Expressing Oneself

It always a challenge to express one's thoughts and opinions about anything, so when one is successful in letting others know what he or she thinks, then it is an accomplishment. And this being the case, I would definitely say that Rommel would definitely fit the bill of being accomplished in sharing his Opinions, Thoughts, and Creative Writing. When you visit his site, the first thing that would catch your attention is the header, you have to see it to get the point, and then when you read his posts (which is quite varied, I tell you) you will slowly but surely realize that you are getting addicted to the quite diverse topics you will see... some of them will make you laugh, some of them would educate you and some of them will challenge you. But one thing you will not feel when you visit this blog is "get bored", I mean how can you be? There are lots of topics to read about and an entertaining wit that comes with each post.

Tubbataha Reef

Have you seen Tubbataha Reef? Sad to say, I have not yet gone to this beautiful and rich part of the Philippines. But from what I have been hearing and seeing about it on TV it is now one of the places I would like to visit someday. What's even more interesting about it is that it is now nominated to be one of the new seven wonders of the world. Currently, it is on number 8 so if you want Tubbataha Reef to become part of the new seven wonders, don't hesitate to vote for it now. It will bring more pride to our country and probably more tourists also. If you've seen the beauty of Tubbataha for yourself, then all the more reason to vote for it, if you're like me though, who has yet to see its full glory, but is planning to... you can vote also!

There are two more wonderful places in the Philippines which have been nominated in the new seven wonders -- The Chocolate Hills in Bohol and The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan. Let us bring pride to the natural wonders of the Philippines and vote for them now.

Look of the Year

http://www.lookoftheyear.com

I see a lot of beautiful and handsome faces among today's young generation. It is no wonder that talent and beauty contests sprout from different places all around. Take for example, The Look of The Year, which is currently searching for young people who can showcase their beauty and posing prowess in their best picture and be among the chosen ones who work as models in major cities like Paris, New York or Milan. Yes folks, it is open to ALL young people who have aspirations of becoming a model and making it big. Joining the beauty contest is simple enough, who knows? Your next click just might be the opportunity you have been waiting for...

2 years and counting

Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary... It's hard to believe that it was been 2 years already since I walked down the isle towards the person with whom I would spend the rest of my life with... 2 years since we said "I do"... Yes, there were rough times but it only makes the good times even better! To you my darling husband, I thank you for being patient with me all the time, for being considerate, for being the stable, sane one when I choose to be crazy and unpredictable, for being insane and fearless when I choose to be analytical and cautious but most of all, for loving me even at my worst. We may not have been fortunate enough to welcome our little angel just yet but I know that when we do - get the chance to become parents - you will ace every single test and be a great father! I love you even more for patiently waiting with me and for not losing hope... I know it's tough celebrating now that we are apart (hubby's in a company teambuilding seminar in Puerto Galera from the 25th till the 27th of this month) but nevertheless, please know that you are always in my heart however far apart we are. Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary honey! I look forward to celebrating more anniversaries with you for years to come! I love you very much!

Credit: Boy Meets Girl Quickpage by Beckie Wallace

I've Been A Slave...

an office slave that is... for the last couple of days and it's good that I finally got the chance to take breather! Work has been specially hard these past few days what with the constant pouring of reports to be accomplished, inventories to be done and new documents to be filed and cataloged! I am really grateful that my youngest sister helped me out yesterday with sorting out some of the documents I need to file (she's staying with me for the summer and I asked for a huge favor so she helped me out in the office) but still, there's still a lot of work to get done and not that many hands to do it on time. Am I complaining? Yes I am, because I have had enough "understanding" why I cannot be given a clerk to at least help me with the filing and receiving... why my office cannot be installed with an airconditioning unit when everyone knows that it is freaking hot in there... why some people cannot do their share of work and arrange their files properly so that it wouldn't add to my already heavy workload and most specially why I am hard at work all the time when I see some of my co-employees just taking it easy and kidding around with one another! If I just didn't take out a housing loan recently, I would definitely not have second thoughts about quitting this unrewarding job that I have and find fulfillment elsewhere! Oh please God, give me strength because the pressure is slowly getting to me already and my head is already throbbing from thinking of ways to de-stress!

Everyday Minerals

Nope, this post is not about food supplements but makeup... The Friday that we went to Makati for housing loan counselling, when we got back home I got a post office notice that I had a parcel that I had to claim from them. Since I didn't get any e-mail, text message or call from my relatives abroad, I didn't know what the parcel was... I completely forgot about it until yesterday, while I was switching bags before I went to work, I saw the notice in one of the pockets of the bag that I was going to use. I decided to check out what the parcel was so during lunch break, I went to the post office to claim it. And there they were... my free samples from Everyday Minerals! I forgot about them already, but it was quite a nice surprise that they finally arrived. I have been reading a lot lately about mineral makeup from friends and co-N@Wies so I think it is high time that I try it for myself. I have yet to try them though, maybe next week...

Earthday

today the world is celebrating earthday...

Earth Day was founded in 1970 in response to growing concern about the
environment, and is celebrated throughout the world on April 22. It was
originally envisioned as a day-long environmental "Teach-in" for activists, and
is often credited with creating momentum which helped to pass the Clean Water
Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Here are the rules:

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth.
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you've done it!

The Twelve Months

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality ( Ehem) Sexy (Ehem) Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others.Revengeful - Mmm,Nah! Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners.Nah! Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody. BINGO!!! Most of these traits are true for me .

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

From my birth-month traits, the ones in red are the ones that fit me:
AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

20 Questions

Juliana tagged me with this:

Here are the rules:
Remove one (1) question from below and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag eight (8) people in your list. List them out at the end of this post.

1. At what age did you marry?
32

2. What color do you like most?
Violet

3. Have you ever shoplifted?
NO!!!!

4. Where is the place that you want to go the most?
Florence, Italy

5. Which part of you that you hate the most?
The excess bulges!

6. Ever been in a physical fight?
Yes, with my younger brother (I was in highschool then, and he was in gradeschool!)

7. If you win 1 Million$ what would you do?
Pay off our housing loan and start a small business.

8. What are you afraid to lose the most?
My loved ones.

9. What did you love the most last year (2007)?
Too many to enumerate!

10. How do you cope up with boredom?
I blog, I watch DVDs, or TV or read or play with my neice - Marianne.

11. Till now, what is the moment you regret the most?
I can't think of any... I know I've made mistakes but it's hard imagining what life would be like without me learning from my past experiences.

12. Which type of person do you hate the most?
Those who just want to take and take without sharing even just a little to others.

13. What is your ambition?
To live life to it's fullest with the good Lord's guidance.

14. If you had one wish, what would you wish for?
Not only wishing but PRAYING for... a healthy baby for me and Charlie.

15. Who is your dream date?
I can't think of one right now...

16. How did you celebrate New Year?
Media Noche at home.

17. What do you look forward in 2008?
A meaningful and happy year.

18. If your life is a song, what title would best fit in?
Go the Distance

19. What’s your biggest splurge so far in the first quarter of 2008?
Paying the equity for the house and lot we loaned.

20. Given the chance, who would you want to change places with even for just a day?

I'm tagging AidiSan, Jhona, Andrea and Jenn

Friendship Chain

I was tagged by Toni several days ago... sorry sis for not being able to post this sooner...


~~Begin Copy~~
I have randomly selected other bloggers below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to add your link in the end of the list and tag other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding Tag others . This is the easy way and the fastest way to:

1. Make your Authority Technorati explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank fast.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Makes more new friends.
5. Build your community.

Rules:
1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog. (for bloggers paste on the “compose” not the “edit html” part in posting blogs so it will be linked automatically).
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag your friends as much as you can.

1. Picturing of Life 2. Juliana’s Sitea 3. Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future. 4. Jeanne-The Callalily Space 5.My Family is my Life 6. The Simple Life of a Baghag 7. On A Wonderful Day Like Today 8. House Everything a 9. The Creativity in Me 10. Travel and Photography 11. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 12. Nora’s Notes 13. Noras Family Treasures 14. Fil-Oz BlogWhat A World 16. More on Health 17. Everyday Life 18.Pinaywifespeaks 19. Pinaywife Atbp.Laugh Out Loud 21. Life’s Lessons 22. Kerslyn’s Comfort Zone23. Borski and Nai 24. M A R I K I T, 25. Jan April, 26. Random Thoughts 27.the long journey of my life 28. Life’s Journey, 29. Wonderful Life, 30. Gen’s Palace, 31. Moments I Treasure, 32. Trails N Life, 33. Life Has Began, 34. Simply Amazing, 35. Amazing Life, 36 Sorrounded Everything, 37. Alot To Offer, 38. Travel Blog, 39. Fascinating Life, 40. Blogger Spider Man, 41. Creative in Me 42. Little Peanut 43. Me and Mine 44. Sugar Magnolias-45. Clark & Butchay’s Blog 46. Me, Myself and I ; 47. coffeenchoclate; 48. A Matter of Perspective; 49. Ang Therapist; 50. Endometriosis and Fertility Resource Page; 51. Freebies Australia; 52. Abstract Musings; 53. Joey M. D.; 54. Online Raket; 55. The Working Mom 56. Married and Happy About It. 57. Paul, Toni and Lance - Bridging the Distance 58. Our Growing Family 59. Heidi's Stuff 60. Winged Words 61. You're next!

I'm tagging Julianna, Andrea and Kaye

Feed Me Up

“Note: You must subscribe to the feed of the blog who tagged you. ”

Juliana tagged me with this (sorry sis for taking so long in posting it):

You get these benefits in joining this linker chain:
* You can get more web traffic.* You can increase your blogs’ Technorati authority.* You can increase your blogs’ feed subscribers.* You can get more back links.* You can gain more friends around the world.

Here are the Rules:Copy the list below. Place your Blog’s FEED Link (i.e. You blog’s link for its RSS/Atom feed, not the actual site) after the list. If you have more than 1 blog, feel free to add them all here!After placing your blog’s feed address/es, you must tag 5 or more bloggers that is not yet in the list, this is to keep the ball rolling. Also, you must subscribe to the feed of the blog who tagged you. You may include subscribing to another blog of your choice from the list.

Kenneth - A Stellar Life
filipinolifeabroad
Tina
Dabawenyang Iska
Bestfriend’s blog
PinayLoveStories
Allen’s wifey
allen’s darling
allen’s sweetheart
Virgie’s Webplace
Dana and Debbie’s A Fil-Am Journey
Malyn’s Journey of my Life
Maya’s Window
Liza’s moms….. check nyo
Juliana’s Lair
Juliana’s World
Juliana’s My Library

Heidi's Stuff

Winged Words
Your RSS link/Atom feed here

I am tagging C.A. "t'que", Jhona, Thet, Mec and Toni

Let Me Explain...

I have not been able to blog or even just go online to check my e-mail for the last couple of days because Charlie and I became parents for the weekend (for the second time). This time, it was just the two of us who had to take care of baby Marianne because my sister was not with us to help. It was quite tiring but really gratifying to be able to take care of such an adorable bundle of joy. We picked Marianne (who hubby now calls "princess" and sometimes "baby namin") from my parents' place at around 4pm last Saturday and took her home for us to take care of for the rest of the weekend. That night, Charlie and I were both sleep deprived not because the baby was crying all the time but because we were both watching her closely. She sleeps well enough but she keeps tossing and turning (later on we found out that she's like that all the time) so we thought she was cold or someting so we put a blanket over her but she keeps taking it off so we just let her be. She woke us up (it's not like we were able to sleep deeply anyway) at around 4:30am and she was all smiles and cooing that you cannot resist playing with her right away. Hubby took her (on the stroller) for a walk around the subdivision at around 6am while I prepared breakfast and cleaned the house. And then after her bath and morning feeding she slept until lunch which was good because I was able to cook lunch before she woke up. Hubby had to fix the brakes on his motorcycle for a while so I was left with Marianne. We watched cartoons for a while, munched on a biscuit, jumped on the sofa (while holding on to me of course), crawled around the bed, had another bottle of milk and slept until 4pm. It was a good thing we finished the laundry on Saturday morning before we picked her up because we were not able to do any other chore around the house while taking care of the baby. Anyway, Charlie and I realized after my dad picked her up last night that having a baby isn't easy, specially if you don't have any help but it was doable. I had experience taking care of babies because I took care of my youngest sister and some of my other neices and nephews... Charlie on the other hand was a newbie and was quite surprised at how much attention the baby needs but all in all it was a weekend that would be on our top 10 most unforgettables and we would always be thankful to Marianne and her parents for letting us experience being parents even for just a couple of days.

here she is sleeping in the middle of our bed (around 11:30pm)

here she is waking Charlie up at 4:30am

playing with her bottle after her morning feeding

slept again after her bath

woke up energetic and happy

one more picture before dressing up to go with Aunt Mae and Daddy H.

So that's why I was not able to update this blog nor go bloghopping for the last couple of days... that's the explanation... anyway, Thank you to those who visited my blog over the weekend and I hope to be able to visit your sites too within the week.

I Know Him So Well!

What can I say... I just couldn't resist taking another...

What You Know About Your Guy: Practically Everything

You have gotten to know your man really well From his hopes and dreams to favorite things... You definitely have enough info to figure out if he's *the* guy In fact, you may know him a little better than you know yourself

How Well Do You Know Your Man?

Feng Shui of Colors

All this research about home renovations and interior decorating brought me to a lot of sites that I've never been to. While deciding on what paint colors I would use for the different rooms in our house, I came upon this concept: that colors also brings about certain energies and since Feng Shui makes use of the reflected energies from colors, there is such a thing as Feng Shui of colors.

Every association you have with a color contributes in some way to how you are. That is why colors play a meaningful role within the practice of Feng Shui. It is very essential for you to understand why toning down or playing up certain Feng Shui colors in your home will help you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself in your life.

Further readings made me realize that there are a lot of colors to choose from and which rooms these colors could work well with. Hmmm... I still have yet to finalize the look for the tiny space alloted for the kitchen but I know I want something red in it, if not a wall, maybe the trimmings for the cabinets or cupboards as Red is said to represent the energy of sun and life. Which means that the right amount of red in your home will bring joy, excitement and passion. Besides red is a color for celebrations and where else best to start a celebration than the kitchen?

Fairly Abnormal?!

Ok, first let me just say that I have fallen once again and lost my resolve not to take another of these quizzes... but what the heck, it's just plain fun besides, most of the results are true anyway...

With this quizz, I laughed when I saw that one of the reasons why I'm abnormal in love is because I kiss on the first date... let me just explain that the reason for this is that I don't want to go on a second date with someone I kiss and feel nothing for on the first date! Hahaha!

You Are Fairly Abnormal in Love

When it comes to love, you definitely have your own take on things. You love and hurt like everyone else, but your expectations and rules are different. It may make it hard for you to feel understood. People don't really get where you're coming from. Why You Are Normal in Love You are normal because you think it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved. You are normal because you haven't been in love with two people at once. Why You Aren't Normal in Love You are abnormal because you kiss on the first date. You are abnormal because you first fell in love when you were 19 or older.

Are You Normal in Love?

Technorati Fave Link Exchange

I came across Vhiel's blog while bloghopping and there I found out about this:




And so I thought I'd join the fun and spread the word so more can join too... The mechanics can be found here. If you want to take part of this "blog party" to gain more blogger friends don't hesitate to do so.

Girls' Night Out

Last tuesday (ok, I know it's already Thursday today, but what can I do, I didn't get a chance to blog about this sooner so bear with me) my sister Hazelle celebrated her 21st birthday. How? Well it was simple, we just decided to have pizza at a nearby mall. It turned out to be a fun girls' night out for us... with just my mom, zelle (the celebrant, of course), mae (my youngest sister), lynne (my sister also), me, and marianne (my neice).




That's Mae with the celebrant - Hazelle


And this is me with my mom and my neice Marianne.

Featured Friends

1. I am one of Andrea's featured friends.
2. As such, I should include her name and also pick 4 or 5 more of my own featured friends.
3. I have to inform ALL her featured friends to keep the ball rolling.

Note: If you use Blogger, you can add your featured friends using the new page element ‘Link List’.

You may read everything about how this Featured Friend started by reading here and here.

My featured friend is AiDiSan

now I know I'm supposed to tag more but I figured, this could be a nice addition to my sidebar so I'm keeping my featured friends list updated every week. Maybe whoever visits me more or comments more will be my featured friend of the week. So expect to see a different featured friend here every week from now on... and if you want to be the next featured friend, then you better make your presence known in this blog by leaving me notes everytime you visit or comment on my posts.

Worldwide Link Love

Juliana and Gracie tagged me with this yesterday, sorry guys for the delay, anyway, here it is:

~ start copying here ~
Join the Worldwide Link Love!Benefits of Worldwide Link Love!

1. Make new friends around the world.
2. Feel the Link Love.
3. Gain new readers and subscribers.

Rules:

1. Copy from ~start copying here ~ to ~ end copying here ~ and paste it on your blog.
2. At the end of the list, put your name and the country your in, it doesn’t matter what’s your nationality just put the country where you are publishing your blog. Don’t forget to put links at your name.
3. If u have many blogs, you can link all of it, just make sure you post the same on each blog.
4. Tag eight (8) or more of your blog friends.
5. Tip for blogspot users: make sure you copy and paste the code in Compose mode.
   Wanna join, and you can’t find your name on the list? Just leave a comment here.
   

Worldwide Link Love! Participants:

1. Julia (Philippines)
2. Catherine (Malaysia)
3. shimumsy(u.s.a)
4. Mitch (Philippines)
5. Hailey (Philippines)
6. Sexymom (USA)
7. Liza (Philippines)
8. Juliana- (USA)
9. Juliana - (USA)
10. Juliana- (USA)
11. Gracie de guzman( Philippines)
12. The Chic Shopaholic( Philippines)
13. Blog District ( Philippines)
14. My Favehangout (Philippines)
15. Istilopinoy ( Philippines)
16. Heidi (Philippines)
17. Heidi (Philippines)

Now I'm tagging: Andrea, Jhona, Lisa, Jen, C.A. t'que, Mhay, Kathy and Anne

Life As I See It!

Why do we blog? Well, a lot of people have different reasons why they blog but mostly bloggers are people who want to share their ideas, opinions and feelings to others through their blogs. One good example of a "sharing" blog is Life As I See It!. It is a blog of "a `lil of this and a `lil of that" as the author wrote... The blog features reviews of books, videos, jokes, articles, etc. It is quite a treasury of opinions and ideas on very varied matters. The author's description is really true to it's context. The Blog really is a little of everything, which when summed up piles up to a lot. So if you're looking for a good laugh, someone else's opinion about a book you might have seen and is thinking about reading or internet finds that may have slipped your browsing eyes, then a visit to Life As I See It! is just what you need. Reading through the posts will keep you entertained and informed as well.

Birthdays and more...

Normally, I wouldn't forget anyone's birthday but I today, I just realized that I did . Anyway, what's done is done, my only excuse is the uber busy and stressful couple of days that I had preparing the documents for our housing loan and cramming to get my ITR filed! But whatever these excuses are, I am really sorry to my only brother Allan, for not being able to even just greet you on your 28th birthday yesterday. Anyway, better late than never...

And to my sister Hazelle who's celebrating her 21st birthday today...

Again, to both of you...

The Web 2.0 Directory

I guess being able to browse the net for longer periods can lead you to so many discoveries. For example, I stumbled upon The Web 2.0 Directory which features lots of posts about great finds, blog things, tips, hacks and so much more... I find the posts very informative and easy to follow. What's even greater is that the blog doesn't have just one particular topic it concentrates on... The posts widely varies from blogger tips to home and garden! It even features other blogs you can visit as well. Having visited a review site such as this has been quite an educational experience for me. It made me realize once again how truly amazing modern technology, specially the internet, can be. I mean, one could stay at home (like what I am doing now) and learn so much just by reading posts from other bloggers. So, if you're looking for useful information, visit this review site and who knows, maybe you'll be able to find what you are looking for in one of the posts or links found in the blog.

House Plans Made Easy

If you have visited this blog before, you may have known about me and hubby being busy preparing to move in to our new home hence the home improvement plans... I have been browsing the net for ideas and tips on making these renovations when I came across SmartDraw 2008. It really is very easy to use and quite helpful in making professional looking plans even if it's your first time to use it. I even got to use it planning for the home improvements of my parents house. I just made the plan using SmartDraw, printed it out and showed it to a contractor for an estimate. I tell you, if you're planning on making home improvements or is simply thinking of moving your furniture around, use this very user-friendly software and you can't go wrong. Oh and not only that, you can also use SmartDraw for floor plans during receptions, conferences and other events. If I just knew of this software while I was making the seating plans and table placement for my wedding reception, then it wouldn't have been as complicated... it is truly amazing how this software can ease your home improvement and floor planning needs. By the way, this is not a paid post! I just got so excited in being able to find such a software that I felt the need to share it with you. I know a lot of us would be making home improvements sooner or later so... SmartDraw has a trial version which you can download in a minute and start using right away. The trial lasts for 8 days so you can experiment with it a lot first before buying. Happy planning!

Rainy Days and Mondays

I don't know if I've written a post with the same title before but I can't think of anything more apt to name this post than just that... I woke up feeling sick this morning, I had an upset stomach and I had to haul myself down to the bathroom three times to throw up! And it was before 6am! Needless to say, by the time my stomach started to settle down and my hubby's 6:30am alam went off, I was feeling all the more tired and sleepy and wretched... and to make matters worse, the rain started pouring. Oh, normally I would be happy getting a little rainfall in this heat but I guess I was just feeling bad that the rain didn't do anything much to uplift my spirits. By the time I sent hubby off to work, I was dragging my feet just so I could get hot water for my tea and a muffin from the bread box. So anyway, here I am... at home (i decided not to go to work today)... trying to lift my mood by blogging... It's working a little bit but I still feel sleepy... Maybe later I'lll go back to bed and sleep... but for now, I am browsing the net for more home improvement ideas and probable deals on building materials while finishing off my tea.

Parents for a Day

the breeze outside and the clucking chickens nearby was keeping her busy

a picture with Uncle Charlie before they went on a short walk around the village

It was a welcome surprise that my neice Marianne came for a visit today... Well, she was not alone of course, because if my 8-month-old neice can come visit me on her own then that would be cause for a media-frenzy! Anyway, My dad and baby sister Mae, came over for a visit and they brought Marianne with them. After a while Daddy said he was going somewhere for a while so Marianne was left with me and hubby and my baby sister Mae. Mae decided to watch Enchanted so I took charge of the baby. It wasn't really hard to take care of Marianne because she always has a happy disposition, besides I am not new to taking care of babies because I had to take care of my youngest sister when she was just a baby. Charlie took turns carrying Marianne because Daddy did not bring a stroller. It was such a welcome surprise to see Charlie playing with the baby and not making her cry (as he usually does every other child that we see). But of course when Marianne made poo-poo, I was the one who had to clean her and change her because hubby and Mae didn't want anything to do with it, hehehe! It was tiring (because we had to carry her most of the time) but entertaining and quite satisfying to be able to take care of a baby again. The verdict? Marianne will be a regular weekend visitor from now on... Charlie said we were going to pick her up Saturday morning next weekend! Well, I guess being parents for a day left a positive mark on hubby!

here she is munching on a cracker

and then here making "pa-ulan"

and here playing with the camera case

here, she shows off her itsy bitsy teeth (she was jumping while the picture was taken)

and then tired from doing all her tricks, winded down to rest...

Heavens Paradox

I came upon Heavens Paradox while bloghopping and it really left quite an impression on me. I mean what's there not to notice? First the title -- I mean how can one not notice that? It tickles one's imagination. And then when you visit the site, you will see under the blog's title this line "where angels fear to tread..." But then when you read the posts, you will realize that it's not what one would initially think... It actually is a blog just like any other... It documents the owners' opinion and whatnot. And like most blogs today, it takes advantage of opportunities to earn. Heavens Paradox truly is a good example of getting paid to blog. I mean there's a wide variety of products that a blogger can write about and since you're writing about them anyway, why not get paid to blog? Heavens Paradox is really quite an interesting read. The posts are varied and one may even pick up a pointer or two by browsing the many different categories it caters to.

Makati Adventure

First of all, let me just say that it has been quite a while since I visited Makati. Besides, I have never been known for skills in locating places most specially while commuting. I am a self-confessed "geographically challenged" person and I am not ashamed of admitting it. Ok, having said that... Hubby (who by the way has never been to the places we went to yesterday) and I went to the Atrium in Makati for our Pag-ibig counselling seminar and to Herrera Tower where Charles Builders (Gecland Dev. Corp.) was housed. We are already on the final steps in acquiring our own home and so it was quite an exciting day for us. We set off on our "adventure" at around 8am (I know it's quite late considering we didn't know exactly where we were going and we were supposed to be there by 10am for the seminar but I forgot some of the papers we were going to bring in my office so we had to swing by there first before going to Makati) and arrived at the Atrium of Makati at exactly 10:45am. Yes folks, it took us two and a half hours to get from Las Piñas to Makati. Why? Well, needless to say, because of the slower than turtle speed of traffic, plus we were unsure of where to walk to when we got off the bus so... Anyways, we were informed that we were already too late for the 10-12 Seminar and that the next developer-assisted seminar would be at 3pm that day or 9am the next day so we opted to wait for the 3pm one. We decided to go to Herrera Tower first so we could sign documents and submit the requirements we lacked before to the developer of the townhouse we were acquiring. But before doing so, we had a quick bite to eat first. We got to Charles Builders at around 12:30 and had to wait another 30 minutes to get assisted because it was their lunch break. Anyway, by 1pm hubby and I were both signing away at a couple of inches thick of documents. After being evaluated and rated fit-to-go, our papers were submitted and the only thing we needed to do was attend the seminar at Pag-Ibig. We went back to the Atrium at around 2:30pm, armed ourselves with bottled Iced Tea and waited for the 3pm seminar. It could have lasted for just an hour but of course a lot of people had a lot of questions so it lasted an hour and fourty-five minutes. We were given the certificate we needed and off we went by a quarter to five. We were so hungry and tired by this time (plus the heat wasn't helping) so we decided to walk to Landmark and have something to eat there. Now, normally I would have window shopped or even bought something in the mall but I was starting to feel the onslaught of migrane so we just ate at the food center in the basement and grabbed food for muffy (our dog) and pizza for our dinner and went to find our means of transportation home. I know we could have walked towards SM near the MRT station for the FX taxi's which would only cost 45 bucks each but like I said, I was too tired already and my head was starting to pound so we just endured the long queue at the taxi bay at the Landmark. We got home at around 8pm and we paid 200 bucks for the taxi fare (the meter showed only 150 but we were gateful to reach home without negotiating with the cab driver so it was only fitting that we give him the 50 pesos tip). I could have gone online last night and blogged for a while but I just didn't have the strength so I ate a couple of slices of Pizza drank lots and lots of water, took a shower, watch PBB teen edition while waiting for my hair to get dry and then slept! It was quite an adventure but it was fulfilling to know that we have accomplished a lot yesterday and we just have to wait for 7 working days to get approval of our housing loan (I'm keeping my fingers crossed). Today, we are going on another hunting trip. This time we're looking for building materials for the home improvement of my parents' house in Parañaque. Haay, life...

I Can't Stand the Heat!

It really is getting hotter and hotter everyday here in the Philippines... and the ongoing constructions near our office isn't helping at all. Aside from the heat, I also have to endure the dust and the fumes! It's a miracle my asthma is not acting up yet! Anyway, what I really want right now is a nice cold platter of banana split and I am going to ask hubby to get me one later today... Well, I gotta go if I want to catch the Mass and Novena at St. Andrew's today...

Terrific Tuesday

I normally wouldn't call a day which started with an upset stomach a terrific one but I am bursting at the seams with happiness at little secret that I am trying to keep for a while. I just need a little more time before I can write about it... Soon I hope!

Anyway, yesterday was a non-working holiday so hubby and I just stayed home all day, watching DVD and being couch potatoes. I gave him a pedicure and manicure (it's one thing I enjoy doing for my loved ones) which he loved and then I gave myself the same treatment too... I tried on this shocking red color on my fingernails which surprised Charlie because I normally don't wear nail polish but then again I just wanted to be different...

Today, I woke up not feeling so well... I had a slight headache plus my stomach was rumbling a bit. I thought I was just hungry so I drank a cup of coffee and ate breakfast. By the way, hubby went to work earlier than usual today so I had my coffee and breakfast alone... After eating, my upset stomach got a bit worse so I went back to bed for a while and was contemplating on whether I was going to work or not. After a while though, my stomach seemed to have settled into its normal state so I took a shower and went to work. Now I tell you, I'm still not that enthusiastic about work because the workload is super heavy these days and the summer heat is really adding to the burden of doing the work in a room with no airconditioning unit but like I said... I have a secret... and it's keeping a smile on my face no matter what...

Business Tool

For quite sometime now, I have been thinking of starting a small online business... I just haven't gotten around to organizing the details just yet but if this plan pushes through, I know I'd want to utilize shopping cart software that would make it easy for my customers to order from me. And I found just what I was looking for in Ashop Commerce. They provide all the services that one could ever hope for in starting their own online business and so much more!



I have looked at different softwares and after reading and researching about each one's strengths and user-friendliness, I came to find out that using a shopping cart software is quite easy and would surely make a budding online entrepreneur happy. You don't even have to take my word for it, try it for yourself and see how easy it is. There's a demo store found in their site that makes you want to jump in and start your business right away. Do visit their site and find out more about this innovative way of starting your own online business venture. Now I am excited more than ever to get this business on the road already so I can use the shopping cart software.

Floor Tiles and Paint Color

Yesterday was quite a tiring yet satisfying trip to builders' stores for me and hubby. We only went to 3 stores but we chose the big ones known for their wide variety of choices and competitive prices. We were able to look at lots and lots of tiles, some of our choices were really expensive though so are still going to have a second canvassing trip before making any purchases. It's better na to be on the safe side, you know, renovating a house isn't a task one could take lightly specially if you're like us who are on a very limited budget. At least we have narrowed our tile choices to 5 na lang plus we've also decided to have a different tile design and color for the 2nd floor of the house instead of making it the same as the one downstairs. We were also able to look at different paint color choices and we've agreed that a scheme with earth colors in it would be best for our living and dining areas

I used the Sherwin-Williams color visualizer in the picture above and were able to choose the paint color from there too. The walls are going to be in Ivoire and Dapper Tan while the Trim is going to be Softened Green. This would go very well with our "wood look" tiles! I am getting more excited by the minute... hopefully we will be able to make our home look pretty with the choices that we are making. And although our home is not going to be as big as the one shown in the picture, we are going to try our best to make every single space count while making it cozy and comfy for us and whoever will be visiting us. Next up, I'll be posting pics of how I would like our tiny kitchen to look like...

Who Wears the Pants?

Here is another test I snagged from Juliana. I guess I have to compromise a little when it comes to my hubby because I definitely don't want him to be an "Andres de Saya"!

You Wear the Pants

You definitely wear the pants in your relationship, and you guy doesn't seem to mind. Your guy seems to worship you, and you could get away with murder... if you wanted. Enjoy your princess status, but don't exploit it too much. Even if your guy doesn't require compromise, it would be nice if you let him get his way more often.

Who Wears the Pants... You or Your Guy?

Links Galore!

Here's a tag I got from Juliana several days back... Sorry for taking so long in posting this, anyway, here it is:

~~Begin Copy~~
This is the easy way and the fastest way to :

1. Make your Authority Technorati explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Make new friends.
   

Rules :

1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag as many friends as you want.

1. Picturing of Life2. Juliana’s Site3. Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future4. Jeanne-The Callalily Space5. Starz in De Sky6. My Charmed Life7. Denz Techtronics8. Denz Recreational9. Life’s Simple Pleasures10. My Blog11. Because Life is Fun12. In This Game of Life13. Scribbles of my Life14. Changing Lanes15. This is what my heart says…16. A mom’s note17. Tasteful Voyage18. Jackie’s Everyday Life19. Jackie Simply Pinay20. Gerthy’s Scrapbook21. Gerthy Sanctary23. Asawa’s Love Book24. A Mother’s Journal25. Simple Life, Simply Me26. Pinaymama’s Diary27. so it goes. . . 28. Hailey’s Beats and Bits 29. Hailey’s Beats and Bits .Com 30. Juliana’s World 31. Juliana’s Lair 32. My Library 33. Winged Words
Insert your blog here.
~~End Copy~~

Now I'm tagging Jhona and Mae

Taking the First Step

Several posts ago I mentioned about our pending move to our new home (our own, this time) and now we are taking the first step to renovating this very bare house into making it our very own... Later today we will be visiting home improvement stores and building supply shops so we could canvass on materials we would be needing to at least make the basic improvements before we finally move in. Since we are working with a limited budget, we decided to be super hands-on with all the improvements and maybe even do some of the work ourselves. Our major objective today is to be able to find floor tiles that we would both like which would be easy to manage as well as last the test of time. Hubby prefers the "wood look" and I'm okay with that as long as it's not too dark. So, armed with the measurements we took from our last visit to our house, we would be visiting as many stores as possible and find the cheapest materials we could find without compromising the quality, of course! Our first stop would probably be Wilcon because they have lots of stuff to choose from and then we'll be store hopping from there. Also, we've decided that we would just be renovating the floors first and then make a division for one bedroom (the house has provisions for 3 bedrooms) and then the countertop and maybe even cabinets for the kitchen. This is our priority so that when we move in we would have the basic needs. Later on, when we have saved more money, we'll do the rest of the needed renovations. So keep your fingers crossed for us that we find something on our hunting trip today!

Saturday Self-Portrait #4

I didn't post a self-portrait last weekend because I've decided to make this an every other week thing... Anyways, here's my current entry:

Well, actually it defies the title because this is not a self-portrait -- it was taken by my hubby -- and it wasn't actually a photograph, I just took part of a video he took of me while eating noodles in front of the PC. hahaha!

Getting visual answers

Jhona tagged me with this a couple of days back. Sorry sis for taking so long in posting it, I just got a little busy with work. Anyway, here it is:

1. Go to http://www.photobucket.com/.
2. Type in your answer to the question in the "search" box.
3. Use only the first page.
4. Insert the picture into your blog.


1. What is your relationship Status?



2. What is your current mood?

3. Who is your favorite band/artist?

4. What is your favorite movie?

5. What kind of pet do you have?

6. Where do you live?

7. Where do you work?

8. What do you look like?

9. What do you drive?

I WISH!

10. What did you do last night?

11. What is your favorite TV show?

12. Describe yourself.

13. What are you doing today?

14. What is your name?

15. What is your favorite candy?

My Blog Rating

Promise, this is my last blog thingie... for the day, hahaha! I guess it really is addicting once you started it. Anyways, this is the result I got when I had my blog reviewed and rated:

This Page is Rated

PG-13

charlize06.blogspot.com

Why? I really don't know why I didn't get a G rating... my page is very wholesome! hahaha! You can grab this blog rating thing too and find out if your blog's audience should be strictly for adults!

Chinese Animals

Here's another blog thing I got from Juliana... I checked the results for me


and hubby


Well... what can I say... most of it is true! And I say that for both mine and hubby's chinese animal results!