Michi Photostory

August 27, 2012

Purple Oven at Santa Rosa

If there’s one thing that I really missed ever since I quit working is no other than Purple Oven pastries. I used to order pastries from one of my colleagues who sell Purple Oven pastries every Friday and one of my favorites are revel bar and brownies.

I know that they have branches in Pasig and Makati but it is too far from me so when I learned that they have a branch in Solenad 2, I was so delighted because I can visit this branch and of course I bought my birthday cake here.

I got Grandma’s Chocolate Cake for P570, a chocolate sponge cake with layers of caramel and chocolate bits. We all love it because it is not overly sweet and it is now our new favorite chocolate cake. They only accept cash and debit card payment.

November 11, 2012

I visited Purple Oven Nuvali last night to check for some cakes and pastries, I wanted to buy a cake but they don’t have small size cakes like Contis and Red Ribbon so I ended up with Ensaymada P60 per piece.

At the counter, the staff gave me a slice of blueberry cheesecake for a free taste. While eating the blueberry cheesecake my husband and son entered the store so they finished my free taste. We like the Purple Oven blueberry cheesecake P820/whole but I still prefer the Calea blueberry cheesecake P750/whole.

Now, I’m starting to believe that Purple Oven delivers pastries in Starbucks because their ensaymada taste the same. I have to try their banoffee pie next time.

from fridge

from the oven

July 24, 2013

When I was still working, one of my colleagues was selling pastries from Purple Oven. I have no idea about Purple Oven but when he said na yun supplier ng pastries sa Starbucks, napaorder naman ako. Hehehe! Well, I don’t know if it is true but there are similarities in the taste.

Every other week I always order fudge brownies and revel bars, you know, payday so I have to treat myself. When I resigned from work, that is one thing that I really miss especially pregnant pa ko nung nagresign. I was really craving for their pastries kaso nga lang ang layo. Five years ago, Pasig is the only branch and it is too far from where I live.

So I was really delighted when I learned that they have a branch in Solenad and since then I always buy something from their store. Last Saturday, we were in Solenad so I bought the all-time favorite fudge brownies P260/16pcs.

Surprisingly, my husband prefers my triple chocolate brownies than Purple Oven Fudge Brownies. He wanted moist brownies na pero five years ago, gustong-gusto niya yan. =)

Sharing the Purple Oven Price List

September 11, 2013

A trip to Solenad is not complete without buying something sweet in Contis or Purple Oven. I’m now lazy to bake so I always ended up buying pastries or cake. As expected before we went home, we dropped by at Purple Oven and bought ensaymada P60 and revel bar P260. I haven’t tried other pastries because I always buy our all-time favorite which is brownies, revel bar and ensaymada. Any suggestions?

February 4, 2016

Last Friday, after my check-up we went to Festival Mall and I decided to go to salon and cut my hair. When I got home, I just noticed na hindi pantay ang hair ko, as in mas mahaba ang right side sa left side, almost an inch ang difference and hindi ko siya napansin sa salon. Grrrr

And dahil hindi ko mapakali sa hindi ko pantay na hair, we went to Nuvali para ipaayos. Ang layo noh, pero I tried their service before and ok naman. Natawa na lang sa kin yung naggugupit, bakit di ko daw ibalik. I said, ayaw ko na baka masira pa lalo. Nadoble pa tuloy gastos ko. From now on, dadayo na ko dun and ayaw na sa Festival Mall.

Before going home, we dropped by in Purple Oven. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know for sure that I love their cakes, pastries, and pieces of bread.

Speaking of ensaymada, it is our family favorite. My son can finish one whole ensaymada, it is already an achievement kasi mahina kumain pero pag type niya, ubos. :) I also bought Cheese Roll and Cinnamon Roll and they taste good too. Now we have a new favorite on our list again.

Care to share your favorite in Purple Oven.

Purple Oven Branches

63 St Peter St

Oranbo, Pasig

(02) 631-4221

YMCA Building #7 Sacred Heart Street,

San Antonio Village, Makati City

(02) 631-4221 / (02) 910-1364 / (02) 910-1363 / (0906) 315-7661

Sta. Rosa - Tagaytay Road

corner Nuvali Blvd., Nuvali

+632 631-4221, 910-1363, 910-1364

August 26, 2012

Birthday Staycation at Acaci Restaurant of Acacia Hotel

We’re supposed to avail of the rainy day promo of Acacia Hotel to celebrate my three decades on earth but because of my son’s activity in school we couldn’t stay but we still went to Acacia Hotel. If you are reading my other blog, you’re aware that I won a lunch buffet for 2 and I saved it for my birthday. Hehe! I celebrated my birthday without spending anything; the best things in life are free.

I checked my gift certificate and there was a note that “prior reservation is needed” so I asked my husband to call Acacia Hotel, the staff informed him that we could just walk in but hubby still made a reservation just to be sure.

After my son’s general rehearsal in school, off we went to Acacia Hotel, we arrived before 12nn so I took some pictures while waiting. Acacia Hotel is quite new but we were very satisfied with the service, from the parking lot we asked someone where the restaurant located is and the staff accompanied us all the way to the Acaci, we took two elevators just to reach the restaurant. Great service!

My son was very hungry and wanted to eat already so my husband gets some pastries and they allowed us. I won a lunch buffet worth P2,172 but as of now, they have a promo for P995 plus one round of drink. My husband loves pandan juice. I think the price is worth it because of the view, service, and food choices. And because it was my birthday, I have reason to eat more. Hehe!

Staycation at Acacia Hotel

Acacia Hotel Manila
5400 East Drive corner Commerce Avenue,
Filivest Corporate City, Alabang,
Muntinlupa City 1781
720 2000 / 5888 5888
enquiry@acaciahotelsmanila.com

August 14, 2012

Mercury Drug: Para Saýo Suki

I went to Mercury Drug last Sunday to buy my medicines and unfortunately one of the prescribed medicines is not available. It happened to me two years ago and we went to all the branches that we know but the medicine was not available. It took us almost a month to find the medicine; my husband was able to buy my medicines in Mercury Drug – Makati branch. I don’t want to experience it anymore so when I read this,

“If the medicine you are buying is not available in this branch, we are happy to assist you to look for it”

I asked the Mercury Drug staff if he could help me and he gladly asked my prescription so they could check. It took them several minutes just to find the medicine, ako na nga napapagod sa kakahintay. After a few minutes, another staff went out and said that the medicine is only available at Calamba Crossing and only 30 pieces left. She asked me if I want to reserve it already but I said no because I don’t know if I can pick up the medicine but I really appreciate the effort.

I went back to our car and asked my worried husband if he can drive me to Calamba so I can buy my medicines. He was really worried and akala niya kung ano na nangyari sa kin sa loob. He can’t call or text me because all his phone went dead and he could not get in because my son was sleeping in the car. Anyway, from Binan, Laguna we went straight to Calamba Crossing.

I gave my prescription and the staff said, “Ma’m, wala na po kami stock nito”. I told him that I have verified that this medicine is already available. He excused himself and asked other staff if the medicine is already available and he went back to me and asked how many tablets I need. Thank God, our time and effort were not wasted.

So if you really need the medicine do not hesitate to ask for assistance. It will save you time, money and effort.

August 09, 2012

Going Green on a Budget

We always think that going green is expensive because we have to replace our existing appliances and consider energy-efficient ones. It is one of our goals to upgrade our appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, and television so we can save more money while saving the environment but we don’t have the budget yet.

I know that it is not an excuse because I can still go green on a budget. I posted before that I’m practicing green living in my own little way and here are other ways to go green without hurting your wallet.

1. Buy less and waste less.

A lot of women I know love to shop but if you can control yourself and buy only what you need, you can definitely save more.

2. Donate old but usable clothes, shoes, books, toys and others to charity.

Make it a habit to declutter your closet and you’ll be surprised that you have stuff that you haven’t use for months or years. Always remember “One man's trash is another man's treasure”. Today is the best time declutter so you can help “Hagupit ng Habagat” people. They definitely need clothes.

3. Cook more at home

Due to busy schedules, a lot of people no longer cook at home and they rather eat outside or call restaurants for delivery but if you want to save money, try your best to cook at home. Always plan a weekly menu.

4. No Leftovers

As much as possible do not waste food and turn your leftover into new dishes. If you have leftover food, put in a container or wrap it using cling wrap. Use overripe banana for banana bread, cook fried rice from leftover rice, cook pansit from leftover chopsuey, and turn stale bread to French toast.

5. Wash full loads of clothes

I have two laundry bins; one is for white clothes and one for non-white clothes. If I see that one bin is already full, it’s laundry time. You can save water and energy if you wash in full load.

6. Set a day to iron all clothes

I used to iron clothes every other week but since I have a schoolboy already, I need to iron clothes every week.

Care to share your ways of saving the environment.

What to Expect Aboard the Mariner Of The Seas

The Mariner Of The Seas is another of the spectacular vessels that make up Royal Caribbean's awe-inspiring Voyager Class of ships. A spacious and remarkably well-equipped ship, she sets sail to a lengthy list of destinations that are genuinely among the most incredible worldwide cruise holiday hotspots. From the Bahamas to South America and various parts of Europe and the Caribbean, the Mariner is a worthy contender if you're hoping to find yourself a good deal on the holiday of a lifetime.

In terms of the activities available onboard, the variety is terrific. So you can get involved in team sports like volleyball or basketball if you're feeling energetic, or you can play some crazy golf as a family or climb an outdoor wall as a more challenging way to have some fun. And there is even an ice rink onboard if you like to do some skating or you've had enough sun for one day.

The destinations that the Liberty sails to and drops anchor at are always likely to be among the primary attractions of its cruise holidays but you will no doubt be very impressed with the quality of cuisine onboard, the levels of service from staff and the evening entertainments that are available as well. It is all part of what you get when you book your ticket and there can't be many better ways to spend some quality time than being among those aboard the Liberty Of The Seas for as long as you are able.

Spending a week or longer onboard the Liberty or any of its sister's vessels or its rivals could well prove to be one of the best trips you've ever taken. But the increased effort is being made to ensure that anyone booking one of the latest mini cruises can pack in just as much fun, adventure, and relaxation in a much shorter space of time.

August 08, 2012

Pancake Bites

I’m glad that rain has stopped and I hope I can see Mr. Sun soon. I really hate rainy days because it makes me feel sad and lazy. My husband’s company outing was postponed, I don’t know if it is a good news or bad news because they move it to last week of August and it was a holiday. I have plans on that date because it is a long weekend and he’s supposed to be home.

Anyway, as I mentioned I always feel lazy during rainy days so yesterday, instead of cooking pancakes I’ve made pancake bites. Another easy recipe for lazy days.

1. Mix your favorite pancake mix

2. Pour the batter in muffin pan

3. Add cheese, fruits, nuts etc.

4. Then bake for 12-15min at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

My little sous chef was quite slow in mixing the pancake so I put the cheese and blueberry in muffin tray then pours the batter.

How to Claim Remittance in Cebuana Lhuillier

For the last several weeks I was busy asking for support from my relatives, I’ve mentioned in my other blog that I’m one of the delegates in Mr. and Ms. PsorPhil. It is a fundraising event to help those people who have psoriasis. I was thankful for those people who help, supported and donated money for our advocacy.

One of my relatives informed me that she will just deposit the money so I was expecting that she will deposit it in my bank account but I was wrong, she informed me that she sent the money through Cebuana Lhuillier and she gave me 18 digit alphanumeric codes.

I’m not familiar with other remittances because I always use the bank to send and to receive money so I immediately surf the internet if there’s any Cebuana branch in our place and fortunately we have one branch. The place is accessible via tricycle from our place for P50 (one way) but I asked my husband to accompany me so I can save money in my transportation. Hehe!

Seriously, I was nervous because I don’t know what to do. Upon entering Cebuana, the guard gave me a number and I asked him if I need to fill out something and he said yes. I get this form and fill out the necessary details.

1. Transaction type
2. Sender name
3. Receiver name
4. VIP# - the 18 digit code
5. Expected amount
6. Customer signature

Then I waited for my turn when my number was called I gave the form and valid id to the branch personnel and after few minutes she called me and asked “first time?” I said yes and she immediately called the guard and pointed me, “guard, first-time o”. I was wondering how she knew that I’m a first-timer.

The guard gave me a paper and my question has been answered. I have no records so I need to fill out the customer information sheet. I filled out the form and gave it again to the branch personnel and after few minutes, she gave me the money, receipt, and ID. That’s it!

Read: Cebuana Lhullier: How To Send Money

August 06, 2012

Asian PsorClub goes to UK

We’ve been planning this since May and finally, last Sunday we went to UK. We were so excited because this is the second out of town trip of our group so rain or shine off we went to Tagaytay. Yes, you’ve read it right; we went to UK or Ukay-Ukay in Tagaytay. Hehe! My first and last experience of Ukay-Ukay was in Baguio, I was still in college during that time.

We always visit Tagaytay but I have no idea that there was Ukay-Ukay so after several years; I’ve experienced Ukay-Ukay again. Someone suggested this place because I need gown for Mr. & Ms. PsorPhil event and I don’t have any, the gowns that I have won’t fit me anymore. She said, she was able to find gowns in Ukay-Ukay for their costume party. I also received a gown from one doctor but unfortunately, the gown is too small for me. Huhuhu! (sexy ni Dra. and I’m fat). But I really appreciate the gown because even she doesn’t know me, she gave me a gown, thank you and God bless you! Anyway, I still have two weeks more to buy or rent. Good luck to me!

Let’s go back to Ukay-Ukay! If you have very limited budget, I can definitely say that your money can go a long way because you can find clothes or stuff for as low as P5. I bought a lot of stuff and one of them is jacket, I bought one for my son P100 (Oshkosh) and one for me P50 (Hang Ten). A good steal because we will only use this for our upcoming trip. I don’t want to spend money for something that I will only use once.

If you are rich, this post is not for you but if you are a frugal shopper you can find this Ukay-Ukay before you reach Tagaytay Rotonda. Landmark is McDonalds. Happy shopping!

July 30, 2012

Homemade Play Dough

Last year I bought Play-Doh Cars 2 Mold N Go for my son, the box includes four free play-doh and of course it didn’t last long. I know that I can easily buy play-doh but I find it expensive so yesterday, I’ve made homemade playdough. Too bad, I only have one food color. I got my recipe here "Musings from a stay at home mom".

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 cup water

2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

food coloring

Instructions

Mix together all the ingredients, except the food coloring, in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low/medium heat, stirring. Once it begins to thicken, add the food coloring. Continue stirring until the mixture is much thicker and begins to gather around the spoon. Remove the dough onto wax paper or a plate to cool.

Read: DIY Homemade Play Dough

It supposed to be strawberry red but I don’t know why it looks pink or light purple but still, my son was happy with his play dough. Lighting McQueen is back!

July 27, 2012

Lunch at Greenwich

I mentioned before that I’m not fond of Greenwich pizza but I love their lasagna. My husband adores their pizza so when I won P1,042 worth of Gift Certificate last May, he was ecstatic to avail the free meals so whenever we are in the mall and hungry, he always asks if I still have GC. We had free lunch, dinner and merienda because of my GC. We just add drinks and frozen choco cup for my son.

We availed 6 Spaghetti Garlic Stix,

1 Greenwich Barkada Special Overload

and 1 Greenwich Barkada Ultimate Hawaiian Overload.

July 12, 2011

We had a quick snack at Greenwich while waiting for my hubby’s pants to be altered. I am not really a fan of John Lloyd’s pizza, I mean Greenwich pizza but I really like their lasagna. I always order this whenever we eat here so I still haven’t tried their overload pizza. We ordered lasagna, chicken and softdrinks combo for P159 and pizza, spaghetti and softdrinks combo for P59.

July 26, 2012

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I can’t remember the last time I’ve made a cookie, I guess it’s been 4 or 5 years ago when I first tried to make a chocolate crinkle and I can’t even remember the taste. hehe! So yesterday, I’ve pushed myself to bake a cookie, I saw the recipe in Pinterest and one pinner said it is award winning recipe so I pinned and tried it. I checked the ingredients just to make sure I have everything in my pantry and I checked the procedures and it looks so easy.

In less than 30 minutes I have lemon crinkle cookies. I haven’t tasted any lemon crinkle cookies and this was my first time to taste it and I liked it. It is soft, not overly sweet, and I can really taste the lemon. I accepted the fact that my son and husband will not like it because they didn’t like my calamansi cupcake but I was wrong, they love my lemon crinkle cookies.

I’ve got the recipe in LDS Living

Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe

Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:

½ cups butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 whole egg

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoons baking powder

⅛ teaspoons baking soda

1-½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

July 24, 2012

No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake

We’re having an outdoor home improvement for the last several days that is why I have no time to blog but I hope they will finish it tomorrow. Since hubby wasn’t home to supervise it, my son is the one who supervise everything. I don’t know why he is so interested monitoring them, maybe he wants to be an architect or civil engineer. But kids will always be kids, so he played with the sand and gravel.a

And because he loves to supervise, I have no choice but to stay with him. He usually watches them at the front door or window so for the last several days, I’ve made banana cupcake, steamed puto with cheese and no-bake blueberry cheesecake to keep myself busy. I’ve been meaning to make my own blueberry cheesecake ever since I’ve tasted Calea Blueberry Cheesecake and I was so delighted with the result and my husband like it too. I swear, this is so easy to make.

I got the recipe from My Mom Friday site.

NO-BAKE BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup (approx. 100g) softened butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice and grated rind (optional)

Cheesecake filling:

1 cup (1 brick) cream cheese

1 cup (1 brick) all purpose cream

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons liquid milk

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (1 sachet of Knox)

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Topping:

1 can Comstock Blueberry pie filling

To prepare crust:

Mix all dry ingredients and add butter to bind. Mash well.

*Crust mixture should be close to texture of moist sand; add a bit more butter if too dry.

Transfer and press evenly on bottom of ungreased springform pan (or any pie dish you prefer).

Place in the freezer to harden crust while you make the filling.

To prepare filling:

Using a mixer, whip chilled cream with 2 tablespoon sugar until stiff. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, gradually mix remaining sugar into softened cream cheese. Beat until fluffy and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine milk and gelatine powder. Heat until completely dissolved (don't boil, use a wire whisk while heating to remove lumps). Remove from heat, pour and beat into cream cheese mixture.

Fold in cheese mixture to the whipped cream and beat on medium to high.

Add lemon juice if you want some zest in your cream filling.

To assemble:

Bring out pan from freezer and pour in the cheesecake filling. Spread evenly with spatula and tap pan lightly to set and release some air bubbles.

Cover pan and chill for a few hours.

Top with blueberry pie filling or fruit compote before serving.

July 17, 2012

Flowers

I always say that I’m not fond of flowers maybe because I know that flowers are not cheap so I rather receive food or other stuff than flowers. Don’t get me wrong! I do appreciate flowers but I’m not the type of girl who loves to receive flowers on every special occasion. My son loves to give me flowers from our mini garden. I do appreciate the thoughtfulness but I always tell him, do not pick our flowers.

Although flowers are expensive, there are occasions that I bought some flowers and one example is our wedding day. I’m so clueless when it comes to flower arrangement, pricing and flower shop so I ask for some referrals. Most of the people I know referred us to Dangwa and I did not have any regret because I loved my bouquet. They just ask me for my motif, flowers that I like, how many bouquets do I need and when and where the delivery date is. You can save more if you know how to arrange flowers but since I have no idea about flower arrangement and I don’t want to stress myself on that stuff, we just get a package.

In the Philippines we have Dangwa but if you live in Colorado, there is Amore Fiori Florist Denver who provides flowers on any occasion and event. You can read their about/ flowers in Denver page to know more about this shop.

July 09, 2012

My First Run?

I admit that I don’t really have a healthy lifestyle because I’m a meat eater and I’m too lazy to workout. I mentioned before that my diet is called “bukas na” diet but God knows that I’m trying my best to have a healthy lifestyle. Little by little I’m improving my eating habits and I hope I could lessen my meat and sugar intake.

Yesterday, my husband dragged me to join his weekend run. I told him “if my son will wake up, I will join him” and I was shocked because my son woke up so I have no choice but to join them. We left at 5:30AM and went to the nearest cemetery. #creepy.

Finally, after 5 years I was able to use this rubber shoes. It was a gift that was sitting in our shoe rack for five years.

It was my first run ever but not really because most of the time I just walk while my son was biking. More than 3km of walkathon and no sweat at all. I was happy because it is a good start of my healthy living.

After our morning run, we went to the market.

July 08, 2012

Stylish and Comfortable Vacation to Italy

One of the most famous destinations for your vacation with your family members or friends is the stylish, rich country of Europe, Italy. The irresistible experience of food, culture and natural structure actually makes Italy a preferred destination for the most unforgettable vacations with your dear ones staying in the comfortable villas.

The country enjoys the geological borders with the most attractive and historically known nations like Slovenia, France, Austria and wonderful Switzerland. Italy is like a peninsula located in the middle of the Mediterranean bordered by the Ionian Sea with the Tyrrhenian, Sardinian and the Ligurian Sea on the west and encircled by the Adriatic Sea on the East.

The natural scenery of Italy offers you a varied choice of enjoying the green mountains which include the Alps and Apennines range along with the energizing experience of the fabulous islands, such as Sardinia and Sicily on the western and southern coast, the two most remarkable islands that are actually part of this country.

Italy's climate offers you the chance to take pleasure of the tan on the sandy beaches under the dazzling sun in warm summers. Travelers prefer the magnificence of the villas and a good stylish vacation to Italy by visiting famous fashion shows, museums, resorts, pubs, and nightclubs. Sardinia is the most famous destinations for travelers, pertaining to its revelation of the magnificent crystal clear sea, where tourists can explore fabulous apartments and impressive cottages for rent.

Europe is recognized for its diversified beauty, and Italy is particularly known to have the most stunning lakes. If you are an outdoor enthusiast then it can be the ideal location for your vacation at self-catering apartments, enjoying the fabulous open-air water sports or investigative days discovering the local area. One of such destinations is Umbria, recognized for its mountainous landscape, best for hiking, chosen by many families for their holiday destination. Umbria is also considered as a place for a stylish vacation to Italy by many tourists.

July 06, 2012

Silence is Deadly

If you’re a mom you know what I mean when I say “Silence is Deadly”. Even though I only have one child, our house is full of noise and mess. My son always watches DVD’s if I need to do something like chores so it means I can’t see him. And if I don’t hear any noise I’m really nervous because I know something is going on that will really make me mad.

Just this week, hubby and I were eating dinner while my son was busy watching DVD because he doesn’t want to eat. Yes, he has his own time and mood when to eat and it’s been a long time dilemma for me.

I can’t hear any noise so I told my husband to check my son.

Me: Check mo nga si Ethan at baka kung ano na ginagawa nun.

Hubby: Nanonood lang yun.

After dinner, my husband went up and shouted: “Hon, look at your son”, so I immediately went up and I found this.

Surprise!

He put baby powder all over his cabinet, floor, body, our toiletries kit and my kikay kit. My husband was laughing but I’m not happy because I have to clean up all the mess. Like what I’ve said silence is deadly so if you don’t hear any noise, check your child.

This was not my first-time experience and I posted several posts like this.

1. When my son torn his sofa bed into pieces.

2. When he used our wall as his canvass.

3. When he used his legs as his canvass

4. He played with my post it, scotch tape and packaging tape.

5. He ate one pack of chocolate.

He cut our bed sheet.

He colored his nails using pentel pens.

He put lotion all over his body, our floor and bed sheet.

And many more… If you experience this stuff, welcome to the club! "Silence is golden... unless you have a toddler. In that case, silence is very suspicious."

July 04, 2012

Baked Shrimp

One of my favorite seafood is shrimp and it is always in my menu if my husband would be out for a business trip for obvious reason, it so easy to cook. My favorite recipe is buttered garlic shrimp but for a change, I tried baked shrimp last week. My husband liked this better than buttered garlic shrimp.

I got the recipe in Pinterest.

1. Melt a stick of butter in the pan.

2. Slice one lemon and layer it on top of the butter.

3. Put down fresh shrimp and then sprinkle one pack of dried Italian seasoning.

4. Put in the oven and bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

Next time I’ll add salt and dash of cayenne pepper.

July 02, 2012

The Mom You’re Meant to Be

I’m re-reading “The Mom You’re Meant to Be” book by Cheri Fuller while waiting for my son in school. I’m glad that I read this book again because it gives me more understanding and realization of motherhood. Like I said before, I wish there was motherhood 101 in school so I could prepare myself for being a mom. But we all know that there is no motherhood 101, no formula or even secret recipe in parenting.

We can read books, parenting magazines, and online articles to help us understand the needs of our kids as they grow but we know that some works and some are not applicable to our children because each child is different and unique.

Honestly, there are times that I really don’t understand my son and there are times that I don’t know why he is behaving like this and that. Since I was pregnant I was reading a book, magazines, and online articles but I still can’t find the answer. So I give up everything to God and ask Him to give me wisdom and strength to be the best mom for my child.

Being a mom is a gift from God but it also entails obligations, biggest responsibility and challenges along the way and I know that I can not do it on my own strength and knowledge. I guess motherhood jobs never stops, we just go through different seasons and each year and stage is very different from one another.

When my son was few months old, how I wish he can speak already so he can tell me his needs and wants but now that he can talk, I’m looking forward to quiet moments. No more demands, no more requests and no more whining. hehe! But that is life, every day, week, month and year is a new challenge and new adjustment. It’s been three weeks since my son started school and I’m still adjusting on our schedule and our new phase. I have new challenges that I have to face and I feel so stressed already.

I know I still have a long way to go and I pray that God will give me more wisdom, strength and grace to be the mom I’m meant to be.

June 29, 2012

Keep Costs Low With These 3 Online Services

The challenge for business owners today, especially for small businesses and startups, is to maintain efficiency in their business while keeping costs low. Despite the various efficiency tools available in the marketplace, cost can be a barrier. But using a few simple online tools may be just what you need to give your business that extra boost while maintaining costs at a reasonable level.

1. PickyDomains.com

Who needs expensive branding agencies when you can rely on the power of crowdsourcing? This is exactly what PickyDomains.com is all about. A service provider for companies looking for names that stand out – particularly true for startups who aren't that well-established yet – PickyDomains has a base of at least 50,000 contributors, each ready to contribute to a pool of ideas that business owners can utilize for their naming needs.

It's fairly simple. Just register as a client, pay a downpayment of $50 for a company name - $75 if you're looking for an excellent company slogan – and provide the site with a list of your desired naming specifications. It's risk-free as clients can get a full refund if none of the suggestions fit what they want. This is a good service to consider not only for its low cost but also because a business name that is unique and stands out in a crowd is most likely to generate potential customers than a business name that disappears in the background.

2. Bitrix24.com

Keeping an efficient workspace and workflow can be quite a challenge. CRMs and company intranets typically do the job by integrating the different elements of your business or workspace while maintaining free-flowing communications between employees. Still, a service of this size and scale can cost a lot.

With Bitrix24.com, you can have the benefits of a CRM and company intranet while getting it practically free or at a relatively low price. With numerous functionality such as a free calendar, free activity planner, free messaging and free real-time streaming, you can be sure you virtually have almost all the tools you need in order to run your business smoothly, even from the comfort of your own desk. For small companies with a maximum of 12 persons, the service is free whereas an upgrade to unlimited users only costs a meager $99 a month – a good investment especially if you're looking to expand your business.

3. JetRadar.com

In today's fast-paced environment, it's essential to get things done in the least possible time – and that includes travel. Air travel is one of the fastest and most reliable modes of transportation over long distances. But with the competition in the air travel industry resulting in airlines keeping their deals and promos exclusive to their own corporate websites, travel deals and other related information may be hard to find on price-comparison websites.

With JetRadar.com, you can cut the time spent on searching for the best ticket prices significantly. JetRadar.com provides data from 728 airlines and hundreds of flight and ticketing sites, readily available to the public in a single site. This can open up a bulk of time in your schedule and allow for more productivity, and perhaps even leisure.

Breakfast Omelet Muffin

I mentioned in my other blog that I’ve been trying to make muffin tray meals, I tried meatloaf muffins before and I was so happy with the result so last weekend I tried breakfast muffin omelet. I used bacon, mushroom and bell pepper instead of Italian sausage and broccoli.