My Weekend Journal

The rainy season is here once again. It is time to bring out our raingears such as umbrellas, raincoats and boots. During this season, it is nice to sleep and just let the time pass by. Rainy days can make one feel lazy. Nevertheless, I suggest not letting the rain get you down. You do not have to be gloomy also just because the weather is gloomy. You can still do many things to brighten up those rainy days. You may cuddle up with a nice book you have always wanted to read and be swayed to another world when it is too wet to step outside your door. You may sit in front of your computer and watch TV Online, do some social networking or see your friends online. You may also take out your cards and board games and have fun playing with the whole family or friends. Go out, relive your childhood and play in the rain. (My kids love this idea! They always long for a rainy day so they could go out, run and play in the rain.) Just be sure to take a warm bath immediately after. Gather ...

The 2011 Toyota RAV4 (Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive) is a leader in the compact SUV market. It combines the benefits of a fuel efficient car and the luxury and comfort of great interiors of an SUV. This car is best for people who crave for excellence, power, better fuel economy, higher visibility, maneuverability, comfort and safety. It has the vitality that matches your spirited enthusiasm. Its modern and powerful design leaves a lasting impression. The overall safety features of the 2011 Toyota RAV4 are much improved compared to its previous models. It is not a luxury model but it is well-equipped with three various trims offered with each powertrain possibility, covering a range from basic and fuel-efficient to luxurious or sporty and powerful. It is a modern, practical crossover choice and great for family-oriented shoppers on a budget. Owning a car is great but keeping up with car maintenance can be a pain. However, it is generally important to take the time ...

Our first visit at D' Family Park It has been more than a year since we last visited D' Family Park in Talamban. It is the first park of its kind in Cebu. It offers an alternative and wholesome recreation site within the city while promoting the protection and regeneration of plants and animals. One can find swimming pools - for kids and for adults, a picnic camp site that is great for holiday camps and the likes, a vast children's playground with play things like swings, see-saws, slides, tykes play stations and more, a wildlife sanctuary, a mini-zoo and botanical research garden with a nursery, a multi-function club house and pavilion designed to suit one's needs for any social activities. The 20-hectare area is nature-friendly. Trees surround the whole complex. Lying nearby is a one-hectare lagoon with colorful school of fish. Park goers are provided with ample parking spaces for a minimal fee. The park has a large stage, equipped with an up-to-date sound syste...

We do have a company summer outing annually. Most of the summer outings were held on beach resorts with lovely wide swimming pools and enticing blue seas. Most beach resorts require proper swimming attires so you could enjoy the pools. Conservatives wear shorts and spaghettis, others wear one-piece swimsuit and the more confident ones wear beautiful two-piece bikinis. Oh, well, I do sometimes imagine myself wearing two-piece bikinis and always end up with a big laugh. With those stretch marks and "baby" fats caused by three pregnancies, I would make a hilarious picture. I know science could make some miracles on those sites but since I could not afford yet professional services like Dr. Dulin 's, I'll just wear suits that could hide those unsightly marks. Last year's summer outing was great, they say. Sadly, I was not able to attend because I was confined in the hospital celebrating another "motherhood" stage - giving birth to my third child. This...

It has been a family practice to have the first hair cut when baby turns one year old. Before going to any salon, we'll cut a few hair strands and insert them to a page in a book. It was believed that the child would become smart or would excel in some fields depending on the kind of book where the hair was inserted. Is this a joke? I personally do not believe this crap but I do it anyway, hahaha! We won't lose anything here if this is not true but, if it is, then baby will grow smart. I did this to my first two kids and I will do it again to my baby (though he is not a baby anymore, I still consider him my baby). Oh, well, huh. Belief or No Belief, we are going to have baby's first hair cut. His hair has grown long and thin, and it becomes unruly especially after getting out of bed. I did the first hair cuts with my first two kids. However, with the second one, I went to a salon and let the hair experts finish the job. I realized then that it's more difficult to cu...

I did not have the chance to visit Obong Spring in Dalaguete when we visited Alcoy last month. When we went back to celebrate the annual fiesta in Guiwang, I made it sure to spend time to not only visit the place but also experience the relaxing cold water. It was a low tide when we went there so the water inside the nature's pool came only from the spring. Out of curiosity, I tasted the water to see if it really is pure spring water. The water was a little bit salty. It may be because of the underground seawater. We have to cross the water to get to the cottage. The water on the other side is just knee-high and walking there is not a problem. The water was soooo cold, I wished I brought a jacket with me. I was only half-submerged but I am already trembling. I had double thoughts whether to take the plunge or not. I never thought the water could be cold as ice, hahaha! You don't have to bring ice to keep your drinks cold. You have the biggest pool of ice cold water ...

The whole family had a great time yesterday. After giving our thanks and saying our prayers, we went to SM. Oopsie, I don't mean the mall but the Lapu-Lapu Public Market. People from Lapu-Lapu ("Opon") and Cordova already knew this but for those who don't have any idea, you may be wondering why we call it SM. Well then, I feel obliged to do some explaining here. We're from Cordova and whenever we go to Lapu-Lapu public market (commonly known as "Mercado") we ride a Multicab headed for "Sulod Mercado" thus "SM". Nothing really fancy about the term's history, eh. Okay, it's corny, so I'll stop this nonsense, lol! Anyway, we did a little shopping at Unitop, took our lunch at Mang Inasal, and made our grocery at La Nueva Supermart. It was our first time to visit this branch of Mang Inasal. What I like most with Mang Inasal, aside from the chicken barbecue, is the unlimited rice. I finished three cups of rice. What an app...

Tingko Beach has changed since we last visited the place. There are a few renovations done on the place. The store is under renovation and there are four new cottages under construction. Tingko Beach has improved. I could say, it's better than before. A new private resort is putting up four cottages on top of the big rocks beside the beach. About eleven years ago, there were cottages on top of these very same rocks but they were all gone when we went in 2000. I'm glad they are building not only one but four cottages! However, price range for the new cottages are Php1,000 to 1,500. These are the Antig Cottages and they are still serving the beach goers. They also made some improvements to their place, which made the place even more attractive and spacious. Room rates for cottages owned by Jack Antig Php 900.00 to 1,000.00 per room/cottage = good for 6 persons You may contact Jack at phone #483-9298 for room inquiries and possible price adjustments. Below is the bar...

Finally, we're going back to Alcoy! No, we're not going there for a summer vacation. We'll be there to participate in the 2010 election and cast our votes. Since the election is on Monday, we still have time to explore the beauty of Alcoy particularly Tingko Beach. It's been a while since I've done some travels. This would be my first long trip after giving birth. We'll be bringing baby so we have to choose a very comfortable mode of public travel since we don't own a car yet. We do plan to buy one if we hit that elusive lotto lucky number, lol! Hope we could still find some seats in an air-conditioned bus so we could comfortably travel and we'll just imagine then that we're riding a Chevrolet Silverado . We'll, dreams are free! In every travel, safety is the most important thing to keep in mind. There's a winding road before reaching Poblacion Alcoy. On one side is a hill and on the other is a dangerous cliff overlooking the sea. Any veh...

This is hubby's new sea travel adventure to Camotes Island. I was not able to go because I have to take care of baby. It was full of fun, fear and adventure! Oh, how I envy them. Hubby and his teammates went early so they could catch the 6:30am roro vessel for Camotes Island in Danao port. Unfortunately, when it's their turn to get the tickets, the teller cut them because they already reached the maximum number of passengers. They further advised them to wait for the 11:00am schedule because the 8:00am schedule was fully booked. Because all were so excited to reach Camotes Island and could not wait for the next trip, they rented two small bangka (native sailboat) without even thinking of the great risk they put themselves into because of the big waves considering the distance from Danao port to Camotes Island. In the middle of the trip, the big waves came that almost capsized the boat they were riding. Hubby and his friends feared for their lives. They were all thinking of...

Now I'm not alone! Hubby came home yesterday from his Camotes adventure (and misadventures)! He brought home wonderful stories, beautiful pictures of their escapade and my favorite - chocolate. Oh, I have not yet tried this one! I just can't wait to have a bite. He went home ahead from the group because the others still want to see another place and would travel back home at night. He told us he missed us (really? lol!) and that it would be great if we're there. We would surely appreciate the place, and the kids will definitely enjoy the waters especially the fresh waters inside Timubo Cave. I really missed travels like this, and the beaches too! Maybe when baby will be old and healthy enough to do a little adventure, I will indulge myself in such luxuries.

Hubby and his friends had their night out party last week and I also went along out of a sense of duty and respect (as if I don't want to go and unwind, lol!). We went to an " eat all you can " food establishment because that's all we can afford considering their large bulks. The foods were great and we left the place with heavy stomachs! After a long and entertaining conversations or should I say humorous nonsense talks, they agreed to go to a videoke bar to sing their hearts out and burn the calories they just earned. We went to a restobar in Cebu City. The place was simply cool and it's not crowded. You could enjoy the night without worrying much of your safety because there were guards visibly posted on their places. Their singing machine karaoke system was great! You could sing like Jason Mraz or Jojo without burning your throat. Your voice comes out neatly even if you are not musically inclined. You'll get a feeling of singing like a pro (at least)! H...

March ushers the start of the hot summer months! It's summer and it’s about time to take that long-awaited vacation. Make sure to enjoy your few days of pleasure and do not forget to bring the following: Sunglasses Cool shirts and vacation wear Sunblock, cosmetics and skin care products Digital cameras Swimwear Footwear Headgear and hats Diving Watches Luggage and travel bags Travel guides Spend more time to rest, relax and enjoy your summer vacation. Go on and take that well-deserved summer break!

I got goose bumps and was teary-eyed while watching her perform. She has wasted so much time but I believe it is not yet too late for her to show she has talent. Josephine Aton is a single mom from Cebu City. Her only dream is to sing, perform on stage and show her talent. Now, what can you say? Isn't she amazing?

Pictures allow us to capture precious moments. Learning how to take photographs is easy (and easy is taking photographs in the above photo, lol!). Here are some basic and quick guides on how to take a shot on your memorable moments. Decide on the main object . Focus on one subject. A picture is successful if it tells a single story. Avoid shooting against the light . Shoot with the light behind you making it as a backlight illuminating the photo. You may also use the light from the side of the object as it flatters the faces. Sometimes, shooting against the light could give good results. It could give a dusk or dawn effect. Experiment with the camera angles . Test all angles with the subject – sides, behind, above and below. Include space . Capture the space in front of the subject to give the look that the subject is going somewhere as well as subjects looking in a certain direction to give balance to the photo. Choose bright colors . Make the most important and main eleme...

Our minds often are cluttered with lists of things to do, challenges in the home or workplace, relationship issues, and many more. To keep memory loss at bay, remember to make healthy food choices, do regular exercise and stay active. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables . These contain antioxidants called flavonoids that protect and nourish brain cells. Flavonoids can reduce damage to the brain and improve cognitive impairment. Although recent research supports that an intake of flavonoid-rich foods plays a vital role in reducing the risk of developing dementia, researchers feel more studies are required to make any sort of nutritional recommendation. Exercise your mind . Keep the mind healthy by learning new things. If you continue to challenge yourself, your brain continues to grow. Challenging the brain with mental exercises can maintain and stimulate increased cognitive ability. Reduce stress . Stress contributes to memory lapses. Regular moderate exercise, like walk...

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