Newest Member of the Family

Last Saturday afternoon, Francis and I together with the kids met up with our friend Tabel at Festival Mall in Alabang. That was the day that we will finally have our own pet dog. The kids were all excited. After few more minutes, finally we saw the newest addition to the family, Diego. The kids wanted to name him Sparky but Francis wanted Diego. So we didn't have any choice so we went with the name Diego. So my dear readers, meet Diego, the newest member of our family.

cutie diego...

he is just 2 months old...we just borrowed the

cage while we are saving up for this

fold-able cage we saw somewhere.

Gala to the Max

Last January 21 my family went on a whole day of mall hopping and window shopping. First stop was Alabang Town Center. We just went around to see what latest store has opened and all. Then we bought a gift for Francis' god daughter who will be baptized this coming Saturday. After going around ATC, our next stop is Paseo de Sta. Rosa. We went around as well. We went inside Bench and looked around because they have a sale there. Since we didn't see anything nice we went out of the store. Then we went to GAP, there I saw this rib tank tops and Francis' bought me 2 of the top.

each of these is 795.00

After Paseo, our next stop was Nuvali. Here we ate at Uncle Cheffy Brick-Oven BBQ. Francis has already eaten here with his colleagues from work so he thought of introducing it to us. He ordered their famous Cheese Panizza, All Meat BBQ Platter, half and for dessert Cheffy Cheesecake. Here are the pictures while waiting for our food (NOTE: the only picture I took was the Panizza, I forgot to take of the pictures of the other 2 meals...#akonaanggutom)

this a part of Uncle Cheffy at Nuvali

Ate Joie, asked me to take a

picture of her...

Ate Arielle busy reading

her newly bought book by

Nicolas Sparks

Francis and Amaya busy coloring

while waiting for the food

here is the Cheese Panizza...I tell

you this one is sooo delicious.

To be honest with the Panizza alone, sold out na ko sa food na ito. I really love this one. So if there is a Uncle Cheffy near you, try it out. After eating here, we still went around Nuvali and since it was a Saturday, open ang bazaar type stalls nila. After going around we spent few more minutes sa grounds nila, there Francis and Amaya ran and ran to their hearts content.

My Favorite Games

I am not the techie-type of person but ever since iPad2 was launched last year, I've been wanting to own one. So last November 2011, hubby gave in and bought me one. So far I am enjoying every minute of it, though the first two weeks, I was having a difficult time using it. Right now I am using the gadget for checking emails, twitter, facebook, doing some drafts for my blog. And half of it, my daughters and I are enjoying the free games we have downloaded (uploaded). So for my Top 5 this week, the games I am really fond of (as well as my daughters).

1. TEMPLE RUN - This is the one game my daughters and I are really addicted to. You have to run, jump, slide and at the same time try to collect the coins along the way. One would notice that the more coins you collect the faster it will go. So far among my us, I have the highest score.

2. WOOORDS - Since I love word games. I downloaded this. There are 3 modes here: the Classic, which provides you with 9 letters and you have to form words from it. Daily Words you could challenge your friends in this mode. Word Jam this is about reaching the target score within the word and time limit.

3. DRAGONVALE - It is like making a village of dragons. One will have to feed it, look after it, make it beautiful so that little people could visit your place. I am just starting in this game that is why I am still in a lower lever. But I am enjoying it. By the way, you could breed your dragons here.

4. TALKING GINA - This is the one game that I always tweet about. This game makes me stress a lot. One will have to feed Gina. By the way Gina is a giraffe. She could say what you're saying. And most of all she loves to play and will enjoy playing with you. In every level of the game there are 3 stars to complete. One has to complete this to go to the next stage. So far I am in level 15 already. My daughters and I love talking Gina.

5. SMURFS - Since smurfs has been an "IN" thing lately, even in the games they have these cute blue people. It is like building your own village. Do whatever papa smurf tells you so that you could get those extra points and xps.

These are just few of the games that I enjoy as well as my daughters. Yes, I allow my kids to play with the gadget, as long as I am around. And with time limit.

Fiesta 2011

One of the many festivities here in the Philippines is called a Fiesta. Every year in a certain date a Fiesta is celebrated somewhere within the Philippines. It is usually a 1 week celebration, depends on the town/city, and ends on the day of the fiesta itself. Here in Lipa, January 20 is the fiesta in honor of our Patron Saint, San Sebastian.

Last January 20, a Friday was the town fiesta here in Lipa City, Batangas. So it was so traffic at that time. In the morning a parade was held. Then what added more to the traffic was the vendors selling from the sidewalks. In the afternoon a procession was held.

Every year we never fail to go to my Aunt Luz Africa's place to have lunch and mirienda. And before we go home we usually have our "take home" as well. So for this year, even though times are really hard, my aunt still prepared some simple recipes but super duper delicious foods.

the ever famous fried chicken

of tita Luz. it is my kids'

favorite

sorry but I forgot what is

this menu called. hehehe!

On the left, is the kare-kare. On the right

is the cordon Bleu...yummy as well

the ever famous macaroni salad...

my personal favorite

fruits and the tomatoes and

I don't know what is the other

ingredients here....

this what we call SINAING NA

TAMBAKOL....sarap as well...

We all had a great time that day...and of course we went home with a heavy belly. hehehe!

Confidence...

Just this morning, while I was busy tweeting my youngest daughter, Amaya, came up and faced me, said this line: "MOM, LOOK AT MY FACE." So I looked at her face, and she said this:

"IT'S PRETTY..." Hahaha! I have never laughed so hard until this morning because of her. I guess my daughter has TOO MUCH CONFIDENCE that she is pretty.

Story Telling... Part 4

Last December 28 my high school barkada had our get together at Nuvali. Our friend Shella flew in from California; Vec and her hubby with their son Riley flew in from London and Arvin from the Middle East (sorry I forgot where exactly eh). We all had a good time. It was a day full of story telling, food, kwentuhan, chisimisan and food. Here are some of the photos that happy day.

While waiting for Maureen

to arrive we decided to

take our pics first

Vec with hubby Rey

and their handsome son

Riley

While waiting for our seat

in Conti's

While deciding what

to order, as usual

picture taking

After eating at Conti's

this time sa Starbucks naman

kami nagwentuhan.

the food...again...i love

the chocolate cake

the most...hehehe!

the drinks....

One more time...these are my

high school BFFs.

Shella(in zebra print), Arvin, Cielo(middle)

Vec(in shorts) and Maureen

Until 2012 girls....

Story Telling... Part 3

New Year's Eve, this time we celebrated it with my hubby's side of the family here in Lipa. Kids and adults are all so excited because of the delicious foods, prepared and cooked by my brother in law plus this is the time of the year that we usually give and open our gifts. So let the photos roll out....

the gifts galore...Amaya here with

all the gifts...

round fruits...plus pineaplle

ham...this is so delicious...espcially

if placed between 2 loaves of

sliced bread...mmmm

the delicious foods that night

of course ang lechon

every year the family makes it

a point that there is lechon.

My eldest daughter, Arielle and my

youngest, Amaya

This is my 2nd, Joie

Us with Aunti Madre, as we fondly

call her.

kids usually prepare something

for us adults to watch

before giving their gifts.

my youngest with all of the gifts

she received that night.

It was a fun night and the kids (and adults as well) were so happy with the gifts they got and was so full because of the delicious foods that were served that night. Happy 2012 people.

2011: Thank You!

I know...I know... It is the second week of January 2012 and yet here I am for my top 5 for which I was supposed to blog on the last day of December but due to my hectic schedule I wasn't able to do so. As the saying goes, better late than never. (hahaha!)

My top 5 for this week will what I'm THANKFUL for the past year:

1. THE HEALTH OF MY KIDS, HUBBY AND MINE AS WELL

Let's admit it people it is really expensive to get sick nowadays. Prices of medicines are really high plus if one of the family member gets hospitalized, daig pa ang metro ng taxi sa bilis. This is why my whole family have their respective vitamins so that we wouldn't get sick so easily.

2. MY BLOG

Yes! I am so thankful for this blog because I could share to other people the life of a STAY AT HOME MOTHER, in a one-income household. I am thankful to those people who followed me here. To the readers and sometimes they take time in leaving their comments. A heartfelt THANK YOU!!!!!

3. FOR A FRUITFUL YEAR FOR MY FAMILY

Let's just say that a bountiful of blessings came our way and for that I am thankful. With the blessings that was given to us, we decided to share a part of it by giving 3 noche buena packages last December 9 to the Cancer Warriors (Batangas) Christmas Party. Then we also decided to donate a certain amount to the Kapuso Foundation for the Typhoon Sendong victims. I know what we did are not enough but we believe the things we gave could be of good help to the families.

4. MY MOM AND BROTHERS

I am thankful to our Lord God for He never fails to guide my family. It has been 8 or 9 years since my father walked away and left us. We may be incomplete but with the presence of God in our lives, we are definitely happier and better than before.

5. FRANCIS

Let's just say that the past year wasn't a good one for me and Francis. I know that problems within the marriage usually comes and goes, big or small, if the couple would talk it over, it will be definitely be better than before. I am thankful to the good Lord for always lighting our marriage to a "BRIGHTER" path. Hoping and Wishing that this 2012 will be much better for us.

Story Telling... Part 2

Last Christmas, my brothers and their daughters, me, hubby and my daughters went to my mom's place in Laguna to celebrate our ever 1st Christmas at her house which we fondly call, condo. Why? Because it looks like one. The food were prepared by our mudra, as we fondly call mom. All the dishes were simple, nothing fancy. Hubby and I decided to buy few pieces of chicken at Chowking plus he bought a super delicious chocolate cake from Conti's (Nuvali) and of course sa gustong matikman ang cake, ayun I forgot to take a picture of it. Super sorry. Anyways here are some of our photos during the Christmas holiday. Enjoy.

Before eating, picture-picture muna. hahaha!

Sorry sa outfit ng brother ko, napasobra ang

pagkakafeel at home niya. hahaha!

food galore...simple dishes...pero

super duper yummy...

time to attack...LOL!

Came next the gift giving and of course the much awaited opening of gifts.

the gifts and ampaos

kids and adults alike receive their gifts

everybody is busy opening their

respective gifts

my brother gave me a pair of red Keds shoes.

I love it to the max.

thanks brother dear. hahaha!

We all had a grand time that day at my mom's place. Hoped that you had as well.

Story Telling...Part 1

Good morning blog readers... It has been a while since the last time I updated my blog. To be honest from the holiday season up to last week, I am still super busy. Since I am a mother, next to being a wife, I attended to the needs of my eldest daughter first. Anyway, since I do have a lot of story to tell, let me begin with my ever first ME TIME.

Yup, it was a first for me. The entire experience was really a first for me. So here it goes. Last December 27, 2011 I had my first ever pedi-foot spa-mani at Nail-A-Holics at Robinson's Lipa. I have said first because i have never done this before in my entire life. SWEAR. So as I walked in Nail-A-Holics, I told the receptionist that IT IS my first time to avail of such service. So I asked her what she could recommend and told me that CLOUD 9 MANI, PEDI, FOOT SPA WITH SEAWEED WRAP will be a good choice for a first timer like me. (NOTE: sorry for the pics my dear readers, that to my excitement for this I forgot to really take good pics of the entire Nail-A-Holics)

These are the things that are going to be used

on my feet, legs and hands.

The first thing Jhenny (the one who will be doing the mani, pedi and foot spa to me) asked me was what color of the nail polish I would like.l And I really told her, I don't like the usual colors like red, black, blue and other. So she showed me this.

And I liked it...Kakaiba talaga...

The she came out carrying a basin with water and told me that she put something in it, in short foot soak. She told me to place both of my feet inside.

Since it was a first for me I can't help myself to really ask what is she doing to my feet and all. In short, inusisa ko siya and I really had a good conversation with her. After she's done with cleaning my feet and toes included...

nagmukhang toes ng babae finally. hahaha!

She started putting this rough scrub on both of my legs and started massaging. It felt good and I really liked the warm towel that was wrapped on my legs. (Sorry there is no photo of the towel wrapped on my legs.)

After my feet and legs came next my hands. What I did was placed my fingers in this cute "small typed na parang sawsawan, sorry I really don't know how you call it and syempre I forgot to take a picture of it. Then she cleaned my fingers and after few minutes put the nail polish on my fingers.

sorry but my hands are not a good sight

to see. hahaha! but I love the

nail polish though...

So what do I think of my first ever pedi-foot spa-mani experience?

* Since it was indeed a first time for me, I never thought it will take me more than 2 hours sitting there. Since they are short in staff, so the ratio was 1 girl to 1 client, wherein it should have been 2 girls to 1 client.

* All praises ako to Jhenny because she really took care of my feet and hands. She always asks me if the pressure is getting heavy or what? Is it hurting me?

* I could say that everything they used on me, especially the things used in cutting nails and all were all clean.

* If one will be going for the mani-pedi-foot spa combination, better go there early. It is a first come, first serve basis.

* In order not to get bored, bring a book, laptop or any gadget. They offer free wifi. I supposed to bring my iPad but the thing was I got dyahe but it's okay because I was able to talk to Jhenny.

My final verdict: 5 stars. I love their cozy ambiance, the staff were very nice, the receptionist was very accommodating. And I will definitely go back. I will start saving up so that on my birthday I could avail of their services again. They also accept Nail Spa parties.

DISCLAIMER: my dear readers this is NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT, I went to

Nail-A-Holics on my own free will. So all the comments/views made are SOLELY MINE.

Nail-A-Holics Nail Salon and Spa is located at 2nd level of Robinson's Place Lipa

You can call them at: (043) 757-6133