Wife Duties

Thank God I turned off the sound of my YM alert. My husband has been instant messaging me for the last two hours and I'm too busy with my book to answer. Mostly it's about stuff that needs to be taken care of right away. Did I say I'm busy? I know I work from home but I deserve a break too you know! Anyway, I did take care of the online payments. It's just a matter of logging in and transferring funds. What I've been avoiding to do is calling our agent to get another car insurance quote. That and how he wanted me to relay to our cook how he wanted our meal prepared tonight. Like he doesn't have a phone to relay the message himself. I know I'm supposed to do this but being domestic isn't really in my blood. Maybe if I finish another chapter I might find time to answer him LOL.

Don't judge me! I'm not always like this. Just today.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 of the Best Meals You’ve Had

1. A McDonalds meal after our wedding reception. My husband and I took time to plan the menu but we weren't able to taste anything at all. AS soon as the party was over, we got dressed in the hotel, hailed a cab and headed straight to the nearest Mcdonalds. Best dinner ever.

2. My friend Chay's wedding. They have a dessert buffet that consists of various crepes, chocolate mousse type of dessert inside a small glass, choices of mini chocolate cheese cakes, ice cream, all kinds of fruit salads and many more. I believe I gained 20 lbs in one night bwahahaha.

3. Sonya's Bed and Breakfast. Great, healthy green salad, pasta and dip. Plus the ambiance was just amazing. No need to order Phentermine if I eat here everyday.

4. Cafe by the ruins. They don't update their menus but this small, quaint resto has a special place in my heart.

5. Homecooked meals by my mom. They just taste so much like home it makes me want to go back in time and be an irresponsible teenager again.

There's more but I can't remember them right now. I'll have to update this again later. ;)

The Hallows

I have a confession. I know I sad I'm going to stop shopping but I can't help it. I thought I'm fine with Sandy wearing her last year's costume. I had a change of heart when she seriously told me how she wanted to be Sleeping Beauty this year. She even told me what colors the dress should have, just in case I forget.

These are my choices online.

My mom saw me looking at these costumes and told me she can make something similar. That's even better I think. Because honestly, I don't think the costume will make it in two weeks if I order them online.

Happy Happy Day

And probably tiring as well. In a couple of hours, we'd be attending an EB (eyeball) party with my Twitter friends at a condotel in Makati. I prepared myself for this EB by not eating too much and taking care of my skin LOL. Good thing I never worry about acne.

I'm so excited because this is the first time that I'd get to see most of them. I wonder if they'd be as chatty in person? I haven't showed to my husband what we're gonna bring yet and I hope he won't get too shocked. Aside from a big bag containing Sandy's clothes and books, we have one huge plastic bag for gifts, another plastic bag for toys, a poker set, a Dora tent, one box of beer, 5 gallons of mineral water, 6 boxes of juice drinks and camera.

Saturday Social #28

Today's Saturday Social Question:

Are you doing anything for Halloween?

My Answer:
Every year, we try our best to attend every Trick or Treat events around Makati. This year, here are the events that I hope Sandy can attend:
1. Princess Ball at SM Makati
2. Rockwell Trick or Treat
3. Shangrila Trick or Treat
4. A small Halloween party in school
5. A half day event of trick or treating here in our village.



Here's the link to Saturday Social

Play House

I already shopped for Sandy's toys online. However, I'm still waiting for the last week of November so I can buy her a doll house from the Richwell Warehouse sale. I bought plenty of items for her last year and I only spent a little. So this year, I'm going to be more than prepared. It can get really crowded there if you arrive before lunch. Aside from the much awaited doll house, I'm hoping to find something like this there.



There were two last year but it was totally out of my budget plus we don't have a space for it. However, now that we're about to move houses early next year, I'm thinking we MIGHT have extra space. If I buy this one, I promised my husband I won't buy toys for one whole year. LOL.

SaaS Attack

I've been very busy for the past week thanks to my new work. I was introduced to a lot of new applications so I had to spend my afternoons studying them. One thing I realized is that companies rely more on SaaS (Software as a Service) now. It's definitely an advantage for me because I don't have to learn codes anymore. As much as I love manual coding, my programming skills are very limited. With the help of software like these, all I need to do is study how an application works and I can start doing my task whatever it is - migrating sites, server monitoring, cron jobs, etc.

The advantage here is companies need not pay extra costs on hardware, software, labor, security, maintenance, etc. And since you don't need a lot of people to handle a certain job, it also translates to work redundancy. And we all know what that means. In fact, I'd like to share two videos that's related to this issue. The creators were dissing Phase2, a known SaaS provider.

Call to Arms
Multi-Talented

Like it? Feel free to digg them below.
Digg Call to Arms
Digg Multi-Talented

Shopping Galore

If you're a frequent visitor of my other blogs, you'd know I've been shopping like crazy. Online shopping is so cheap. The only thing stopping me is the fact that my purchases might not fit in one box. In fact, aside from sharing a box with another online blogger, I managed to fill up one whole balikbayan box for myself. I bought plenty of rare books, cheap t-shirts for the husband, sale clothing for me and sandy and some footwear. When I say some, it means 5-8 items per person. LOL. The pricing online can be pretty misleading. You'd think you're safe because you're buying $4.99 - $6.99 items but if you total all of them, surprise! You can easily spend $500 in one seating. But I'm happy because I know everyone in the family, including some of my close friends will be thrilled with our gifts.

QOTW #35

1. Do you have a broad sense of humor?
Yes. I used to be the class clown, side by side with my gay best friend.

2. Is it possible to have a truth without an opinion?
No. You’d have to feel strongly about something to know that it’s the truth.

3. What amount of money would you shave your head for charity?
Err, sorry none. Does this make me a bad person? Unless it’s for something as big as putting all street children to school. And I mean all.

4. Do you find it easy to be totally honest with someone even though it might hurt their feelings?
Nope. I’ve always find it hard to tell someone they have a bad breath or body odor. LOL.

5. When people you know are laughing to themselves while reading, do you ask them to share what is funny?
Always! I’d love to hear anything funny all the time.

6. What stresses you out the most?
Too much work on a weekend.

7. Could you go one full day without speaking?
Never. When I was in Grade 1, my teacher asked my mom to come to school. It was because I shouted so loud while in the middle of a quiet session. I remembered we were asked to stay quiet in two hours. I couldn’t breathe because I wanted to talk so bad so I shouted.

8. Would you rather ask the question or answer it?
Both.

9. What is the one thing that always makes you smile?
Sandy. Gong Yoo. Books. I know you said one thing but I couldn’t stop at one.

10. Do you trust in love?
Of course.

Good Morning Monday

To start this week, I want to make sure that I finish all my tasks by posting a to-do list. All of this should be scratched off by Friday. If not, then I'll consider this another failed week.

1. Learn how to create email newsletter using the new software.
2. Ask Michael about the incoming email stats. Prepare a marketing plan on how to improve number of reads and clicks.
3. Make a quote for a new website that's similar to Ripoffreport.com
4. Two website mockups for an online trading site
5. Call new call agents for initial interview. Make sure to ask Operations for Skype username.

Happy Friday!

Leaving you this photo before I sign off.

Fab Scrubs

Want to look like Dr. Izzy Stevens while doing your rounds? You will love the peaches scrubs collection from the Scrubs and Beyond website. They have Katherine Heigl scrubs that will make you feel fabulous but comfortable at the same time. You can choose from the following fit - traditional, classic, modern, and trendy. There's no reason why you can't look your best just because you wear the same stuff everyday.

And if the peaches collection won't do, there are plenty more that you can choose from. The barco metro scrubs for one have featherweight cords, floral and paisley prints, mock-wrap tops, cargo scrub pants and many more styles that you'd never think you'll see in a scrub uniform.

If you prefer flared scrub pants, then dickies scrubs will be perfect for you. With boot-cut and flare-leg styles to choose from, you can look good while running from one place to another. This collection also offers jackets and clogs to complete the look.

Want Some Egg Nog?

Out of the blue, The Husband said he wanted to have egg nog on our Christmas dinner. He has been watching cooking shows a lot and I guess he got excited to make one on his own. I can't blame him, the picture below looks very yummy! I've only tried this once and couldn't forget the mix of rum, milk and whipped cream in my mouth. Knowing The Husband, I bet he'd modify any of the egg nog recipes that I searched online to prove that he's good with flavor. I can't complain because I'm only here to eat. My kitchen skills are close to none.

Tuesday Tunes - Week 52

What is the best music to chill out too?
I like Bossa Nova, alternative rock and house music

What artist do you think of when you see the word "calm"?
Sarah Mclachlan.

How does music help you to become calm or more relaxed?
When I feel stressed, I just listen to my favorite songs on my ipod and I'd feel better. I even have a playlist for web designing, when I'm coding and when I'm working out.

More Tuesday Tunes

Things to do Today

Such a long list but I'll just narrow it down to the most important.

1. Go to the bank and open another savings account. I need to set aside money for Sandy's educational plan this year. I've decided to continue with it now that the dollar is going up again.

2. Talk to our agent about our bond fund. I'm also interested to learn more about futures trading so we might discuss that too.

3. Have conference call with a client. They don't want to write down their design requirements because they are having trouble explaining what they need.

4. Organize our hallway. Now this, can either be exciting or stressful.

5. Research where I can find cheap laptop batteries and memory. I've decided not to buy a new laptop yet. My current laptop is still good, I really just need to invest on new batteries. Last time I checked, it costs $200. Yikes.

Money Management

Speaking of cash advance, my brother-in-law who just started his On-The-Job Training is looking to buy a laptop. My mom-in-law doesn't want to give him money again. He was given half of the total payment last month so he can save the remaining on his own. However, being young and all that, he spent almost all of it on new office attires, expensive lunches and daily cab fares. So I told him to apply for one of those fast cash payday loans. He's earning enough money anyway from his OJT allowance that if he tightens his belt a bit, I'm sure he can afford to pay for the loan. And if he doesn't, at least he'll learn the hard way that money doesn't grow on trees.

Better Late Than Never

Some photos from Sandy's 3rd birthday party at home.





Although the party was very simple, the little one had so much fun. So much that she had to be admitted to the hospital due to non stop vomiting. But that's another story.

We had hotdogs with mallows (her request), chicken alfredo with broccoli, siomai, lumpia, bbq, ice cream and chocolate cake. Her Papa decorated the house with balloons, streamers and banners so she was so surprised (and speechless) when she went downstairs. For gifts, she received a book, drumset, toy violin, aquarium, toy cellphone, and pooh dart board.

Our Poor Wallets

Christmas is fast approaching and everyone I know is into shopping mode. In fact, I've spent more than $500 already on gifts for favorite friends and close family members alone. Thank God for online coupons or I would've been bankrupt by now.

I bought plenty of gifts for the two most favorite people in my life so I don't mind spending. It's so much cheaper on what I originally planned too. I wanted to treat the family on a one week vacation in Palawan, just in time for my husband's birthday. I saw this cash advance online and thought of trying it out because I won't get my sideline earnings until January. But at the last minute, I've decided against it. We already spent a lot of money last month (Sandy's birthday parties and hospitalization) and we're booked to go to Boracay this November. Having another beach trip on December might be too redundant. Besides, we can always go early next year as soon as I get my payments from my previous projects.

Calendars as Gifts

I saw this online and just want to buy it ASAP.



These quick page calendars are amazing! My mom and mom-in-law couldn't stop praising "my work" when I gave it to them last Christmas. This year, there's no need to wonder what to give them.

See them at TheShabbyShoppe.