Yup, in a few hours! I can’t believe I’m done packing. Usually it’s always a no-sleep night for me whenever we have to go somewhere because I do ALL the packing for my brady bunch but this time it’s a wee bit more relaxed. My skin usually breaks out when I’m stressed with so much stuff to do. Even the best acne treatments can’t compare to what a little R&R can do to your skin. We are on the evening flight so I had the whole day yesterday to do all the prep work for the house and I got to pack for the kids as well. Today will just double check around to see any thing I might have overlooked. The kids are excited and can’t wait to leave. Davao here we come!
Archive for December, 2008
Davao here we come!
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008Year End Wrap ups
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008Just a few more days till Christmas and a few more days after Christmas will be the New Year. What do you do to prepare for the New Year? Are you one of those who make lists of things that need to be done before the year ends. I’m sorta like that. As much as I can help it, I want everything in place, finished and done before I start something new. Of course, there are factors that somehow do not allow me to do it my OC way. If I had my OC way, the credit card bills, the auto insurance, the utilities and rental would all be paid one year in advance. hahaha There would be no backlog on my kids’ homeschool work and when the clock strikes midnight of December 31, not a single object would be out of place.
Well of course, this is my ideal utopian world but IRL, the toys and books would be somehow, somewhere hidden between the sheets or inside the pillowcases. The chores and the to-do lists are always a day away. The action items inert. LOL But at the end of the day, even if my year end wrap ups always end up undone, I think that the little arms that wrap around me consoling me and telling me that they’ll do better next time is enough reason to just go with the flow and live life one day at a time. How about you? How do you end your year?
Christmas Shopping Blues
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008I got the chance to watch another ballet show at the CCP last weekend. A friend of mine invited me to accompany her right after a mall show she did and boy, the traffic on the way there was awful. Everyone seems to be out Christmas shopping and what would normally take an hour to CCP took 30 minutes or so longer. It was still horrible on the way home even though it was already almost 11:00 pm. Too many people were out shooooooopping. Aren’t you glad there is online shopping? No traffic and no long checkout lines.
If you haven’t finished your Christmas list yet then why not check out some Holiday Glass Frames from Zenni Optical, The popular online eyeglasses shop. They have a wide array of holiday frames available. I kinda like this one – of course it’s pink. What’s not to like? LOL
And yup, they still have those $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses you can give as gifts to as many friends and loved ones you want because they are so affordable. They make great stocking stuffers, don’t you think? What’s more, you don’t have to brave the traffic and the long lines anymore. You can do it right in your own home, even in your jammies. Just make sure you get each of their prescriptions right and don’t mix them up or else they might end up seeing double. Happy shopping everyone!
Home for the holidays – Christmas in Davao
Friday, December 12th, 2008Every year, well almost every year really, we try to go home and spend Christmas with the grandparents. My kids look forward to this annual trip because it’s a time to take a break from the school and work related things we do and replace it with the parties, get-togethers and reunions and all the jam-packed activities already scheduled in advance. Not much difference huh except that doing the latter “expands your horizon” or better yet “expands you horizontally” in so many ways. LOL It’s a break from washing dishes, doing the laundry, clearing up the dining table and all the mundane household chores that we do as a family because we don’t have househelp. Don’t we all need that? I do – BIGTIME!
Anyway, I thought I’d share a few pics from our trip last year. The kids love that the whole place is decorated. I don’t do any decorations in our house anymore because we’re away for the most part of the holidays. It makes for fun pics as well without the cleanup. hahaha These are SOOC so no post processing – (had no time to open up the editing software – tamad!) Here they are:
the foyer: Welcome, come on in!
in my MIL’s garden there are pointsettias year round
and here’s a glimpse of the hallway where the Christmas tree was last year
So that’s it for now – will be back in a bit to finish up my bloggie duties and then maybe I can start packing.
Eye Matters
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008I used to wear glasses before until I had laser surgery almost 10 years ago. Glasses back then weren’t as fashionable or well-designed as those that are being sold today. That’s why I really wanted to have my eyes corrected thru laser surgery. Because the glasses back then especially prescription glasses were, in my opinion, ugly. You would never find a pair like Gov. Sarah Palin’s glasses, those high-tech coated NASA tested lenses or even the progressive prescription glasses years ago. Added to that, is the ease of getting one online was unheard of.
I found this online site – Optical4less.com that even allows you to “virtually try on” your eyeglasses in the comfort of your own home. You can even adjust the shading or tint of your lenses. How convenient is that! And they even offer free shipping anywhere in the world if you order more than one pair. Now, that’s a steal because shipping and handling can be quite expensive depending on where you live. I don’t need a pair right now, maybe in a few more years or so but I really like the rimless frame they have. So if you are in the hunt for a pair of new glasses, check out Optical4less.com. Whether for prescription or for trendy fashion purposes check them out. You might just find what you need.
Young, promising and gone
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008In the middle of all the celebrations that went on because of Pacquio’s victory, I was quite surprised to read in a tabloid newspaper while waiting for my kids at Kumon – the death of young actor Marky Cielo. It always comes as a shock when someone so young and so promising with a successful future to look forward to could be gone in an instant. I’m not really a ‘fan’ kind of a person, but I feel the sense of loss and to a certain degree the pain of losing a loved one in this case. As a mom, it is unimaginable to think that the son you have so many dreams and hopes for would not live to fulfill them anymore. The pain is universal. My sympathies go to Marky’s family. May the peace of God be with them during this time of grief.
Finding inspiration
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008INSPIRA’TION, n. [L. inspiro.]
We can find inspiration anywhere. Just take a look around and absolutely anything can be a source of inspiration. Let’s look at definition number 2 for example – the act of breathing into anything. Isn’t that mind blowing? Pause for a minute and let that thought just dwell there – something as ordinary as kitchen sinks or tree barks or even a soda pop can be fodder for one’s creative juices to flow. To bring heaven on earth or reach out and touch the stars with a spark of inspiration – an idea, an invention – innovation. Calling forth that which is not yet into being and making it tangible and alive in the now. With just a breath, a lump of clay turned into a man; a crooked smile captured turned into the most recognized artwork in the world, a thunderstorm, a piece of string and a kite lit up the whole planet – we will never be in want for inspiration – all that is required is that we breathe.
A day to be proud – Congrats Pacman!
Sunday, December 7th, 2008It’s a special day to be proud thanks to Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, woohoo! The dream match is over and we have overcome (well, it’s a vicarious feeling on my part). I started watching boxing matches thanks to my dad’s impartation. Every Sunday he would turn his rocking chair towards the TV armed with his can of Pale Pilsen, an adobo pandesal sandwich or two and watch boxing reruns on TV. Those were some of our unique bonding times (I’m sure he has a good seat right now where he is and he is enjoying every bit of it — (sigh) I miss him so.) I once caught a glimpse of him watching Manny Pacquiao’s earlier fighting days when he was still young and skinny. It’s amazing what he has accomplished since then.
Today, I join the rest of the country as we rejoice in the knowledge that he has made boxing history. We got to watch the fight after we had just finished our Sunday Service and I think I was the noisiest ‘female’ cheering every punch he landed – I thought for a minute if I was embarrassing myself but after a while I couldn’t care less (dyahe? hindeh!) It is indeed a proud day to be Pinoy! Nanalo tayo daddy! Mabuhay ang pambansang kamao!
Camo fashion
Sunday, December 7th, 2008Last time we were in the US, I found a really cool pair of cargo pants in one of the racks of a discount store. Little did I know that they were really designed for those in uniform until I checked out the label when I got home. I had once watched a show, I don’t remember the exact details but it talked about the technology that went into manufacturing clothes especially for those in uniform like military personnel or law enforcement officers. One of the guys featured there said that he never needed to change his socks no matter how many times he wore them. The technoIogy behind it was the use of copper as part of the material. Copper has this antibacterial properties that fights odor causing bacteria. No more smelly feet, hun! And it’s not just on socks the whole uniform! Imagine that, no more smelly sweaty clothes no matter how long you are out on duty.
Of course these clothes have to be practical and they have to be designed for specific purposes. I found this really cool site that sells these pants that are not only durable and built to last, they are quite stylish as well and can be given as gifts for the man of the house especially this holiday season. I’m not quite sure if they use this kind of technology but if you are in a stump and don’t know what to give the hubby check out Tacticalpantsusa.com for some unique one of a kind gifts to give this Christmas. I’m sure he will not send it back for a refund. LOL
Create your own font for free!
Sunday, December 7th, 2008Nope, not by me. I found this out from a PickleberryPop forum threads. I’ve always wanted to turn my handwriting into a font to make my scrapbook pages look more personal and now here’s my chance to do it. You might want to check out www.yourfonts.com and create your own personal handwriting font.
