What A Saturday!

This must be my worse Saturday ever! I even need to blog about  it because my rants will not fit a shoutout box (lol!). Last night, I was already gushing with disappointment. Well for the past weeks the garbage people changed their time for garbage pick-up from mid-afternoon now, early morning. "I can't believe that I need to wake up early just to take out the trash, ON A SATURDAY!" If only we could take it out the night before, but sadly, it's not allowed in our place. The homeowner's association won't allow it, and there's penalty for it. What can I do right?

So, I'm all awake and ready to face another day. The sun "was" up. After preparing breakfast, I started with my laundry. In just a few minutes, my washing machine stopped, error was detected, and it started raining. In other words, something went wrong with my washing machine, I didn't even finish my first batch of laundry, then it started raining hard. I was like "Come on, Give me a break!" I just can't believe that all these are happening on a weekend.

Facts of life, there's no such thing as a perfect day. Might as well laugh it off. A few hours ago, I was really grumpy. Now, I don't see the point on being cranky at all, it will ruin the rest of my day.  Found it pretty hilarious later on. It's one of those days that you just can't control or predict on what's going to happen next.

Went to my kitchen instead, prepared a good meal for lunch. Now, I see hope for the half day remaining to be awesome. Have a great weekend!

Our Bedtime Routine With Johnson's Baby Bedtime

Share with us your bedtime routine and win JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime products!!! (click to join)

Sleep is one of the most important factors in releasing growth hormones, most especially for very young babies.While your baby sleeps, her little body produces 3x more growth hormones.

The good news is there is a way to promote better sleep for your baby: through a consistent nightly bedtime routine.

Learn more about the JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Routine, clinically proven to stretch your baby´s sleep by as much as 23%.

In addition to the JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Routine and products, there are countless other ways you can help your baby fall asleep and even share bonding moments in the process!

0o0o

Getting ready for bed is one of the things that I truly enjoy with my son. As parents, my husband and I consider this as one of our precious bonding moment with our child. And since birth, bath time is the most anticipated by my little boy. I have been using Johnson and Johnson products as a kid and believe me, up to this very moment it's part of my shopping list. I have my own baby lotion, cologne and the ever soft Johnson and Johnson baby powder. When the bedtime collection came out, I immediately tried it and without a question, it became  my ultimate J and J product.


Our nightly routine starts with my child finishing dinner, brushing his teeth and taking a warm bath with Johnson and Johnson Bedtime Wash. The sweet scent of Lavander relaxes the body and soothens the mind. From my son's bedtime wash to his baby powder, down to his lotion, it's all Bedtime products. When all set to take a good night sleep, I read him his favorite book. Sometimes, it's the other way around, he's the one reading it to me. We also say a good night prayer and we take a little time talking and giggling. As he closes his eyes, I give my son a good massage. It's a routine ever since he was a baby and I still continue it now that he is 5 years old.

Early last year, I received a book, a gift from my parents. It serves as a guide on massages for children. There are spots in the child's body that's needed to be reached and areas should be handled with great caution.

Please read a related entry here: Healing Touch For Children a book by: Mary Atkinson

A massage routine is considered as a healing method.

1. Encourage better-quality sleep, leading to an improved temperament.
2. Encourages a healthy immune system, helping to prevent fight infections.
3. Provides a valuable opportunity to share time together---having fun.
4. Builds trust and intimacy through non-verbal communication.
5. Tales away child's mind from worries and doubts.

Basic Massage Routine---head, shoulder and back

This series of movements takes around 7-10 mins. Perform it gently with soothing strokes.

• First fold---resting your hands on your child's shoulders
• Back Circles---Stroking your hands up and around your child's back at the shoulder blade area.
• Back Rubbing---Rubbing across the upper back, tops of the shoulders, upper arm in small zigzag movements. 
• Shoulder Kneading---Gently knead the soft flesh beneath on your child's shoulders.
• Beating On The Upper Back
• Back Stroking 
• Arm Patting
• Arm Kneading 
• Shoulder Stroking 
• Neck Rubbing 
• Head Rubbing
• Hair Shampooing 
• Tabla On the Head---Gently drum the pads of your fingers in a random fashion all over your child's head. 
• Head and Shoulder StrokingTemple Circles 
• Forehead Stroking

Best with Johnson and Johnson Bedtime Lotion. A good massage helps with the development of the skeletal, muscular and psychological aspects of the infant/child. 

 My little boy sleeping well at 8 months

A mother or a father's touch helps make them feel relaxed and at ease.  The gift of security is important for the child's early growth and development.

GT: How Emotional Can You Get

How emotional can you get? Let's put it this way, when I became a mom, I always "try" to control my feelings. I need to be stronger and wiser on gauging things, to a point that most of the time I just laugh  at certain situations or I simply ignore them. 

When I talk about situations, these are scenarios concerning my son, my husband and the whole family. It's the same when it comes to my  personal encounters. I used to be a cry- baby, I 'm not a fighter. When I get into situations, I just turn my back and cry. Most people underestimated me being that emotional Being.

 It's different now, motherhood blessed me to become a stronger person. I don't think twice anymore, if you hurt me and  I think you're not worth my time even to talk things out with, that person or situation is bound to be left out and to be forgotten. "Sometimes", it's better to always put in mind that we have better things to do in my life,  than waste time on something that's just holding us back. This way, I end up being more productive, I hurt less people and I encounter less situations. Result: I am more happy. I move-on in life faster.

It was nice to be able to share my emotional side. We all have our differences, even with what I've said, respect for yourself and for others has always been the key to be emotionally stable.

Girls Talk

Migraine and Me

Here I am with my glasses again... My migraine has worsen for the past weeks. For some reason, I get headaches and the pain goes down to my eyes. My glasses works as protection which was given as an easy option to lessen it. I stopped wearing them in 2009. If you will notice, my eyes looked tired. Even with enough sleep, I still look wasted. My migraine started when I took up Nursing back in 2002. It's just terrible, maybe my brain couldn't handle the stress of memorizing terms and studies with regards to medicine. I even thought that I was already having some eye problem. But thank God, my eye sight/ vision is still normal. 

Instead of getting a prescribed medicine, I was advised by my doctor to cut down on caffeine which is one of the main causes of migraine. Next is to get a computer monitor protector, third is to have more light every time I use the computer, fourth, is protective eye wear.

Late last year, my husband bought me a new computer monitor. He made me choose between a 21" Samsung from a 19". I wanted a bigger screen, but the 21 inches was overwhelming, ended up with the 19 inches. I can't imagine a bigger migraine scenario if we bought the 21 inches.

What causes migraines?

Some people who suffer from migraines can clearly identify triggers or factors that cause the headaches, but many cannot.

Potential migraine triggers include:

1. Allergies and allergic reactions

2. Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes

3. Physical or emotional stress

4. Changes in sleep patterns or irregular sleep

5. Smoking or exposure to smoke

6.Skipping meals or fasting

7. Alcohol

8. Menstrual cycle fluctuations, birth control pills, hormone fluctuations during menopause onset

9. Tension headaches

10.Foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans), monosodium glutamate (MSG), or nitrates (like bacon, hot dogs, and salami)

11.Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods.-source-

And with the causes stated above I'm guilty of nos.  4, 6, 9 and 11. My medication? I only take pain killers like Advil or Ponstan. Paracetamol doesn't work for me. I'm lucky in case somebody comes home from GA, I get Excedrin Migraine. In a few weeks, I will be visiting my eye doctor. I would probably go under a specific test this time. I wanna make sure my brain and my eyes are in good condition.

Common Migraine Triggers 

The Governing Factor

I am as interested as everyone, every Filipino looking forward to what President Noynoy has prepared for us. The President's State of the Nation Address is very important to me being a mother and a wife. Every centavo that I take out of my wallet counts, every drop of perspiration from my husband's hard work matters and the thousands that they take off my husband's salary just for tax is overly ridiculous.  With that ,we don't even feel that our taxes are being used properly. I know that somehow the Aquino administration will solve more this time.

Kudos for laying off from the usual speeches our past presidents has given us. 

A pat on the back for emphasizing on laws and bills needed to be prioritzed. 

A good round of applause for looking up on Education, Poverty, Corruption and other works illegally attained.

My question: How will the new admin go about their promises? Why am I asking? You see, we fought the very same problems over and over again. I'm fed up hearing falls hopes and dreams.  The only thing that shed light for the past years--- are  the people being more vigilant. That's why during the whole term of the Arroyo admin, reports of corruption are exposed immediately. But over-all, these were the very same problems for every President who sat down in Malacañang. *Naiba lang ang pangalan ng mga taong kailangang managot.

As an individual I had expectations. I wished President Noynoy concentrated more on the path towards a better Philippines not tracking back anomalies and irregularities from the previous administration. Because really, we're very much aware of these things, and there are far worst than what he mentioned.  It was his time to open himself to the nation to share what the President really wants for the country, not the people behind him. This was his moment. It's better if he said that they're already handling those mishaps (from the previous gov't )and  moving on to what he has got to offer the country for the next 5 years, or at least what's expected under the new government.

But again my bad, what can I do right? I mean, I should have kept an open mind and adjusted to whatever was served during the President's first State Of The Nation Address.

I have high hopes for President Noynoy.  President Noynoy is a good person. I know he will not let us down. But  I am also looking for that so-called "governing factor". One major thing I'm worried about are the  people around him.

Governing: To exercise a deciding or determining influence. It's not just being the leader of the pack or  a group and country for this matter. It is the determining influence, to keep control, the force behind every person placed in position in order to achieve goals for a particular department.

The factor that will give him wisdom to enlighten the people around him on what's right and what's not. And as citizens, progress starts with us. If you're going to be lazy your whole life relying on the government, it will take you forever to reach your dreams, and you'll end up blaming others too.  It's hard work, and perseverance on our/ your part in order to achieve the life we've/ you've always dreamed of.

Bits Of A Blog-Free Week

Counting back, it's been a week since my last post. And every time I log-in without nothing to post makes me feel kinda weird, especially when I'm used to posting almost everyday. Anyway, I let me break the boredom with this blog. This week, I've been pretty busy with my regular tasks here around the house. In- between I run some errands.

• I brought my Pentax SLR to a nearby camera center to have  it fixed. There was a slight shutter problem. But it's all good, it's working fine again. 
• I've been keeping up with my son's schedule.
• I have tons of laundry to settle. It's been raining hard the whole week, and man, what a hassle! We all know clothes that are not properly dried, stinks. 
• I got fresh , sweet Pomelo (suha) from Davao.
• Took my grandmother out for her 80th birthday and went to her hometown, and she took me back in time (Malate Manila World War II). 

Malate Church (1588- present)

I may have 0 posts, but in reality, it has been an awesome week for me. I learned to be more patient when my other camera broke down, I became flexible coping with my son's activities, the sun showed up early this morning, I was able to finish my laundry, a healthy fruit to go with my favorite meal, and the most moving event was celebrating with my grandmother on her 80th birthday. I learned a lot being with her in one day. Her life's stories about war, family ties, hardships, freedom and how to become a strong person to battle off fear, frustrations and moving on with dignity.

GT: A Piece Of My Mind

Over-all, I am just an average person with an average brain. There are plenty  of ways to represent this week's theme on Girls Talk. I'll do mine by enumerating several approaches I make to be mentally healthy.

To keep a healthy mind I make it a point that I pull out the good benefits from the things I do daily, situations I deal with and one of a kind individuals I encounter every day.

Keeping a positive disposition in life is my main weapon to fight off stress, frustrations and building insecurities.

On maintaining a healthy mind, I meditate everyday. Every morning I save some quiet time for myself. I close my eyes, I focus and clear my mind for the new things that's about to take place  within another bright day , then I say a thankful prayer.

On being productive, blogging is my #1 motivator. To be able to share my thoughts anytime to people from around the globe makes my brain healthy as ever. 

Reading books is also a plus factor. 

A healthy conversation is a must.

As a couple, my husband and I would indulge ourselves every weekend  to a full body massage.  We believe that relaxing helps a lot. That's when Phone-A-Massage comes in. We get to choose the time and the no. of  continuing hours we want for our massage. If our masseuse is not available, we go to the mall to have our therapy. It's revitalizing I must say. Your 300 bucks is definitely worth it, especially if it's going to be beneficial for both your body and mind.

*If you live around Quezon City, Phone-A-Massage offers Php250 per hour of Swedish massage and I highly recommend Big Apple Express Spa located in Robinsons Galleria. We always go for Balinese Massage (Aromatherapy Massage). Getting pampered doesn't even cost as much.

And dealing with a 5 year old? Conversing with your child and teaching your child are good refreshments. They're one of the things I love as a mother. My mind is relaxing and enjoying at the same time. What harm can an innocent child bring? Yes, sometimes we're exhausted, but the mind is getting entertained  and satisfied by the small accomplishments our child is making.

Don't forget:  A Healthy Body Supports A Healthy Mind (and vice versa)

Girls Rule

We Survived Our First Storm

Was it just about another poor weather forecast? I mean, as of 8pm last night watching the evening news, they announced that the typhoon is expected Wednesday morning and it will not pass Metro Manila. By 9pm, the wind was already blowing, the sky is all red and it was raining hard. As of 11pm, they announced that Metro Manila was under signal no. 2.

Come on! That's the most ridiculous forecast I have ever heard. With signal no. 2 it was already chaos outside my house and I live in Quezon City. I heard 2 or 3 transformers blowing, and as expected power was shut down. My parents called that a huge tree fell right at my sister's bedroom window. Was that signal no. 2?

It's obvious that the typhoon was headed our way or was it already upon us? Nature is surely unpredictable. Sometimes, I'd choose to rely on my own instincts, just looking out our window.

Typhoon Basyang was the first storm we experienced in our new home, and it's far different to when we were still living in a condo. In our old condo, we couldn't even here a sound from outside with all the concrete walls that surrounds us. We now live in a small house with bigger windows.  This time, my son got really scared. Franky even cried. It was his first time to feel and witness what a storm is. We can actually feel the cool wind blowing and howling. We can see trees swaying and dancing, we can here some banging from the roof, we saw  a tree just beside our house fall.

But every child needs to know and understand these kind of situations. I brought Franky by our window, and explained that a storm is just rain with some winds and it's stronger. We stayed up just looking out our window. Part of me was praying for our safety and for the rest. Part left me in awe on  how powerful nature can be. My husband got stuck in his office. I advised him to stay safe where ever he is. My parents called once in awhile to check on me and Franky too. By 1am my son was able to sleep. Remember my mini fan and my Magic Touch Lights entry? They all came in handy. Inspite of the rage this storm brought  us,  we were able to sleep well and we all stayed safe.

Revisitng Eastwood Early In The Morning

It was a lovely sunny  morning when my husband and I decided to have breakfast in Eastwood City. It's been a long time since our last breakfast adventure.  We agreed to lessen our frequent dining out. And it's been almost 2 years since I last posted a related food trip. As part of the adventure, we would often just get in our usual clothes then drive around looking for the perfect restaurant, whatever we feel to eat  at the moment.

Since Franky didn't have school that day, we took advantage of the time so we can try it again.
Along the way...

When everybody was stuck in traffic on their way to work, here we are, also in traffic but taking our time thinking of a good place where we can have breakfast. Sometimes it feels good to be exactly the opposite.

As always, Eastwood was our choice of location. It's very near our house. Eastwood City is a nice place to visit in the morning, coffee shops are open and most restaurants are also ready to serve heavy meals. It is also my kind of area where I can go for a relaxing stroll on a cool morning, especially when there's not much people around.  What a great way to start the day right?

Picture: Eastwood Mall at 9 o'clock in the morning; breakfast buffet @ Something Fishy

A Previous Breakfast Adventure

This Site Is In Transition

That's right folks, Sweet Nothings is moving to a different domain name. As to what Google advised, the transition will take 3 days at the most. 

I'm really overwhelmed with this move. It's mixed emotions.

•  I'm a little scared, because I'm not familiar with the process, that I might miss out on some things that   might delete Sweet Nothings completely.
•  I'm happy because this is an achievement for me as a regular blogger. It really pays to  have your own domain name. It's self-fulfilling, because I know that it sheds  importance to the blogs I post online. The  "domain name" is a huge term to represent all stories.
•  In terms of money- generating purposes, might as well take advantage of it. Maximize what I can gain while I have my own domain name.
•  Xtraordinarymom will always be xtraordinarymom. This term truly defines me as a person and what I have accomplished and still achieving as a mother and wife.

http://www.xtraordinarymom.com/

I decided to stick to this 1 yr old design for Sweet Nothings made by Ms. Carlota of My Web Blog Dot Com. It's my site's first look that guaranteed me that--- "yes Enchie you now have a real website design and it matches one of the website must-haves". And I am very honored to have given this chance to meet people who are very caring like Ms. Carlorta.

Please bear if some widgets are missing or if you find it difficult searching.

Sponge In My Phone

I so love Spongebob! because even in my cellphone, I have him!

From Thick To Thin

For a little story on cellphones. The first cellphone I had was an Alcatel Bubble Phone. You know, their cute "glow in the dark" units. I was still in college then. Since my parents didn't believe in the luxury of having a cellphone, I had to save up for my very own. It was fulfilling to be able to buy my first gadget with my very own allowance money. When I graduated from college, that's the time my parents upgraded my cellphone to a Nokia 6150. I didn't really have any intentions of changing my unit that time. Cellphones units were being sold for a very high price. Of course the newer it is the more expensive. I didn't see the value on upgrading and upgrading all the time.

Through the years, I still changed cellphones,  because they were passed down to me by my dad and my old one, to my brother. When I got married, I sold the cellphone (which was my first Sony Ericsson) my dad gave me and got a smaller unit which is a Nokia 8310. After my 8310, the rest followed: my husband told me to sell it because he is going to give a 6600 (which I sold to my younger brother since there were too much cellphones hanging around) . And when when he got a Blackberry some 2 years back, he gave me his Sony Ericsson P990i. 

To continue---

You see, these cellphones were all handed down to me. Happy? Of course I am, because I didn't spend a single centavo to have it all.

I stopped my first story with a Sony Ericsson P990i right ? so we will begin the main story with that Sony Ericsson P990i.

As we can see in the pictures below, a Sony Ericsson is bulky.  This unit is more for  the guys than us ladies. I have been using it for 2 years. And within those 2 years I came across some events when I had difficulty figuring out on where to put my SEP990i if I need to bring a small bag or a clutch for weddings and other formal occasions.

Today, I was finally graced with a thinner cellphone. Another Nokia.

And believe me, I am going through the manual slowly, because the last Nokia I had wasn't even in color (8310).

Can you spot the big difference?

Nothing fancy or something to be wild about. I'm glad that I was given another option in case some event comes up. I can fit this thinner cellphone inside any bag I want to use, and my Sony Ericsson will still be around if I wanna be a little adventurous.

a3 Scanner

Of all the electronics I use online, my old scanner bid farewell this morning. The scanner I am talking about is the machine that helped us in preparation for our wedding. Going back, we purchased it early in 2004.

It was a very good scanner. It's a Canon. But all electronics will eventually come to an end. It's about time that we buy a new one. As I was browsing Amazon I saw different kinds of the latest scanners today. Been eyeing for an a3 scanner this time.

W0W: Playing With A 13 Year Old

1. He is not Filipino

2. It's summer in their country

3. I don't know his real name, he doesn't know mine.

4. We consider each other as friends. We help one another and we give advises to each other.

5. Proof that's he is a 13 yr. old? His attitude naturally comes out. No other person pretending can fake that.

6. Feels like I'm baby-sitting my own kid- only online. Can't imagine when my very own son starts playing such games.

7. Common thought: "WHY SO SERIOUS, IT'S JUST A GAME". Players will really fight for whatever stuff they need for their character. I witnessed players fighting and cursing each other just because the other one played poorly. If that's the case help each other. Others are too greedy because they can make money out  of it. It's that serious.

The World Of Warcraft brought so much color into my life online. I was scared to try it at first, because I  know that I will have encounters with players---(real people from around the world) with different attitude and perspectives. I was afraid to be looked down as a beginner. Well, it turned out exactly the opposite of what I've thought earlier. 

•  We have friends who are pioneers in this game. Masters I call them. They helped me through. With them around, I'm well-protected from bad players.
•  My husband, is also a Master Player.  So nice! He's like my knight and shining armor...

A picture of me and my husband riding our so-called family car in W0W.

• The books that came with the battle chest helped a lot.
• Patience is key.
• World of Warcraft  will serve a silver platter full of opportunities on how to become a better person and player on the side. Since it's a game that involves real people playing, W0W opened rules and guidelines on how to deal with other players the right way. A list that are also applicable in real life.  Even in the gaming world a person reflects his personality. There's such thing as Etiquette In The World of Warcraft. And we all thought that it's just an ordinary game...

My story with this 13 year old is different, yes, we are playing, but other than that,  on our game chat he shares stories about his experiences with other players, how poorly he was treated, because he can't cope. As a friendly advise, I told him that I had several similar experiences, but I just ignored it, and I made sure I wouldn't play with those people again. I felt the connection. Here I am, a 31 yr. old mom sharing her thoughts to a 13 yr. old kid. At this point, we're both on the same level of thinking.

To end, I gained friends through World of Warcraft by helping other players and by staying positive.

There's more to watch out for with my W0W (World of Warcraft) experience. Let me post that on a different blog. :D

GT: Financial State

Interesting I must say. It's very seldom that a blogger would share his or her financial status. I'm going to make this GT of mine very specific.

To make things different, let me start by sharing that I don't do the budgeting. That's right ladies, I let my man do it. We learned it from my parents. We talked about it, and so far everything is working perfectly fine. Since my husband is the one working, he is more suited to gauge whatever is best when it comes to money.  Including checks. As for me, I make a list of the things we need for the house and for our home such as groceries, maintenance, utilities and the things "i want" like decorations, plants, new curtains or throw pillows, scented candles, all those girly things. 

Sometimes, I don't even have to make a list, my husband would take the first step and tell me: "come with me, let's buy this and that, I think the living room will look better". And it's far different and fun.

Well that's how we work things out as a couple, least we need inside the house is an argument about money. Talking things through with your other half is very important. Compromise. It was easy for us,  because we're very similar with almost everything. And now I am free from the stress when it comes to budgeting and accounting.

Personally:

Since I am a HOUSEWIFE, literally,  I stay at home 24/7. I greatly rely on the allowance my husband gives me. Half of it I save and deposit in the bank, half I go shopping. I shop for whatever " my son 's needs including mine".

I don't count on blog money 100%. It's just additional income that I use for charity , online shopping and the rest still goes to savings.In terms of keeping my money safe, you will only find 2 wallets inside my bag. My ever reliable Kate Spade in Black  that carries my bills, my ids and debit card. 

The other one is just a coin purse. (from Hershey's and Red Ribbon). Sometimes I only bring my coin purse and my cardholder.

If you noticed I didn't include owning a credit card. Yes people, I don't use a credit card. I make it a point to always pay in cash or use my debit card. Well, I got traumatized some years back when I still own one.

Upon application, the bank people told me that they will not include any membership fee or any other fees on my monthly.  After a month of using it, they billed me with a membership fee of almost php4,000 a month.  Some common incidents are promos and offers. Sometimes,  even without your consent they will enroll your card at some promotion or insurance policy. Like what they did to my mom, an agent made an offer  through a phone call that made my mom say yes. They talk fast, will mention several confusing terms etc. That's their strategy, so be very careful. 

On the other hand, with some reliable credit card companies, if you always pay on time, they will reward you with stuff, I remember my family getting a boom box and 2 bean bags.

That's just my point of view when it comes to credit cards, we all have our own preferences. But I gotta tell you, once you make it a point to always pay in cash, you will avoid  further debts and it will grant you the deeper meaning of SAVING.

Pure discipline, and it entitles you to a rewarding feeling after purchasing your dream bag or  your favorite shirt  knowing that they're all already paid for.

Important:

• Never Spend Beyond Your Means
• Keep it Real and Simple
• Prioritize
• Save, Save, Save, Save, Save!

Share your financial point of view with us @ Girls Talk

The Return of the Has Been

His been there, loved the spotlight, took the time off, and now... It was the night when my husband, Dolf Cruz to his fellow musicians officially came back and embraced his love for music. Held at the Penguin Bar Makati City, Franky and I showed support. The most important thing that happened that night was our son being able to watch his father play on stage for the very first time.My husband stopped playing when we got married. Well, he believed that he was at the moment of discovering his purpose in life. Family came first. He slowly moved from being an active jazz guitarist to a private jazz music teacher. Teaching jazz became one of our source of income when we were still starting. Through it , he gained support from friends that eventually gave him more students to teach. And one of them is a professional airline pilot.  I just couldn't believe the no. of young professionals who wanted to learn jazz. Just the thought inspired my husband not to let go of something he already have.

 After 6 years, he was able to play again. Richie Quirino a famous musician in the industry looked for him. And to tell you, a person who took his time and went out  of his way just to look for my husband was truly a great honor. It was the sign he needed to get back on track. Thank you Sir Richie  Quirino for this rare opportunity, we are truly grateful. One of the things I keep on telling my husband is to embrace the things he is very passionate about. Always remember, that there are ways, even the smallest ever to find and pick up those lost pieces that binds us with the things that inspires us the most. Letting go totally  will only give us frustrations and never-ending questions of why?, what happened?and how come?


And when I thought all is also ending for my love for taking pictures...

July 3 marked another wonderful event for our family. Aside from my husband's come back, our son, enjoyed his dad's music, I was able to take random portraits of my man in action. He asked me if I can shoot him. Of course the answer is Yes. One opportunity opened another.

It was an eye-opener for us as a person, as a couple and as a family. "May blessings na naman kami"  those blessings may not come in material form, but it's the ultimate moving factor to complete us as individuals both mind and heart. This last photo was taken by our son Franky. A perfect portrait symbolizing true passion and love for music and for family. Life has always been very giving to us. I pray for it to continue... we will never forget to be thankful.

A Blog With Substance

3of my great friends shared this award with me... Mylene of Online Mommy’s Corner, Chris of The Mommy Journey and Peachy of Blowing Peachkisses.

thank you guys for being so thoughtful and for looking up on my site all the time. You made my Monday exciting.

Now, for the Rules:

• Thank the blogger who awarded it to you.
• Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five (5) words. example: WRITE HEART PEOPLE LIVE HAPPY
• Pass it on to 10 other blogs which you feel have real substance.

Please grab this award my dear bloggers, we all deserve it. Our different stories makes us different and unique.

GT: I Love My Body

GT I'm back! It's been a long time that I didn't even know that it has a new host. Congrats Kaye for the new development. At this time of the day, I am pouring everything to have a "me break" so I am going to use it by sharing a blog about myself. As for my first entry for the month of July, I am going to share a photo that boosted my confidence to next level and that I became even more appreciative of what God has given me.

This photo was taken last June 26, 2010 in a Hotel- Observatory. A photo by a very good friend with the same interests in photography. These photographs are not edited, in came out from the camera's lcd in an instant, and yes ang galing! Talk about pure creativity. The photographer used another instrument for the angel wings.

Why this picture if you're going to ask. This was my first time when somebody actually asked me to model. Well, not really model MODEL like we see in the magazines. Usually, it is me who asks people to model for my portraits, so this is something new for me.

I may not look as good or pretty, fit or even dressed properly. But the experience was a confidence booster.  I even told my friend "Jon, make it work, I'm not good at this" :D

I maintained a very slim body when I was a teenager until I got married. After giving birth, I tried  bringing  my old body back. And to be honest, I struggled hard.  I guess it runs in the family ---inheriting  a big bod after giving birth, my mom's body acted the same. I struggled, I tried all options but I didn't get frustrated. I embraced it and adjusted. I have a different life right now. If I need to upgrade my size and wear bigger clothes then be it.

Like what Peachy shared in her GT entry, the most important thing is we have a healthy body. So girls, we are all unique both body and mind. Being happy plays a very big role on loving your physical.

A Sunny Friday At The Parks and WildLife

Please bear with the photos, I don't have any of my cameras with me when we went there. It was just one of those days when I thought of not bringing my camera bag. Lucky I used my old cellphone that Friday afternoon.

The Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife is one of the parks that is very accessible from our place. Right at the heart of Quezon City you will find this green park. Green? well, if you're going to look at it from the sky, there's this whole circle or green spot in the middle of the city. That's the Quezon City Circle and the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center. It's like an oasis. Who would think that we still have a  place for nature in spite of the growing population of infrastructures in the city. We have a clean and green mayor, to begin with.

One of my favorite spots at the wildlife center is the lake located at the middle of the park. The water is clean and it is surrounded by trees. My son finds this park an enchanting place. Playing around the park makes him hyperactive. He really enjoys the whole nature thing. A natural habitat where he can breath fresh air, hear the birds chirping and an over-all calm environment.

The parks and wildlife has a mini zoo that houses endangered species and abused animals. Another must-see  is the Philippine_Eagle or "Haring Ibon". Also known as the great Philippine eagle or monkey-eating eagle.

With a height of 1 meter and a wingspan of 2 meters wide, the Philippine Eagle is one of the largest eagles in the world. Globally considered as critically endangered since 1969. This last photo of the Philippine Eagle turned 29 years old in 2009. And it's really big and  fierce looking.
Photos taken with Sony Ericsson P990i