post birthday dinner

We had dinner at Zong at The Fort Strip a few nights ago. Yes, it was a post birthday dinner but this time hubby is sharing the table with my Tito L because they have the same birthday.

roasted meats galore!

hungry for more?

GREAT FOOD + GREAT COMPANY = GREAT TIME

;)

D's best friend is JM

D's best friend is JM. Their friendship started when they were still in the first grade. JM was new in school then. D, being the chatterbox that he is, found another one of his kind, in the person of JM. They probably hit it off then. And they still do until now. They are not classmates because one teacher said that they can't be together in one class or else... a sound machine is in the offing.

D and JM are both very intellectual boys. Together, they join competitions, losing some but then winning in national levels. They both write for their school's official newsletter, Luntian. There is no competitive spirit between them because whenever they are together they don't talk about school and stuff. They just enjoy talking about basketball and other sports.

Last Monday, D woke up not feeling well. He has tummy-ache but we need to leave the house early because of the yummy-mommy christmas party that day. When we arrived in school, I asked D to go straight to the school clinic and rest first. I went to the canopy (school's canteen) to meet with the moms.

After awhile, I decided to check on D at the clinic. Surprise, surprise... JM was there taking D's BP. He told me that D might have a high BP reading because of D's headache. Aaaaawww... I was so touched by JM's act of concern for his friend. I thanked him and then asked him to look after D while he's resting. Willingly, he said yes. D is so blessed having JM as his best friend.

I hope that they will remain best of friends forever. May God seal and protect their friendship!

Friends are our angels here on earth.

;)

moms' christmas party

After much deliberation and coordination on the date and time, finally our christmas party pushed through today. it was an all-day affair.

Food was aplenty. Drinks overflowed. Sweets brought sugar rush. Voices shrieked. Laughter and giggles filled the house. Cameras flashed. Gifts exchanged.

I really had some serious fun in the company of the yummy-mommies. And, at the end of the day, I had a joy-headache, but it was sooooo worth it. Definitely, a repeat is going to happen next year.

the Chocolate Fountain was the center of attraction

the birthday-moms with their birthday cheese-cake from purple oven

we think and feel alike, feat. the greeny moms

having a great meal

bring out your best smile

happiness personified

friends are gifts from above

christmas class picture

chrismas party rating: (out of 10)

Food: 10

Drinks:10

Sweets: 10

Attendance: 8

Gifts: 9

Laughter: 10 + 2

Giggles: 10 + 3

Camera Poses: 10 + 4

Joy & Happiness: 10 + 10

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all! ;)

"a star is born"

December 6, was the play date of "A Star is Born," a school production directed by D's English and Tree-atro teacher. The cast is composed mainly of tree-atro members.

D was the narrator.

It was actually a musical play.

The children did a lot of singing and dancing.

Hubby and I watched the play twice. The message was simple yet it rocked my inner spirit. In this day and age, one can easily be sidetracked by the material things that surround us. And, with the onset of global economic crisis, one can readily forget the true reason why we celebrate christmas. It is not an accident, in my opinion, why christmas is called christmas. The first six letters shout out loud its true essence -- CHRIST.

I hope this christmas season, whether in austerity or extravagance, Christ will take the center stage of all our celebrations. After all, He is the greatest STAR to be born here on earth.

Peace to all!;)

food bash

Thursday, December 4, hubby's birthday and our wedding anniversary. Due to the request of two hungry tummies, I cooked the classic spaghetti with red sauce and some crispy fried chicken for lunch. I brought some for my yummy-mommy group in school and gave some to my friendly neighbors. They liked the spaghetti so much because it tasted like the "langhap sarap" spaghetti of the bee mascot... No photos taken because I was exhausted from my one-woman-show in the kitchen.

Hubby and I decided to go to Amici in Tomas Morato for some bonding moments and at the same time have some afternoon snacks... I wasn't able to eat well during lunch because I was still tired...

We ordered ai quattro formaggi (four-cheese pizza) and salsicce italiana (italian sausages). Oh! the food was simply delicious and filling. I enjoyed every minute we were there.

My cioccolato-gelato was a perfect ending to a sumptous meal.

On the same day, D had a dress and technical rehearsal for their Saturday play. He finished 9 P.M. so we decided to have dinner at Teriyaki Boy.

We had ika teppanyaki, teriyaki boy chicken, and tofu steak.

We finished the meal in 20 minutes, a record-time for a single dinner. Probably because it was ages since we last ate at Teriyaki Boy that we missed the food so much or maybe we were just really really hungry. Well, for whatever reason it was, the dinner was great. The clean-up crew did their job well that night. The food was wiped out.

Afterwhich, we had some funny bonding moments.

What are you thinking, D? Still hungry for more?

We seriously love food and we seriously enjoy eating good food together! This is our only indulgence in life, so we make every opportunity to be gastronomically filling.

Thank God for another year to sweetheART's life and Praise God for another year added to our blissfully wedded life.

see you later... ;)

food trip: Antipolo

masarap ang kasuy at suman sa Antipolo!

it was the last day of a 3-day vacation (nov 29-dec 1), hubby and D are still deep in slumber. my feet are raring to go somewhere and I can only think of Antipolo, the place being the nearest province to our location. Carefully, I woke up hubby and told him gently of my little plan. He, not quite in his usual sane form, was skeptical about it and told me that we've been to the place for several occasions already. D, on the other hand, simply refused to wake up, and would rather stay in bed and get some more sleep.

I admit, I was disappointed by their responses. But then, this is my plan and not theirs.

So, what should I do?

a) go back to bed (hmmm, not an intelligent choice!)
b) sulk in a corner (naaaa, a picture of utter defeat!), or
c) throw an early morning tantrum (yes! i smell victory!)

The pictures above tell you that I triumphed ;) Willingly, the two stood up and decided to be supportive of my little scheme. After accomplishing all the reasons why we came to Antipolo, we went home immediately.

I kissed hubby and thank him for being sooo nice to me, despite my "not-so-nice" attitude. He said, he understands...

He must truly love me... Yey! ;)

happy birthday, dear hubby

Today is my hubby's birthday.

Happy birthday, sweetheART!

(puzzled over a frozen birthday cake!)

and yes, our 14th wedding, too!

LIFE IS INDEED AWESOME, can't wait for another 14 more...

two gorgeous ladies

can't get enough of this pic

s.s.s.

Men don't usually understand the patience, tenacity, and determination we, women, have for shopping. Men can't last for hours traipsing aimlessly inside a shopping mall. Men go directly to where the item is located, pick it up, pay, and off they go. But, women, just don't do that. We like to look around, compare prices, and as much as possible, get the best deal worthy of our time and effort.

My hubby can probably last a good two-hours before a headache/tummy-ache symptom presents itself when shopping together. This happens unfortunately just when my momentum is starting to pick up. Then, everything is ruined. To choose a nice-fitting dress is already a struggle. My concentration is distracted. And, almost always, I end up sad in the passenger's seat with my loot.

Oooops and some more serious oooops, don't get me wrong! I do enjoy shopping around with my hubby because for one, he gets to pay all the stuff in my cart (lol), and, still, decision-making comes easy when dealing with a big purchase.

However, I am particularly blessed to have a friend who makes shopping easier and more fun for me. L.A.M. is my best shopping buddy. She is heaven-sent. She is updated with the latest, in-season fashion and gadgets. She not only knows what to buy but more than that she knows where to get good finds. I think, she is one Ms. Talented Shopping Lady because she has a trained eye for things that are unusual yet stunning. She happily hops from one shop to another, lost in a drama of ready-to wear clothes and stacks after stacks of colorful toe shoes just to find that one-gorgeous-piece of apparel or that "made-just-for-you" pumps. Through some years of shopping together, L.A.M. has been generous in sharing her latest acquisition and good finds. A day is never enough when we are in the mood to hunt for good buys.

Since November and December are declared "shopping-gifts-for-your-loved-ones-and-dear-friends" months, I suggest that you tell your hubby to just sit back and chill in the comforts of your home, and let you be the willing slave to do the shopping. Ask him to trustingly hand you the tools (cash and plactics) to buy all those in things in your endless christmas list. Then, I presume, not one person in the room will be unhappy.

Gotta go now. L.A.M. is waiting for me at the new Eastwood Shopping Atrium. I suspect that we have some serious shopping to do. ;)

filler post

Thursday, next week, is a red-letter day in our family calendar. Why? It is because it's my hubby's birthday plus it's our 14th wedding celebration. Yehey! ;)

As of this time, we haven't planned on anything yet. No surprise party whatsoever. I am just thinking of preparing something special for dinner. Nothing fancy, but something more than the regular dinner that I know hubby and D will be happy about.

Can't wait what will happen next week. God is good, all the time. ;)

not-so-typical

Scene 1: A typical homemaker dressed in her colorful printed everyday dress, proudly carrying her "bayongs" filled with fresh produce after a morning trip to the market.

Scene 2: A typical homemaker dressed in her favorite printed dress, proudly selling "sago't gulaman" to quench one's thirst.

Scene 3: A typical homemaker dressed in her favorite red dress, proudly showing off her "sari-sari" produce.

Scene 4: A typical homemaker, but then again, she is not so typical because:

She is not ordinary.
She is never idle. Her hands are always full.
She never gets tired serving her family.
She is someone special.
She is close to everyone's heart.
She is sorely missed when she's not around.
She is a pillar of strength.
She is a kitchen genius who can concoct a delectable dish anytime time of the day.
She is an all-around person.
She is loved not only by her family but also by her friends and friends of her children.
Oh! The list can go on and on and on and on.

Truth be told, being a mother is the hardest job one can have but being a one is also the most fulfilling job ever.

To all the moms (homemakers and working mamas) out there, I salute you.

God bless your big hearts. ;)

indulge

Do you like chocolates? Me, I like them a lot, in fact, I think I love chocolates.

Royce' NAMA Chocolate

I eat chocolates when I'm happy, much more, when I'm sad.

I eat chocolates when I celebrate an event, much more, when I'm just watching a favorite movie.

I eat chocolates when I'm well, much more, when I'm sick.

I eat chocolates when I'm with my friends, much more, when I'm alone.

Royce' Chocolate Bar

c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e-s:

make me wanna dance...

make me wanna live...

make me wanna love...

Chocolates, sinful yet simply divine,

Indulge, savor, take pleasure, delight, appreciate, experience.

Some trivia:

History claimed that an Aztec Emperor drank fifty golden goblets of bitter chocolate everyday. Wow! Unbelievable! That emperor, must love his chocolate drink so well.

Cacao beans (chocolate's magic ingredient) grow on cacao trees (of course, where else?) and amazingly, outof 10, 000 blossoms, only 20 to 30 become pods which hold the beans. This makes a chocolate a most precious thing indeed!

vintage christmas trees

Two Little Christmas Trees

Aren't they adorable? Found these two little christmas trees on a recent trip with my yummy-mommies group at Dapitan Arcade. They are made of tin and are somewhat vintage-looking. Just the kind of look I love. And, for only fifty pesos a piece, who on earth, will not adore them?

found it!

Alber's Corn Meal

Finally, I found this box of yellow corn meal at the Landmark's Supermarket. It's less than a hundred pesos and I'm eager to use it already for my Southern Style Fried Chicken. Hope it will make the chicken parts as crispy as we want them. I bet D is excited to chow down as many pieces of chicken as he can.

Will post the results asap. ;)

the best is yet to come

Today, D took the entrance exams in the school he wishes to go to.

The months of May, August, September, and October saw D enrolled in a review class in preparation of the several high-school entrance exams he will be taking all throughout his sixth grade. During my time, taking review classes is unheard of. You only take review classes if you failed in any of your subjects. But now, D’s time is totally different. Sixth graders (both boys and girls) take review classes in order to secure a slot in some of the best schools in the city. D’s generation is one that is so competitive yet the kids are exceptionally blessed with intelligence and confidence in their abilities.

We arrived almost an hour earlier of D’s schedule. We left home early in anticipation of heavy traffic. The road leading to the school was jammed with mostly private vehicles either fetching kids in the morning session or bringing kids for the afternoon session. I was taken a back with the volume of people inside the school. There were probably hundreds of sixth graders and hundreds of parents and guardians present. The Lord provided a pillar of cloud for the afternoon session because the kids were asked to line up for a good 30 minutes before proceeding to their respective room assignments. Imagine if it rained, the kids will all be soaked and wet, too uncomfortable during a 4-hour test.

The Lord knows what’s best for D. The afternoon passed by unnoticed and soon we were among the crowd of hopeful parents…praying that our kids did well in the exam. This will truly be a cutthroat elimination process because only 240 out of the hundreds of students will be taken in for SY 2009-2010. From afar, I heard D’s low-key voice and I breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking God for His faithfulness.

D said the test was ok. I didn’t ask him to elaborate on his answer for in my heart whatever the result will be; God has deemed it right for D. Of course, we want him to pass the exams, but at this point, passing it is all beyond and above us. God will decide on the things that pleases Him. God’s will is irrevocable, He never changes His mind nor His perfect plans.

One thing I know for sure: God is sovereign. He takes pleasure in blessing His children. He loves us and therefore He wants what’s best for us especially for our children.

The best is yet to come, and our family is excited on what God has in store for D.

As always, to God be the Glory! ;)

what's for dinner tonight?

Oh, the life of a homemaker… I should be excused with my cooking chores because I am not fully recovered yet from the flu bug. I should still be up in our bedroom enjoying my recuperating moments but the sound of two grumbling tummies is too much to ignore.

So, I resolved to put in my best effort to prepare something special for hubby and D. Somehow, I felt a little guilty feeding them fast food meals for several days already. Since my taste buds are still malfunctioning, I sought inspiration in one of my favorite food blogs, downloaded a recipe, tweaked it a little, and the result was a delish dinner.

This is what’s for dinner tonight.

BUFFALO WINGS WITH SOUR CREAM AND GARLIC SAUCE,
PEARL POTATOES AND CARROT STICKS IN BUTTER AND GARLIC SAUCE,
WHOLE WHEAT PESTO ROLLS (store-bought)

i was down and out

After that one hectic Saturday, its was time to slow down. Not that I intentionally wanted to but I was forced to do so because i caught a flu bug and some bad coughs.

I am not really good at providing self-medication. I always think that I won't get well unless I see a doctor. Yes, I am doctor-dependent. I always consult a doctor even for simple illnesses. Probably, I got this habit from my mother-dear who would always tell me to go and have a check-up. Good thing, my healthcard is not complaining yet.

So last Wednesday when my coughs have become so annoying, off I went to see a doctor. His recommendation was for me to get a chest x-ray and cbc after some serious inhale-exhale exercises. I finished all the doctor's request in less than an hour. Oh! That was fast. This time, I'm relieved to go home because I'm missing my bed already.

This morning, all the lab and chest x-ray results were out. But, yesterday's consultation got me worried because the doctor was so serious. I felt yesterday that I had a terrible, contagious, incurable, and what-have-you lung disease. But as I read the results, it turns out that it's just bad coughs and nothing more. I was beaming with joy. The Lord is indeed my great doctor.

What have I learned from this? A lot I should say... ;)

hectic saturday

I was up early last saturday because our schedule was loaded. We had to do a lot of errands, attend to a swimming party, and watch an evening concert.

In the morning, we brought our son D to his review class. He insisted on attending the refresher course for his high school entrance exams because he thought he's not quite confident yet with his abstract reasoning ability. He wasn't able to attend the two sessions about abstract reasoning due to a science competition. Honestly, I'm a little bit worried about him. He might be pushing himself too hard. He might have a case of burn-out, which I think is too early for him. Anyway, he told me today that it was all worth attending the course, and I'm glad to hear that from him.

After bringing D to the review center, I did my weekend grocery shopping. Hubby was with me so I leisurely visited all the aisles of the supermarket because this gives me joy (ang babaw ko!) and I like scouting for new products and reading product labels including the nutrition information. I was looking for cornmeal which I will use for my buffalo wings recipe. I was not fortunate to find it but it's fine because now I have an excellent reason to look for it in another store. Five grocery bags after, and we had a quick bite for lunch.

The swimming party was actually for the kids. It was a birthday party for D's two schoolmate-friends. D was in his review class but hubby and I still decided to go because the we are close-friends with the birthday boys' parents. Food was aplenty and everybody was happy. (text and pics on my next post).

After a quick change of attire proper enough for a concert, we were cruisin' the road again. Parking was not terrible as we otherwise expected. Our seats are numbered so we settled comfortably with our seats. As usual, the concert started thirty minutes late. Dubbed the next one, Sarah Geronimo, was very good with her vocals. She also moved and grooved to the beat of some fast numbers. Although, the concert was A-ok, I wasn't exactly wowwed by the the whole production. Maybe, I was expecting much more from her. Maybe, I was waiting for more "bonggang-bonggang" prod numbers that could have showcased Sarah's many talents. What amazed me was that the big dome was totally filled with people including the bleachers. This is quite a feat for just a solo performer. Sarah has truly arrived, in my opinion. The concert ended just before 11 o'clock P.M. We grabbed a venti size of our favorite hot drink and we were homeward-bound.

What a day it was, a truly one hectic saturday... and I'm not complaining. ;)

about posting

Haven't been posting for a few days now because schedule was tight especially last saturday. I missed posting but I already listed in my organizer some topics I'm interested to write about. Some are interesting and some are not. They are mostly about life in general, husband-wife relationship, cooking, my yummy-mommy group, my son D, and a few more.

Hope I can finish one tonight. ;)

times have changed

we were all caught by surprise last nov. 1 while we were solemnly remembering our dearly departed "tatay" at the garden of shiloh cemetery... just when darkness enveloped the place, a 15-minute fireworks took place. clearly, as shown in the picture, we were delighted and enjoyed the show.

times have changed!

blogging rights

I used to be just an avid reader of blogs, but now I'm an author of one. And, I'm quite happy about it.

A while ago, I was thinking about blogging rights. Can anyone just create a blog, maintain it, beautify it, abandon it, or kill it? Yes, I think, anyone can freely do as he/she wishes. Though, one should be responsible enough with its contents. Exercise some restraints, i suggest, is not that hard to do.

There are thousands and thousands of worthy-of-your-time blogs that can be read. Each one following a particular subject matter that the author is passionate about. Be it about homemaking, food, running, etc. By merely allowing your search engines to do the scouting, a whole new world opens up right before you. Blogging creates a new experiential dimension both to the author and the reader.

This blog of mine is my virtual diary, but only this time, I am allowing people to read my entries, and to comment on them as well. It somehow promotes interaction between my readers and I on things that concern us.

Writing new posts lets me think, think, and think, thus, putting my trusty-rusty old brain to good use. I am challenged, and I like it.

Hope to be a follower of your blog soon!

just a moment

D's Silent Contemplation with God

(photo taken inside a cave in Boracay, April 2008)

finding a common interest

It is rather fascinating that in a single united family, there is not one common interest that suits all members.

My hubby A loves to play badminton. He has regular badminton schedules every Mondays and Thursdays. He plays along with his officemates. And recently, bowling was added to his after office activities. At home, he plays scrabble and monopoly with our son D.

D, on the other hand, loves to play basketball. He is going loco over it. If only he can play the whole day, he will do so. Nowadays, the game consumes most of his time. He is not contented with just playing the game with his friends that when he arrives home, he’ll play again, but this time against his virtual opponents. Boy, he can play non-stop for hours!

I have been thinking lately on what kind of sports we, as a family, can engage in. A simple activity that we can look forward to every weekend or probably some games that can make us sweat a little.

I sure can play badminton and bowling but I can’t certainly join hubby because by the time he is playing, I’m occupied running the kitchen for our dinner. Then, I can’t even begin to imagine myself playing basketball with D and his friends unless I would like to make a fool out of myself, and actually join them. Duh, I don’t even know how to shoot a ball!

Cooking is my kind of sport. Sadly, my hubby and D don’t share this passion of mine. Although, hubby is an expert in making pancakes and D is a lucky-me-pancit-canton aficionado, still, cooking is not a common passion we share together.

I know of one thing that will ultimately interest the three of us, it is FOOD! We love to EAT! (our sexy bodies can well attest to this!) But, does eating count as a game? A sport? An activity, perhaps... Oh! This is becoming a dilemma.

It surely is hard to find a common interest. Be it an activity, a sport, or a game. Maybe, we can work something out in the days to come. Maybe, we’ll plan on trying different things until we bump onto something that we can eventually love doing together. But until that game, or sport, or activity comes knocking on our door, we will just contend ourselves with eating good food.

This is terribly wrong! And yes, I'm fully aware... ;)

extraordinary women

Who are the mommies who lunch together? Well, they are the extraordinary women whom I admire so well because of many wonderful reasons.

Lately, I have been spending quite some time in my son D's school because I need to bring him for his early schedule of extra-curricular activities. My mommy-friends are somewhat surprised because just when D is already in sixth grade, my visit or rather stay in school became regular. But they certainly said that I'm a welcome addition to their growing group.

I already knew most of the moms since D was in pre-school but the others are my new acquaintances. My social network is expanding and I am excited to get to know them more.

Oh, and by the way, majority of the moms in the group are also like me, they are also HOMEmakers by choice.

I wish to do a profile on each of them on my next post.

the moMMies who lunch

(feat. the yummy-mommies, in one of their lunches.. not in picture, CL)

Often times, it is the little things that bring so much joy in our hearts... a simple lunch with good friends can surely perk up a boring day.

My mommy-friends and I started to have lunch together while waiting for our kids to finish from their Angklung practice in school. After several lunches together, we started to really bond with one another. We share whatever "baon" we have and sometimes we get to taste a number of viands in one meal. Life is good, isn't it?

Our lunches are usually accompanied by some great laughters. We learn that we share the same bloopers and boo-boos concerning kids' stuff in school. Talk about some serious generation gap. One may think that we are a bunch of crazy moms because we really laugh our hearts out.

Time drifts swiftly and soon our lunch has come to an end. Our long table will be vacant once more but for a few hours only. For tomorrow, it will again be filled with freshly home-cooked meals and a number of eager moms will then take their respective places to have lunch.

china Man

"The Legend of the White Skirt"

(no explanation needed!)

serenity

Whenever I see this picture, I am reminded of God's awesome wonders. The sky, sea, and mountains seem to commune peacefully with man.

Serenity at its best.

what, a homemaker?

My Son D once told me that a classmate of his was asking what do I do for work? D, maybe, not knowing exactly how to answer his classmate's query abruptly answered, "You know, a homemaker, a maker of home???" and immediately left the room... Hmmm, a not-so-bright-answer for a quite-bright-kid... Don't worry D, I forgive you.

But how do you exactly define a homemaker? Well, according to me (hey! i'm quite an authority here!), being a homemaker is a full-time job, but having your home as your place of work. The job requires a 24/7 commitment, you report for work the moment you wake up and you clock-out just before you're ready to call it a night. Unlike a true office woman, a homemaker doesn't report to a boss because she is THE boss. She operates her house and family affairs based on her own rule, style and method.

Do I like being a homemaker? Of course, yes! There are many blessings to count as I go about my day on being one.

Is it hard being a homemaker? Of course, it is! Though I try to find joy and contentment in every little things that I do with my family and in my household.

Will I be a homemaker forever? Of course, I cannot give you a concrete answer because that depends on what plans God has for me.

Ooops, the kettle is already calling me! Gotta go...

welcome to my world

Welcome!
I am now a certified citizen of the blogosphere.
With red-carpet hospitality, you are all welcome to journey with me as I continue to take on a very special role I've been playing for almost 14 years now, that of a
HOMEMAKER...

Welcome To My World!