Life is simple.
It is us who complicates things.
It is our wants that put us into traps and binds which stress us eventually.
If we follow the simple nature and cycle of things, we will have less of the complications.
It is either I am in the path of old age and sagacity or many experiences have taught me lessons already. Whichever is the answer, I choose the path of simplicity these days: less want, less problem.

This is our coin bank at home. This is where we drop our loose change and coins at the end of the day. Or even right smack in the middle of the day.

Just last week, I was planning to buy a bottle of softdrink or soda to quench my craving. I decided otherwise and dropped it here. Instead of buying 3 pieces of candy, my daughter dropped her coin here.

A coin will always be a coin. It's not much but what do they say: a stitch in time saves nine? It is because 6 months from now, we hope to spend a family vacation. Wherever our coins will take us, we will be more than happy to go.

Simple hope: trip. Simple solution: save for it!

If the Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacific will still be on, like right now then that would be a super help!

For the last three days, my two older kids are not in our house. They were invited to a three-day swimming trip to Zambales. It is a province about 6-7 hours drive away from ours. My 6 siblings are with them.My sister who owns a company treated her staff to that three day swimming vacation.

Weeks before the trip, my kids ( ages 8 and 10) were really excited. They were planning what to do and visualizing how the event would be like, for them. They are used to the idea that i send them (on their own) with my sisters to long trips such as this one. As far as i can remember, they had trips to different provinces since 2003 when they were just four and 6 years olds, consecutively. The places they had gone to are: Quezon province (2x), Bataan, Zambales (2x), Cebu, Bohol and one was a trip to Baguio.

My kids loved those trips. They fend for themselves, but is supervised by my sisters. The trips helped them be independent and dreamed of going to farther places someday.

It was a long holiday here in our place. Aside from the term breaks that the kids had from school, there were days declared as non-working. Our family spent so much time together.

Previously, we planned how to spend the days off, but eventually things fell into place and happened not as planned.

My 3 girls spent so much time biking. Each of them has a bike and my husband took time tuning up each and coaching them how to bike properly. It was a good physical activity for all of them. Less time to watch TV and they did not use the computer for games; only one time. TV watching was seldom too because they were busy biking around the village and competing who biked the fastest.

The other day we tried a new recipe and they were happy to participate in doing it. Noisy, rowdy and full of energy but excited, too.

Yesterday, we brought them to the supermarket to buy our two weeks supply of food. They were allowed to buy two things (each of them) and were happy enough to try "unusual" treats such as: yogurt with a new flavoring, new flavored oatmeal, etc. I was amazed how healthy their range of choices are.

Then we decided to visit the Grammies, who live next town. They were excited to converse with them and spend a night in their place. Hubby and I got to have some "alone time".

Hubby and I are picking them up today. Tomorrow is a new school day and they need to prepare their personal things, uniforms, shoes, etc.

It was a quality, well-spent time as a family. After all, simple life means happiness for beings like us...and precious moments spent together do not have to be costly.

Well, wonderful family memories are priceless in the first place...Right?

i 've been away from my comfort zone for four days. i traveled to gen. santos city and saranggani. away from my routine and usual life, i enjoyed the hospitality of gen. san and saranggani folks. though it was work related still it was a breather! most of all it's the fresh tuna and durian that gave the time of my life. fresh tuna: panga, belly, buntot, etc. ang sarap talaga ng natural!! and the durian was unforgettable. tastes like heaven, just forget the smell...

of course i visited and took pictures of manny pacquiao's house and convenience store for i am a big fan... but he was still in the US. sayang.