My Weekend Journal

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

Goosebumps were all over me while I was watching a TV news report last Sunday about a tragic vehicular accident in the town of Balamban, Cebu. A J&D tourist bus plunged down into a 30-foot ravine in barangay Cansamoroy before noon last Sunday. It killed 21 people, including 20 Iranian nationals and the Filipino driver who also owns the bus; and injured 24. Police Regional Office-7 Chief Supt. Lani-O Nerez said among those injured were three Pakistanis. The injured were confined at the Cebu Doctors Hospital (CDH) except for Dr. Raminco Aleriza, a resident ophthalmologist at the Cebu Velez Hospital who was treated at Velez; and received proper medical care while the remains of the fatalities would be brought home to Iran as soon as possible. Initial investigation revealed that the bus suffered brake malfunction while maneuvering a curvy downward slope. Accidents like this do happen and nobody knows when. The event of their untimely death brings so much pain to their families. On

Can somebody help this little one put on the headset? When baby's in our room, you could always find him either pressing the keyboard, pulling the mouse, helping himself with the headset, biting the mouse pad, and the worst, unplugging and/or plugging the power cords! Oh my!!! What could a 220 volt power do to a little one?

Increasing your page rank is very important especially when you are monetizing your blog. The higher the PR, the higher the pay. :) In addition to adding content to your blog, the best way to increase your page rank is by building solid links that point to your website. The following are quick tips for getting backlinks that point to your blog: Links from other blogs with PR ratings. As much as possible, try to get links from other blogs with PR3 and higher. Links from select social networks. Just set up a profile and add your links in your profile. Also, you can do the same by checking the fan pages of all your favorite bands, musicians and artists. Many have online communities, where you can create a profile and build links pointing to your blog. Submit articles. Many free sites accept article submission. Submitting articles is also a great way of free advertising for your website. Just like the author of Active Directory Tutorial did. You should include a resource box or au

Still can't get over from Pilipinas Got Talent fever. From Siomai to Superstardom - Congratulations to you Jovit Baldivino! You really deserve everything! Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice. PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Most of the time, we just throw our leftover foods or feed them to a neighbor's dog, but this time I made some cooking experiment. There's a plate of leftover pancit canton on the table and it's such a waste if we just throw it away. I was thinking about turning it to a different dish. Hmmm, how about Tortang Pancit Canton? Have you tried it? I prepared two beaten eggs to serve as binder, no flour, no condiments, just plain eggs. Cooking was as easy as basic frying. When the oil was hot, I put a spoonful of pancit canton in the skillet, poured beaten eggs just enough to cover its size, and cook it until it's golden brown. That's it! The Verdict: The kids liked it, and I like it too! It's crunchy outside and soft inside. However, the dish did not pass hubby's taste. He did not even like how it looks! :(

[After] Finally, I found some time to clean up my little garden. With the help from my daughter, we managed to make it look better. Trimming the plant was the most challenging part. All I have was a little pair of scissors to use for trimming. [Before] A little cut here, a little cut there and, after which seems a lifetime of endless cutting, the work was done. It was really fun though we could squeeze out sweat juices from our shirts after! At first, I was afraid I would mess everything and turn the plant bald but we won't learn if we won't try, so we did; and we're proud of it. :-)

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

When I got married and had children, I have given up almost everything I used to do when I was still single and free. Everything has changed. Everything is very different. The only hobby I have before I was married was reading novels. I love to read stories of people; and historic romance was my favorite. Contrary to my friends' favorites, I was never hooked with Danielle Steel but I also love to read her stories. I also love to read science fictions and detective stories but always, the historic romance novels kept my interest in reading; and stories about Indians and their life are my favorite. I love their traditional cultural values, the way they live, the way they view life, nature, and family. I kept myself updated with book sales, schedule of new arrivals, and see to it that I'm one of the first clients to avail of the bookstore's promos. I had collected a number of books, some were lost, some were borrowed and were never returned, and most of them were stocked i

Looking for me on the photo? I'm in front. Can't still see me? Well, you will never because I'm in front taking this photo, lol! (hhmmph, corny!!!) I joined the first ever Cebu Blog Camp 2010 last May 22nd. I managed to stay awake for more than twenty four (24) hours just to be part of a blogging history in Cebu. I work on a graveyard shift, so from work, I went straight to the camp venue. I found myself out-of-place there. Everybody seemed to be " Englishers ". During registration, I was assisted by a funny gentleman whose name I found later was "Drake" as seen on his name tag. A number of Cebu bloggers joined the event. Most of the participants were young (as young as fifteen years old) and only a few young at hearts like me joined the event. There were visitors and speakers from Manila and Davao who shared their knowledge and experiences and taught us some tips on how to survive in the blogosphere. There were many freebies and raffle pri

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA . All opinions are 100% mine. It was a hot but windy afternoon in Alcoy, a perfect time for a siesta. I lazily laid my back on the bamboo lounge chair and browsed an old photo album. I just flipped the pages because the faces were unfamiliar. I continued doing so when a page caught my attention, and I was stuck on the page. It was a photo of my ever so thoughtful grandmother-in-law together with her grandchildren, which includes hubby. She's with the creator now but she's still fondly remembered. When I was pregnant, she's the one who constantly reminds me of the foods I should not eat and gives advice on the things that would help me through my heavy months. When I had my two kids, she's the one who would always ask if the kids had eaten their meals. As she got older, her body gradually became weak until she could not walk and stayed on a wheelchair. The cane that served as her third foot stood still on her

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

When I went out for lunch today, everybody on the streets is watching something on the sky. Some people were even taking pictures. Out of curiosity, I asked an officemate, who was then busy adjusting his camera. He told me to look at the sun. And, there it was, a magnificent rainbow around the sun! I hurriedly took my camera and captured this bizarre phenomenon. I have seen this occurrence when I was still in high school, but I'm still enchanted like a little kid. Some people say the rainbow was formed because of the sun's reflection on the clouds, others connect this to global warming, and some superstitious people believe this would bring something ... uncertain. Scientifically speaking, this is called a sun dog. According to the wikipedia, " A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, from Greek parēlion, "beside the sun"; also called a mock sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on

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

Mommy, Mama, Nanay – however we call her, she's still the very same person who carried us for nine months in her womb, and will be carrying us forever in her heart – our beloved mother. She is the most important woman in our life. She had made great sacrifices, pain, grief and sorrow for us, to make sure we are happy and secure. Her presence and nurturing affects our entire life and the way we see life. No one can ever replace her in our hearts. Every year, more and more white strands are visible on her crowning glory; a sign that she is not getting any younger. Have you seen her eyes lately? Those two bright loving eyes that watch us when we were still young have changed their colors too! They are now somewhat dull but the loving spark is still there. Those eyes that could clearly read my temperature reading when I have fever now need an eye wear to see clearly. This Mother's Day, nothing is much more significant than our mother. This is an occasion specially dedicated to

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.

I'm home alone with baby. I'm bored and sleepy but there seems to have lots of household chores to be done. Baby is asleep now so I found this moment to relax. Hubby left early this morning. He and his officemates are going to Camotes to enjoy the weekend. I would really love to go but I can't leave baby behind or carry him along because he has not yet fully recovered. My other two rascals are taking their vacation in Alcoy. I'm sure they are now enjoying the clear waters of Tingko Beach. I've never traveled or had fun outing or going to a beach since I got pregnant, much more when baby came out! But it's really no big deal for me. I would always choose to be left home and take care of my kids.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bliss Living . All opinions are 100% mine. We rarely celebrate Mother's Day when I was still a kid. Perhaps it was because my parents were not really conscious about occasions like that. We do have school projects like cards, beaded jewelry, and other crafts that we were supposed to give to our mothers on their special day but mine were mostly hidden on a box together with my other collections and were never personally given to my mother. However, I know Mama had seen them because she used to check my things and always had her way of finding things no matter how I tried to hide them. Guess what, she even reads my diary! Now that I am a mother, I understand and feel the significance of Mother's Day and I share it with my children and hubby. Last year, my kids made a personalized greetings card for me. Tears fell from my eyes when I read their simple note inside a heart, "Mama, thank you for taking care of us. We lo

I ’m a little bit nervous for baby’s second follow-up check-up to his pediatrician tomorrow. The doctor will decide whether baby will be re-admitted to the hospital. A week after hospital discharge, the phlegm came back and if it won’t be treated by the new antibiotic the doctor prescribed, baby will be admitted back to the hospital! After hospital discharge on April 16th, we were advised to see the doctor for a follow-up check-up on the 20th but when we went to the doctor’s clinic she was not available because she attended a conference in Manila and another doctor took her place. Her secretary did not even mention that when we called the clinic the day before the schedule. Her replacement is not affiliated with our health insurance so we decided to go to the health provider’s clinic. The doctor advised us to continue the medication. On April 25th, we went back to baby’s pediatrician. She gave us another antibiotic for his phlegm and advised us to come back on April 27th. If the d

I just received a Sisterhood Award from  A Walk Through Life . Thank you, Meretrisha, for this sweet award. I'm placing the badge here for this award. Here are the rules for this meme Put the logo on your blog or post. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude! Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award. I'm sharing this award to the following female friends and co-bloggers: Bchai from Tales of a camera-totin' momma Jenn from  My Sweet Haven YenYen from Skimchix - island life Super Mommy from Super Mommy to the Rescue Tanyia from Surviving Motherhood faMommy from A Walk in the Clouds Juliet from My Angels World Mariel from Unabashed Honesty Windie from Things that make you go   Zutara from Nature, Travel and me Share some love, guys!

Grade School Graduation Finally, after years of scavenging, I found this treasure from a friend's treasure chest! It's not really that grand and it may be priceless to some but for me, this means more than anybody's gold (hehehe ... Just kidding ... I could still make use of that gold you know ... *wink*). Wonder where am I? I'll leave it up to you dear friends. I asked my daughter to point who she thinks I am and she guessed right! I'm not wearing my medal here because I already gave them to my mother as a sort of token for their undying support. :)

I have saved 50% for my baby's food. Cerelac Wheat Banana & Milk is on sale and it's BUY ONE TAKE ONE! For only Php51.25, I got two of my baby's favorite. Most commonly, products on this kind of sale are a few weeks short their expiration date. I checked the product label and, to my surprise, its expiration date is on February 2011! The selling clerk told us that the product is on sale because it will have a new packaging soon. I bought them at La Nueva Supermart in Opon. I am not sure if other grocery stores offer the same sale. As of the store's closing time, there are a few packs left on their display. So Moms, and retailers as well, grab this rare opportunity before their stocks last!

"Times are tough." We commonly hear this line from housewives who are responsible in taking care of the household budget and that do not exclude me. With the increasing prices of common commodities and the monthly bills, I do find it hard to adjust the family needs according to our budget. With my great desire to augment our income, I browsed the internet for sidelines or part-time job. There were so many opportunities available but choosing the right one was not as easy as it seems. I was lucky enough to find one that perfectly fits my skills, interests and time. While I was doing my online job hunting, I found an excellent opportunity for mothers and students. I feel much obliged to share this income opportunity as I know and feel the need for one. This opportunity allows us to sell textbooks . What really got me interested with this opportunity is that we could sell our own used textbooks through legitimate online bookstores. I've seen people sell used textbooks at

We've said "bye-bye" to the hospital this morning and were just so excited to come home. My baby is fine now although he still has the cough. There are at least four medicines to maintain - two antibiotics, salbutamol and zinc supplement. Giving those medicines is so difficult because baby would spit out the liquid. We have tried tricks like putting sugar on the spoon and let him have that sweet taste first then the medicine. The first try was successful but it does not work always. He would even spit out his sweet Vitamin C supplement. (*sigh*) At night, he still has nightmares. He suddenly cries while sleeping. Maybe he was dreaming of his hospital ordeal. My poor baby.

It is common knowledge that many were affected by this tough economy. Even " Dubai World sent shockwaves across financial markets last year when it said it would not be able to repay its debts on time and asked for a six-month freeze on debt payments. " Like most people, I do admit I have my own share of list of payables. Most of us do, from bills to debts. When someone asks for some assistance from you, what would be the right thing for you to do? You could either extend your help or politely say "no". What if you were the one requesting for it but the other person said "no" to you and, behind your back, talks about some personal issues about you? How would you react? I could never ever forget the day when I had my first official "demerit" because I was being "unprofessional". I was talking with a friend then and shared my sentiments over hubby's evaluation. If what I did that time were "unprofessional", how would we

Since my baby was admitted to the hospital, it became my second home. From work, I go straight to the hospital and vice versa. The hospital room was a bit boring. There were no decorations like Acrylic and Oil Paintings by Lena Karpinsky . There was not even a wall clock hanging on the walls. How I wish I could hang the painting on my own room. It would certainly give life to our bare walls.

My baby was confined at Mactan Doctors Hospital last Thursday because he was showing some common symptoms of pneumonia like cough and difficulty in breathing. He does not have fever so the doctor set aside the possibility. His x-ray showed phlegm on his lungs that caused him to have breathing difficulties. Hubby was the one who went through all the agony of watching our baby endure all the pain from IV insertions and needles at the emergency room. The first IV insertion on my baby's left hand was unsuccessful so the nurse tried the needles again on my baby's left foot. Thankfully, the nurse hit the vein. Hubby really wanted to twist the nurse's head because he could feel baby's pain all because of the nurse's incompetence. On the third day, the doctor told us that they would transfer the IV. We were so concerned because this would be another painful experience for my baby. Two nurses came and set the IV. The nurse tried my baby's right hand. She had inserted