jessica's pics

As promised, here's a peek at the BUB pics of my darling jessica. Isn't she such a princess? We had a harder time with her the last pictorial but seeing how she is, it was all worth it, wouldn't you say? I like both and if you ask me to choose which I like better, I won't be able to tell!bath time with jessica and the rubber duckies

cupcakes anyone?

getting a cruise

One thing I would like to go on to for a vacation is to get on a cruise. Cruises are really a great way of spending vacations, because you get to spend your free time on the cruise ship, a luxurious way of whiling away travel time, and then when you get to the specific areas where the ship stops over, you get to visit a new place and see new sights. Its really two in one. Add to that, the cruise ships are really luxurious and you can really immerse yourself in that luxury, even for a few days. I have to really get into one, so I'll make it a dream to get myself and my family into a cruise, before we turn 40!

blow up babies

yey! we'll be getting jessica's pics later, which makes me really excited! we had the same photog last time we went there which was really nice. she still remembers our jessica. we had a harder time this time versus the last because now she seemed to have her own mind. she doesn't want to sit still and smile. she was a little better when we gave her a stress ball but then she wanted to chew on it. she still smiled though, and we had pretty good shots. I still had a budget of only 1 pic printed so we only got the one free and upgraded the gc for my birthday, so we're getting two shots of 8x10 later. excited!!!!

the house we want to buy

Got a text message from the owner of the house we wanted to buy. She's already received her visa and is seriously looking into awarding the sale of the house to the most prospective buyer. Unfortunately she jacked up the price of the house to 1.7million, because she made some home improvement measures just a few months back. sad, we're still interested though, but the next move would really be up to her to decide if she wants to sell it to us.

more work for me

Had a short meeting with my boss today. To cut to the chase, I now have more responsibilities at work. Well, its really a big deal for me, I guess it also reflects my abilities and the fact that my boss believes in my capabilities and that I can handle the additional workload. It impresses me, well. I impress myself! To those who don't know, the thing is that I work in Procurement. Its a function where you gain a lot of friends and enemies at the same time, and one where people skills also matter, not only skill. Well, skills also matter a lot, and over the years that I've been into procurement, I've learned to handle both. I would say that my people skills have increased from 1 to 9, with 10 being the highest. My negotiating skills have improved a lot, from 0 knowledge, I can confidently say that I have around 80% skill level.
Anyway, this afternoon my boss asked me to take on some of the new spend our group has started to handle, that is, tv commercial productions. currently I'm handling several events for some of our bigger brands, premium items and corporate giveaways, bundling services, polybags, plastic and paper cups, and garments. So yes, I'm quite loaded. But before tvc's came along, I could say that I was able to manage my responsibilities well enough. I could go home at past 5, I could relax on some days, I could involve myself in some of the other activities. Now I must again get out of my comfort zone to learn something new. And I hope I can learn well and learn fast, because just like all of my previous endeavors, I want to be able to handle this well. Wish me luck!

to get or not to get insurance

I don't have any insurance yet. Whether its by chance that I don't have one, or that I haven't considered getting any yet, is a matter of perspective. Yeah, there are a lot of companies offering accident insurance, auto or truck insurance, pre-need plans, etc. I have a vague knowledge about it and how its done, but frankly, I don't have a clue on the basics of the computations or how they come up with the premiums. I like and have contemplated several offerings though. I like the ones that offer premiums for women, like free check-ups or freebies when they give birth, I also like the ones that give you a certain amount after several years. I think this is what they call pre-need plans. But of course, this comes after paying so much to them, and the money is not as liquid as when you put it in a bank. But then again, you hardly earn at all when you put something in a bank. Money sleeps there, if you know what I mean. So overall, over putting something in a bank, I would think it would be much more worth it to put it in an insurance plan as a safety as well as an earning investment.

looking for the $1K post

Well, I didn't succeed this time. I heard there were those $50 posts every tuesday, and I was hoping to land into 1, but unfortunately its not my lucky day today. hehehe.... I hope next week will be the week. Gosh, that's a lot of moolah for one posting. I sure hope I get one soon!

buying the dream house

The economy seems to be faring well enough, interest rates are going down, bit by bit, and so is commercial mortgage. Now I think would be a good time to go into buying real estate. To good thing about investing in real estate is that the value normally appreciates over time, though the sad side is you still need to pay for all those real estate taxes yearly. Even so, property normally is a good, hard investment to keep in the long term, so its so good to go and buy them when the interest rates are going down, so will the mortgages you have to pay, after all, the small increments in the interest rate matter a lot when you have to pay it long term, say 10-15 years. It makes quite a difference, really.
We're also looking at buying our own place, and its a really challenging task. We will be staying at the apartment till mid-September, which gives us enough time till then to search our own place. Its kinda hard given that we want to have the best value for what we will buy, because its such a long term investment. We need to get the best bank interest rates as well because we need to get the lowest possible mortgage. It really is quite a challenge, this business of buying real estate. A challenge we'd surely be facing head on in the next couple of months.

Withdrawing funds from Paypal

Yey! I've just added my bank account in Paypal. I was contemplating trying to withdraw funds while I only have 5 dollars in it, just as trial, but I wanna be sure first. hehehehe... its free for transactions more than 7k, and then needs 50php payment for less than that. So I'm not quite sure what is worth it or not, I'll certainly try! Especially now that I have a lot of lined up for payment postings, probably around $60 worth. So its quite worth it I guess. Still too low, but then I know I have to work some more to earn more. :-)

On playing online

I found that the neatest thing about the Internet is that people can actually do anything now while they are in front of their computers. They can choose to learn, to play, to be creative, to relax. In fact they can do just about anything with the Internet. Now they can even play online casino without having to go to Vegas or a similar location. The same thrill I suppose, but with more flexibility and at your own time. No need to get a vacation just to find time to travel and go to one.
If you're the type who likes wants to master the casino game, or the type who can spend millions in online gaming, then this is certainly for you. No need to leave your home or office and travel far to get to a casino. You will definitely get the same thrill doing the same thing online. Its really an opportunity one cannot miss!

mineral makeup

mineral makeup is the new trend in make-up these days. I even saw loreal having their own. I was browsing a while and I saw the site the sells the mineral makeup called Everyday minerals. So I decided to try it out because their prices seem really inviting and cheap! Why not right? Maybe I'll ask one of my suppliers who will go to the states to buy me Bare Escentuals when she goes to the states so I can have my new own set of makeup! teehee.... i'll do that when she tells me she's gonna leave. Anyways, I ordered the sampler kit from Everyday Minerals. The kit consists of the following:

• 3 Foundations
• 1 Blushes & Face Colors
• 1 Concealers

Pretty cool. I paid for the shipping at $5.05. And then I ordered some makeup myself! hehehe.... Here's what I got:
The kit consists of this stuff:
Custom Kits: I Can't Believe It Kit

• blush or face color: Everyday Bronzer 6g
• brush: Angled Blush Brush Brush Size
• blush or face color: Snooze Bar 6g
• finishing powder: Natural Reflections Fair Large
• brush: Angled Blush Brush Brush Size
• foundation: (Buff) Buff-Light Neutral 8g Semi-Matte
• eye color: Comfy Large
• eye color: Oasis Large
• concealer: Spring Concealer 6g
• eye color: Dark Brown Brow Color Large
• foundation: (Golden) Golden-Medium Tan 8g Original Glo
• blush or face color: Apple 6g
• eye color: On the Phone Large

Add to that, I got the following freebies from their coupon:
Enter discount code 5GizZt in your cart to get 8% off your order before March 10th. All orders over $35 (after discount and minus shipping) receive the 2 NEW PRE-RELEASE COLORS, the new sample-size eye shadow GLASS BOTTOM BOAT-- a gorgeous iridescent blue-green that will remind you of that trip to Key West -- plus the new sample-sized blush and eye shadow combo MOJAVE CAMPING a super versatile apple red with a luxurious shimmer and rich brownish undertones. These will be available March 15th but you can get a preview of two fantastic colors today!

Not bad, right?

Telemarketing as biz

Face it, we are in a new age. Gone were the days with which the facsimile machine was the best invention in the world, and morse code was the best way to send a message through. With the dawn of the World Wide Web, a lot of things have become possible. Actually, so much so that you wonder if some of the things you see in those hi-tech movies are actually possible...
Well, one thing is possible. That is, that with the dawn of the new technology, so did the way that firms do their business. It helped in Accounting, Finance, Supply Chain, now its making its way into Sales, Marketing and Market Intelligence. Telemarketing has changed the way of doing business, and has brought the customers closer to the companies who want them. Its genius, really. A lot of stuff that were not possible before, or were possible but were much to expensive to implement, is nearer to the consumer because of telemarketing. Its a good thing too, because it also made the playing field a bit more on the fair side, when you consider that all means of communication are now available for the use of even the small firms. Even individuals really. Telemarketing has done that. So really we should be thankful for that.

google rank 2

yey! I've just been promoted. hahaha... To a google rank 2... teeheehee... was looking if my other blog got approved already and lo and behold! this is a google rank 2 blog! whoopeee! I'm actually very happy about it because I want to keep earning. And besides, the short articles really aren't hard to do. And its fun doing it. Who knows, I might earn a substantial amount in the upcoming months, enough to give me money to buy some stuff I wanna buy for myself. hehehe... so i wanna celebrate being a rank 2. :-)

rebuilding credit status

In the western countries a lot fewer people actually use cash, for a lot of professionals, using a credit card is like the norm. and while sometimes its good, other times if can destroy you, especially when you are unable to pay off those debts. which is why there are already companies that offer a bad credit credit card, which is supposed to give the person the chance to redeem his credit standing and get back up.

Its a good thing really, because it helps a lot in regaining confidence, and in the long term, helping the individual in making better credit decisions.

on being a professional

my head hurts... a lot. i went to the Professional Regulation Commission this afternoon (PRC for short) to renew my professional license and have my status changed, mainly because I realized that I don't have a government-issued ID to my married name, which may sound unfair to hubby, and after all its already been two years. so at least I have to deal with it now.
its a big headace, i tell you! my gosh.... its all queues, and lines, and queues.... and more lines. and i hate government service.... oh, and then I'll get the ID in a month! should have gotten it in Feb, when its a shorter month. hahahaha... oh yeah, it is Feb. So since I have this planned leave on April 8, I might just get the ID by then.... Meanwhile I should also work my way into getting driving lessons and a drivers license, and then my new SSS ID.
so many things to do.... so little time.

on credit cards

One thing I learned, and one thing I intend to change in the next few years, is to reduce my credit card debt. Honestly and admittedly, I'm in a very, very bad financial position right now. Given that I earn a modest income that's supposedly enough already for me, I have a lot of debt at the moment that I'm paying off, and the list really doesn't get shorter by the day. Its sad sometimes because deep inside I know I should be enjoying the things I want with my salary, buying stuff I need, but here I am, paying off interests more than principals. I swear I should change this already. Debt Management is one thing I should put into my system, but aside from that I think I should awaken myself up to the fact that there are really some things in life meant to be learned. Its indeed a lesson for me that I got here. And when the day comes that I'm debt-free, I'd be the happiest person in the world! Really! Ok, maybe I should just this out slowly but surely. I'm giving it a few years. But I do hope when I'm 31 at the most, I'll be rid of all these debts. I promise and I hope!

Questions on Marriage

Its amazing how my baby's face has changed so much over the nine months. Here she is at 2 months, 3 months and 8 months.... She's getting to be so much cuter isn't she?

Black Friday Sale

Being in a country that's majority Roman Catholic, I was used to having the Holy Week treated as a solemn occasion, where people are expected to repent and contemplate on their lives (much like what New Year's Eve does to us). And so it comes as a surprise when I saw this site that gives out black friday ads for shoppers. Its actually quite surprising and interesting at the same time. Been looking at the stores that offered these sales, I'm surprised as well that these are also the big stores and chains that have these sales, and they even open at 5am on black friday. Wow.
Well, about this site, it beats the black friday sale at the stores because you can actually buy the stuff off the net, without having to fall in love. Isn't that cool. I mean, ok, there's a certain joy in seeing all that stuff around you, and sometimes even finding stuff you don't need but are really big bargains. hahaha... that's just me. but of course, being able to shop while sitting around in your desk also provides relief. Hey! they should do this for Christmas! Then people won't have to shop everyday looking around for bargains, but still end up beating the holiday rush!

Bloggerwave Postie

So happy!!!! I'm now a postie. After waiting around a week to get approved, my blog is now accepted. That's more paid postings for me and a lot of additional income. Great! Seriously. I mean, I have realized that its important to at least have some additional income for myself. So I can buy the things I want online, if not all the time, at least some time. And to me the best and the simplest way is still to have paid posts. And bloggerwave does just that. For that I'm quite proud of myself and what I'm doing now. :-)

On Cosmetic Surgeries

This is a cool trivia. I read from a website that the Cosmetic Surgeons in Hollywood are so busy just before the Oscars. Isn't that cool news? Well, not entirely hard to believe, with the weight of beauty so emphasized in the ceremonies. I mean, what does a GA gown or suit look worth? If you can't wear it with style might as well not wear it at all.
Here in our country its not unusual to see new stars suddenly get bigger, better boobies. Perhaps,even in this country of ours, breast augmentation is already a common procedure. And if you have the moolah to have one, and it boosts confidence (and in the case of Showbiz, market value too), then why wouldn't you? Its just a procedure. Its simply science.

Tack Rating in PPP

I've kinda noticed that I'm getting several posting opps the past few days. I dunno if it has to do with my tack rating or if its just the season for opps. Either way I just wanted to say I'm happy about it and I hope the fun continues because I want to be able to earn the extra moolah so I can buy the stuff I want online! hahahahaha..... Who knows, maybe someday I can also get me an LV bag from my postings!

about my MBA

Did I say that the one thing I am truly, truly proud of about my accomplishments is getting my MBA? Indeed, if someone would ask me today what I considered my proudest accomplishment would be then I would say its my MBA. I know college was something I should be proud of, I'm a licensed chemical engineer. But my MBA is something I worked on, on my own, from Day One. It was something I wasn't required to go through, but I chose to, and I choice I would never, ever regret. It was worth the almost three years of work, long hours of school, and endless exams and papers. To say the least, its more than having accomplished all the academic requirements, more so, having been able to impart my own experiences and knowledge, and hearing from others their own, that truly made the management courses better. I gained a lot of friends, insights, and knowledge that I would otherwise have been unaware of had I focused only on my chosen expertise. its something I will always be proud of, and never ever regret.

babies grow up fast

i'm on leave at the office now. and one thing I realize about being a mom is this: kids grow up so fast. In a span of nine months I've seen my baby change from this independent infant now to a stronger-willed toddler. its amazing to see just how much she learns and adapts with her environment with each passing day. sometimes just seeing her learn one thing can bring so much more joy to me than would a good grade at school then, its true when they say that motherhoods brings with it infinite joys. I just never could imagine what would make me happy now if I didn't have jessica.

what makes a nice room enviroment

When I imagine my dream home, I always, always wanted it to be something that will truly represent the comfort and the beauty i want. I always think - if I could have the bed that I really, really want, it would be something like this.

Of course it should have a really soft mattress. Softness that should hug the body but not necessarily drown it... I'm not all for spending tons of money for a piece of furniture, but I do believe that its important to have one that suits you and your personality, at the same time exude the beauty and elegance of the home.
I happened to pass through this website with Faux Leather Beds and I realize I want to buy a lot of their beds! Its so beautiful and enticing. Funny if you think about since you can only have so many beds in a house, unless you live in a castle. But seriously, the designs and the look of the beds in the website are really enticing. Had I been living there in the UK I would frankly consider getting one for myself already. And then, I would get another one for the other room of the house (which I will be living in... had I been living in the UK).... really, there's nothing wrong with hoping is there?

government service

Since I became an adult I was never privy of government service. I grew up learning from the news about politicians getting rich everyday from spending people's income taxes. Sadly enough it is really that which makes the country poorer and poorer.
Of course, my sadness for the country's fate cannot be stopped by the fact that this morning I had to go to the National Statistics Office to get copies of my Marriage Certificate and of Jessica's birth certificate. And I was unfortunate enough to have to stand on line for close to two hours, and still have no certificates to take home. I had been thinking of getting the thing online but having to pay more than twice as much for it discouraged me. I applied for four copies today and paid only 500 whereas getting it online cost 300 a piece, totalling 1200 if I get the same number. totally no way! But really, what pisses me off is the long line and the heat. And the fact that it is just plain frustrating to see so many people spend so much of their time doing something that could have been easier to do. I mean, in the US, is it really so hard to get these things???

Mortgage lending increase

Seems that a lot of people are borrowing these days. Except probably in the US where there's a recession, mortgage lending is going up, meaning people are doing well and investing in properties. Its good. Properties, after all, are a really good investment to make. Something one can count on if the going gets tough, and though its not really liquid, its value generally goes up as the years go by, unlike cash in the banks that sleep over time. Literally. Which is why hubby and I see it fit as well to invest now that we're young and the kid is still not in school. Even if we have to pay for mortgages for the next so many years, we are guaranteeing ourselves an investment over time. Something we really need to do while we are young.

jessica's avp

same as what i did for my wedding, i made a cute avp of jessica's pics for her birthday. I actually don't know if i still intend to show it then, but irregardless, i had it done because I want to catalog her first year. and it will be a keepsake for me and for her grandparents as well. i can't upload it yet seeing that the is still something i would have to know how to do.... but i will very soon... promise.

for when we have our own house

since hubby and i saw that one house in Vista Verde, we've both fallen in love with it and pray everyday that we will be awarded the purchase of the house. It was really cheap and yet it was big and presentable. it even had a 3-car garage! Never mind that it didn't have a pocket garden... :-( hubby was so happy to see the large garage because it could house a lot of stuff for him. He could have a Concrete Workshop that would give him the freedom to do the things he would want to construct! Since lately he's been very busy with his hobby, i don't doubt that when we get our own place, he would want to make stuff of our own, given that he can already house the stuff he needs and no one would really care about the noisy surroundings. I myself would ask him to make some (a lot) of shelves and cabinets, because when we do have our own place, I would certainly want it to be organized. Shelves for my clothes, hangers for my bags, etc. All of which I have a lot of.... hahahaha..... Call it a fetish for being organized. teehee... seriously, had we our own place, wouldn't it be nice to be neat and create the illusion of space?

my job

Today I made a purchase decision which probably, at least for me, marked an important realization in the career I chose. I realize, in so many ways, that growing wiser means I have to learn to accept that decisions we make may not always be easy, much less have no consequence. Especially in my line of work, I have to learn to accept that sometimes, decisions I make hurt others, but nevertheless, I have to be tough and learn to realize that for all it's worth, I was really fair.

Ok. Case in point. I will use only symbols so as not to preempt any news or to identify any person.
I have this project I'm assigned to, where I have to negotiate for the company's purchase of a certain item X that will be part of a big promotional campaign. I have two suppliers, A & B, who are both reliable ones, that were actively fighting for that project. Even though, A has been the one directly coordinating with the users of this item, Supplier B was equally interested because they have not had any big projects lately. When I got the quotations for Supplier A & B, Supplier B was the definite winner... However, I couldn't just award to Supplier B because I had to consider on what stage of development the project was, and that at the same time, I had to be sure that they were both on the same page as far as specifications are concerned. This bugged me for a few days, and to cut the long story short, I decided to give the project to Supplier A, since I was more confident about their ability to implement the project. It was a hard decision to make, and what makes it ever harder is telling Supplier B that they didn't get the project. I texted Supplier B this evening and told her the news (that they weren't awarded the project) and she never texted back. I'm hoping she didn't take it personally, because this was after all, a professional decision.

In a lot of ways I think its a good preview of what lies ahead should I pursue my managerial career, that I have to learn to realize that it can't be a bed of roses all the time....

Just my thoughts....

Cheap glasses

I'm happy with my health because so far, I've had control of my 20/20 vision. Hubby isn't as fortunate though, since he has glasses and can't live without them. I saw this site on the net that sells glasses at the cheapest price. Zenni Optical: Sell Rx Glasses $8 with case!. Would you look at that. Sometimes the net is the best shopping place there is. And the glasses are really nice, much like the ones you see in the optical shops here.
Well, should time come that I need glasses, this is definitely an option.

jessica's bday preps

Latey I have been as lousy a blogger as I've been at sports (lousy analogy- couldn't think of anything I'm as lousy at).... I only post once a month and that post isn't as credible. jeez....

anyways, i'd like to report that preparations for jessica's birthday are now on their planning stages. This month my main deliverable is to finally book the venue, and so far I am far inclined to just have it at the KidzRepublic in Megamall. Less hassle setting up everything since the venue will have its own program already. And the kids will surely enjoy. And the moms and dads since they will be in the mall... huh.... I'll most likely lie-low in feb since I don't have money, and then start again in march when I do get my perf bonus at the office, afterwhich I'd have to shell out for the cake and probably half the food and the souvenirs. hehehe. Come may its time to pay for the balance of the food bill.... hay.... surely hope everything will turn out as it should be....

on bad credit loans

since i got used to using credit cards i've learned the harsh realities of having to pay HUGE finance charges for not paying it in full. i guess that's the price you have to pay for being cashless. one thing i make sure of though, is that I remain in good credit standing.

Bad credit loans can be very bad when one considers taking out an investment in the future, such as a house or a car, so its very important to make sure that credit ratings are good at all times. Right now hubby and I are considering getting our own house, so keeping up my good credit is important for me so we can take out a home loan this year.

happy new year!

hello there! missed me? been a while since I last posted (i know!) and its not like i got too busy or simply didn't have any stories to tell. I guess I just didn't have so much to talk about and wasn't too inspired to write. i suddenly realized i missed blogging! whew!

well, so what's new? christmas came and went, it was pretty simple as usual, but of course it was made more special with the fact that jessica experienced her first christmas holiday season. she got a lot of new gifts and money of course, which we plan to put into a trust fund after her birthday so she can have something for herself when she's aware of the cost of money! hahaha....

hmmm.... what else is there to say? the bad news was that we lost our globe connection again since january 4, and only got it back an hour ago, again after 21 calls made to the globe hotline. we were already contemplating getting smart bro, i even had all the boxes of the phone and modem out and was ready to return them to globe on sunday if they have not repaired it by then.

lastly, i'm getting set to go to our department's planning conference on friday at punta fuego, it'll be the first night i would spend without jessica by my side. I'm sure i'll miss her soooo much!

hmmm... guess this is all for now, but i'll leave you with pics to share:

jessica's new year's feast

bumblebee helmet

wearing my sexy backless dress

updates

I missed blogging for a few weeks!!!! I've been so caught up in the day-to-day activities I completely lost time blogging! Not even after hubby and I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary. :-) It wasn't a grand thing, we've always liked things simple anyway, and besides it seemed to make more sense to spend time together with our baby that just the two of us. After all, our Jessica is the reason we're happy now.
I didn't have any anniversary gift for hubby anymore, I combined it with his birthday gift instead. I bought him a remote-controlled truck online, which costs 109.00 dollars, which has not arrived yet, but its something I think hubby will love once it gets here!
Even my gift for my princess, Jessica, has arrived already!!!! I bought a leapfrog little touch, a toy that has books and talks at the same time. it will really help my daughter with her speaking skills. I so love it!!!!
And then tomorrow, hubby and I will take princess jessica to Adtraxx to have her VTR and pictorial taken. I wanna try her out and give her the opportunity to be a print ad model! whoohoo!!! wish us luck!!!!

she's growing up too fast

here are jessica's pics at six months old. she's as adorable as ever. need i say more?

here she is in her new activity playmat. I got her this one night I went to Baby and Co. It was sooo cute and I realize now its also east to assemble/disassemble and wash. She likes reaching out for objects already so its really being used.
Here she is in a rocking bear (something like that) at Child's Play in Greenhills when I had my creative shot taken. I wasn't going too much for a creative shot, rather I was making a statement that I want to show the world how pretty my little princess is. Anyway all my friends are telling me she is so cute and she smiles a lot, so everyone really adores her.
Oohhh... another ride at childs play. See, told ya she smiles a lot!
A shot while we're on our way to Grimis house for late lunch/early dinner after the pictorial. She looks kinda fat here, not like the 6-month old baby that she really is. :-)


A costume I got from Helen (thanks girl!), all spanky and flirty. hahaha.... i let her use it for the 6months old pictorial. Cute, eh!

Now if you had a cute baby like my princess, would you also be thanking the heavens above for the blessings?

i'm back

Ok so I haven't been posting the past week or so. Not that nothing has happened at all, but I guess I've been pretty occupied the past week with a lot of stuff in my mind. but so far it was an ok week for me, busy but not too tense. I've learned to survive the week ahead of me and put it all behind. And I have this deja vu that I swear by myself that I will be good at work but I will have a balance life and career. Looking at my baby and my husband, I realize that I want to be with them more than anything, so I will make sure that my life will stay focused at them. I will learn to take things as they come at work, but at the end of the day, I will come home to my family and spend the rest of the evening, and weekends with them. that's my promise to myself. A promise I intend to keep.

almost

I almost got promoted today.... duh... almost, that it seems to sad, and I tend to wish that I had not known about it, then I wouldn't have felt so disappointed.
well... one of my officemates who told me about it at least told me that they knew it would have been well-deserved, had it not been blocked by the department head, who seemed to think she needed more time to observe. duh... i felt really bad earlier, and right now I just need to vent. when she (officemate) told me we didn't make it, my first reaction was that I didn't need the company to get to where I want to be. By the time I reach the age of 30, I will be a manager. And I will hold to that promise to myself.

owning a garage

One of our frustrations with the apartment we live in right now is that we don't have a garage. Because there are several tenants on the compound, there is a constant struggle to get a slot in the street sidewalk. Since we got the car, my husband and I have been telling ourselves that the next time we get a new apartment or our own home, the garage is something we should have. Non-negotiable. And I'd like the garage flooring to be something smooth, since hubby is a big hobbyist of remote control cars. This way, we will have a clean garage, and at the same time, hubby play with his toys whenever he wants to.

venting

I so have to vent my frustrations at work!!! i know its not healthy at all to be harboring this much negative energy, but the day's events have really taken a toll on my stress levels.
today at work my boss told me that I'm supposed to handle another set of workload at the office. I was, to say the least, shocked! Just last friday, I accepted around 40-50% more work to enable my co-worker to absorb some more work. And then this afternoon someone tells me like "hey, this is your work!" OMG! I couldn't stop myself from airing my concern with my boss. But I stopped there. But then I had to tell anyone who would listen how really pissed off with the situation. Irregardless of him saying I'm efficient and that he is impressed with my capabilities, I feel soooo pissed off because of their assumption that because a person is efficient, its ok to add to them more work, and that they will wholeheartedly accept the new assignment. Not me. I've just had it with the additional workload. For one thing, I know my priorities. And I believe that I perform well in my work, I know that much. But I am not willing to sacrifice my time for the sake of pleasing my boss, or anyone else for that matter. And I also do not want to sacrifice my efficiencies and leave my internal customers with a bad impression of me.
And so I had to tell my boss. After ranting on the way home to my hubby, I texted my boss that i cannot accept any more additional workload after they added the ones they added last week. I cited that the new work entails hours and hours of meetings with clients and suppliers alike, and I don't want to sacrifice the quality of my work.
Hay, I still don't think I can sleep tonight because I still feel pissed off. Which is why I've got to vent some first.

To get or not to get compre insurance

That is the question. To my mind, the safest route is to go get one for the car, considering that we are still paying for the car and there is always that risk that the car might be stolen (knock on wood). But when asked to compare car insurance, I'd say a TPL insurance wins, hands-down. Its required by LTO regardless of compre insurance. Car Insurance really is a large expense relating to owning a car, just as home insurance is an essential expense of owning one's house. In terms of cost though, getting TPL is surely cheaper, but highly unsafe. I'd personally like to get comprehensive insurance for the car, but that would depend highly on our budget.... :-(

Aftermath of Glorietta

This morning hubby and I visited Glorietta to look for possible good buys, since I heard there are a lot of sales going on there because of the aftermath of Glorietta. Indeed, I found nice blouses as giftd for my sisters. That's 2 people off my gift list. Unfortunately I didn't find anything nice enough to give to my brothers-in-law (all three of them!). Huhu.... But it was sad going to Glorietta. There weren't a lot of people, and there were really a lot of sales in there, but somehow the atmosphere is different, and really quite sad. We happened to go out the entrance near where the bombing was and there was sort of an altar there where the victims names were written in ribbons. It gave me goosebumps.
I hope we will continue to relive the memories of those who were unfortunate enough to be in that tragedy. I really pray for their families that they may find peace in their hearts.

Police gear for sale

Its a fact that Hollywood police movies are a real source of entertainment for many of us. There's this great website that offers tactical police accessories and equipment for those aspiring (and training) to be policemen. At 5.11 one can find a wide variety of tactical items that you can use, and because they have a huge inventory of their items, they can easily sip your items out in less than 24 hours! No need to wait too long to receive your purchase! Try it now, you may find the tactical gear you've been looking for.

Bar Stools for the Home

Like everyone else in this galaxy, I dream of becoming rich. I know it may not come true in the near future, but I would still like to think that one day I can own stuff i may not necessarily need, such as bar stools. I found a great site that does sell the item online. A bar stool would look great in an entertainment room of a large house. The site offers bar stools from the best manufacturers at discounted prices. There is a wide variety of bar stools to cater to different tastes: from wooden, metal, aluminum and combo metal and wood stools. Their best sellers so far are the retro style swivel metal bar stool, wood bar stool, and the Westminster swivel bar stool, which are really great pieces with affordable pricing. Moreover, the site offers free shipping to the US Continental sales for all orders amounting to more than $500. That's a great deal since the stools are rather bulky and quite expensive to ship via courier. Its a great way to buy, whether its something to decorate the home or to use in a your new business venture. They could serve as great conversation starters with your guests. Do scan their offerings, who knows, you may find the great furniture piece you've been looking for in this site.

Going to Australia

I've always been fascinated by Australia. Given the opportunity, I'd surely love to visit the place and be aware of their great places and rich culture. Just a few days ago one of the event organizers made a pitch on the kick-off a department is planning in Australia, and my interest in Australian culture was renewed yet again. I'd like to learn them firsthand, honestly. There are lot of hotels in Brisbane that one can stay in during their first visit. With varying rates, amenities, and offers, going to Australia need not be expensive. It all actually depends on one's interests, what makes for a good hotel.



Adelaide is known as the city of churches. Being a Catholic I've always been so fond at visiting old churches and knowing that there are still a lot of us that share the faith. Oh, I'd so love to go to Australia. I sure wish I'd know someone who can finance me going there!!!!

Hotels in UK

Been a while since I last posted. We're on a three-day holiday this week what with the barangay elections this coming monday, so I was more busy being mommy and wife. hehehe... got a call from my father-in-law though last night, inquiring about some credit card bill of my sis-in-law who happens to be in the UK already. I miss her. Of all of my hubby's siblings, I could say she was the one I'm closest too, and I'd say my hubby is also closest to her. But since we got married they've spent less time together and well, less stories and all. I wish I could visit her in the UK. There's this site the offers cheaper hotels in the UK and it would surely be a good way to visit. I know hotels in Edinburgh can be expensive. There are lots of hotels to choose from with varying stars and rates, depending on one's budget. There are also hotel reviews for some. Surely a great way to get some info considering its hard to make oculars with the distance. hehe..... A promise to myself: if I when I get enough moolah to visit my sis-in-law, this is a consideration for booking my hotel.

getting our own house?

a few days ago hubby and i had a discussion on our plans to purchase our own house. to this effect, i remind myself that hubby and i have the same conditions to purchasing our own. For one, its not just about buying one, its important to us that the place is at least accessible, that its a house (definitely not a condo), with a parking space. I'd rather wait for a year or two more than scramble to get a place say, in Sta Maria, Bulacan, hundreds of kilometers from our workplace. I cannot imagine myself having to wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning to dress up and get home 8 or 9 in the evening because of the 2 hours travel time. NO WAY! My sister in law, who's in UK right now, is also renting an apartment with her hubby. I wonder how expensive Mortgages UK are? I mean, I know for some fact that the cost of living there is quite high. That would me mortgages may be quite high as well. Probably why they do not yet consider having a baby, at least till next year, because they need to plan there future there first if they do intend to stay there. If so, they'd be needing a good financial advisor when they do finally decide to get their own house.

more new opps

i now suddenly have more opps available from me.... for some reason... so now I get to thinking: is it because of my blog rating or simply because there are new available opportunities for me. hahaha... oddly enough, at least that makes me happy. it make me think that I have a better change of earning at this part time work than I would at any other I may venture into, since at this stage, I'm so busy with other stuff that the flexibility of making blog posts is really the only thing I could probably squeeze into my schedule.
thanks, Lord, for this opportunity (or for the opportunities, i should say)

Theme Park Adventures

In my lifetime, I've only been to one Theme park twice. That is not much, considering I'm 28 years old and counting. Of course, I've been dreaming of going to Theme Parks someday, and feeling like a kid all over again. One of the places I'd like to see is Blackpool, UK's oldest theme park.



It would be fun to try out the Pepsi Max Big One, Infusion, and Big Dipper and enjoy the day, leaving behind all worries and just acting like a kiddo. I mean, I've been to a similar (small) amusement park here in the Philippines and its really fun, but I'd especially like to see one that's bigger and to put it simply, more amusing!

smorty scores

funny, i now blog at smorty and I am actually clueless on the smorty score ratings I get. Hmmm... Its surreal, one minute I remember I was at 500+ and the next minute at the 400+ score. That's weird. Actually the only explanation I can muster at this point is that perhaps, the score is averaged to the number of posts, including approved and pending posts. Hmmmm... Anyone care to enlighten me, please do!

Review of Best in Class Casino

Several times already, I've seen online casino websites when I'm in the mood to do some surfing. I find it really interesting, though right now the possibility of trying it out hasn't occurred to me yet. Then I saw this site that did a reviews of an online casino, and my curiosity heightened. Its cool because it doesn't only list the casinos based on the perspective of whoever does the review, it also includes ratings from the gamers themselves. In addition, max bonuses are also indicated, which gives us curious webbies a chance to weigh out the options before diving into the game. Hmmm... I know this is somewhat becoming a trend in our country as well, I sometimes see establishments with online casinos. Well, at this point I still haven't decided if I will try it out in the near future, but I'd surely keep in mind this website where I can do some planning - before I try out my luck.

Dubai opportunities

A few months back, just as I returned to work from my maternity leave, the first big news that went my way was my colleague who resigned to work in Dubai. She jot the job through the internet. You know, technology has come a long way in bridging whatever location gaps existed before. Now for instance flights to Dubai are easier to book, and it is so much easier to find cheap Middle East flights now that there is easy access on the internet. Life is so much easier, as it is complex, but then, I won't trade it for anything less.

still few opps

Its been several weeks already and there aren't any available opportunities for blogging. I have memberships to several paid posting sites but so far, all of them are in their lean season. just when paypal has started to remit to the philippines and I'm more attracted to blog! howell.... i guess one has to be awake till the wee hours of the night to be able to grab some opps!

Booking via the Net

I’m currently part of a cross-functional team in the office that would handle the upcoming Sales Kick-off 2008 for one of the business units. And boy, are they a lucky group because they will be having this Kick-off, guess where? Australia! Yep, they’ll be going to Sydney, Australia February of next year on a business trip. Though I’ll be part of the team selecting the Event organizer for their program, unfortunately, I won’t be joining them. Everyone is excited. They are already contacting the Travel Agency to look for rates for the hotels and plane tickets, since we’re talking about 160+ individuals who will be part of the trip. Hotel Reservations will be quite difficult especially if it will be a peak season (might be Chinese New Year), and they will also reserve function rooms in the same hotel. Good thing there’s the internet, and one good sight to look at when booking hotels is this one, Hotel Reservations can become a breeze with their wide portfolio of hotels and reasonable prices.



They offer great discounts on their world-wide destinations. That's more money left on your pockets to spend on the trip. Its also a great way to explore possible places to visit the next time. You may not have immediate plans at this point, but looking at the site will give you something to look forward to and plan for. Just what a person needs when they are feeling down or stressed over the many things they experience day by day.

Personally, how I wish I had the funds to go to Europe! Its such a romantic place, definitely worth the money. Well, its a lot to save for since its and expensive trip, but then with all the nice places to see its definitely a different experience. The culture will be so much different, so its really something new for us. Hmmm. ... who knows, I might be relocated to Europe someday, then I'd have hotel reservations to look forward to as well!

no opportunities

there are no open opportunities for me in Payperpost for several days now, it so sad. Especially now that I'm only 1 post away from being able to get put up another blog. I'm also hoping I can get better rankings so I can get new and better opps. hay.

Getting more out of your international calls

A few years ago when there were no webcams and cellular phones people spent a lot on placing overseas calls to their loved ones who work in other countries. To bring people together these overseas contract workers would buy those phone card international that turns out cheaper than the usual landline overseas calls. They would usually buy an several minutes worth of the call card that allows them to catch up with their loved ones. With the advent of internet and other calling facilities, there are more ways to communicate, but this doesn't take away the more trusted modes of communication: international calling cards. Now there are inviting offers one can find online, such as Pingo's low rates.

For instance, one can get over $8 worth in calls when they sign up for Pingo! That's almost 5 hours of free international calls. If the reader signs up and uses the code "ppp3", they can even get $3 off on their Pingo purchase! What's more, when you join Pingo's affiliate program, you can get $15 for each new member you refer! That's a lot more than what you can ask for in an international phone card. Do check it out. In this day and age, any savings is worth a lot! Take it from me.

Bedding for Kids

One of my plans for the coming holiday season is to buy some of the stuff I wasn't able to buy since last year. For one, I'd like to buy us additional beddings. I'd also like to buy some childrens bedding for my daughter. I know I won't be able to use it yet till my little Jessica has her own bed, but I find that I like some of the designs I see on the net, such as this one:

Sometimes its really hard to find nice, simple designs when looking around malls. I find the one on top really cool, I can use it and even my daughter can use it. I'd really like to buy the whole set! If I get enough credits on Paypal I'd give this as a gift to myself for Christmas.

so busy at work

I'm just so busy at work sometimes I think I should have just gotten a clerical work that would be finished on a day-to-day basis. A clerical type of work, if I may. Of course, I only think of this on days when I feel so tired after a hard day's work. At the end of the day I still like the work I do, where most of the time I feel empowered by what I do and the decisions I make. I guess everyone gets their stress levels up often. I still manage to get home quite early than others do, and I guess this goes with my belief that I still work quite efficiently. Well, I have quite a few pending projects I need to work on, but still, I believe I'm doing fine, and have adjusted quite well to my comeback after my long maternity leave. :-)

when in need of cash

Short of saying that I'm a middle-class, working, struggling career-woman, who has gained her confidence from the years of hard work, when it comes to finances, I still haven't learned. As such, I'm one of those people whose financial capacity goes only as far as the next payday. I'm not saying I'm not happy with my life and with where I am today, but I've made some pretty stupid decisions in the past that I'm hoping to correct within the next two years. Several times,to remedy such cash shortages when payday seems too far away, i'd go get a cash advance from one of my credit cards. Personally I haven't tried doing any payday loans, and I hope I won't have to resort to it in the near future, but they are still a good source of cash whenever there are emergencies at home. Well, saving for it is better, but assuming there isn't any, this is an option.

i have one of my own

paypal works! hah!!!! i was just able to subscribe to my own domain. wow... isn't that cool? I've actually gone out and used my well-earned dollars by buying myself my own domain. actually, its supposed to make me go out and blog more so I can earn on the side. and hopefully this domain isn't as banned as blogsite in the office, perhaps i can work there too. teehee... just wishing! anyways, come visit me at jenn's corner, my blog is as simple as simple gets, but don't blame me, its new anyway! I'll work on it in the next few days... set up my own template and so forth.... see you there!!!!

Selling on the net

Internet transactions are fast becoming a new trend in the global marketplace. Being a procurement professional, I admire how a lot of my suppliers are crossing borders to get the items we need in our company. Personally, I would like to be more involved as well, and one of the things I like about using the internet is its ability to make life easier for all of us. Take for instance, how we now have a shopping cart in websites that sell items -- be it material stuff or services or simply intangible goods. Now we don't need to go through long queues in markets, shops, department stores, etc to get what we need. Life is so much easier. Selling is much easier to. I just recently bought a domain name and I'm thinking of using it as a blog or as a place to sell some items. But I still don't know what. I intend to use a shopping cart software such as this one so purchasing from my goods would be easier. Timetable: put up the site this year. Yikes, that's a mere 2 months to go. Aha! Gotta start planning already. I'll be back with ideas on what to sell... soon.

long weekend

yey! tomorrow's a holiday and its going to be a long weekend. well, not so much for me, but still its a day without work and i'm happy. tomorrow hubby and i are set to go out and get the car checked, apparently hubby thinks something is wrong with the car because all of a sudden the steering wheel is wiggling/shaking a bit. hope its not something serious. i was planning on a long day with jessica but i guess it'd have to wait because we'd be needing the car on Saturday for my sister's wedding. wow! its quite hard to believe that by saturday all my sisters will have been married, and our parents are now through of their responsibilities. my sister will still live at home with my parents but then its still different. i hope my parents will be happy this weekend. now they can rest a bit.
hmmmm.... what else to write? paypal is now in the philippines so i am renewed a bit to blog knowing i'd have to earn some, my hubby's getting to like a lot of remote cars and a paypal account may come in handy. hehe.... now i have to build up my own domain name in time to put up a second blog.... i just hope i'd get the willpower and the spirit to start again with blog design. :-p to do... to do.... to do....

New Blogger at Smorty

I got approves at Smorty! Yey! I've been meaning to more actively work on my paid blogging because of the additional income it will generate and thankfully I got approved with Smorty! Similar to other posting opportunities, I get paid to blog, something I believe that I'm quite interested in. Ok, so I don't blog like, 24 hours a day, but I do get to have some time off from my career and being a mom that I'm sure, I can at least squeeze in some time writing my thoughts down, and at the same time earning from it. In an environment where survival is the key, having some other income potential is really a must, and thankfully, after a few tries, I've found some work that I can do at my own time and at my own pace, not sacrificing my sanity as well as my time for family. The to me is the most important, non-negotiable deal.

christmas wishlist

its already mid october and it might be high time to look at my christmas list for presents for my family and closest friends. i think this year i'd better start early because i don't want to be stuck in the christmas rush. I'm already thinking of everyone I need to give presents to, and the list may be a bit long. Online purchases are becoming a trend so I may try it out this year too.
Couponchief.com is quite a good site, makes me feel like i got me a present too! And it has a lot of member stores to choose from. Like if I wanna buy some sports gear for hubby or hubby I can use Adidas coupons , or maybe computer accessories using
Dell Small Business coupons for my dad or brother-in-law. There are really a lot of possibilities and, and I could just as soon write out the rest of my wishlist from here. I'd better start it next week.... think-think-think!

power dressing

a few days ago we received a reminder from our boss regarding our work attire, which has someone turned a little less formal over the past few months. the memo made me realize that over the past few months, I've actually lost interest in dressing up after i went back to work. when I was preggy I invested a lot on branded clothes and after i gave birth, i invested on the stuff for the baby rather than on myself. so last saturday hubby and i went to divisoria's 168 mall to buy me some blouses for the office. I got to buy 6 blouses that are ok for work, and then sunday we went to megamall to buy some from tomato, and I got three, so basically, i have 9 new tops (plus a pair of shoes....) on my wardrobe. Did i also tell you my shoes (around 4 pairs!) conked out on my in a span of a month. Grrrr!!!! I need to buy 2 more shoes but it might have to wait till next month.
whew! the problems working women experience!

storage cabinets for keeps

When we moved into our 2-BR apartment from the one-bedroom one, we realized we simply had so much stuff, even though we've been a family for a mere two years. we actually swore that we won't move to a a new place unless its our own, because it would be too difficult to have all the stuff placed onto a truck (or two). with all the stuff of jessica now part of our inventory, its become more difficult. and when we do move to another house, one of our requirements is a garage for the car. With that, I'd loce to have garage storage cabinets to put in all the stuff that doesn't need to be inside the house. It would make the house look organized and neat. And later on I can go back to those stuff and remove the stuff I won't be needing anymore, like make a garage sale of the stuff we accumulate and ever earn from it later on.

baby shower pics

grimi just uploaded our baby shower pics (after several months) and i just wanted to share (actually i wanted to see again how big i was during my 9th month! hahaha....

my bestest mba friends

kumare fran - mom to joaquin, ninang to jessica

cute backdrop!

opening gifts!

never too old

its never too old to love.... never too old to find that someone for you. it may seem odd to think about older people wanting to find someone for them, but here's some news: there really is a website for senior singles to meet other singles their age! the site has featured seniors introducing a member of the group who's lookin' for love, fresh profiles of their members to browse through, and a search page where one can narrow down on their "types" for easier uhhh... sorting. senior dating made so much easier, if I could say so myself. its really more of a community for the older generation to meet and possibly to find the person they intend to spend (the rest) of their life with.

my updates

i haven't blogged for the past few weeks, yay! blame it on stress!!!! i am literally drowning in work!!! I'd like to think I'm quite well adjusted already to work since I came back from my ML, but work just remains to be a lot, well... right up to here (*think neck-deep*). hay.... i wanted to do a lot of stuff but i guess it'll have to wait till i get back my rhythm. i get enough rest naman, but every so often i feel that work gets on my nerves. whew. weekends are just as busy, though i'm happy that we get to spend it as a family. We go out to malls, visit grandparents (both sides) and we go to mass (me and jessica).
by the way, jessica's started to eat solid foods --- well, basically cerelac and banana and apple. she's only 4 months so i'm in no rush to introduce her to too much variety. figured i'll have more time for that when she gets to 6 months. i don't want to force her tummy to absorb so much anyway, i don't want her to get prone to allergies...
in line with her eating, we got her a walker.... well, right now it serves just as a seat for her since she's not yet learning how to walk. we don't let her on the stroller lately because she already kicks, and there's the danger of her falling down. the walker we bought only for 900! haha.... its originally priced at 1600 but it was on 25% off, then another 25% off on top of that because of two missing toys (which is really of no relevance to the purpose of the walker). so i think its a good buy considering its something we'll quit using anyway when she outgrows it (like now with the stroller)... at least she likes to sit on it, watch tv, push buttons and hear sounds.... so cute!
here she is at 4 months, getting prettier every day!

solid food! yummy!
me in my sports car

watcha lookin at??!

poot poot!!!!