Reminiscing the Past: Baguio Escapade!

Baguio City, the Philippines' summer capital, is one of the beautiful tourist destinations in our country.  It was a city on top of the mountain in the northern Philippines.  People love to go there especially during summer because of its cold weather there.  It does not snow there (how I wish!), but you really need a jacket to keep you warm (or a sweetheart close to you might just be enough!).

It's been 3 years ago (in 2007) since my husband and I went to Baguio City together to breathe some fresh cold air and get away from our stressed work life even for just a weekend.  We were still not married back then but we're already in a relationship.  Our out of town adventure was not planned...it was spontaneous. It was a Wednesday when I decided I wanted to go to Baguio and it was a Thursday when he said he wanted to come with me.  Then it was a Friday night when we went there for a 1 night-2days stay (I remember that we watched a baskeball game first before our departure.  The game was for the championship between the basketball team of his company, Sunpower Corp & our company, Toshiba Info Equipment Phils Inc.).

We left from Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Metro Manila at around 9:00pm.  We stayed first at Xaymaca Bar at Timog to waste time because our scheduled trip to Baguio City was at 12:00 midnight.  We hung out with Brownman Revival band members (I was friends with them).  After the gig, we left for Baguio City via land transportation (Victory Liner Bus).  We took the last trip which was at 12:00 midnight.  The fare back then was aroung 400 Php-500 Php.  We had a 6 hour travel, with some stop-overs at Tarlac and La Union.  I was not worried about being lost around Baguio City because it wasn't my first time to go there (it was my nth time!  Baguio was a second home to me because I took my college freshman year there before.  That's why I'm quite familiar with the place).

My hubby and I in the bus, on the way to Baguio City!

We arrived at Baguio City aroung 6:00am. Taxi cabs waited at the bus terminal to assist tourists and suggest hotels around (for a fee, of course).  I already forgot the hotel we checked in but it was quite far from the main town.  When we're unpacking our bags, my hunny gave me a surprise gift...a stuff toy.  I was very happy because it was the stuff toy I really like to buy for myself before.  It was a fluffy brown cat.

My favorite fluffy stuff toy cat named Baby Siops

During our stay in Baguio City, of course, we never missed to tour around and visit the famous places there.  My hunny was so happy that time because, though it wasn't his first time to go there, it was his first time to go to some of the tour spots there, like PMA (Philippine Military Academy).  And I was also happy because I got to tour him around.  We bought pasalubong goodies like peanut brittles, marshmallows, strawberries, ube jams, and chocolate chips (I looove the chocolate chips.  I can never get enough of it!).  And oh, we also bought strawberry wine...but we drank it all after dinner. Haha! I definitely would buy that wine again the next time I'll go there!

The King and Queen of Bundok Tralala! (taken at Minesview Park)

Row row row your boat hunny! (taken at Burnham Park)

A visit at the church (taken at Baguio Cathedral)

Release the horses! (taken at Wright Park)

Our home? I wish! (taken at The Mansion)

Home of the soldirs-to-be (taken at Philippine Military Academy)

A big hat for a big soldier (taken at Philippine Military Academy)

We stayed for 2 days at Baguio City (a Saturday until Sunday morning).  And on Sunday after lunch, we traveled back home.  Our escapade was a very enjoyable one, because we spent it together.  Certainly, our work stress faded and we were ready to face our work loads again. :)

P.S. Did you notice in the pictures that I was wearing a Bohol T-shirt at Baguio City?  Hehe. Next time, I'll blog about our trip in Bohol.  It was also an enjoyable one. :)

The Daddy and The Baby

Among the baby pictures my daughter has with her daddy, this one's my favorite.  It was taken when my baby was 2 months old.  At her young age, she could already sleep on her side, and copy her daddy's sleeping pose! Haha!  Ok...I know that she was not aware of what she was doing, but the sight of that two adorable persons I love most with the same sleeping pose really made me smile. So cute! The moment I saw them sleeping together like that, I hurriedly grabbed the camera and took a shot of them.  And when my husband woke up, I let him see the picture and he was also delighted.  It's one of those kodak moments we had ever seen in our lives!

For those who first encountered the term kodak moments, it means a special, priceless captured shot (by camera or video) which is not directed, nor edited. According to http://www.urbandictionary.com/, kodak moment  is a rare, one time, moment that is captured by a picture, or should have been captured by a picture.  And that special picture above is one example of it!

Somehow, that picture reflects the similarities of my husband and my daughter in terms of personality.  Both are hard headed and very persistent.  They never stop until they get what they wanted.  My husband loves computers and other techi gadgets...I think, my daughter would like them too.  Hey, whenever I place my baby infront of the computer, she would always want to press the keys.  And she also gives a lot of effort to grab our cellphones and play with them! Haha! Hmm...what else...well, they say that my baby looks more like me.  But when she's asleep, she looks like a mirror image of her daddy.  They both have the same facial expression while sleeping.  Not to mention same pose, as well!

It's not just the picture that gives me extra joy, but also the times when they bond together (whether playing and laughing together, until the baby cries and so, my husband would pass her to me).  I love the sight of them together.  I hope they would not just be father-daughter, but also best friends.  I really love those two very important persons in my life---my husband and my daughter.  Daddy and baby.  I consider myself lucky to have them! :)

P.S. Now that my baby is 8 months old, she does more than copying her father's sleeping pose.  She can now hug him while they are sleeping, as well.  Someday, I'll be going to take a shot of another kodak moment--- a picture of the daddy and the baby embracing each other while sleeping.  Nice idea, right? :)

Being a New Mom, Having a New Lifestyle

**I began to write this post a week when I was still a full time homemaker, before I got hired from my new job.  But I finished this a week after I started my new work.  Therefore, to avoid confusion, I maintain the persona of a housewife as I continue and finish this entry.**

My baby now turned 8 months, and this stage is really different from her early months.  When she was 1-3 months old, she barely keeps awake and therefore I could do other household chores that needs to be done.  When she was 4-6 months old, our sleeping nights were quiet (unlike when she was 1-3 months old wherein she would always wake up at night because she was hungry).  She had learned to sleep throughout the night.  But when she turned 7 months old, she started to wake up again in the night, not because she's hungry, but because she wanted company.  She also now has longer time being awake...which means she always look forward to play with me...and because of it, I couldn't do other chores (and even finish this blog!).  Being a mom really is a new lifestyle for me!

My new lifestyle of being a full-time mom of an 8 month old baby girl (with no helpers around):

1.  Having only a 5 minute brunch meal break.  But if I want it longer, I eat my meal while my baby is sleeping at 11:00 am, which would take an hour, if I'm lucky.

2.  But having my meal breaks while she's sleeping would mean moving my bath time at her afternoon nap, which is around 4:00pm.  This nap time of hers usually takes only 30 minutes.  So I would just splash my whole body with the liquid bath soap, put some shampoo on my hair, and rinse myself as fast as I can.  Scrubbing is reserved for weekends, wherein my husband could babysit for our baby longer while I do my things.  Sometimes if I'm unlucky (means my baby would just sleep for a few minutes), I would have my bath time at night before I go to sleep.

Food Safety in the House

My husband is the one who cooks meals while I am the one who wash the dishes.  He practically owns the kitchen, while I practically own the rest of the house (haha!).  Yup, he's the cook...but I'm his trainer.  I was the one who taught him to cook--- adobo, sinigang, and his favorite tinola.  And since he has found a passion for cooking, I just let him do the kitchen thing.  Now, he prepares meals other than what I taught to him (his favorite dish to prepare is Japanese!).  Of course, he searches recipes from the internet.  But the recipe is just the thing he learns.  I believe there's much more to learn about being a chef/cook other than the recipe itself.  One must also be informed about food safety to prevent foodborne illnesses.

I became an employee of a food service company, and I trained its service crew on Food Safety.  That's why I was very particular in that aspect.  As my husband's "trainer", I always remind him the right way to handle foods so that the meals he would prepare would not just be delicious, but also safe to eat.  He follows my advice...but only for a while.  Probably because he wants his food to be done as fast as he can.  I just tell myself that someday, I would make him attend cooking classes so that he would learn the importance of food safety rules.

Here is the list of some Do's and Don'ts in handling foods:

1. First rule in cooking: wash your hands!

2. To lessen bacteria in thawing meats, do not soak meat in water.  It's better if you just leave it in a container for few hours at room temperature (but not overnight!) or better yet, place the meat in the refrigerator/chiller overnight.

Suddenly, I'm Into Blogging

Suddenly, I'm into blogging.

I admit, I tried to create blogs before. I had 2 accounts with blogger in 2006, wrote an entry in one of them then I forgot about them (and I also forgot the usernames and passwords I used). I just remembered them when I tried to use URL names in this blog site that I usually use in other sites, I was surprised because they were unavailable. I entered the URL name to see who the heck used it, and oh my! It all came back to me...I was the one who created those blogs!

I would like to share with you the URL's of those blogs but one of them has no entry posted in it, so it would be useless if I would share it with you and you wouldn't find anything there.  The other blog site was my anonymous blog site.

I also had a Friendster Blog.  It became my central blog eversince Friendster created it.  All my thoughts and feelings were poured into that blog, from the time I moved on with my first heartbreak until my husband and I got together.  It was my single life blog.

Just before and after my marriage with my hubby, my writings slowed down.  Probably because I'm not too inspired to write because I was so happy in love (my writings before were more dramatic.  My writings were a way to release my deepest darkest feelings of anger and sadness).  But now, since I am becoming more mature in life, I would like my writings to be more than an expression of my blue moods, but also a sharing of joy, triumphs and milestones in life.  I wanted to be more positive. Being positive is good for my mental health.

So, I created a new blog. This blog. But I didn't immediately publish it because I was still thinking of a perfect theme--- would it be about lessons in life?  My dreams and aspirations? Reviews of the books I had read?  Hmm...what topic would inspire me most?  While reflecting, my baby, who was on her walker, strolled towards me and suddenly tapped my legs.  Inspiration suddenly struck me!  I could write about my new life as a mom and wife.  I could share to the world my everyday experiences in handling family life!  Knowing what theme I already like, I became super excited to start this blogging.

My family is my inspiration, my love, and my life.  Because of this family, I learned to be stronger in life and aspire more dreams, not just for myself but also for my husband and my baby.  I dedicate this blog site to them.

Oh wow, look how much I am inspired to write--- I already have 5 entries in a month (including this one)!  And I'm not stopping to count.  I still had so much ideas in my head that I want to write.  I guess, I'm now turning to be a blog addict. Haha!

Home Sweetest Home

By next week, my family will leave our home here at Batangas, and we'll move in with my husband's family at Alabang, Muntinlupa City.  A move from a quiet fresh town to a fast paced city.  A move from a place overseeing the green mountains of Mt. Makiling to a place near malls and big buildings.  Well, it's nothing new for my husband because he had lived there for 28 years...until we got married.  But then, it will be something new for me because I would be getting along with some new people in my life.  Of course, I had already stayed with my in-laws but only for quite a while, 2 weeks were the longest time I stayed with them.  But living with them for a longer time would be a challenge for me, especially with my erratic moods and sanguine temperament. 

We decided to live with them because I finally got a job at Manila.  My in-law's house is nearer to my new workplace (as well as my husband's office), and they are very open to take care of my baby while I'm at work, since they are already retired and available.\

Preparation for the baby: Shopping time!

Shopping is one of my favorite things to do! That's why I was really excited when my hubby and I took our first baby shopping together when I was 7 months pregnant at SM Lipa, Batangas.  It felt like buying Christmas presents for someone very special.  Before that shopping day, I already made a list of what to buy.  I got ideas from magazines (Smart Parenting) and internet sites and forums.  I'll be running thru that list and share it on this blog entry so that you may also have an idea on what to buy when expecting.  I'll include the brand and price (Can you believe I kept the receipt!).

Baby clothes.  The infant's wear section of the department store was our first stop.  My husband and I didn't have the idea whether to buy the smallest size for our future newborn or just the small size (or the medium size, so that she could still use it after a few months).  We asked the sales lady for suggestions and she said that the safe bet would be the medium sized clothes because babies grow fast.   So we ended up picking medium sized 2 3-pc white tie sides with sleeves, 1 3-pc white shorts, and 1 3-pc white pants.  We didn't purchase much clothes because relatives already pledged to buy some for our baby too (they bought half dozen sleeveless white tie sides which they sewed colorful patches infront).  And we didn't buy overalls/onesies because the weather in our town was too hot, the baby might get annoyed if she would wear it (and I might get annoyed too when changing her clothes and diaper).  We also purchased plain white mittens, booties, and bonnets to keep the baby's hands, feet and head warm.  We also included bibs in our list (and we chose colorful ones!)

"Mahal mo ba siya? Anong nagustuhan mo sa kanya?"

(A note I made from Facebook)

I found this entry while I was browsing my friendster blog a while ago. It was originally entitled "Sagot sa Katanungan ni Pio (Part 1 and 2)" and it was intentionally a reply to a question asked to me by my husband Jeff's friend, Pio (who is also ka-FB ko na, so he might read this again. haha!). I am reposting this entry in my FB notes just to remind myself how happy I am to have Jeff in my life (despite of some of our differences--- the Venus and Mars thing) and also to remind everyone that...hey, it's that day of the year to celebrate being in love and to reminisce romantic moments with your special someone (and to never ever lose hope on love coz it really comes around. Believe me, it's true. Happy Hearts' Day FB friends! :)


Sagot sa Katanungan ni Pio (PART 1)
August 15th, 2007 by vaneni thru friendster blog

"Mahal mo ba cya?"

Oo naman. No hesitations. No doubt. No regrets. Paano mo ba malalaman kung mahal mo ang isang tao? Nararamdaman ba ito o pinagde-desisyunan? Heart over head ba, head over heart, o dapat balance lang? Actually before, I thought that love is both a feeling and decision. But when Jeff came along, I realized that love is more than a combined result of emotion and rationalization. Love is a complete celebration of another being’s personhood. It is wholeheartedly bringing out the best in one person. It is being an inspiration for someone to reach his or her dreams. It is God’s instrument to provide hope, joy, and endless faith, not for yourself, but for someone else. It is being happy for another person’s happiness, even though it means you’re not part of it.

Love is not all about "me". But it’s mostly about "him" or "her".

Planner 2010 -- His & Mine

The story behind the Starbucks Planner
It was nearing the end of 2009 when my hubby decided to avail the 2010 Starbucks Planner. I thought he'd never get one because he might not afford to buy 21 expensive coffees, especially we're into saving mode. But then, it's just fair to treat himself once in a while, and anyway, I benefited from some of the coffees he purchased (hehe). It was almost the end of the promo period when, at last, my hubby completed the stickers (actually, he told me that the rest of the stickers came from an officemate who gave up his stickers to him). The design of the planner he chose was the one I told him that I liked the most.

After a month, the planner still looks fresh from the coffee shop. Its pages were still clean (I think there's just a note or 2 there). And guess what...it wasn't staying in my hubby's bag or in his office drawer or in his car. It is just laying quietly on our living room table, but away from our 7 month old baby's prying hands.

The story behind the Cosmopolitan Date Book