Mega Saturday @ SM Megamall

Yesterday, we packed our bags and went to Megamall for our weekend family bonding. My son Liam was so happy. He waited for weeks to be with his Daddy again, and he made sure that he enjoyed every moment spent with him, they were inseperable.

I had to meet Ea at French Baker for my Human Nature Products dealership at around 4pm. We were there at lunch time, since it was a huge place we never ran out of things to do. After lunch, we went to Megatrade Hall 2 and checked out the bazaar and the Teen Summer Fashionista pageant. I used to like malling but strolling with two babies is really tiring so I told hubby I needed to rest because my fragile back is already aching. He said he wanted to go to the Cyberzone so off we went.

I thought we were just going to check out some net books, I didn't expect we would be walking out of a store with a new gadget. Yes,the gadget was for me. He bought me a new netbook, he even let me choose the color.

Here she is, my new baby. I named her Tappy, such an eye candy!
She's sitting on top of our HP Pavilion named Taptap.

After buying the netbook, we went to French Baker at the 3rd Floor to meet Ea, she informed me that she will be late so my family and I decided to eat while waiting.

I ordered this. Chicken Ala King, my all-time favorite.

Finally, I get to see Ea. She showed me some human nature products and they smelled really nice. She told me more about Human Nature and its advocacies. I told her that I've been wanting to try the products after watching it on TV5 a few months back, and since I've been reading forums about it, I was all the more convinced to pursue it. Since the products are organic and had no harmful chemicals, we'll be caring for the environment as well, in our own little way.

She gave me this flyer and it came with a freebie, too.A 100% natural Sheer Lip Soother in Island Kiss.

After meeting Ea, my son wanted  to go to the arcade so we took him to Tom's World. And boy did he enjoy. My husband and I enjoyed watching him more.

So that was how I spent my Mega weekend with my family.

For inquiries about Human Nature dealership, you may send me an email at anne_quijano_chong@yahoo.com.ph

Chicken Adobo Aloha

The experimental dish that made my husband  love me more

I have never been a fan of cooking. As a child every dish I’ve ever tried to cook always ended up either raw or burnt. It’s not that I stopped trying, I was just protecting my fragile ego. My mom is a very good cook, it is hard for me to compete against her high standards.

On rare occasions, she would often call to say that she would be home late. Being the eldest child, it was my duty to provide a meal for my dad and siblings when my mom can’t. I tried, I swear I did, but to no avail. I hate hearing complaints about my food, especially if I shed blood, sweat and tears just to perfect it. My siblings used phrases like “not palatable”, “bland”…and at one point I even heard the word “yuck”. It was when I decided to give up cooking. From that point onwards, whenever I would be asked to cook adobo I would make up excuses or I would call a neighbor to cook it for me while I watch.

Several years later, I tried to cook adobo again while we were staying in China. Same story, my husband didn’t like it because it was too salty. But, this time there was a compliment…the potatoes were cooked just right. Yes, much as I’m ashamed to admit it, I reached the age of 31 without knowing how to cook a decent meal.

Due to my frustration, I googled every kind or adobo there is. I found this interesting Del Monte recipe that had pineapples in it. I decided to give it a try. While combining the ingredients, I found the marinade lacking. Being the expert cook that I am(joke), I decided to experiment.  I didn’t care what it would taste like, I just wanted more sauce.

Dinner time came. I watched as my husband slowly chewed on his food (keeping my fingers crossed under the table). His first words were “Mmmmmmmmm!” and then he smiled. “Nice, mukhang sumasarap na mag-luto asawa ko ngayon ah. Good job!”..and I was all smiles. I was not expecting the complement, honestly.

Here's my masterpiece

Just when I was about to give up, a miracle happens…The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, after all.

 A happy man makes a happy wife…

Momma Wants to Work, Too!

Thoughts and Confessions of a Happy but Frustrated Stay-at-Home Mom

I have been a stay-at-home/breastfeeding mom to two beautiful kids for two years now and I’m loving it. I enjoy waking up to the sound of my kids’ laughter, I enjoy their hugs, I love the feel of their wet kisses on my cheeks and on my lips. I just love being with them. Hearing them call me Mom or Mommy is music to my ears.  When I take them out to play, I like listening to the sound of their squeals and boisterous laughter as I watch them tumble and fall. I’ve really been lucky because I was there to witness their firsts.. .their first toothless smiles, their first steps, their first cry, their first bath..name it, I was there to witness it. Unlike their jealous dad who’s so far away. My husband has to go to China every now and then because it’s part of his job as a manager.

My husband is a good provider, but he would sometimes complain about how huge our credit card bill is or how huge our electric bill is, and I would feel guilty. Sometimes my ailing, old parents would come for a visit and I would feel all the more guilty because I can’t give them money at least for buying their medicines. I miss being able to give them at least a portion of my salary when I was still working as a call center agent. I miss being a dutiful daughter to my parents, I know that somehow, they are still counting on me. I get frustrated sometimes, knowing that I can do nothing. If only I had my own money to give. And, what about my obligation to my godchildren during their birthdays and special occasions?  I can’t count the number of times I’ve told them “pass” or “I’ll just make up for it next time”. How about the number of invites from friends that I’ve turned down because I feel so guilty of spending my husband’s hard earned money just to have fun? Do they believe me when I tell them that I’m busy or my kids are sick?

I was so busy surfing the net when I stumbled upon this forum about online jobs and PTC sites. I guess it was a blessing in disguise. I’m still convincing myself to give it a try, who am I kidding? Of course I want to try it out, who wouldn’t?

I’m beginning to feel excited again. I want to be able to do what I want to do. I read something about paypal and getting an EON card from Union Bank, so I decided to take the first step.

Yesterday, I applied for an EON card and I’ll be getting it next week. Yey! Then I surfed some more. This time, I read a forum  about HumanYNature Products. I decided I want to become a dealer...Pampering yourself while caring for the environment, perfect  combination.  Can’t wait to try HumanYNature, I’ve seen it on TV and so far feedback is nice.

At  least for now this is my battle plan.

It’s not that I’m tired of being a mom, I’m just tired of being a bum!

CareBear"s 1st Birthday

My daughter Caitlin Reese turned 1 year old last month (March 1,2011). We celebrated her birthday last March 6. It was also a series of firsts for me, so I was really excited. It was my first time to plan a party for one of my kids. We had Care Bears for our theme, and that made it even more challenging since Care Bear items are hard to find these days.

Everything was DIY, not because we wanted it, but because we were working on a tight budget. Ca-re had Open Heart Surgery when she was just a few days old and up to now my husband is still paying for borrowed money used for her hospital expenses. We could've just opted for an intimate celebration but I just couldn't resist not giving a party for our miracle baby.
This is Ca-re's second life after all.Thanks to science and the good doctors at Philippine Heart Center, and thanks to The One Up Above.

After all the planning, here's what we came up with:

These are my DIY cupcakes. Actually the cupcakes were bought at the grocery store, I just made the icing and the toppers. Not bad for a first time. Some guests said the icing tastes good.

My sister-in-law's balloon flower centerpiece.

The guests must've liked it, by the time the party ended the tables were bare. Some guests were even complaining.."How come she got two, I didn't get any?"

The colorful pillars were done by yours truly, my cousins and my sister-in-law

The cute CareBear standees were gifts/labors of love from my sister, my brother and my cousin Rachel, yes those are also DIY

My sister-in-law and I placed these CareBear stuffed toys inside a lootbag the night before the party. We stuffed it with candies and confetti. These bears were a big hit among the guests.

What's a birthday cake without a picture of the celebrant in it,right!

That's my daughter, the cutest celebrant of all.

It was a tiring yet significant learning experience for me, and I enjoyed it. I was blessed with really helpful relatives and friends. My close friends Nicole and Maita helped me a lot. Maita helped me find the caterer and face painter, while most of the party ideas came from Nicole. My sister-in-law Tintin also really helped me a lot, she was my little manager.
Now, I'm looking forward to planning more parties for my relatives and friends.
Looks like I've found my cup of tea.