onesies

hubby and i spend most of our weekends looking and shopping for cute baby stuffs! we started buying the basic cotton newborn tees, mittens, booties already but i've been meaning to look for other cute and stuffs for b. boy!:) something unique, crazy and cute!




found these cute dino (carter's), trucks (fisher price) onesies in one of our routinary malling on weekends! :) i wanted to buy more but the rest of the designs were for little princesses already:D so i had to settle for these two :)

bought this cute bibs too in one of the summer bazaars in tiendesitas :) winnie the pooh used to be kyle's theme when he was a baby. his room, his toys, blankets! everything! now, hubby and i are looking into more sporty themes like basketball, soccer and cars the baby coming!:)

got a number of onesies and baby shirts too! some are still big for a newborn, but i just can't help to be "atat' whenever i see cute stuffs for b.boy :) i normally go window shopping with my two boys! happy to see the two very excited as well!

breaktifasty!!!

I don't normally get excited about breakfast. My mom would know. In my grade school days, she would normally feed me for long hours! I would let the food stay in my mouth and end up throwing it out. Yucky! I would end up crying because she'd get mad. That's our everyday drama even until when I entered highschool already. In college, I would end up leaving the house with my stomach empty(bec my mom is not there to check on me anymore). I don't know, I just don't like being forced to eat in the morning - when I actually just woke up. Ironically, I love breakfast food like tapa, longganisa, tocino, spanish sardines and so many others. But I would want to eat them at a later time in the morning.


Now that I am working, I normally eat my breakfast in the office instead. I wake up, take a shower, dress up and leave for work right away. Eating breakfast is not part of my routine at home. I normally eat my breakfast or drink my coffee an hour or more after I get to work, after i've settled myself and answered a number of my emails and phone calls. I recently found breakfast love in these stalls that recently opened in our 7th floor cafeteria: cerealicious ( i love their blockbuster cereal trails!) and panini (love their bacon lettuce and tomato!). There's another stall that offers organic brewed coffee and I am excited to try this after I give birth. Yes, when the baby's out! :P



On weekends, I look forward to breakfast only because then I know that i'll be with my family. Saturdays- is "breakfast day" in our house. My mother in law would normally hosts breakfast for the whole clan. It's been like that traditionally even before I met my husband. It may be tiring at some point (esp if you were out late on a Friday hehe) but nonetheless these Saturdays are very meaningful and important to everyone in the family esp my mother in law and her sisters :)


I love quiet breakfasts with my husband. We would normally do this on Sundays before mass. We are lucky to have a few personalized and quaint cafes in our area that's good enough for a perfect breakfast. Our favorites: Banapple and Kopi Roti (both located outside our village).I believe we will never grow old doing this together :)

(with husband taken at kopi roti. some two years ago :) kyle took this photo!)

busy bee

My hands are tied up on a Monday and yes this is me - a WORKING MOM! (a bundat-working-mommy). For weeks i've been trying work and manage my schedule and make sure that I attend to everything equally. This is the hardest part though... with the big tummy and b. boy stretching and kicking inside my womb (like as if he just ate a huge chocolate bar), I know I have to start slowing down. I am officially on my 30th week and i'm lucky that this pregnancy is very cooperative. Except of course, when the back aches strikes at night.

I want to list my MUST DO for this week.. Yes it's Monday and I feel that the next four-six days is not enough for me to finish my wifey, mommy and work assignments. Wheeeww!!!!

• finish weekly menu for the house
• grocery
• buy new set of tea plants
• coordinate with gardener for the frontyard trimmings
• buy new set of uniforms for Kyle (he's grown!)
• buy new bag and schol supplies for Kyle
• cover books/ notebooks for the Kyle
• call Kumon center
• resume general cleaning (Kyle's room and ours -both in major need of spring cleaning before b. boy arrives)
• See Dr Michael Gan for my sugar consultation and diet
• OB check-up (we have to visit every two weeks now)
• join mama's garage sale on Saturday
• attend Parenting Seminar (for expectant moms) on Saturday (1-4pm)
• prepare homemade dessert for hubby (been wanting to do this for two weeks now)
• work on my soap orders/ new webpage
• attend baby shower planned by officemates (supposedly a surprise thing but someone slipped & just had to spoil it unintentionally! haha!
• have my nails done! (pending for one month already!)
• get myself a comfy flat formal slippers that I can wear to work (the heavy weight is making it hard for me to walk around the office and do my daily sales calls already. yes, my feet got bigger!yikes!)
• work on client proposals
• submit accreditation requirements
• submit weekly report and itin to my boss
• meeting with important client on Wed pm

• file FTS for end of the month payroll
• schedule dentist apppintment for me and my two boys
• hopefully visit Manila Ocean Park on Sunday (last hurrah for Kyle before the end of his summer vacation)
• check out crib and stroller at Baby & Co this weekend
• update my solace more often inspite of the busy schedule

I hope to accomplish everything this week or maybe in the next two weeks. Most of these are urgent and I really have to finish them. One important self reminder though: slow down honey!

we're having a boy! :)

Yup, it's another baby boy! :) and of course my two boys are very very excited! Thank God everything's safe and normal! :) Except of course that I have to cut down my sugar for now! no chocolates & cakes for now. sob. :( We strarted shopping for baby stuffs already. I can't wait for b. boy to come out. Kyle is very excited too! I admire him for being so "kuya"! He's been talking about the baby from day one. And mind you, he's very strict too! Haha! I am guarded!:D

back now :)

It's been centuries .I know I had to sacrifice time for blogging in exchange of my wifey,mommy duties and so many other responsibilities that caught me off guard for the past months. Truly, I missed blogging and so with reading posts from my favorite bloggers as well. And because of not being able to blog for the longest time, it took me a while to gather my thoughts and start writing again. Teehee! I do not know which ones to blog first! From last year to this date- were so many spectacular experiences and events that's worth sharing. I will try my best though to sum it all up and be able to share with you my most tiring and busiest year ever- yet the most memorable and blessed year as well. :)

finally :)

our little one on the way :) big boy is now a "kuya" and daddy jp is extremely excited. we had our first OB visit yesterday. so it's confirmed! i am five weeks pregnant! :) we're having a baby!!!

talk about having the best christmas present ever :)



happy. happy. happy :)

the busiest ever...

new work, B in mind... cooking...

and yeah, my plants and flowers are taking so much of my time :)

making the most out of my weekends with hubby and my Kyle...

the girl will try to post backlogs this weekend (cross-fingers )

it's been a month and more...

the west side story

Seeing the West Side Story on its first day showing last Sept 5 was kinda disappointing for me. Maybe I expected too much. It was my second time to watch the West Side. First was in 5th grade when we were invited to watch the play at St. Paul,QC. I showed no interest at that time. I went because it was a requirement.

It was my personal choice to watch the West Side this time. Moreso when I learned that Joanna Ampil is playing Maria. Though my worries proved me right, I never expected more flaws to show up that night. I knew then that J. Ampil's voice will be more dominant over C. Bautista's singing since the later is not really into theater acting. It's disappointing too that the sound system was actually not cooperating in the middle of the show down to the end. The sounds were roaring up & down during Maria's solo performances. Anita (played by Rowena Vilar) on the other hand was very entertaining. She danced so well ,sang so good and acted so perfect for her role. Kuddos to this Filipino-Australian theater actress who came home to perform for us. It made the show more funny, alive and interesting.

I am not to judge the show now since I went on a first day. That's what I got for being so eager & excited!Hehe! I know there'll be a lot of improvements on the next playdates. :) Somehow it makes me think though if the Christian and Karylle team-up will turn out better since they can complement each other's singing. Same genre,same note and same level.

It was my very first time to watch a play with my husband and funny that I only learned about his interest in theater few months after we got married. Even if the the West Side show was not perfect, still this will have a special place in my memory lane :)

My good friend Naomi was there too with her parents, Ninang Baby and Atty. Nestor Corpuz. And boy, i'm surprised to see a college friend Paul Febre with his fiance who just got back from the US. it's nice to bump into long lost friends who went to see tha play also :)

books,sports,theater,exams etc.etc. etc :D

My Kyle started reading this already for his book report. The boy's load in school is becoming heavier everyday. Some of the Math problems are that complicated that me and my husband would even have to check with each other if the equations and solutions that Kyle answered are correct. hehe. We're back to gradeschool! It's fun though. Hubby and Kyle gets to bond in the afternoon because daddy Jp would usually help him with his homework while I recheck and review with him after dinner :)

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I'm excited to see West Side Story at the Meralco Theater with my husband tonight. Our much-awaited date! :) We bought the tickets months back in June and at last, it's here! :)

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It's badminton day for me,hubby and my in-laws every Saturday :) It feels so good to have my Saturdays off. I get to spend more time with family and do a lot of things. I get to cook more meals, fix and decorate our home. Things that I really heart doing. My two boys are really excited! My heart melted when I saw Kyle's face lighten up when I told him that I don't have Saturday work anymore :)

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It's my brother Jc's board exam on Saturday and I am wishing him all the luck :) I paid him a visit last night to check how he's doing. The man is nervous. He's been studying crazy for the past months. The walls in his unit are all tapped with reviewers in manila paper that he uses to familiarize himself with all these formulas. I offered to bring him to the testing center on Saturday. This is my little way of showing him my support (i don't think I can help with reading hehe). So there, Mico, Kyle and I will wake up 5am on Saturday so we can all bring him to Manila for his Board Exams :D

I know all the hard work will pay off bro! I know you can definitely make it! :) We'll pray for you :)

random

New Project :) I am working on something BIG for our humble home. I shall post more photos very soon. :) I hope i'd be able to grow them well and beautiful :)

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My little boy didn't go to school today because he's very sick. Bad colds and cough. He's kawawa because he has sorethroat also :( I hope he gets well soon.

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Three days straight. Lunch date with dear husband. Wowee!!! Feels like the old times :)

once again @ INYO

I am a big fan of houses turned into cozy restaurants. Two years ago, I surprised Jp on his birthday when I brought him to this house in Katipunan area. That was my first time to experience INYO Cuisine too. It was just the two of us there at that time which made the whole thing more special and intimate for his birthday. I guess INYO is that popular already.The place was packed when we went last Saturday. From sweethearts to old lovers and families, they were there and you'll happy oohhs and ahhss for every bit they made. The restaurant is something that you'll love over and over again. The place is perfect and the food is even better :)


I've encouraged my family, relatives and friends to try the place and i'm happy to hear that they loved the place too :) If there's one thing that I can freely give out to friends, I think that would be a perfect dining experience. No, no.. not a treat! Rather, an experience that they can always look back to and smile about :) Yes, most of my relatives and friends would call me up and ask for suggestions on where to eat for so many important ocassions. I'm happy that I get to share good experiences with them by being part of the special events in their lives :)

Last Saturday, Jp & I went to Inyo Cuisine with our cousins. We had another perfect meal for our dinner. The husbands we're so tired from our badminton game that afternoon so with no hesitation they ordered the US Hanging Tender Steak (yeah this was literally super tender!). We tried their asparagus soup which was just right. Nina and I had pasta. Pesto Cream & Grilled Chicken for me and Nina tried the Pasta Alle Congolle. Both good and the servings were really big. This is another fun fun Saturday night for the four of us :)

For dining at Inyo Cuisine, you can check out details here :)

pinoy costume

Once again, our little boy had to dress up for his school's Linggo ng Wika this year. We've been switching from barong to "magsasaka" costume from time to time only because it's the simplest, easiest and most practical that we could get =) Photo taken last Friday, August 22, 2008. The hat is re-used from our Palawan trip, the camisa chino is what Kyle used during my wedding & the "bandana" is from thoughtful mother in law =)

for pinkmonster =)

For my very sick friend who is super craving for ensaymada, this one's for you =)

Get well soon fwendship =)

photo credit: MSN photos

on walks, talks & everything else :)

We are becoming big on long weekends! I get to do my wifey duties at home like declutter, cook and most of all, spend enough time just talking and acting lazy with my husband and my kyle :) We didn't plan any out of town trip during the long weekend because we have planned something special for the family & Kyle's birthday on October. We stayed home the whole time and made the most out of our quality time together. Husband and I watched dvds while Kyle played psp with my brothers, who spend most of their weekends with us. Last Monday, Kyle and I rearranged his room. I asked him to decide where to put his bed, study table and all his stuffs particularly his toys :) I'm happy he did a good job! The room has bigger space now for other activities and his toys are arranged properly. I can see the whole look of the room is better :) Galing talaga my little boy! little chef & interior designer at the same time! teehee! :D


WALKs with my husband is one activity that I look forward to every weekend. This is better than any other gimmick that we have. Actually we figured, we're enjoying food a lot much so might as well burn some fats too!hehe! Walking around the village is fun :) More than the calories that we intend lose, it's good that we get talk about everything under the sun (or under the moon, at times). We get to talk about future plans, little problems that we need to sort out, how both our weeks in our offices went and a recap about events in our wonderful life together. This is a real "alone time" and "quiet time" for us :) We usually wake up early as 6am on weekends to walk and enjoy the morning sun and we've been trying to squeeze in an hour on weekdays to walk before dinner time.


I look forward to more walks (&jog maybe) with my husband even when our hairs are all grey :D Try it with your loved ones! You gotta love it! It's fun! =)

Sunday Cooking

These was last Sunday's menu :) Guess who helped prepare dinner? :)

My Certified Blue Chef! :)

We had home-made pizzas. Two margherita with white cheese (this I brought home with me when I went to IRRI for Qatar Airway's Roadshow), basil (my must have ing) & pepperoni (a staple food we always have at home), one classic ham & cheese for the little boy, and one gourmet pizza with spanish sardines & basil for the old ones. hehe! We had garden salad on the side and marinated chicken dipped in ranch.Perrrffect! :)

barcino

I read about Barcino Gourmet a long time ago but it was only two Saturdays ago when I finally tried it with my husband and some cousins. Unplanned.

Located along Julia Vargas in Ortigas, this Spanish deli reminds me so much of my favorite Galileo Enoteca. The ambiance and how the place is presented is so much alike. Limited tables, wine cellars around, sweet & cozy :)

I ordered the mexican salad which was A LOT! I ended up taking home half of what I ordered. Jp ordered the shrimp nuggets which he said was not so great. Nina ordered the callos & Ponch tried this ground beef in olives. Both ok. We loved their chorizo platter! The wine is good but we still love Galileo's Lambrusco more :D

Our damage in Barcino was quite high compared to that of how much we'd usually spend for Galileo. Me & my husband usually craves of their set meals there because we get to try a little bit of what the deli' specialty menus. From cheeses to cold cuts to pasta, and we get one round of house wine for free too! Nevertheless, Barcino is worth a try. We will definitely go back for their chorizos. :)



Barcino Spanish Wine Deli is located at 2nd Level City Golf Plaza, Julia Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong. You can call 632) 636-2963 for reservations.

perfect cup on a monday

I got this from my childhood friend Nice. This is perfect to start my day on a Monday and keep me going for the rest of the week. Thanks! thanks! :)

I'm passing this to my blogger friends. Joy, Tricia, Naomi, Franny, Tina :) It's always nice to have your perfect cup of coffee beside you when blogging :)

couples dinner

We had another potluck get together at ate ina's house two Saturdays ago with cousins and in-laws. This is our supposedly monthly "catching-up" dinner but the husbands & wives are most of the time preoccupied with work and family duties so this thing became quarterly instead. Nevertheless, the wives are always excited to prepare something special for everyone especially for our dear husbands :)

Ate Ina's table setting was really beautiful with all these white stuffs from tita mona's collection. We used to have our dinners at Bambi & Ria's garden but it rained that night so we moved the venue at the Tulio's. Buti nalang, we live so near to each other so unexpected changes like this aren't that too much of a hassle anymore.

(l-r) My chilli shrimps with mushroom & paprika. Ria made this mofaletta pasta (sausage and olives) , nina's ceasar salad is present of course! and the superb t-bone and rib-eye steak completes our sumptuous dinner.

Nothing beats good food and compnay of course :) Martin, another cousin of my husband joined us and Laureen, the sweet and pretty girlfriend. She made this yummy banana nutella dessert that my husband loved too. We ended the night with wine and absolut mandarin. :)

The family tree is getting bigger! lovin' every bit of it :)

on SPICES & FLAVOURS

Walking inside this small shop outside Market, Market (Fort, Taguig) is amazing. Bottles of spices that you can't usually find in regular supermarkets are all here (hidden). This is such a WOW! Overwhelming. This is just just a perfect place to go to if you are someone who loves to experiment in your menus/ recipes. From Italian , Greek, Mexican, Thai spices that will add flavor to your dishes. THIS will definitely make your day.

The place is just small but every space is maximized. When you enter the entrance to your right, are rows of bottled loose tea leaves which you can buy in grams. From fruity tea flavor apples and orange to flower teas like rose. Don't you just love that?

From regular basil down to neverheard herbs and expensive kaffir lime leaves and dried chillies. It's all here :)


These are sugar crystals that are use to sweeten your cup of coffee and tea. They have sugar crytals in cinnamon sticks also for a aromatic flavor. I love!

This set of teapots are for sale too but I already have a number of sets at home so I had to just let go of this one. A must-have & good investment at home if you are a tea-lover.

I had the chance to visit Spices & Flavours years back with a special friend with whom I share my passion for cooking and good food. I wasn't into blogging yet at that time so no chance for me to spread the good find with on-line friends. I went back last week with Aj to check if it still exists. Now, I am happy to share this with my foodies :)

photo credit: pinkmonster