Snapshots of my Life

When you like to shop and you want to enjoy high-end clothing, you know that you could end up spending a lot. You might budget and plan for a long period of time just to buy clothes for yourself and for your children. If that's the case, you can end up frustrated - not to mention broke. Rather than plan your entire life around saving for clothing, why not check out some of the great offers that retailers have online? For example, you can get Gap coupon codes and save big without compromising on the styles and brands that you love and that already fill your closet.

When people love clothing it really shows. They buy quality items, and they purchase with care. They end up with a lot of clothing, but they often collect it over time because they know that they can't buy it all at once - and it's good enough to last a long time. When you're shopping for that kind of clothing, finding the best deals can take some time but it's well worth it. That's why coupon codes are so great. They're easy to find and there's nothing to download or print out. You just use the code when you make your purchase.

How much you'll save depends on the code. There are all kinds of different options when it comes to coupon codes, too. You might be able get free shipping on your order. You could also save a certain number of dollars off the total or get a percentage of the cost removed from what you've purchased. Those are all good things, and which one will work for you will depend on how much you're spending at the time. When you search for codes, keep that in mind so you can get the best deal on great clothing and accessories.

I have been trying to go on a diet for almost two weeks now. I tried to lessen my carbohydrates intake, stayed away from eating sweets and I try to just eat sandwich during lunch time.

But I totally forgot about my diet today. It started when we had our team meeting and two of my colleagues brought Ferrero and Cadbury chocolates to share with us. The meeting lasted for an hour and so the chocolates were just right there in front of me and so I was not able to resist temptation and I had one, two, three, until I lost track already of how many chocolates I consumed.

Then at lunch time, a good friend of mine, my kumareng Grimi, treated us for lunch as it is her birthday and we had pansit and barbeque. Tomorrow, we will have another celebration again so looks like goodbye to diet for me for tomorrow again.

What girl doesn't like a little jewelry? Maybe a pair of pearl earrings, a diamond bracelet, a gold locket, or a stylish silver ring with embedded stones. Depending on your taste and preferences, there are likely a few pieces out there that could add to your personal style. One of the wonderful things about rings, anklets, pendants, and necklaces is the price range. It really does not matter how much you wish to spend; there is probably something that fits your budget. The same is true about trendy apparel, and fashionable accessories as well. The key is exploring and finding those fun and attractive items that suit you best.

Although there are countless jewelry brands and designers from which to select at this point, not all of them will offer something that catches your eye. Needless to say, we all have different ideas of what is appealing and conducive to our style. One line of jewelry that may suit your taste is Roberto Coin. This particular designer specializes in various yellow gold, silver, white gold, and platinum pieces. Many of these items are encrusted with precious stones, and are suitable for women of all ages. If you enjoy unique pendants, rings, and bracelets, this brand has a lot to offer.

Many jewelry brands and designers place such a strong focus on crafting sophisticated pieces of jewelry. However, there are countless women and men who prefer a little color, flavor, and personality in their rings, necklaces, and bracelets. This is where Roberto Coin excels. Try a glittering diamond and crossbones necklace, or diamond martini glass necklace with pink sapphires. It is certainly safe to say that this is one jewelry brand that is not afraid to think outside of the box. Regardless of your personal taste, you are likely to find something in this line that appeals to you.

Law as a hobby? For some people law is a passion that transends work, but I want to warn you about the pitfalls of entering into such an expensive path unprepared. Student loan default rates rose from 6.7 to 7 percent according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education. The largest default rate came from for-profit schools, which are becoming a larger presence in law school offerings. Default rates at for-profit institutions were almost double the rate of those of public institutions.

The competition to gain admittance to law school has become frightening. The Law School Admissions Council announced a 13 percent increase in requests to take the Law School Admissions Test compared to the previous year. And even though legal jobs are becoming scarcer due to legal outsourcing and an economy that remains slow, law school tuition continues to raise at rates that are outpacing inflation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 4,000 legal positions were eliminated in June and July. This added to an overall loss of 17,000 jobs in legal sector in the past 12 months of the report. This bleak outlook combined with a growing demand for seats at law school has made a career in law a difficult prospect for many. Unless students have special skills that are in demand or a degree from an elite institution, law might not be the best career for students to enter.

SAT prep course has become a necessity in this environment. Without an excellent score on the LSAT, students can expect a rocky road amidst this transitioning economy. Law school might be a dream for many students, but the reality for recent graduates from schools that are not considered elite could be a low paying job combined with massive student loan debt. The road to avoid this fate begins with proper preparation and a score on the LSAT that merits attending law school.

Hubby upgraded his DSLR Canon 40D to Canon 50D the day before the baptism of Jacobo and after three weeks, he received a package delivered via DHL from Canon and this is what’s inside the package:


A Crumpler camera bag. I was surprised at first to get a package addressed to hubby as he rarely orders anything locally. I immediately called hubby to ask him if he ordered the bag and he said that he got it for free from Canon. It even comes with a photography book and a warranty card that gives hubby three years warranty for his new camera. I love the color of the bag and it is just perfect for my camera as we still have to buy a bag for it and thanks to Canon, my camera now has its own camera bag.

Aside from the camera bag, he also got this the day he bought his camera:


No, it is not a second camera. This is a USB flash drive disguise as a miniature DSLR camera. So cute.

Getting married is a big occasion. You have probably poured over the invitations, flowers, and your guest list. You have dealt with concerns on both sides of the family and you have made all the arrangements for the perfect honeymoon. You have forgotten one thing though: there is more to a marriage than just a wedding day. Sure, it’s the most fun of all the days but it doesn’t make it the most important. As a matter of fact, if you were being perfectly reasonable, you’d be spending your time working on the rest of your life. Since you may have neglected it, here is some advice to make the days after your big day just as pleasant.

If you haven’t moved in together then you will. There are two pieces of advice for this transition. The first is to get a place that is new to both of you. Living in one of your places can make it hard on the other person. You don’t feel like it’s your own because it was theirs before you. It isn’t a must but it will help. The second thing is to hire movers. Moving is stressful enough without having to beg friends and family to help. Make the smart move and let professionals handle it for you. You will thank me later.

Living together is hard; sharing money is even harder. The best advice for this is to have one of you in charge of the day-to-day money. Too many cooks in the kitchen spells disaster. Also, settle on a way to spend “fun” money. Some couples like the allowance. Other couples prefer to just use from the same pot. Neither is bad but make sure you both are in agreement. It will save you headaches down the road. Once that is in order, enjoy your big day and all the days to come.

I am an amateur photographer at best, but good enough that I opened a photography studio and have been shooting weddings, sports, and senior photos for the last five years.

When it’s time to have your child’s senior photo taken, choosing the right clothing can make or break the shoot. Many parents get hung up on the idea of choosing the right clothes, but I’ve found that choosing the clothes that make your child most comfortable can often be a bigger decision that picking something that looks great.

If your child is comfortable in a hat, let them wear a hat for at least one of their clothing selections. If your child likes t-shirts and shorts, then letting them wear these items will inevitably make them feel more comfortable and produce more quality shots.

Don’t get me wrong, the money shots, the ones with the beautiful dress or shirt and tie combination are essential, and probably the photos you will have hanging in your house for the next 30 years. For most seniors, the shots they love, and the ones they give to their friends in wallet sizes are the shots where they look and feel like themselves.

When choosing the clothes for the 'money' shots, pick something that stands out. Substitute that white shirt and tie combination for something that is blue, or even as colorful as burnt orange. For girls, choose a dress that stands out, but doesn’t take away from the setting.

When your child is taking their senior photos, choose a photographer that is going to lighten the mood and show you digital shots during the actual shoot. In 30 years, no one will care what your senior looked like, but during their senior year, having shots that are fun, easy and stylish will mean a lot to them.

I did some shopping last Friday but not for me. We need a Smart Bro and Globe Tattoo USB broadband kit ASAP. But since all our cleaners and drivers are out and I was given special instructions that I need to release the USB Broadband kit that morning, I went out of the office to buy the USB Broadband kit myself.

Luckily, Smart and Globe Telecenter is just a few blocks away from the office so I did not walk that far. There were some customers in line when I arrived at Smart and Globe so it took me around thirty minutes per telecenter to buy the broadband kit.

I thought that I will be able to go back to the office soon but when I went out of Globe office, it was raining hard and I did not bring an umbrella as Mr. Sun is shining so bright when I went out.

But at least I was able to accomplish my mission and it made our client really happy.

Everyone knows the real estate market is in the dumps and it seems likely to be there for a lot longer. Everyone seems to be struggling, or at least tightening their belts, job growth is anemic, and no one wants to for exhorbitant housing costs. There’s just no need since the supply of lowered prices on real estate is still vast and growing, years after the real estate crash began. That’s probably bad news for sellers, but if you’re in the market to purchase a new place to live, whether it's a house, condo or timeshare, there hasn’t been a time as exciting to be counting your purchasing dollars since the 1990’s!

Just take New York luxury condos for example – since the market swooned, your opportunity to land a prime piece of coveted real estate at a great price probably hasn’t been better since these units were built. If you’ve been cautious and thrifty and managed to sidestep the financial crisis, this is your time to shine. Committing to the decision to buy, all that’s left to decide is how close you want to live to the luxurious shopping experience known as Fifth Avenue!

With available proximity to Tiffany’s, your jewelry shopping experiences can begin in earnest. You can stalk the sales and keep the bargains coming in as sales emerge – just like you did for your home purchase. You might even just walk down and check out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade rather than watch it on television as you’ve done all these years. Whatever grand adventure you choose to engage in, it will be nearby your front door in Manhattan. So every time you’re wondering whether your thrift has been, or is, worth it, you’ll know for yourself that you’ve arrived because of your hard work and dedication to playing it With available proximity to Tiffany’s, your jewelry shopping experiences can begin in earnest. You can stalk the sales and keep the bargains coming in as sales emerge – just like you did for your home purchase. You might even just walk down and check out the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade rather than watch it on television as you’ve done all these years. Whatever grand adventure you choose to engage in, it will be nearby your front door in Manhattan. So every time you’re wondering whether your thrift has been, or is, worth it, you’ll know for yourself that you’ve arrived because of your hard work and dedication to playing it smart!

Families are unique social ecosystems, which thrive on each other’s collective success and help members rebuild during times of distress. It is amazing how families support each other through the good and bad times without thinking twice. Everyone experiences difficult situations at some point in their lifetime, but many of these situations involve money in addition to emotional or “moral” support. Considering the various types of emergencies, your family is the first line of defense for almost anything.

Helping family members out is a part of many cultures, but what happens when said family member needs your cold, hard cash in addition to everything else? Frankly, not everyone can afford to lend someone – even relatives – money for his or her emergencies. Instead, consider helping them in the right direction by helping them obtain emergency cash loans, which will resolve their short-term cash deficiency while teaching them fiscal responsibility. People are less likely to pay their family back than they are to jip a lender and face the repercussions.

An emergency cash loan is a quick fix to their cash flow issues, which typically helps people cover essential emergency costs to stay afloat until their next paycheck arrives. It is not the same as short term disability insurance, and often is limited to less than one-thousand dollars. The amount someone qualifies for is based on his or her circumstances, credit scores, and past financial activity. A normal person, with a few credit cards in good standing and a solid work pattern, is typically approved after filling out the inquiry form online. Once the lender receives and approves the application, they deposit the funds into their checking account the next – or same – business day. Repayment times vary, but align with when the individual receives their next paycheck.

I have been eating soup and sandwich for a week already and no matter how much I am desperate to loose weight, I got tired of eating the same thing over and over again and so I break my diet for a bit and just had this for lunch:


Pesto Carbonara from Pasta Works and Nai Cha Pearl Tea from Zen Tea. I did not finish the whole serving though and just ate half of it so at least I was able to cut down on my carbo intake.

And by the way, the Nai Cha Pearl Tea is so addictive and I have this every single day. I even have to take my lunch early to avoid the crowd as there is a long line at their store during lunch break. I will order the extra large cup with extra pearl. They have different flavors like chocolate tea (I will try this next), almond tea (I tried this already but it is too sweet for me), malt tea, and even fruit tea.

Earlier today, I took the kids shopping for new shoes, and we had car trouble before we could manage to get back home. You wouldn't believe what happened when the tow truck arrived. Everything just went from bad to worse.

We went to the new shoe store they just opened on the other side of town. If you haven't seen it yet, it's right across the street from the payday loan place. I thought we'd get new shoes for each of the kids, and then let them play in the ball pit and on the slides after lunch at the McDonalds right next door.

Well, we did manage to get a couple pairs of shoes at an incredible bargain. Believe it or not, their grand opening specials were still in effect. Lunch went fine, too. Of course, someone had to have a kid in there that was acting bratty, and I was waiting for an argument to start. To my surprise, everyone got along.

After lunch, we went to get in the car and go home. Somehow, I had forgotten to turn the lights off, and the battery had gone dead. In fact, I don't even remember having the lights on. If you've been outside today, you know it's sunny without a cloud in the sky. To make things even worse, my car usually cuts the lights off when you take the key out of the ignition, so now I wonder if something else is wrong with it.

I put the kids in the car and opened the trunk to get one of those emergency jumpers out that you recharge at home. Guess what? No one had charged it, so that wasn't going to work. Next, I decided to call a tow truck. When they got there, they didn't even have jumper cables. I ended up having to pay to get the car towed home.

We are all aware that our environment continues to get damaged by things like pollution and global warming. These are just some factors why we have an unhealthy environment today because people are careless and don’t protect the nature.

And this is why there are many organization nowadays that are promoting cleanliness and protection of our mother earth. And as a good start, they are encouraging people especially the companies to consider using window film that is being offered by window film los angeles. This can provide less electricity since it helps keep the place cool especially during the hot weathers and warm during the winter season.

In this simple way, we can help control the use of electricity, which will then lead to a much bigger conservation that will definitely help in having a better environment.
So I hope that starting now, let’s all be aware and learn to protect and care for our nature before it’s too late.

Hubby and I are not adventurous when it comes to food and we will never try out a particular restaurant unless somebody recommends it to us. And so we were able to try Kulinarya in Rockwell as recommended by my cousin and ever since it has become our favourite restaurant every time we are in Rockwell.

We went to Rockwell a couple of weeks ago after my husband, my mom, Jacobo and B fetched me from work. We decided to go to Rockwell as I wanted to buy the stroller for Jacobo in Baby & Co. After doing our shopping in Baby and Co. and after B’s short trip to Kidz Station, we had afternoon snack (or should I say early dinner) at Kulinarya and this is what we ordered:

Buffalo Wings, hubby’s favourite
Carbonara, B’s favourite
White Cheese Pizza, our favourite

We were so full after that meal that we were not able to eat dinner. Seeing these pictures makes me crave for the white cheese pizza. Hmm, I wonder if we will have time tomorrow to drop by at Rockwell to satisfy my craving.

My daughter will be celebrating her fifth birthday in November and I just realized that I only have two months left to prepare for the party. Although I have booked most of the suppliers already like the magician, the restaurant where the party will be held, the balloon artist, the kiddie salon and I also ordered already the gown that will be custom made for her that she will wear for the party.

But I know there is one last supplier that I need to book which is the most important of all my suppliers for the party and that is Richmond photographer David Proett. David Proett knows how to work with children so I know he will be able t capture all the special moments during the party. He also has different packages that fit our budget.

Every time our family has an event, I always see to it that I hire a photographer to capture the memories in pictures and I am confident that David Proett can do that.

I promised to stay away from chocolates while I am on my diet and while I am still having acne breakouts but my sister brought home Nestle Krunch ice cream last night. I tried resisting at first but I saw how they enjoyed every bite of the big chunks of chocolate in the ice cream and when I can no longer resist the temptation, I gave in and finished one big cup.

My sister was laughing because she know me too well and she knows that I won’t be able to resist temptation since she very well knows that I am a chocolate addict. But that is okay as I saw a site where I can learn more about the best acne treatments. The site lists the top five acne treatments so I don’t have to do a trial and error because these acne treatments have been recommended by industry experts.

So I said to myself, what the heck, it is my son’s special day yesterday so there is no room for me to worry about diet and acne problems. So I gave in, ate my chocolate and ice cream and I tell you, it was a really “feel good” experience.

Yesterday, I was lucky that I made it just in time to work. I left home early to avoid heavy traffic along Pier area and so I was surprised when I saw that there is heavy traffic jam already and it is only 7 AM. When my cab was able to maneuver through the cars and beat the traffic, we saw this:

There was a big 10-wheeler truck in the middle of the road. I think it broke down and the driver just left the truck there blocking all the other cars. The trucks in the Pier area are the number one source of traffic every morning. I heard they are no longer allowed to enter North Harbor so they are always outside, along the streets where they always park. That is why even if there is a road widening project along that area, it is still useless as small vehicles can’t maximize the road as almost half of it is full of parked trucks.

I just wish (and I guess hope) that MMDA will find a way to fix this.

My original plan last night:

• Check out http://www.blackheadstreatment.org to find the best blackhead treatment for me
• Do some work while waiting for the party of Jacobo to begin
• Enjoy Jacobo’s 3rd month birthday
• Watch my two favorite shows “Survivor” and “Magkaribal”

But instead, I fell asleep after eating dinner. I went to the mall to buy a cake for Jacobo’s party and there was heavy downpour when I get off the jeepney and I got wet since my umbrella is just small. When I reached home, I feel so tired and I am feeling a little sick so after feeding Jacobo, I lie down in our sofa and when I woke up our visitors went home already and it is already 10:30 PM. But at least I was able to rest for a bit and take a nap. Because of this I was able to work for a couple of hours when Jacobo was already sleeping before I finally hit the sack by 12 AM.

Help!! Looks like I will really need weight loss pill that works as I am not sure if I will be able to loose weight soon. Just look at the temptation that is in front of me right now:


Today is the third month birthday of my son, Jacobo. It is a tradition in our family that we have small celebration every month until he reaches one year old and so we have a small party at our house tonight. I went to SM to buy cake and when I saw the chocolate fudge cake, I was really debating to myself if I should get it or not. You see, I am on a diet and if I buy the cake, I will surely grab a bite and will not be able to control myself.

So the ending, I still bought the cake as it really looks delicious. So I guess no diet for me today.

This is what I had for lunch today:


Italian BLT from Subway with everything on it and Honey Mustard dressing and Nai Cha Pearl milk tea with extra pearls from Zen Tea.

My boss gave me Banana cake that she personally baked for breakfast and I ate half of it before lunch time so I was still full by 12 noon. But I still went down early as I am already craving for Zen Tea and I know that there is a long queue there during lunch break so I have to go down early.

My first choice for my lunch is the salad from Country Style but my worry is that it might be too light for lunch and I might feel hungry already even before I get off from work. So I just had the Sub of the Day from Subway in wheat beard which is really cheap.

Tomorrow, I plan to have the Sub of the Day sandwich of Subway and I will have my Nai Cha tea with extra pearls again for my drinks.

Once in a while, I like to watch educational shows like National Geographic and health shows where I can learn about Mesothelioma and other diseases. But most of the time you can see me watching reality shows.

When I was still single and I have no competition yet with TV time, reality shows like America’s Next Top Model, Survivor, Amazing Race, Hell’s Kitchen, etc are among my favorite shows. But now that my daughter dominates the TV, I am no longer updated with the shows that I used to watch religiously before.

That is why hubby is suggesting that we buy an LCD TV for our room. I am so tempted to say yes to hubby’s offer so I can watch my favorite shows while B watch her favorite show in our living room but then I know that if we have a TV in our room, the more it will be difficult for us to put B to sleep.

Oh well, I guess there are really some things that you need to give up once you become a parent.

This picture was taken last night while we are having dinner with my sister and her boyfriend. I uploaded it right away in my Flickr account as I am just so in love with the picture because it truly shows how happy a family we are.

My good friend Aggie told me that it is a different kind of feeling when you have two kids. At first you will think that it is difficult, but as a mother’s natural instinct, I can adapt easily because now, I have two kids to fill my life with love and happiness.

At first I only want one child but after having Jacobo, I am telling hubby that maybe we can have at least one more but we have to wait as we need to recuperate from the expenses first before having another child. I assured hubby that if we really want another child, we will surely try for a third blessing long before he will have a need to look for best male enhancement products so he doesn't have to worry.

Hubby comes from a big family (he has four siblings) and so he really wants at least four children and he is worried that if we have family planning, I might be too old already to conceive a child. But since I delivered via C-section, we have no choice but to wait for at least two years before having another baby. So we have more than one year left and let us see then if we are ready for our third or not.

Almost every Sunday, my family will go out for dinner. Last night, we accompanied my sister to Greenhills as hubby also needs to go there to sell his DSLR camera. And so after shopping and after hearing mass, we had dinner at Racks.

Racks has been one of our favorite restaurants and I am so glad that they finally decided to include in their menu Family Platters that is good for sharing for four to six persons. We ordered Pork Ribs and Onion Brick platter:

It comes with one extra large platter of steamed rice, one pitcher of coke, full rack classic pork ribs, onion brick and two large side dishes. The full rack pork ribs is more than enough for us (me, hubby, yaya, my sister and her boyfriend) and we were even able to brought home a small size from our left over. We have to order 1-2 cups of extra steamed rice though and another pitcher of coke.

This family platter is so sulit and so affordable (P1,085 only). Don’t forget to try it out next time you dine in at Racks.

Though I need to loose weight, I think my husband and I need to find the best vitamins to increase our immune system. We live a very busy lifestyle and add to that our lack of sleep because we have to take turns in taking care of Jacobo especially during the night.

Two weeks ago, all of us got sick – Jacobo, B, hubby and me. It is difficult to see your child get sick and is feeling uneasy because of cough and colds but it is more difficult if we are sick too because as much as we want to be always there for our kids, we have let my mom and my nanny take care of our kids while we are sick so we won’t pass the virus to them again.

This has been the pattern in our house, every one will be sick once anyone of us catch the virus. So we really have to find a way to break this pattern.

Because of the tragedy caused by the earthquake in Haiti and the flood in Pakistan, our company have realized that natural calamities can cause really great and unimaginable damage that can paralyze the operations of the company. That is why one of our priority projects now is to set up an alternate command post that is outside the company’s building where the company can house operations in the event that the main office becomes inaccessible due to natural calamities.

One of the items that are on top of our list in order to set up an alternate command post is to look for an internet provider that we can use if there is a natural calamity. We are currently using a broadband internet connection and so we are looking at using satellite internet like that of Skycasters as our backup connection. What is nice about Skycasters is that all the equipments in their infrastructure are business grade so it means that it has high quality and is therefore very reliable. They also provide 24/7 client support to their clients and they are always available for technical support which is what we need for our alternate command post.

The internet connection in the alternate command post will play a very important role as it will be our main means of communication in case of calamity so it is really important that we will choose the best among the satellite communication providers like Skycasters.

Our parish welcomed a precious visitor last Sunday, our Lady of Manaoag.


She arrived early Sunday morning in Raxa Bago and our parishioners fetched her there and from Raxa Bago, they had a procession before bringing her inside the church.

I dropped by at our church last Monday to visit Our Lady of Manaoag. I thanked her for all the blessings that our family has been receiving and I asked her that she continue to bless us and always protect my family from harm.

Last Friday, I was able to bring B and Jacobo so they can pay the Our Lady of Manaoag a visit too. We arrived after the mass so there was a long queue to those who want to go near her.

Today, she will be leaving us to visit another parish. Our parish is really so blessed that we have been visited by her, the miraculous lady of the Our Lady of Manaoag.

My eyes will twinkle every time I see gold. Who wouldn’t? I guess like diamonds, gold is also every woman’s best friend.

But I think the gold that hubby wants to give to me is better than any other gold gift that he has given me in the past as this time, he is thinking to get gold coin as our initial gold investment.

Gold is a very good investment as its value appreciates over time. It is a universally accepted asset that it can be easily converted to cash. Its storage is also not a problem as it does not need any big space as it can be easily stored in a safety deposit box at home or an arrangement can be made with the local bank for its storage.

I was really all smiles when hubby told me about his new gold gift for me because I know that it will not just benefit me, but it is also for my whole family.

I think I will really have problem in losing weight because even though I tried as hard as I could to go on a diet during weekdays, it is pig out day for us during weekends

Just like last week, we went to Mall of Asia after B’s class as I need to buy a new laptop at the HP laptop fair. But instead of just going straight to the HP booth to purchase the laptop, hubby and I decided to eat first as we are already very hungry. So we went to Mang Hann and this is what we had:


Chicken Noodles
Spicy Prawn
Stuffed Tofu
Yang Chow Fried Rice

Can you imagine that it was only me and hubby who will be eating and we ordered this much and we were able to finish it. So tell me now, how will I be able to go back to my pre-pregnancy weight if we continue eating like this. LOL.

On my third diet day, this is what I had:

Chicken sandwich in Wheat bread from Subway and Almond Tea from Zen Tea.

I am actually not sure if this can be considered as going on a diet as I actually don’t know the calories contained in those foods. But I normally have one cup of rice every lunch break and so having a sandwich for lunch is considered a diet for me already. LOL.

By the way, Zen Tea is one of the new stores in our building and it is really a sure hit as there is always a long queue especially during lunch break. They serve different flavors of tea like strawberry, green tea, almond tea, etc and you can also choose to have teas with pearls (my favourite). The price is affordable too comparing it with the other establishments there. A large tea with no pearls is only P40 while and extra large is only P50.

I was checking our pictures of our Europe trip last year and I am still in awe every time I see pictures of castles and museums where every tiny details of the room is made from gold. Ever since, gold is a symbol of power and that is why royalties in the olden times would want their castles and palaces be made from gold.

Up to now, gold still maintain its value of being a very precious metal. That is why even now that we live in a very high tech world, gold still is considered a very good way of preserving one’s wealth.

This led me to do some research and check out the website of United States Gold Bureau to learn more about gold investment like investing in gold coins. Gold is a very good form of investment as its value does not depreciate. So no matter how many ages have passed, we will be sure that it will still maintain its financial value.

Now we are finally convinced that we should really save up so we can start with our gold investment soon.

It has been four months ago when I gave birth. I did not start with my diet right away as I know I need all the energy as I am still recuperating from the surgery. It was only when I went back to work after my maternity leave that I started to be serious with my diet. I tried to cut down on my carbohydrates intake and I only eat sandwich during lunch time and half cup of rice at night but sad to say, it has been almost two months already and I only lost 4 pounds.

I am really desperate to loose weight and to go back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 110 pounds by December but I realized that I won’t be able to meet my goal without any help.

Thank goodness I discovered the site of Fitclick.com. I signed up for an account so I can make use of their different tools for weight loss like calorie calculator. After reading the information from their site, I learned that the first step that I have to take to successfully loose weight is to take note of my daily calorie intake so I can monitor what I eat. I can easily track my daily calorie intake using the calorie counter so I can easily know how much calorie I can take per day to loose at least 1 pound per week.

Another tool that I like from Fitclick.com is that they offer different diet plans like FitClick Slim & Trim Diet, FitClick Carb Reduction Diet, the Good Carb Diet and the FitClick Healthy Lifestyle Diet which I can follow so I will have an idea on what food to take to help me meet my weight loss goal.

I am really glad I discovered Fitclick.com as I know their weight loss tool can really help me get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

On my second attempt to go on a diet, this is what I had for lunch:

Half tuna sandwich (again) and crab salad from Oliver’s super sandwich. Normally this will just be a PM snack for me so I was really hungry already even before I get off from work. But I really have to maintain this diet if I am really serious to loose 15 pounds in two months. I guess I just have to look at my tummy every time I feel hungry so it will be my reminder that I really have to make sacrifices if I want to look sexy.

And by the way, this meal from Oliver’s is super affordable at less than P150 I think (so sorry I can’t remember the exact price. Effects of anesthesia.) Indeed cheaper for me compared to ordering delivery of South beach diet (which I might try if I don’t see any improvement in my weight in a month with the diet that I am observing).

I promised myself that in order for me to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight by December, I have to start going on a diet. It is very difficult for me to do this while I am at home as my mom cooks good food and so I really can’t stop myself from eating. It even came to a point when I wanted to try natural appetite suppressants so I will be able to reduce my food intake.

But as they always say, it is really a great pleasure to eat. LOL. So I just decided that I will start my diet once I am already back to work. And that is what I did. On my first day at work, this was my lunch:

Half Mushroom and beef soup and half tuna sandwich from the soup kitchen. In fairness the meal was still a little heavy as I lasted until 6 PM without feeling any hunger.

One of my favourite chick-flick movies is Legally Blonde. I just love the plot of the story and how the protagonist rise up from being just the most popular girl in school to the best student in law school.

When I was a kid, one of my dreams is to become a lawyer. But as I grew up, I realized that it is a very difficult course plus the fact that I have to pass the bar exam before I can be a certified lawyer.

If only I have discovered about Knewton before, then maybe I would have tried entering law school. Knewton offers lsat prep online courses at a very affordable price. They offer online classes and at the same time, there is a dedicated master teacher who can answer all your questions in real time. They even give their students access to 6,048 LSAT questions so students can review anytime they want, anywhere they are. Plus all their teachers are nothing but the best in the industry so students will be guaranteed the best online course for LSAT exam.

If I only I am still young and would still have the energy to study, then I will not think twice in entering law school.

I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella. I read all her books from all the Sophaholic series, Remember Me, Domestic Goddess, etc. Name a book written by Sophie and I am sure I have a copy of it and I have read it.

My favourite is the Shopaholic series because I can totally relate with the character of Becky in the book (though I must say that I am not that shopaholic yet. I still know how to control my shopping urge. LOL). Though the story is really shallow, I still find it very funny and entertaining. These are my cup of tea book.

So when I learned from my kumareng Peachy that Sophie released another book as a continuation to her Shopaholic series book, I immediately looked for it in bookstores and thanks to my hubby who bought me my paper back copy.


The title of Sophie’s new book is Mini Shopaholic and in this book, Becky already has a daughter which makes it more exciting for me to read as I have a daughter too. I am down to the first two chapters of the book already and I can’t wait to find out what are the adventures in store for Becky and her daughter Minnie in this book.

I have a new nanny for B. I had my old nanny for five months already but then she has to resign as her husband had an accident and so she has to attend to his husband. I have no choice but to get a replacement from the same agency where I got my old nanny since I will be going back to work already and so I immediately need a replacement.

My mom is really not into getting nannies from agencies as she argued that we are not really sure of the background of the nanny that the agency will be giving us. But it is really hard to get a good nanny these days. So I told my mom that we will just be extra careful especially that our nanny is new.

I suggested that we install one of those security cameras at home so if my mom is not at home with my kids while my husband and I is at work, we still have an eye at home to monitor what the nanny is doing. We also make sure that somebody has to go with the nanny when she brings and picks up B to school so we will be sure that she can’t take B anywhere.

Our new nanny has been with us for two weeks already. Of course we still see some things about her that we don’t like but just like my husband has said, I should learn to extend my patience with our nanny. And we really have no choice since I am already back to work so we have to make do with the options that was given to us.

I have been reading the site of United States Gold Bureau as I have been looking for a good investment option. After reading their site, I learned that gold is a very good investment unlike other paper investment as it doesn’t depreciate in time. It is also universally accepted so it can easily be converted to cash. Storing it is not a problem also as we can easily store it in a safe deposit box at home or we can arrange for it to be stored in our local bank.

Even if it is my first time to invest in gold, like gold coins, I can easily get help because their experienced hard asset professionals are always there to help investors like me. They can even help me get the best offer for gold in the market.

I know that investing in gold is a very wise decision and I know that with gold, I can never go wrong.

The “B” bag! When, oh when will I own one? I just love the fun colors of the B bag and how it is really different from the brown color of the LVs. I am so tempted to get one already as I was really drooling when I saw the purple colored “B” bag that my friend got and I said to myself that this is really it, the perfect purple bag for me.

But every time I convert the $$ price to its peso equivalent, I always end up thinking twice and setting aside my plan. Maybe when I became really, really rich already or when there are no more expenses lined up (which is really impossible), or if ever I win the jackpot from Lotto, then you will already see me carrying my first ever Balenciaga bag. LOL.

I saw the Balenciaga store in Greenbelt and I can’t even go inside the store as I might not be able to go home without my B bag so I just satisfied myself by taking a picture.

My old laptop is acting up already. Sometimes it will just freeze and I have to hard reset it before it will work again. I have been using this laptop for years now and now it is loaded with tons of pictures and work files so I am really scared that it will just die one day and all my precious files will be gone. (The scariest part is I don’t keep a backup).

That is why I have been checking out Asus laptops to find a replacement for my old laptop. I think it has served its purpose for me already. And now that my online workload has increase already, I need a much faster laptop to cope up with my workload. I just hope that my sideline will continue to be good so I can set aside a budget from my earnings this month to get me a new laptop.

I know that HSBC has an ongoing promo wherein if you use your HSBC credit card to purchase anything worth P2,000 for a single receipt, then you can get a tall Starbucks drink for free. I have been using my HSBC credit card since then so I can accumulate as much charge slips as I can to get a free drink. But then I just collected and collected receipts and failed to claim my free drink. So when I was with my sister the other day I treated her and her boyfriend for a free Starbucks drink:

I still have a few receipts that I can use to get a free drink. Thankfully the promo is for purchases made until August 31, but I can claim my free drink anytime. I will be coming back to work next week and I think I have a week free of coffee with all the charge slips that I still have in my wallet. Good Times.

As I mentioned in my previous post, our favorite aunt just celebrated her birthday last August 31. We haven’t bought a gift for her as we are all busy preparing for the baptism of my son Jacobo. But like they always say, it is better late than never so my cousins together with me and my siblings decided that we will just have one gift for our dear aunt.

Our Aunt Jojie has been always there for all of us, and she stood as our second mother. She spoils us to bits when we were still kids and now that some of us already have kids, she did not stop in spoiling her grand kids as well. That is why on her special day, we all agreed that she deserve something special, like the fine IWC Watches from Lussori.

Lussori has been in the business of selling fine time pieces and jewelries for more than ten years. They have experienced watchmakers and custom jewelers so we will be sure that we are in good hands if we buy from them.

I am so excited already to show my cousins and siblings the IWC watch that I have selected for our aunt. It is truly one of a kind and I am sure my aunt will fell in love with it.

For the past weeks, all that I can hear from my friend is about spring plungers, indexing plungers, pull and clamping pin and other spring-loaded devices that he need for his project at work. It has been a very stressful month for him because of this project but thankfully his stress is finally over as he was able to discover Reid Supply Company where he can buy industrial type spring loaded devices which are what he is looking for his project.

Since his problems have already been solved, he promise to meet us this weekend to treat us for dinner since he is always absent during our group’s meet up since he is always busy at work. Now I can’t stop thinking which restaurant we will ask him to treat us – Banana Leaf, Fridays, Itallianis, Racks. I guess we will decide tomorrow as I am sure each of us have our own cravings and preferences and I am sure it will end into a vote and majority wins.

August 31 is the birthday of our favorite Tita. Since it falls on a weekday, my cousins and I decided to have an early celebration. So I texted all our relatives to confirm if they can join us for dinner on a Sunday night. After confirming that everybody is available, it is time to decide on where to have dinner.

We initially planned to order food at home or have dinner in Dampa and then enjoy a videoke night but I soon realized that this is not possible as Jacobo will not be able to join the videoke as he is just two months old. So we suddenly had a change of plans. The kids requested for a pizza and pasta dinner and they specifically requested that we go to Shakeys.


So my cousin Tessa made a reservation at Shakeys in Tomas Morato. By 7:30 PM, we are all at Shakeys already and we ordered chicken, pasta, pizza, soda, mojos, and beer. My brother even brought cake for my Tita’s candle blowing. Everybody enjoyed the good food, good chat, good laugh and just some quality family bonding.

Happy Birthday again to Tita Jie, everybody’s favorite Tita. We are so lucky to have a tita like you. Thank you for everything that you did for us and for taking care of us. We love you!!

My dad is my daughter’s driver as he brings B to school everyday. This is actually what he wants as he wants to personally take his grand daughter to school everyday for her safety and so he doesn’t want to entrust his grand daughter to other people.

But he is not in the mood since yesterday and so my mom even has to look for someone who can drive us (as neither of us knows how to drive) so B can go to school. Could it be that he is starting to feel tired already? I know this routine is really tiring on my dad’s part because he has to drive to and from home everyday and then he has to wait for 3.5 hours before B can get off from school. Or maybe he just needs some bribe like his favorite cigars to bring his good mood back. LOL.

But I hope that his bad mood will be gone soon as I really like it that he takes B to school everyday. My husband and I are both working so neither of us can do this for B and so we will be more secured and we have more peace of mind if it is someone we know who will drive B to school everyday.

But being my dad's favorite, I am sure that one kiss and hug from B will take away all of his bad moods.

I know men will never understand why women will need more than one bag. Every time I will tell my husband that I bought another bag, he will just smile and there is a look on his face which says “why do you need all those bags?” But I have been working really hard these past few months and so I believe that I really deserve a price. As what my friends always say, we have to enjoy the fruits of our labor once in a while so I should at least reward myself with all my hard work. That is why I decided to buy the bag of my dreams especially when I saw that it is on sale and it even comes with free shipping. I already reached my earning quota for this month and so I know that I have the extra budget for this bag which makes me really think that it is really meant to be that I buy this bag now.

The only thing that is stopping me is that I am still waiting for my pay check which is due for release in three weeks time so I don’t have cash right now to buy the bag. But for a bag hag like me, there will always be a way to get what I want and that is through payday loans.

It is very easy and stress free to get a payday loan as the application and the approval is done online. All I need to do is just submit an online application form and results of the application will be known right away. Once approved, the money (which is less than $1000) will be deposited electronically to my bank account.

I have long wanted to buy this bag and since it is on sale and I have the extra budget for it, I guess this is the perfect time for me to reward myself with my dream bag.