my anniversarry gift to my parents

wrapped in a fashion magazine

The A-Z of Me Meme

Vader's Mom tagged me for this fun!

A - Available/Single? Neither ... very happy with hubby ...
B - Best Friend? Nald, Allan, Zel, Sherl, Jacq, Jeff, Neri, Arny
C - Cake or Pie? definitely cake
D - Drink Of Choice? fruit juices
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? my celphone ...
F - Favorite Color? blue
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? none ...
H - Hometown? Cebu City, Philippines
I - Indulgence? sweets, chocolate, DVD's of TV series
J - January Or February? january ... new beginnings ...
K - Kids & Their Names? the tornado
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? love of family and friends
M - Marriage Date?
N - Number Of Siblings? 6
O - Oranges Or Apples? Fuji Apples ... with iodized salt sprinkled on them ... YUMMY!
P - Phobias/Fears? heights ...
Q - Favorite Quote? "An eye for an eye ... harharhar!"
R - Reason to Smile - my life ...
S - Season? Fall
T - Tag Three People? Miss Suzy, GrayMama, Waya
U - Unknown Fact About Me? I used to be in the honor roll back in my school days ...
V - Vegetable you don’t like? eggplants ... YUCK!
W - Worst Habit? not caring about what others think ... hehe ...
X - X-rays You’ve Had? head, chest, legs, arms ... yep ... complete klutz plus frequent fainting spells
Y - Your Favorite Food? shrimp
Z - Zodiac Sign? Scorpio

Thursday Thirteen # 7

13 things I need to do before Christmas (and its 25 days away ...)

1. finish my Christmas list

2. send out Christmas cards to relatives and friends

3. finish tributes for best friends

4. budget Christmas gifts

5. buy Chirstmas gifts

6. decorate house for Christmas

7. come up with menu for Christmas dinner

8. cook food for office Christmas party

9. get approval for Dec 31 - Jan 2 leave

10. wrap presents

11. get baskets for gift packs (I'm thinking of getting a massage pack for my Dad and a Tweety pack for SIL, what do you guys think?)

12. send out Christmas goodie swap and ornament swap

13. get 2nd annual Christmas family picture taken

What do you still need to finish before Christmas arrives?

Love Thursday # 10

Love is thinking that the expression on B's face is the cutest expression ever. When he was still barely a year old, he loved making this face. He no longer does it but I sure am happy that I was able to capture this moment.

Happy Love Thursday everyone! Hugs!

couch potato in the making

watching Playhouse Disney

super mini halloween snack

w/o parmesan cheese

w/ parmesan cheese

I know its a wee bit late but I had to make use of the Halloween paper plate that was sent to us by relatives from the US. So I decided to cook some pasta and voila! There is it pictured above. I won't even post the recipe coz its so basic.

Come and have a bite with me.

B's many sleeping positions

anger management

Yesterday, I spent more than 4 hours on the phone with a Telecom Company arguing with them over my phone that came with a postpaid subscription. I filed a complaint last November 13 that the camera thing was not working. I was promised that it will be replaced and I would be given a call the Friday following Nov. 13. It didn't happen. They called me Nov. 25 ... to tell me that there still wasn't any stock available. Of course I was not happy. Okay, I was livid. I figured that if they didn't call me for almost 2 weeks, they should have good news for me. So I gave the rep an ultimatum that they should have found a replacement for me by the 27th which was yesterday.

10am in the morning I called to check if it was there. Rep was still not in. I informed them to tell rep that she needs to call me before 1130 am. She does. And tells me that I need to wait another week or so. I refused and told them to go look for one ASAP or find another replacement. Hubby was upset as well because it's been 2 weeks already. I believe I was too livid and it caused the rep to uhm, break down. I didn't mean for her to cry. I was not cursing at her nor screaming but I was seriously upset and she must have gotten affected. It irritated me more but I felt compelled to tell her to not take it personally. I told her that I was not mad at her but at the system and the situation. She composes herself and she tells me that she will call me back.

Everytime this line is uttered, I get upset. Why? Because they never call back on time. So I give them time specifics like in 30 minutes or an hour.

To make the story short, I ended up talking to 2 managers and 5 customer reps. One of them was a real b!t.. though. So I filed a complaint against this woman. I mean, she mocked me, raised her voice, talked on top of me, put me on mute, and was just rude. I was so upset with the way she treated me that I told the manager she should be fired.

The other reps I spoke to were nice. They allowed me to vent and expressed empathy and what have you. This one was just a rep from hell.

Now, I realize that I shouldn't have stooped to her level. Nor asked the manager to fire her. I was just so affected by the entire fiasco with the phone. The 1st manager was not helpf ul at all then I encountered a bad rep. ARGH!!!!

I did get the replacement. It's just so frustrating that one needs to b!t.. around first for anything to be done in this country. I saw the rep I spoke to in the center (the one who cried) and I apologized to her about getting upset. I told her it wasn't her I was mad at. *there was no way to say the same thing to the other 4 reps since they were in a call center somewhere in the city*

Late last night, I get a hate text. I suspect it's the b!t... rep coz she has access to my number on their system. I guess she was sanctioned. Do I feel bad about it? A bit.

I need anger management classes when it comes to customer reps. I just blow up easily on them. Maybe because I'm in the same field and I know what they should be doing and what they should not be doing. Sigh.

* image from theblackcat.dyndns.org/gallery.php

Monday Blues

Sigh ... it's Monday again and tomorrow I'll be off to work at 3am. I am grateful but... it's just so nice to wake up at the time you want to wake up; have a cup of coffee at your leisure ... I guess I am feeling the blues ...

Don't worry about me ... later I'll be fine and chirpy again ..

I've a B moment last night ... B and I were in his crib and I would make this crazy lil sounds like "gukuruku" and he would just laugh like he was being tickled. It was the sweetest thing. And if I tell him to hug me or kiss me, he'd run straight at me and jump and kiss me or hug me.

See, I feel better now.

What gets rid of your Monday blues?

munimuni # 8

This week has been a wee bit frazzling. Here are the things I am thankful for.

1) my parents 27th year anniversarry yesterday ... I only hope that hubby and I will be able to celebrate until our 75th year together
2) that we are still alive after last night ... our tire got torn apart while we were driving in the highway but luckily, it did not blow up or else, I would be either in heaven or hell ...
3) good health and safety ... our guardian angel sure is working doubletime keeping us from any harm ... THANK YOU!
4) our jobs ... though the time is a wee bit skewed, at least, we have jobs
5) the fact that I am able to create things with my hands that other people think is nice

Thank you dear God up above. For more reflections, visit Judi.

How was your weekend?

SPH # 8: Time

TIME

For today's photo hunt, the theme is TIME. So today, I am making a tribute to my parents who have been together for 27 years now. Throughtout TIME, through all the hardships, they have stayed together. Happy Anniversarry Mommy and Daddy. Posted above is a frame collage I am giving them (which I made) that shows a sort of before and after picture. The 1st one was taken 1980 and the 2nd one is recently. Many more TIME together .. many more happy memories.

Grab the photo hunt code or join the blogroll.

feeling a lil ragged

I feel just a lil bit tired from all that's happened this week. Looking back though, I can't even remember everything. I guess it's all the change in my work schedule and the stress of finding out what it was. From a 6am to 3pm shift, I am suddenly in the 4am to 1pm shift. It's really a good thing that we got a car now since there are no buses travelling in my place at the ungodly hour of 3am.

I'm so thankful the hubby is willing to take me to work. See, he works 10 minutes away from our house. I work in a place that's about 2 hours away from our house with traffic. Without traffic, its 45 minutes away. So now, hubby has to get up at 245 am, we leave at 320, I get to work at 350, and then he has to go back all the way home so he can get to his 5am shift on time. Tiring huh? I feel tired just reading it.

January, I gotta transfer work, hopefully, somewhere near the house.

What do you do when you're tired?

* image from www.gnurf.net/products/

Feast 119 # 19

Appetizer
Have you ever changed a flat tire by yourself?
- NEVER! I don't think I ever will ...

Soup
Do you have an "innie" or an "outie" belly button?
- I'm an innie! lol! My Mom put a coin on my belly button when it fell off and tied a cloth around my tummy to make me an innie.

Salad
Name a new paint color and describe it.
- skydance ... it will ba a combination of blue and lilac and will make anyone seeing it feel whimsical ...

Main Course
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
- exchanging gifts ... love it! (hint hint)

Dessert
If you were a cookie, what kind of cookie would you be, and why?
- I'd be hard on the outside ... soft inside ... warm when you touch ... and melts inside your mouth ... sensual but cozy at the same time ...

punch me hard

this is the newest toy that B has ... he LOVES it!

Thursday Thirteen # 6

13 things that I am thankful for
(tribute to Thanksgiving)

1. good health, I was sickly as a child and I still have the occasional fainting spells but overall, I'm pretty healthy
2. safety ... in this crazy world we live in where people get shot or stabbed for no reason, I am thankful that my friends and family are all safe from harm
3. my lil tornado who always manages to fill my heart with so much love
4. hubby ... for putting up with my crankiness
5. my family ... for all the support they've given me
6. my MIL,FIL, and SIL ... for loving me and accepting me into their fold
7. my tornado's nanny ... I would not have survived Mommyhood without her
8. my friends ... been there since we were kids and will be there till we are old to be grannies
9. my job ... it may be insane but it pays the bills
10. my blogfriends ... you guys inspire me to write and tap into my creativity
11. my life as a whole ... all the lessons learned made me a stronger person
12. my collection of so many things ... I will have loads to pass on when I'm gone
13. the internet especially gmail, blogger, multiply (photos, blog, and vids galore) and youtube (I get to watch shows I love in the office giving me more time to be with my son) ... what would I do without them? hehe ...

What are you thankful for?

Love Thursday # 9

my work of art when I was 5 or 6 years old

Love is keeping this lil work of arts eventhough it will never sell or be shown in art galleries. Thanks Mom!

For More Love Thursday, go here.

christmas goodie swap

close up

picturesque

the Holly figurines with mini Xmas tree

the Xmas tree and card

the table runner which my Mom and MIL both want ... lol!

the Santa hat

It was beyond beautiful. I love, love, love, love, love it! Thank you Connie. Thank you so much.

munimuni # 7

This week was filled with lil surprises here and there. A lot of good moments and catching up with friends. So here are my lists of blessings that I am very much thankful for for this week.

1) good health for all of us
2) all of us were able to get home safely every single day
3) going to see Dad and Mom later ... bonding time!
4) took lots of pics and vids of my lil tornado ... it was fun!
5) fixed my multiply site so friends and family can view it better
6) had a drive through date with hubby yesterday .... we looked crazy eating McDo in the parking lot
7) got a Sesame Street 8in1 DVD for only Php80 (that's less than $2)
8) lost a bit of weight
9) was able to shop for clothes, a bag, and shoes ...
9) had a manicure pedicure for only Php100 (that's $2) my feet looks good ...
10) talked to relatives and sent them loads of pictures of my lil tornado

Plans for the coming week:

1) make a poster size collage that's framed already for my parent's 27th anniversarry ... yey!
2) send out the goodies for my swapmates
3) create stuff for 3 new lovely friends ... GrayMama, Vader's Mom, and Jeri Ann.

Happy & Blessed weekend everyone!

a christmas meme

Got this from Vader's Mom ...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
hot chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
wraps present ... the excitement is in ripping off the wrapper

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
colored light ... looks more festive

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
nope ... doesn't work here ... lol!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
before, around october, now end of november most likely

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
fuji apples ... i associate it with xmas ...

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
hmmm ... lemme think ... hmmm ... way too many!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
about 9 years old I think ...

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
we open all gifts on Christmas Eve ...

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
we prettify it ... we have M&M lights so it looks real cute

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I wish we had it here. But alas, it melts even before it hits the ground ...

12. Can you ice skate?
I can't even ride a bike ... =(

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
not really ... I don't have a favorite one ... yet!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
being with family .. .getting them something they would love ... and all the love being shared ... it's enough to make you giddy ...

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
nothing in particular ...

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
giving of gifts and greeting strangers Merry Christmas ...

17. What tops your tree?
an angel ... I hope ...

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
BOTH! =)

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, jackfrost nipping at your nose ...

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum??
YUM!!!

sign of love

yep! this battery is a sign of love from hubby ... he got me two of this, which give me 12 batteries ... which gives me more than 300+ pictures to shoot ... whoopeee!!!!

layouts galore

with my elementary friends .. used up the Coffee Bean post cards as background

with my gorgeous mom at a wedding .. I used the invitations and card seats as background

this is me with my siblings at Italiannis in Gateway ...

when I had a massage at Fitness First courtesy of hubby

with my precious angel

Feast 118 # 18

Argh! I'm late for Friday's Feast. I thought it was supposed to resume last week. Eeeekkk! Better late than never.

Appetizer
Do you believe there is intelligent life on other planets?
- - of course! It's way too arrogant of us to think that we could be the only creature on this entire galaxy. I'm not saying ET is out there though that would be cool. But I believe even some sort of bacteria exists there.

Soup
What is one thing you said you'd never do, but you eventually did?
- - be a mom. Lol! I never thought I'd have kids. I just wasn't the type. But now, I have my lil tornado.

Salad
Who is the teacher that influenced you the most in school?
- hhmm ... it's gonna be a split between Ms. Victoria and Gng. Hernandez ... they were my Social and Filipino teacher respectively ... man, they were tough and demanding!

Main Course
If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be and why?
- It would be hubby. I wanna know what's going on in his everyday life ... or, lil tornado. I wanna be able to do baby stuff but with the understanding of an adult.

Dessert
What is your favorite dish to prepare?
- Ground Pork rolled in Fresh Lettuce easy to make but really fancy looking =)

SPH # 7: Plush

PLUSH

This theme's week "Plush" had me stumped a lil bit. I was thinking, plush = comfort, so here is my lil tornado all surrounded with plush. Just like his Mom, he loves being surrounded by lots of pillows when sleeping. There's a lil twist though. When he's really deep in sleep, we HAVE to take away all the pillows because he gets irritated when he can't roll over and sleep with his tush sticking up in the air just like this.

Grab the photo hunt code or join the blogroll.

crafty memories

We all have created something by hand at one point in our life. The first crafty thing that I made was this cut outs of animals that I found fascinating. I would draw them on art paper, cut it out, and paste them on an oslo paper. It looked ugly but at that time, I thought it was swell to have a blue bat, a purple lion, and a red elephant.

What was the first crafty thing that you made?

lay outs for B

Here are some pages from B's scrapbooks. To all the other people who view this blog, do share your scrapbook tips to this budding scrapper.


These are just a few of them. =)