Finally, I was able to make an appointment with the insurance agents of the insurance companies we are considering. We are already set to the health insurance we are getting so it is a matter of finally drafting the policy. The husband agreed to get the dollar policy as it offers more protection since it is accepted worldwide. We still need to finalize another insurance policy with another company. Glad we are done with all these insurance thing and the husband would stop bugging me to process it already.

Next thing I know that he would ask me to review is the option to buy silver bullion. He learned from a friend that at this time would be the best time to invest on this precious metal since the world demand for it now exceeds annual production. I learned that silver can be available in either coin or ingot form. I haven’t really know much yet about this investment but a number of our friends told us already about it.  So I have to make more research on it.  So after the insurance talks, it would probably be investment talks on the other hand.

have their Mabuhay Miles YFlyer cards already…

Happy to note that they’ve got their miles from our recent US trip with a bonus of 3000 miles since we booked during the travel expo. Their miles are possible for a round-trip HK getaway! I hope the husband is reading this! lol! But I would probably pass that up since we are saving for another great trip. As for me and the husband, our miles are getting bigger. Thanks to credit card points! I am even wishing our miles can be converted to round-trip air travel to Europe. Wish! if our ultimate plan of going to Europe by 2012 pushes through, I would probably go nuts calling all those stores with 08 numbers! Know what are those? Yes, designer bag shops!!!! Woohoo! Gotta save real hard for that trip!

Yes, today is my first day for South Beach Diet as I previously blogged.  Nothing fancy, just plain healthy eating.  No sweets, no carbs, no fatty foods.  Will eat food that are low in glycemic index to stop me from craving.  I weighed this morning, let’s see what happens after the 14 days. Hoping a healthier me after this.

According to Wikipedia, here’s what’s written about it…

The South Beach Diet is relatively simple in principle. It replaces “bad carbs” and “bad fats” with “good carbs” and “good fats.”

“Good carbs” vs “bad carbs”

According to Agatston, hunger cycles are triggered not by carbohydrates in general, but by carbohydrate-rich foods that the body digests quickly, creating a spike in blood sugar. Such foods include the heavily refined sugars and grains that make up a large part of the typical Western diet. The South Beach Diet eliminates these carbohydrate sources in favor of relatively unprocessed foods such as vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Carbohydrate sources are considered “good” only if they have a low glycemic index.

“Good fats” vs “bad fats”

Given that South Beach Diet was designed by a cardiologist, it should be no surprise that it eliminates trans-fats and discourages saturated fats. Although foods rich in these “bad fats” do not contribute to the hunger cycle, they do contribute to LDL cholesterol and heart disease. The South Beach Diet replaces them with foods rich in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acid which contribute to HDL cholesterol and provide other health benefits. Specifically, the diet excludes the fatty portions of red meat and poultry, replacing them with lean meats, nuts, and oily fish.

Phases

Agatston divides the South Beach Diet into three phases, each progressively becoming more liberal. “Phase 1″ lasts for the first two weeks of the diet. It eliminates all sugars, processed carbohydrates, fruits, and some higher-glycemic vegetables as well. Its purpose is to eliminate the hunger cycle and is expected to result in significant weight loss. “Phase 2″ continues as long as the dieter wishes to lose weight. It re-introduces most fruits and vegetables and some whole grains as well. “Phase 3″ is the maintenance phase and lasts for life. There is no specific list of permitted and prohibited foods. Instead, the dieter is expected to understand the basic principles of the diet and live by the principles.

Yes, I love Bare Minerals to bits! Need I say more? I swear about the product and I actually bought few pieces again last month even I still have tons of stock at home. I have special fascination for everything mineral make-up. I love how flawless looking it comes out on my face after putting it on. The Mineral Veil of Bare Minerals is my regular staple in my cosmetic kit. I recently talked to a friend who is taking her cosmetology course from a known beauty school in Minneapolis called Jacksonville Cosmetology School and also swear about the product. My friend told me how they also value the use of mineral make-ups during their classes. She showed me their campus and I am surprised to see how upscale their facilities are. They are known also to actually provide community service since they offer discounted salon services. My friend is actually hoping to land a job in modelling scene after her course and the school is even helping her out for that. How cool is that?  I heard make-up artists do get discounts also when purchasing make-up.  My friend promised to extend the discount for me once she’s certified.  Of course that is to buy Bare Mineral make-up again

The husband had his birthday party at home from friends from his former company. We were all taking about how to lose weight including those quicktrim reviews and how to keep ourselves healthy. The discussions were brought about after learning that one of our friends had to undergo bypass surgery at a very young age of 38 years old. It made all of us scared!  But that night was not totally spared because we had a great meal which I ordered from a good caterer. Everyone raved about the food!

Grilled Chicken and  Roast Pork with Caramelized Apple

Red Snapper with Mango Salsa and Lengua Estofado

to lose those stubborn fats so I decided to take South Beach Diet (again!) seriously. This time, I wanted to do it for a minimum of one month. I am hoping I can survive it. I am enticing the husband to join me so let’s see. But with multiple invitations from hotels this time, I would probably start next week instead! lol! Ok, I am not yet ready psychologically so I’m giving myself a week. Do check on me next week if I have started already (wink!)

The above photo was taken during one of our stops on our road trips. This was in Hoover Dam. It was a tourist attraction once known as Boulder Dam, that is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado Rover. It is actually a state line between Arizona and Nevada. This was just about few days after we landed in Los Angeles and look how much weight we gained already just looking at our picture. That made me think to buy diet pills then. But instead of looking for one in Las Vegas as we were headed there after this stop, we ended up eating mostly buffet in Vegas hotels. So don’t ask how much weight did we gain from the trip ok?

It’s been incredibly crazy week since monday. Actually i was a totally busy bee since last week. I am thinking I need all the supplementing I could take. I need some health supplements to keep me going. Last week was husband’s party as well so I was crazy preparing for his birthday party in less than 2 days! But glad I was able to pull it off. It’s already middle of the week and I hope work would get better in two days time.

are growing so fast. So i don’t take any chances not to cuddle them. I actually miss them being so tiny and little, so helpless and so dependent. But I just can’t stop the hands of time so I am just making the most of it. Spending time with them is always precious and something I wouldn’t trade off. A number of our friends were asking as to when will we get pregnant again. We still want actually. Hopefully a boy this time? But how could we be so sure of the gender? I hope the chinese calendar is really effective. But for the meantime, I am considering to take some diet supplements so I can be in better shape and weight first before I end up being pregnant again!

already since last week. So I was pretty busy in preparing their stuff for school. I’m one stage mother again as I brought and picked them up from school on their first week. They now go to the same school. Margaux being in Kinder and Bianca in First Step. I was kinda worried how Bianca would actually take the first few days. I was really praying that she would have an easy time to adjust in a bigger school. I remember Margaux took weeks before she finally let go of my hands whenever she would enter the gate. But Bianca was different. She went inside and held her teacher’s hand without hesitate. Guess what they said about most second child being more aggressive is true. Probably seeing her sister Margaux wearing the same uniform matters as well. Margaux is becoming more of an “older sister” now to Bianca. I like it whenever she would coach Bianca anything about school. I really think my girls will be real BFF (Best Friends Forever)!

The past two days have been crazy hectic. Finished a lot of work pertaining to our upcoming events and also reviewing contracts of new business opportunities. Apparently, I also run a number of errands since we need to complete all requirements needed for the new investments

These new opportunities is not even counting what my friend has told me about. She is actually encouraging me to buy gold bullion from the United States Gold Bureau. The agency actually sells precious metals and coins that be used as an investment product when deposited in an independent bank.

I read through an article that this kind of trading precious metals and coins have been in existence since the ancient times. It has been one of the ways for rich people back then to preserve their wealth. Gold has not just been noted for its beauty and luster but it has also been a known investment.

I still need to read up more about this opportunity.  It may really be something too hard to pass up. Will see.

They are now two in the same school…

I’m becoming sentimental again! (sniff, sniff, sniff). I still can’t believe that they are now 5 and 3 years old respectively. Oh, they are growing up so fast. Really can’t hold off the time. And that’s how it is but they would forever be my babies. I am sure when they read my blogs, they would truly know how much I love them very much and how proud I am about them too.

This week has already been regular school schedules. No fuss on waking up early. So happy! At least, less stress in the morning. I commend the yayas for letting them sleep early too especially if I’m still out for meetings. It was a breeze with Bianca. She actually didn’t have any separation anxiety or even school adjustment up to this writing. I remember Margaux was a bit hesitant to enter school when she was in First Step. Seeing her Ate Margaux entering the same school could have been really a big inspiration for Bianca.

Morning rituals are done from waking up at 6am, eating breakfast, taking a bath and toothbrushing on different faucets to make it quicker for them to finish so they can both dress up already. In no time, they are both ready to hop on the car on the way to school.

It has been a fruitful 2 weeks for them in school so far and I always look forward to their stories every time they come home. 

They are called mommy’s happiness!

The husband will be celebrating his birthday this weekend. Pathetic as I still do not have any gift for him. Worst, I also do not have any idea what to give him. A friend recommended to me Chopard watches. Wish I could afford one for him. But nah! I am really clueless on what to get for him. Any recommendations please? I would probably hit the mall today so I can check what’s available and more importantly, what’s good for my wallet, lol!

No, this was not taken using a security camera, lol! The husband took this shot. I wasn’t actually lucky with slot machines. I have never been lucky with it ever since I was playing with it. I like playing the roulette better especially the digital one where in you bet using a touch screen monitor. In there, you cannot see how much others are betting unlike the open roulette. There was one night in Las Vegas that I was lucky with it. I actually won a total of $150! Yey, that made me buy a long champ bag in the store! lol!

We welcomed with open arms the arrival of our new baby. We consider it actually as our “baby boy.” My husband was of course very excited. He has been planning to get this one since late last year but we have delayed it a bit. I always believe that it is sweeter when you have patience. We have finally decide on the name. It would be called “Reno.” It was the husband who chose that one. I can’t contradict him for that. He wants to remember the fondest memory we had while we were in US. We really had a great time in Reno, Nevada actually.

It was baptized already last sunday. We are enjoying this new baby so much. I’m now thinking to plan to have a quick getaway somewhere nearby, let’s see.

Nope, we are not in a beauty care products to look for the best wrinkle cream on the above picture, since a friend is asking me to get one that prevents premature aging. But we were in Jean Philippe Patisserie inside the newest hotel in Las Vegas, Aria. They have sumptuous and good-looking desserts available so of course, we didn’t take any chances but try out what they have to offer. Oh, it didn’t fail us. Though a slice of a cake would cost you around Php 500-600, yes just a slice, it was worth it though. We love the breads too!

Let me jump off my story about our US vacation with one of my favorite shows among the Theme Parks we have been to. We went to 4 Theme Parks. Universal Studios in Los Angeles, Disneyland in Anaheim, Sea World in San Diego and Lego Land in Carlsbad. My kids do remember clearly about Shamu, the adorable whale from San Diego. It was one of their favorites. As for me, aside from the show of Shamu, my favorite also in Sea World San Diego was the Pet’s Rule show. It was an amazing show of animals, from dogs, cats, pigs, birds, ducks. I have never seen like it before. The show was actually very witty and entertaining. Example was like the a golden retriever dog preparing their canine cuisine for a dinner date with a poodle dog. Amazing how those animals were trained to be able to do great tricks.

I am pretty sure the trainors are like providing dog gourmet treats. I wouldn’t be surprised if their dog breakfast would be a bunch of new york steaks or even some fillet mignons? lol!

It wasn’t only the dogs who performed. There were cats, a pig, some ducks and birds who were part of the show. Look at some of the pictures we took…

How much do you know about buying a property, real estate settlement, your rights and how much you can protect yourself from being victims of fraud. I was asking a friend who is a registered real estate agent in the US on How Much Are Closing Costs. Closing Costs are actually depending on the location of the property. Different states in the United States do have different tax policies. It is also dependent on what type of structure of the property are you buying. Is it single detached house, a townhouse or a condominium. Some sites do offer a way on how to compute for it by just inputting all the details of the property like address, number of units, and even considering the agent’s rate. My real estate friend also told me the importance of Title Insurance. So What Is Title Insurance? It is actually a protection of both parties, the lender and the owner of the property for any losses on their part that might result due to fraud, errors or liens against the property. I didn’t know that there is something like that until my friend told me all about these things. When we bought our property, we had the full trust to our agent. He guided us on every step to take so we just paid the appropriate amount. Good thing, it was a breeze Real Estate Settlement on our end. I guess the husband understands some of these details already. Now, should you be buying a property, it would really be best to know some information like the ones above.

Yes, I rode the bandwagon of friends who love their iPhone to bits! Yes, I finally got mine (after fretting about the network) before the US trip. In fact, rushed to Globe Telecoms in Greenhills to pick up my unit (white 3gs 32gb) on the day of our flight. The “toy” made my kids sit back on our long road trips. And used the iPhone of their dad too, it was a peaceful trip since they didn’t have to fight over it.

I’m loving it so far. Had to adjust it’s touch-screen feature but I’m getting the hang of it now. Not to mention that I’m having a blast with all the apps loaded into it, especially the games! I’m addicted to most actually!

My grandmother who is based in California is already a retired corporate employee last year. She is now in control of what she want’s do to in life. She basically went home last year to have her grand vacation in Manila. Just last week, I learned that they are making some improvements in their home. Apparently, she got already her Lump Sum Pensions. She told us that she availed of something like Pension Loan, which allowed her to turn her retirement asset into a working cash so she can already do the things that she wants in life now that she is no longer working. It actually makes sense rather than just waiting for your monthly allowance where in you cannot do much because of the limited resources. She is now enjoying life most. She’s happy and healthy. So instead of waiting for a longer period to save up for her dream vacation or improving their home, she can better do things already currently while she still has the capacity to do so. In fact, she actually sold only a specific portion of her lump sum pension and still retained a majority for her needs later in life. I heard there are some who are doing it also here in the country. But the privileges they have in the US makes one individual ask the question: Can I Cash In My Pension Early? It is definitely possible. I’m happy for my grandmother.

I just love the lovely furniture I saw from my in-laws place while we were vacationing in their homes. Round Dining Table is actually not their popular choice as they usually choose to have those rectangular ones that can sit 8-10 people. I am surprised to learn the cost of Dining Room Furniture there so as the China Cabinets . I was informed that there’s a popular online store for dining tables as well. They have nice selections of different dining sets ranging from formal, casual, contemporary, round or rectangular tables. They also offer kitchen tables. The store even offers some special deals like savings from 45-75% off from retail stores. They also offer free shipping. What a great convenience. 

Most of their pieces are made out of high quality oak, birch, maple or ash burl material so you are guaranteed for its quality that can stand many years.  I particularly like those tables that are expandable and even include additional table leaves.  They furniture come in different colors as well.  They have clean black, black espresso, antique oak and my favorite dark cherry brown.  Wish these are all available back home.

Yes, it’s my day today. My birthday actually. I thank my parents for bringing me on this world (and to my mom for taking proper prenatal vitamins when I was still in her womb, lol!) I am thankful for my life. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for my family. God is so good. Today, it is extra special as I am celebrating it with my whole family in a special vacation treat for all of us. We are just having a great time and I, particularly is having a blast. We are currently in Las Vegas. Celebrating my birthday here  Had buffet lunch in Ceasar’s Palace.  Staying for another two nights before we prepare to come home to Manila. This is one great vacation.