Blessed I Am

Though there are a lot of things going on ... it still boils down to one thing ... i am so blessed.

I have so many things to be thankful for .. no room for complaints.

Count your blessings too and realize that we are blessed one way or the other... we ar just sometimeslooking the other way when all our blessings are right in front of us waiting to be acknowledged.

I am truly blessed ... blessed i am.

Kris Kringle

Christmas is really in the air!

We already drawn names in school for our Kris Kringle ... yipee!

Christmas really makes me happy ... sometime even amidst all the troubles and challenges around us, Christmas finds a way to make itself felt. I have been seeing a lot of Christmas decorations on sale around the malls and Christmas music are being played to create a festive mood too. Let me remind you though not to buy cheap Christmas lights that have not passed quality control for it's safety, there has been a lot of fire during this time caused by faulty wiring of lights. I saw on the news that there is actually a fire retardant Christmas tree available to somehow control the flames if fire does happen. Sometimes, it really pays to spend a little more to make sure we get quality items, but of course there are also a lot of good buys available, let us just be sure to check them well before buying and using them in our homes.

Merry Christmas!

Growing Up

One of the things people tell me about Bea is that she is tall for her age, she turned eleven this year. She is also on the lean side so i guess she won't be searching for any slimming pill anytime soon. She has my body frame .. tall and thin, while Sam is a little chubby (cute!) like Christian.

This picture was taken last weekend when we went karaoke, Sam belting out her fave songs while Bea was busy in a corner fixing her Love and Berry trading cards.

Another thing, Bea has suddenly lost interest playing at the playground (to Vin's dismay) and would like to just sit it out and listen in her ipod ... ooohhh .. teenager alert very, very soon!

Breakout

Yes, i am breaking out.

And i am not talking about the hit song of the Swing Out Sisters this time.

It's my skin ... it is breaking out!

The only culprit i can the think of is my lack of sleep because i work on my design till the wee hours of the morning and get up at 6:00 am to get the kids ready for school. I also have a lot of overseas clients that i get to chat with midnight while it is morning in their place. I have the ever dependable yahoo messenger to do the job while some of them have a different chat software to get the job done. Don't get me wrong, i love chatting and connecting with my cleints real time with chatting ... it's the zits that i am finding annoying.

I am trying hard to sneak in a few minutes of snooze time when the kids come in the afternoon after i give them their snacks. I hope somehow this will minimize my breakouts even just a little bit. Fingers crossed.

Signal 3 Up

Heard the news ... storm signal three is up here in Metro Manila.

It has been predicted that the typhoon will hit land by 10:00 pm. In just an hour it will happen. It has started drizzling and a stronger breeze has started ... hopefully it won't be like they have forecasted.

I have my flashlights ready and charged all our cellphones too in case there are any power interruptions.

Hope all will be well.

Card Collection

Love and Berry trading fashion cards are still very hot for my two girls and they both have their own albums for it. Secretly i am really glad that Bea and Sam's age are not so far from each other .. this way they have the same likes and they can relate to just about anything. I know that they will always be there for each other and will also look out for their little brother all the time. I just love my three kids to no end! I cannot imagine living with out them ... uh-oh my post is becoming sentimental ... must be the weather ... hahaha ... it has started to rain now.

Perfect Faux Hair

Was in the mall last week to look at tile flooring choices for my cousin's kitchen upcoming renovation and spotted this faux ponytail in a nearby accessories store. It was the perfect color with Sam's natural haircolor so i put it on her and took a quick shot. I kept on asking her if she likes it, but she was really shy and kept saying "No Mama, i don't like ..." so i did not buy it. I know that she really wants to grow her hair ... but maybe because the sales person kept on saying that it really looked real on Sam's hair so she said she did not want it because of the attention she was getting. But all the same i took a photo of it and really like it on her ... will ask her again one of these days if she changed her mind about it when we go to the mall again ... never say die ... lol!

Controversial Photo Shoot

These are only a few of the pictures that are making quite a stir because of the coloring of the models skin tones and making them dark. They are the present contestants of the reality model search of model Tyra Banks.

Personally, i don't find anything offensive with the pictures ... for me it kinda showed the versatility of the girls looks and is no way showing racial discrimination. I marvel at their body frames because they can wear anything and still look good. Working out is surely the answer here to have that svelte body, maybe a few minutes with a Kettlebell will do wonders for their posture as well.

I wonder who will emerge the winner this year?

I have my favorites.

Christmas Love

The holiday rush is also felt by my design work load as early as October, but this week alone i have been getting a lot of design orders for calendars and personalized christmas cards more than i had last year. Looks like people have been more affectionate and really wants to reach out to their loved ones more than ever. Seeing the happy smiles in the pictures they send me gives me a warm feeling that Christmas is coming and love is over flowing from one family to another. I just love this season! I really love thinking of THE perfect present for each one. I am big on gift giving !

Doing Good

My kindergarten little boy always comes home with three stars excellent stanp everyday! I ask him why he gets this coveted stamp, he would tell me "Oh, it's because i finished my work right away Mama, all done."

Took a picture of it before i give him his bath and it be gone for a few hours and be back again the next day ... yey! So proud of Vin!

By the way with only 5months of school, he now knows how to read! Yup, he can now read simple sentences!

So proud of Vin! I am really one lucky parent because all of my three kids are doing good in school and most importantly they really love going to school ... whew! Hahaha!

Short Semestral Break

Our school break begins today and will go back to school in four days ... so short .... but who am i to complain ...still love the break. I have tons of things to do and one of the major things i have to do is to do house sprucing and major sorting. Following the growing list of duties is my growing laundry basket ... uh-oh. I started hitting the laundry mode this morning to get a head start before the typhoon hits us and ruin my newly washed clothes. So far so good.

To give me a sense of happiness while running the washing machine i had my radio with me who continously played Christmas songs! Yup, Christmas is really coming. I was at the mall the other day and was surrounded with large, colorful and attractive artificial christmas trees decked with all the trimmings! There is no stopping Christmas ... typhoon or no typhoon it is coming .. so let us all be happy with all the blessings we have received all throughout the year!

Rainy All Souls Day

I got this from a news site:

MANILA -- Typhoon Santi has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Wednesday, prompting the government to warn the public from visiting cemeteries during the All Saint's Day celebration.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who leads the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), said the new storm might trap those who visit their dead relatives at the cemeteries this weekend or there may be traffic congestion that could delay the response and relief efforts that may have to be done.

"Let us avoid visiting our relatives at the cemeteries, and if we really need to make a visit, we can do it earlier - before Saturday," Teodoro said.

Forecasters said Typhoon Santi (international codename: Mirinae) continues to gather strength as it moves towards northern Luzon as of late Wednesday evening.

I already have plans on taking the three kids to visit Christian's mom this Saturday as they have not visited for quite some time. I hope the storm does not push through, not only is it breaking tradition of visiting and honoring the dead with it's coming but instilling fear on our fellowmen with the danger it can bring. I used to think of storms as normal occurences, but now since the Ondoy experience it has a different meaning and i do not take it lightly.

I pray that we all be safe despite the coming of Ramil this weekend.

Age Catching Up

I have been experimenting on a new age defying cream that promises to stop the sign the age of skin aging and really keep my skin moisturized. It has been two weeks since i started it and happily i am getting good results with it. Yey! Aside from the face cream that i am using thay also have other products like eye cream, lip cream and even feet lotions that i am thinking if i should still try them. I will wait for a few more days and then try a few of their products since the face cream has given me favorable results. My age is really catching up on me ... have to run a little faster now .. hahaha!

Weekend!

It's a weekend!!

At last!!

I really thrive on weekends, especially that all the kids are in school which means i too have everyday school activities as well. My ym chats have been on hold for some time because of the hordes of assignment the three kids bring home everyday, plus the projects we have to finish.

So, you can imagine how happy i am that it is finally a weekend! Hahahha! I can finally surf the net and help out my friend for the best weight loss pills available, because she knows i love looking around the internet so she will take my word on it. Talk about trustung a friend! Hahahha! I will be assuring her of good recommendations for sure, that's what friends are for anyway!

No Breaks

There are news that due to the suspended school days due to the typhoon and flooding our semestral break and Christmas break will no longer be applied to make up for the lost school days. I am looking forward to theses breaks because for me they are literally 'breaks' from our routine. There are also talks for the possibility of Saturday classes so the breaks will no longer be shortened. I am on a cross road ... i don't like any of the options ... hehehe!

I want my breaks and i want my Saturdays!

40-ish

I can't believe i am nearing my mid 40's in a few months ... so for the record i am 40-ish! Lol! I usually engage in playful banter with my mommy friends i school and when the age topic comes around they are suprised to learn that i turned forty last August. Maybe its because i don't feel it yet that is why i still act like a thirty year old (hahaha .. fat chance!) and still deceive myself .. hehehe! My friend told me that by the age of thirty five she was already going to the gym and taking weight loss pills to keep her health in check. I have yet to step into a gym, though i really want to work out and tone my body to get it ready in my olden years (hehehe) but i really cannot find the time to do it .. so many things to do, so little time! My daily schedule is tough enough and actually serves as my workout ... hahaha!

Replenish Fast

Here is the scenario at Shopwise taken by my friend yesterday when she did her grocery. These empty aisles are where the selection of instant noodles were once available ... not anymore.




Do your shopping for food as soon as you can, another typhoon is coming in .. let us all be prepared to stay indoors. Stay safe everyone.

Prepare

Typhoon Ondoy has taught us a lot ...

... one of the hundreds of things it has taught us is to be prepared ... for anything.

There are things that we take for granted and then suddenly it is too late.

On top of my list to consider and evaluate once more is our present health care. I am looking if this is the best for us now. I have heard good things about Blue Cross NC so i am looking into it and will surely consider it. This difficult times after the wrath of the storm we now feel the effects of it.

Aside from food and clothes that are needed in relief centers the growing need for medicines to combat the diseases that have been developing rapidly. A lot of them are suffering from diarrhea, cough, cold and flu because of the state of their living condition plus what they have experienced during the flood. My heart goes out for them.

Another storm is entering the country, Pepeng, let us all be prepared for it and pray that we all be safe.

Favorite Shirt

Sam's favorite character in Naruto is Ino (who i also do not know) who is not the main character of the show, so finding merchandise like shirts and the like are close to impossible. Here is the design i made for a personalized shirt for my little Naruto fan which we gave on her birthday


Here are the three kiddies ... notice Sam wearing the shirt! We were having a quick snack at McDonalds while we were waiting for Christian who went to the electronics section of the mall and scouted around for the parts he needed for his little project. After an hour we met up again walked around to look at more Naruto items in an Anime store in the vicinity.

Snapping Memories

Sam believe it or not despite the many times she has appeared in magazines is still camera shy. Yup, she is still a very shy girl .. but her shyness does not stop me from snapping away to keep their precious memories alive .. fat chance! I just love taking candid pictures, catches the true emotions for the picture, i upload them on our ever reliable digital frame (one for each child .. hehehe!) and let it play over and over. Christian also has one in his desk in the office to remind him of how lucky he is to have three perfect children who love him with all their heart!

Busy As Ever

The kids just finished thier mastery exams in school the other week and are now taking in new lessons in preparation for their final exams this end of the month .. whew. I can hardly breathe from the battery of reviews then here comes another one. I am just lucky that that the three schoolers have no qualms studying ... it's actually just me who is taking the heap ... hahaha... because aside from reviewing them there are still daily assignments, household chores (the laundry seems to be following me everywhere i go!), design projets, facebook updates (hehehe!) gets me really pooped.

I am also helping my sister search for online rent to own properties that she can invest on while she is still single so when the time comes she is ready and armed to face married life comfortably ... the financial aspect that is ... lol! I am also helping out my cousin with her online search for industrial supplies for her new business ... i think my staying in front of the computer really has a purpose .. to help get the information they need when they need it .... so that explains why i am busy as a spinning bee!