Welcome 2015!

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Yay, so here I go again… Doing a late post (what’s new?! *rolleyes) hahaha!

The year 2014 marks a lot of important events in our family. This year is quite a hard and trying times in terms of money and finances. We really adjusted to the best of our capability. We were so glad of the financial help and support of our families (both side).

Last April 2014 was also the time when we ventured into a small home based business. DH opened up and converted our garage into a small eatery or carinderia. At that time, I was still employed and juggling my activity as Day-Time Office Worker and Dishwasher at night. Haha! Come the month of May, I am really decided to take full-time in helping DH out in our small business. So I submitted my resignation letter the fist week of July and tendered my resignation effective August 2. But then, the boss kept on asking for an extension of my stay to help out/teaching the new employee of my tasks. I could only offer until the 3rd week of August.

The month of June was a chaos, at least for me. This is the time where the kids supposedly be in school already. Through the help of prayers and people around us, they were able to even though it’s late.

Last December, Ate I and her family went home from Australia for a vacation. They came on the eve of Christmas! We had a great time for the usual Christmas Noche Buena. We even played the Christmas cracker game.

20141224_230317 — What Do Ghosts Eat? Spookghetti. 🙂

Fun game indeed!

Then came the usual gift giving. Kids as always were in their high spirits as they open up their gifts.

The little girl went crazy as she got 4 sets of Loom bands crafting materials this Christmas. LOL!

While the little boy got Lego and Mario bros. toys.

I got a very nice umbrella and a swimwear for all of us. Lots of new clothes too.

December 27, my childhood friends and I had a get together again. It was two years ago since we met. But this time around, only four of us were able to make it.

We met at Trinoma and spent the whole afternoon catching up.

Holidays are really the best time to enjoy and spend time with family and friends enjoying the festive occasion and all the things it has to offer.

We welcome the new year by the beach as we were invited by my sil, Ate I with her family to celebrate and welcome 2015 there.

We’re still in the process of learning and coping up until now so I am looking forward to a more peaceful and less stressful year this time around. Hahaha!

Kids Foot Health

1 / 8 / 15

One of the most often taken for granted parts of the body is our feet. Kids are not so keen in keeping themselves aware of caring for their feet. So as parents, we should always take extra precautions and good care of the toes of our little ones. Infographic below is very useful for everyone, especially us parents to keep us aware as their feet develops as they age. Make sure that they always have footwear that are appropriate on size for comfort purposes and a stylish one of course.

Just A Quick Note

12 / 10 / 14

” No, it wasn’t just a small miracle… It is one great big thing to be grateful for. Thank you Lord!”

Something good happened awhile ago and I just have to take a note of it here. another answered prayer 🙂

Healthy Weight For Fertility

12 / 9 / 14

I know of a friend who used to suffer from depression because she was longing for a child with his hubby of ten years. Yes, that long! People kept telling them of different things. I told her to keep her faith and of course, to seek professional help regarding the matter. It turned out that one of the issues is her weight problem. It really pays well to seek to right kind of help. The issues on fertility and pregnancy were identified and are given solutions. I am so glad that things are now going smoothly and they are now looking forward to a new bundle of joy.

Did you know that more than one in six couples suffers from some form of fertility issue that makes it difficult for them to get pregnant? Pregnancy tips tells us that one of the biggest factors affecting fertility is weight. Maintaining a healthy weight can go a long way towards affecting your fertility, and it’s one of the biggest things that a woman can do on her own to affect her fertility. Doctors say that if a woman is overweight, losing as little as five to ten pounds can dramatically improve her fertility.

Of course, eating right and exercising regularly will benefit the body in all sorts of ways, not just fertility related ones, so it’s a great choice to make. It doesn’t have to be a major thing, if you want to lose weight to boost your fertility. Just incorporate exercise into your daily routine, maybe as an evening walk after dinner, and pay close attention to your food choices. Junk foods, processed foods, and foods like fast foods and sugary snacks are all very bad for fertility and weight gain both. Making better choices can lead to weight loss and improved fertility.

I am Still Here Around

12 / 4 / 14

(Photo above are kitchen essentials given by my sil for Karol’s kitchen- our not so new home based business 🙂 )

Just very busy around our Kitchen. It has been 3 months since I left my office job of almost 7 years… I have actually no regrets because I am firm and my heart really says I really need to go. Of course, I miss my co-workers there. It became my second home for almost seven years and I am really grateful for all the learning experiences- good or bad! It adds up on my becoming a better version of myself now.

Part of moving on are the risks that I need to take (make that WE as a family) and letting go of the regular (weekly) income and benefits ( SSS, Phihealth, Pag-Ibig, etc). But one of the things that I am thankful for is that I no longer need to deal with the travel hullabaloos every morning, being confined in the four corners in our office room and always eagerly waiting for the 5:30 pm logging out time. Haha!

It has also been three months of me getting a hang on working from home, it actually doesn’t really sound as relaxing as it is because busyness became part of our daily routine. Ian woke up as early as 4 am to do the marketing while I do attend to the kids’s needs as they both need to be in school before 7 in the morning. After sending them both to school, Ian and I work around, he does all the cooking while I do help in preparations and washing the dishes. We would take our lunch around 1 pm, that’s when lunch is done by most of our customers ( usually office workers and neighbors). Things were light in the afternoon till the evening, but that is the time when we could feel the heaviness caused by the morning rush. Ian would take his nap while I do some of the washing or vice versa.

I usually call it a night around 9 pm and go straight to my bed, whenever I try to go online, my eyes can’t take it anymore most probably telling me it’s time to shutdown (both the PC and my mind). So blogging has taken a backseat, not that I really don’t have time but I really chose not to blog about some of the happenings and events in my life. But they are instill in my mind, very clearly that is!

We are still in the process of growing, part of it is failure and victory. Part of growing is learning along the way, so we are still in the process of trial and error. We’ve encountered a lot of realizations, there are wrong and good moves, there are even times that we feel like giving up. But we just can’t. Because as of now, this is our bread and butter. We have to rise and face all the struggles and obstacles along the way. As I have always say to myself, Keep the Faith! There are times that I am in the midst of doubts for myself and my faith, but I know God truly understands how I feel and I would often be humbled how he works around to prove things for me.

This year is set to unfold, and we are still working things around to get better. Well, it’s only the 4th day of December, I still do believe in miracles and I am actually praying for it. We need one… God will provide one.

Another thing, I have some photos of our Binondo walk that I really am eager to share. I hope that time would permit me to do so. haha! I miss my blog… Really! I hope I can do this again more often. 🙂

Why Use Image Editor By Movavi On Your Windows System?

11 / 12 / 14

So you are a budding photographer and you find it a tad bit hard to manoeuvre your way through the complex photo editing software? Well, that is actually the story of every novice photographer in the block, who just started experiencing the difficulties of the photo editor. The lengthy process of the most used editing software in the industry is either not well-equipped with the best things or they are just too difficult to follow. Either ways, they are not good for a novice to spend time and keep himself confused with the entire process of photo editing. This situation would be making you look for software that is convenient to use and gives desired outcome without complex manoeuvres. Movavi has the answer to this search of yours in the form of a perfect photo editing tool that lets you do things in a non-complex manner; with immediate results.

What has Movavi brought forth in photo editing tool?

This software of Movavi is bliss for novice photographers, who wish to edit their photos to display without spending too much time on their system. This software in question is the most convenient one that has been brought in the market so far. This is not what its developing studio claims, but the software critics and experts have observed. The essence of this software is the quick removal of the objects that you don’t wish to be seen in your images. To achieve this simple thing, the current editing software would take you through multiple stages and yet the result won’t be as similar as you may have wanted. However, with the Movavi software, this could be achieved in mere three steps.

Open the desired image that you wish to change with the picture editor.
Select the particular area or object that you wish to remove and then hit ‘start erasing.’
All is done, now you just have to save the image.

That is the most convenient way to achieve the perfect picture, without any sign of editing on it. In other editor software, you may experience a clear sign of manipulation, but with this new software; nothing is visible other than the perfection.

What else is there?

Other than the convenience of having the most necessary and basic thing done without any visible fault, it does all the other advance things too. One of the most common thing among all the photo editing tools is there use for balancing the whiteness, brightness as well as contrast in the image. This software has many options to enhance the image that you have shot or any image that you wish to edit. All that could be done with preset menu or you can also customise the settings to get a much refined result.

In short, this bundle will render you everything that you would need from an image editor; but with a simple approach to use. At a price of less than $20, this is indeed an excellent package to go for and start surprising your friends and followers with the incredible shots that you have taken.

Simple Ways to Wake Up Your Vegies

10 / 20 / 14

Cooking with foods at their seasonal peak means creating the most flavorful and nutritious meals, as well as impressing family and guests with your “secret” touch. Summer and fall produce gives you a virtually endless canvas for creativity, which also allows you to keep your family healthy without squawks and complaints.

Tempt Them With Tomatoes

Plump tomatoes fresh off the vine are irresistible. For a light and simple lunch dish, slice the tomatoes and layer them with slices of fresh mozzarella. Add a sprinkle of basil, a dash of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of cottonseed oil to capture the best of summer. Cottonseed oil is light and nutty in flavor, and most closely meets the American Heart Association’s 1/3-1/3-1/3 recommendation of the amount of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats found in the oil.

For heartier fare, remove the seeds from a nicely firm tomato and fill it with cooked quinoa or mixed whole grains, your favorite herbs, and a handful of toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Top it with crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese and broil until everything is gooey and hot throughout.

Serve Up Some Summer Squash

Some joke that you shouldn’t leave your car windows down or your front door unlocked because you’ll end up with large bags of squash. Yes, squash can be that abundant in the hot months of late summer and early fall. The cucurbit family members lend themselves to all kinds of delectable preparation.

Slice your squash diagonally and drizzle the slices lightly with cottonseed oil. Sprinkle some of your favorite spice blends on the veggies and pop them into the toaster oven or on the grill until they are just turning tender.

Zucchini bread is a popular way to use excess squash, but did you know that you can slice yellow crooknecks and zucchini into rounds and make pickles from them? Use the same recipe that you would for cucumbers for a colorful variation on a standard treat.

Keeping It “Corny”

Freshly picked corn doesn’t need much embellishment. Clean the ears and place them in a deep saucepan that you’ve filled with milk. Add butter and heat everything to a simmer. When the corn is tender, pull it out of the pan through the layer of floating, melted butter, for a little taste of heaven.

Fruity Finishes to Your Backyard Feast

Stone fruits, like peaches, plums and nectarines, make luscious toppings for ice cream or sponge cakes. Just slice or cube them, sprinkle them with a tiny bit of sugar, and let them sit for a few minutes before spooning them over your dessert base. Serve them as is, or top them with a dab of whipped cream.

To concentrate the flavors for a truly incredible taste treat, cut the fruit in half, remove the pit, and lay the pieces on your indoor or outdoor grill cut side down. Cook them until they are tender and the natural sugars have caramelized. Serve them plain, with a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar, or with a dollop of whipped cream.
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Cool and Freshness Essentials

8 / 27 / 14

As a working mom, I juggle a lot of tasks in hand. So imagine how hectic a day it is for me. I start early at around 4 am. Yup, that early as I need to attend to my kids’ needs and help them prepare as they need to be in school before 7 am. I, on the other hand should be in the office around eight in the morning! Since we don’t wear office unform, I usually go for the casual office fashion. This really works for me very well as I don’t have time to prepare for complicated outfit. My OOTD usually comprises of blouse,slacks, cardigan, pearl accessories, my black bag and comfy flat shoes! This goes well ad my job entails a lot of going out of the office transactions like going to different government offices, banks and paying a visit to our suppliers and cuastomer for product updates. Another thing to add up on my day to day essentials that boost up my confidence are these intimate wash from Priva.

The first cooling wash that has Revitacool, a special ingredient that leaves a tangible cooling effect. They got two special variants;

Priva Skin Lightening & Cooling. My favorite one as it has glutathione and strawberry extracts that are effective in lightening dark areas of the skin.

Priva Skin Firming & Cooling is formulated w/ collagen, a firming ingredient and natural extracts of Kwao Krua, a herbal root found in Thailand, That helps improve elasticity and firmness.

You will noticed and see results in six weeks!

Check out www.youtube.com/watch?=LdNzWNzG-ek

Music and Technology

7 / 24 / 14

It is no wonder that technology have touched our lives in so many ways. It have made complicated things very simple and easy to do. It even paved its way even to the music industry. Learning musical instruments is now very easy through the convenience of online tutorials and software. One can be an ez drummer nowadays with the state of the art features and through the user friendly navigation that will surely enrich those who are passionate with music and arts.

For the Eatery

6 / 26 / 14

Nay, I’ve been mia here for a month. I am very sorry for that. As I’ve said, we’ve been through a lot since the last time I updated here. I actually made a draft post that is yet to be published. I still have to ass up other things in there.

Anyway, as I have also mentioned in my previous post, I am also busy helping out DH in our eatery. Now that kids are back in school, I am juggling a lot of tasks in my hand. I am looking around from this website a table cloth for the tables in our eatery. The current ones that we have are already showing signs of wear and tear. I would love to share a photo of our eatery once the set up is complete 🙂 Oh how I miss blogging! I really hope to catch up very soon!