food Friday: Jelly Beans

It's Friday once again. It amazes me how time flies. I should get started with my packing for our vacation to the Philippines lest I forget lots of stuff. Would you believe that tomorrow is our flight? Whew! But before that, let me leave you with my entry for today... and maybe a little game too, while I'm away.

These are HARIBO Jelly Bears! Ain't they cute and colorful? Makes you want to just display them and not eat them at all, right? We got this from Germany and for me, these are the best jelly bears there is! They come in pineapple, apple, strawberry, orange, lemon, and cherry flavors. They are so yum I finished off one pack already! I just can't stop munching on them!

Now, since we will be away for two weeks to visit our families in the Philippines, I would like to leave you with the question: Exactly how many jelly bears are inside this glass?

I give you 1 week to answer this question.

To join, just leave a comment on this post with your guess on it. You can only comment once a day so that leaves you seven days to make a guess. I will check the answers every day and list the correct guesses. Then I will make a draw of the names of all the correct guesses and post the winner hopefully by February 28th, my baby's 1st Birthday.

So what's the prize? The lucky winner will receive one pack of HARIBO Jelly Bears delivered to your doorstep. So if you are the lucky one, be sure to email me with your address before March 3rd so that I can send it to you.

And oh, only bloggers who reside in the Philippines can join this little guessing game. So my apologies to those who cannot join because of your location.

Want to view more yum food? Click here for more Food Friday participants.

Happy Friday everyone!

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A New Home in Stuttgart

I have been rambling on and on about our move to Germany in April. And last week brought us to Germany for an Information Trip. I can say that it was an amazing experience. I've never felt so relaxed and stress-free in looking for a new home that suited our needs... thanks to our kind and patient relocator, Mrs. O.

We went to several houses and apartment units in the Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg area. I think we looked at six different locations during the three days that we spent with Mrs. O. The funny thing is that there was only one unit which we took pictures of. And what do you know... it was the one that we chose, not because we had its pictures but because it was well-equipped.

The spacious living room with a charming blue sofa.

The dining with the round four-seater dining table. Just perfect for our little family.

The built in kitchen complete with fridge, an oven and stove,
a sink, drawers, even pots and pans! Can you see the open space
at the bottom of the left counter? A dishwasher will be installed there just for us. :D

Of course, all the other units were very beautiful and charming, but there was always a flaw that we saw: the laundry is in the basement so that you have to climb stairs or it is not furnished or it is far from the station and health care facilities. But this one apartment unit just has about everything: fully furnished, three bedrooms, a supermarket at the ground floor of the building that is accessible via the flat's elevator service, only a few meters from the U-bahn (subway station), the hospital is just a kilometer away, the shopping street is just around the corner.

It is such a nice feeling that when we arrive Germany, our new home awaits us. And I will not be flooded with the thought that I would have to buy this and that because everything that we need is already there.

I am thankful for the experience. And most thankful for the privilege. Thank you Lord for all these wonderful blessings!

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Drive Your Business Forward

A business is not complete without its own website. Most people nowadays rely mostly on the internet to do business: online banking, online shopping, online gaming, online news and broadcast, and online entertainment among others. In this time of multimedia internet marketing, majority of businesses depend on how their websites are presented to the public. Choosing a website design is critical in this day and age. How you get your message across, and how the website designer/developer carefully aligns your goals with the designs are of utmost importance.

Which is why, it is vital that a business choose a Creative web site design that is customized, attractive, strategic, and engaging. If you want to sell and make it big in the world wide web, you should hire professionals with the experience, the expertise, the capacity, the creativity and the technology to cater to your needs.

Do you have a need for interactive brand development? Now, there is one competent team of web designers and developers who will develop it for you. This team will help you develop a brand that works for you: one that people will not forget. They will customize it according to your objectives, your target market and the value that your product presents.

If you want to drive your business forward, choose wisely. Invest on your web sites and hire the experts. And you will go a long way...

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Best Mom Award

I so thank Enchie of Sweet Nothings and pretty Cookie of Cookie's Corner for sending the Best Mom Award my way. I really appreciate this one dears... so very rewarding and timely indeed since I've been feeling exhausted and frustrated because I have so many things to do and I feel like I've got so little time.

When you are a mom, you will understand what I am saying... There are just moments when we feel sapped out of all energy that all we wanted was to get away from it all. But doing such would be irresponsible, right? Thank you Enchie and Cookie for reminding me about the best things being a stay-at-home mom and wife offers. Indeed, it is one such rewarding lifestyle that I wouldn't trade for anything else.

Rules: 1. Show the award logo in your post. 2. Pick a picture you have with your kiddo/s. 3. Post should include your best experience as a Mom. 4. Nominate other blogger moms out there that you consider the best mom, like yourself.

Each time I see my baby smile, it just melts my heart. Her pure joy, excitement and amazement at being able to see me make funny faces or see something that is very interesting on TV just about does it for me. Yes, motherhood is the best thing there is! Even if it can get tiring sometimes (tao lang po! :D), I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am thankful to be given this chance to become a Mother. It is indeed a blessing. I take pleasure in witnessing the great and small achievements of my Sam. Soon, she will walk.. then run, then play with other kids, go to school, fall in love. Alas! Those are still many, many years from now. And I will take them all in and embrace each and every experience as they come. And when I get older, I'll have lots of good memories and anecdotes to share to my grandchildren.

My being a stay-at-home is indeed something that has allowed me to be there for my baby every step of the way and for that I am thankful to my hubby.

Now, I am sending this out to Mommies Hannie, Cookie, Ria, Mira, Emerie, Bambie, Elizabeth, Umma, Niko, Iceah, Shydub and to all Mommies out there who I believe deserve this award.

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Faith Sharing

In this world of confusion, chaos, difficulties, economic recession, strife and grief, wouldn't it be great to have someone to talk to and somehow be strengthened by the fact that there is someone who shares these challenges with you? Human as we are, we tend to mingle with other people who happen to have the same set of values or goals or beliefs in life. And wouldn't it be great if there is a chat room solely designed for Catholics where we can discuss about the world today and how it affects religion in general and Catholicism in particular?

Good thing there is Catholic Chat City which provides a venue for all Catholics all over the world to come together and chat about religion, faith in God, family life and the teachings of the Church, and yes, even the daily doldrums of life. No matter what state of mind you have, you can discuss it in good faith in the different Catholic chat rooms and be heard. This is one great place to meet other Catholics and befriend them, and share experiences and problems and not be persecuted.

Talking always helps ease our burdens. Listening and evangelizing about our faith in a chat room is all the more rewarding.

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Mommy Moments: Feeding Time

I sure did miss Mommy Moments last Friday. So, I am making this post in the wee hours of early morning just to be sure that I won't miss it.

Bottle feeding at four months old... She can't grasp her bottle just yet.

This week's theme is Feeding Time. I do enjoy feeding my baby Samantha since she was a baby. Sometimes, she can be fussy but she is very good and calm most of the time. She loves her milk warm, even on a very hot summer day so that I am always with a hot water thermos each time we go out of the house.

Holding them properly now at 9 months.

She loves eating her snacks of wafers, rice biscuits, tamago (egg) balls and vegetable crackers too. Her meals are mostly composed of rice and mashed vegetables... but even if it is just rice, she would eat it happily, with her hands clapping. She also likes to eat fruits: oranges, apples, bananas. But fruit juices are a No-no. She would of course taste them and then she would show her sour face at me and I would LOL because it reminds me of the MukhAsim ad on TV. I do like to keep her clean when she feeds but I sometimes let her be especially if she's enjoying her food. I do hope she won't be a picky eater when she grows older, and that she'll handle her food well.

Samantha's first dining experience at Coco's Restaurant
when she was six months old.

Eating her rice crackers... Messy at six months and so serious at 10 months.
Nakataas pa ang isang kilay. Mataray! Hehe!

I am looking forward to the day when she can finally eat on her own, using her spoon and fork properly and with grace. But for now, I revel at the thought of spoon-feeding her... Knowing that there is someone totally dependent on you is such an awesome feeling.

Join us every Friday at Mommy Moments.

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On The Edge Of Vision?

The whole world is in recession... and each citizen is living on the edge of a knife knowing that they could lose everything they have the next day. In these trying times, The New York Times deemed it necessary to inform the whole world on how not to lose sight of the future and not to neglect eye care by purchasing reliable and cheap eyeglasses and lenses with anti-scratch coating for as low as $8 from Zenni Optical.

Indeed, this is big help to those who are in need of immediate eye care but are on the rocks because of the current financial crisis. This is really real value for your money: cheap eyeglasses that don't look cheap at all!

Take for example this pair of plastic fashion full rim eyeglasses which I really love! They are simple and chic and comes in three color combinations: black, white/black, and light brown/black. And it only costs $12.95! Would you believe that the lens are already included in the price? That's pretty cheap indeed! And I would not be afraid to spend my money on this one because ZenniOptical.com is known the world over in reliable and quality prescription eyeglasses. Check out their wide selection of eyeglasses and sunglasses frames and lenses today!

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The Hotel Gasthof Hiller

A view of the hotel up front.

This was our "home" when we went to Germany for a week. It is a quaint 3-star hotel located in Abstatt, where my husband's office is located. It has only three floors but there is a lift available for easier access to the rooms.

It was snowing since Wednesday in Germany that everything was white!
Even the black cat turned white!

When we arrived at around 7:30PM, there wasn't anyone at the reception desk. After our driver rang the bell, we were greeted by the owner and were immediately given our keys and off we went to our room. I was wondering why he was in a hurry... there wasn't even somebody to help us with our bags and lead us to our rooms. Hmmm... It was only later, when we had dinner at the hotel restaurant, that I found out why. The restaurant was quite busy on evenings so that all of the hotel staff is busy. So that is why he was in a hurry. Figures.

Our hotel room. A view outside the window after a night of snowfall.

Anyway, we were given a double room. It was a nice room complete with the basics of a hotel room - a comfy bed, enough heating, hot and cold shower, internet, cable TV, mini-bar and a nice view. They also provided a baby bed for Sam, which wasn't much use because she slept with us anyway. :D

Samantha in her baby bed looking out the snow.

A buffet breakfast is served each morning and I feasted on wheat bread, scrambled eggs, lots and lots of bacon, sausages and salami, fresh fruit juice, yogurt, and brewed coffee among others. Too bad I was too lazy to take photos of our food. Hehehe! But there will be a next time. I will be sure to take lots of photos when we finally move to Germany come April.

Overall, it was a comfortable and nice accommodation. It was a haven for us after a tiring day of house hunting and information tours and mini-orientation lectures. But the time difference always woke us up at 2:30AM that we ended up going back to sleep at 5AM and wake up late for breakfast. :D

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6 Weird Things About Me

I've been tagged by Niko Ganda of Niko's Blog and asked me to post six weird things about me. Well, all of us have our weird moments and traits that others find amusing, silly, sweet or even revolting. It took me a while to write this one up because I was thinking what are indeed that six weird things about me. Some you may have already known, some just now. So here goes my list:

1. Chippy and Ice Cream: The perfect combo. I just love the taste of chippy (original flavor) dipped in chocolate ice cream. This has been my addiction since I can remember. :D Others find it really weird but I tell you, it's just YUM! I usually treat myself to this after a hard day's work! That's a lot of calories I know... but I just can't resist the contrast of sweet and salty taste.

2. Eating Promdi style. I love to eat with one leg up and rested on my chair. Everytime I do this, I could forget everything else and just feast on the food before me... I especially do this when I am at home and sometimes in restaurants too, if the food is especially yum. It is just such a comfy position. How about you? Do you also do this when eating? Anybody who says YES, raise your leg!

3. Storytelling. I love to tell stories and make up my own script and act them out... ALONE. I do this when I am in the bathroom, before I take a bath or when I am doing the laundry and waiting for the washing machine to finish up. No, I am not crazy... just a little bored and "alone". I never allow my hubby to catch me doing this, that's why I tell stories in the bathroom. Ask the bathroom... you'd be amazed at how many story lines it's listened to. Oh, poor, poor bathroom! :D

4. Folding up used grocery bags. I must have already written here that I am an OC. I have the tendency to organize even the most insignificant things. I even fold our used grocery bags for later use. Weird huh? Hubby will know if I feel bad or if I want to think because I fold and refold the plastic bags. It's kind of therapeutic for me.

5. Typing up lyrics of songs. I have this habit of listening to a song's lyrics over and over again and type it one stanza at a time until I get it right. if the song if especially nice and quite new, I would download it, listen to it and type the lyrics. My hubby said that I can easily catch the lyrics of a song and remember them. Hmmm... maybe I have acquired this skill because of my habit.

6. Peppery Spice. I love to sprinkle any dish I cook with ground black pepper. I don't know why but it has become kind of a habit. Even if the food does nto require pepper, I always add a dash into it. I just can't resist the smell of fresh ground pepper on a hot dish. Hubby seems to like it too! Hehe!

Tell me how weird you are too! Am passing this tag to the following wonderful persons:

Hannie, Ate Shals, Kikit, Rechie, Jade, Aeirin, and Chris

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In The Red? Get Credit Counselling

The whole world is in recession these days. With jobs being cut down and lots of people losing their jobs, it is no longer a wonder that many people will be in the red. And it is all the more sad knowing that it will indeed be tougher to have a debt settlement because of the tight and critical financial conditions of most people.

Which is why, it is vital to get professional assistance in terms of paying off your debts so that you don't end up buried in debt. If you want to gain financial freedom in the face of the financial crunch, you may want to check out GetLoanNow.com to find out which service is the best for you.

They offer debt consolidation to anyone who has decided to be debt-free. The good thing with christian debt consolidation or any other debt consolidation is that it allows one to pay off their debts at a lower rate and in a few month's time. And because application and assistance can be done online, GetLoanNow is surely a fast and easy way to financial freedom. There is even no more need to wait in long lines and wait for months for your loans to be approved by the banks. So if you want to say goodbye to debt, get credit counselling now at GetLoanNow.com.

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Something's Amiss

I am dead tired and so sleepy right now! We just got home from our orientation and home-viewing appointments with our very kind and nice relocator Mrs. O. It had been a long day of home viewing, quick sightseeing and orientation about living in Germany. We got the chance to view three houses in different areas today and so far, we have found one that fits our criteria. But there's still more that we need to see over the next two days before deciding which property to rent. Sam also made a new friend named Samuel, an eight-month old German baby when we went to see their house. It was also very cold today... it even snowed a little bit later in the afternoon but it was a very light snow that it was gone when it touched the ground. We also passed by one of the famous palaces in Ludwigsburg during our drive to one of the properties there, so I didn't get the chance to take some photos.

So I know I should be posting photos... but alas, I cannot find our camera anywhere. [Really, I am not making excuses here. :(]Oh no! Where could it be? I hope I didn't leave it somewhere inside the shopping mall. There were lots of memories captured that are just priceless! Not to mention the fact that it's the only trusty camera that we have. I wish Sam just dropped it inside Mrs. O's car.. I really hope it was just there. Because without it, there would be no more photos of our memories here. Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed until tomorrow.

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We're Here!

I have been rambling about our trip to Germany and now, we are finally here! We flew Swiss International Air and were given superb service from the time we checked in our baggage until we arrived at our final destination: Stuttgart, Germany.

Fly away with me! Up in the sky at an altitude of 11582meters.

We left Narita Airport at 11:13AM Japan Time and arrived Germany at 5:30PM Germany Time. During our flight, it seemed that the sun was following us. We were flying at 11582 meters and although the outside temperature was below freezing, -56 degrees C, it was hot inside the plane.

Samantha and me during the flight. She just woke up here.
I wonder why she looked a little "mataray" here.

Of course, I was especially anxious for the air travel yesterday, because hubby had a fever and Samantha was coming with us. But she endured the 12-hour long flight to Zurich, and and then another 30-minute flight to Stuttgart, Germany. I am so proud of my little girl because she was such an angel during the flight! She slept through most of the flight and woke up in between to change nappies, play, eat, get fussy for a moment, drink her milk, and entertain the passengers and cabin crew with her charms.

My sick hubby and Samantha. He was shivering
the entire flight. Poor Hanhan!

We were also fetched at the airport by a shuttle service and taken to our hotel. It was a 45-minute drive from the airport to our hotel but it was worth it. We had a quick check-in at the hotel, brought in our baggage to our room and headed off to the hotel restaurant for dinner. We forgot that they don't serve rice here and at hubby found it a chore to eat the vegetable salad, fried potatoes and breaded pork. I even had to finish off his plate! Whew! Paano na lang ang diet natin? (Whatever will happen to my diet?)

Good old me. Happy to finally step on solid ground
after being on air for 12 hours! Whew!

I am just so thankful to God and to all my friends who wished us a safe trip! Sam is resting now and Hanhan, who is now feeling better, is at their office for a meeting and courtesy call. I am looking forward for our next four days here, hopeful that we weill find our new home sweet home for our move in April. I will try to give updates from time to time. And I must not forget to take snapshots too!

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Transformers II (Act Three)

It's MAN vs. ROBOTS this time...

Now, here's the last act from the leaked (fake?) Transformers II plot. Is it going to be a happy ending or will there be Part 3? Let's find out!

Act Three

• Skorponok is detected and despite best efforts from the military below ground, manages to sever the orb from the electrical conduit, stopping the flow of energy to the nation, plunging cities and Vegas into a blackout.
• Military re-enforcements arrive in Vegas, only to discover they where infiltrated by Megatron's forces and destroyed.
• The military lies in waste, the Autobots outnumbered and exhausted, Megatron's forces begin their assault.
• Seeing the odds, Ellison makes the call to go to the Stratosphere Tower and release a Sector 7 built electromagnetic pulse that would destroy all electronic systems within 50 miles including the Transformers and the orb. Despite knowing it would kill them; Optimus approves of the plan and orders the Autobots to clear a path up the strip.
• Soundwave, overhearing the orders, moves to intercept.
• Prime, Magnus and Hot Rod stay to defend the Luxor, the others move to defend human's move to the tower.
• Starscream, thinking the advantage is his, moves to attack the Luxor to claim the orb.
• The fight up the strip against Soundwave's troops results in a kamikaze move by two Autobots that opens the lines but also kills the military specialists for the EMP.
• Sam and Mikaela ascend the tower under assault from a Deception with Bumblebee trying to defend. Eventually Bumblebee wins forcing the weak Megatron to enter the battle and clumsily but effectively stopping the EMP and possibly killing Mikaela.
• Soundwave attacks Starscream's faction with a sonic pulse that also hits Prime who was chasing a determined Hot Rod that had ordered his retreat orders.
• Soundwave uses that opportunity to rip the Matrix from Optimus and brings it to Megatron restoring him to full strength.
• First order of business to regain the role of undisputed leader of the Decepticons by taking out Starscream those results in a dogfight in the Grand Canyon.
• The defeated Starscream's last act of defiance is a message to his faction on Cybertron, "I have prepared the way..." resulting in a mass exodus from Cybertron to Earth. (HMM so TF 2 Vegas battle is what Helm's Deep was to the Two Towers, with I guess TF 3 having a battle that will be like Return of the Kings Minas Tirith - if true sweet)
• Movie ends with the Autobots recovering in Ellison's compound, Optimus severely wounded, Hot Rod determined to right his wrong (I guess getting the matrix from Megs), Sam feeling betrayed by Prime with the death of Mikaela, and Mikaela regaining consciousness, the forcefield of the Bumblebee defeated Decepticon failing after having protected her from the destroyed Tower.

Basically ...to be Concluded in TF 3.

So, what do you think? Will there be a happy ending for Sam and Mikaela? Will there be a Transformers III? Well, let's just wait for the movie release in June to find out!

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Transformers II (Act Two)

Sam (Shia LeBeouf) and Mikaela (Megan Fox) run for their lives

As promised, here's Act Two of the plot. Let me reiterate that this may not be the real thing. :D

Act Two

• Sam and co still heading to Vegas, Shige still unaware of Bumblebee is a robot; watch their dorm destroyed by a giant robot on TV. Sam recognizes that means he is in danger.
• Creation Matrix is introduced and contained within Prime. The Allspark provides life, the Matrix provides the Transformers with a soul and free will. Without the matrix the Transformers are soulless primal beasts ("hence the cell phone, Xbox and Mountain Dew machine"). Decepticons therefore came from the Allspark and Matrix but used free will "to follow a path of evil". (Very slick and very obvious, I feel pretty stupid for not thinking of this).
• At this point, Starscream wants the Orb and Megatron wants the Matrix.
• Meanwhile Sam and co reach the roadblock of traffic from the evacuation of Vegas and come head to head with six construction vehicles...who merge to form Devastator.
• While trying to escape Ultra Magnus and his car load of Transformers arrive to attack Devastator and defend Sam. Meanwhile Shige pees in his pants (thinking BB wouldn't like that). A vicious battle ensues.
• Devastator is slowed buying time for a tactical retreat down Route 66 to Vegas (historic American landmark, worth googling).
• In Vegas, the largest defense force ever assembled is ready as Starscream's faction arrives in protoform.
• The force is intercepted by protoform Autobots (so three groups of Autobots) resulting in a free-fall battle until forced to break for crashing landing to Earth. The fight is rejoined and moves toward Vegas.
• Once the fight reaches Vegas, the military learns that the Decepticons no longer effected by the sabot rounds making them ineffective in the battle.
• The assault continues above ground while below Mikaela watches as Ellison and Simmons wordlessly hatch a plan.
• Night falls as the Autobots defense of the Luxor barely holds. Reinforcements arrive in the form of Sam and co. pushing back Starscream's faction.
• Sam and Shige are escorted down below as Skorponok drills through to the underground bunker undetected.

Act Three coming soon...

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