Nap Time Rocks!

rashes and more

rashes!

i need help with mia. she’s got rashes on her behind and i’ve been putting anti-bacterial creams and calamine lotion on it so it will stop itching. but it won’t and she’s really trying to scratch it. nakakaawa talaga when she cries about it. my cousin told me to give her iterax syrup and it’s only been one day since i started to give it to her, but the redness and the little bumps won’t go away still. what’s the best thing that can get it to heal fast? i hope someone can recommend something.

no “merry christmas”

here’s something you don’t know about me. i’m really hesitant to greet people “merry christmas” because i don’t believe in the greeting, really. for me it’s just an expression to mean whatever you want it once a year. probably to say thank you, be happy, be content, or let’s celebrate. it’s something you can say anytime of the year, for that matter. thing is, i don’t want to say it lest the true meaning be lost entirely on me or the person i’m saying it to.

i confess i have said it to a lot of people this year but that doesn’t mean i don’t mean well wishes. i do. it’s just that i would rather say may God bless you and that you remember why it’s always a special occasion. it’s a remembrance of something or someone greater than us, than gifts, or tradition.

no, i think it’s not cliche to say that it’s all about love, sacrifice, and grace, and the One who made it all possible. so there. no more merry christmas-es for you just a simple prayer that may God take care of you and your family and your loved ones. and that you have an even better year too! may our 2008 be more meaningful than this year

yet i am guilty of being busy with other things

somehow i believe that there is order in chaos. no matter how busy it was this year more than any other in my entire 25 years of existence (not that i was aware for the first 10 years), i know i had not forgotten what it’s all for. somehow, that little person right there reminded me who does sacrifice and unconditional love better than i do.

mia could have helped with the gift wrapping but all she could do was crumple the postcards i was using as gift tags and keep pestering mommy to carry her

it’s been a personal tradition to make my own version of the ref cake every year. this year i experimented with a different batch of ingredients (just different brands, nothing drastic) because i always use Nestle Cream and MY San’s Honey Graham Crackers. it’s just that when i went grocery shopping at Hi-Top, i couldn’t find the aisle where the Nestle Cream usually is and they ran out of HGC! it was already 2 days before Noche Buena and i had no more time to go to any other supermarket. plus, i didn’t want to brave the holiday rush traffic.

i’m quite happy that it turned out good. my nephew whom i gave a small container to as a gift actually finished it in one sitting still, next year i’m going back to my old ingredients. nothing feels better than what you’re used to. besides, Nestle Cream makes more than Alaska’s All-purpose Cream when it’s whipped. hehe.

Next stop, Grand Cayman Islands

One of the places I’d like to visit someday are the Cayman Islands. I’ve read about it (a favorite location of John Grisham) and have been attracted to its quiet little beaches and the kind of private life you can have there. And visiting the islands is as easy as browsing for a flight to Boracay or Puerto Galera or Palawan. There’s a website that has information on 500 cities all over the world and can book you at cheap hotels, flights, hook you up with cruises, and even let you in on hotel services through the hotel blogs. The blog link even tells you which hotels can let you jump on hotel beds without getting busted by the front desk. More »

melancholic graffiti, etc.

Move over, Jinggoy and your expensive patrol cars. QC has its own fleet now.So, this is where my taxes go. One of these had better come to my rescue if one day i’ll find myself in a quandary.

this is why i still stick to my own brands not just out of corporate loyalty, but for safety reasons. that’s a thin green plastic strip you see there. and no, i did not set that up.

the name of the band is SILK. yes, even me. that’s how pretty they are (there are 2 more singers but this one’s the best for me) they’ve already played at 2 company events, so that makes them good. yeah ok, most of the audience are guys. you get the picture. (see upcoming gigs)

BF will probably do a double take before spray painting over this vandal. there’s a better version of it on the post beside it (the pig’s face is much clearer and the paint drips better) but it’s kinda hard taking a picture while driving. this caught my attention because it’s different. i mean, melancholy is not the usual graffiti word you’d see painted on sidewalks or walls around here. it’s usually gang names or symbols. makes me wonder, what could be going on in the minds of our youth today?

20 Questions

Been tagged by ate pao! Here’s a twist to that 20 Questions game.

Tag rules: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.

1.) Top or bottom? Joke! Uh, what’s your poison?
Tequila. bad, very bad.

2.) What color do you like most?
orange and green. and red. because i’m passionate… rawr. hehe joke.

3.) What was the scariest time in your life? More »

A night at The Fort

A night at The Fort

i had the chance to treat my family out to dinner last night at the fort. we went around fashion market at market! market! first to buy some more gifts, then went to Bonifacio High Street to have dinner. i was taking them to Texas Roadhouse Grill but the restaurant was full and we were 7th on the waiting list and my mom was already complaining. so, we head back and on the way, asked at Italiani’s, Mini Shabu-Shabu, and Claw Daddy’s all to no avail. the place was just crawling with families and groups of friends gathering for pre-Christmas celebration dinners.

i got frustrated because i really wanted to eat at Texas Roadhouse. the chicken tenders are just awesome. i realized i should have called to reserve. well, next time. so we ended up at the Polu Kai Grill at Serendra. since we really had no choice, as the other restaurants were full (except for Brazil Brazil, that only offered buffet meals at P600++/head which my mom pointed out that she was not going to get my money’s worth for it), i had us get a table at the Hawaiian themed restaurant. More »

How my heart just got crushed

Have you ever found yourself sitting quietly alone, minding your own business, without no care in the world even if it was Christmas and everything around you was just reeking of holiday cheer? Have you ever looked out the window while sitting in the car in the middle of holiday traffic, waving off the hawkers and what-nots vendors trying to sell you ridiculously high priced items so that they can get by this Christmas?

Or have you ever turned up the volume so loud that angsty rock music blocks any sound outside your own world? Has it ever been so appealing to you to just ignore the beggar tapping on your window, whose child barely 2 years old, was clinging to her side? Because hey, this happens all your round and it doesn’t make much difference to their struggles anyway. They still can’t get a decent shelter with the P5 coin you give, warm food, or even clothes to put on their backs. It just gets them by, somehow.

Has it ever happened to you that at some point in your forced apathy to these people, you decidedly open the window just enough to slip your opened bottle of C2 through the crack to the lady with a baby waiting outside? And then the baby she was holding, upon realizing that she was just given something to drink, deliberately smiles at you to express her excitement and gratitude somehow.

Yep, it happened to me. That was when my heart broke into a million pieces seeing that smile on the little kid, who doesn’t even know that it might be her business to beg for food maybe for the majority of their lives. It broke my heart to see her smile at me and feel her gratitude through that simple gesture. I wished then that I could do something for her. Maybe get her out of the streets and give her a better life.

It broke my heart because I had imagined that it was my Mia out there under the sun, inhaling the pollution and going hungry so often. My baby is safely at home, playing with her toys, maybe sleeping on her own bed, and had milk to drink whenever she wanted. This baby didn’t and it broke my heart to realize that.

I can cry for them and pray for them, but only God knows how to take care of people like that woman and her baby. And for now I’ll just let Him do just that.

Traveling Smart

i’m an adventurer when it comes to traveling and have always relied on common sense, a little faith, and travel information pulled all from the net. that’s what my friends and i do best when we go places for vacation. thing is, we’ve only been lucky the past 2 trips to get reasonable accommodations and packages. the last one (in bohol, philippines) would have actually left us camp out on the beach if not for our local driver who knew where to look for the last available resort.

this is recommended if you’re so full of energy that you can last half a day just looking for a place to stay (lugging around baggage and friends that might start complaining anytime). but traveling should also be a time to have all your worries taken care of right? it’s a good thing hotel reservations are readily available everywhere on the web to give just what you need: convenience, special rates (of course you still want the best for your savings), and out-of-the-ordinary travel destinations. you can check out this link which also offers info on road trips.

if it’s too late for a christmas break out-of-town trip, start planning ahead. summer is just 3 months away.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

2 tags and a couple of updates in one post. i need to maximize precious time!

O Christmas Tree!

here’s a tag from miss misyel to show our Christmas tree at home. this photo is actually about 2 years old, but we haven’t replaced it in years. sorry kasi you can’t see much because this is all i have on my pc right now. i know i need to take a picture of it, but there’s just no time! (i know, i’ve complained about it for the nth time, sorry). anyway it’s something i put together that i posted on my flickr site.

the seiko wallet tag

my wallet will not fare against malen’s wallet. hers has everything!

inside: mercury suki card, robinsons atm, abenson discount card, citibank and metrobank cc, philamcare card, some cash, and a few calling cards and receipt slips hidden somewhere there

this wallet is from my mom and she gave it to me because she doesn’t like big wallets. i, on the other hand, have a liking for everything in big sizes big wallets and big bags, what were you thinking?

that’s it for my 2 tags. so show me yours, k, lilmiz, ate pao, joyce,  kath, meeya, ate maru, karmi, and you!

mia and her favorite book

i just caught mia kissing her favorite book, Elmo’s “In My Stroller” soft foam book. it’s really funny what kids can do.

i hope she starts that love affair with books early, like mommy. and then, mia starts to get a feel of walking on her own.

with her lolas trying to show off some new skills

i was just so thrilled to see mia interact with other people since we’re always cooped up inside the house and mia never gets to see other human beings other than her immediate family. that’s why when we’re with relatives or my friends, she never wants to go with anyone else which can be quite hard too. last sunday when we went to my lola’s house in bulacan to have her 2nd flu shot by my cousin, which was also my other cousin’s bday party. the other kids were there and mia was happily exploring the grounds with clarice, my niece. whenever clarice would squeal, mia would imitate her. it was so adorable!

mia smiling at the camera because clarice was, too; with ninang jed also

later on mia would grab that hotdog stick

i am rated G

everyone’s welcome to read my blog. this site just gave me a nice rating. too nice, in fact. i’d like to see mine with an X on it. haha.

Fab5 first feature: fredflare.com

I thought about having another category for my posts because sometimes it just gets boring yakking about my personal life. And since I’ve been discovering the joys of internet surfing lately because of wifi DSL, I want to share 5 cool things I find around the web. It’ll be mostly stuff (which you can actually buy; I’ll be providing details of course), but sometimes if I run out of good ideas, it’ll be other things I’ll also try to give an update weekly, if not more often. And for lack of a better title, it’s going to be named “Fab5″ for now. (Suggestions are most welcome; I hope don’t get into any copyright trouble for the term). Here are the first Fab5 things for the week, featuring FredFlare.com!

How would you like your rug? It’s Triple B Studio’s Egg Rug (sunnyside up) at FredFlare.com. Such a nice way to brighten up your mornings. ($24. Ships to the US only)

More »

i’d like to take a break, please

all this season’s hype is getting to me: the pressure of having to complete my shopping by next week, christmas parties to attend to, and finding the right gifts! i am so overwhelmed by so many things needed to be done and my grownup side is really being pushed to the limit. it wasn’t long ago when all i had to think of is myself, my family and my friends. anything goes. no reason to be conscientious too much with spending both money and time. i had no one to answer to, except maybe my own limitations.

this year is quite different, as it was also last year. a year ago, my daily routine would take me to the hospital where mia was being incubated because of her premature entrance into this world. that would be twice a day, one in the morning, and one in the evening when i would have also saved enough breastmilk for her feeding times. the nurses in the nursery were all very familiar with me that they would often let me do the bottle feeding myself if i came in right in time (it wasn’t allowed normally allowed). it was also there that i would have to endure watching ABS-CB’s soaps and variety shows because that was their channel and i don’t exactly have arguing powers. sometimes though, they would tune in to 24 Oras on GMA7. well it’s ok. besides, i would be busy talking to mia and telling her to get better and that she should come home by Christmas, or if not, before New Year.

i would also keep a casual conversation with whoever was visiting that time and we would be exchanging stories about how our babies have been doing. it would eventually be a contest when we determine which baby is more good looking or has more attitude in the nursery. of course, i would always win because of my story of how i delivered my baby and because mia was so tiny, but mostly because she was so cute and had golden brown hair and was such a fighter that anyone who would ask how she’s doing i would have something new to say every time.

watching her weight was also in my daily checklist. her doctor gave her a weght requirement before she could come home with me, which was 4lbs. (she was 2.14lbs when she came out). it was a hurdle that we took one day at a time, and there were times when it didn’t change at all. during those times that her weight dropped because she got sick, it seemed to me like another day extending her stay at the hospital and away from me. but there were days that she had done so well that it made me cry.

last year, things were somewhat depressing. i spent Christmas day partly at the hospital and partly at my grandma’s house. i spent the entire time praying that we get to take her home before New Year’s. i spent half the time crying too. all my friends know how horrible i felt that time. save for the hormonal emotional spurts, i was not in a Christmasy mood.

i don’t know, but somehow everything that has happened to me in the past year has made me a lot more responsible. not just because i’m required to, but there’s that earnest feeling of having to step up my game in anything that i do. that i have to be reasonable always, and that i don’t just answer to myself, but to mia also.

sometimes i miss being a carefree, anything-goes kind of person. even in shopping! a while ago i was out trying to finish my gift list (midnight sale at Araneta Center’s malls — Gateway and SM) and i can’t seem to enjoy it. maybe because i keep thinking i have to finish early so i can get back to take care of mia. i’m pretty sure she’s not going to sleep early again because she has a habit of waiting up for me sometimes. or maybe because i have to carefully watch how i spend my Christmas bonus because you know, there are just more important stuff to buy.

i can feel peter pan and tinkerbell sprinkling pixie dust on me. hehe. but well, many things are inevitable to happen, and taking more responsibility is one of them. i don’t regret anything i’ve done in the past, except maybe for some mistakes, but i’d like to take a break from all the hype now. all this rationalizing is making it even worse. i’m going back to that anything-goes mood. albeit a little more mature now.

i’ll be sharing some great shopping finds next time. i’ll also be featuring a new post category, which doesn’t have a title yet and whose concept is still in the works. watch out for it.

la femme polvoron and free rice

all this food makes me hungry. if you’re in the philippines and you’re looking for nice gifts this Christmas, include this in your list.

it’s ate maru’s la femme polvoron. looks yummy no? order info are on her site!

i came across this link in neil gaiman’s and i must admit, it got me hooked. i don’t know how valid their claims are, but i’ve got nothing to lose and besides, i’ve always wanted to do something to alleviate poverty in the world. naks so if you want to improve your vocabulary and help feed the world at the same time, click here. i now bid my valediction in mirthful disposition.

ano daw? click ka nalang para matutunan mo din yang words na yan (just click the link so you’ll learn those words yourself). hehe.

what i like most about christmas

i’m going to take time and squeeze in as much things i can write about in this post. because by next week, which is the busiest at the office and with some of my extra-curricular activities, i may not be able to post as much. and at the rate that my memory (and my mood for that matter) has been failing me recently, this may be the best time for me to write everything down.

forgive my being a scrooge the past few weeks because i haven’t exactly welcomed the holidays with welcome arms. as i said in my previous post, it’s probably just a phase.

there’s no stopping her anymore

mia’s been really busy learning a lot of tricks lately, and i’m really proud of her. first she starts to crawl on all fours. then she can’t keep from grabbing things to stand up! barely a few days later, she learns to climb the stairs on her own! although it’s a sign for me to panic already given the hazards of stair-climbing-without-much-experience, my reasonable parent side won over. i let her climb but i’m just close by. you really can’t stop a child from discovering the bounds of her motor skills, and i’m not about to. mia can climb 2 steps in under 3 minutes now. yey!

what i like about this whole learning process is that there’s room for me to learn too. i’m not just learning to trust her abilities, but my judgment as a parent as well. i never thought i would have the capacity to raise a child, even on my own; sure i can take any marketing project anytime, but this a different story. there’s no gross profit to protect, sales targets to maintain. it’s a child whose future self entirely depends on how you do your job. they’re just 2 so different things!

it’s a good thing that my Boss isn’t just results-oriented, but is also process-oriented. and i don’t mind if He keeps looking over my shoulder to see how i’ve been doing. i’m even thankful that He’s always there to make sure that we’re both safe. besides, he’s sent 2 really strict supervisors to watch over us all the time. no excuse for slacking here. hehe. thank God for them too.

finding my niche

i just blogged earlier about joining this networking thing called entrecard. and i just want to share my really cute entrecard. it’s a picture of different colorful cupcakes that my cousin took at mia’s birthday recently. these were the desserts i served that my other cousin baked. i plastered on my tagline, “finding my niche” on the photo and just couldn’t be more pleased by how it turned out. get the message?

more than just bibingka and puto bumbong

what i like most about christmas are the sights and smells that attach to memories of good times, family bonding, and get-togethers. red hot glowing embers in between clay pots are a common sight in our country as soon as november rolls around (and even earlier sometimes). but you just inhale so much more of the tradition as the much celebrated 25th day of the month comes nearer. because then, all sorts of round things are brought our for luck, the best pigs and chickens are sacrificed for the table, even the bad tasting (for me) queso de bola gets its once-a-year spotlight, and curfews are momentarily forgotten for children.

isn’t it great basking in tradition when you don’t have to worry about work, problems, and whatnots? without being able to pinpoint a reason for being merry this season, it’s a glorious time to be free and happy. i realize now that i’m expecting too much from myself to keep things in my life in order, not knowing that sometimes it’s just not mine to bear anymore.

i love the smell of traditional bibingka and puto bumbong, even if it’s just smoke from burning coal. it reminds me of a carefree childhood and pig outs and beach reunions. it reminds me that the bad things in this world are so small compared to why i’m celebrating Christmas. it reminds me that there’s a lot more reason to be happy after all.

Let’s exchange cards

i just recently joined another blog network similar to those like blogrush. it’s actually pretty cool since it’s somewhat like networking, only you do it with advertising. gulo ko no? (forgive my loss of words lately; i am currentl suffering from writer’s block).

anyway just check it out and don’t forget to give me your

card. you can drop yours on that little box you see on my sidebar.

my christmas wish list on its 3rd year

3 years ago, i started a christmas wishlist of the things that i need and want. the wants won more than the needs, so it was really more of a wish list that asked not for the heavens (you’ll be surprised), but for little practical things. here it is, but it’s not going to be in order anymore since priorities have changed. hehe.

ris’christmas wishlist from 2 years back (and my comments a year ago)

#001 pilot g-tech pen, .04 i got this a few years back, and i actually prefer using pencils now than pens, so scratch this

#002 016 il mare, my sassy girl, windstruck dvds –>yep, still as is but this will probably go down the list#003002 nike shox/air unify –>oh yeah
#004 the devil wears prada book –>got this already
#005 nike watch–>this one too, but not from nike, though
#006 nokia 7610 6270/6280
#007 nokia hands-free set –>got this one along with my phone last year
#008 Gokab Puto Special
#009 any graphic novel book
#010 any gaiman book (except american gods)
#011 coleman lunch box
#012 someone to sing me a nice song –>hehe
#013 someone to hug for Christmas
#014 nice new speakers for my pc
#015 a cd of the shorts that i helped/starred in (*hint hint*) –>paging ruthie and wawel…

and for this year’s new list…
#017 world peace (i can’t be entirely selfish can i?)
#018 the postman (il postino) soundtrack –>thanks to one good being

and now the 2007 rehashed-yet-again wishlist:

i got the Nike Shox ODrive (in black) i wanted thanks to my generous aunt and uncle who treated the boys (my cousins, all 15 of them i think!) each to a nike shopping spree. and where does my nike shox come in? i was luckily one of those who just tagged along and received early pamasko. that’s the picture right there, except that the columns and the accents on mine are blue-green. hehe. anyway.

1. il mare, my sassy girl, windstruck dvds – still need to scour quiapo for these
2. technomarine watch
3. iPhone or Nokia N82
4. bibingka from a particular store in Dasma, Cavite
5. stil, a collection of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novels
6. a cd of the shorts that i helped/starred in – i still don’t have this! oi wuthie and wawel, please make my day
7. a nice big bag for mia’s stuff and mine for when going out
8. a new laptop that’s loaded with the right stuff, i’m still thinking if i should go Mac
9. transfer of all my Betamax and VHS video collection of classic Disney cartoons to DVD (yes, i have loads) for Mia
10. a shopping spree at Fully Booked or National Bookstore – now how geeky is that?
11. a shopping spree on Amazon.com

i’m actually having a hard time filling in my wish list even up to 15. my wants have drastically changed since a long time ago when all i had to think about was myself, then my family second. yes i admit i was a bit selfish and materialistic before. although my self-purpose was always about my family, i still only had to worry about myself.

after having Mia, it becomes a different story. now, all i want for her is to be there for her, 24/7 if possible. but i have to work, and not even for myself, but for her. talk about change. i don’t even want material things for Mia, but a good childhood and that I become a good parent to her as God intends. so no matter what stuff i list up there, they will never equal the worth of what I’m going to ask the Lord for. and He knows what it is.

let’s pray it’ll be a more fruitful 2008 for all of us.

are you feeling safe already?

i’ve been bothered about the news you see and read today. it’s just hard to feel secure, even in your own home not just because of crime rates going up, but accidents too. and don’t you notice that freak accidents are more and more common nowadays? it’s just weird.

my dad was actually in the insurance business for a long time and this was the reason why my entire family is insured. More »