Mommy Moments: BLUE!

These last few Fridays, my beautiful Marce Chris of The Mommy Journey has thought of featuring one color each Friday for Mommy Moments. So expect even more colors in the coming Fridays. This Friday, it is my favorite color, the color BLUE! Incidentally though, I don't have much in blue. Hehe! Perhaps I just love looking at anything with blue in it: the clear blue sky, the cool color of the sea, the blue color of violets... anything that is mostly blue is just so relaxing to the senses.

My little one looks good in blue too but she only has very few blue items herself... She is a girl after all and I have the tendency to buy the pink and girly ones. I never really looked good in pink so I am dressing her up in colors that never really good on me. Mommy is not as blessed as her when it comes to skin color... I might as well ask Marce Pehpot to send over some Glutamax products! Lol!

The photos below were the ones that I managed to dig from my photo archives. I just realized that she doesn't have any blue items in her closet except for her jeans! Must have a collection of clothes of different colors so that I can have something to post on Mommy Moments! LOL!

Samantha was barely 3 months here. This was her first visit to the park.
It was Spring then and we decided to visit the Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan.


Sleeping peacefully... I just love this soft blue jumpers and
polka dot baby blue blouse from Gap courtesy of my sister.


Home Buddy! In her stay-at-home clothes and in her sleepwear.


Almost one and showing off her teeth!

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When I Pig Out...

When was the last time I pigged out? I only get to do this when we eat with our Filipino friends and lots of yummy Filipino dishes are served. But I am on a diet now and pigging out is kind of not in my vocabulary.. But perhaps I have an excuse today because it is my birthday. Lol! I can treat and allow myself to pig out and eat what our friends will be bringing later today. Hehe!

We love sushi!


This was dessert: a creamy chocolate cake and green tea!

The last time I can remember that I really did pig out was when we were still in Japan and went to Kappa Sushi. I pigged out on sushi! I never realized that sushi is very good until that day. When I was pregnant, I couldn't bear the smell and taste of fish and I would (excuse me for the word) puke. So I only got to enjoy sushi when my little one came out. I don't have the luxury of eating sushi here in Germany because it is just too expensive. Perhaps when we get another chance to visit Japan, I will definitely visit the sushi bar!

The aftermath... Lol!

I wonder what the other girls are pigging on...

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The Best Friend There Is

Hubby and I go a long way back. We have known each other for 11 years now and although our marriage is not a perfect one, I can say that we have become each other's strengths. I can definitely say that my Hubby is my best friend... he knows me inside and out. He has seen me at my best and at my worst and loves me just the same. I hope that he also considers me as his best friend, considering that I give him a hard time most of the time. :D I guess I will just have to interview Hubby then, eh? Hmm...

He knows the smell of my utot (fart) :D, he knows my scent, he knows my profile even if I am part of a sea of people or in a crowd, he knows what my touches mean, he can tell my moods and would let me be or confront me with whatever is bothering me, he goes crazy each time I become my stubborn self, he appreciates me for all the little and big things, he affirms my being a wife and a mother, he shares to me his problems and and his plans, even the sometimes too technical realm of his job because he trusts me enough to share the confidential stuff that his very confidential work entails.

And all these are just part and parcel of why I feel so blessed, so happy and so thankful that I am married to this one amazing man who sometimes asks me the one question that I have so many answers of yet don't have the appropriate words to say: "Why do you love me?" Perhaps I can answer him: Because you are the bestest best friend there is!

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Isko The Shepherd

The Philippine Presidential Elections is just a couple of weeks away. If you are planning to vote this coming May 10, I hope that you do not waste your ballot. I hope that you will exercise your right to vote, march to your voting centers and vote WISELY. If you still haven't decided on your President and other officials, here's something that I received from my email that I thought might help you vote wisely:

Isko was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture in Masbate when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced toward him out of a cloud of dust.

The driver, a man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, RayBan sunglasses and Ferragamo tie, leaned out the window and asked Isko, "If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?

Isko looks at the man, then looks at his peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, "Sure, Why not?"

The man parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resoluti on photo.

The man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.

Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses an MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer, turns to Isko and says, "You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves."

"That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves," says Isko.

He watches the man select one of the animals and looks on with amusement as the man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Then Isko says to the man, "Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?"

The man thinks about it for a second and then says, "Okay, why not?"

"You're a Philippine Senator," says Isko.

"Wow! That's correct, but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required." says Isko. "You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked. You used millions worth of equipment trying to show me how much smarter than me you are; and you don't know a thing about how working people make a living - or about cows, for that matter. This is a herd of sheep...

Now give me back my dog."

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TCP May Theme

Well, what do you know... It is already the last week of April and come Saturday, it's going to be the 1st of May. Time for another round of new TCP themes. So what's cooking for all the Couchers?

May 4 - From A Book: Movies that were obviously based on novels.
May 11 - Numbers: Movies with titles that include numbers in them, i.e. District 9 or 50 First Dates.
May 18 - Apocalyptic: Movies that depict widespread devastation or doom; end of the world.
May 25 - It's All About Hugh: Movies starring English actor Hugh Grant. Maybe not all of us love him but you must have seen a film or two that he starred in.

If you have a suggestion for the themes for the coming months, do let me know. They certainly are most welcome!Just leave a comment on any of the TCP entries in this blog or send me an email.

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TCP#36: Dirty Dancing

Hello Couchers and welcome to the April 27th edition of Tuesday Couch Potatoes where we post about a movie each week. This week, slip on your Havaianas slippers and put on your most comfy summer clothes for some SUMMER FUN movies! This week's theme is all about vacations, adventures, and having the time of your life!

My pick for this week is Dirty Dancing, from legend actor Patrick Swayze (RIP) and Jennifer Grey. I simply just can't get over the song (I've Had The) Time of My Life and the suave dance moves that simply gave me the goosebumps.

This is the story of a 1950's family spending the holiday with her family at a camp in the mountains of upstate New York. The daughter, Baby (Jennifer Grey), begins to find a romantic interest in the most unlikely person – the camp’s dance instructor (Patrick Swayze). A tale of romance, drama and forbidden love, this summer tale has found its way into countless viewers’ hearts and will ensure that you have the time of your life. -SOURCE-
What's your SUMMER MOVIE? Come share it with us here on Tuesday Couch Potatoes by entering the link to your TCP entry in the MckLinky below:



That's it for this week's edition of TCP. Next week, May 4th, we will feature Novel-based films. Thank you for joining us this week. Till next Tuesday, Couchers... take care and Happy TCP!

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Happy Birthday Marce Gene!

My dearest Marce Gene is turning a year older today.... Did you know that she speaks Bisaya too? I just learned about it. Recently.

I just want to greet her a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today! May God grant the desires of your heart and keep you SAFE in His loving arms! Amping pirmi Marce Gene...

Just like fine wine, you grow better with the years.

Happy Birthday to someone who is forever young.

Visit her blogs today and give her some BIRTHDAY loving...

Her and History
Our Adventure Together
The Fashion Explorer
Tasty Exploration
Away From Home
Home Share

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Mommy Moments: RED!

RED is one of the colors that I like. I love it especially if someone like my Samantha wears this color especially in the holiday seasons. It simply looks good on her.

Here are some of my little one's latest photos in RED...

Playing with her wooden toys on a typical day.

The red carpeted stairs where she mastered her skills in climbing them.

Looks like she is all ready for school in her fuschia backpack and winter jacket.

And my favorite photo of her in RED when she was smaller...

Ain't she a darling?

Can't get enough of these REDs? Visit The Mommy Journey today for more kids in RED!

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Famous Soap Stars Living In The Philly Area

Did you know that many of the now famous Hollywood stars came from Philadelphia? Residents of the Philly apartments have invaded movies and television from many years. Some of the most famous stars like Maria Bello, David Boreanaz and many other TV actors and actresses have their roots in the city of Philadelphia.

As for soap stars, there is one prominent name that stands out among all the famous celebrities who lived in Philadelphia since their early years. Her name is Lisa Peluso.

Career
This immensely talented woman started her career at the age of nine. She starred in a Broadway play entitled ‘Gypsy’ with Angela Lansbury. She later blossomed into a famous TV actress and appeared on a lot of soap operas like:

• Loving
• One life to live
• Another world
• As the world turns
• Search for tomorrow

Her most famous character was that of Ava in ‘Loving’, which ran for about eight years from 1988 to 1995. After Loving, she appeared in many soap operas as a guest star. Despite her age, her acting prowess is still the best.

She also did some Broadway plays and movies. The actress starred in Saturday Night Fever opposite then budding actor John Travolta.

Personal Information
Lisa Peluso was born on July 29, 1964 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of Mary Peluso.

Later Career
She had appeared on many TV shows aside from her soap operas. She guest starred in ‘Designing Women’ along with Delta Burke and the entire cast of the series.

This just goes to show how talented actors from Philly are. You can always see them on TV and movies. As they say, you can never put a good man down. If you have the talent, you will always be remembered for years to come.

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I Belong...

Marce Pehpot's invitation that I be one of Sati's godmothers opened up lots of opportunities for me to network with other wonderful and fabulous Mommy bloggers. It also made me feel like I have a home in the blogniverse that I can truly say "I BELONG HERE"... thanks to this sisterhood that is popularly known as the MARCE CLUB. It is no surprise then that I get so many link love and visits, well wishes and encouraging words from them, be it publicly or privately.

Another perk of being part of the MARCE CLUB? You get wonderful awards such as this:


Thanks Marce Seiko for this beautiful award. The gift of the Marce Club's spirit of sisterhood is more than enough for me to survive the blogniverse. I am just so blessed to have you known you guys, albeit virtually.

To all my other Marces, this one goes to you guys!

Chris
Fedhz
Gene
Jade
Kaye
Liz
Mye
Niko
Pehpot
Yami

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Tiger Woods: Debt Consolidation after Divorce?

After the infidelity fiasco between the world renowned sports superstar Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren, comes the aftermath of the whole event. The scandal, the intrigues and the rumours that would circulate about this event would last for many years to come. At the feet, another chapter is being written about the storm. This chapter starts with the question “who will get the most out of the settlement?”

The All Important Answers:

According to Fox News, Nordegren allegedly signed a prenuptial agreement which entitles her to about $300,000,000 of the whole estate. This would be equal to about 10% of the whole fortune since Tiger is reportedly earning about four billion dollars a year. Most of his income comes from sponsorships.

Nike alone reportedly pays him one billion dollars a year. Therefore, 300,000,000 is apparently no problem for him. This is definitely not going to get him into debt. However, if he does not play his cards right, he might need to have meetings with the debt consolidation firms because not all his sponsors are willing to back him up. Even those who said that they would be willing to accept him still would limit his exposure because of the scandal.

Repercussions

Because of this, he may not be able to appear on television as often as before. Reputation really has a lot to do with celebrity career. This is the reason celebrities have to keep their reputation up, to maintain the trust of their fans and sponsors.

Tiger Woods may not have financial problems right now, but it would only be a matter of time before he does, if he does not handle his finances well. This scandal can serve as a lesson to him, and he should be more careful about his activities and their consequences.

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Girl Talk: Finger Food Is Always First!

This month's weekly themes for Girls Talk! is making me drool! This week, my dearest Anik asks the question: what FOOD do you pick out FIRST on a buffet or the food you ALWAYS go for if there’s a wide selection of food in front of you..

We seldom go out to eat in a BUFFET DINNER so that when the opportunity comes, I always see to it that I am HUNGRY... to get real value for me money. :D

Photo SOURCE

As for me, it will always have to be FINGER FOODS first: mini spring rolls, chips, dumplings, fried chicken, calamares... anything that serves as an appetizer and can be eaten easily.

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How Silver Can Assist The Small Sole Trader

Anyone trying to raise money for their small business is faced with a number of options. A fairly sound choice, but one that lacks any growth potential, is simply to borrow, whether from family, friends or a helpful bank. Such a loan can help a company to grow, but the pot will, inevitably, run out. Additionally, repaying the interest depletes one’s financial reserves, although, hopefully, such interest repayments will be covered by increased turnover and hence greater profit.

The next obvious recourse is to attract investors. There is much to be said for selling equity in one’s business, but it comes with the considerable drawback that those investors inevitably gain a say in the running of the concern.

A creative thinker will look outside the box. Even though a small one-person operation may be wholly unconnected with the activities of the financial world – ‘the – there exist opportunities worth exploring. Whether one’s business is a washing-machine repair shop, a teddy bear sewing kit franchise or holistic therapies, investing in silver futures is more accessible than might be imagined.

Raising money by speculating in a commodity is nothing new. It is surprising that more individuals haven’t been attracted as yet to silver futures. (That of course is one of the reasons that it is such an attractive prospect.) While you won’t get your hands on the metal itself, what – as an investor – you are acquiring are essentially contracts stating that a specified amount of silver will be bought at a future date for a pre-agreed sum. The knack lies in always being a buyer of those silver futures when silver prices look likely to go up and being a seller when that silver price looks set to fall.

If that sounds tricky, then one solution is to remove the mystique, as investors have done for decades, by allowing the nuts and bolts to be handled on your behalf by one of the many brokers or managers in the marketplace. With the plethora of information regarding forecast yields and past case histories on the web, taking the trouble to ‘get the gen’ on silvers futures could well be worth doing.

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It's Official!

Yes, it is official! I managed to get myself into Graduate School and I am ecstatic! Come September 2010, I am officially a student... if I SURVIVE the preparations! LOL! Sorry if I shared the good news here in this blog just now. I just didn't have much time to blog about it. I got my letter of admission days ago and only managed to blog about it today.

Please click on image to enlarge.

Now all I need to do is to submit my official TOEFL Internet-based results on or before July 31, 2010 and attend and pass the German Intensive Course which will start in September 2010. I also need to submit the Agreement Form by July 15th, 2010.

I have three dilemmas though. First, a hardcopy of my Official Scores has not yet arrived and it has been more than six weeks already. The ETS told me that delivery will be in four to six weeks and it's been long since due. Second, I want my name to be Ana Karenina P. Pera when I register so that means lots of documents to be changed starting with my passport. Third, I need to find a Day Care for Samantha so that I can leave her for the day while I study.

Now my head spinning and I am going crazy trying to figure out what to do first. But I know I should take things one at a time or else I would end up not accomplishing anything. Oh well, wish me luck guys! I hope I don't lose my head.

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Online Sports Betting

Many people do online sports betting, but not everyone is a sports bettor. The most important thing about a sports bettor is that, a good bettor always makes money by betting well. Amateurs may make a killing one day, but that will be nothing better than a fluke, unless the wins are regular. To win regularly, you have to learn the way of the good bettor and act accordingly.

In a table or any betting arena, the best bettor, the one with the most consistent wins, will almost always be the most knowledgeable person about that particular game, on that table. The bettor will also be passionate about the game he or she is betting on. Without a good deal of passion, there’s no real knowledge. You may know, but you won’t feel; and if you are a sports bettor who doesn’t have a feel for the game, as a priest used to say, “My son, you are doomed.”

A good sports bettor will try to spread his bets across the game. So, he may bet some of the money on the outcome of the game, some on performances of particular players, and maybe even some on the scores, score differences etc. In any game, perhaps the most predictable part is player performance, compared to other results. A good player will often perform well, but that never means that the game would be won. So, player performance may have low odds but high chances of winning. It’s a good betting idea to hedge your bet on sure shots like these. Also, some of the game statistics can be quite predictable. A bet on whether a team will reach 200 runs in a game can be much more easily predicted. Hence, they will pay you less if you bet on them, but they will at least pay you something. In this way, bettors will hedge against loses.

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All In A Day's Work

It was my last day at work...

I used to be a corporate slave. My world then before I joined Hubby was home-work-home-work. I tinkered with PET resins, PET preforms and PET bottles. My bestfriends were the gas chromatograph, the burst tester, caliper, universal testing machine, and sodium bicarbonate. Packaging production start was dependent on my test results and analysis so that I had to make the right decisions the first time. It was a tough job, very technical but I immensely enjoyed it.

Me with my colleagues at the Quality Assurance Department.

All of that changed when I moved in with Hubby and we started a new life together. I changed careers and concentrated on being a wife and a mother and Hubby is the main provider. Being a stay at home mom is very different work from what I am used to: very domesticated yet very challenging nonetheless. One has to balance the books and maintain the budget, keep the household running without running out of tissue paper and toothpaste and salt, keeping mealtimes something to look forward to - all this while trying to keep your sanity intact and your relationship "alive and kicking".

Hubby always calls when he is on his way home. He would always ask how we are and I would just summarize it for him and tell him some details when he has finally arrived home safely. I also would ask him how his day went. We would usually talk about our day during dinner or after I have done my chores. Of course, as a married couple, we all have our moments. If something at work was not right, he would share it with me and I would try to encourage him. Sometimes, things here at home stress me out too and because I am not the talking type, he would just let me be until I am ready to share with him. Hubby knows me inside and out, so that he can readily tell if something is bothering me or not. We do talk, after I have cleared my mind or after anger has subsided.

I think the other important things in a marriage, aside from love and respect, are open communication and being sensitive to each other's feelings. If the other one needs some space, it would be best to let them be for a while. Otherwise, words that are best left unspoken are spoken. And no, I do not "add insult to injury" especially when I know that Hubby has had a bad day. I don't want to add up to the burden.

How about you? Do you ever share how your day went work with your spouses? Share them with us!

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