Rooting for Ramiele Malubay

(picture courtesy of the official American Idol website)

If you have been watching American Idol, you'd have known that Ramiele Malubay, a fellow Filipino, is still continuing to wow the judges and America. She's now in the top20.

Here are her videos:
Audition
Top 24
Top 20

I liked her voice better than Jasmine Trias, who ended up in Top 3 a few seasons ago. Although I didn't really like her last performance that much, I think it's good enough to at least keep her from being eliminated. I hope she continues her strong showing. Too bad I'm not a US resident and can't vote for her.

Picture lockets make great mementos

In old movies, I've often seen these gold lockets with pictures inside and I've always wanted one of those. These are very nice mementos of loved ones. You can actually order them online! Nowadays, they are even better than the traditional ones because the picture is actually custom engraved rather than just putting a photograph inside the chamber. You can just send them a digital photo and they will engrave it on your chosen locket. It makes a very nice all occasion gift. This would have made a very nice Valentine's gift, don't you think? I know I would have a appreciated a nice silver locket with my family's picture inside.

Big Bear Hug

I got these from Yvelle and Pat.

Awwwww!!!! Thank you, girls! This is so cute and heartwarming!

I'm passing these to Rocks, Kathycot, Norms and Petradear.

8 Random Things About Ethan

Mec's baby Yakee tagged my Ethan :).

1) Ethan's "killer" feature are his dimples. But since he doesn't really smile at strangers, only people who are close to him would see them.

2) Ethan was breastfed for 1 year and 10.5 months.

3) He started crawling at 3 months. But he only walked alone at 1 year 3 months...but immediately proceeded to running once he did! And we were so worried about him not walking by 1 year old!

4) He had his first birthday celebration at McDonald's. He was suspicious of Grimace. :)

5) He can carry a tune and sings "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Happy Birthday Lola" with gusto.

6) His motor development is way ahead of his speech development.

7) His first word was "mama". Proud and happy moment for me!

8) He looks like his dad, but inherited mommy's skin color.

Ethan is now tagging Sheng's Kaiden, Leah's Erin, Meng's Issen and Pheng's Djuan. Have fun, mommies!

Planning a vacation through the net

My husband and I have always talked of traveling for our next vacation but we never really seem to find the time and the budget for planning such a trip.

My dream vacation is somewhat similar to the trip that we had with my parents and siblings in the early nineties, wherein we had a trip on the US West Coast. We rented a car and drove around several cities. This was back when there was no internet yet, so hotel reservations were done via phone calls. We'd plan our next stop on the road, just looking for the next hotel/motel to stay on our next stop and calling before we set out on the road. It was really fun and exciting, but now with the advances of internet, there are now ways of making the travelling process a little easier.

The next time we plan such a trip, we can already book our flights online, reserve the hotel/s or motel/s that we're going to stay in, book our car, all in one site. The best thing is that we can even avail of hotel discounts through special offers! This was not possible in the early nineties, but it certainly is possible NOW!

Oh, since you can have everything reserved and planned out, the budget planning is also much easier since you already know how much everything costs. This is so unlike the trip we had before when we didn't know how much our next hotel or motel would cost us as we would only know the price when we call them up the night before.



I can hardly wait to plan our next vacation! Hopefully I will be able to bring along my son. I want him to experience Disneyland, Universal Studios...I enjoyed them when I was already an adult and I'm sure the kid will enjoy it! I also look forward to visiting the natural wonders like those found in Yellowstone Park, Yosemite Park and the Grand Canyon. And hopefully catch some flashy show in Las Vegas. Or maybe the East Coast will be a better idea this time?

Get to know me

I was tagged by Jesse and Renz! Thanks so much!

1. Today I feel very— unhappy about not achieving what I set out to do :(
2. I enjoy - watching DVDs at home.
3. I am unhappy when — my son is sick.
4. I feel good when — I'm with my husband and son.
5. I wish my boss — would earn more. I'm my own boss, that's why :)
6. My officemates think — tough one. I don't really know what my colleagues think of me.
7. My work area is — cluttered...I'm talking about my home work area and not my clinics. Doesn't matter if I do take the time to fix it, there's always something else that piles up later.
8. I enjoy reading about — other mommies and how they cope. I used to read fiction and other pocketbooks but I don't have the time to buy and read them anymore.
9. I like myself best when — patients tell me how much I've helped them or improved their condition.
10. If I had a choice I would — live in our own place.
11. I wish — my husband and I would earn enough for us not to consider leaving the country. Also I wish my family would always be healthy.
12. Tomorrow I would like to — look forward to a another productive day.

I'm tagging Jeng, Apols, Lori and Sweetpea.

Run, Walk, Show ... How Do You Use Running Shoes?

Athletic shoe, sporting apparel, casual footwear, trainers, sandshoes, running shoes, runners, sneakers, gym shoes, tennis shoes, tennies, sport shoes, sneaks, takkies ... doesn't matter what you call them, they just aren't dress shoes -- or are they?

The Link Tag

Rule #1
Copy all the links below and replace a single link under the appropriate alphabet. If your domain name, or even the title of your blog, starts with an ” A,” you’d replace the link under that alphabet and put the replaced link at the bottom. Also, don’t forget to credit the tagger, or where you got the list from, at the end of the list with a full URL of the post so that a pingback gets generated.

1. alwaysbcmom.com
2. because life is fun
3. caffeine-overload.com
4. delusionsofgrandeur.com
5. enjoyingtheride-jenn.blogspot.com
6. forumfinder.net
7. gotic-peach.net
8. happykeg.com
9. ipentimento.com
10. juliesjournal.com
11. kabalyero.com
12. leahjoseph.com
13. michmagbag.com
14. notjustmama.net
15. originalmx5.net
16. patrickdevivo.com
17. qweddings.com
18. rantingsofawoman.blogspot.com
19. sianikatts-gower.blogspot.com
20. the-working-mom.blogspot.com
    
21. utada-online.net
22. valmg.com
23. wickedbabylon.com
24. xaviermedia.com
25. yimto.com
26. zbudapest.com

Replaced Link:thinking-outloud.com

Previous Tagger: leahjoseph.com

Rule #2
You now have to “tag” at least five people and encourage them to participate so that this thing spreads like a virus. Remember, though, that not everyone’s into these kinds of things, so don’t be upset if they don’t participate. Just simply replace your tag. Remember to tag blogs only and no pornographic ones as we do want to keep the integrity as a blogging community. TIP: Tag your frequent EntreCard droppers via its messaging system.
1. Jean
2. Jhona
3. Teebob
4. Sujee
5. Chelle

About money

When my husband and I got married, money was not at the top of our head because all we thought about was that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We are productive citizens of society, so we could probably earn enough money to support ourselves.

However, reality strikes soon enough. Everything in life requires money. Having your own home, having your own car, getting medical attention, giving birth, buying food to eat...the list goes on. We also learned that money management is not just about earning the money and spending it, because the reality is that sometimes you don't have enough money on hand to pay for what you need.

Credits cards came in very handy when our son needed to be hospitalized and we don't have enough cash on hand to cover the bills. Thank God for plastic!

Although we cannot afford it, we're trying to save up for our own home. Since we do not want to lose the place we are going to live in, we are also looking at home insurance quotes to protect our soon-to-be prized property.

Our ten year old car still runs well, and we don't have intentions of selling it yet. But we think paying for a car insurance would still be wise, because accidents do happen and not having insurance when an accident occurs is a going to be very expensive!

I like the site http://aboutyourmoney.co.uk because it helps me in making good money decisions.

Let's play domino

Tagged by Apple!

Rule: Copy the entire list and add your name at the bottom. And tag at least 5 friends. (But you can tag as many as you like)

thea
childstar
mike
my scrappy side
abie
aggie
alpha
apple
apols
jacqui
jane
jody
joy
kelly
mich
peachy
apple
joey

I'm tagging Utah Mommy, Texas Sweetie, Scotty's Princess, Pretty Life Online and Idealpinkrose.

Let's Talk About Cars

Autos are a means of getting from one place to another, a place in themselves, a right of passage, a status symbol, a monthly payment, and a mouth to feed.



Although my mouth waters at the thought and feel of a luxury car, I'd be more than happy enough with a much cheaper but reliable car which gives fuel economy. Toyotas have always proven their worth to me, reliability wise.

Heart Award

Leah gave me this award. Thank you so much, sis!

I'm passing this award to Joanne, Mhay and Rojoy.

How fast can you type?

Tagged by Sheng

I've had typing lessons in High School, under "Practical Arts". It's one of the most useful and practical subjects I've taken, since the next few years in college and med school were full of reports and such! Take note that the personal computer and word processing was not widespread then, and we had to type our reports on a manual typewriter! Later, Wordstar came along, which made saving easier (for future copies) than just typing on the typewriter and using carbon and photocopies if you needed more (and hoping that you won't lose your copy). It was also much easier to type on a computer.

We've really come a long way. It's really much easier to type nowadays. We have Word and other word processing software!

It's so nice to reminise about the old days, though, when the good old typewriter was in its heyday. I still use touch typing though, and it's quite a useful skill, although I'm not really as fast as I would like to be.

51 words

Speedtest

Ok, now, let's see how fast you type! I'm tagging Leah, Apple, Angel, Eds.

I've finally finished...

...editing my blogroll. Now I'm using blogrolling since it seems to be easier than manually managing all my links. The next time I have another blog, I could simply copy the whole javascript.

I should have done this before. Well, it's not easy transporting all the names, but it ain't so hard either. :D

Make A choice, Any Choice

We blast through our lives and make an enormous amout of decisions ... some important, some not ... is indecision a choice or a failing?

School...

I was in school yesterday. I'm currently taking up Masters in Hospital Administration in UP Open University and yesterday was a scheduled monthly meeting. I was able to hand in the assignments and take home exam I was laboring over the past few days. They were the things that kept me busy. I still have one exam to go.

Do wish me luck on this! :)

DIY skin peeling

When I was younger, I used to have a lot of acne. I have since outgrown acne, but unfortunately for me, they have left scars on my face. Because of sun damage and the effects of growing older, I also noticed that my skin has started to be unevenly pigmented. I am looking into doing my own chemical peel to improve my skin condition. TCA peel works by removing the top layer of the skin and deep cleansing it. I did go to the dermatologist before, but now I do not have the time to do so, so I'm thinking that I can just do it at home myself. I just have to follow instructions very carefully. I certainly would like to look better -- what woman doesn't? Looking good does raise one's self esteem. It also makes me look more professional and "well-taken cared of", which is important in my work.

Homeschooling - a rational choice

Schools are a hot topic in my mailing list, as a lot of mothers are discussing on what school is best for their kids. There is a dizzying array of choices, from the traditional to the progressive schools, to the multiple intelligence schools, to the international schools. All of which have their own advantages and disadvantages as well as a corresponding price tag.

Preparing to send a child to school has increasingly become more and more expensive. And we're not just talking of the school tuition fee itself. We also have to factor in the costs of books, clothes or uniforms, transportation fees, among others.

Homeschooling has become a more and more attractive option. Aside from savings from the school and miscellaneous expenses, you can totally supervise and watch what your child is learning. In the usual school, you pretty match turn over your child to the school teachers for the few learning hours each day. With today's teacher:student ratio, even if it's quite small, you cannot expect the teacher to just focus on your son. The biggest advantage of homeschooling is the one on one focus.

However, we sometimes do not have enough confidence that we can homeschool our kids well enough for them to face college and, ultimately the world. Fortunately, there are institutions like The Southern Baptist Academy Homeschool which actually helps you homeschool, with materials, examinations and a support system that will help you be the best teacher for your child.

Your dreams - a survey

Do you understand your dreams?

Tags and Awards!

I got numerous tags I've got the past week! I like receiving tags because I know people thought of me. I'm just sorry I couldn't post it right away.
-------------

Got this Friendship award from Yvelle! Thank you sis!

Another friendship award:

Why God Made Friends
====================

God made the world with a heart full of love
Then He looked down from heaven above
And saw that we all need a helping hand
Someone to share with, who`ll understand

He made special people to see us through
In times of happiness and in sadness
A person whom we can always depend
Someone we can call a FRIEND

Got this thoughtful tag from Sheng.

I'm passing the two friendship awards to everybody in my blogroll! There are people I've known only a short while, and people who I've known much longer, but I'm so glad to call you my friends!
----------

Got this one from Leah and Toni! Thanks so much girls! I thought my blog was rather ordinary myself. This definitely perked me up!

I'm passing this to Norms, Raquel, Francine, Juliana.

-----------
I got this from both Joanne and Sheng

Anger is only one letter short of danger

If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;

If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

Great minds discuss ideas;

Average minds discuss events;

Small minds discuss people.

He, who loses money, loses much;

He, who loses a friend, loses much more;

He, who loses faith, loses all.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,

But beautiful old people are works of art.

Learn from the mistakes of others

You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

Friends, you and me…

You brought another friend…

And then there were 3…

We started our group…

Our circle of friends…

And like that circle…

There is no beginning or end…

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is mystery.

Today is a gift.

So now, let’s see how many circle’s of friends we can make by simply adding your link on this Friendship Meme!
1-Catsy Carpe Diem, 2- Catsy Downloads, 3-Out of the Blue, 4- A Day to Savor and Relish 5- A Piece of Idea 6- Write Shy 7- Stupid Wise 8- onlinememorylane 9- See Me For What You Will 10- Michelle’s Small World 11. Chez Francine 12. La Place de Cherie 13. Le bric à brac de Cherie 14- Our Journey to this so called Life 15- Life 16- The Creativity In Me 17- Moi et mon Univers 18- Dogs Circle 19 - Planting Diary 20 - Doinge 21 - Clicking Mouse 22 - Fifty States Travel 23 - Make Life Unexpected 24 - Honestly Fresh 25 - Sorrounded Everything 26 - Moments I Treasure 27 - Trails In Life 28 - Has Alot 2 Offer 29 - Chant's corner dot com 30- Travel, Adventure and Lifestyle 31- Ramblings Dumplings 32- Sheng's Simple Thoughts 33- Me, Myself and I 34- The Working Mom 35 - Online Raket 36 - Family Health Tips 37- Food, Drinks Atbp. 38 - Practical Tips and More YOUR NEXT!–>End here<–

I'm passing this to Leah, Toni, Jane, Yvelle, Eds, Joy, Jown.