Scroll Shocker

The new Facebook interface surprised many of its users, including myself.

Imagine my horror when I saw the ticker at the right of Facebook and didn't know how to use it.

As a technosavage, newly Internet-connected person, it came as a complete SHOCK!

Word of the week: Scroll.

What the...

Okay. It's been years since my last post. And, quite frankly, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my blog is still here.

There have been major changes in the Blogger interface and I'm muddling through it... at a snail's pace.

It's been so long that I even forgot my password!

Heck!

New Year, New You, Anyone?

Happy new year, everyone. Is is still new?

It's the ninth day of the new year. So it's been 8 days since we all broke our new year's resolutions? Haha.

Yes, I am also guilty of making a couple of resolutions. It is, of course, the new year. It's almost a crime not to have one.

And, yes, I have already broken some of them, too. =(

Just a couple of things bug me, though.

Why does it have to be new year's when we vow to make ourselves in to the New Us? What's wrong with Jan 18 or any arbitrary date? And what is so wrong with the Old Us that we need to make a New Us? Can't it be A-Slightly-Better Us or Just-Recently-Improved Us?

I guess the trick to treat every day like it's the new year. Another chance. A clean slate.

If that is the case, then it's still Happy New Year, everyone!

Starting Over

The new year is just around the corner, just a few days away from the start of a new decade.
The looming 2010 made me look back on things that happened this year, both good and bad. And what mistakes I did to contribute to make things bad. In short, I am doing my resolutions.

Okay, so I do them every year. What will make 2010 different from the rest? Honestly, I am not sure. But isn't that the beauty of every new year? Or every day? We get to start over.

I am starting over on my resolutions. Off the top of my head (or recycled items of resolutions past) are:

1. Lose weight -- which is on the list every year. I have written my goal weight somewhere. I am still hopeful. =)

2. Exercise at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. Okay, I will finally rip out the plastic cover of my growing UNOPENED exercise DVD collection. Hubby will be so happy.

3. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

4. Turn off the TV and Net more. Less media, less stress.

5. Read AND finish 15 books.

6. Learn a new language. I'm starting with Norwegian. My sister is in viking land and a willing mentor.

7. Have quiet time starting with 1o minutes daily.

8. Learn to bake. Sharpening the saw is always good.

9. Finish C0c0's big, yellow book.

10. Be more organized at home and with my time. Hubby will be happy with this, too.

11. Update my goal book.

12. Never be late for ANY appointment. Allocate time for traffic.

13. Learn Photoshop CS4. Thank you, JM.

14. Wake up early or earlier. Translation: Sleep earlier. Lights out at 10:30 pm?

These are just a few things. There are certainly more ideas floating in my head. Possibilities for 2010 are sprouting and ripe for the picking. I'm not about to let it waste by letting history repeat itself.

What are your resolutions for 2010?

Feeling the Summer Heat

Yes, it is officially summer in the Philippines. The 34-degree temperaure is always a tell-tale sign that it is time to bring out those short-shorts, flip flops and tank tops!

Okay, I'm not sure about the tank tops. Haha.

I am really feeling the heat. I already see small beads of perspiration a few mintues after I get out of the shower! It is that hot, people.

The weather is making me crave cool summer fruitshakes like watermelon and mango.

And who could forget the sinfully decadent halo-halo with ube ice cream on top. Ah bliss!

All this talk about getting cooler is making me hungry.

Global Financial Crisis, anyone?

I dread turning on the news everyday. All the talks about the global financial crisis leave me somewhat depressed and, frankly, concerned.

Who wouldn't be? Everyday, companies would announce cost-cutting measures to keep themselves afloat through these tough times. These range from withholding bonuses, salary ceilings to decreased work weeks and shutting down operations. The bottom line is that everyone needs to be on a tight budget until the global financial crisis blows over.

Just how do you make your budget work? Yes, it is living within your means, not spending more than what you make. I have lived 32 years with these little conveniences that I cannot just "undo" in a day. Sadly, some of the latte factors have to go. And they have to go -- pronto! But, people, it is easier said than done.

Let's translate this into more concrete terms:

- Forgo that cuppa joe every morning and try making your own coffee. Maybe this is the right time to invest in a sturdy coffee travel mug to take to work.

- Packed lunches are so hip! Did I mention that it can also save you a few bucks daily? As they say, even a penny may help.

- Eat at home more often. Family dinners can be a great bonding experience between parents and kids. It is definitely healthier and lighter on the pocket.

- Maybe forgo that professional mani-pedi and do it yourself for a change. They can cost an arm and a leg. Well, this may be too drastic... Maybe go to the salon once a month and DIY maintenance.

If anything, the global financial crisis is telling all of us to get back to the basics, live within our means and simplify. Who said that the old fashioned way of cooking at home and DIYs cannot be relearned? It is a hard lesson but the important ones are never easy.

Hooked on Soaps

I have not been a big fan of soaps or telenovelas as we fondly call them here in the country. Filipinos have been hooked on soaps since the the Marimar phenomenon occurred in the mid 90s. And somehow primetime TV has never been the same since then.

In my 32 years of life, I have followed probably a handful. My first soap was Mara Clara. When scheduled permitted, I watched it for lack of other shows on TV. But I soon lost interest when that blasted diary apparently took years to surface.

I was coerced by my office mates into watching my second soap. Mula Sa Puso was a hit during those days. And Princess Punzalan was really scary. I had to watch or risk being ostracized during breaks. Yes, I even watched the movie. =P

I started tuning in to Pangako Sa 'Yo after I had given birth to Kuya. My cousins were absolutely hooked on this soap. Of course, I had to know the infamous Amor Powers and Madame Claudia that they were raving about.

Who would forget the sleeper hit, Mulawin? Since I watched the pilot episode, I started following it. Somehow the story of star-crossed lovers, Alwina and Aguiluz was too riveting to pass. No, I didn't watch the movie but I did buy the feathered masks.

Now, I'm starting to get hooked on the soap, Tayong Dalawa and for obvious reasons. Anyone who has seen the trailer would know that the two David Garcia Jrs would enroll themselves somewhere I know by heart. And I should. After all the significant men in my life hurdled its mountains in a manner of speaking.

Am I hooked on soaps?

Still On Fresh Starts

I've been skipping on my blogging time for really long time now. No, it's not because I'm a slacker--2009 has left me little time to go blogging. Our family schedule has been a bit tight, not to mention my introduction to Facebook. (Guilty!)

There are certain things that I also want to start but I'm waiting after January. They say most fresh starts fail when begun on the new year. Well, January's such an arbitrary month anyway. I'm doing my fresh starts in February. No violent reactions, please.

Fresh Start

Don't we all look forward to a fresh start? Now that it's 2009, I'm sure we want to face the new year some semblance of order. The chaos of the holidays still has me reeling. Yes, I know it's mid-January, better get my b*tt moving. Chop chop.

I've been taking time to revamp certain areas of the house. Hubby and I started with my "new" kitchen. (It was known as the maid's quarters in another life.) Hubby gave away the double deck bed to make room for the stove, other kitchen appliances and makeshift pantry. So far it's been a week and I'm absolutely loving it. But it still needs tweaking and a few homey touches here and there. And probably a center island if I could fit one in it!

Another area that needs a new look is the kids' bedroom. I just can't seem to get past the amount of toys that they've accumulated just this past Christmas. Although there are a few gifts that I've kept for recycling purposes, their toys are just too many to sort! To keep all of it down to an organized chaos, I told Kuya and Kowi to put their toys into a garbage bag and put them in the attic. I will get to them it--eventually.

Well, in the spirit of fresh starts, here's hoping that 2009 brighter than what is anticipated. Happy new year, everyone. (Yes, even in mid-January).

A Bite Of Twilight

There is a very BIG buzz about the movie, Twilight, which is due in theaters in roughly a few hours. It is based on the book series by Stephenie Meyer who apparently was inspired to write after a vivid dream. Twilight is about the young but forbidden romance between Bella and Edward. Yes, forbidden because Edward is a vampire. This is the extent of my knowledge.

I don't know if I can get myself to start reading the saga. Vampires really freak me out. In college, Anne Rice was a favorite author among my classmates. I couldn't even pick up a copy of Interview With A Vampire and buy one! But I did watch the movie and fell asleep through most of it.

Actually a lot of things freak me out. The Sixth Sense didn't make me sleep for a whole week. After watching it I had to call my parents (they were out of town) at 2 am. My dad had a paperback of The Shining and I could even look at it because of the yellow eyes on the cover! After reading The Red Dragon, I walked flushed to the wall to make sure no one was behind me when I had to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

Or maybe I just have an overactive imagination.

But with all the hype with the Twilight movie showing and all maybe I can muster enough courage to watch it. Or I just may sink my teeth into reading the book. Who knows?

Funnly Little Quote

As I was surfing the Net, I saw this funny little quote:

"Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway."

It is incredible funny yet so profound. Life really is too short to get caught up in the details. Women, especially moms, tend to think about everything and everyone at once. We're always rushing along through life that we could miss out on the simple yet important things in life like savoring that cuppa joe (or Nesvita in my case.)

Indeed, life is too short for the nitty-gritty. Stop and smell the flowers. Spend the whole day in jammies. Eat PB&J for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Carpe diem!

Who would've thought that a funny little quote could make me think about life?

Do It Myself

Every time Hubby goes away on his eight-week trips, the kids and I stay in the house. We don’t get to travel with him as much as we would like. But when he returns, we get to back to our routine, which is seeing him on the three weekends a month and one night on weeknights plus special occasions if applicable.

There are a few disadvantages to Hubby being away. Aside from me and the kids missing him, there are jobs around the house that a stay-at-home mom’s touch can’t cure. There are just things that he can do better just because he can. One prime example is opening of jars and bottles. He has the firmer grip so he can open them easily. I miss him when I can’t do it myself, like opening a jar of peanut butter.

Busted light bulbs have to wait for Hubby’s return before replacement. Although we have a four-step ladder on hand for purposes like this, I can never get around to changing them. I just put that on Hubby’s to-do list when he comes home.

I know that some things I just have to do myself and can’t wait eight weeks. Information like unclogging drains and toilets, I am finding out, is a must for stay-at-home moms like me. I am getting to know Mr. Plunger quite well these days.

Stay-at-home moms really need to be DIY experts. With two curious kids and a military Hubby that takes eight-week trips two to three times a year, I can’t afford to hold off important house maintainance until he returns. So it’s either I become adept at DIY or know of a really good handyperson to call for emergencies.

For now, I’m learning to do it myself…
and storing an important phone number on my cell phone just in case. You never know.

Recycling Gifts

My Christmas list this year is long. And I haven't started on my Christmas shopping yet. But I've unearthed a few things in the attic that just might be "recycled" and "passed on" for Christmas this year. So, in effect, I have shaved off a few names from The List without spending a dime.

Yes, it maybe tacky to think but I recycle gifts every now and then. There are times when I'm stuck with several variants of something when I only need one or when I got one when I don't need it or I got one when I certainly DO NOT want one. Instead of letting it go to waste (or gather dust in the attic), it maybe a better idea to pass it on for others to enjoy. Or just get it out of the house.

However, there are a few rules I follow on recycling gifts.

1. Never recycle perishable food items. Or at least recycle them quickly. But fruitcakes are another thing, they have a shelf life of a century, give an take a few months.

2. I recycle only brand new, unused, unopened items given as a gift or brand new, unused, unopened items purchased during a temporary moment of weakness (or madness or sale frenzy.)

3. I give away secondhand items to family and friends who need it and not pass it on as a gift. I want a reaction of "Thank you lots" not "Are you nuts?" Or it'll be banished to the attic until the next garage sale.

4. Items with sentimental value are never recycled. Hubby would have my head.

5. I try to keep track of who gave what to avoid giving a gift back to the original giver. Talk about embarassing!

6. Open gift wrappers very carefully to prevent tears or open just enough to see whether you want to keep it. This makes rewrapping so much easier. However, make sure that the giver is not present. Otherwise, open the gift with gusto and then put it in another box and rewrap at an appropirate time.

7. T try to remove all cards, notes, inscription or anything that might reveal my recycling scheme. Be very thorough. Break the seal if you have to.

These tips are valuable after Christmas, when I get that 100th candle, mug, towel and fruitcake.

Themed Christmas Party

Last year, my Dad's class decided to change the annual Christmas party from the traditional (aka BORING) to a themed party. The first theme was western.

My Dad was so excited that he brought out all his western-inspired accessories a few weeks before the party. He even went on a cowboy shopping spree for a few items like bandannas to make the Old West come to life. Kuya scored jeans, suspenders and a checkered long sleeved shirt in the process.

But all that shopping wasn't in vain. Kuya won the best in costume! My Dad was ecstatic.

This year, I heard from my Dad that the class decided on a 70s theme inspired by "Mama Mia" and the return of ABBA. Apparently, my mom and a few other class moms are doing a not-so-secret song and dance number to ABBA hits. I guess we'll be expecting blondes, glitter spandex and knee-high boots this December. With most of my Dad's classmates and their wives in their 60s--hmm...

I am, however, excited to dress up the kids in retro. I'm thinking a flower power hippie for Kowi and an afro wig for Kuya. Haha. That'll be fun! What will Hubby and I wear? For sure your won't be seeing us in spandex any time soon. Not in a million years.

Being Out Of The Blogosphere Made Me...

It seems that my last post was ages ago. In truth, it was like two weeks. But in the blogosphere two weeks is a long, long, LONG time.

A lot of things kept me busy. I did a repeat of the garage sale. Yes, my second day wasn't as successful in sales as the first because it was the same stuff from the previous one. I did add a few things to the inventory, things that I had labeled as "not sure if I should sell but probably should." Finally, I mustered the strength to give them up. Although I didn't get as much as the previous garage sale, I was successful in getting rid of the stuff that we had accumulated from almost 8 years of marriage (give and take a few items before that). It took me two years to get it all out of the attic!

With all the stuff gone, the next step was to re-organize the whole house. I took out a lot of stuff and now had to clean, sort, sweep, sanitize everything that is left. The funny thing is that I found a lot of items that I had kept but forgotten like notes, unopened gifts, craft materials. I had to keep some but disposed most of them at the yard sale.

The great thing about having a yard sale aside from earning extra bucks is that I got rid of 5 balikbayan boxes of stuff that was gathering dust. My attic is now inhabitable. Plus I lost a bit of weight in the process. Imagine lugging, pushing, dragging boxes up and down the stairs. It sure beats the gym.

Oh, and Hubby was pleased that the house was clutter-free and clean when he got home last Friday (Another reason why I am away from the blogosphere). LOL

Not Bad For A Day's Work

I've been in and out of the blogosphere for a while due to several reasons. One of them is organizing my house (the attic in particular) for a yard sale. Yes, it has taken me a loooong time to get things together. It's hard to move around on your own with Kowi in tow. And a few "activities of daily living" prevent me from sorting the Stuff as much as I'd like.

And then there's the difficulty of parting with things. I sometimes catch myself taking back a few items I've already labelled for sale. Some of the Stuff had certain memories attached to them but Kowi reminds me, "We're selling that, mom." The three-year-old voice of reason.

I guess my enthusiam to get rid of Stuff and simplify started to rub off on Kuya and Kowi as well. They started to go through their toys and picked out the ones they didn't like so much. Most of it were stuffed toys and Happy Meal toys.

Our itinerary for the sale was like this: Thursday, make posters with kids. Friday, put up posters around the village (Kowi liked doing this.) Saturday, make breakfast early and haul the Stuff to the garage.

We were in operation by 8am. The kids were excited to see the neighbors/buyers. Kowi even said, "Mom, we're having a garage party!" And by the close of the shop at 3pm, I had over Php 4,000 in profit just from the Stuff we had around the house. Not bad for a day's work.

Thursday 13 # 4

Ways To Save Money


I've been dreading to watch the news for these past few days and with good reason. It's all about how the world's economy is slowing down and how the financial markets are taking a dive.

Of course, this affects the common folk like me even if I'm thousands of miles away from Wall Street. As they say, (and I've heard from different sources many times this week) when Uncle Sam sneezes, the world will get a cold.

So, here are thirteen ways I'm saving money and stocking up on vitamin C.

13. Recycle.

12. Cook at home.

11. Shop on Ebay.

10. Sell my clutter on Ebay.

9. Stick to it -- the budget, the grocery list.

8. Leave credit cards at home.

7. Cut fuel expenses by scheduling errands and appointments.

6. Improve my DIY skills.

5. Cancel cable. (Or I'm considering it.)

4. Plan, plan, plan ahead.

3. Use compact fluorescent lamps.

2. Learn to say NO -- to designer brands, to whiny kids at the mall and to keeping up with the current trends.

1. Simplify.

Good luck to all of us.

Second Attempt Crashed And Burned

In my 32 years of life, I have sampled my Dad's cooking only once. I guess it was with good reason. His first attempt to cook was a nutritionist's nightmare--and he was just cooking hotdogs.

If you think no one can flub pan-frying hotdogs, you're wrong. My Dad did. He fried them with the individual plastic wrapper still intact. And served the blackened, plastic-wrapped hotdogs to us, his precious children! The funny thing was that he insisted that plastic had nutritional value.

His second attempt to cook last Saturday literally crashed and burned. He was frying tapa, which is tasty dried beef, and had a senior moment. He left the tapa cooking in the pan while he went to his room to watch Harold and Kumar with my brother!

Good thing my brother went out and smelled something burning. He immediately ran to the kitchen to see the it almost half-filled with smoke and turned off the stove. When my Mom learned about it, she was livid and ignored my Dad the whole night.

My Dad officially has AAADD (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder). And I think he's entitled to it as long as he stays away from the kitchen.

Starting To Simplify

Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, I have experienced the difficulty of managing the house and the kids alone and all on a budget of a military wife. And I will not trade it for anything else. However, I must admit that I am still finding the groove.

I read in an article somewhere online that one thing a stay-at-home mom should know is how to get organized and start to simplify. In other words, get rid of stuff. With almost eight years of marriage, accumulations of life pile up and I find that we own a lot of things that we no longer need or use.

Yes, I confess, we still have a VHS, a laser disc and VCD player in the attic somewhere. I'm pretty sure there are other obsolete gadgets like my college beeper in there, too. Not to mention Betamax, VHS tapes and sets of encyclopedia just waiting to be rediscovered.

Now, I'm making a deal with myself to get rid of stuff before new stuff comes via gifts this Christmas. I'm starting to make a mental list of things give away like the encyclopedia set and a couple of books to the local elementary school, old clothes and shoes to the church. The rest I'm selling on EBay. And most will end up my planned yard sale that is a year overdue. (Yes, Hubby, it will take place his month!)

My watch tells me that it's 12:27 in the morning. Hopefully I'll remember this deal when I wake up later.

No More Janina

It's official: Controvertial beauty queen Janina San Miguel gave up her crown as the reigning Binibining Pilipinas World and her slot in the Miss World 2008 pageant. The Binibining Pilipinas Charities has confirmed that Janina resigned due to personal reasons and the death of her grandfather.

This gives 1st runner-up Danielle Castaño the opportunity to represent the country in Johannesburg this December. I certainly hope she's better than Janina at the Q&A portion.

Although I was sad for Janina when she became the country's laughingstock, I was shocked that she won a title at all. Yes, her answer was filled with lots of hahas and ahms, the P and F interchange was prominent, subject-verb agreement disagreed and, frankly, she didn't utter a single coherent sentence in English. Why did she win?

Why didn't she just request for an interpreter? European and Latin American candidates do it all the time. Although it might be weird to ask for a Filipino-English interpreter in your own country's pageant. Hmm...

Better still, she could've just the answered the question in Filipino. What's wrong with that?