Welcome 2012

 

I admit, I was in an “AWOL” state on blogs for the past few weeks. The Holidays just occupied all my time that I left my laptop unattended. As of this moment, I decided to spend the last 30minutes of year 2011 to write this short post to welcome the New Year 2012. Among other resolutions, which I chose to keep to  myself rather than share, I will try to dedicate more time and effort to writing blogs not because it has become an outlet but rather it has been so fun.

From yours truly and my beloved family,

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

Philippines!

and

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

WORLD!

my 100th post

 

To celebrate my 100th post for WordPress, I would like to thank thee my dear readers. My subscribers and supporters, fellow bloggers who turn into friends and old friends who are now fellow bloggers….You are my inspiration!

I signed up for WordPress as my previous blog site has blocked me due to an unbelievable violation on the terms and conditions of the site. I have opted to keep my blog site private and according to them(I would rather not mention the blogsite) I violated the rights of publication. Whatever it is, and whatever that means I really don’t know. As far as I am concern, It is the prerogative of the writer/blogger to make his/her posts published and available to the public. One thing I am sure of, I am glad of  that incident lead me to WordPress and deciding to publish my posts is one of the things I will never regret doing. The experience is remarkable and the opportunity to interact with other amazingly talented writers and bloggers  is such an honor.

My WordPress family as I call you all…. Thank You  once again!

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Jelly Beans

 

Guilty Pleasure for this week : JELLY BEANS.

Jelly Beans are small bean-shaped typed of confectionary with a hard candy shell and a gummy interior which come in a wide variety of flavors with corresponding ultra pretty colors(courtesy of Wikipedia).

Passing by one of the candy corners in a mall, I couldn’t resist to drop by and give myself and my kids a splurge of Jelly Beans! Php99 for 100grams and I paid Php378 for the assorted JellyBeans purchase. The moment the candy corner lady handed us the pack, kids and I never stop popping them beans in our mouth until they’re gone out of our sight and off our hands! So much for sugar discipline act with my children huh? Well, its Holidays and I get to bond with them and enjoying our moment together eating the colorful sweet beans.

 

Colorful and yummy pretty little stuff is simply irresistible!

a mother’s fave kind of “ME” time

After months and so, I was able to visit a favorite establishment and have a “ME” time. Tony and Jackey Korean Hair Experts has become my favorite hair stylist for over a year now. They were  kind, polite  and the most accommodating professionals  responsible for my pretty locks via digital perm last February 2011. Yesterday, I had the usual hair rebonding service and as always, I love the results.

Photos  last February 2011: With my “goldi-curly-locks” by Tony And Jackey Korean Hair Stylist

Now, with my newly straight-rebonded hair, I am so ready for all the dazzling, fun and  exciting marathon holiday parties this Christmas season will take me!

Who says a stay-at-home mother like me can’t have my favorite kind of “ME” time. I have my very own mother to thank to though, for watching over my children while I have my precious pamper-myself-day. I thank all the staff and hair stylist at Tony and Jackey Korean Hair Experts for never-failing to give me a very excellent service each and every time!

HUNGER GAMES- the trilogy bookset

I always believed the line “When it rains, it pours!” Two days ago, I posted(in this blog) about my long-awaited package was delivered. I now have five books lining up for me to read. I had a hard time making up my mind which one to start with. I chose The Tiger’s Wife by Tèa Obreht. I am almost halfway with it when another delivery came. This time, it is the bookset which I ordered prior to the one I received two days ago.

The HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY by Suzanne Collins. A friend told me about this book series couple of months ago. From the sound of the title, I thought I wouldn’t get interested. I always check for book reviews and book club feedbacks at Goodreads and I couldn’t help but notice how the readers in my circle keep talking about this particular trilogy. The search and the urge to get a copy has gone viral over the readers I knew and became friends with. I was curious but still not as interested as they are. I didn’t even bother to read excerpts and reviews. Everyday I get recommendations and suggestion to check out The Hunger Games. So I placed an order for this traded paperback bookset and it just arrived today.

Today is Wednesday, third day of the week and for me it is like Christmas morning already. I have the books on my wish list added to my bookshelf and I felt like a little girl opening Christmas presents. It was raining heavily when I ran out and meet the 2GO delivery guy up front and signed the delivery acknowledgement receipt while trying to hold the umbrella still. It did pour when it rains or should I say when it rains it pours. Either way, I am accepting deliveries on a rainy day and I have a total of eight books lined up for reading which is a total contrary to previous weeks where all I have are books that I keep reading over and over.

I do hope I will like this sequel. I don’t want to be disappointed. I haven’t read any reviews yet and I am not planning to.

Happy Reading!

ranking

 

My week started right. Aside from the long awaited package received, this day just got even better when daughter came home from school and handed me her honor card.

She ranked 8th place during the first grading period and much to my happiness and pride, she did better for the current grading period and moved her way up to the 7th rank.

As a mother, it is a great honor to see her children truly achieving. Learning and Education is a wealth. Achievements are acknowledgments marking the way  to the ownership of this wealth. Once this wealth is possessed, no one can ever take this away but instead one will be given an unlimited room for improvement and progress.

I am proud  of all the achievements of my dear bratette! These honor cards might not be important to her for now as she have folded it just like an ordinary piece of paper, but someday she will look at these and smile in spite of herself.

Package Delivery

 

For over a month, I wasn’t able to go to Davao City, my schedule was just fully booked to do that hour or so bus ride. Feeling anxious to get my hands on those books I wanted from the favorite bookstore, which I wasn’t able to do too not unless I will go to Davao City, I kept myself busy with the computer. I discovered National Bookstore Online and Fully Booked Online. Two of the biggest and most visited bookstores in the country. I was like, “ How come I didn’t know this site existed?” Excited by the newly discovered convenience in book shopping, it made me even happier because the online shopping is powered by myregalo.com- it’s like the Amazon for the Philippines and in addition, they accept Gcash and Smart Money as a mode of payment aside from the well- known credit card charging or ATM card debit. You’ve just got to love www.myregalo.com. To make the long story short, I got this on the mail today delivered by 2GO courier service! Yeheey!

My week started good I can say hoping all goes well for the days ahead. Christmas indeed is for children young and old, specially if older children(like myself?) would get packages like this on the mail even though they got it for themselves!

Happy Reading!

Star O’ Bright

Christmas is the most globally celebrated festival. The Philippines is known to have the longest celebration ever. Once the “ber” months begin, and yes, that is September, the Christmas season in the Philippines commenced as well. One will start hearing Christmas Songs and famous Christmas carols played on the radio. Malls and department stores will have Christmas displays and for some Filipino homes, colorful Christmas lights are lit and decors are neatly placed.

Today is the 1st day of December. To officially start the season of Christmas, I made my first step in ritualizing and perpetuating this occasion. For me there is no meaningful way of doing that other than hanging our home’s Christmas Star for this year.

The star is a very popular symbol for most of the Christians all over the world who commemorate Christmas. The star represents the star of Bethlehem which revealed the birth of Jesus to the wise men and to the shepherds tending their flock. The Christmas star is also known as the symbol of high hopes and joy in which the true meaning of the season brought to us. Being a popular Christmas icon, it is exhibited in many figures and forms. In Filipino culture, it is hanged in front of windows or doors of houses as it is believed to bring hope, guidance and love to the family living in the house just like how it’s brightness guided the three wise men to the little manger where Christ the child was born and this is the very reason why I am hanging our star tonight.  I am embracing the reason for this season by having a bright star at our house not just for a decoration but more for its significance. The star is a favorite Christmas tree topper, an ornament, a greeting card image, and many other representations of the occasion.

Christmas comes but once a year. Amidst the parties, gift-givings, Christmas bonuses and thirteenth-month pays, may we give a little time to ourselves to find peace, love and joy in our hearts and a moment to say our prayer of thanks for the best gift of all and that is the true meaning of Christmas.