My mama loves Country Music. I actually grew up listening to the soundtrack Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, John Denver and Dolly Parton.
So whenever I miss home and my family, I listen to Country Music. It reminds me of home and the happy days. It erases my homesickness and released my stress and has a calming effect on me. Do you like country music?
Country Music anyone?
Litratong Pinoy #8: Dalampasigan
La Luz, Batangas
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Ito ang aking lahok sa Litratong Pinoy.
Wedding Invitations
This friend of mine who is getting married on August 8 had their wedding invitations done by VistaPrint.ca. They didn’t really need a lot of invitations since they are planning to go to Las Vegas for their wedding. Since it entails traveling and buying your own tickets and booking hotels, only immediate family and relatives will be willing to attend. I tried to volunteer to be their official photographer just to get free tickets. But of course they prefer professional photographers.
Anyway, they were quite happy with the outcome of their wedding invitations. They actually used their pictures in the invitations. And though they only agreed on the wedding date four months ago, they were still able to get them with plenty of time to mail it to their family and friends.
Another friend of mine whose daughter will be celebrating her 18th birthday on the 5th had their invitation also printed out by VistaPrint.ca. It’s easy, very convenient and no hassles.
So next time you have an event to celebrate, whether it’s for a wedding, anniversary, birthday, welcoming a new member of the family, business announcement or any other special occasions, you might want to consider VistaPrint.ca. You can use one of their templates, or use your own designs, or even upload your picture.
Desperately seeking your help!
I would appreciate your inputs/comments/feedback on my dilemna here.
Please don't get me wrong, I don't like comparing my kids, but I just need to paint the picture for you to see and understand the situation. Thanks in advance!
A bridal shower
To tell you the truth, I've attended only 2 weddings in Canada and this is the first bridal shower.
We threw a bridal shower for a friend who is getting married next month in Las Vegas. And I notice that nobody was taking pictures. There is one member of the family who is taking video of the whole event. It's a good thing I bought my Nikon with me...
I took over 150 pictures and to summarized the day, I plan to print these in 8x10 and frame it and give it as a gift... Her favorite color is green so this is perfect theme for her.
Here's what I've done --
The groom was there at the party... and he saw part of it...
She received about 10 lingerie...
And a mop and broom from her future MIL. [???]
The only contest we did was making bridal gown using paper towels and toilet papers. And the groom picked the winner.
These pictures [with credits] are also posted at my scrapbook blog.
Celebrity Sighting: The Obsourne
This afternoon, we had Ossy and Sharon Osbourne past by airport security. I've heard of their names but did not really know them until a co-worker pointed them out to me. And she went on and on about how they fell in love and their struggles up to their illness.
New career path
Hubby used to be an Engineer back home. That has been his profession for over 10 years. He loved it but he also wanted to be a computer wiz.
When we decided to move to Canada, he tried to look for an Engineering job here. He learned that he needs to go back to school and be certified in Canada to be able to step into an Engineering career once more.
He then decided that if he is going back to school, he might as well change career path. Because IT is more in-demand than Engineer. So he decided to take up IT. He went back to school full time for 6 months and now holds CISCO certificate, Microsoft MSCE and MCP certificate, CompTIA and Novell certificates. I'm sure he has more credentials than the ones I've mentioned here.
He started with a small family business back in Toronto. And slowly move from one company to the next, until he landed his current job with a big corporation. He is now very much happy with his new career path. At least with IT, you don't need to worry about losing your job. Majority of the companies, small or big, needs IT people to handle and manage their business.
So if you are thinking of changing a career path, you might want to consider taking Cisco certification program. The fundamentals don't change so much once your network is in place. Hubby enjoys the setting up stage of networking. He finds it very challenging.
My birthday celebration
We celebrated my birthday with a picnic at Bowness Park. Actually, friends at work wanted me to organized a picnic at the park, and it just so happened that the day we all agreed on was the day of my birthday. And as usual, we have more food than we can ever eat!
Bowness Park
It's BBQ time
Friends from the Airport
Spray pad
Monkey bars and tire swing
And Mini golf time...
We were there from 1:30pm until 8:45pm... I didn't even know it was that late coz the kids were still energetic and having lots of fun!
Thank you gals for a wonderful birthday party!
Mitch Asks #4
On July 19
"What would you do if you ever caught your partner flirting online?"
~ I honestly don't know. But knowing my husband, I don't think he will do that. He doesn't even use YM on a regular basis. So how else could he flirt online?
New wardrobe
Hubby recently bought some new clothes for office and for everyday use. He said he needed some comfortable clothing while I prefer those that he can ‘wash and wear’. Less ironing for me is good. And one of his purchases includes tactical pants. He got one in cotton and one in nylon. Both are great and very comfortable and he loves them.
Diet pills anyone?
I knew a lot of people who are taking diet pills. Some works, some don't. Some have immediate results, but once they stop the diet pills, they can easily gain the weight that they've lost and much more. Some did maintain their weight after and stop taking diet pills. I guess dieting all boils down to your self discipline.
I am not one of those who take diet pills and I never will. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to lose weight badly. But I am just too scared to try those little tablets.
So how do you choose the right diet pills for you? ConsumerPriceWatch.net has reviewed and ranked top selling diet pills in the world based on value, quality, customer feedback, safety, company reputation, reorder rates, customer service, product sensation, packaging, long term benefits, product convenience and weight loss potential. You might want to check out their site. They even provide the links to retailers where you can get them the cheapest.
My Goal and My Birthday
My ultimate goal is to sponsor a child through World Vision. It is going to be a long-term commitment and I am still preparing myself for that one. So for the meantime, I decided to make a small donations to the following charitable organizations. I mailed my donation checks last week to --
- Covenant House Vancouver
- Canadian Red Cross
- Canadian Feed The Children
- Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
- The Cancer Research Society
- Heart and stroke Foundation
- Gawad Kalinga
This is a yearly tradition that I have set up for myself. Every year, on my birthday, I will be making donations as much as I could afford. Care to join me?
*THIS IS NOT A PAID POST *
My new kitchen
When I was still single, I hate the kitchen the most. You will only see me there when I’m hungry. But now that I have a family to feed, I need to provide them with healthier food. So the kitchen is now my second favorite place next to my bedroom.
The one thing that excites me about our new home is my new kitchen with its stylish bar sinks and island countertop.
Acne problems?
My friend, L, visits her dermatologist frequently ever since we were in college. And she’s been spending lots of money for consultation and medicines. Yet, her problem with her pimples is still there. Now, she is looking for alternative acne products to help her with her problem. I do hope that she will be able to find a product that will be suitable to her skin type.
ADHD is the culprit!
You all know that my son is ADHD. And it has not been easy for me to deal with it.
So I decided to create another blog to compile more information on ADHD... do more research... and post some poems to remind myself that there is more to him than his ADHD... and I am definitely not alone in this world.
So if you have time, please visit ADHD is the culprit!
Photo Hunt #19: What is that?
This Photo Hunt is for July 19's theme. I know it's a bit late. I really didn't know what to post for the topic... until today.
In my line of work, we get to see things we don't even want to see. Here is one example --
Do you know what is in the x-ray???
This particular bag is owned by a man.
A small token will be given to the FIRST one who can tell me correctly what is in this image. [Please don't forget to leave your email address so that I can get in touch with you.]
Click here for the themes for 2008
Greetings!
It's MIL's birthday today! Last saturday, they gave her a surprise birthday party [in Manila]. And she was totally speechless.
Everything has been arranged by my SIL [who lives in NYC]. She planned the party the day before they have to go back to NYC.
It's a pity we missed it. But the video and pictures that they shared feels like we were there too.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
On cakes and chocolates
My daughter loves anything sweet. She can forego lunch and dinner in lieu of chocolates and cakes. And so just to discipline her, its very rare that I would have chocolates and cakes in the house except when I’m hosting a get together.
And since I sometimes crave to eat chocolate or cake, I made it a point that it’s something I bring when I’m invited to a party or gathering. That way, I get to eat a slice of it, satisfied my craving and am not forced to finish the whole cake. And my daughter will be forced to eat healthier food.
A toy she can't have
My daughter is turning 8 in 17 days and all she wanted since she was 3 years old is to have a swing sets of her own. Unfortunately, since we lived in apartment buildings, this is impossible to have.
The best that I can do is to bring her to the park and told her to think of the park as our big backyard with her own swing set in it. Fortunately for me, she willingly accepted this idea.
Car Maintenance
I am so clueless when it comes to car maintenance. I don't know the ac compressor from an ac condenser from an ac receiver drier from an ac expansion device. All I know is that all these things pertains to the car's air conditioner.
It's a good thing hubby knows a lot about cars. But then I should know about all these things and much more if I want to keep my car in good condition at all times.
This feet are meant for standing
In my line of work, where I am standing for an average of 8 to 10 hours everyday, it is very important for me to have comfortable socks and shoes.
I remember my first day at the airport, I wasn't wearing a comfortable shoes and I have no socks. After 2 hours of being on the job, I was ready to quit. My feet hurts so much that I can no longer stand up properly. But then I keep telling myself that I need this job and that if my friend can work there for 6 years, why can't I? So I made myself finished my shift for the day and as soon as hubby picks me up, I told him to drive me to the mall because I needed to buy a comfortable shoes and socks. My first day's salary just went to a pair of Naturalizer.
It's been 14 months since that day and I have never felt any soreness on my feet.
Picnic and Birthday
My co-workers asks me to organized a picnic and it just so happen that the day we all agreed upon is on the day of my birthday. It's potluck family picnic and my birthday celebration at Bowness Park.
Ever since I came back from our vacation in the Philippines, I have gained like 10 lbs already! And I need to go on diet. Do you take diet pills? I don't. But if you do, here's a list of best diet pills.
On Cloud 9
I remember the time when hubby was still courting me. We would go up to Tagaytay's Picnic grove and just sit there and gaze at the stars and moon. And he would always say that "I will buy the moon and stars for you if you want." And that made me float in the air. I haven't heard him say that one for a long time, until again recently. Because my birthday is coming up and he doesn't know what to get for me.
Rants
The other day, as I was confiscating a Rubis cuticle scissors from a flight attendant, she said: "I want to break that scissors apart as I don't want you getting it." That flares me up! I told her that I have no interest in her scissors and that I could afford to buy 50 of those if I wanted to and its insulting that she thinks we are confiscating it for our own personal use. I told her that confiscated items are thrown in the garbage and I threw her scissors in the garbage right in front of her. That shuts her up.
Some crew members just don't realized that what we are doing are for their own safety! How could these crew members forget about the crew members who died while on duty on 9/11.
SCA
Sudden Cardiac Arrest [SCA] kills nearly 900 people per day and usually occurs without any warning. As we all know, this could be fatal.
Solution: Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator [ICD]. This devise is used to treat fast heart rates. An ICD implant could detect both slow heart rate or fast heart rate and restore normal rate and rhythm to the heart.
Mitch Asks #3
On July 19 "Do you allow your partner to go on a night out alone (means without you around)?"
~ While we were still in Manila, he used to do that coz its part of his job to entertain expats. As for going out with friends, hubby and I have a lot of common friends from college, so I usually tag along.
But now that we're in Canada, it's very rare that he would go out without me and without our kids. Our lifestyle has changed a lot since then. He is truly a family man now.
My babysitter
I have a 15-year old who babysit for me from time to time, especially this summer. And aside from the compensation, we would download movies for him to watch so that he will not get bored here. But of course, there's only limited movies that we can download. And with the long hours, its easy to watch 2-3 movies a day. I am running our of movies for him to watch. 
I was telling him about the TV series "Perfect Strangers". I have downloaded season 1 and 2 and I told him that he might be interested in this slapstick comedy. It was one of my favorite TV shows. Then hubby ask:
Hubby: "When did the series aired? It's an old seried, he will not be interested in it."
Me: "1986."
Hubby: "AJ, when were you born?"
AJ: "1993."
Hubby: "See Jo, that show is older than him!"
He did watched the first 3 episodes with us and he did find it entertaining. I don't know if he decided to watch the rest of the show.
It suddenly hit me... I am way too old! hahahaha! No more birthday celebration for me - ever!
Remember Boss?
He is hubby's retarded uncle with a good heart and a good appetite. He loves to go out of town especially to Tagaytay. He has been to Hong Kong, Beijing and New York. He said his next target is Canada. I guess it goes with the family. We all love to travel!
But whenever he goes out of town, everybody has to make sure that he doesn't eat anything before the trip or else trouble is not far away. He goes to the bathroom a lot and he has a problem digesting food. So it is quite a relief to know that when the time comes, adult diaper is at his service.
To go camping or not
It is summer time. It’s also a time for some outdoor fun. My friends have been camping for years and they’ve been inviting me to go camping with them. But I know that camping is something that I will not enjoy. Sure, I love outdoors, picnics, hiking, but not camping. Besides I will have to buy travel supplies to be able to go camping and they are not cheap.
Vacation Portal
I've always wanted to buy a time share. I believe that it is a good investment especially if your family is like mine, we just love to travel and explore as much as we could. But since we can’t afford to buy time share, I am happy that Condo Hotel Marketplace offers the ultimate vacation property portal with property listings worldwide. So wherever you wanted to go, they are sure to find you a good deal.
Litratong Pinoy #7: Luntian
Ito ay kuha ko noong pumunta kami sa Cochrane.
Karamihan ng kinakasal dito ay pumupunta sa liwasang mahalaman para mag pa kuha ng kanilang litrato.
Ito ang aking lahok sa Litratong Pinoy.
Custom Boxes
Well it is almost that time in the phase of our lives where we need to pack and move again. This is why custom boxes are very handy. These boxes can be made to order to fit our specific needs. No minimum quantity required. These boxes are also good and strong enough for shipping stuff. The appropriate material that will be used will depend on the size of the box and the weight of what you are packing/shipping.
Lucky me
I guess I am one of those lucky gals who doesn't get pimples a lot. I have a fairly clear skin.
The only time a pimple would show up is before my period starts and it disappears a day or 2 later. It is actually a sign for me that my period is coming. And because of this I never had to use an acne cream.
Compact Flash Memory Card
Compact flash is mainly used for portable electronic devices and most recently became a popular storage medium for digital cameras. From different storage capacity to different speed, you can rely on compact flash memory card.
My old digital camera uses this type of memory card. And I am happy with it. I use my DSLR more, but I still use my good, old reliable digital camera every now and then.
TT #46 : 13 more Movies
We just love to watch movies... at home! We no longer watch movies at the theater. It's way too expensive and our kids can't watch most of these movies anyway.
Here are the last 13 Movies that I've watched
~ The above movies are highly recommended ~
~ Very funny and entertaining ~
~ Hubby loves it! ~
~ Disturbing and Confusing ~
~ My all time favorite ~
~ Not as great as the first trilogy... but it is still a good movie ~
This was the only movie that we watched on the big screen,
while we were on our family vacation in the Philippines!
~ Too violent and bloody ~
~ Boring! ~
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