Bianca and Margaux enjoys playing outdoor so much. They usually have a blast with slides!

And swings too!

These are my kids! Their simple happiness is my utmost happiness! So precious!

Looking forward to time with family this weekend!

Happy weekend to you and your whole family!

Hubby and I were discussing last night if we are pushing through for the plan to go to the US this year. With his new job, new responsibility, he still cannot give me a definite answer. Of course, I would still love to go since I have turned down a lot of opportunities as well for December, considering it’s the peak months for weddings. Although I am still hopeful that we can go and we would know by October as what he promised me, I already checked out the airline rates and I was suprised for the amount we have to prepare in case we are pushing through. Now, I can see his point that we can just push through in construction of the dream house within the year and would just reschedule the US trip either next year. The cost of the trip for the whole family could probably be the amount we need already to buy most of our new furnitures for the new house. We plan to leave mid-December and I’m suprised that airline rate is almost at $1.5K per person inclusive of taxes. Kids rates are not lower than $1.2K. And of course, I wouldn’t settle without a shopping money. If we decide to go next year instead, we would time it to a US conference in New York City Dicky has to attend. Hmm, makes me think that it could be a better idea since I also want to go to New York. I want to stay longer for a vacation so would like to go to east cost and west coast. I know we can just use NYC Bus Charters in touring New York so it would be easy for us especially if we are bringing the kids. Since these charters are very clean, and well maintained. They also provide safe, courteous and experienced drivers in such a luxury charter coach. They also have been known to be always on time. We can just hop the bus if we want to go to tourist areas in New York as well as amusement parks which would definitely be the kids favorite.

Well as of today, we are at status quo for the decision to go to the US for the holidays. I hope we can arrive at the final decision in time.

Tagged by Joy.

~Start Copy~

Here are the Rules:

1. List the things that make you Happy and those that make you Sad.

2. Add your Blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other Blogs.

3. Tag other online friends you know.Toni’s Attachments, Cecile2’s-Small and Simple Things, Lara’s Pinay dot US, Lara’s My Blog Entry, Lara’s Byaheng Pinay, Living A’ La Mode,Bits and Pieces, My Life in this Wonderful World, My Online World, Ozzy’s Mom,Me,Myself+2, Kidd Designs, Fun|Fierce|Fabulous, Eds Mommy Life, Just Me.. Eds, My Precious Niche, I Am Mommy, All About The Memories, Enchanted Play, Just My Scrap, My life is Peachy , Celebrating life , belly, baby and beyond, All Things Me, Feels Like Home, A Day of Play, Because Life is Fun, Me and Mine | Creative in Me | For the LOVE of Food |Little Peanut | Pea in a Pod | It’s Where the HEART Is | Around the World | SugarMagnolias|, My Happy Place / Iam Dzoi / Suburban Sass / To the Moon and Back / Raising Sandy | Scribbles of my Life | In This Game of Life | The Shophaholic in Me| YOU

What makes me happy?

* Complete Family
* Healthy Family
* Lovely Kids
* Supportive Husband
* Business doing good
* Get togethers with family and friends
* Relationship with in-laws
* Travels
* Great finds in shopping like finding this week a cheap auto insurance

What makes me sad?

* Sick family member
* Poverty
* Calamities
* Accidents

Now, tagging Nol, Nice and Pam.

The above picture was taken last thursday during Dicky’s induction as one of the new members of Rotary Club of Paseo de Roxas Makati. He was also elected as the new club secretary for year 2008-2009. I was telling him that we are both cut to become a secretary in our associations. I am actually the current secretary also of the Philippine Association of Wedding Planners (PAWP). The role makes us busy during meetings.

But notice my figure at this time?   I hate it as I have been forgetting to watch out my food intake lately.  Gee, I have big arms!  And I’m so lazy to go back to the gym.  In fact, I already discontinued my gym membership.  It’s so hard to diet!  Need to go so as I will be part of a wedding entourage on my cousin’s January wedding.  How could I manage to diet if Christmas is still coming up?  Hay!  Hmm, would i try to check out using Leptovox? Let’s see first what the airclimber I bought online would do to my body.  Can’t wait to get hold of my loots from ebay!

again for Margaux tomorrow till Friday since the faculty of Miriam College CSC will have a retreat.  Next week, they don’t have classes again for Sept 4 and 5 in line for activities for Miriam College Week.  But on saturday, August 30, we are asked to watch the Medley of Movement concert in the college Marian Auditorium.  The auditorium will for sure bring back a lot of memories to me as I spent watching a number of concerts/activities there way back in college.  In fact, I can still clearly remember the theater seating there. The first few seats in front are reserved for First Step Students.  

Hmm, daming walang pasok ah!

I’m so glad I was able to drop by in Dampa Macapagal for the MBAP meet up last sunday. Sulit! Got a good share of seafood! Yummy to the max! It was just so bitin with chika because all were busy eating, (hehehe) and tending to their kids! But we squeezed in a bit about LV bags and so, plus scheduled the next meet up in October before the preggy mommies Jane, Peachy and Mich would give birth. It would be the baby shower and christmas party of the group already. Jane is so generous (hahaha), she volunteered her house for an overnight swmming party in their house! She would even shoulder the food of the group! Bwahaha! Peace Jane!

But we don’t want her to trouble herself with it anymore since she’s due to give birth soon so we would just do potluck or better contribute again and transfer paypal money to Abie so the reliable Jacqui can do the market and “paluto” in Dampa and take-out seafood again for the meet-up. I’m excited for this next meet up!

Picture that i snagged from Joy.

Done with all my office supplies shopping and had a time to have a footspa with a friend in Footloose, Katipunan. Was home early and bought myself a slice of a yummy decadence cake from Cake-to-go. I miss the kids and Dicky ofcourse. They called me already and said our goodnights so I am all alone now to go to bed. Checked out what DVD to watch and I found Sex and The City, The Movie! I can repeat this movie multiple times and still find it interesting. Of course, I love the dresses, the bags and the shoes I saw from the movie. Makes me want to go to New York city.

New York is definitely on in my wish list of cities to visit in my lifetime. Would love to experience walking down Manhattan and stroll around the the whole of Central Park. I have friend based in New Jersey and she’s been convincing me to pass by her place in case we would be coming to the US. She said we can just take the Newark Airport Shuttle which is a sureway for a reliable and safe ground transportation services throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs. She recommends me to book it online so we can even get a $5 discount for a round-trip shuttle. In fact with Go Airlink, they provide shuttle everyday. Now, that makes me crave to experience New York. I better start watching the movie now.  Goodnight world!

It is “me” time for me today as the kids, together with the daddy are on their way to a family outing for overnight with the Liwanag clan till tomorrow. Unfortunately, I cannot join them as I have an event tomorrow. Too bad! I will miss them tonight! Good thing, we could just make up for time together on Monday, since it is another holiday.

For the meantime, I am bound to fix all my mess in my work area today. And will hit the mall later to meet a friend. I also need to buy a number of office supplies as I would have to replenish my stocks already. I hope I can finish early so I can still go for a footspa.

These were the kids when they left this morning…

Happy weekend everyone!

I am considering to check out some condo hotel in HK because of this. Will be travelling with two of my cousins in October for a business matter with side trip of shopping. I have rested my case with Dicky as he doesn’t really want to join anymore. Now, I don’t know if I would love to passby Disneyland HK since I won’t be with the kids. But my two cousins are saying that it should be part of our itineraries.   Since our flights are now booked, I am assigned to look for our accommodation.  I’m pretty familiar with the hotels in HK since I have been there a lot of times already.  My cousins would just like us to book a hotel which would be right at the center of shopping area.  Might stay in Kowloon side this time.  

Just sharing…

My little girl in batik for the “araw ng wika” yesterday in school. This is the only decent pic I have. The brat doesn’t want her picture taken!

Was so busy last Tuesday, August 19 for a photoshoot of our association, PAWP (Philippine Association of Wedding Planners).  Madge Lejano did my make-up.  I love it! The shoot happened in the posh presidential suite of Peninsula Manila. We had 3 change of outfits!

Gee, with all 16 wedding planners in one room, it was chaotic! We were all directing the day! We and our big mouths!

Pat Dy made us pose like real models.

Few of the shots from that fun, fun, fun shoot!

One of the pictures here will be released in bridal magazines with tag line…

“Pick among the best…and enjoy a wedding of bliss!”

today!  Been in hiatus for days and so now I have tons of things to do.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish all work in time.  I owe a lot of people responses to comments and tags.  

Be back in writing and bloghopping!

enjoying the long weekend.  Happy holiday monday to all!  Tomorrow, it is still holiday for the whole family.  Dicky and Margaux still don’t have work and school respectively.  We should have gone for a quick getaway.  But I just love to be carefree these days.  Malling is our everyday agenda.  Watching movie tonight with the hubby and will have a relaxing massage therapy after at our favorite Suriya Spa. Still part of his first salary treat for me. And while waiting for the kids to take on their nap so hubby and I can already leave, I found a cool site which i posted here. Take a peek!

It’s a long weekend for us! And a happy, happy weekend!

1. No work and classes for Dicky and Margaux on Monday and Tuesday. (Monday being Ninoy Aquino Day and Tuesday being Quezon City Day)

2. Know one of the reasons why it’s a happy weekend for me. Read here.

3. First receipt of salary of hubby in his new company! Yahoo, he’s treating me and the kids this weekend! Yahoo, malling to the max! Eating galore! Bonding with the whole family!

Life is so good! 

As per Margaux, she did well with her assessment yesterday.  I was interrogating what teacher asked her and she said, she was asked about colors of the rainbow, days of the week and she was asked to write some lines.  She was also asked about numbers and letters.  She didn’t elaborate more but she just said to me when I asked her as to how she did with the “game with teacher” (since it was one-on-one).  She answered “I’m ok!”  (ano kaya ibig sabihin nun?!  Bwahaha)

Got this tag from Wheng, Peachy, Tracy and Eds.

::START::

RULES:
1. Add your blog/s to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. It’s okey if you only post this questions in one blog as long as you answer them.
2. Get back to Me {YEN} and I’ll add your blogs to the master’s list HERE! Note that you are not ALLOWED to change the link of the here.
3. Copy from Start to End.
4. Tag as many friends online you know. But you don’t need to be tag in order to join.

Copy this Participants List: Me and Mine | Creative in Me | For the LOVE of Food | Little Peanut | Pea in a Pod | It’s Where the HEART Is | Around the World | SugarMagnolias | I Am Mommy | All About The Memories | Enchanted Play | Just My Scrap | Whats Up |Simply Me | Kitchen Deelite | A Mothers Horizon | In Depth | A Life in Bloom | Because Life is a Blessing | Digiscraptology | Mommy Talks | Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps | All Kinds of Me Stuff | The Salad Caper | Winding Creek Circle | InkBabyStudios | My Precious Niche | Eds Mommy Life | Just Me…Eds | In Depth | celebrating life | my life is peachy | belly, body and beyond | My Random Thoughts | My World | Woman Style | Scribbles of My Life | In This Game of Life | The Shopaholic in Me | You

LAYER ONE:
– Name: Jody
– Birth date: June 1
– Birthplace: Pasig
– Current Location: Pasig
– Eye Color:Brown
– Hair Color: Black 
– Righty or Lefty: Righty

LAYER TWO:
– Your heritage: Filipino, Chinese
– The shoes you wore today: Aldo Sandals
– Your weakness: Shopping!
– Your fears: My kids not having good life.
– Your perfect pizza: Yellow Cab or Brooklyn
– Goal you’d like to achieve in life: Simple lang, Happy Family Life!  

LAYER THREE:
– Your most overused phrase on YM: talaga?
– Your first waking thoughts: Thank God!
– Your best physical feature: face and legs!!!!
– Your most missed memory: High school!

LAYER FOUR:
– Pepsi or Coke: Coke Zero
– McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonald’s
– Single or group dates: Single Dates
– Adidas or Nike: Nike
– Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Nestea
– Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
– Cappuccino or coffee: Coffee.

LAYER FIVE

– A famous person, dead or alive, would you interview: Probably Oprah
– Movie can you watch and say the lines along with the actors: Jerry Mcguire
– Name two of your passions in life : My Family and My work as an event planner
– Least favorite time of day: Morning!

LAYER SIX

– Use hairspray or gel: none!
– Your favorite meal: Sinigang na Baboy!
– Color is the inside of your head when you close your eyes: White
– Listen to classical music: Not really
– Ever said LOL in real life without thinking about it: Not yet

::END:

Let me know your 6 layers Jesse, Mari, Pheng and MM.

Got this tag from Jhona

Here are the Rules:

1. List 6 things that describe yourself today and yesterday.
2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs.
3. Tag other online friends you know.

Yesterday
1. Tired after reviewing Margaux for her exam today.
2. Still lazy to blog but trying to revive myself in writing.
3. Been just wandering on things to do, which is a lot!

Today
1. Still have many things to do. I guess work won’t stop but I’m not complaining!
2. I will go to Divisoria to buy something for a client!
3. I hope to blog hop later this afternoon.
4.  Felt relieved that Margaux’s assessment went well.  (that’s according to her! lol)
5.  Need to do a lot of canvassing: for airline tickets to US, venues for Bianca’s bday party options, check HK packages and even compare auto insurance quotes for the CRV.

Let me know what’s yours Peachy, Joy, Nol and Farah.

Got this tag from Em’s Food Blog

 ~~~Start Copy~~~
1.) Name something strange that your kids love to eat. Doesn’t matter how many.
2.) Post an image of him or her enjoying ‘the’ strange food liking. If none, just a photo of him having a feast.
3.) Add your kids name in the linky love with the blog where you posted this meme.
4.) Get back to Living the Healthy Life Blog by leaving a comment so your kids’ name be added to the master list.
5.) Tag as many of your friends with kids.

Kids who joined the fear food factor: ETHAN / MARTHA / JJ / Ozzy / GABBY and NICCO / ESTONG / Kuya and Kowi/ Big Brother AL-kiddo of Mommy Yen / LIZZIE / HALIGILET / DIMPLE / Ethan - kiddo of Mommy Butchay / EU-LEH “Kulit” /Margaux and Bianca / YOUR KID’s NAME with your Blog’s URL
~~~End Copy ~~~

Well, the kids so love eating the chicharons/chicharap from any chinese restaurant’s fried chicken….(will this do?)

Now, tagging Jacqui, Jane and Thea. 

Spent our weekend in Baguio to attend a wedding for the popular date of 08-08-08. Nope, didn’t coordinate this time but glad to be just one of the spectator guests for the wedding of Dicky’s colleague from Bayan. We left at 5am from our place and headed off to NLEX. We stopped in Shell NLEX for a quick breakfast in Jollibee in Shell Station. At 6am, we were back on the road. We passed through the new SCTEX road, which is a convenient hi-way to go to Baguio. We exited in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac already. It was a breeze and taking that road cut down our trip for like 30 minutes. We arrived in Baguio at 11am. We immediately proceeded in The Manor Hotel inside Camp John Hay. Good thing that we were able to check-in early so we lodged our luggages right away. For pictures of our room, check it here.

Few snapshots of the kids while waiting for Dicky to get our room key…

Saw Jacqui and the other girls from Bayan when we were in lobby and asked them where they would have their hair done in time for the wedding. Too bad, there is no salon inside the hotel so we had to go to SM for our hairdos. We quickly had lunch in Dencio’s in Mile Hi inside CJH and Dicky brought me and another colleague’s wife in SM Baguio. We had our hair done in David’s. By the time we got back, I was rushing to get dressed so we can catch up the 4pm wedding ceremony in Our Lady of Fatima. Too bad, we missed seeing the bride walked down the aisle. We got lost! It was already starting when we arrived and the church was so full and parking was jampacked.

Pictures from the hotel before proceeding in the church…

It was a nice wedding put all together by the bride, Anne. I really love Baguio for weddings. The weather was perfect. It was not raining during her wedding. It drizzled only after the ceremony and while we were all in the reception already. I like her concept, it was a black and white color theme and japanese inspired. The reception was arranged beautifully with red roses lined in the middle of the rectangular guest tables. And the food was so good. I think I had 3 cups of soup because it was so damn cold! Wine, beers and hard drinks were overflowing. We had enough.

At 10pm, the reception program ended. We had some snapshots with friends and then we headed back to our room in Manor. We were supposed to just change to more comfortable clothes and we planned to go back to the party but when we arrived in our room, the bed was calling us so we just dozed off to sleep.

Some pictures from the wedding…

The following day, saturday, the sun didn’t shine in Baguio. It was raining all throughout the day. But we braved ourselves together with another friend’s family to have breakfast in Cafe by the Ruins. I loved what I ordered, kesong puti in hot pandesal with strawberry jam and butter partnered with Rizal’s Tsokalate. Yum, yum, yum.

Then we bought take-out food from Star Cafe along Session Road to bring for the potluck lunch we had in one of the villas inside CJH where one of Dicky’s colleague from Bayan was staying. It was a big villa and the kids enjoyed running around and staying infront of the fireplace. We had good laughs while eating lunch with a bunch of Dicky’s friends (together with the wives) from Bayan.

Margaux and Bianca playing with Sam, daughter of TJ (Dicky’s colleague) and Tonette…

At 230pm, we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap. It was bed weather, perfect to just lounge around and enjoy the cool breeze of Baguio.

Pictures before heading to the room…

We woke up at 430pm and with nowhere to go, we just had a joy ride amidst the rain within circles of the city. Then we decided to just park and stroll around SM Baguio. Even inside the mall, it was freaking cold and fog was all over. Got few buys from Guess Kids which was on 50% off.

We decided to stay over inside the mall and we had a great meal in David’s Tea House for the dinner. It was almost 8pm when we went back to the hotel. We let the kids sleep first before Dicky and I went down in the lobby to enjoy good music from the band, Smooth and had few drinks together with friends from Bayan again. We bid goodbye at 12mn already. Anne, the bride went out with us as well for quick chats about her wedding. Afterwards, we proceeded in their suite where a number of their friends also were there. We just had few drinks again. Gosh, I had too much alcohol for that weekend! We went back to our room at 1am already.

Our last day, sunday, there was hope that the sun will shine that day. We freshened up quickly and headed out at 9am to let the kids enjoy a horse-back riding activity in Wright Park. Bianca and Margaux together with the yayas rode horses for a 30-minute ride. Afterwhich, we stopped in The Mansion for picture-taking then went straight to Mines View Park. Our main purpose here was to really go to Good Shepherd Convent to buy Ube as pasalubongs. Weather was good already that day and indeed the sun shone the entire morning but it was still cold.

Our 3rd day pics…

Bought more pasalubongs in the stores outside Mines View Park. We didn’t go inside anymore as it might be hard for the kids cause the stones were still slippery. Bought another knitted jacket for Bianca and some bonnets for me and the 2 kids. Had to buy cause Margaux doesn’t want to return it anymore when she put it on her head. And since it was 3 for Php 100, I just got one for myself and 1 for Bianca.

We went back to Camp John Hay at almost 12nn. Had quick lunch in Dencio’s again as we don’t want to go anywhere else anymore cause we still need to check-out the room. While waiting for the food to arrive, I walked through the Commisary area and was able to buy 3 Osh Kosh pants for the kids.  At 1230pm, we were back in our room, packed and checked out at 1pm.

We had picture-taking again in our room’s veranda before going down the lobby…

In The Manor Hotel’s garden…

We were on the road at 115pm back to Manila. It was the fastest route ever on our way back. We still took Kennon Road just the same on our way to Baguio. We encountered heavy downpour of rain while in Pangasinan and we had to stop cause it was already zero visibility. We passed again in SCTEX, entering somewhere in Tarlac and in like 15-20 minutes, we were already in NLEX. That was so quick. It was my shortest trip back from Baguio with only 4hrs and a half travel time. We were in Mandaluyong to attend a family dinner at 530pm!!! (well, dicky’s speed was at 140km/h while in SCTEX and not getting lower than 90km/hr in other major roads) I think it is really easier now to go to Baguio with the new SCTEX road which you can enter from NLEX. You won’t need to passby towns in Pampanga and Bataan anymore as you will exit right away in Tarlac. From the exit in Tarlac, it would just be another 2 and a half hours to Baguio.

It was a great weekend for the family. A nice one in the company of kids, friends, good food and perfect cold weather!

I was talking to Joy last time in YM and I got suprised when she told me that Sandy has exams in school. Gosh, I felt pressured. I thought they don’t have something like that in Miriam but I got suprised today when I picked her up from school. I saw from the bulletin board outside the gate the schedules for assessment day. Margaux is scheduled for a one-on-one assessment on Wednesday, August 13. It was posted “daw” last week pa, eh she has been absent since Tuesday last week and just returned to school today.

Gee, so here I am, the panic mommy is reviewing the daugther!

Hay, at nursery level, I can feel the pressure! (ano ba! ang daming kailangang i-review!)

for DNA testing! Hahaha! My kids are 100% look-alike of my husband, Dicky. No doubt! And he’s one proud daddy about it. Well, can’t complain further. My kids truly got their daddy’s features and even his mannerisms and antics. I think they have inherited that as well.  

I hope when the time comes that we would be bless with a baby boy, he would look like me this time!  I really wish!

I’m toying with the idea of going to HongKong before the year ends. I would love to bring the kids to disneyland but there are just so many plans I have in mind and the husband is actually not in favor of another expense, no matter what I say that I would spend again for this trip. As for me, I always believe that I work to enjoy spending for my family. Ok, I am resting my case for a while. Its a decision I can wait a little longer. I even would like to consider checking out Disney cruises for a possible future trip. Who knows, we might be able to do it next year?