Blemish Be Gone!

My daughter is entering the pubescent stage where her skin starts to adjust with her growth. Her forehead is already breaking out with puny pimples. This makes her very conscious but I always remind her not to prick nor touch her blemishes.

Her age is a tricky factor in finding the right acne treatment. She is turning 12 next February and I hope her blemishes clear by then. If not, I'll be forced to take her to the dermatologist before she has major break-outs.

Something Sparkly

They said diamonds are girls' best friend. I have seen sparkling diamonds in my mom's jewelry collection and my friends as well.

Honestly, I have only 2 diamonds in my jewelry collection. One is from my mom and dad - the small diamonds placed in my hubby's and my wedding bands, the other one is a heart-shaped pendant with a diamond in the center which is from my husband. He gave it to me when I turned 30. So far, I have never had diamonds after that.

Wishful thinking for something sparkly this coming Christmas.

Eye Test

This is not your usual vision test but more of a personality test. Check it out! The result is very "me."

Deep Down You Are Sensitive

You're the type of person who notices everything and forgets nothing. You are very in tune with the world. You feel deeply, and sometimes the silliest things can effect you. You are easily brought to laughter or tears. You don't show the world how fragile you are. You instead show people how insightful you can be. You are good at anticipating what's going to happen in your life. You are often the first one to see what's coming.

The Eye Test

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Girls Talk - Accessories

This is the right opportunity for me to say that "my husband is so lucky to have me as a wife." And why did I say that without a taint of modesty? (wink...wink) Well, it is because I am not a big jewelry person. I don't mind nor am bothered not being presented with expensive jewelries or watches or any other accessories known to women. I prefer the simple beaded-kind of necklaces which I wear to work and casual occasions. My husband even insists of buying me stuff but I just shrug it off. Isn't he so lucky?!? hihihihihii...

Well, since it's Accessories theme for our GT's topic, I am posting my collection of inexpensive beaded necklaces I got from family and friends. Most of them were bought in Manila but some were given by my friends elsewhere around the globe. There's really not one particular fave of mine. All of them are worn regularly depending on my mood and what type of cloting I am wearing that time.

Lastly, I am not a big fan of watches too. Although there is one watch that I wear everyday because it is very special. It's my hubby's 12th wedding anniversary gift to me. It is actually a "his and her's" watch so he also has the same kind but a bigger one.

Daily Survival Kit

I got this from a friend's forwarded email and could not let the day pass without sharing. It's really something to note of. So, whenever you are feeling blue and a little bummed, just remember this post of mine and hopefully I can give a smile on your face.

Today, I am giving you a

DAILY SURVIVAL KIT

to help you each day............

Toothpick ... to remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone,including yourself.

Rubber band ... to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it can be worked out.

Band-Aid ... to remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else's.

Eraser ... to remind you everyone makes mistakes. That's okay, we learn by our errors.

Candy Kiss ... to remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment everyday.

Mint ... to remind you that you are worth a mint to your family & Me.

Bubble Gum ... to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.

Pencil ... to remind you to list your blessings every day.

Tea Bag ... to remind you to take time to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings.

This is what makes life worth living every minute, every day

Wishing you love, gratitude, friends to cherish, caring, sharing, laughter, music, and warm feelings in your heart.

Girls Talk - Dresses

I love dressing up. As a matter of fact, I love dresses, the LBD (Little Black Dress), the wrap-dress, the sheath, baby doll dress, empire cut, you name it. I will wear it! Back when I was a lot slimmer, I used to wear wrap-dress because it flatters my petite body. Now that I am rotund (and healthy!), I wear more loose kind of dresses, flimsy, flappy and flowing.

I love this dress that I posted here. It's actually a "long blouse" for the tall ladies and a short dress for a teeny-tiny person like me! LOL. A good friend gave this to me from London few months ago and it falls few inches above my knees which I think is great. It elongates my rather short legs. Like they always say in fashion, if you are short, the more you should show skin. Amen to that ;)

I can't wait for winter to come so I can wear this with my favorite boots which I posted in GT - Shoes. ;)

Halloween is almost Here!

I have never experienced trick or treating as a child because Halloween is not really practiced in the Philippines where I grew up. The same thing is happening to my daughter who is now 11 but never had the chance to wear fancy Halloween costumes for trick or treat. Problem is, here in the Middle East, Halloween is not observed by the locals. They do recognize the event; however, some of the expats here celebrate it by having their children trick or treat around their villages where most of the residents are expats as well.

If I cannot celebrate the trick or treating here, might as well bring a little touch of Halloween at home by carving - NOT A PUMPKIN - oranges! Yes, it's the least we can do to put our home in that Halloween mood apart from the cobwebs made out of cotton and those critters!

All you need are two oranges. Slice the top and remove the pulps inside. Slightly carve out a face on the exterior but not too hard because you might break the skin. This little "Jack-o-Lanterns" serve as cute table-top votive holders! There you go! Your very own miniature Jack-o-Lanterns!

Baby Matters

My friend who will deliver her 4th child is looking for a great idea for her nursery room. It has been a while since she last had her glimpse of a nursery because her youngest is already 7. With a baby coming soon, all she can think about is making a special nursery room that will showcase her love for stylish yet whimsical theme. She also has a flair with something light colored and elegant at the same time but will not burn a big hole in her pockets.

I suggested some nice alphabet letters for kids adorned on one side of the wall with a soft and comfortable couch next to it. A small reading lamp atop the cream side table will complete the look. I told her to be practical at the same time because the nursery will soon become a regular child's room too. So, the designs and the furniture she will use must also be suited for a growing toddler.

The room will not be complete without the accessories. We all know that the baby is going to be a boy. She can buy some nice Caden Lane Crib Bedding with cute boyish accents like prints of small toys laced with baby blue hues. She likes to have pastel blue color on the wall so she may stick with using cream and baby blue on the blanket and bedding.

Lastly, a heavy-duty and safe Bumbleride Strollers will be one of the major purchases the soon-to-be-mom will make. I can't wait to see the new baby in town!

Beauty Tip 101 - Winter Skin Wake-Up!

We can't deny it but the cold season is on! So much for the hot summer months and hello winter!

winter season brings forth pale and dewy skin because of the cold climate. Cell renewal slows down resulting to skin thickening to protect itself. Due to that, the skin tends to be less vibrant, flat and grey. Use hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid to nourish and moisturize dry skin.

This Coming Christmas

Christmas is slowly peeking from the corner. Next time you know it, we are singing Christmas carols, sipping hot chocolate near the fireplace, having guests for Christmas Eve and finally opening Christmas presents under the tree.

Well, I think our Christmas will not be the same as last year or the years before that. I remember preparing my Christmas gifts to buy as early as June. I started buying my presents months before the major rush. All my gifts were neatly placed under our Christmas tree. That was the previous year.

It is already mid-October and I haven't even prepared any Christmas gifts' list this year. I think I will skip on the gift-giving for the time being because honestly, money is quite scarce and I am not sure if I can stretch my budget to accommodate gift-giving. It is at this point where I ponder if gift-giving is truly necessary to be able to celebrate Christmas. I know it's not always the material stuff but it does bring joy to the children, right? However, with the calamities hitting my motherland left and right and the ongoing recession, I think my solemn prayers for mankind will suffice to feel and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

One Street at a Time (My CNN Hero for 2009)

I would like to show my support to my fellow Filipino - Efren Penaflorida on his nomination in the 2009 CNN Hero. His effort to educate the youth and keep them out of bad vices has given hope to many young gang members' lives.

Girls Talk - Shoes

I am not a big collector of shoes but I do have some which I bought many moons ago and they are still in tip-top shape. When it comes to shoes, I do buy mostly leather because of its durability as I walk with a shuffle. Hard to explain!

These 3 are my favorite shoes to wear in the office. The boots is worn only during the cooler climate here so it is in good condition. The other 2 are my fave high-heeled shoes. I love wearing high-heels because I am short ;)

Relocating to Arizona

Oh no. Not us...yet! Although we have plans to migrate somewhere it does not rain often and the weather is almost similar to Dubai. We are so accustomed to the weather here that a 49 degrees Celsius temperature has already been accepted by our system.

Well, Phoenix, Arizona's weather is not too different from Dubai. They also get warm and humid summers and not very cool winters. If we ever want to move to a cooler climate, then we can always drive to nearby cooler states like Utah, Colorado or California where most of our relatives are residing.

One thing we are considering before we take the big leap is the location of the new place we will call home and the amenities. Phoenix, Arizona is not that far from California so we can always visit our relatives should we finally decide on the biggest life-changing move we will embark on in the future. I hope it is not a distant future!

I have discussed the need for a backyard and probably a small pool to wade in when it gets hot. to my husband. We have to scout for a great deal on real estate and Arizona swimming pool service to maintain our swimming pool. However, we can narrow down our search to Phoenix swimming pool service if we are going to live in that city. There are plenty of pool cleaning and maintaining service in the area so I suppose it will not be a hassle to choose one that is superb in service; also upon the recommendation of friends who are already living in Phoenix. Blue Palm Pools is located in Anthem and I think this pool service and repair company will do the work!

Dizzy Spell

I was playing with our pet Millie and shrieking to my "lungs" desire then I had this dizzy spell and fell asleep for hours and hours.

I was not sure what happened to me but I remember having intense head pain while I was shrieking. Well, don't ask me why I was shrieking because Millie loved my shrieks! hahaha.

Suffice to say, I will not be shrieking for the coming days or anytime soon! Hehehe.

My Teacher

I have taken great interest on my studies early in life. Part of this desire to learn has been imbibed in me by my parents and my teacher in grade school. I remember the feeling of eagerness and unabated anticipation of what wisdom my mentor would impart that day. It was this one teacher who really brought the best in me and her name is Miss Vicenta Quinto. She had made a great impact on my growing up years and the way I would embrace knowledge. She was my 2nd Grade classroom adviser.

It has been many years since I last stepped in my childhood alma mater. It was not even a reunion but just to enquire for the curriculum they have for kindergarten as my daughter was to begin her baptism of fire in academics. I got curious and asked if Miss Vicenta Quinto was still teaching there. Unfortunately, the person I asked had no clue.

Times have changed and we can now search for our long, lost mentors, relatives and friends through the aid of internet. One great site to check is MyLife. I checked out her name but my search result was nil. However, I tried typing names of the teachers I still recall during my elementary days and I have many hits.

I am really glad that I have met Ms. Quinto in my developing years. Her patience and motherly advise prompted me to give my best. She believed in me when I had doubts back then as to what I could be capable of. I hope I will still meet her one day so I can personally thank her for the positive impact she had in my life.

Monday Party Game - Kindergarten

Don't you just love them?!? Well, let's test your patience then. Play this Kindergarten flash game by keeping the tots happy by fulfilling their needs as swiftly as you can. Good luck!

Kindergarten



Click here to play this game

Spooky Stories

Well, I have my fair share of spooky experience in my life and I think, Science cannot explain what I have seen so far.

I just thought of sharing this since few weeks from now is Halloween and all sorts of spooky stories will come up. And I have my own spooky segment here :)

When I was a lot younger, I saw my grandfather standing near our hallway at home smiling at me. I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me but when I rubbed my eyes and blinked couple of times, there he were - on the same spot, smiling at me and wearing the same clothes he wore when he was buried. That was my first brush with the "spirit."

Then, I had more brush up with the "unexplained" as I grew up. Sometimes, my closet door (my door has a "snap-like" lock so you really had to pull hard to open them) would suddenly open for no reason. Not just once, many times. When those moments happened, I prayed for them to stop. The weird thing was, when my closet doors open, it was as if it slides "off" the hook and not someone opening them. Like I mentioned earlier, my closet doors have snap-like hook. It would take a lot of effort to open my cabinet.

Our family friend who passed away would visit every now and then (probably to say "hi") and apart from that, I would see shadows passing by in the office at night. That is mainly the reason why I try to avoid staying late in the office. People said, it used to be a burial ground. Shocks!

I asked my college professor then who was into these paranormal activities about how and why I was experiencing and even seeing stuff other people didn't. He said, some people were given that "extra" sense to feel (and sometimes see and hear) the unseen. I told him I was not (and still am) not very happy about it because I am a scaredy-cat! I couldn't even stand watching horror movies. I hate sleeping without any night lamp on. Unfortunately, some people just had that.

Many years after, I can still see moving shadows in the office but the visions (as what I would term it) have not appeared for sometime and I do pray it stay that way. It scares the hell out of me and it's not really fun. My heart beats fast; my hands and legs shake and I can't move. That's a very frightening feeling. I wish I never had this sensitive "sense."

I am not a believer of spooky stuff but these I have seen and experienced so far are something I really cannot explain. I wish Science can inject some practical theories on that!

So, do you have similar experience as I have? Spill the beans and I'll listen :)

Girls Talk - Perfume

I am not so keen in perfumes. Florals give me migraine so I stick to mostly vanilla or fruity scented perfumes.

I used to buy only Crabtree and Evelyn's Vanilla Eau de Parfum but they already pulled it out from the market. At the moment, I am using mostly Escada's line - Island Kiss, Magnetism and Rockin' Rio. All these perfumes have notes of fruits in them. I am using Bath and Body Works' Frozen Daiquiri Strawberry body spray. It smells so yummy that at one point, my male colleagues had to ask what I was wearing because it smelled so nice... and yummilicious! *wink*

Going Under the Weather

It's not me this time! I did fall ill several times in the past years; however, I have reversed that misfortune and my immune is A-OK.

My daughter has fallen ill these past few days and I have no clue that she was about to fall sick. Her temperature reached 40 degrees and I was not prepared for anything like that. She was diagnosed with "fever of unknown origin." Honestly, I have not heard about that in my life although my office mate had fallen sick few months ago and was diagnosed with "viral flu" where the symptoms were so similar to the ones my daughter had. The doctor mentioned something about viral infection and I could not really digest what he was telling me. I checked the Internet for other details pertaining this viral flu and fever of unknown origin but was lead to Influenza and other myriad of maladies.

Well, she has mild fever now due to colds but is still under medication.

It's really difficult when you have kids getting sick. They are just helpless. I hope my princess get well soon.

Monday Party Game - Animal Shelter

I love animals! I love this game! My daughter introduced me to this game and I am hooked, the way I am hooked to my pet Hoppy in Pet Society.

Warning: This game is full of cuteness and I can guarantee hours and hours of fun!

Animal Shelter

Click here to play this game

Friday Tags - Tagged

I was tagged by my good blogger pal - Kikamz of Just About Anything. It has been a while since I last did a tag and I am sure that I owe many of my friends out there for not posting their tags. I just lost count and cannot recall who and when someone tagged me.

This tag is sort of cute and gives me the that electrifying feeling like I was in my teens.

What are your middle names?
~Mine is C while his is P.

How long have you been together?
~6 years as sweethearts and 12 years, 10 months as a married couple.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
~A few months.

Who asked whom out?
~ He did but we always went out as a group.

How old are each of you?
~I am 37 and he's 39

Whose siblings do you see the most?
~My younger brother. He lives with us here in Dubai.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
~Making ends meet. I think this is the common challenge most couples have to face.

Did you go to the same school?
~No

Are you from the same home town?
~No

Who is smarter?
~Both. He neutralizes the equilibrium. He's good in finances, logic, figures while I am good at Science, English, the arts...

Who is the more sensitive?
~ME.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
~Chili's, Shakey's Pizza (while we were still in the Philippines)

Who has the crazier exes?
~I think we both have. Though he rather not talk about his exes (not sure if there were many! hahahaha) but mine were dysfunctional individuals. I think I was a magnet (then!) of major losers! hehehehe....

Who has the worse temper?
~Ehermmm. Hahahaha! I hate to admit it but he is such a nice bloke. I am quite sensitive and emotional so taking hold of my temperament goes with the territory. I am very patient but when I reach my snapping point, I do let it out. I don't have outbursts nor tantrums but I do make my point known by...let's just say, making a big "noise." That noise is not nagging nor anything of that sort.

Who does the cooking?
~I never had the knack for cooking so he does that and he cooks well.

Who is the neat-freak?
~I get the credit here! I am a neat-freak and proud of it! I cannot think clearly when I see a messy room nor area. Unfortunately, I have to live my way around the mess in the house because my hubby and daughter (and the four-legged member of the family) are not particularly keen on maintaining a neat and orderly house.

Who is more stubborn?
~Both of us.

Who hogs the bed?
~He does. I wake up without any comforter and always end up having cough and colds!!! I get all the cold draft you know. So now, I sleep with my termal socks on just in case...

Who wakes up earlier?
~I do all-the-time!

Who is more jealous?
~GUILTY!!! That would be me. However, I try my best to conceal my jealousy so I seethe deep inside.

How long did it take to get serious?
~about a year I guess

Who eats more?
~He does.

Who does the laundry?
~I do.

Who’s better with the computer?
~We both are. He's good with the technical and programming side of it and I with the applications and minor tweakings.

Who drives when you are together?
~80% of the time he does. I am a reluctant driver and with the crazy drivers here in Dubai, who would like to drive around?

That was fun! I am tagging Meryl, Cely, MsRay, and Enid. Enjoy!

Neighborhood Block Party

I grew up in a gated community with loving and family-oriented neighbors. I remember spending after-school hours with my friends and their parents would welcome not just me but my other siblings too. We would play until night time and nobody really mind. It was fun growing up in a neighborhood like ours where everyone else was considered a "distant" relative.

The good familial camaraderie didn't end on spending playing times with the children in our neighborhood but our parents were also friends with the other parents around. So, whenever there were special occasions to celebrate, our neighbors were ready to share the happiness by having a block party. Merriment was aplenty, the entertainment was great and we all had fun.

My relatives and friends in the US normally attend block parties especially related to their favorite sports - football. It was different ballgame in the Philippines, we'd have block parties pre and during basketball season. They would get busy preparing for the nitty-gritty details of hosting block parties. The football party supplies must cater according to their requirements to satisfy a great number of football fans.

Just like any block parties related to sports, it won't be complete without the nfl betting OR bet on football practice of the celebrants.

I miss having block parties. I wish it can be practiced where I live currently.

Girls Talk - Bags

I am a bag fanatic. I love bags. I just have to have bags! That's the mantra running in my head everytime I see a big sale sign or when there is a gorgeous style in the rack.

There was a time when I had several trunks full of bags. My husband joked that if we ever ran out of food to eat, we could always chop the leather straps of my collections for stew.

Well, this is one passion that I find hard to shake off. Although I don't buy those signature bags like Louis Vuitton (although I dream to own one on my 40th birthday and that is few years from now) or Gucci, I do have a number of expensive and yet, very durable and high-quality bags which I acquired over the years. I don't squander money on things which do not last for long. I am happy to say that my bags are still in mint condition after many years of usage. For me, they are not statement accessories but something I can put my important stuff which I cannot do without.

Here's my fave bag at the moment: