She's a Revelation

I have always been mentioning that there are 6 of us girls in the family. I've already made a post or two about my 2 teenage sisters. I've also written about my 4th grader sibling, Junie once. Our bunso, Haley, is a regular feature of my blog that she even has her own label. One girl, however, seems to be MIA but now's her time to shine! :)

Friends, please join me in congratulating Micah as she bagged the 1st place in the Regional Young Writers' Confererence and Contest - Newswriting Category!

She bested out contenders from the National Capital Region and even though I can't believe it at first, I am just so proud of her achievement. She used to be belittled by many because all 3 of us (Faye, Choy and myself) were grade school valedictorians but this time she's showing the world what she got! In fact, she'll be traveling to Butuan early next year for the Nationals. Keep up the good job, sis! Make the family even more proud!


(Side note: A few months back, I challenged her that if she makes it to the Top 5 of her class, a Dampa feast is on me on her Graduation Day. I said that because I thought that it's impossible. Looks like I have to get my moolah ready! Hahahaha.)

Thanksgiving! :-)

I originally wanted to put "Congratulate Me" in the title but since it's Thanksgiving today (yeah, it's only in the US but what the heck, haha), I thought I might as well give thanks *wink*

First off, thank God because Haley had a blast in her 2nd birthday party! Thanks to everyone who came, and for the prettiest gifts! The story about the celebration is for another post :)

And then here's the main kwento...

Since we had a dinner party last night, we got home around 10 already. And even if all of us are tired, we still had to do some post-celeb stuff so it's already 1AM when I hit the sack. I woke up half past 9 and I was dragging myself out of the bed. I actually want to take a sick leave then doze off but SLs are convertible so I dismissed the idea *evil laugh*. Needless to say, I got up and went out of my room to start prepping myself.

When I got to the living room, I found Haley being the bibo kid again, add the fact that she's still not over her birthday. She was checking out her dress and new toys and telling everyone snippets of her party. Just imagine how much I want to stay so I could hang out with her. Then I turned the laptop on and we viewed the pictures and video from last night and there she was, like a commentator dropping side comments for each picture in the entire slideshow! *Sigh* I could spend an entire day chit-chatting with Haley and never get tired ^_^

Afterwards, I did my morning ritual. Check my Gmail, visit my blog then hop to my favorite blogs, and most importantly (because I can't do it in the office), log on to Facebook. I spent another 30 minutes online before I was able to convince myself to go take a bath.

It was already 12:30 when I was officially good to go. Still pep-talking myself, I headed to the bus station. Inside the bus, I suddenly remembered that there's a Thanksgiving Sale today at SM Makati, and again I thought of ditching work and going straight to Ayala Center to take advantage of the sale. The fare that I paid for will suffice anyway.

Think... *bus goes past Filmore St.*

think... *crosses Osmena Highway*

think... *takes a few passengers in Mayapis*

To work or not to work? *passes by Washington*

Think some more... *halts by the stop light at Chino Roces Ave.*

Ending: The good girl in me prevailed. I got off at Export Bank Plaza and badged in at 1:15PM. Thank God for giving me enough discipline and self-control today :)

Happy Thanksgiving! And oh, I deserve a congratulations, don't I? :)

She's Two!

Happy birthday to my charming daughter, errr, baby sister

Haley!

 She's wearing a mini version of her ates' uniform because she's envious.

And then she takes her Dora bag and asks Dad to bring her to school.

Yeah, she's bibo like that! ^_^

Here's to more years of waking me up in the morning saying "Opis ka na, Ate Em", and waiting for me to get home asking for "Obong" (pasalubong, that is), lots of smooches throughout the day and warm hugs that make everything okay.

God bless you Haley dear. Ate Em and Nonong Jhay love you so big! ^_^

Brownies are ♥

Yesterday Honey and I went to Glorietta for a quick lunch date and we happen to pass by a Brownies Unlimited stall. I admit I was impelled to try it just because of the raffle. I mean, who wouldn't want 100 Boxes of Brownies for Christmas, right?

It's the perfect giveaway this season! :)
Photo taken from their official site.

And then I took the first bite. It was sooooooo yummy I found myself savoring the chocolate-y goodness with eyes closed. Hahahaha. No, really, what I liked about it is that it's moist and sweet just enough to keep you craving another piece. I actually wanted to consume the 6-pak in one sitting but I'm glad I didn't because when I ate another one today, I knew I had to blog about it. 

You guys should try Brownies Unlimited for yourself! And if ever you win, don't forget my share, ha? :)

This Made Me Happy

It was a tough day in the office, so tough that I was crying in front my PC. Hahahaha. Yeah, I felt like a fool afterwards. I don't wanna share anymore why I cried but I wanna share something that helped me feel good...^_^

 

I know I have already shared the story about these pictures here but the soft copies I have only remembered to download a while ago. I love the big frame in the second picture and the top frame in the last one. How about you, what do you think is our best shot? :)

The Table... *Bow*

I was enjoying the silence of my room this afternoon when Mom suddenly came in showing me a flyer of Shopwise's Furniture Sale. I've been wanting to buy a new table where I can put the laptop and the printer side by side because I think the typical computer table setup is sooo yesterday. So I checked the flyer and I was instantly smitten by the low low prices.  At once I asked dad to accompany me to Shopwise to see the pieces for myself.

When I saw the one I was eyeing earlier, I knew right there that I'm gonna buy it. I thought hard, trying to figure out if my impulses are getting the better of me again. Needless to say, the impulse won. Funny because while the salesman was explaining to Dad how to assemble it, I was already imagining myself taking a picture of it and blogging about it. Hahaha. Excited much.

Fast forward to getting home. Granny (the same one I was talking about here) welcomed us with a heartwarming remark: "San mo naman ilalagay yan? Ibababa mo yung gamit ko, hindi ako papayag. Kung gusto mo yan buuin dun mo ilagay sa inyo!" Thank you very much. *Sigh*

I was infuriated. I was thinking she could have said that earlier just so I didn't purchase the d*mn table. I was so mad I was actually thinking of moving out. Uggh. We've been living under the same roof since time immemorial and we had had a lot of fights like this in the past and I feel so fed up already. She nags about everything: the water consumption, the kids running around, the tenants not going home often, the groceries I put in the fridge, the time I spend in front if the PC, the neighbor's daughter, the neighbor's daughter marrying too soon. Geez.

I want some peace and quiet. I want my own space :(

Babe, let's buy our own house, shall we?

P.S. About the table? It's dumped in my room, not even taken out of its box :(

Today It's Official

It's Christmas at home!!! ^_^

Oooops, sorry I got carried away. It's been years since we last put up a Christmas tree here at home that's why I was very much enthused as we assembled it again this morning. I was suddenly nostalgic while hanging the ornaments. I remembered how I posed by the tree every single Christmas morning. And I unearthed pictures to share with you:

I was amused looking at how I was all dolled up - complete with headband and stockings and a girly-girl bag. But what amused me all the more was that it was the same tree through the years! After two decades, it still stands mighty proud, look:

Tomorrow we'll be adding Christmas lights to complete it. With decorations all around the house, I can already feel the spirit of the season.

Next target: Shop for gifts to wrap and put underneath the tree! :D

A Quick Trip to Divisoria

Haley will be turning two in a week and being the stage sister that I am, I woke up early yesterday to go to Divisoria to buy stuff for her loot bag. Sure Jollibee (that's where she wants her birthday celebrated... choosy little girl! haha) can provide those but their standard loot costs 25 pesos with not-so-good items while that amount will already go a long way in DV. I made it a point to get there before 9AM because the place gets too hot and crowded when it's late especially since the holidays are around the corner. By the way, I tagged Tita Antin along and she obliged because she wanted to scout for new Christmas decors pala.

With loot bag goodies and decors on top of our list, we went to Divisoria Mall first. DV Mall is a shopping arcade where you can buy almost everything - from clothes to accessories, school supplies to party favors, gift items to electronics - albeit (a lot) cheaper if wholesale. We roamed around for a while to look for the store with the lowest price. Here are what we got:

Cute transparent drawstring pouches at 6php/pc.

This will serve as Haley's loot bag.

 Dora and Toy Story towelettes. 80php per pack of 12.

Wall decor that's worth 100php in other stores but we got it for 70php.

Assorted Christmas tree ornaments for 10php per pack if wholesale.

We got two packs per design to meet the minimum wholesale requirement of 6.

Retail price is Php15. Big difference, no?

Afterwards, we went to the wet market at the mall's basement. There you can find candies and other treats (although I'm not really sure if they're clean and safe), cheap toys and our prospect: bubbles! Haley loves them!

Bubble solutions in a toy cellphone container at 8php/pc.

They come in different sizes and colors.

Next, we walked along Tabora Street. Here is where you can find affordable made-to-order souvenirs for your events, more Christmas decors and other specialty shops (costumes, masks, etc). I was in pursuit of lei to complete my Christmas Party look, and I was successful :)

 Lei at 50php.

Tita also bought a couple more decors there:

 Sparkly Banners - originally at 50php each but we got it at 40php

 Christmas balls at 35php per pack of 6.

Then we passed by M. De Santos Street where we were able to buy garlands for 25php (they're sold at 35php along Tabora Street). This is also where I found towelettes same as those that I bought in Divi Mall, with a variety of designs to chose from, for only 5php each. That makes 2 dozens 40 pesos cheaper! :(

It's your usual Christmas garland, I just formed it into a heart for the picture. Hahaha.

Lastly, we wandered in Ylaya - a street full of clothes, clothes and more clothes - in search of skirts for sissies. Sadly though, we didn't find one that suits our taste so I ended up buying Ang Pao instead.

 Red envelopes to put my aguinaldo for godchildren in :)

Finally, after about 3 hours of bargain shopping, we decided to go home. We were able to buy what we need but we promised to be back to tick more items off our Christmas list.

For those who want to spread the love this Yuletide but are on a budget, Divisoria surely is the place to be!

Some tips when going to Divi Land:

1. Christmas is super peak season for Divisoria so if your schedule permits, go on a weekday. Going there when most of the shopping public are busy in the office will save you a lot of headache.
2. Dress down and always keep a towel or hanky handy. Also, if possible, wear no jewelry at all. Crooks shop too, so be vigilant.
3. Bring a big plastic bag, or better yet, a reusable (and again, big) shopping bag because it's more convenient than wandering with a lot of small ones.
4. Do not settle for the one you see first. Chances are, the next one you see is cheaper and better *ouch!*
5. Scrutinize the items you buy. Watch out for defective parts or missing pieces.
6. Haggle. Most vendors will say it's already their wholesale price but it's worth a try. The few pesos you save in one purchase can be good for another one. You're in DV, remember? ;-)

Happy Shopping, everyone! :)

The Tale of my Mane

I've been sporting a boring hairstyle for years until yesterday when I finally got the will to go to the salon for a cut (in keeping with my aim of a "productive weekend" :D). As Nica, the stylist, was working with her shears we were making small talk and that's when I realized that the last time that I got my hair cut was on my 20th birthday! Woah, that was two years and five months ago!

Celebrated with my girlfriends and capped the day off with a studio shot.

So Young by The Corrs kept playing in my head when I saw this! Hahahaha

I missed to include in my 7 random things list that it takes forever for my hair to grow an inch or two. I don't know if it's a good thing because I get to save on salon trips (LOL) or could be a sign that it's not healthy. Look at just how much it's grown:

Seriously? 2 years and 5 months and just that?

It's kinda hard to maintain already, aside from the fact that the ends don't look good anymore. Guess how it looked after the cut? :D

*drum roll*

It's still boring, I knooooooooow! Hahaha. That's because I only wanna have a totally new bob if I'll have a rebond after. I haven't had anything done to my hair eversince and I don't wanna risk. I think it's pretty okay without  extra treatment, don't you think too? ^_^

Oh well, I'm just thankful that most of the length is gone! And it looks healthy already as the ugly part was chopped off! Hurray for a new... errr... not-so-new do! Now I wonder... when will the next cut be? :D

I Almost Fainted at Forever21

Not because there were too much people inside making it hard to breathe because if you've been there you'd know that the store was humongous (yes humongous is the term because it was a vast space filled with tons and tons of clothes and bags and shoes and kikay stuff!) I almost fainted because I went inside the store skeptical about me being able to get clothes my size but lo and behold, I went to the fitting room to try on 2 beautiful dresses and they perfectly fit!

I gave Forever21 a try because I need a floral dress for Headstrong's Luau-themed Christmas Party, and I wasn't disappointed! I got a simple-but-chic tube for only Php 569! Where else can a find something this pretty considering that I am full-figured? It really is a great find!

And then it's time for me try on the little black dress. I really don't need one but I couldn't resist love at first sight. When I put it on, it was, for a lack of a more apt adjective, breath-taking. Noreen and Jaq was with me inside the fitting room and they were laughing at me because I was looking at the mirror and screaming like a teenager looking at her crush. Really. I was going gaga over an LBD. Hahahaha.

I wanted to take a picture of the dresses on a hanger but they don't do them justice. So at the risk of spoiling my look on our Christmas Party and *insert non-existent event where I will wear the LBD here*, here they are:

I tried them on when I got home yesterday and fit them again a while ago to take pictures. Haha.

I also bought a pair of earrings to match my floral dress for Php 245. Yay, all I need to buy is a lei and I'm good to go! ^_^

Now that I know where I could find fab items at a reasonable price, I can hardly wait for my 13th Month Pay! Hahaha.

Another satisfied customer. See you again really soon F21!

I Suck

Yeah, I really do. Why? Because I said in my previous post that there'll be a posting marathon last weekend but I haven't posted anything for the last seven days! Nil. Nada. Not even one. My sincerest apologies for being so lazy and stubborn.

On a lighter note, I love love love this weekend because I'll be having five days off work! F-I-V-E. Heavenly. Well, you know that Tuesday's a holiday and now that our project is over, I filed Monday and Wednesday as CTO (Complimentary Time-off, that's what you get when you sum up all your OT hours, I ♥ Headstrong). I really hope I'll be able to do productive things during the long break. My friends are expecting a lot from this blog me. Talk about peer pressure. Hahaha.

Oh, so far I'm doing good at being productive because I was able to scour some good finds yesterday at SM Megamall, but that's for another post. Stay tuned :)

Bench Poster for Greenday Wednesdays

While I'm still warming up for my posting marathon this weekend, let me share with you this poster that I saw at the Bench store in Cash and Carry Mall, Makati. I thought it's cool =)

 

I love the No Plastic Bag every Wednesday initiative. I saw this first in SM Supermalls and I've read that the DENR is encouraging more establishments to participate. Kudos to the stores and supermarkets taking part in this. And another kudos to Bench for a creative campaign. I hope all shops nationwide follow suit, soon.

Hear, hear to saving the environment, one plastic bag at a time! ^_^

Greenday Wednesdays by Bench
For one day you can help Mother Earth be a better place for future generations by bringing your own bag when purchasing any store item on Wednesdays. Bench Paper and plastic bags requested at the counter will be billed accordingly.

Change is Good

Hurray for a new layout! ^_^

Well, yeah, it kinda looks like a school girl's blog and contradicts the "young woman" part in the description but I love how it looks clean and organized and colorful and easy on the eyes :-)

It has a wider space for the posts too, which I super duper like!

And have you noticed those little icons beside Posted by and Labels? Aren't they the cutest things? ^_^

I am totally lovin' this new look, except that it's a boy in the bicycle. But that's hardly noticeable, right? Hahaha.

I have yet to do some more tweaking, so please stay tuned. Oh and one more thing, I'd love to hear what you think :-)

JLTS Get-together 2010

We don't know if it's by chance or by choice but my highschool barkada, JLTS (short for Judith Learns to Sing), only meets once a year and that for 2010 happened last Thursday, October 28. After so many discussions on the rendezvous, we settled for Cable Car along Arnaiz Avenue in Makati.

To start off, we had Nachos. I'm not very fond of salsa so I barely ate it but they finished the entire plate so I can assume it was good. It was kinda pricey though, large platter was at Php515.

 
For the main meal, we ordered the Cable Car Combo Pizza, Carbonara and Chicken Cordon Bleu. If you've been reading my blog, you'd know that the latter is a personal favorite :-)

 
The moment I sliced the Chicken Cordon Bleu, I knew my tastebuds will be very pleased! I loved the juicy chicken meat complimented by the melted cheese *drools*. I didn't even make use of the dressing, it's delicious all by itself :-)

 
The Carbonara is okay but I think my carbonara tastes better. Haha. No, I'm not bias! I have tried Shakey's' and Red Ribbon's and they both hit the mark for me but this one is a few notches short. Anyhoo...

 
And then the pizza! It's good! Sadly though, we had to take half of it home because we are too stuffed already.

 
For the drinks, I originally ordered iced tea but changed my mind when I took a sip from Dianne's Mango Shake. Good thing they allowed me to change my order. I soooooo loved it!

 (L-R) Pam had iced tea, Maine had Green Mango Shake and

Judith, Dianne and I had Ripe Mango Shake.

The two hours that we stayed in Cable Car was multi-tasking at it's finest. We ate, chit-chatted and took a lot of pictures at the same time. 

(L-R) Me, Dianne, Judith

 

 (L-R) Pam, Maine and Me.

 Crazy shots!

In the middle of camwhoring, as Pam stretched her arms to take a picture of us 5, a tall guy approached us saying "Hey, let me take a picture of you" and guess what, it was no less than...

Photo courtesy of Danny's YGroup

All of us were dumbfounded but still smiled sheepishly for the camera. After the shot, he gave the camera back and went on with his life while we're still starstruck. Hahaha.

 Notice how we transformed into finesse femmes in this shot.. Hahaha

The minutes that followed were spent thinking about how to approach him and have a picture taken with him (not just BY him haha). Not that we're fans. We just wanted a proof that he was the oh-so-kind guy who took a decent picture of us! LOL. And then when we finally mustered enough courage to walk up to him, a supermodel-esque gal came in and gave him a peck on the cheek. And that's our cue. We headed towards the exit disappointed and saying "Sayang!" again and again.

 This is our only proof that he was there! Pathetic! Hahaha

Oh by the way, let me mention how surprised I was when we got the bill. PhP 2080 for the food mentioned above?! Upon checking, we found out that almost 200 pesos was due to the service charge. If not for the Chicken Cordon Bleu, I'll say that it's not worth the price. But in fairness, the ambiance is cozy and laid-back, and there were very few people that night making us feel that we have the entire place all to ourselves, so okay narin :D

Next stop was Starbucks Greenbelt (a walking distance from Cable Car). Thanks to the boyfriends Chriz and Deniel for hanging out with us! Looking at the couples made me miss my Jhay :(

 Maine and Deniel & Pam and Chriz

Over the free frap and pastry courtesy of the guys, we reminisced about our highschool days - the teachers, the classmates and most especially the mischiefs. Amidst the boisterous laughters, we spotted guys from the latest season of PBB (sorry I don't know the names) and took a picture with them. Yeah, this time we didn't let the chance pass. Hahaha.

 Happy much?! Hahaha. It's actually because the guy in white (Ryan, right?) said

"Wait, where do we look?" as Chriz and Deniel simultaneously took pictures.

At around 11pm, we had to call it a night. We thought we should take a picture of all 7 of us so I stretched my arms to shoot when another foreigner offered help. Amusing because instead of kababayans offering help, foreigners pa!

 Photo taken by a foreign passer-by :)

So there, we had a great souvenir shot of the JLTS meet-up for 2010. Thanks again to the day's Good Samaritans! Till next night-out, sissums, and hopefully not on 2011! ;-)