Snapshots of my Life

Hubby just loves this gazebo that was set at the end of the Infinity pool and overlooking it is the Taal lake.

He wanted to have something like this for our house in Bulacan. He even got an estimate already but my jaw dropped when he told me that we need P200,000 to build one. So I was really against it. We can buy a lot of things from P200,000 so I don’t think spending it on a gazebo is worth it.

But when he saw this gazebo when we went to Awilihan resort, and he realized that we don’t need to spend that much to build one. This gazebo was only made from ordinary wood. Even the chairs are made from ordinary wood and they just add comfortable cushions to it.

Hubby took lots of pictures of all the details of the gazebo and he said that he will just make one himself (which I doubt. LOL.) But I am sure we will find someone who can make something similar and we don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands of bucks for it.

Sometimes it can be a very hard decision when it comes down to purchasing jewelry. You want to choose something that is stylish and sophisticated, yet, still a little modest. Well, look no further than Chopard. Chopard has been in the jewelry making business for over 150 years. They have a remarkable collection of, watches, necklaces, rings, etc. Many celebrities wear their lovely pieces to many major events, including the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival.

The magnificent pieces are a beauty for the eye to behold. Since they sell their products online you will be able to view their entire collection without even leaving the comfort of your house. Chopard has many different collections to suit each customer’s individual needs ranging from something sweet and demure for the ladies, to something masculine and striking for the men. Chopard takes their time in crafting every item from the finest of materials such as rose gold, white and yellow gold.

They also have a wonderful collection of jewelry that is just perfect for someone who is a child at heart. You will find an array of adorable teddy bear necklaces, clown necklaces and other whimsical characters in the “Happy Diamonds Collection”. They also have a collection dedicated to the very talented and timeless musical artist, Sir Elton John. You will find that the collection that Chopard has fashioned for him to be exquisite in taste and simply breathtaking for the eyes.

You should be aware by now that Chopard is renowned for their fine handcrafted jewelry. What ever it is you are looking for, be it for a gift for a friend or loved one or a little special treat for yourself, you can be sure to find it at Chopard, a very high quality jewelry store available to order online over the Internet.

Tomorrow will be the last working day of another friend from work. He resigned from work as he wants to explore his other options. He has been working in the same company for almost fifteen years now and you know how it is when you have been doing the same things over and over again, there will really be a time when you will come to point when you will just be bored and unhappy with what you are doing that you will find no reason to go on. I guess that is what happened with my friend so he just decided to quit.

Maybe he got inspired also with another friend of ours who now works in Los Angeles. This friend of ours works in the same company where we work too. She loves the game of poker after reading so much about it from WSOP where she learned tips, strategies and tricks on how to play the game better. Her love for this game has lead her to work for a company who organizes game events in Asia and because of her network, she was able to find a job in Los Angeles. And now she is happy because she loves what she is doing.

Maybe this is what drove our friend to finally find the guts to resign and try his luck with the thing that he loves the most – makeup. He is leaving tomorrow and will attend training in the US about makeup and who knows, he might be lucky and get an apprenticeship. He doesn’t really care what will happen next because all he cares about now is that he is free already and he can finally pursue his passion which I know will really make him happy.

I got this planner as a gift last Christmas.

Since I already have the Belle de Jour Planner which I received as a gift also, I used it instead at work. I never thought that I will be able to use this planner until last week when work started pouring in that I need to write down a To-Do list everyday so I will not forget anything and at the same time having a planned schedule helps me manage my time well.

I am not complaining as it is really a blessing to be given an opportunity like this. As they say, strike while the iron is hot, so I am just accepting and accepting opportunities as they come as I don’t know up to when it will last. I am so happy because I was able to save up for a lot of things this month and I even was able to help hubby pay for our car insurance. And as an added bonus, I was able to buy something for myself, which rarely happens because I always end up having no budget left to buy something for me. I guess I really deserve something to give me inspiration to work harder.

I hope it will always be like this as it is a really big help for us financially.

A friend of mine will be leaving tomorrow for a one month vacation in the United States. His itinerary includes Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I so envy him because it has been almost five years already when we last had our vacation in the United States.

Among his itinerary, my favorite is Las Vegas. Our friends from Los Angeles brought us in Las Vegas where we stayed at Circus Circus Hotel for three days. It was one fun vacation because we’re all single back then so we we’re just so carefree and doesn’t even care what activities we want to do while we are in Sin City. But of course we are all good boys and good girls as our activities while we are in Las Vegas only includes visiting the outlet store in the Vegas Strip, trying out the buffet in the hotels, exploring and visiting all the hotels in the Vegas strip (my favorite is the Venetian Hotel and the Belagio Hotel) and of course trying our luck in Casino.

I am seven month pregnant already so even if I wanted to go to Vegas now, it is really not possible. The closest that I can get to having a feel of Las Vegas is playing the different card games from Caesars online. But hubby said, we may never know. If we get lucky, we might have a chance to go to US next year if he gets another training there. So for now, I will practice playing online first so I will be really good in playing the different card games when we get a chance to go to Las Vegas someday.

I hate Mondays because it means that weekend is over and it is a start again of another long week. But I hate it even more when you have to deal with complicated stuffs. Like today, there was a mix up with the work that I am doing that was handled by another person while I was on leave. So I have to coordinate with a lot of people to fix the problem (I think I need to use prevera to prevent getting wrinkles from stress.)

Then I called BPI and they informed me that I have to notify them of our new insurance policy not later than 12 noon tomorrow so we won’t be charged by their insurance company. So this means hubby has to go to our insurance company’s office today to finalize everything so I can send all the details about our insurance policy to BPI by tomorrow.

I hope when this day ends, all of this will be resolve already as I don’t want to go on the whole week thinking about all these problems.

Last weekend, my family drove less than two hours South of Manila to Tanauan, Batangas for an overnight stay at Awilihan Private Paradise Resort.

If you rent the resort for overnight accommodation, you can have the place for your group anytime on the first day up to 12 noon on the second day. We arrived there around 8 AM and we were greeted by the warm, friendly and helpful staff of the resort and the place is all ready for us.

They have one infinity pool that is facing the Taal lake, a big living room at the 1st floor of the house (air conditioned) with cable TV, a gazebo, a sports room where there is a billiard table and table tennis table, a basketball court, and a garden.

The rooms are all located at the second room. There are two rooms with 4 beds each and a sala with beds also that can accommodate up to 10 persons. The restrooms in all floors are very clean and well maintained and hot and cold shower is also available.

The guests can choose to avail of their menu package, which are very affordable by the way, or the guests can bring their own food. If the guests bring their own food, they can use the refrigerator and kitchen for free but they have to bring their own utensils.

We really enjoyed our stay there and their rate is reasonable since we have the place all for ourselves almost for two days. We will definitely be coming back here and I will not hesitate to recommend them to our friends.

Thank goodness I was able to sit down this morning and finalize my shopping cart and I have ordered this for baby boy:

• BPA Free 4 oz bottles
• BPA Free 9 oz bottles
• Co-sleeper
• Bottle Brush

Now the next one on my list would be Baby jogger city select stroller (we actually have a stroller already that our first born has used but it is really bulky so we are thinking of buying a stroller that will grow with our baby just like this city select stroller), breast pump, and I am thinking if I need to buy a new sterilizer.

This is one of the things that I am excited about for the coming of the new baby, I get to do some shopping for my baby. Baby stuffs are quite pricey so I am doing it batch by batch. Anyways, I still have less than two months to complete my list.

Last Apr 10-11, we spend our weekend at Makati Shangri-La. It is our first time here. I never actually inquired for their rates before since they are a five-star hotel located in the Makati business district, so I assumed that their rates are steep. But I was surprised to find out that they have good rates for local residents (it is the same rate that they are offering for their Golden Circle member).

We got a De Luxe room and our accommodation comes with free buffet breakfast for two at Spirals Café, free Wifi internet in our room (which I was able to use since I have to check my emails every now and then for work) and 10% discount to restaurant outlets inside the hotel.

Our room was huge and B really loves it. The bathroom is also roomy with a bathtub. I love their service too as staffs are really always ready to give a hand to their guests. I also love the fact that they have wifi connection everywhere (in the lobby, in the restaurants, in the pool bar) so I can go online anytime I want.

We enjoyed our stay at Makati Shangri-La and we will definitely be coming back (and hopefully it will be at Shangri-La Mactan or Shangril-La Boracay this time).

Our insurance is already expired next week and up to now, I haven’t found an insurance company where we will get our car insurance renewal. I received the mail notification about the expiration of our insurance more than a month ago but I have been so very busy that I was not able to find the time to get insurance quotes (bad me).

If we don’t submit a new insurance policy to the bank where we got our loan, they will automatically use the insurance company that is affiliated with them which is expensive than other insurance companies.

Good thing I have a friend who is into insurance marketing and so she was able to give me a quote last Friday. Hubby and I reviewed it and the coverage is even better than what the insurance of our bank is offering us. There is even an inclusion in the coverage for Acts of God which normally is not covered with other insurance policy.

I already listed in my To-Do list for Monday to finalize our insurance renewal with my friend so I can fax the new insurance policy to our bank before it expires on April 29.

My friend is in Paris right now for vacation and she sent me a text message asking me if I want her to buy me a Long Champ limited edition Le Pliage bag because she knows I really want the blue style in long handle.

The price in Paris is definitely cheaper and so I would really save more if I ask my friend to buy the bag for me there. The problem is I have to transfer the money to her for the bag as she is running out of cash already and payday is still a couple of days away and I don’t have cash too on my bank account.

I know I have been working really hard and I deserve to reward myself and so I really have to think of a way to get the bag. My solution - fast cash loans.

I can apply online as it only takes a couple of minutes to fill up the application form and if I qualified for the loan (which I am sure I will since I have a stable job with good salary), they can deposit the cash to my account overnight and I can send the money to my friend tomorrow. Thank goodness for fast cash loan!

I can’t help but share this here. Yesterday was my good friend Kathy’s birthday. I was supposed to meet up with them after work but B was sick and we have to bring her to the hospital so I missed the biggest birthday surprise of all.

Her husband was supposed to arrive tomorrow but instead he did all he could so he can make it on time for Kathy’s birthday. Kathy was really surprised after seeing her husband surprising her on her special day.

I just saw the pictures taken and it brought me in tears already. Here are some of the pictures that I snagged from Mai’s Flickr account. It is very sweet and romantic of Amiel to have planned and successfully executed a surprise for her dear wife.

I can imagine how my other friends felt witnessing how Amiel surprised Kathy and how Kathy reacted after seeing the biggest birthday surprise that her husband gave her. Surely she got the best birthday present of all.

Happy Birthday again to you my kumareng Kathy!

I just realized now that we have to renew our car insurance as required by our bank where we got our loan. It is a few days short from payday but we have no choice but to get a car insurance, otherwise our bank will be the one to get a car insurance for us which for sure is much more expensive than what we can get if we look for the car insurance ourselves.

So my solution is to get a payday advance. The processing of payday advance is fast as it only takes a minute for me to fill up their online form. And once approved, they will just deposit the cash to my bank account within 24 hours. For sure I will qualify as I have a full time job with a salary that meets the requirement required to be approved for a payday advance.

I am glad we can rely on cash advance for situations such as this otherwise we will have to spend more on car insurance than what we normally pay.

Scott Kay is the jewelry designer of choice for many brides and grooms because bridal jewelry should be as distinctive as it is well-made. Scott Kay was the first jewelry designer to introduce 19KT fine gold, a truly beautiful precious metal that wears well and (rightfully) attracts attention. Fine jewelry isn’t just a designer name—with Scott Kay, it’s a commitment to unique elegance and timeless style.

The Scott Kay jewelry collection for women includes the signature Scott Kay silver line, classic engagement rings, and beautiful wedding bands. Whether you choose the signature crown setting, diamond setting, shank mounting, or one of the other engagement ring designs, you’ll get a piece of jewelry that’s at once unique, fashionable, and ever-beautiful. If she’s going to wear it every day for the rest of her life, shouldn’t the engagement ring be as special as she is? Scott Kay’s matching wedding bands provide the perfect embellishment, whether you choose intricately inlaid bands with diamonds or more simple styles that provide a look of clean elegance.

Jewelry from Scott Kay is known for its clean lines and use of metal. Scott Kay is known for bringing platinum jewelry back to popularity, but the collection is filled with styles made with silver and gold as well. The men’s collection includes necklace and pendant combinations, cuff links, rings, wedding bands, even key rings.

No detail is too small, no piece of jewelry too unimportant. If it’s part of your wardrobe, jewelry should represent your style—not just to embellish, but to stand alone as its own high-quality piece of craftsmanship. Your jewelry should look even better when it's worn than it does in a display case, and that’s what Scott Kay products are all about.

The kids are all tired now after swimming for almost the whole day. I don't think they even have energy left to even eat dinner. But they are all here at the living room now watching their favorite cartoon show. I can hear them saying that they will not be swimming tomorrow as they are all so tired but I doubt it.

We will be checking out at 12 noon tomorrow so we still have half of the day to enjoy the place. They even offer boat service to go to a nearby island where we can enjoy swimming at the Taal Lake but we haven't discuss yet what will be out itinerary for tomorrow.

But so far everyone really had fun - from swimming, to eating to enjoying the videoke. What else can be more fun if you have good food and the company of all your family members. Indeed priceless!

If you are in the market for a new car or want to find a bargain basement deal on your dream house, you may be shocked to find out how much your credit score plays a role in whether or not you can acquire your desire. Unless you have cash on hand for all of your major purchases, your credit score will be used to determine what kind of debtor you will be and that can significantly impact your life.

Many people have a feeling ahead of time, whether they actually know their credit score or not, that it isn't necessarily in the greatest shape. But surprisingly, people who think they have excellent credit can be blindsided by a much lower credit score than they supposed. Many factors are used in determining what your credit score is, such as how much credit you currently have extended to you, especially revolving credit accounts. People with an excellent track record for paying off their bills on time and in full may be surprised that their credit score can actually be lower than they thought if they have a large amount of credit extended that isn't used, as that poses a risk if a person in that situation decided to suddenly use up all of their credit and land themselves in financial trouble.

Your credit score is what is most often used in determining whether you are extended a loan or not, so it is important that you stay updated on what your credit score is. There are different companies that will provide you with that information, but it almost always involves paying a fee to find out. It is worthwhile, however, to research your credit score before applying for loans or to annually research it just to stay on top of your financial health.

We woke up early today as we wanted to arrive early at our getaway destination - Awilihan Private Paradise Resort. It is a lake house resort in Tanauan, Batangas. My good friend Dale who has been to this resort a few months back recommended to us the place and it did not disappoint us.

The kids and the kids at heart are all enjoying a dip at the infinity pool as I am typing this message. B is having a blast as she has been swimming since we arrived at 8 AM (I am sure we will not be able to recognize her after our two days and 1 night stay here).

I am just using my mobile phone to blog so I can’t upload lots of pictures here but I will surely upload a few (hubby has been busy swimming and haven't taken much pictures) as soon as we are back in Manila.

It appears as though there will consistently be over 6,000 entrants in the annual WSOP main event. These are players who have qualified through a number of other events as well as some of the very best players in the world. For some, the fact that the first WSOP started with just six people may be a bit surprising.

It all started with Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, inviting six of the world's very best players to play together back in 1970. At that time, the events being held included every possible type of poker, including razz, seven-card, low-ball, and hold 'em. As the WSOP evolved, the main event began revolving more and more around the most popular form of poker, Texas Hold 'Em.

Entries into the WSOP continued to trickle in, and in the early 1980s, you saw several dozen players. However, it was the introduction of satellite tournaments, which allowed players to win their way into events that really opened the floodgates. By the late 1980s, there were more than 2,000 entrants.

Satellite tournaments continued to contribute to the WSOP player pool, but in a far more significant way as online poker was introduced. Online poker satellites into the WSOP events led to thousands of players consistently registering, with the record of 8,773 players being set in 2006. After this peak, additional rules were added to satellites for online poker, reducing the number of players.

From that point forward, the WSOP has seen the number of registrants hover around 6,500 from year to year. You've seen everything from professional poker players who know the tournament backward and forward to newer players like Joe Cada, who walked away as the 2009 Main Event champion. The WSOP consistently draws the best and brightest and is the most popular televised poker event.

Have you seen the new trailer of Sex and the City part 2? They just released a new trailer and I am so happy with the additional details that they revealed before the showing of the movie on May 27.

I saw the trailer of the movie back in January but only a few highlights of the movie were revealed. From what I heard, the plot of the movie was that Big and Carrie will have some marital issues after Big experienced some financial problems brought about by the recession that they even have to stay with Charlotte and Harrie to survive. Big will even cheat on Carrie because of this.

I can still remember what happened to Carrie and Big during the last movie when Big did not show up during their wedding but then they both realized that they love each other and decided to get back together. I can still remember the scene when they saw each other again after having no communication and not seeing each other for several months and then without thinking, they just decided that they are really meant for each other. Big even proposed again to Carrie and he even said “That is why we need a ring, to seal the deal” and Big put the shoe in Carrie’s foot.

But now that Aidan is in the picture in the second movie and Big and Carrie are having some issues, will they still manage to keep their love for each other? I can’t help but wonder. And so when I watched the new trailer and saw that Aidan will be in the second movie, I got really excited to see the movie. I am for team Aidan ever since and I was one of those disappointed fans when their relationship fell apart during the SATC series. Now I can’t help but hope that they will get back together again in this movie.

So, are you for Team Aidan or Team Big?

I am already on my 7th month of pregnancy and in just two months, we will be able to see our baby boy. I had a difficult pregnancy this time not like my first. I was even advised to go on bed rest two times by my doctor during my first trimester of pregnancy. During my first trimester, I always feel dizzy almost the whole day and I experienced all day sickness that is why I really can’t function well. What made it even difficult was that we have no nanny to take care of our four year old daughter during that time and so aside from taking care of me, hubby was the one doing all the duties to our daughter like giving her a bath, washing her bottles that I or a nanny should be doing. And during all this time, I never heard my husband complain even for one single bit. He was just always there for me to show his love and support so I am thinking that my husband really deserves a reward.

I know how much he has wanted to play golf but he can’t start playing because he needs to invest on the equipment that he will need to play like gold clubs, golf bags, golf shoes and the like.

I was checking the golf buying guide and I have found great tips on how I can start my shopping for hubby like finding the best golf clubs, etc so I am really excited and I can't wait to start my shopping for hubby's gift.

I know no material thing can ever repay what he has done for our family but I still want to give him something because it is just my own little way of showing how much we appreciate what he is doing to us.

Roberto Coin jewelry is one of the most well-known brands in the United States, though the company was founded in Vicenza, Italy as an international fine jewelry company. The popular Appassionata Collection, which was the first to feature the signature setting style which places the gem directly against the skin, has now become a trademark of Roberto Coin Jewelry.

Designs range from classic to unique, but every piece of Roberto Coin Jewelry now features the signature setting style which helps to set it apart from all other brands. The full collection includes pendants, necklaces, earrings, rings, watches, and engagement rings. A full line of men’s jewelry is also available. Only the finest materials, such as sterling silver, yellow gold, and white gold, are used in Roberto Coin jewelry.

Every piece of Roberto Coin jewelry is meant to be proudly displayed and worn, carefully crafted for sparkle and shine, so you can show them off. The different jewelry lines provide a wide variety of styles and designs. Search for your next favorite piece of jewelry among the Woven, Vintage, Tiny Treasures, Barocco, Cento Diamonds, Chic & Shine, Classica or Fantasia collections—to name just a few. Whether you need jewelry that whimsical or elegant, you’ll find it at Roberto Coin Jewelry.

If you live in the southern Florida area, or are planning a trip to the area, you'll find a Roberto Coin Jewelry store that’s open seven days a week. Orders may also be placed by phone through the toll-free number or the Roberto Coin website. No matter how you buy your jewelry, it’s important to buy high-quality pieces which are carefully crafted to be unique and special, so each one is perfect. They'll become heirloom pieces that will be passed down from generation to generation.

Last Friday, I accompanied my mom to go to a bookstore as she needs to buy an envelope or a card where she can put the gift that she will be giving to the wedding that she will be attending that weekend and I saw this:

Because of the power of the Internet, we can now communicate with our families and friends thru email. Even sending greeting cards can be done online as there are a lot of sites where you can select different greeting cards that you can send via email to your friends and family. They can even be received faster as compared to snail mail.

But you know sometimes, it is still nice to receive cards personally signed with the message hand written by the sending party. I remember when I was still in high school, I would spend long hours in the Greeting Cards section of the bookstore and read through all the nice messages in the greeting cards. In a way after reading the inspiring messages, it makes me feel good especially if I am having a bad day.

Technology is good as it makes our life easier and convenient but sometimes it would still be nice to go back to old school way of things like sending greetings cards. I am sure your friends and families will feel happy when they received a hand written message from you.

I rarely get the chance to have free time at home as I still have my hands full from doing mommy duties and my online work but if I get a chance, I spend it watching my favorite TV shows like the cooking shows of Rachel Ray, Barefoot Contessa and even the reality show Hell’s Kitchen and Iron Chef America.

Judging from the list of my favorite shows, you might think that I am a good cook but it is the exact opposite. Even though cooking shows are my favorite, I have no talent when it comes to cooking. I just love the fun of watching these great chefs prepare Quick and Easy Recipes and how they transform simple dishes to delectable and mouth watering meals.

But you know, sometimes I can’t help but imagine if I can be like one these chefs. There are a lot of resources that I can check online, even on magazines, and the tips that I am getting from the TV shows that I am watching so I am sure I have all the help that I need to try it out. And if I prepare our own food, I am sure that I am serving nothing but healthy and nutritious foods for my family so that can be a good inspiration for me.

Both my grandparents are good cook. Even up to now, my grand mother is still the one preparing food for us, as that is how much she loves cooking. So I guess I better take this opportunity also to get a training from her so she can retire soon in preparing our meals and this time, I will do the cooking myself for my family. That will be one great challenge for me, but I think, I can do it. So wish me luck guys.

Before I start looking for medical assisting school for my cousin who will be graduating in high school this month, let me just post some pictures of my loots from Old Navy:

I saw from Litzie’s Flickr account that Old Navy is having a 40% Spring Sale and so I do not want to miss this chance of getting discounts from one of my favorite online store and so I ended up buying:

• cargo shorts and shirts for Baby Boy
• shorts, Capri and shirt for B
• slipper for B
• shoes for Baby Boy

I am so happy with my loots because the price is really cheaper even if I compare it to the local shops here like Gingersnaps and Osh Kosh. I really can’t wait to see baby boy wear the cute cargo shorts and graphic tees that I bought for him with matching shoes.

I think baby boy have enough set of clothes already so for my next online shopping, I am planning to buy the essential things this time like his feeding bottles, co-sleeper, and maybe a new sterilizer.

This is where we are going this weekend: Awilihan Private Paradise Resort in Tanauan, Batangas (pictures snagged from Awilihan’s Facebook account):

I learned of this place from my good friend Dale who has been here a few months ago and she was really raving about it. The rental fee for overnight stay is really worth it as the resort will be for your exclusive use.

The house has 2 rooms with 4 beds each and a sala that can accommodate 10 persons all air-conditioned. They allow up to a maximum of 18 persons for overnight stay. The rental fee includes the use of the amenities like:

• Pool
• Billiard Table
• Videoke System / Magic Sing
• Cabled TV and DVD
• Table Tennis
• Badminton / Basketball Court

They also offer a boat ride to Napayong Island for P2,000 which includes:

• Free Use of Kayaks
• Barge to the center of the lake, swimming (with lifeguard)
• Mountain Trekking

The kids and even the young at heart are all excited. Wish it is already Sunday as I am really looking forward to a vacation after a very busy week.

This is what I had for dinner.

Lasagna Spinach Pasta from Sbarro plus one slice of Cheese Pizza. (I know I should better start reading about diet pill side effects as I plan to take one as soon as I give birth because from the pattern of my weight gain, looks like I need to shed off 20-30 pounds after giving birth to go back to my pre-pregnancy weight.)

We went to Mall of Asia today as I want to check on some swimsuits for pregnant woman like me as we will be having our family outing this weekend. I know that there is a branch of Egg Maternity at Mall of Asia so I asked hubby that we go there instead of Robinsons but unfortunately, the branch of Egg Maternity store in Mall of Asia is already close. But luckily I was able to find a nice swimsuit for me at SM Department store.

So we were running a little late and hubby and I are so hungry already that is why we decided to eat at Sbarro instead of eating dinner at home. I was also able to do some shopping for B as well as she needs summer clothes for her summer class which already started this week.

I am glad that that I was able to accomplish my to-do list for today and I am all set for our family getaway adventure this weekend.

My mom attended a wedding last Sunday and she stands as one of the principal sponsors. She told me that she needed to buy a formal dress for the wedding and so I suggested that she just have something custom made for her.

Whenever I need cocktail dress or formal dress, I would always rely on Farley De Castro, my couturier to do the dresses for me. I discovered Farley when I was still preparing for my wedding. He received good reviews from the waw community because his price is really very, very affordable and his works are really good.

During my wedding, I asked him to make the dresses of my relatives who will stand as our principal sponsors and the dresses of my sister-in-laws and they are all very satisfied with Farley’s creations.

This is the gown that Farley made for my mom for the wedding:

You will not be able to guess how much my mom paid for this gown. It is half the price than what you will normally pay if you buy a ready made gown in the malls. Unfortunately Farley has no website or multiply sites to showcase his works but you can read good reviews of him in the waw community. You can get in touch with Farley through this number: 447-0240.

My friend mentioned that he has been doing some Construction job search from constructionjobforce website and then I remembered that I have to look for possible contractors to do our house renovation project.

Hubby really wants to push through with his plans to start on the renovation of our house and now that hubby is back, I know he will really push me to look for a contractor for this project. We are actually not sure now if this will be our permanent house as it is far from the city. We are thinking it through now if we should proceed with a major renovation or just do minor repairs for the house so we can still have budget left in case we decide to buy a town house in the city which will be near the school where our kids will be studying.

But I guess no matter what our decision will be, I have to start looking for a contractor as I know hubby will ask about it soon and I have to give him answers.

Can you give me a list of top fat burners that are out in the market. I will definitely need one for sure after I give birth as I have been eating like a pig lately. LOL. Just last week, we had a feast at Hap Chan to celebrate my mom’s birthday:

We had fried chicken, shrimp balls (which is really my favorite, so yummy), steamed lapu-lapu, chicken feet and yang chow fried rice. I was so full after dinner that I can’t seem to stand up because I really feel so heavy already.

From my last OB check up, I am already close to 140 pounds and I still have 2 months to go before I give birth. I wonder how much weight I will gain when I reach my full term already. But hubby and my OB said that it is just okay. At least my baby is getting all the nutrients that he needs especially that I am already on my last term.

This is how Holy Week is commemorated in our place:

My mom was assigned one of the stations (Station 11) in the Stations of the Cross last Good Friday for the Senakulo that her friend organized. “Senakulo” is a tradition held every Holy week in the Philippines where participants do a re-enactment of the life and times of Jesus Christ. We were lucky as the station where the highlight of the passion and death of Christ happened was assigned to us so we were able to watch up close the dramatization. Even B watched the whole dramatization but she felt sad after she saw Jesus being nailed to the cross. She even has a lot of questions on why did they do that to Jesus but I told her that she better asked her Tito Padi (who is a priest) so he can explain it better to her.

It is nice to have this some kind of tradition as we were reminded on what Jesus did and sacrificed to save us. This is really one good way to commemorate Holy week as we were able to reflect on our lives and on how well we are doing in paying back what Jesus has done for mankind.

Should I call myself a bag hag? No, I don’t think so. My bag collection is nothing compared to the bag collection of my friends. I love bags but I used to buy only the local brands of bags that you see in our local department stores. But then after I owned my first Louis Vuitton bag, I got addicted. I have been working really hard and I realized that I should once in while reward myself and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Thus over the years, I was able to accumulate a few of my favorite bags.

Last November, I went to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with hubby and my daughter. It was an unplanned trip since I was invited to attend a conference in Kuala Lumpur two weeks before the conference date so we were not really prepared for this trip financially. We stayed in Singapore for two days before flying to KL for the conference and on our last day, we were able to go around the malls in Orchard Road and when I saw my dream bag that I have been drooling for months now (since I can only afford to buy one bag per year), I was not able to control myself and purchased the bag right away.

Since then, I made a promise that I won’t be buying another designer bag until last quarter of 2010. But then temptation is really knocking at my door since I really fell in love with the Gucci bag that my friend is selling:

Now I am thinking to get payday loans so I can buy this bag as payday is not until next week. The price is actually a steal since it is really cheaper compared to buying it online. I know we still have a lot of expenses lined up for this year since I am due to give birth in two months so I am really thinking it over first and I don’t want to make any impulsive purchase. But this bag has been following me even in my dreams….Do you think I can resist temptation? Well let us see in the coming days.

Hubby hasn’t arrived yet from his three-week temporary duty but I already have a lot of projects lined up for him. I am due to give birth by end of June so we have to start preparing our house for the coming of the second baby. Right now, we don’t have enough space for the things that the baby needs like crib, stroller, etc so we really need to do some organization and cleaning up:

• Hubby has to clean our second room so we can put some of our stuffs there. Right now it is filled with hubby’s toys, his gadget for the studio that he plans to setup there, our cabinets filled with our clothes and more clutter. We plan to buy rugs for this room so we can turn this room into our kids’ playroom.
• We plan to get two nannies (one for B and one for baby boy) and so we have to do some decluttering in our maid’s room so we can buy a double deck bed for them. We also need to remove some of our stuffs that we store in the cabinet there so they have a space for their things.
• We also need to remove stuffs from our room now. We don’t plan to put a crib there as we just plan to buy a co-sleeper so baby boy can just sleep with us but we still need to clean up our room to make some space as we can barely right now with our current setup.

Hubby has two months to finish this Clean-Up Project and hopefully everything is all setup when the baby arrives in June.