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Is your life as peachy as what others appear to have in blogland?
Mine is not.
And some of you might agree with me. And no matter what I do or don't, life will always have hitches.
Plans do not materialize as they were conceptualized.
People around do not react as we expect them to do.
When we look for some things which are constant, changes happen - and are never the same again.
Moments fade and mood changes thus life is not as rosy as what it is supposed to be.

What gives?


Holiday Treat from Zenni!

Saturday, November 29, 2008


Have you visited the popular online eyeglasses shop that sells as low as $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses? If you are in need of eyeglasses there are even Holiday Glass Frames from Zenni Optical. Isn't that cool? There is nothing more fashionable this season than to grab a pair of eyeglasses that match your holiday outfit!You will absolutely like the idea of spending the holiday with outfits that match your frames!

  • for a Godly, (vice-free) imperfect husband who loves the imperfect me - truly a rare species these days...
  • again, hubby who believes that together we make "a powerful team" with no ifs and buts;
  • my Mama whose presence is enough
  • three pairs of arms (of my girls) that hug tight and assure me that life is going to be fine
  • for family to come home to every night, rain or shine.
  • for my siblings - come hell or high water I know they will be around
  • noisy dinner table
  • little one's head when she looks up to me to ask something
  • loud voices in the house that perennially ask: "Where's Mommy?"
  • tough shoulder of hubby to sleep on at night
  • smiles of people around me
  • grace...grace...from God for an unGodly person that is me
  • celebrations of life: birthdays, weddings, Christening, get-togethers because the best thing in life is, life itself!
  • good health
  • work
  • friends who comment here
  • little hands that hold my shirt while walking down the street: a little child needs me!
  • my washing machine - very loyal service indeed
  • almost empty ref - because it reminds me that reward is from hard work.Period.
  • never empty wallet (even if it just contains a single peso many times) then a blessing comes again!
  • Aling Puring, our very considerate landlady. God bless her always.
  • my in-laws because they raised my husband to be the prson I will be with for the rest of my life
  • clean water when i open the faucet
  • healthy, happy and expressive children of mine...

How about you? What is on top of your list?

Awards, Gifts and More!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Nancy, you are such a dear to give me these two awards! Thanks...




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Vannie, thanks so much for the thoughtfulness! I really heart this friendship badge!



::: Start copying here:::

Here are the rules for this tag:
1.) Copy the badge and put it on your blog,
2.) Link back who pass you this tag,
3.) Spread this tag to at least 7 or more bloggers who you think you are friend with.


"And lovely are the blossoms
That are tended with great care,
By those who work unselfishly
To make the place more fair.
And, like the garden blossoms,
Friendship’s flower grows more sweet
When watched and tended carefully
By those we know and meet.
And, if the seed of friendship
Is planted deep and true
And watched with understanding,
Friendship’s flower will bloom for you."

:::End copy here :::
Passing this one to Nancy, Arlene, Liza, Kcee, Mari, Rocks and Shawie

Ahhh...Want This?

Sunday, November 23, 2008

How much will you pay for this mouth watering Chicken Sisig? A concoction of marinated shredded chicken meat with garlic, onions, red bell pepper, soy sauce and black pepper then served sizzling on a hot plate with egg on top plus a cup of rice?


Decide.

God must be smiling from ear to ear in heaven with this prayer. I found this written on a piece of paper atop our altar table at home.

I typed this as it was written:

"To the Father to the Sun and to the Holy Spirit Amen. God pls give me food God give mercy guide me God Pls control me God Lord give me many angel. Father the Sun and the Holy Spirit Amen."

My little girl instructed everyone not to remove the paper from the altar.



Ahhh.
Tugs my heart.
Among the gazzilion things I did wrong or did not do right, there is one thing I have done: taught this little one how to pray.

Inside the church during a solemn mass.

Me:(Whispering) Hey little one, you have to behave. We have to listen to what the priest is saying.

6 years old Kid 3 : (Not whispering) Okay Mom.

Me : Thanks!

After 5 minutes or so started to dance and sing.

Me:(Whispering) Shhh. Quiet please...

6 years old Kid 3: Why?

Me:
(Whispering) Because we are not supposed to sing out loud here.

6 years old Kid 3: But how come the choir does?

Whoa.



Let me be one proud stage Mommy for a moment - but for the nth time.


What the heck, I like to brag about my kids.

I think they are worth the bragging. LOL.


My life is like a bowl of spices. Everything comes naturally - in due time.

No words describe what is in between too exotic or too sour or too spicy flavor ;but there is a taste to it definitely. Nothing predictable, though.

No mixture is ever too perfect. There is, however, flavor and color to it. It is up to me how to accept and react to the taste.

What about you? To what do you liken your life?

Things go wrong so that we will be able to tell the difference when things are right. But I ask: when will things be ever perfectly right? Clueless.

Despite how wrong and skewed things are with me, I still have these camera-hungry kids to come home to!

See? Priceless poses!




In sleeping attires or not, we are ready to strike our poses, with endless giggles!




Meet me, (the Mom) and my 3 giddy girls: Madel, Hannah and Erika!

Lately, we have been lessening our television time at home. My children are into the "Reading Challenge" we agreed on. The Reading Challenge parameters are the following: My two older kids ages 8 and 9 can choose any book (fiction or non-fiction) with more than 30 pages. They are given 1-2 weeks to read the book of their choice and once they are done with their reading, a reward awaits them. Simple rewards such as an hour or two in the computer with educational games, a movie trip, trip to a crafts store for our art projects or an eat-out treat. Simple rewards yet beneficial for them.


So you may be asking: "Why are we lessening our TV time?" My answer is:"Why not?" There are just basically three reasons why we decided to lessen our TV time:

* Watching TV builds more insecurity. What do most TV ads promote about self-concept, anyway? For the female population, the ads rampantly promote vanity and true colonial mentality. Unless females have long straight or colored hair, flawless white skin from use of whitening products or slim figure from weight-reducing formulae, most likely they are part of the misfits. Beauty is, more often than not, equated with commercialized vanity. Dove™ must really be awarded for their campaign about real beauty, because it gives another perspective of being beautiful.

* TV time means "no communication time". In our home, if everyone watches TV, no one talks at all. But have you ever noticed that whenever someone talks, another will say: "Quiet! I cannot understand what the character is saying!" Strange, right? We have time to listen to the character, yet we cannot afford to listen to another member of the household! More than that, if someone walks around and blocks the view of the TV, most likely the watching is interrupted, the protestations from the viewers cause commotion such as:"Please go away!" or "You're blocking my view of the TV!"
We decided that if the TV is turned off, we are more aware of the human dimension and interaction in our home, which is more important. So less TV time, means more interaction.

* As parents, we always want to choose what is best for our children that include only three concepts: what is true, what is good and what is beautiful. However, TV sometimes presents the opposite if not the distorted versions of these. Product endorsements are so rampant that if we all listen to what they are saying it is practically the same: to buy or spend. It, sometimes, feels that we should always have the money to spend otherwise we are out of circulation. This is not always the case. There are alternatives, in fact, way too many.

As they say: "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." We are doing that for now by lessening our TV time to really reflect of what is really true, good and beautiful, not the boob tube way!


Original article by the author first published at Pinoy Moms Network Parenting category, September 14, 2007. )

I am starting to feel the effect of economic crunch these days. Nothing seems to be in the category of good news in terms of financial issues. Prices are higher and wages are the same. So what is the usual woe of a work at home mother like me? If I can only shout the line "show me the money!" everyday, I would!

Different penny-pinching moves and frugal hackings are the only strategies that occupy my mind every single day of our lives lately. Every penny saved goes a long way, I guess. Every opportunity I have to go online, I am always looking for one hundred and one ways to stretch the family budget. I am so glad there are blogs and sites that are truly helpful in my quest for this penny-saving mode I have.
Due to this constant reading and searching for articles about frugal ways, I am having double vision and eye discomfort. I feel I spend too much time online that I need new eyeglasses.
For a frugal mother like me, eyeglasses, from Zenni Optical suits my budget and fancy. I have no extra worry for additional cost because they are very affordable and available online.


The greatest struggle is to be always relevant.The greatest fear, is be otherwise.

Those are my thoughts right now. Agree? Are you relevant to someone? to whom?

As a parent, a wife, a sibling or a friend - to anyone or someone: relevance matters. Without such, my existence pales.

God, however, loves.

This life and beyond He has a laid-out plan for me. Relevant.

Which makes me relevant, eternally.

(photo from www.tightlinelinks.com)