Goodluck and God Bless, Bro!

Tomorrow, you will be flying off to Thailand for work. I know it won’t be easy to leave behind your two kids and your wife but I hope you’ll be strong enough to battle the homesickness because what you are doing is for them in the long run.



I pray that God will keep you safe at all times, that you’ll always be in the best of health and that you stay focused on your goal which is to succeed.

I don’t know how hard it will be but I’m sure it will be once you’re there and you’re missing your family so much. Just remember that you are a father and your kids are counting on you to provide for their needs. Keep in mind that the separation is only temporary.

This coming from me, I hope you don’t throw this opportunity away. God gave you this chance to make a change for you and your family. Do your best, work hard and save for the future. You never know when something like this comes knocking on your door again, maybe it will happen again or maybe it won’t.

We’re all going to miss you and we all want you to succeed. Goodluck, Jay and may God bless you always.



Love,
Ate

Party Plans

I decided not to post any more Divisoria finds because all that was left were the loot bag contents and the game prizes. I don’t want to spoil the fun for those who might be reading my blog and attend the party. Just wait for the photos on my Suppliers Ratings after the party. =)

For now, I’ll be posting pictures of the party venue and how I plan to decorate it with the help of my ever-reliable, very artistic cousin and Johan's godmother, Leslie of Got to Believe.

So, the party will be at Jollibee, TM Kalaw Branch.



What I love about this branch is that the function area is separate from the dining area. I mean separate as in separate structure.



You have to cross the drive-thru alley to get to the function area which I really like because we won’t have the noise and the crowd of the other diners. It’s as if like we’re renting a separate venue for the party. Love, love!


This is just one of the two function areas. The two function rooms, btw, are only separated by a foldable wall division so if you’re going to book for a bigger number of guests, Jollibee will be providing you with both function rooms.



What I also love about this is that there is a small area outside the function areas where you can station your registration table, your photo booth (if you’re going to get one) and face painting (which I will be getting). I’m thinking of stationing the face painter at the corner where you can see the Jollibee crew on the photo above.


And I’m thinking of either putting a registration table or a photo mural of Johan against this wall. What do you think?



My cousin would like to make DIY mushrooms and stick them on the glass windows and doors for added decor. I think that would look really awesome!



For the ceiling decor, I already cut out banderitas or flag banners and will attach them to a string to be put up in the ceiling. Balloon drops will also be added courtesy of my cousin, Leslie, again. I will also be making star cut outs and string those up into the ceiling as well. I want the ceiling decor to be full of colors and I want it to look very festive hence the idea of balloons and flag banners and star cut outs. Who knows, I might still add more as the party comes nearer.

I am really, really excited about Johan’s 1st birthday and with every DIY thing that I did with the help of the people who love my son, I am pretty sure this party is going to rock!

Mommy Moments – Nutrition Tip

 

When Johan started his solids at 6 months, I was very keen on what to feed him. Although I know that milk will still be his main source of nutrients, I want to introduce him to a variety of veggies and fruits.

I steamed potatoes, carrots, sayote, sweet potatoes, papaya, squash – I almost fed him all veggies except for the leafy ones and for fruits, I gave him banana, apple, grapes, ripe papaya, avocado. I tried feeding him cheese and he loves it, same with soft bread. I’m also giving him some bread sticks to munch on after taking a bath while he’s watching his Baby Einstein DVDs. I will be trying to introduce him to oats, rice and cereals in the coming days.

Johan’s first taste of Sayote 

My MIL told me to allow him to taste chocolates. I don’t really know why my MIL suggested it but I’m against the idea because I don’t want to introduce him to sweets this early.

So far, I noticed that Johan loves Sayote and he doesn’t like potatoes that much. He also prefers to munch on apples than eat ripe bananas. He really is growing up and he’s beginning to show signs of making his own choices when it comes to food.

My only tip would be to try different kinds of taste and textures of food. This would give some variety so your child would not only be familiar to one type of food. Also, trying out different kinds of food would help you know whether your child is allergic to some or not.

Johan is eating solids twice a day and he's already grown two little teeth but this little man is still a baby and he’ll smile his brightest at you when you give him his bottle. =)

Funny Grandma

I'm taking a short break from my Divisoria post series when I stumbled upon this video from Chico Garcia's blog, found myself tearing up and as the internet slang put it, ROFL.

Disclaimer: I am not promoting the book nor do I plan to purchase it and read it to my son. I hope you find the same humor that I did while watching the video. Grandma is really hilarious and I laughed my heart out with this one.



C’mon guys and laugh with me. =)

The Wonder of Divi-land: Arts and Crafts

Again, this is not on my list except for the ribbons which I will be using to hold up the banderitas that I will be making for Johan’s birthday.

Pink and Peach Ribbons from Morning Glory at P13.00/roll, glue sticks at P3.00 each

“Ribbons aplenty!” That’s what I always think whenever I enter the Morning Glory shop along Tabora Street (Trivia: the street and my husband’s surname share the same name and according to my FIL, it was actually named after his ancestors, cool huh?). As I was saying, there are rolls and rolls of ribbons in all shapes and shades inside Morning Glory. If you’re looking for the cheap ones like the ones I found, you should look at the baskets on the floor. They are full of nice looking ribbons for lower prices than those on the displays. You have to be careful though because some of them have stains. The glue sticks can be found at the counter.

Letter Embosser, P260.00

I got this letter embosser from the stall where I bought some notepads. I didn’t plan on getting it but I was really imagining how cute embossed letters would look. I don’t know yet where I’ll be using this and I’m so hoping this tool would work. I haggled with the sales lady from the original price of P350.00 down to P260.00.

Super Mario Cloth, P120.00/yard

I saw an already made bed sheet with the same Super Mario design along Ilaya street priced at P180.00. I wanted to get that already but it was made to fit a single bed. Johan’s mattress is smaller and I don’t want to cut the bed sheet to be made into another one and the saleslady is not that nice, anyway. Luckily, I found one stall in Tutuban selling this cloth, I wasn’t able to haggle though because I only got one yard and this is made of US Cotton so it is priced a bit higher than the regular ones.

A couple of 1-yard cloths for curtains at P35.00 each

My cousin who went to Divisoria a few weeks ago told me about some cloths being sold along the street of Ilaya. She said there were lots to choose from and were really cheap. I saw these two cloths along with other designs literally on the street. You have to choose carefully because some are already muddy and you have to be quick because other customers might just beat you to the ones you want to buy.

Blue cotton cloth at P45.00/yard and red cap at P50.00

Since I wanted Johan to wear a Mario costume on his birthday, my MIL volunteered to sew the overalls. My MIL has been sewing all our bed sheets and curtains at home and she also did one of her grandkids’ school uniform so I’m pretty sure she will be able to make Johan’s costume. I have do think about what to do with the red cap, though. I wasn’t able to find a plain one so I bought this one with the Yankees logo. I might just cover this up with a letter M to copy the one that Mario is wearing.

Next up: Game Prizes

The Wonder of Divi-land – Mommy Finds

Okay, so, I didn’t go to Divisoria to shop for myself. My main task was to shop for Johan’s party stuff. But, because I was able to buy everything that I need for the party at a much cheaper price, I had a few extra bucks to buy myself some nice things as well.

Melon colored dress from Gilyanna, P400.00

While I was busy getting lost inside the newly renovated 168 mall (hehe!), I was happily surprised to find a new store that offers pretty blouses and dresses. Before, I only go to one known shop in 168 which is Juana. I wanted to buy a certain dress from there but even after going to all their stalls inside 168, I was not able to find one in my size. Good thing is I found this dress in Gilyanna, hidden at the back of the rack, probably hidden by one customer so she could come back later to purchase it. Sorry for her because it was the last piece and I got it. =)

Nicely embroidered

Just look at the details of the dress, the embroidery is really pretty and elaborate. I might just wear this one to Johan’s party. I only need to find a nice pair of wedges that would look really great with the dress.

Sleeveless top from Juana, P250.00

As I said above, I frequent the shop Juana in 168. It was the only store that offers quality clothes whether casual  or business-casual for work. The prices of the clothes are really cheap, the blouses range from 200-300 pesos while the dresses range from 300-450 pesos. They also have slacks and shorts but I’m not really sure how much they are worth.

I would have bought shoes but my already bulging two huge bags of purchases already weigh more than I could carry. So, the shoes would have to wait until my next Divisoria trip which is who knows when. =)

Next up: Arts and Crafts

The Wonder of Divi-land Part 1

This is going to be a short post because I still have a long day ahead – read: taking care of an overly active 10 month old baby. I just want to jumpstart a series of posts from my Divisoria trip last Saturday.

There really are tons and tons of things to buy if you have the courage to brave the crowded streets and be patient enough to walk in a snail’s pace in the narrow “pasilios” of the two well known malls in Divi – Divisoria Mall and 168.

168 has already been expanded. It is so huge and I found myself getting lost a number of times, imagine touring the top most level of 168 and ending up at the food court five times, unintentionally, I really did get lost.

Unfortunately though, I wasn’t able to take pictures while in Divi, I was too scared to bring out my digicam for fear that it would get snatched out of my hands. So, I’ll only be posting photos of my loots later.

Watch out for my posts because I have to end this one already as the overly active 10 month old is already stirring in his sleep. See yah all later!

Kiss and Makeup Birthday Giveaway

Diane of the fashion and beauty blog Kiss and Make Up is hosting a fabulous giveaway for her birthday. If you love make up or just like me, a stay at home mom who would love to dress up once in a while and wear fab make up, you gotta join her giveaway.

Diane will be giving away these to three lucky people:

First Prize:

Too Faced Naked Palette Sponsored By La Petite Confiserie -$35 

Beauty Blender Sponge from La Petite Confiserie- $20

Smashbox Color Correct Foundation Primer- $38

Soap & Glory The Switz Toiletries Bag- $15

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler- $27

Second Prize:

MAC items of your choice worth of $50 (For International Winner)

or You may choose the Rustan's GC worth PHP 2,000 (for Local Winner) 

Third Prize

Sigma Travel Kit Nice in Pink or Sigma Travel Kit Naughty in Black $49

 

Head on over to her blog by clicking the photo above or by clicking here.

Book Review: Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory

I love to read and hear true stories from people who survived 9/11. Each story is different from another but every single one of those who survived shared the same miracle that they were blessed with, a new life.

The story of The Thunder Dog is no different. It speaks of the story of a blind person, Michael and his guide dog, Roselle during one of if not the most catastrophic event in the United States.

That fateful day started as any other day in the life of Michael. He, together with his guide dog, Roselle, is at work on the 78th floor of Tower 1 of the World Trade Center when the planes hit the towers. He is a living miracle who got to share how he survived the attack, how he moved on with his life and how blessed he is to have his dog, Roselle, who helped him get out of the building.

The Thunder Dog is a great story of hope, trust and friendship between Michael, Roselle and the other people they met along the 1,463 steps down towards their new lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

God is Good

Last year, I had the worst scare of my life when my husband’s motorcycle was taken from him at gunpoint at two in the morning. Read post here. Little did I know that hubby would figure in another motorcycle incident.

On Thursday, I had a hard time sleeping. Most days, I hit the sack around 10pm but on that day, I was still awake at 1am. I did a few projects here and there, I read through all those on my blog roll, read Before Ever After. Finally, at a few minutes past one, I was out.

But, was awakened by loud voices at around 3 am. Hubby just arrived from work and from what I was able to comprehend from MIL's words, he’s been in an accident. That’s when I literally jumped from the bed and went outside.

He’s okay except for some minor injuries on his arms and knees but I was still shaking when he recounted what happened.

For those from Cavite, surely you would have noticed the bumpy roads along Bacoor and Imus because of the excavation done by Maynilad. It’s already a challenge to drive through all that during daytime much worse at dawn because the strip of Aguinaldo Highway from Imus going to Dasmarinas is not well-lighted.

So, Friday around 1:30 am, as usual, husband was maneuvering his motorcycle along the bumpy Aguinaldo Highway when he suddenly noticed a huge plank of wood in the middle of the road. It was too late to avoid it and when he hit the wood, he was thrown off his motorcycle, rolled on the road more than three times while his motorcycle crossed the street to the other lane going to Manila.

Luckily for him, the vehicle behind him is in a safe distance. If it was following him a bit more closely, surely hubby would have been hit. Another good thing is, there were no vehicles on the opposite lane going to Manila. If there were, there is a possibility of them hitting hubby’s motorcycle throwing it back to where hubby was laying on the ground.

I am just so thankful to all the good strangers who helped my husband get up and bring him to a safer place on the side of the road until he could recover his breath and drive home. More so, I am thankful to God for saving him the second time around.

Hubby is doing great. He’s just a bit bruised and his wounds are healing already. He even found the accident funny - how he rolled on the ground three or more times, like a slow motion scene in a movie sends him to hysterics. Silly hubby.

Here are some photos on the damage:

   

I was thinking of posting hubby’s wounds but decided to post the damage on his motorcycle instead. The wounds still look icky. Hehe.

Yes, I'm in a much better mood because I realized how lucky and blessed we are that hubby survived the accident.

Drive safely everyone.

Shoes for Li’l Boys

When I got pregnant, I was forever dreaming of pink ballet flats and pink tutus until Johan proudly flashed his mini “patotoy” during my sixth month prenatal ultrasound and all traces of pink vanished from my head.

Having a son mean I’m always on the look out for not so boring outfits to dress Johan in. It’s really hard to find clothing in nice colors for little boys.

So what do we do? What may lack with shirts, we make up with shoes.

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I just wish these shoes aren’t that pricey especially the Super Mario Nike Dunks. Johan would look so cool in those! But this pair costs $85.55 and for a little boy that would probably outgrow it in probably less than 2 months, I don’t think that’s a good value for money. That coming from a compulsive shopper like me is quite a surprise. 

But still, I wish a miracle would happen and put those pair on sale that I can purchase, guilt-free.

Thank you, Fairy Godmother!

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Wishes do come true and Fairy Godmothers do exist even if you’re not Cinderella.

Before Ever After

The novel has been trending in Twitter days before it was launched. I personally didn’t know anything about until I read it in Chuvaness’ blog and saw the official video.

After watching it, I was taken. I was already loving the book even before reading it. The book looks promising and from the reviews that I’ve read, I know that I will be taken to a wonderful ride down the cobbled streets of Europe and fall in love with the novel’s main characters, Shelley and Max.

What's even interesting is the author, Samantha Sotto. She is Filipino and how she wrote the book and had Random House of New York publish it, is one great story on it’s own. Read more about Samantha here.

I won’t be posting how the story went because I haven’t finished reading the book. I find this surprising, because knowing myself and my passion for reading, a book this good wouldn’t last a day with me. But this novel exceeded way beyond my expectations. I only allow myself to read a few pages each day – to make the story last a little bit longer.

Yes, it is that good that I don’t want the story to end just yet.

Pottermore

I am such a Harry Potter geek and when I learned that J.K. Rowling created a website dedicated to the Harry Potter books, I immediately went online to check it out.

Sadly, Pottermore.com won’t be available to the public until October 2011. However, a select few will be granted early access into Pottermore. How? Read on.

Taken from Pottermore.com:

The lucky few who locate The Magical Quill during The Magical Quill challenge (which will run from 31 July to 6 August 2011) will have the chance to register for Pottermore early and gain access to the site before it opens to all in October 2011. 

Each day for seven days, from 31 July to 6 August, we will be placing a clue on the Pottermore homepage to help you find The Magical Quill. There will be a new clue every day, and each clue will relate to a different book in the Harry Potter series. On Day 1 the clue will relate to HARRY POTTER and the Philosopher’s Stone, on Day 2 the clue will relate to HARRY POTTER and the Chamber of Secrets, and so forth. The clues will also vary in difficulty. On Days 1-3 the clues will be harder, and on Days 4-7 the clues will be easier. 

To find The Magical Quill, you need to solve the clue and add the answer to the end of the web address http://quill.pottermore.com This will lead you to a website where The Magical Quill will be located while early access places are available. 

Example:
Clue: How many books are there in the Harry Potter series? Multiply this number by 10.
Answer: 70 

Next, add this number to the end of the website address. In this case it would behttp://quill.pottermore.com/70

Then hit ‘Return’ to go to the website where The Magical Quill is located.

I’ve been on the page since Day 1, waiting for the clue and I got lucky on Day 3. I answered the clue but stupid, stupid me didn’t realize that the website to which I was led to was already the correct site where I should be able to find the Magic Quill. I thought it was some type of spam or something and I just closed the tab. Grrr! I later found out about my booboo when I tried searching online and saw some results that they indeed found the Magic Quill from the website that I just closed and was able to register to Pottermore.

So, I was back to zero. I only have 4 days left. Day 4 came, no luck. Then, Day 5, still unlucky. And then, tonight, just as I entered the site to try my luck for the sixth and second to the last time, lo and behold!



The clue was there! I immediately grabbed the Half Blood Prince book and checked the number of chapters, entered the answer and registered!

Oh yes, I am feeling quite magical!

Isn’t the background nice? It’s Privet Drive!

So there, I am so thrilled to be one of the lucky few who was given an early entry to Pottermore.com. I can’t wait to know what it’s all about, what’s in it and what HP fans like me would get out of it.

Excited!