Happy Birthday Jesus!

Have a blessed and fruitful Christmas everyone!

All I Want For Christmas

As the popular song goes, "All I want for Christmas...is my two front teeth". Well, for this Christmas, since my teeth are alright, I got a wish that is different this time. I want for myself a digital photo frame. You see the other day, I saw our big boss handing out some Christmas gifts to the people in the company. One of the gifts that caught my eye were the digital photo frames that are in vogue now. I think it's a great gift idea to be given to close friends and family. In fact, my Dad and godmother have their own photo digital frame at their home in Batangas. They had their wedding pictures stored in that frame. So when visitors come to their home, they almost automatically play the wedding pictures for the visitors to see. It's amazing!

What's better news is that I heard that you can save a lot when you order the CEIVAshare digital photo frame online. They even are sponsoring a "Got a Wish" sweepstakes.

Oh Santa! I hope you can read this so you can send me this great gift this Christmas! My daughter Zoe would love this too! Look over here! She is pointing at the frame, trying to tell you that she really likes to receive this for Christmas.

ODP Parttteeeeh

We headed to Tifanny's house last Saturday night for our annual ODP Christmas Party. It was a potluck party so we decided to bring grilled liempo for our dinner contribution. As usual, food was abundant and so were the chickahan and stories.

We had a super fun night. While the boys drank away in Tif's garage, the ladies were in the living room talking about our past ODP experiences and struggles as bank officers (and as working moms too). In a way, I really learn a lot about the struggles and hardships of these friends of mine who are mostly assigned in the branches. I do not know a lot about bank operations --- I've been forever stuck in the Head Office (but doing their salary adjustments and profit sharing, hahaha).

Here are some pictures!

Thank you for all of those gifts you gave and for those MBTC bags! But where are the calendars and umbrella giveaways?!! LOL!>

Learning is Fun

Learning can be and is fun - and that includes the subject Math.

When I was in elementary and high school, I was a fairly good student. I enjoyed my classes and always ended up in the top ten of the class. My favorite subjects were History and English. But I had one problem, I had a phobia with Math. I used to describe myself as someone who hates Math. Maybe it was my impression of our Math teacher that made me feel this way. She was strict and she did not smile - nope, not one bit. Anyway, funny, when I got into college, of all the courses that I could have taken, I decided to study Bachelor of Science in Economics. That meant a whole lot of Math (Algebra, Calculus, Econometrics) for me for four straight years. Since I had a bad feeling for Math, I even wanted to shift courses on my first year because my teacher taught the same way as my high school Math teacher. She was old, cold and she never smiled. By the end of that semester, I barely passed my Math 17. It was a sort of a miracle because almost half of my class either had an incomplete or a failing grade.

Anyway, I recently discovered Brightstorm through the internet. I couldn't believe how they were able to make tough subjects such as Algebra and US History sound like a piece of cake. I already signed up with them and I'm looking forward to learning anew. Sign up for a free now and experience it yourself!

Office Christmas Party Snapshots

We had our Christmas Party last Friday at Schwarzwalder in Makati Avenue. Belonging to the Executive Offices, we had with us the big bosses of our company so the party was short and tamed. :-) After the bigwigs left, we had some fun games and I won 500 pesos in the Hep-hep Hurray Game, hahaha!. Pwede na!

Here are some pics:

We will have another Christmas Party tomorrow exclusive to our department so I'm looking forward to that too.

Six Days to Go

I just realized now that Christmas is soooo near and I haven't even gotten close to meditating about the birth of Our Lord and corresponding to His message for me this Christmas. Work is still busy and to top it all, all our evenings for the next few days are filled with parties and gatherings.

I know that God wants me to slow down a bit and learn to LISTEN soon. Fiat, Lord. :-)

Zoe Loves Sunglasses

I think I already have some post before about how Zoe is fascinated with sunglasses. Aside from it being a kid's thing, I think Zoe loves sunglasses because she always sees her Dad wear shades whenever he drives to work. She usually calls out to her Dad and says "shades!" and then rushes to get my old pair of sunglasses.

So for Christmas, I'm thinking that maybe I buy Zoe her very own pair of Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical. There are several styles of children's sunglasses to choose from in their website. The popular online eyeglasses shop called Zenni Optical offers cheap but quality eyeglasses and sunglasses for children and adults alike. There are even $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses that are perfect for our budget.

Going Interactive

I got this piece of news from Good News Pilipinas and thought it's worth sharing since my Dad is part of this endeavor. His current set of Filipino textbooks have this nice feature. :-)

RP bookstore expands through Google

Rex Book Store (RBS) has started digitizing some of its books as part of the Google Book Search Publisher Partner Program wherein book publishers can place their books in the Google Book Search tool.

RBS will digitize over 5,000 of its books under the Google Book Search program (http://books.google.com.ph).

RBS already has a website (www.rexinteractive.com) which has a number of books digitized.

The bookstore publishes books and journals in English and Filipino, which cover pre-school to post-collegiate levels. It also has supplementary non-textbooks, reference and leisure books.

The company is hoping that the Google Book Search service will open the company to over users in the Philippines and abroad.

Rex Group of Companies Chief Operating Officer Don Timothy Buhain said the company hopes to become one of the most searched publishers for Filipino textbook materials under the program.

“Our pride in our Filipino authors drives us to seek avenues to further the reach of their scholarship and creativity. This association with Google opens a gateway for our publications to be searched with ease, and for our local authors to gain appreciation from markets far beyond the Philippines,” Buhain said.

On Wanting More Children

The topic of wanting to have more children and fecundity have been very much in the air these days, well, at least personally for me.

I think it started during one afternoon when my husband and I were out in our mini-garden talking. Just next to our house, we saw the four cute grandchildren (all siblings) running around their grandparent's house and enjoying very much the company of each other. My husband and I realized how happy it would be to have a lot of kids (our own) running around our house.

And then this week, I stumbled into this wonderful blog called Sonlight Garden. I then tell myself ~ here is a great example of a mom talking about motherhood, her children (6 kids and one in the oven!), husband, her faith, homeschooling, her garden and all of these don't seem to be in contrast with each other.

In addition, I go to Mercatornet and chance upon their feature on big happy families.

Finally, I see this one by Pope John Paul II (14 October 2000, A Message of Life and Hope) -

"Children are the incarnation of married love; the material overflowing of two becoming one. Love is always life-giving, always open to the other, always expansive. Those who love find no greater joy than to extend love to others. Children are the natural extension of the love of spouses—the visible sign of the fruitfulness of self-emptying love—and a means of ever deepening joy in marriage. ... I say to you both, mothers and fathers: you have been called to the exalted mission of cooperating with the Creator in the transmission of life (Letter to Families, n. 8); do not be afraid of life! Together proclaim the value of the family and of life. Without these values, there is no future worthy of man!"

Our prayer - May God give us more children, if and when He wants it. Amen. Amen.

Fashionable Eyewear

If you have the passion for fashion but at the same time always need to wear those glasses, then my tip for you is to get those $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses online now. I simply can't get enough of the Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical. They provide you with those much needed "eyes" but, more than that, their eyeglasses also add to your fashionable look. The popular online eyeglasses shop called Zenni Optical sells cheap but stylish and sturdy eyeglasses which can make you stand out among the crowd. One of my favorites is this pair over here.

Obviously, I like the color red because I think it makes the face glow.

Some Christmas Comic Relief

The Bill Gates Song
(to the tune of "The Christmas Song")

Netscape roasting on an open fire,
Apple begging on its knees,
Photo popping up on Time magazine,
Yes, Bill Gates dreams of days like these!

Everybody knows he's never fully satisfied,
Throws himself behind each task,
World dominion is his company's goal.
Well, hey, is that so much to ask?

He knows the world is in his sway,
We'll buy whatever software he might toss our way,
We'll surf his Internet, watch his TV,
He'll take us anywhere we ask him--for a fee.

And so we're offering this simple prayer,
To Bill and all his MS grunts:
Since we all follow any standard you write,
Make it good, please,
Make it good, please,
Make it good, please, just once!

***

Happily Addicted to the Web
(to the tune of "Winter Wonderland")

Doorbell rings, I'm not list'nin',
From my mouth, drool is glist'nin',
I'm happy--although
My boss let me go--
Happily addicted to the Web.

All night long, I sit clicking,
Unaware time is ticking,
There's beard on my cheek,
Same clothes for a week,
Happily addicted to the Web.

Friends come by; they shake me,
Saying, "Yo, man!
Don't you know tonight's the senior prom?"
With a listless shrug, I mutter, "No, man;
I just discovered letterman-dot-com!"

I don't phone, don't send faxes,
Don't go out, don't pay taxes,
Who cares if someday
They drag me away?
I'm happily addicted to the Web!

Source and more Christmas songs here:
http://c4vct.com/kym/humor/ccc.htm

A Hobby that Pays

My love affair with blogging started around the time that I got pregnant back in 2006. I had an idea that I want to be able to write down my thoughts about my pregnancy. I wanted to record my feelings and memories and I was happy to discover that I could do this online for my family and future children to see. Thus, I started to write online or "blog" as the more precise term would be. So that was already more than 2 years ago. I never stopped liking and loving to blog. In fact, I just got my own domain called vinanini.com yesterday (vinanini is sort of an endearment or a nickname some close friends gave me). This shall now be my main blog where I can write about anything under the sun (the title is temporarily Jump at the Sun). That blog is apart from my two other existing sites, namely: On A Wonderful Day Like Today (this one) and House Everything (my home management blog).

Anyway, I even loved blogging more when I realized that this hobby of mine can turn out to be not just an outlet for raves and rants but also for an opportunity or venue for great learning, meeting other people, finding friends and even earning a bit of extra money. Yes, it's true. Blogging, even if it's just a hobby, can help you earn some bucks without much effort.

It's really a great thing that I have discovered that you can actually advertise on blogs. What can you expect? The internet today is such a very powerful tool for business and entrepreneurs. As a result to that, those who have a knack for writing (and have the time for it) can also benefit and get paid for writing about stuff like products and services that are available now. It's really that easy. Paying Post is one of those great sites that offer benefits to both advertisers and bloggers. I've recently signed up with them and I'm glad.

Taking a Big Jump

Thanks to Pat, I have finally got myself my own domain today. Before, I thought getting my own dotcom would be a far-fetched idea. But hey, blogging is so addicting that I decided to jump the gun, as they say.

So friends, pls. come jump with me over HERE>>> http://www.vinanini.com/.

Aim high and JUMP AT THE SUN!

See you all there!

Are you Ready?

Ready or not, Christmas is almost here. People are in a frenzy to finish their Christmas shopping. Sadly, for lack of ideas, some just resort to buying generic gifts which only end up in the basement cabinet, never to be used at all. As some will say, "it's the thought that counts." But in this instance, the thought was not deep or creative enough. So for those who want to make an impact or at least convey a sincere message of thanks or of appreciation, I suggest you give personalized holiday gifts which are not only useful but also fit your budget. These are the best gifts that you can give your boss, your colleagues, your officemates and the other people in the workplace. In my case, these are perfect gifts to give someone who is tech-savvy or someone who often uses the computer for work or for business. You can choose among personalized pens, business card drives, thumb drives and wooden USB flash drives. I, myself, would not mind receiving any of these wonderful stuff. These will be a great help for me in the performance of my job as well as for my other side jobs. Anyone who cares to send me at least one of these goodies? LOL.

An Advent Resolution

Don't keep on talking about your health, your family name, your career, your work, or your next step... How annoying this can be! It would seem you have forgotten that you don't have anything, that everything is His. (The Forge, 1050).

Enough said.

More Shopping

I just opened the soft file of my 2008 Christmas Gift List and found out that I still have 5-10 people (out of around 80 people) on my list without any Christmas gifts yet. You may say that's easy enough. However, these 5-10 people are the hardest to get gifts for. Why? Because they are my closest family members. Anyway, since I don't have any more free time to go to the mall for the next few days (our duty free shopping experience was not a success, by the way), I am inclined to rely on buying some of the great products As Seen on TV. I'm sure they have the best things one can appreciate as a gift for Christmas. Wish me luck!

A Mother's Handbook of Sorts

I was searching the internet one time and stumbled into this wonderful site/book of Holly Pierlot called A Mother's Rule of Life. It's one of those great sites that you're glad to have found. It's perfect for a Catholic wife and mother like me who is forever juggling priorities and trying to make things work at home. This site has sample schedules, a great Q&A portion, solutions for parenthood dilemmas, and many other beautiful things. I just wish I could buy the book or the PDF workbook soon (fyi, this is not a paid post).


I am lifting this prayer from this site and I thought it's nice to share this one.

+
Behold the handmaid of the Lord
Be it done unto me according to Your Word.
I seek only to do Your Will Lord:
That I avoid all sin and selfishness,
That I love,
That I fulfill my duties well,
That I be attentive to Your Voice.
Open my heart to Your Will for me today
And I pray the same for my family and friends.
Grant me the Grace of a willing heart and a docile spirit.
Help me to do all for love of You.
Flood my poor heart with Your Love
so that I may love all the people in my life today
as You would have me love them.
Amen.
+

Get More for Less

In these difficult times, many are resorting to more frugal ways of living. One does not really know how the economy will turn out by next year so we need to really tighten our belts to prepare for the worse. This means putting an end to lavish spending as well as cutting down the wants and just focusing on the needs. We need to live poverty well. But this, of course, should not mean that we live poverty without a bit of dignity.

For a working mother like me, there were some drastic changes in the way we had been spending our hard-earned money. But all of these developments are not an excuse from not trying to look pretty and presentable. Frugality does not mean looking shabby and ugly. So definitely, unkempt hair, unplanned wardrobe and an unmade face is still a no-no especially since I work in the corporate world. I can skimp on other things of course. For example, I recently bought my glasses for a cheaper price (for at least $15 at Optical4less) but it still looks stylish. In the same way, good quality clothes, bags and shoes can also be bought at a cheaper price because of the discounts and sales. A wise spender always buys quality goods (so you don't have to buy again and again) but never at the full price. Do you agree?

Red Box Night

We had an unscheduled Red Box (Trinoma) date with our UP friends last week. Gracia had some foreigner friends from SEAP (one from Brunei and one from Indonesia) so we joined them in singing the night away. Had a lot of fun, drinks and some croaked voices (hehehe)!

Hmm...I think we need to do this more often. I barely know any new song.

Happy with our mini-concert. Sige lang nang sige sa pagkanta. Btw, how do you like my new pair of eyeglasses?

Eumir, our official photographer. Food shot muna!

Kame-kame ulit.

Thanks for inviting us Gracia & Eumir! We had fun!

Baguio Trip 2008

Okay. I think I'll just do the short cut version kwento about this 3-day trip. All in all, I found the trip very relaxing and refreshing, that is, even if we had to chase the toddler around the whole day. Vale la pena! It was SUPER worthwhile! Every minute, every peso spent -- definitely worth it! This trip was so simple but so fun!

Here are some pictures c/o our friend Eumir, husband of Gracia>> we so envy your cameras! Thanks for the pictures!

Ruby, me and Gracia (we miss you Che, Lala and Jackie!) - we were booked in Hotel Supreme. After unpacking, we immediately had some photo opps.

Then we headed straight for lunch in Mile Hi inside Camp John Hay.


Ruby's order - Baby back ribs


My order - Tapsilog

Here are some pictures of the little girl - it was her (and yaya's) first time to go to Baguio and boy, she (and yaya) felt car-sick the whole time en route to Baguio. Wawa baby girl. Good thing she recovered quickly.

After lunch, we went to the Baguio Botanical Gardens...Here's Zoe and Daddy. Too bad, she didn't want to ride the horse.

The Pinedas in Baguio City


A precious moment between Father and Daughter.


A photo that looks like as if taken from a studio. Naks!


Another Daddy and Zoe moment...


Funny pic of lovers Ruby and Emerson.


Sometimes I think if Zoe knows how much she has been photographed. Here is Zoe and me (her papparazzi).

After the Botanical Garden, we went to St. Joseph's Parish to attend anticipated Sunday mass. Dinner was again in Camp John Hay. We decided to sleep early that night. So tired from the road trip I guess.

The next day, our family had Sunday mass at the Cathedral, some shopping at the Guess store at Porta Vaga and then a quick breakfast at Volante along Session Road. The weather was perfect.

We went back to pick up the others and then we left Zoe and yaya in the hotel and went to Cafe by the Ruins (their service was not so good). Anyway, after lunch, we went to Tam-awan Village.

Here's Emerson in his most pose-kung-pose moment. Haha.


Mr. and Mrs. Igorot 2008..


Our main pakay for the day -- the Fertility Hut! Go Gracia and Eumir!


Here's us inside the Fertility Hut -- baby#2 - pls. come soon!


Lining up to cross the bamboo bridge-


A stolen shot of us looking tired after climbing the top of the hill. We look so married (with a kid) here, don't you think?


Group shot!


Right before we exited, Hunny was able to shoot 3 coins inside the bamboo hole ala wishing well. What's his wish? "A baby boy", he exclaimed. How cute!


After all that, they returned to the hotel while the Pineda family went around the usual tourist spots: Mines View Park, Good Shepherd, Session Road. We had dinner later that night in the famous Rose Bowl.


The next day was palengke day. We went to buy the usual vegetables and pasalubongs. We also scored a beautiful table runner for our 8-seater table. We also got some nice-looking pashminas to be given as Christmas gifts.

Lunch was at Pancake House in the gas station before you reach Marcos Highway. Then it was another long trip back home.

We sure did enjoy all the stories, jokes and company. Did I say I'll do a short-cut version? Sorry, got carried away! I hope you liked the pics and the kwentos. Till next time!