another hiatus

i haven't been blogging for quite a while.. sheesh.. am i that lazy? well, it's just that i somehow found lots of things to do for the past days.. for one, i have found a simple part time online job which takes my time if i have an assignment.. i just need my listening and typing skills so i think it suits me really well.. lol

i promise to update as soon as the seas are calm.. another busy week is up ahead (until may 6 that is)

personality quiz

one of my friends shared this quiz and i decided to take it.. no harm done.. was surprised with the results.. mostly true except for the part that mentions things i'm afraid of..


Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.
The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.
Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.
The seriousness of your love:

You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?
Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.
The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.
How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.
What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.
Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.



try it..

update on the del monte issue..

i'm reposting this link from my buddy's page..

It seems that we're facing a blank wall and that our complaint did not serve its useful purpose.

The first one to reply after several follow-up calls was Del Monte. The girl who answered Gertee told her that they need to see [and examine] the specimen first and reminded her that the rat parts issue was not true and in fact it was just a mold brought about by a small hole on the pouch blah blah blah. So Gertee asked her, have you seen my email and the attached pictures? No. Duh. It sure isn't mold, right?

Next follow-up call was for BFAD. After several phone transfers, napunta call niya to a certain Ms. Joy of DoH. Oh di ba, she was calling BFAD, nakarating siya ng DoH :)

Ms. Joy enumerated to her the actual process of the complaint IF she was really willing to file a complaint against the Giant Company, Del Monte. She was trying hard not to sound discouraging - pero parang ganun na rin. She told Gertee that she has to go through a lot of this and that, blah blah blah ALONE. That if she wants daw to be free from all the hassle, she should give the specimen to Del Monte for them to investigate the case. Hay...

So asan na ang support from the government?

Pasok...Consumer Act of the Philippines

Bottomline nito, in cases like this: REPLACEMENT OF PRODUCT OR REFUND lang pala.

So she asked her "Di man lang kayo mag-didig deeper sa issue?" to which she was answered with "Kayo, kung gusto niyong mag file ng case pero ibang usapan na yun.." something to that effect. Hello...Gertee Borja against Del Monte...

This is so disappointing.

Now we're not even sure if calling the networks is the next step - kasi para saan pa?

Which made us think na kaya pala walang complaints na nariraise because the complainant has to go through a tedious process to prove that the company is at fault.

did i just hear somebody say "WHAT'S NEW?"

reward for good grades

is your child part of this quarter's top students? no grade below 88 or B? then you can reward him with Fun Ranch's Good Grades Get Good Rewards promo.. quoting Fun Ranch's multiply site,

Fun Ranch supports rewarding children for a job well done in school. The Good Grades Reward Campaign was recently launched to provide a "fun" incentive without extra cost on the part of the parents. A child can get one "Ride All You Can" pass free of charge, if he gets a general average of 88%, B+, or Very Good in any quarter and in all subjects within the school year. Present the "Good Grades Reward Coupon " together with the report card to Fun Ranch-Ortigas to claim this special treat. Downloadable coupons are available on this site under photos.

the coupon can be found and downloaded here


this will really be a good way to end your kid's school year. have fun!!

LP 51: Sapatos

hindi ako mahilig sa sapatos kung kaya nahirapan akong maghanap ng isasaling lahok.

ito ang aking sapatos na roxy. nabili ko yan nuong isang taon. nuong una ko siyang nakita sa estante ay nagustuhan ko na agad subalit namahalan ako kung kaya hindi ko muna binili. pagkatapos ng ilang araw ay sinwerteng nag-sale ang tindahan at may dagdag na diskwento pa akong nakuha. may magandang naidudulot talaga ang paghihintay..



i'm not so much into shoes hence i found it difficult to look for an entry.

these are my roxy shoes. i bought them last year. the first time i saw them i really wanted them but they are too pricey so i didn't buy them. after several days, the store had a sale and i even got an additional discount. patience really brings out something good.

del montEEEEEEEW tomato sauce

a multiply buddy posted this on her site and i just can not repost this here..

in February 2009, a complaint was filed against Del Monte tomato sauce because something was found inside the tomato sauce pack..

last night, a friend of my buddy buzzed her through ym and informed her that while she was cooking and was using del monte tomato sauce, she found something fleshy inside the pack..





photos from http://pangit38.multiply.com


how gross could it be? i'm even wondering why there wasn't a recall of del monte tomato sauce in the market after the first incident? i hope they do something about it as soon as possible.. i hope this gets to the media soon.. (they're giving del monte until tomorrow to reply or else it will be GMA and ABS)

the pack from the first incident was bought from Puregold Imus and the recent one from SM Molino..

the next time you use any colored sauce, it's best if you place it in a container first or better yet, filter the sauce first..

i'll update this post when i get new info from my friend..

LP: Paboritong Alahas

ako ay isang taong hindi mahilig sa mga alahas.. sapat na sa akin na paminsan ay mayroon akong suot na relo.. kung mayroong mahahalagang okasyon ay duon ko lamang inilalabas mula sa aking baul ang mga simple kong palamuti..

sa kaunting alahas na mayroon ako, ito ang aking pinakapaborito.. ito ay regalo sa akin ng aking namayapang ama at ito ang kauna-unahang alahas na natatandaan kong ibinigay sa akin.. kapag suot ko ito ay para bang kasama ko siya parati.. lalong naging mahalaga ito sa akin dahil sa paglisan ng aking ama nuong nakaraang nobyembre.. ito ay magsisilbing isa sa kanyang alaala sa 'kin..

i am not the type of person who's into jewelries.. it's enough for me to wear a watch at times.. i only wear such during special occasions..

this is my favorite of all the few jewelries that i own.. this was given to me by my father.. it is the first jewelry i remember that was given to me.. whenever i wear it, i feel as if my father's always with me.. this was made even more special when my dad passed away in november 2008.. this will now serve as one of my memories of him..

scary night

this happened at around 7:30 pm.. scary.. march is known to be fire prevention month here.. what's more scary is that the house in the vid is directly in front of our apartment and the wire that sparked continues to the house beside ours (i realized that after taking the video).. how's that for a connection? i noticed prior to taking this vid that something was already happening.. but i was too busy eating.. hahaha!!

anyways, we initially thought there was nobody inside the house since the lights were off.. i was about to call the fire station and meralco (the electric company here).. turns out they turned their general switch off and reported it already.. the house is made from light materials which even made it more vulnerable..

what's weird was that the firemen used water to put it off.. uhmm.. are you supposed to use water on electrical fires?

i don't think i'll be able to sleep well tonight.. meralco guys already checked the cables but i'm not comforted by that.. it was dark already.. i hope they check it out again tomorrow..

i will be on vigil tonight..

when it's silent...

yesterday, i was busy doing something while sid was doing her usual thing -- playing, opening cabinets and drawers while i hear her blabbing even if i had headphones on.. that's how noisy she is.. after a few minutes, i noticed it became really quiet.. i checked and here's why..

kamusta naman ang nagkalat na cotton buds?

ang salarin na dedma lang..

apparently, she has managed to reach the container from where it was placed.. she's getting taller i guess..  i still find what she did cute (for now.. lol) though..

i remember when sam was younger, she was sitting still in one place, i thought she was playing, turned out, she was trying to put milk on her bottle and it spilled so she was figuring out a way to put it back.. and another time where she placed ponds all over her face.. cute di ba? 

i guess there will be more moments like this in the future.. hanep sa trip eh.. and wala pa tayo sa terrible twos nyan... hehehe

today in my life..

so what happened today?

this has indeed been a very long day.. maybe it's due to the fact that i was only able to sleep at around 4:30 am due to some strange reasons.. the past days, my body clock suddenly decided to go berserk.. i can't sleep! im still awake by 2am and i am having trouble putting myself to sleep.. what's worse is that i have to wake up as soon as sid does.. either way, she'll wake me up even if i don't do so myself.. poor me.. that means i have to be awake by 6:30 am and if im lucky, she'll wake up by 7:30.. on times that i couldn't drag myself out of my slumber, i let her play by herself.. i just turn on the tv to nick jr. and i can manage to pull some more minutes..

we've been having late lunches since yesterday.. her morning nap has now moved from 10 to 1130 am.. my MIL is not here so i just wait for sid to wake up at around 1:30 then we eat our lunch.. good thing she slept on my tummy so i was able to catch up on some zzzs but missed out on arranging her things.. heck! i'll do it tomorrow i promise..

i was craving for the cheap pizza near hubby's work but unfortunately he was late again to order.. it's been how many days since i wanted that! *sigh*

btw, have you seen my last post regarding the recall of havaianas kids in the US? quite scary.. good thing sid doesn't really like wearing footwear.. i was wondering what the local distributor will do next.. will they entertain exchanges? i was watching the news a while ago and the spokesperson said something like, just because the batch in the US was recalled doesn't mean that they have to do it here since they were made by different manufacturers.. or something to that effect.. lol.. i wonder where the paint used on these havs was from.. any clue?

US Recalls Havaianas Kids

i heard this last night on the news but i was to busy with sid.. a fellow mommy mentioned this and i decided to look for info..

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml09/09137.html

Children’s Flip Flops Recalled by Alpargatas Due to Violation of Lead in Paint Standard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Children’s flip flops

Units: About 210,000

Manufacturer: Alpargatas USA Inc., of New York, N.Y.

Hazard: Decorative paint on the sole of the flip flops can contain levels of lead in excess of the federal standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported

Description: Flip flops of the Havaianas brand containing decorative paint were sold under the following model names: Baby Estampas, Baby Pets, Kids Apple, Kids Fairy, Kids Flores, Kids Lighthouse, Kids Monsters, Kids Surf, Baby Letrinhas, Kids Sports, Kids Candies, Kids Fun, Kids Love, Kids Sereias, Kids Speed, Kids Lucky Bug, Kids Pets, Kids Rock, Kids Slim, Kids Wonder Woman, Kids Small Flowers and Kids Tropical w/Kit. A photo of a representative flip flop is provided below. Havaianas flip flops without decorative paint are not being recalled.

Sold by: Department and specialty stores nationwide from November 2006 through February 2009 for about $15 to $24 a pair.

Manufactured in: Brazil

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled flip flops away from children and return them to Alpargatas USA, Inc. to receive a replacement.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, please contact Alpargatas USA at (888) 289-5306 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.havaianasus.com

question is, how about those bought here? i'm thankful sid doesn't have any printed havs.. di pa nga niya madalas sinusuot ung kanya eh.. hehehe

for charity

most of my digiscrap kits are freebies from all the wonderful and generous designers in scrapland.. recently though, while browsing for freebies, i found a massive collaboration kit that i really really liked! i knew i had to get it.. what's also nice about it is that it is for a good cause.. here's a preview of the gigantic kit.. it's the victorian bushfire charity collab kit called spirit of summer



i have never been to australia (though i would love to visit it someday) but i saw the bushfire incident on tv.. i just couldn't believe how devastating that fire was.. and so, i decided to donate to the australian red cross (you can also donate to the salvation army).. im got the kit by doing that.. if one donates more than US$10, you can also get the qp album..



the kit is just amazing! i love every color the designers used! i hope i made a difference by my gesture..

you can get the kit here.. the owner of the site is very nice and very accomodating.. details on how you can donate is there..

hiatus

i was sooo lazy the past weeks.. the last time i blogged was almost three weeks ago.. i don't know what sort of laziness spell was cast over me.. i haven't also been doing my blog hopping.. btw, i turned 29 last february 23.. i think i got overwhelmed with getting older and yet almost nothing has changed.. im still a SAHM and have been jobless for about 2 years now (not that i don't like being a full-time mom and wife.. i hope you know what i mean.. lol)

i haven't ordered the pens i wanted from ebay.. maybe soon.. i'm saving for my girls' photoshoot.. i found one photographer with really good works and affordable too.. i just have to think of a nice place where i can have the kiddos' pictorial.. i still have some time to decide.. hopefully he'll be free when it's all saved up..

so what was i doing while i was too lazy to blog? i was taking care of sid as usual.. she has been very active lately.. she rarely stays in one place and she can turn our room into a blizzard zone in just a few strokes.. i realized that tidying her mess when she's asleep is not a good idea.. better wait until night time so i don't have to do it over and over again..

sam's final quarter exams will be next week.. we have to start reviewing too.. though it will start on a wednesday, i feel we're always pressed for time.. oh, the schedule of the subjects hasn't been given yet.. &^*&%&^#$!!

LP: tipanan sa palawan

ito ay kuha mula sa mitra's ranch sa sta. monica, puerto princesa city, palawan. nuong nakaraang taon ay pinalad kaming makauwi kasama ng aking pamilya sa bayang pinagmulan ng aking kabiyak. sa aming pagpasyal sa lugar na ito ay maraming magsing-irog ang aming nadatnan at hindi ko na lamang isinali sa aking kinuhaan. napakaganda sa lugar na ito, tahimik at napakaaliwalas, bukod pa sa magandang tanawin na tatambad sa iyo. kung magawi kayo duon ay siguradong masisiyahan kayo ng iyong katipan. hehehe..

this view was taken from mitra's ranch in sta. monica, puerto princesa city, palawan. last year, we were lucky enough to go home with my family to my husband's hometown. when we reached the place, a lot of lovers were there and didn't include them anymore in my snapshot. the place is so nice, very peaceful and so refreshing not to mention the beautiful scenery. if you and your loved one visit palawan, make sure you pass by mitra's ranch. you'll surely enjoy.

update on the pilot pens

i mentioned on my previous blog that i wanted to get the pilot pens and they can be bought from the US.. while pondering on whether to buy them or ask my sister to get them for me as gifts, a bright idea came to me, check eBay!!! i likewise googled the main pilot website and found out that there are more than 30 colors!! pen freak alert!! lol i found 2 power sellers from eBay who sell them. one from taiwan and one from hongkong and both with good feedbacks..

i don't have to buy them at once but the other seller is giving me a good price since i'll be getting a lot! im still deciding though but im definitely getting them!

wanting these..

i so wanted to have a new set of this set of pilot pens.. since my birthday is coming up, i might get one for myself.. problem is, it's not available here and i have to order it from the US..



it's available here

the need for high-chairs

last friday, sid and i accompanied my MIL to sm cubao to pay the utility bills and get the tickets she reserved from PAL at their ali mall office. after getting everything done, we decided to take an early lunch at goldilocks. we were actually choosing between max's and goldilocks but since MIL was craving for goldi (and she was paying for lunch too) i agreed. i wanted to eat in max's cause i know they have high chairs for kids.

as soon as we got inside goldilocks, my eyes searched for any high chair but i couldn't find any. i asked the waiter if they have one but to my disappointment, they didn't. i used to not worry about this before because sid wasn't as fidgety as she is now. i used to eat while carrying her with no problems and even finishing ahead of others. i didn't bring her stroller anymore since she likes to walk nowadays and i thought we would be eating at home.

i placed her in the chair next to me but she only managed to sit for 10 seconds. before i knew it she was already standing next to me and waving to the people looking at her. my MIL offered to look after her first while i was hurriedly eating. after that, it was a lot of chasing and sid-calling. hehehe..

i've noticed that a lot of food establishments (or at least the ones we usually go to) here in our country don't have high-chairs for kids and even if some do have them, they are literally "high chairs" -- no seatbelts (good thing i had my sling with me that time so i just used that to secure sid)!

i hope sometime in the future, owners would be responsible enough to provide safe high-chairs for their establishments so we wouldn't have to worry about our kids while we're eating. not all families have those handy portable high chairs you know.. customers would be able to eat as a family and daddy, mommy or yaya wouldn't have to run after the kids anymore while everybody else is eating.

feeling guilty on valentine's day.. =)

background: since sam is performing really well in school, jong decided to increase her daily allowance.. a few days ago (i think monday), jong asked sam if she had saved her money on that day.. sam said only one peso was left and we asked her what she bought then started to discuss with her the value of saving.. she of course just listened to our long lecture.. (good girl!)

last night, she asked me if daddy would be on duty today, v-day, i said yes, he will be. she left the room and surprised us with some gifts..

for daddy 

for me

and of course, for her baby sister

which looked like this after a few seconds..

it really came as a surprise since every year, she would write letters or make cards for all of us so we weren't expecting that she would give gifts this time.. i felt like crying when she gave my gift.. we felt sooooo guilty (especially daddy! hahaha!!) cause of the long lecture we gave her last monday.. my daughter is sooooo sweet..

this morning i asked her how much she've spent.. i figured she wasn't able to buy her usual after-school ice cream just to buy the gifts.. since dad is on duty today, im buying her favorite ice cream tomorrow!!

happy heart's day everyone!!

LP: Puso

ito ang puso. kung bakit kaiba ito sa hugis na kadalasan nating nakikita ay hindi ko rin alam..

ang puso ang isa sa pinakapaborito kong paksa nung ako ay nag-aaral pa.. isang napakaliit na parte ng katawan ngunit napakarami nitong nagagawa.. ito ang namamahala sa pagdaloy ng dugo sa ating katawan.. kasama ang ating utak, sila ang dahilan ng ating pagkabuhay..


this is the heart.. why the shape is different from that we usually see is beyond me..

the heart is one of my favorite topics when i was still studying.. one small part but with many functions.. it regulates the flow of blood to our body.. together with the brain, they are the main reason of our existence..

a colorful world

i have an obsession for pens -- even hi-liters -- for as long as i can remember.. when i finished med and after passing the boards, i thought that that obsession will disappear.. it didn't! it just took a rest.. whenever i am in national bookstore, i have to check on the pens section or i would feel something is missing..

recently, i found out that pilot released a new 3-in-1 pen called Coletto.. aside from the usual colors of black, blue and red, they have refills in light pink, light blue, green and violet.. too bad when i got mine there weren't any available refills.. that means i have to check and call every now and then so i'll know if there are stocks already..

last monday, during a visit to nbs trinoma, the long-awaited refills were available! i didn't waste any time in getting them.. i also got a new barrel so i can already use them..

scrapland bliss

how lucky could people in scrapland be? vicki has new kit released called "bright eyes" which is just gorgeous..

mel and stacey have another pretty collab called "summer come early"..

drop by their blogs to pick up the kits and be sure to thank them for all their hardwork!!

i can't wait for all the parts to be posted so i can start playing with the kit.. hopefully, some creative and artistic juices will flow..

trip to the salon

i took my daughter to the salon (cuts4tots trinoma) yesterday.. this was the second time her hair was cut.. her bangs needed the trimming and i just couldn't do it. she was a very good girl and we were done in less than 5 minutes. it took us even longer just to get there.. she was given a toy for being a good customer! so proud of my baby girl!

newbie scrapper

i have been downloading quite a number of free kits from the designers on the right side of my blog but i still have to practice a lot in digiscrapping.. my mind works overtime when i see a kit with all the designs i can picture in my head.. but sometimes my mind and my skills don't meet on the same point.. *sigh*

The Beauty of Blog Advertising

The great thing about the world today is that all of us have opportunities to succeed. Being born rich or with extraordinary luck are no longer the only means to earn bucks. You don’t have to be smart or good looking or wealthy just to be known or be heard. All of these are made possible by the World Wide Web.


With the popularity of blogging nowadays, bloggers have now found a way to express themselves, be heard (or read) and make money blogging. This is what blog advertising is all about. It is a two-way street where both parties benefit. It has opened opportunities for both bloggers and advertisers. Advertisers can spend a lot less amount than posting their products in newspapers or tv. Bloggers choose and review products which are of interest to them, post it in their blogs, convey it to their followers and get paid. Best of all, they do it in their own time without exerting a lot of physical effort.


One great portal for these advertising is Payingpost. Through this site, bloggers and advertisers have a common ground for them to exchange their products, the ads and the reviews. All you have to do is register your blog and wait for the approval. Once approved, you can reserve a slot for a topic or product that you’ve chosen and review with honesty and sincerity. As long as you post original content, there will be no problem. The opportunities are endless to the diligent blogger.


With the way the global economy has been these days, this is one great chance to earn and utilize the power of the internet. Another good thing about blog advertising is that it can be done anywhere on one’s own time. This just might be perfect for the stay-at-home moms who have to take care of the kids.


Go ahead, try it. Who knows maybe one day it will be you who will need to advertise?

photoshop shortcuts list

i was doing my daily digifree ritual when i saw the preview on the freebie that mentioned "keyboard shortcuts.." upon reading the blog, it also linked 2 sites that gave detailed information on keyboard shortcuts which are in .pdf format.. exactly what i needed!

i only know a handful of photoshop and i do hate it at times when i forget the shortcuts and i have to check the drop down menus.. the list will come really handy.. will be printing it in a while.. you might want to get a copy for yourself just in case you want to learn more of PS CS3 shortcuts.. the site also has a list for other PS CS versions..

and if you are using photoshop elements, there's also a list of shortcuts here

there's a file for both for mac and windows in those sites..

in search of a new boob tube..

yesterday, the tv in our room finally decided to retire.. after more than 15 years of "existence," it finally gave up.. hubby and i decided to get a new one.. i would have wanted a new lcd tv but it just isn't the time for it now.. we're now in search for a replacement.. i can't wait for sunday when we get to scout the metro for other options..

check out the skies later tonight

i was browsing and chanced upon this article..

If skies are clear Saturday, go out at sunset and look for the giant moon rising in the east. It will be the biggest and brightest one of 2009, sure to wow even seasoned observers.

Earth, the moon and the sun are all bound together by gravity, which keeps us going around the sun and keeps the moon going around us as it goes through phases. The moon makes a trip around Earth every 29.5 days.

But the orbit is not a perfect circle. One portion is about 31,000 miles (50,000 km) closer to our planet than the farthest part, so the moon's apparent size in the sky changes. Saturday night (Jan. 10) the moon will be at perigee, the closest point to us on this orbit.

It will appear about 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during 2009, according to NASA. (A similar setup occurred in December, making that month's full moon the largest of 2008.)

High tides

Tides will be higher, too. Earth's oceans are pulled by the gravity of the moon and the sun. So when the moon is closer, tides are pulled higher. Scientists call these perigean tides, because they occur when the moon is at or near perigee. (The farthest point on the lunar orbit is called apogee.)

This month's full moon is known as the Wolf Moon from Native American folklore. The full moon's of each month are named. January's is also known as the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.

im hoping the skies are clear later and i'll go check it out..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090109/sc_space/saturdaynightspecialbiggestfullmoonof2009

grey's anatomy continues..

i've always been a fan of grey's anatomy.. through its highs and lows, i was there.. i found it more interesting than house (though i still watch it anyway but not much as i used to).. grey's anatomy now returns after the christmas break and i can't wait to watch it! im an alex-izzie shipper and so far, it has been a great season for us!

i just hope it finishes downloading in a bit.. *excited*


on the other hand.. i have lots of things waiting to be done..

i still haven't checked digifree for new freebies.. i need to make a new layout for my blog and fix the widgets.. same thing with my multiply site.. i think something is up over at multiply.com.. been trying to post and an error message keeps on showing.. geez..

we're getting an edge for sam's nintendo ds tomorrow..

a new start

i welcome myself again to the wonderful world of blogging in blogger..