Bye Bye Milk, Hello Work

I'm still awake people. I just finished putting the little girl to bed and now slowly catching up on my deliverables. I had a bit of a small victory tonight because Sandy was able to fall asleep without nursing. When I saw her fidgeting, I asked if she wanted to nurse. She said no and took my hand instead so I can embrace her. After a couple of minutes of no movement, I decided to check if she's sleeping or just playing with me. I didn't want to disturb her just in case she miraculously fell asleep on her own. And she is! My now big baby girl is sleeping peacefully while clutching my right arm. Halleluiah!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Please, please, please. I've been waiting for this for such a long time. Just give me this and I won't ask for anything more.

Well, a house and a new car won't hurt.

On photos and time

Yey! The husband is now updating his blog, finally.

Check out these photos, all taken by him from our weekend at Serendra.





The little girl had so much fun running around the grassy area. She's really not a baby anymore (bittersweet tears). Soon she will go to school, then College then walk down the aisle. Wahhh! What has gotten into me? I NEED to stop time!

My blog's non-existent pagerank

Any idea when the next PR update will be? I am so excited to find out if my blogs' (this and my main one) Page Ranks went up. I'm not shooting for the moon, just a PR1 for my http://myblog.joyreyes.com blog and a PR3 for my blogspot is enough. That would probably give me at least 2 opps per blog a day.

New Safety Programs at Capella University

Capella University, an online university based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, introduced new graduate and undergraduate programs, including a new Bachelor of Science in Public Safety program, last May. The programs launched by the elearning institution were:

-Special Education Leadership specialization (as part of its PhD in Education program)
-Master of Science in Psychology specializations in Leadership Coaching Psychology; Organizational Leader Development; and Evaluation, Research, and Measurement
-Bachelor of Science in Public Safety (Capella University offers BS, MS, and PhD programs in public safety)
-Two BS in Information Technology specializations, one in Software Architecture and one in Health Informatics
-BS in Business, Project Management specialization (This is the fourth project management specialization offered by Capella, allowing students at both undergraduate and graduate levels to choose either a business or IT project management focus.)

Capella is now accepting enrollment applications for all of these programs. For more information, please call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552) option 3, or e-mail info@capella.edu.

Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), ncahlc.org.

Bums

We were supposed to visit Sandy's pedia today. Apparently her pedia forgot to give her BCG so she still doesn't have one now that she's 22 months old. Good thing I remember all the shots that was given to her. Anyway, we're too tired to go out today so we just canceled the visit. We're just hanging out, watching DVDs and eating super chips with the husband's homemade dip.

The beach

I ignored the bad reviews and booked the Superior Garden Room for three nights at Bohol Beach Club. I'm so excited already! I can't wait to shop for Sandy's swimwear and aqua socks. I hope she'll love the beach this time. Just look at these photos!







All of them were taken from Louis' photoblog.

Free mac games

Are you looking for free games & softwares for your Mac? Then head over to macgamesandmore.com for an extensive list of both shareware and freeware Mac games.

Can't get enough of solitaire? Download the Mac solitaire for free. There are so many mac games to choose from - mahjong, football, frozen bubble, gomoku and more. Their website also offers downloadable desktop icons and other software developed especially for Mac users.

Mac Games and More aims to support the work and creative minds of shareware and game developers for Mac products. Even if you're a PC user, you can still browse the site to learn more about Mac or help you make decision just in case you're planning on switching.

Picky or Bored

The little girl didn't eat much today. I can't blame her, really. She's probably tired of her food, which is almost the same every three days. It's hard to plan a menu for a toddler especially if your choices are limited. We tried to feed her mushroom soup today because she usually loves soup. When she tasted it, she said "no more" which means she didn't like the taste. So I gave her meatballs, which she ate grudgingly (she must be hungry). I tried to sneak in some soup every now and then but she kept on saying, "football only, no more mushroom". Isn't that funny? I tried to keep a straight face so she wouldn't think that it's okay to be picky but it's so hard. She's such a joy to talk to. Anyway, to cut the story short, we stopped eating after finishing two big meatballs. I know it's not enough for someone who's used to eating bread, banana, mango and cupcakes for breakfast.

Bye Movie Nights

I dreamed of our very own home theater last night. I've been missing out on a lot of good movies lately so I think it was my sub-conscious telling me to go to the movie theaters. I just don't feel like going out if Sandy can't come with us. Imagine hubby and I having fun outside while the little girl is left playing with her nannies. And she loves going to the mall that before we go to sleep, after saying "Goodnight Papa Jesus", she will say, "Let's go to the mall tomorrow". However, I don't think we can make her stay on her seat if we take her to the movies. Which is why the more that I think about it, the more I believe that we need to have a home theater. Hah, dream on.

What to do

I saw some negative posts/reviews today about the resort that I'm planning to book. It's making me think twice if the money is worth it. I mean, $90 a night is not cheap for us. This is hard earned money and we can't waste it on smelly old rooms with ants and mosquitoes (as reported by several tourists who went there). Plus, we have a baby with us. Well, she'll be two years old that time but you know what I mean. Some posts are nothing but praises for the resort but there are two or three who swore that they will never come back.

Online Shopping Once More

A woman can never have enough shopping coupons. That's what I tell myself these days after noticing my addiction to discount coupons. Who can blame me right? Money doesn't fall from trees so a mother's gotta do what she has to in order to save.

Now that I have finished defending myself, let's talk about ecouponcodes.com. It's one of my favorite discount coupon sites because they add new coupons daily. They have an extensive list of merchants that you can browse through either by category or by store. Just check out their category listing to see that there's something for everybody.

Of course, I always head straight to the babies category and what do you know? I found about four The Children's Place coupons that I can use for my little girl. After my recent shopping spree for Sandy, I know I shouldn't buy more stuff for her. But who can resist these outfits:




Aren't they just adorable?

I'm also planning to purchase a portable USB storage so I'll search the Computer Accessories for some promo codes later. I just need my husband's go ahead first before I start planning all these purchases again. He'll probably agree if I tell him that we can buy a new camera lens using discount coupons, of course. ;)

A Trip. Finally.

Arghh, I'm so tired. My whole body is aching. I got about a million stuff to do at work and tons of freelance design projects. I'm getting lucky with design projects these days. I actually earned enough for our Bohol Trip this coming November. In fact, I just booked our two-way tickets to Tagbilaran. I loved how the e-ticket said, "Ms. Sophia Andrea Reyes". I'm so excited for this trip. It's gonna be the little girl's first plane ride :) I wonder if we can survive without a yaya for four days? That would probably mean no island hopping and snorkeling for us but that's alright. I just hope the rooms at Bohol Beach Club are clean and not smelly!

Dental Care

If you're a frequent visitor of my blogs, you will see that I rarely smile on my online photos. I'm not crazy about my teeth and how they look. Even when I was a kid, I often find myself hiding my teeth whenever I need to smile for the camera. I wouldn't mind getting a new smile designed by Dr. David Landau and Dr. Tim Collins at Complete Dental Health. These doctors are updated on all of the advances in the dental field. They offer the latest and greatest in dental care, just see the offerings below:
*Zoom whitening
* Invisalign invisible braces
* Porcelain veneers
* Dental implants
* Bonding
* Porcelain crowns, onlays and inlays
* Recontouring

I checked their galleries and was very impressed on their before and after pictures. I know I can definitely benefit from San Diego invisalign procedure. Their services do change lives by making people more confident about themselves.

This morning

It's hard to wake up this morning. Sandy nursed like a baby the whole night. I know she was trying to put herself to sleep whenever she wakes up in the middle of the night. However, it's been really hot lately that it's just very uncomfortable even with the aircon on. I can see her toss and turn, trying to find a comfortable position but just can't. So what do I do? I offer my breast and she falls asleep in seconds.

I love sleeping beside her, I really do. I just can't wait for the time to come that I can sleep without someone nudging me every now and then.

Online Bookstore Coupons

I was browsing for some books when I came across webbyplanet.com, a website that offers the latest discount deals and coupon codes. I know I just finished my shopping quota last week but it doesn't mean I can't shop online! I've been meaning to treat myself to some inexpensive stuff and was happy to find a coupon for my favorite online bookstore, Barnes and Noble. Webbyplanet.com's free coupons are now my favorite shopping company because of the huge amount that I save everytime I use them.

New phrases

Sandy has learned to question things and it's driving me insane. I find it cute yes, but 30 "what's that mommy?" in 10 minutes is too much even for me. What's hard is when I don't even know the answer. For example, we were watching TV and she kept on asking who the person was. I didn't know who it was and I'm so tired and sleepy so all I say is she's a person. So now, she refers to people on TV as "a person".

It still doesn't cease to amaze me how she can talk in sentences now. While we were lying on the bed, I told her to suck on her old pacifier just for fun. She did and after a while, she pushed the pacifier towards my mouth. Instinctively, I closed my mouth to stop the monstrous, saliva-covered pacifier from entering. She then said, "Mommy? open your mouth." in a no-nonsense tone.

What a funny little girl.

Online IT Community

I've been working for over 7 years in the IT industry. Which means that whatever it is that I learned from school, was already seven years outdated. Every year, fresh graduates are getting out of school armed with the latest technology, if not experience. In order to keep abreast with the latest technologies, I have to be diligent in updating my skills whether through formal training or self-study. Online IT communities such as DiscussWeb.com are a great place to learn about new things or just upgrade your technical knowledge. DiscussWeb.com is an online technology and technical support community filled with technology experts. They love nothing more than to discuss several technologies like web development, software programming, quality assurance, website marketing, server management and search engine optimization.

As a web designer, it is critical to be updated with the latest design trends. I recently just started converting all my table codes to CSS/XHTML and I find that I still have so much stuff to learn. DiscussWeb has over 110 threads on HTML, CSS and JavaScript alone and this helped me a lot to get started. I also find myself checking out the Google threads to see if I can learn new tricks on improving my blog's PR. There's also a thread dedicated to classifieds so you can sell your website templates and scripts or avail someone's technical service.

Isn't she a darling

Sandy looked like a boy when she was a baby. Look at her now! She has grown up so fast and if I may so, is getting more beautiful everyday.



I love this shot because her legs just look so cute with those boots. Sadly, they don't fit her anymore. Her two pairs of boots from Zara are now stored on our shoe cabinet waiting to be worn by another little girl.

Hockey's Future

If you are an avid follower of hockey, hockeysfuture.com is the website for you. Hockey's Future was originally established as a 1-2 man staff covering many top young hockey prospects of tomorrow. Now, it consists of over 50-100 writers whose main goal is to keep the Hockey's Future site very informative and filled with great resources. The site features an extensive list of top NHL prospects, NHL hockey draft picks, NHL organization rankings and up-to-date newsroom section. The HF Boards tackles everything from prospects, business and history of hockey, trade rumors and fantasy talk. You can even listen to the latest ice hockey news via HF Radio or view their HF Podcast.

The site's readership is growing bigger everyday with 78% being male and under 18-44 age bracket. 81% of them are earning more than $35,000 per year, which makes the site a haven for advertisers.

Shopping Galore

We went shopping with the little girl last Sunday. Bought her three new outfits and two pairs of shoes - gold sandals from tarte tatin and light purple crocs. I had so much fun buying stuff for her because I only get to do it every three months or so. We try as much as we can not to splurge on her stuff anymore because she rarely uses them and she outgrows them easily. Sandy wasn't interested on shopping though. All she wants to do is run around the whole floor of Rustan's children's department. She doesn't walk anymore, she runs.

All your moving needs in one website

Planning your next move? Check out Relocation.com for their extensive list of local movers and interstate movers. Relocation.com only conducts business with licensed and insured moving companies so you can be assured that you're dealing with the pros. To find a moving company, simply fill out the zip code where you're moving from, the state you're moving to and the size of the move. You will be able to compare rates from multiple quotes from different moving companies to help you make your decision.

Relocation.com also offers several moving guides to help you get started. They believe in preparing for the unexpected so they provided a variety of topics to help you better plan your move. Their detailed planning guide consists of what to do a couple of weeks before your big move, checklist on the move-in day, evaluation of home and communities and even organizing your own garage sale. Moving with teenagers and children can also be stressful especially if they refuse to accept the big change that's about to happen. Relocation.com's Moving with Family Guide can help you deal with your kids and how to help them survive this big ordeal. This guide tackles valuable information to make your move with your kids a more relaxed one from breaking the news to dealing with spouses.

Relocation.com can also help you with mortgages, apartment hunting, auto shipping and find international movers.

Drink Your Daily Vegetables

I love eating vegetables even when I was a kid. When I get married the first thing that my mother in law asked me is if I eat them, which is kind of weird. I found out later that her kids including hubby are picky eaters. My husband eats one serving a week compared to recommended five servings of veggies and fruits daily. And as much as I want to feed him healthy foods, we simply don't have time to cook.


The good news is that even though you are busy to eat the right amount of vegetables, you can still get nutrients by drinking My Daily Veggies. My Daily Veggies is a delicious blend of whole dried vegetables that can be mixed with water and drink, or mix into your favorite dishes to boost their nutritional value. A single packet contains two full servings of whole vegetables, as defined by the USDA. When you drink My Daily Veggies, you can get the same fiber, the same vitamins, the same minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients as real fresh vegetables.

My Daily Veggies is a high-end daily nutritional supplement produced by Lane Labs, LLC. Their website, drinkyourveggies.com, will give you a third box for free when you order 2 boxes of My Daily Veggies in the next 60 days. A packet in warm water can serve as a quick and satisfying snack especially if you're in a hurry and can't stop for lunch. It's a great alternative to turning your inadequate diet to a healthy one.

Computer overload

Here's an example of how messy my workstation have become. I have a Pentium IV desktop for my graphic and web designs, a Core 2 Duo laptop for daily computing and occasional digiscrap layouts and a back up Dell laptop for old projects. Add to that mess are my books, router, dsl modem, mouse, headphones, pens, card readers, two cellphones and chargers. I need to get rid some of these items soon. The back up laptop is a bit slow these days so I probably should put that away for the time being. It needs a memory upgrade and the price for a 1GB Dell Memory is about $100-$130. Not bad but definitely not a priority. What I really need is a slim USB HD with a 300GB capacity. Sigh, I wish I have extra cash lying around.

I wonder how much I can get by selling our junk?

Portraits

I've been a bit depressed because I can't post any of my photos online. Most of my shots include playing / just finished playing with Sandy so I look wild eyed, sweaty and tired. Good thing my friend Z took some photos of me on our dinner last Sunday. Now I can replace my one year old avatar lol.

On dating again

We recently had dinner with friends and one the hottest topic was getting hitched. My friend who has a long distance relationship for almost ten years is starting to get frustrated. Apparently her boyfriend asked her to wait for a couple more years before they make a definite plan about their future. She's tired of waiting and not getting any younger. I jokingly told her to join an online dating site to expand her choices. She laughed and said that she actually is a member of some popular dating sites. The conversation then moved to the coolest dating sites we've seen. I told them about this dating site, fitnessdates.com wherein you can find fit singles looking to find others who are just like them. It's an online dating community for sports and fitness enthusiasts. While other couples go out on a romantic dinner date, fitness dates can include jogging on the beach, a trail hiking adventure or explore the most beautiful underwater diving spots. Whether you're looking for romance or just a fitness partner, fitnessdates.com is a great start to meet someone.

These Days

Oh God I'm so sleepy and lazy. I need to design two web sites today and I can't even find the strength to load my Photoshop. I got tons of backlogs and I've been neglecting my real work. I really need a vacation very bad!

Innovative Learning

Many kids have forgotten the importance of learning. We can blame it on high technology gadgets and amazing video games that are available or simply because kids find studying boring. What we need is an innovative tutor who takes an active, hands-on approach to educating kids. SCORE! Educational Centers believe in making learning fun for the kids. If they are having fun, they will easily understand what they're studying which will gain them the confidence that they need to solve the problems. The tutors at SCORE! provide a customized learning experience, helping your kids get ahead and become better in school.

This post is sponsored by SCORE! Educational Centers

Wanted: Playmate

Our last weekend was pretty exhausting. We spent our whole Saturday celebrating my mom's 50th birthday in Sampaloc. My whole body is still aching up to this moment after chasing the little girl for 9 hours. Her cousin was there so they had a blast playing with Sandy's kitchen and running around the whole place nonstop. I just loved seeing Sandy run and jump and squeal with delight. She doesn't have playmates here at home, only yayas and adults so I guess her cousin was a revelation to her. Maybe we should schedule playdates so Sandy can have the interaction that she needs?

On Cleanliness

Hubby is very strict when it comes to cleaning our house. His mom is the same so I sure am lucky that he inherited his mom's penchant for cleanliness. There was this one time when my friends and I, together with our husbands went on a trip and booked several hotel rooms. We have been staying at the hotel for two days when they decided to go to our room. They laughed at us when they saw our hotel room's bathroom. It was so squeaky clean and looks as if the room hasn't been occupied yet. I went to theirs and wasn't surprised to see that their rooms were in total disarray. Board shorts and under unmentionables were scattered in the bathroom vanities. The towels and floors were wet and the soap dish is dripping with melted soap. To think we have room service at that time. Anyway, just like what I said, Sherwin and I are so meant for each other. We're both neat freaks though I tease him that he's already bordering on OC disorder.

New entertainment for the whole gang

My relatives in Las Pinas have a big house with five bedrooms. My cousin, who recently celebrated her 23rd birthday decided to move to the smaller bedroom upstairs so she can pretend that she's living on her own. She left her old and bigger bedroom unoccupied and my Uncle decided to turn it into an entertainment room. He bought a huge plasma TV, a home theater seating and a DVD collection to die for. It was a pretty cool setup and my brother even managed to convince him to put up a surround sound system. Now we'll find more reasons to come over.

Travel Photos

Just visited Friendster today and I got so engrossed viewing other people's profile that two hours had already passed. I enjoyed looking at my friends' travel photos. I laughed when I see four of them doing the same pose at the same place but at different dates. Apparently, Hongkong Disneyland is the hottest attraction these days. My friend from Floria disagrees though. She said nothing could beat Disney World. They are actually planning for a Kissimmee vacation before the year ends. They just moved there a year ago and she wanted to treat her little boys for behaving while she tries to manage their foreign household.

Catching Up

It's been so long since I've seen my friends that I'm not sure if they remember my face anymore. Last Sunday, we finally had a chance to meet up for my post-birthday celebration. It feels so good to get dressed and touch my make up again. We talked non-stop for 7 hours, trying to stretch the time just to catch up on each other's lives. We reminisced our college days, club hopping, bad relationships, old crushes and old rivals. We talked about our work, husbands, kids, dreams and fears. I really have forgotten how good it feels to talk to someone in person, lol.

Anyway, to cut the story short, we all had fun and promised to do it again soon. Here’s a layout that I made about that day.

Your one stop travel website

Looking for a perfect vacation but not sure where to go? Why don't you check out HotelReservations.com? They have various vacation packages from cheap hotels to online car rentals and flight reservations. They even have customized packages wherein you can specify your travel needs, desired location and number of people included on the trip.

For control freaks like me, they have a Destination Guide on their website which can help you plan your trip. You can easily get access to recommended attractions, restaurants, and accommodations. Just click on a country or city to learn about their culture, public holidays, outdoor activities, cost of living, information on crime and safety, entry requirements and many more.

At HotelReservations.com, there's always something for everyone. If you're a family looking for fun under the sun, there are several Beach hotels that you can choose from. Want a romantic getaway? Browse through their list of quaint and cozy bed and breakfast inns. Feeling lucky? Roll the dice or spin the wheel on any of their winning gaming destinations. For adventure seekers, you can search for road trips destination just by entering a zip code. What better way to spend quality time with family and friends?

HotelReservations.com offers more than 70,000 properties worldwide - from hotels to B&B's to condos to all-inclusive resorts. They can make your dream vacation come true while saving a lot of money. A Special Internet Rate Price Guarantee is in place to assure you that you are booking for the lowest rate. If you find a lower rate available for the same dates and same hotel, you can contact their sales department and they will either match the lower rate or cancel the reservation without a cancellation fee. This applies only if you have booked a prepaid reservation identified as a "Special Internet Rate".
So what are you waiting for? Head on to their web site and start planning your next vacation.

Two's

Two names you go by: Joy, Juyjuy
Two things you are wearing right now: Boardshorts, buttoned sleeveless top
Two things you want in a relationship: Honesty and respect
Two of your favorite things to do: Dream and draw
Two things you want very badly at this moment: Sleep, Travel
Two pets you have had: dog (Esprit) and a rabbit
Two people who will fill this out: Jane and Mich
Two things you did last night: Played with Sandy of course. Blogged as if there's no tomorrow.
Two people who live at your house: Sherwin and Sandy
Two things you ate today: Coffee and grilled cheese sandwich
Two people you talked to last: Sandy's Yaya and hubby (via YM)
Two things you are going to do tomorrow: Design a website for a new client, start doing tummy exercises (I hope)
Two longest car rides: Baguio (8 hrs). The other one was from Kalibo to Caticlan. It wasn't really long but it seemed like forever.
Two favorite holidays: Christmas and Birthdays
Two favorite drink: San Mig Light and all cocktails.

Counting Calories

Hubby and I love to check out (not necessarily buy) out of the ordinary products either on TV or the Internet. If you're like us, you can visit this shopping site called "It's A Bull's Eye" that features interesting products that you can purchase on the Internet. One of the items that they offer is a food calorie counter. It works exactly like a hand-held calculator, which can calculate the calories, fat, carbs on what you eat. It can also calculate the nutritional values on both home-cooked foods and fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Wendy's and others. This is very useful to those who wants to lose the extra pounds yet still enjoy their favorite restaurants. For more information, check out the "Easy Calorie Counter" page on ItsABullsEye.

We need rain!

It's freaking hot this afternoon. I'm sweating like a pig here in front of my computer. Good thing the little girl didn't wake up when the aircon's timer went off. I had to monitor our aircon usage because our electricity bill last month was Php10k. Hopefully, it will fall back to 7k to 8k this month because of the rainy season.

It's so hard to live comfortably these days!

Reading is FUN!

My friend recently enrolled her 4 year old daughter Molly to SCORE!'s Reading Program. Molly loves to read so her mother decided to take advantage of that fact and enrolled her to get ahead. She said that the reading tutors at SCORE! will motivate her child to read beyond her wildest expectations.

Perhaps I can find a similar program here for Sandy. She also loves to read and her day will not be complete unless she reads (or scan) all her favorite books. Just look at her library!

Bratty Brat

Just this afternoon

My 21 month old daughter showed me how good she is at using the word "Don't!"

Sandy didn't want us to brush her teeth so I half-pinned her lower body. She kicked me so hard that her yaya had to grip her feet.

Sandy: mommy! Don't touch sandy's feet!

While in the bath tub ...
Sandy: Don't remove sandy's panty!

While her yaya is drying her face ...
Sandy: Don't wipe Sandy's face! Please!

And when she doesn't like your voice, she will say, "Don't sing please!"

Hay, she's getting more stubborn each day.

The Bigger Picture

I was doing a research about a dating site that I need to review when I came across a bbw dating site. I wondered what it is so I decided to check out. Turned out that BBW stands for big, beautiful women! I loved their tagline, "Become Part of Something Bigger"! The membership is free and by joining, you will have access to tons of bbw singles. They only have a one-page registration so you can be online and searching in minutes. I saw several people who are looking for a long-term relationship but there are also members who are just looking for fun and friends. It's a nice site to find romance or just simply hang out to meet friends.

Happy Campers

Where do I start? It was a hectic weekend but it was okay because both my darlings were happy. Sandy played for the first time at Kids @ Work last Saturday, no photos to my utter dismay. She had so much fun even though she wasn't sure what she should do the first time. I had to admit I was alarmed by the fact that she was so hesitant to interact and do anything at all. We probably weren't exposing her enough to other people. She plays at home with yayas all the time. She didn't know how to climb the pool of balls, use the stairs, slide, etc. I guess she was waiting for mommy's, "sandy, no!". Luckily, her curiosity took hold and she was sliding and swimming and climbing the rails in no time. She was so high, lol. She wanted to talk to other kids, ask them what their eating or simply say hi but the other kids were not interested. Other mommies were also asking how old she is because she's already talking in sentences and the fact that she's so tall.

As for the husband, he finally bought his cue stick and a new pair of Gola sneakers. I know he's thrilled because it's been years since he had his own cue stick. He always gets disappointed whenever we're out with Sandy because he can't buy his stuff. He's a perfectionist so he needs about 1-2 hrs just to make sure that what he's buying is the real thing.

As for moi, I bought myself a nice doll blouse/dress for only Php500. Now that, really made my day ;)

Shabby Chic

I was watching a home makeover last night and fell in love instantly with the new furniture. The way they used family antiques and trendy pieces is so eclectic making it look so comfortable and chic at the same time. The decors and furniture reminded me so much of Mandy Moore's living room in her latest movie. So I searched the Internet and came across some Century furniture. Their collections are so beautiful and elegant and most of them are hand-distressed and hand-finished. Just take a look at these babies.




Don't you just love wicker furniture?

Online shopping once more

I don't consider myself a penny pincher (well, maybe I am) but I do hoard coupons whenever I can. What better way to save, right? My brother was able to buy his laptop online using a coupon for less than $200 and just last year, we saved about $165 when we bought our camera lenses using another coupon. I earned some extra cash this month so I'm now on my regular hunt for online bargains.

There's another online coupon store called jj9 that offers money saving coupons for all of the most popular stores on the web. The site is being updated daily with the latest coupons and product deals. It is also very easy to use. If I'm looking for a store or a category, all I have to do is enter my keyword in the big search box and voila!, the available coupons will be displayed for me to sort through. Or I can also just browse through the coupons by Brand from the left menu panel. Being the shopaholic mommy that I am, the first thing that I look for are stuff for babies and toddlers. And what do you know, they do have Babies R Us Coupons for toddler furniture and bathroom decors. I'll probably use those once I made up my mind on how I want to decorate Sandy's bedroom.

Hi, I'm Joy and I'm a blog addict.

81%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Mingle² - Online Dating

Oh, my Gawd! I am a Blog Addict!

Diamonds are Forever

One of the top executives in my office which is also a friend of mine recently proposed to his girlfriend. He really went all out with the diamond ring just to make the girl say yes. He then booked a package to Bahamas and on the second night while they were having dinner at a 5-star restaurant, he showed her the ring. Just like that, no questions, no profession of undying love. His girlfriend immediately said yes upon seeing it. And what's so sweet is they both cried at the same time!

If you're also planning to get hitched or just simply wants to impress your loved one, check out http://diamondsafe.com. They have a huge selection of high quality diamonds from earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches and of course, engagement rings.

It's your turn

It was so hard to wake up this morning. Maybe because Sandy has this habit of standing and pulling me up (at 5 to 6AM!) so I can rock her to sleep. I don’t know if she’s acting this way because of the new baby in the house. All she wants is to be carried and nurse whenever she sees her cousin. Which is why I try to avoid being in the same room with her cousin (when she’s nursing) because the little girl will ask for her dede too.

The good news is Sandy has been sleeping through the night for the past four days. Well, except this morning when she woke up at 6AM and saw that her Papa’s bed was empty. She wanted me to carry her and search for her Papa. I tried not to give in but she cried and wailed so hard until I got scared that she might throw up again. Her papa, half-dressed for work then entered the room and explained to her that he has to go to the office. Sandy replied, “How about Sandy?” in a tearful, sad, you’re-leaving-me voice. Hah! The little girl didn’t want to leave her Papa’s side. I smiled, because now I can rest while they argue, LOL.

Good luck man!

Me and Math

I've always loved Math. I get a certain high whenever I find a solution to a problem whether it's Algebra, Calculus or Trigonometry. That's why I chose Computer Engineering because the curriculum is loaded with Math subjects. Not everyone enjoys Math, though. My hubby, for one, is not crazy about it. I wonder if Sandy will love Math as much as I do. I believe Math can be fun once you learn to understand it. At SCORE!, there are several math programs designed to improve a child's problem solving skills. The math tutors will guide and help the kids develop the confidence that they need to understand the problem. Whether your kids need to catch up, keep up, or get ahead; SCORE!'s Math programs will definitely give them the advantage.

This post is sponsored by SCORE!

Want To Sing?

Here's a typical conversation between Sandy and me.

sandy: Mommy, want to sing Today?
me: sure, (sings) "today, while the blossom…"
sandy: moon river!
me: "moooon riveeeeeer…wider than a"
sandy: today!
me: (sighs) "todaaaaay, while the blossom…"
sandy: moon river mommy please


After a couple of minutes playing this game, she will settle in one song and will start to sing on her own “tudey, why the busom, stil clings tudabayn”. She knows the words, I tell you. It’s really amazing to hear her sing especially when she starts to hum Moon River. She can sing it up to the “rainbows bend” part.

She also loves the “Name that Tune” game wherein I hum the songs and she will guess it at the first or two notes by singing the words. She’s so good at this. The selections are Backyadigan theme, Mr. Sun, Butterfly song, Moon River, Today, Happy Birthday, Rock a bye baby, ABC, Jack & Jill, Twinkle twinkle and more. She’s also very creative. She replaces the words “baby” in the ‘rock a bye baby’ song with Papa, butterfly, mama, chloe, barney or whoever it is that she’s putting to sleep.

Last night, she wanted “Somewhere over the rainbow” so her Papa and I sang it to her until she fell asleep. This afternoon she already knows the words and singing “somewhere ober the rainbo, weyapay”.

What a funny little girl. And she’s only 21 months old!

For Huge Windows

Check out this vertical window blinds from blindschalet.com. It looks nice for big windows and sliding glass doors. Our future condo has a window that covers the ceiling and floor so this is definitely something that we will purchase. I specifically like this textured vinyl blinds with self-adjusting head rail and textured P.V.C. for the fabric look.



It reminds me so much of classy hotel room decors that I swore to copy once I get a chance to buy my own house. I just hope it’s easy to clean though.

Weekend Rest?

What a very tiring weekend we had.

Saturday: Went to UST for a baby wellness check up with Sandy’s cousin Chloe. It was chaotic, as always. Traffic, lots of people and the weather didn’t help at all. I should’ve listened to Sherwin when he said not to bring Sandy to her pedia anymore because it’s just going to be a check up. Sandy’s pedia didn’t check her, just looked and played with her for a bit. Her cousin Chloe had her 2nd shot though which reminded me of those days when Sandy was a weak and helpless baby. After UST, we dropped her Lola and Tito’s in my mom-in-law’s office so we can go to the mall. Sandy cried so hard because she thought they left her in the car with us (her parents!). I didn’t make a big deal out of her crying because I know she will have to stop eventually. Boy, I was wrong! She threw up instead. She had puke all over her body and all over the car. Sobrang kawawa itsura nya We decided to stop and clean her up in her Lola’s office. When Sandy saw the puke in her body, she said, “Hala, lagot!” in a trying to be brave voice. We didn’t have any spare clothes for her so we borrowed her cousin’s newborn cardigan and shorts. Good thing they’re big! We went to Glorietta with Sandy wearing a hanging cardigan and a very short shorts. We shopped for her clothes and then she fell asleep in my arms. Which is why I’m still aching up to now. My back and arms are so stiff as if I just finished working out for 2 hours.

Sunday
My date with my girlfriends didn’t push through and was re-scheduled next week. I’d probably be too tired to enjoy it anyway. We just spent the day at home watching tv with chips and pancit canton.

I told Sherwin I want to get away from it all, asap. I’m tired and frustrated with life’s drudgery that I have this need to start all over. We had this dream before we got married. That we would put up a house in Batanes and start our family there. No traffic, no crimes, lots of water, nice weather and folks. It was a far away dream back then, now it’s just plain out of the question.

To dream the impossible dream.