My Weekend Journal

Last night, hubby and I were discussing about the Christmas gifts we would give our manito on our company Christmas party. Our kids were with us and they heard our small talk. They asked me, " Ma, what Christmas gifts would you give us? " Well, I never really thought about that lately, not that I would not give them any Christmas presents but because Christmas is still too far away on the calendar. I have no other great Christmas gift ideas for them than what I could give right now, my love and affection. I answered them, " I will be giving you my love and lots of hugs and kisses! " They reacted over the idea and asked for some "material things" as Christmas gift. I told them, " Love is the greatest gift of all! It's the best Christmas gift I can give you. Don't you want Mama to love you? " They answered back, " We do! But it would be better if you love us and give us Christmas presents, too! " I laughed and asked them, ...

We tend to deviate from our diet plans during Christmas season. We overeat during the holiday because there is so much tempting food around. We engage ourselves in "emotional eating" due to holiday stress; and we lower our discipline in anticipation of the new weight loss diet and exercise plans we intend to start as part of our New Year's resolution. Whatever the reason, here are some diet tips that would help you adhere to your diet plans while enjoying the holiday feast. First, focus on weight maintenance, not weight loss. Weight maintenance is a big enough challenge during the holiday season and this is not a good time to try to lose weight. You only set yourself up for failure by making unrealistic goals for yourself. Plan on " not dieting " after the New Year; instead, work on your wellness eating disciplines: portion control, more fiber, less fat and consistent exercise. Eat a light snack before the party. It is not a good idea to arrive at the party...

In building family relationships, it is important for family members to eat together at least one meal a day. Mealtimes are special moments of sharing stories and forming family memories. Sharing meals helps strengthen family relationships and encourages bonding. A sense of belonging and mutual trust foster when adults and children eat together and enjoy each other’s company. Eating meals together boosts emotional health. Laughter often happens at the dining table . Mealtimes allow adults and children to express their feelings freely and help the members get along better. Each member knows about the others’ lives and is able to help each other get through difficult challenges. A good mealtime experience nourishes the mind, body and soul. It provides a setting for moral and intellectual discussion where family members share family values. When children help with meals, they learn skills such as setting the table, preparing food, serving food and cleaning up. Children learn to share, b...

I remember going to the store to buy a Christmas gift for my Manito. If it is hard to choose a gift for a special person, I would say it is much harder if you are buying a gift for a person you do not even like. I do not have any Christmas gift ideas for him but for sure I would be buying a cheap Christmas gift considering my budget. I was a High school freshman then. Before Christmas break, it was a school tradition to have a Christmas party and pick our Manito or Manita. We did not use code names so we know whom to give our gifts. I would take this a blessing in disguise when I picked the one person I hate most in the classroom - Roderick. He used to bully me every single day because of my skin color. I have dark skin because I love the outdoors and I love to swim every weekend. He would always tease me and would never miss his chant, " uling! uling! uling! " (a Cebuano term that means "coal"). The day before the party, I went to the store and walked over the ...

We were late for work … again. Hubby and I had a hard time commuting. There were no available public utility jeepneys at the Opon terminal. There were numerous stranded passengers waiting. We even walked from Menzi to Gaisano Mactan so we would have a bigger chance of getting a ride. Jeepneys bound to Mandaue-Highway were always full and even the taxis were all occupied. Rain poured early morning today. I thought this was just an ordinary rainshower. I was not able to hear the morning news because we have not turned on our radio lately. According to the 5:00 a.m. weather forecast update from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration ( PAGASA ), at 4:00 a.m. today, Tropical Depression URDUJA was estimated near Dinagat or at 50 kilometers East Northeast of Maasin, Leyte with maximum winds of 55 kph near the center and forecast to move West Northwest at 15 kph. In the Visayas, Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1 was raised over the provinces of Eastern...

Our company will be having a Christmas Party. The party committees were very busy preparing for the event for the past few weeks. Thankfully, the program and the venue are now ready. Were they missing something? Of course, there should be a party invitation! How could anyone forget that? Well, before we get frantic, our witty animators had taken care of that. In fairness, it was pretty well done! It is clever and humorous indeed! Why the long wait? Here it is! A video invitation for the annual OSI Christmas Party featuring the FatBoys Slim with Santa Claus courtesy of wonderboykun .

Christmas Day is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25th that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, Church celebrations, and the display of various decorations—like Christmas trees, Christmas lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In gift giving, we remind ourselves of the importance of selfless act, which is the foundation upon which we build trust, friendship and love. In receiving a gift, we are reminded of the practicality of the wisdom the more we give the more we receive. Christmas in the Philippines is one of the biggest holidays on the calendar. Philippines has earned the distinction of celebrating the world's longest Christmas season. The Filipino Christmas would not be complete without the traditional Philippine Christmas symbols and decorations. As early as September, people would start putting up Christmas trees and decorations. They adorn their homes with "lanterns" or " parol ...