "piracy in clothes"
5. a T-back when im wearing white capris. i would rather let people see that im wearing an underwear (of nude plain shade) than having them "imagine" or actually see that i'm wearing a t back. basta ayaw ko lang :)

Q10: 5 things you hate to do:
1. ironing clothes
2. driving
3. waiting
4. surfing the net in slooow connection
5. cleaning

Toni, Nice and Mitch , you're next.. :)

Asthmatic Boy

... is sick again. *sigh*

He is down with fever and cough which started last Friday night(though the fever technically started yesterday). Gelo and I were actually waiting for any signs of cough and colds right after our Panglao trip since we stayed in the pool and beach for quite a long time than he normally do.

I started to nebulize the litle boy yesterday. We have two nebulizers here in the house, one for home use which is from my grandmother, and the other is a portable one that we use when we travel, or anytime we are out of the house. Though of the same brands, we nticed that the portable is such a noise maker. Joaqui is really not into using it, not unlike with the standard one, where he can hold the mask while watching Blues Clues or Barney.
So I looked for portable oxygen concentrator over the net, so I will have an idea if there are other portable brands that could be a little less noisier than the one we have. I'm gonna tell Gelo about my little research, because I am insisting that we should change our portable nebulizer since Joaqui doesn't want to use it. I might just give the other one to my cousin's 4 month old son , who is also asthmatic. See. it's in the family.

I hope the little boy will be well very soon.

Wedding Bands

During our wedding, Gelo and I opted for a simple wedding ring that would go with our budget. Two years passed, and now he told me that he wants it to have two diamonds to signify our two years of marriage. So we went looking out for wedding bands this time. We would always wanted to have a classic look with elegance, and this time with the two stones. Hmm, I wonder how much that would that eat up on our budget? But still, it's not on our priority now, so I guess that one can wait. And for the record, I love the rings that we have now ( but I'm excited too to have a new one!).

anyone?

I found this at one website ( sorry, I wasn't able to save the link), and I enjoyed reading it.. Here it goes.. oh.. and I'll be answering for Joaqui too.

Name a CD you own that no one else on your friends list does.

Peachy : Edu Manzano's CD? Haha Yeah we do have that, Papaya fans si Joaqui and Gelo. But seriously, Tuck and Patti's CD is something kinda rare that we have and we enjoy listening to that.

Joaqui : owns 2 audio cd's only, and that is Baby Einstein Lullaby Classics and Meet the orchestra.. :)

Name a book you own that no one else on your friends list does.

P: hmm let me see... The shopaholic series maybe by sophie kinsella, my latest is the shopaholic and baby. Joaqui has better books than mine :)

J: Thomas Helps out Musical Book ? ( Thomas and Friends) . or the Lamaze Peek a boo Zoo.


Name a movie you own on DVD that no one else on your friends list does.

P: original ba dapat? hehehe ..pirated na lang! But if original, maybe Minority Report? or Robots?

J: Barney's Musical Scrapbook or Blue's Biggest Stories... or the Baby Genius "Visit to San Francisco Zoo"

Name a place that you have visited that no one else on your friends list has.

P: This one is hard.. most of you travels a lot too. Eto na lng.. CR at the Police Station in front of the Manila Post office.. LOLz.. anyone been there?

J: San Jose, Antique

Name a piece of technology or any sort of tool or toy you own that you think no one else on your friends list has.

P: Tool.. kikay tool..Maybe the nail clips after you apply nail polish, so nothing can get into your nails, one for each finger. Looks like a hair clamp, but really small and it's in pink. For a piece of Technology, still have a Palm Zire 71. For the toy, i have a Barbie Beauty Salon when i was in grade school.

J: The Roboraptor and Robopet.. or the I-Dog?


Leave me a comment if you own anything form the items i listed.. hehehe :) Have one at your blog too! Enjoy!

my two boys

... fooling around



while waiting for his pedia to arrive. This was 2 months ago pa. LOL...

Panglao Island Nature Resort Pics

The pics are now uploaded at my multiply site.

I'm so sleepy now, I'll try to post some kwentos tomorrow. For the mean time, let the pics do the talking :)

Alcohol and Rehabs

Yes, no one in our family is into drugs, but in alcohol.. well, not really an addiction, LOL. Just a heavy drinker I should say. Alcohol drinking is always a part of celebrations, but not in our house. My cousins oftentimes drink but not that much, only in moderation. Not unlike Gelo's side of the family, well most of them are boys, that's the reason why I guess. Papa, my father-in -law, was a heavy drinker even before he got sick. Good thing he was never sent on alcohol rehabs. He was able to control it lately, just before he got so ill. Currently, I always remind Gelo to just drink occasionally, as he is not in his healthiest state now. It's better that way thanbeing sorry in the end.

Drug Rehabilitation at it's best

Drugs is one addiction I am really afraid of. Good thing, no one in our family has ever been to it. I am doing my usual hopping over the internet when I came across this drug rehabilitation site. I haven't seen a center this beautiful and serene. It has a swimming pool, a sports gym, wonderful living room and bedroom, the place is just so relaxing. Truly a place where you want to reflect and rehabilitate yourself. For sure their rehabilitation program is excellent too. They have a oll-free number where clients call for some inquiries and a possible tour of the place. I good way to start a new life isn't it?

The Miami Dream

The beach is one place that I truly enjoy and appreciate. After our most recent vacation, where my son enjoyed the water and the sand, it made me think that a house near a beach would be a really good investment. That would save us a lot of money for hotel accomodations.

I was able to chat with my mom who is currently at California with my dad and sister. We were talking non stop about our beach vacation and how she wanted to have a property near the beach. So i suggested that as early as now, she can start researching for Miami real estate. Miami is one place that i really wanted to visit soon. I have seen a lot of really nice beaches there at the movies and TV. I just wish that we can grab a good location with a good deal, a not so expensive one, and something that would be within the budget of my mom. Hope we can get great deals over some websites that we have checked. And when that happens, I'll be applying for a US Visa right away.

Dentist and Mario Badescu

I went to the dentist today with my sister while Joaqui and Gelo stayed at my inlaw's place ( its just a few houses away ). Toothache is killing me for the past week so I decided to go and visit our dentist. And there.. The One is for extraction. Three others are partly affected, so we decided to have it filled ("pasta"). Everything actually started during the last trimester of my pregnancy, when i felt that cavity is eating up my teeth. They said that Joaquin then was getting a lot of calcium from me.. I guess its true enough.. super dami na nya teeth, almost complete at 1 year and 5 months. So back to the "bunot".. haayy im so nervous to tell you guys honestly. Hahaha! Takot ako eh! So for the nth time, it will be painless naman, and Gelo assured me that I won't feel anything. ** cross fingers**... that we have to wait and see

After the dentist visit, we decided to go to Robinson's PLace Manila. My sister needs to buy something at Essences. Sana hindi na ko pumasok sa loob ng store. I bought 3 items from the Mario Badescu line. LOL.( thanks daddy gelo!). I dont have a really good skin ( I actually tried Obagi Clear before, super effective but kinda expensive and I stopped when i got preggy),and after reading about the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion from Lucy Torres' article, and from a lot of Hollywood stars, I decided to give it a try. I also purchased a cleanser and a toner which I already forgot the name. Let's see if the Drying Lotion is really effective.

Our Manila House

Let's talk about our place here in Manila this time. We had it renovated last June and we still need to do a lot of finishing touches with the decors and appliances. My sister invested in a mini home theater system which includes a 32 inches television and the surround sound system with subwoofer and mini speakers. But since she and Gelo ( and Joaquin too!) is so into watching TV and DVD's, they are thinking of purchasing projection televisions. That would really be a nice addition in the entertainment room, but we have to consider the budget again. It's not a priority for now and I guess it can wait. We still need to source for a black futon type sofa that my sister in California is insisting us to buy.

But who knows? Maybe we will have a projection television soon with my sister's earnings from the hospital. Besides, she is single and doesn't have a family to finance. Unlike Gelo and I, we are still in the phase of adjusting the expenses eversince we had Joaquin. Hmmm.. we will see.

still on trucks

Currently, our car which is a Chevrolet Aveo, could only fit in a small family like ours. But in most times, we would travel with my sister and my mother in law, thus making it quite small for us. Especially when we have Joaqui's stroller at the back compartment and some groceries. For now, Gelo is thinking of selling their family van, and buying a truck type vehicle that could fit us and our stuff. He is also checking on some tonneau cover to go with it. Our budget is still to be considered since we are on a lot of expenses currently. But whatever happens, we won't be selling the Chevrolet, since it is our first investment as a couple.

Ladder Rack

Still with the Antipolo house renovation. We were able to canvass for some materials with our trusted supplier here in Manila. We decided that we will be the one to deliver some of the items since Gelo's family owns a pick up truck with a ladder rack. It would be easier to transport some of the materials with the use of this rack. Some materials would be transferred as early as November, then the rest would be delivered by January, just in time for the renovation. We just need to double check the rack for now, if it is still sturdy, since the pick up truck is not regularly used.

updates on joaquin

** I just love this shot, Joaquin looking at me, seems like he wanna say something**


At 1 year and 5 moonths, Joaquin ..


** can say and recognize a lot of words such as book, draw, daddy, tito, tita, Jesus, ball, blue, Ba for Barney, Ca for cat and car, P for pray, vel for navel, bubbles, baby, low for hello, hi, te for ate, and a lot more i can't remember for now.

** loves to eat healthy foods. No junk in the house as per daddy's rule. He loves sinigang sa miso, and sa sampalok, fried chicken, adobo, afritada, sopas, misua, congee, tilapia or any fish as long as its not salty, pancakes, hotdogs, longaniza.. and the list goes on!

** enjoys the beach and the sand! I will post the pics very soon

** is such a sweet baby boy to mommy.. you should see us hug each other, grabe, he can't sleep without me giving him a hug til he closes his eyes. Gelo insists on taking our pic, maybe next time.

** enjoys scribbling using colors and a magnetic sketchboard.

** is a bookworm like mommy. Goodnight moon is his current fave, yeah we read it even during mornings, he would say "BOOK" with a "K" sound pa, while pointing to the book.

** can recognize Jesus in any form, even a simple cross would make him say Jesus.. He would sometimes say Jesus and then put his hands together as if he is praying and say P ( for praying). I just don't have an idea on how he recognizes Jesus.. even the tiniest image of Jesus or Mama Mary , even on billboards of the Perpetual Help College, he can see, then point and say "Jesus"..

Mommy is so proud of you baby .. love you :)

The Home Improvement Plan

It's back to the real world after our Panglao trip.

A few posts back, I have mentioned that Gelo's house at Antipolo will undergo renovation. They actually have a big lot which is not fully utillized for now. My mother in law asked me to help her out in planning and sourcing out new ideas. I find it really challenging because I love decorating. We are done with the floor plan of the house interiors. Now, we are having a layout for the garden and some exteriors. We are still thinking over the designs of the windows that would best fit the house concept. Windows would play a great impact on the total look of the house. Since a lot of reunions and parties are held in their house, a roomy atmosphere would be of great help, especially when a room is jampacked with kids playing, LOL.

We are just waiting for the architect to present us with the blueprints. And while waiting, I am still searching all over for new and better home improvements that I can add up to what we have now. We are so excited with the renovation, construction might start early next year since we are still under the rainy season. This is another reason for more Antipolo visits soon.

The Bohol Experience Part 1

I'll be writing this in parts, since I know, this will reaallly be a long kwento. LOL.

The Bohol Experience - Part 1
Getting There and the Bohol Countryside Tour

We left the house early last Friday , Sept. 14 for our 6:50am flight via Cebu Pacific. Our tickets were courtesy of my MIL as her gift for Gelo's birthday. We had no problems with checking in at the Manila Domestic Airport. It's a good thing too that they have a kiddie Lounge where Joaquin spent most of his time playing, and yes, it's for free :) What I don't like lang, was during the boarding time, they didn't let the babies and the elderlies to board first. This is what I like with the Centennial Airport. I was waiting for the announcement on who to board first, considering ang dami ng kids in our flight. I don't think why there is such a rush for others to board , eh we all have our seats naman diba?

Anyway, the flight was okay. Take off was good. Joaqui slept a few minutes after take off till we landed. Oh, and Cebu Pac doesn't have inflight meals anymore. Not unless you are willing to pay 100 bucks for a cup noodles, and 100 bucks for a sandwich! Wow! It's time everyone flies with an empty stomach.LOL. Good thing Abie informed me about it. The landing was a different story, Gelo and I felt and heard the touch down ( is that how you call it?) . Quite shaky huh?! Still, nothing beats PAL with that. But overall, the flight was good enough. We arrived at Tagbilaran 25 mins ahead of time. The Tagbilaran Airport is just a small one, no luggage carousel at all, but its clean one, and the people are so friendly.

We started with a tour upon arrival. We rented a car from the airport at 2K, including driver and gas na.The driver would provide you with the itenerary, and would give you a short intro about the tourist spot. He is accredited with the Dept. of Tourism. It's cheaper this way and we are incontrol of our time. Something we can't do if we are in a group tour. At 8:30 am, we were already hiting the road towards the Blood Compact Site. Had a few pics taken, then we went to the Baclayon Church. There's a museum at the 2nd floor, but we decided not to see it na lang. Next stop was the Tarsiers! Super enjoy ako! But I was so afraid to that they might hop or jump at me.. in the contrary, behaved sila. One tarsier was placed at Gelo's hand. As the locals said, the biggest tarsier is about 5 inches in height, thats the tallest already see?! It was just 10 am then, so we headed first to the Chocolate Hills. It was an estimate of 55 kms. travel distance, it was quite a long trip. But since the road is clear, bilis lng naman. We passed by the Man made forest where mahogany trees are planted for a long time. What a nice place. Completely covered by trees!

After a few minutes, Sorry, I wasn't able to track the travel time, we were already at the Chocolate Hills. You can already see the hills from the grounds, but it would be best to see it from the top. So we climbed 214 steps all the way up to the roofdeck, Gelo carrying Joaquin, and me holding the camera and the videocam..haayy, we had to stop in the middle to grab some air. Nakakapagod. It's sunny at the same time windy up there. Personally, it's satisfying to see the choco hills after studying it in grade school. LOL. We didn't stay long after taking some good shots. We have to be on time for the Loboc River Cruise with Lunch buffet. At Php280 per adult, the food is good enough, nothing fancy though. Music was provided too during the cruise. It was a new experience for us. We don't have pics during the cruise , I was busy taking videos, I forgot to take pics hehehe. The last stop after the cruise was the pasalubong shoppe. It is better to buy there, as it is an outlet store, so they offer discounts, and some items are on sale.

Haayy tiring talaga, but we had so much fun with the tour. It was 1:45pm when we arrived at The Panglao Island Nature Resort. Just in time for the check in. See, this is why I opted for a tour upon arrival, than having the tour on our 2nd day. Sulit ang time and bayad namin sa resort diba? Than spending the whole day of the 2nd day just by having the tour.

Check our pictures here.

Soon to be posted.. the Panglao Island Nature Resort Experience... :)

something for our accountant

I received a message from my sister, asking for some help. She works at a prestigious bank at Califronia as an accountant and is in a lot of workload now. I need to search for some financial consolidation software that she can utilize at the office. I was actually clueless on what it is, but being the ever dependable sister that I am, I surfed the net looking for one. I sent her a link of a good site that I have seen. I tried to read a few articles at the site to have an idea of what financial consolidation relly is. I have a small background with accounting, so imagine how new it is to me. So there, this is for you sissy :) Hope this can really help you out at work, i know, it's stressful recently.

Teaser

*** loving the beach life ***

home theater furniture

When my mom was in Los Angeles, she stayed at my cousin's house. She kept on telling me how fabulous was my cousin's home theater furniture . True enough when i saw it in the pictures she sent me. I was really awed with the big screen he had, the couches that was so typical as the ones at movie houses.. I think it is even better. The pictures can tell how soft and fine the material is.

Since, we are on a budget here at our house, my sister bought a home theater sound system first. The sofas will come soon, I hope. We enjoy family celebrations here at home, so it's good to have a clear sound system when singing, or watching DVD's. I also love playing DVD's with a high definition surround sound, really makes me feel like I'm in a movie house. And of course,Gelo, who is a self - confessed TV buff loves it too. He bought this balck and red couch so he can have a good seat while watching and recently, while singing too.

cordless phone

We always choose to have a cordless phone here at our house. It is so convenient that we can take calls while doing something else. Talk about multi tasking , right? But most of the time, our problem would be the cordless phone battery. It gets drained too soon, or sometimes we need to get a new one for replacement. This happened for 4 times already. It also came to a point that we need to change the telephone unit itself. But good thing, with our new cordless phone, the battery lasted longer than the other ones we previously he had. I just hope it would really last longer, LOL.

World of Golf

Golf is one sport that I so wanted to learn. I find it challenging eventhough it doesn't require much action such as badminton or basketball. I am planning to try out golf with Gelo by next month. So as early as today , I am already checking out Titleist golf items that we can use. I know, we need a lot of golf paraphernalia in order to play. This made me think of enrolling Joaquin too in golf clases soon, maybe when he is a little older. I guess his hands are not good in gripping yet. Wow, another sport for us.. well, we will see. Good luck to us!

We are back!

I love Panglao! I will try to resize some pics tonight so I can share it with you by tomorrow. We had so much fun... Joaqui loves the beach and the sand.. so much like his dad! My travel story coming soon too :)

Off to Panglao ..

At last I am done packing our things. We have to leave home arly for our flight at 6:50 am. And here I am at 12 mn, still sitting in front of the PC. LOLz.

This is it!!! Will post pictures once we get back. Do wsh us a safe trip. I know, it would be a great family time for us.. Be back on Sunday!

Happy Weekend!

The Credit Card Hunt

We were still in college when Gelo had his credit card. We seldom use it as we were still students then and we only save money from our allowance at school. When he started working, a lot of companies offered him a credit card with a lot of promotion, but it ended up that they have hidden charges. So we discarded the two others that he once had, and retain just one for emergency use.

Currently, I also wanted to have credit cards of my own. I am searching over websites that has good credit card offers where I can choose from. There's a lot of criteria that I need to consider before jumping unto any offer at the market. First off, it should be a low interest credit card. Who would like to have a high interest for your purchases right? Next is that, it should be accessible to apply for one. I need to get more information and apply online too so as to save time than going to the mall. Finding a good website that offer such services would be a great factor too. I usually settle household bills through the internet, so its great if my credit card application would go with that.

And lastly , I like the idea of instant approval credit cards. As you all know, I'm a stay at home mom, so most of the time, I don't have all the requirements that a credit card company would ask for. So if it is instantly approved, its a great deal for me. I don't need to go through a rough procedure just like any other company. I also saw that some credit cards are tied up with hotels and airline, where you can actually earn points everytime you purchase, now that is really rewarding.

Gelo is offering me for an extension of his credit card, and I might consider that. I'm actually reserving it for emergency cases. But knowing me, I might just use it for shopping. I think i need to read more about how to use credit card wisely, to avoid big debts soon. Let the credit card hunt begin !

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Happy Birthday Daddy Gelo

To the world, you may be one person. But to me, you are the world...


Get More at COMMENTYOU.com

Thank you for all the love.

Thank you for everything.

Joaquin and I loves you so much.

Piso Fare at Air Philippines

I wasn't able to get some piso fares at Cebu pacific which ended yeterday. So now, I'm trying my luck with Air Phil. Check out their website or call 855-9000... travel date ends on dec 15, 2007. What are we all waiting for?!?! Hello.. Pearl farm?!!?!?! Hahahah!

On movie and TV reviews

Gelo and I loves to wacth TV shows and movies whenever we have our spare time. We would most of the time discuss a movie after we have seen it at the big screen. The last flick we've seen together was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. As a fan of Harry Potter, I often ask people if they like the movie or not. I love sharing movie reviews with Gelo and with my friends as I find it intersting to share views with them. We would oftentimes agree on some points of the movie, which is a good thing I guess.

While at home, Gelo would oftentimes give his TV reviews as he is such a TV buff, yes he can literally stay in front of the television for the whole day. And at night he loves to share his views on how he find certain TV shows, like if it's a good watch or if they have a boring episode. Name a tv show, and Gelo can give you a feedback. LOL.

Recently, I saw Critics Rant and I suggested this site to Gelo so he can post and read movie, tv and video game reviews. The good thing is , he can even win a DVD just by sharing his opinion. Who wouldn't love getting a freebie for sharing your reviews? Gelo's review might be there anytime now. And i hope he wins a DVD :)

My Papaya Boy

Aside from the fact that my little boy loves to eat papaya, because he easily gets constipated, there's a new papaya that he is soo crazy about. And that is Game Ka Na Ba?'s "papaya song".. Guess who introduced that to the little boy? .. None other than his dad LOL.

Yes, Gelo bought Edu Manzano's CD last saturday, and on our way home he was playing it inside the car. We were all doing the dance LOL. You should see th little boy do it. Haay.. whatta joy :)

He danced again yesterday and today at our sala. Sorry, i don't have pics for now ( coz I was dancing too! hahaa), but i'll post once I have one.

***
Just a side note: I need to finish packing our stuff by tomorrow night, Wednesday. Gelo's birthday would be on Thursday, We might get home late in the evening, and we are leaving early on Friday morning, so I don't have much time to pack for our stuff. See, I pack all of our things. And it takes hours I'm telling you. Gelo would just tell me which shirts to include, sometimes i get to decide, and Joaquin's stuff is taking up the space on our luggage. Whew! I'm soo excited!! Can you guys tell?! LOL..

Joaqui and Halloween

This is my little boy last year in his Pooh costume for Halloween. He had an asthma attack becuase of the fur.. LOL.. Bad Mommy. The costume was shipped by my mom, teally a nice one. People at the mall asked me where we purchased it. We have to say goodbye now to Pooh. I feel a bit sad coz i love the costume , but hey, i can't risk another asthma attack for Joaqui.



Then I saw a nice Cars costume from a friend's site and i love it to bits. No fur or anything that would cause allergy this time. Lookie




So i messaged my mom and sis to look one for Joaqui. The problem is, its quite bulky , but still i insisted that they can squeeze it inside the balikbayan box. And So they went to the Disney store only to find out that its out of stock already since it was released last year.. Awww...

NOw I'm on a hunt again. My sis wants the Dumbo costume but it's furry so I said NO right away.

Any suggestions for my little boy?

Enjoying Mac Games

I've been a Mac user for quite sometime when I was working until now, and I really enjoy using it. I would love to navigate and explore about it. What I love the most would be playing games. However, i find it hard to search online for some mac games. I love playing games in the computer, as I find it relaxing especially mind games such as mac solitaire. It gives me this drive to play more if I can't make it during the first try.

Oh, and I also informed my husband that he can check the internet for more mac games he can truly enjoy. There's also a weekly news of Macintosh software and hardware that he can download and avail. Now, it's a lot easier to access Mac games and software over the internet. For sure, Gelo and I will take turns using the computer as wea re both glued playing games.

A tamrac for us

At long last, I was able to get one and it will be delivered anytime tomorrow. We went to Greenhills yesterday to look for a Tamrac bag for our camera, but to no avail. We wanted to have a backpack type for or upcoming Bohol trip on friday! Woohoo! The camera would be placed at the lower part, while our handycam would be on the upper portion. I insisted of bringing the handycam because seeing Bohol in action is far different from the pics itself.

planning an online store

My sister in law and I are planning to put up an online store since we are both into shopping online. We already have a few suppliers and that would be a good start. I wanted our site to be user - friendly for our clients, so I am looking for a shopping cart software that we can install in our online shop. This tool can help our customers track their orders for future use, since they'll be having an online shopping cart. It would also not be a problem placing their orders and checking them on our part. So it would not just benefit us, but more importantly our customers.

I'll be having their 10 day free trial. I am considering of getting their services too, since it's affordable, customisable and easy to use. I know, it would be a big addition for our online store, and not to mention our sales too. Their e- commerce software is really the best in it's class.

Now, my sister in law and I are too excited to open our online store. We do hope that the addtion of the shopping cart at our online store would make shopping a lot easier for our customers placing and tracking their orders. I really can't wait to upload all our items for sale, so please check my site regularly to know if our online store is open already. Happy shopping to all!

Joaqui at I phone

That's my younger sister with her I phone.. and that's Joaquin for her wallpaper. She just can't stop dreaming about it. So there, using daddy's credit card, she bought one. Her card is full i guess, she's so much into shopping recently.

Anyway, the features are really WOW for me LOL. But i don't have plans of getting one. I think, it's not yet fully set up for use here in the Philippines. It's really nice though, especially for businessmen.

The 4 GB is on sale now at $ 299.99 , then you need to get a phone line with at&t. So there.. another spending of my sis.. Now u know, it runs in our family. Hehehe :)oh, and she bought me and my older sis a new sandals,so as not to make us sad, LOL. A very classy taste! And i heart it of course..



Who wouldn't love it? Thanks Ricca.. Love Yah!

saturday traffic

Heavy. Really Bad.

We left the house early to make it on time at The Little gym a while ago, If im not mistaken, we have an hour and 15 mins before Joaqui's time at the gym when we left off. Gelo and I are still thinking of dropping by Mc Donalds El pueblo for our breakfast.

And that did not happen. We almost got stuck at UST for a really bad traffic. Good thing we were able to do a left turn before Espana. But still, its moving quite slow. We speed up at the New Manila area, Greenhills and Ortigas.. We arrived at the gym on time. On sundays, it would just take us 30 mins , but today, it's an hour and 15 minutes.. Oh and we left the house at 7:45 am.. that early and everywhere is traffic. My oh my!

We are really enrolled at the Sunday class, but today is a make up class for Joaquin, as he wasn't able to make it last week because of Elmo's birthday. I'm having a quick rest and i need to re energize. It's the little boys flu vaccination in a while, and we need to leave a little early because of the heavy traffic at the UST area.

Oh and one thing that made me happy today would be my two new long tops that i purchased at Dorothy Perkins.. another reason why I'm excited for Panglao. Im gonna wear it on Friday .. woohoo!

Looking for a Car Insurance

Gelo and I purchased our Chevrolet Aveo last July of 2005. Since then , our car was smashed 3 times. Yes, three. Only one of those was Gelo's fault. It's a good thing that our car was insured since then. Mu husband asked me to check on a competitive car insurance. I am currently reviewing an Online Insurance Policy quotation.

Our car insurance is something we plan about as it involves a good amount of our money. We see to it that we carefully look at the services, and the terms and conditions of the policy itself. Thus, I am always on a look out for Better Car insurance rates. It's good to compare the prices and services they provide.

Now that our car is 2 years old, I am thinking of ways on how i can Lower the Car Insurance for next year. Hope I can land upon a nice Insurance quotes online.

happy weekend everyone

Its weekend once again.. A not so busy one for us hopefully. All i hve in our schedule would be Joaqui's classes at The Little Gym. He was absent last Sunday, so we are having a make up class tomorrow morning, then by Sunday, back to his regular schedule.

Gelo is planning for another bowling game with JV, my SIL's bf. Oh we'll see. Sorry but im not into that sport, or should i say, im not into any sport than shopping hahaha!

Oh, and we gotta do some groceries later, our ref is almost empty LOL.

Happy Weekend everyone.. have fun!

WISIWYS

I recently read at I-Mag Photography ( another reason why i frequent magazine stands) about the term WISIWYS.. ** What I Shot Is What You See**

It basically means that the photo is unedited. So here's a few to share. I used the Manual mode of our cam and experimented on some specs. ( i dont wanna sound geeky , LOL).. Basta.. here are my shots from Lola's Garden at Antipolo.




.. sayang, no red chili on site that time ...







I am proud to say that there's no editing of any sort at Photoshop or Picasa ( hindi naman kasi ako marunonong pa mag photoshop hehehe).. oh well, i guess my eyes are made for photography.. HAHAHA! Yabang na 'to!!!

Oopps.. Friday once again!! Have fun and enjoy the weekend :)

help me pack .. please

Yeah, i know its quite early, pasensya na, excited eh ;)

We are going on a vacation from Sept 14 - 16 for Gelo's birthday. can't wait to be at Panglao, Bohol. This would be the first time that Gelo and I are travelling , as in just the 3 of us. We had my in laws kasi when we went to Iloilo, and my sisters and cousins when we went to Cebu. And now its just us.. Good luck talaga sa aming dalawa!

Anyway, im too excited to pack. We have a new spot-me-easily-flaming-red suitcase which we got on sale at SM. And Gelo bought a super nice hand carry too. We were thnking of buying a Sammies penguin backpack for Joaqui, you should have seen him tried it out at the mall, nakaktuwa talaga.. cute cute!

We had 2 plane trips with Joaquin before, but your tips and suggestions in packing our stuff ( especially for my toddler) and what to bring checklist would be of great help. I wanna know too on what you have inside ur hand carry bags ( chismosa ba?) I have read kasi na i should have a spare shirt of my own too, in case lang of spills or any untoward incident. Korek naman.. never ko pa nga nagawa to. So il be including that in my hand carry.

I have a few question too:

1. how many bottles do u bring? Do u place it inside the check in luggage with water? di ba dapat empty sya? im afraid lang na masira since shallow sya, so i wrap it with clothes hehehe :) joaqui drinks a lot of milk kasi. since the time he wakes up, around 7, til 1pm, 3 bottles agad, aside from the solids pa yun ha .

2. im planning to use the chicco sterilizing liquid.. any feedback? il use hot water na lng for the final rinsing, im afraid may scent kasi sya.. and im thinking of bringing our microwavable sterilizer, since its compact. I can put some of his bottles inside, burp pads, bibs.. para di sayang ang space. The resort said that we can ask help from the kitchen for the microwave .

3. any suggestions and tips would be of great help.

Many Many thanks in advance :)

Happy Birthday Elmo .. and Goodnight Joaquin

Elmo is the son of my cousin, Kuya Elmer. We went all the way to SM Fairview storyland to join the celebration. Joaqui had fun with the carousel.. :) Here's a few of our pics to share.. I have about 200 , but i still need to do some resizing :)

Elmo and his dad



Joaqui and me at the carousel




Oh, these 2 shots are taken last week i guess, before bedtime. I just love his new PJ's. I bought 3 from an online store :) Bagay pala sa kanya mga snug-fit hehehe:)
He's so much into scribbling too, it keeps him busy even on trips. I usually bring along his Disney cars Book with a sketchboard at the top portion of it. Cool! And we are starting with the alphabet now. He recognizes the letter A at Avent and Aveeno, and just about any toy or book that has the Big "A". I might introduce him with "E" next time. He mumbles A kasi, so i guess, E would be easier to say than B? Hehehe..



Gelo and Joaquin before bedtime

tagged by Toni

Thanks Toni, sorry its late

My name: Maria Paz Manalangsang Abellon

Childhood ambition: to be a Model ( coz im soo skinny, i thought it was the best for me then hahah)

Fondest memory: my pregnancy with Joaqui

Soundtrack: Im loving the song Differences

Retreat: just wanna be in a serene place with my family

Wildest dream: travel the world with my family

Proudest moment: currently, Joaqui being able to speak good enough at 16 mos.

Biggest challenge: forgetting the past ?

Alarm clock: Joaquin in the morning

Perfect day: when i don't have to go to work and just bond with my two boys

First job: cadet engineer in a semiconductor firm

Indulgence: shoes and clothes

Last purchase: birthday gift for Elmo.

Favorite movie: My Best Friends wedding

Inspiration: my family

My life is: happy and blessed

My card is: i don't have a card :)

tagged

Thanks for this one Jane.

DATE LINES

Rule: Name five of the Best Nights of your Life and then tag four people.

1. October 31, 1997 - Gelo confessed to me that I am the one, over the fone.We were good friends at college, and he kept on saying that he's into someone then.. and i never thought it was me pala! Hahaha! Sweetness!


2. Novemeber 28, 1997 - Gelo and I became officially together. I planned it already, as i wanted our anniv to end with an "8".. unending kasi ang flow ng "8", i guess its true :)

3. June 19, 2005- Our wedding day!

4. April 12, 2006 - Our little prince was born! Birth of a mother too:)

5. April 9, 2007 - The day we became a complete family. My mom, dad, sisters are here! We are together for the first time, it was the day my mom and sis saw Joaquin personally.


Im tagging Aggie, Mitch, Nice and Kathy..