A Housewife's Journal

shipping to PNG

2008-10-06T07:11:22Z

My brother miss 'bangus' (or milkfish) that comes from the Philippines. The last time one of his friends went back to PNG, he asked me to send him a couple of bangus bellies. Good thing I was able to find one that is vacuum sealed. When he got his 'pasalubong' he asked if I can find a courier or shipping that can bring 'bangus' to PNG. He thought of selling this stuff to fellow Filipinos there. I initially thought of FedEx since this is the most reliable courier that I can think of. But once I learned about the price that they offer, I thought of finding another option. I've read about the services being offered by futures trading. I hope to inquire from them and receive a reply within this week. I need a sideline, you know, and this is the opportunity that I am looking for

it's monday today

2008-10-06T07:02:56Z

Weekend has gone so fast... Yesterday, I spent the whole morning reading the first part of the e-book on Twilight Series. I was so engrossed that I didn't noticed the time and wasn't able to do other things. In the afternoon, we went to the grocery for our week's supply and later went to the church. As much as I wanted to sleep early, I wasn't able to do so (again) since my sis and I had a series of text exchanges regarding her wedding plans

To make up for my unfinished chores, I am starting early. I hope everyone have a great Monday and a great week ahead

i'm still up

2008-10-04T21:58:45Z

Few minutes before 12 midnight but I am still awake. I am still waiting for G to arrive. He has been working overtime (until around 2 in the morning) for the previous days. He arrives usually at around 3 in the morning. I know that it is not healthy for me and baby but I can't sleep thinking that G is still not home. To make up for the time that I am awake, I have been watching late night shows like documentaries. On other times, I also find time to drop EC cards or I look for simple designs that we can implement in our homes. I've already searched for curtains and light fixtures that we can put in our homes. I have been productive but I hope this won't last long. I hope that by next week everything will be back to normal... I hate this schedule really and it has even caused a little 'conflict' the past days

Wednesday happy thoughts

2008-10-02T07:41:18Z

For this week's Wednesday Happy Thoughts... here is my list:

1. healthy baby girl inside my tummy
2. additional work for G for the past days
3. great friends
4. wonderful and supportive parents
5. extra income for additional expenses
6. shopping for our baby girl's stuff
7. helpful salesladies during my shopping
8. cheese sticks and cheese burgers
9. internet and computers for keeping me sane
10. manang's wedding in few days time

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

happy Christmas

2008-10-04T21:52:14Z

It is only 84 days before Christmas. As Christmas approaches, I can't help but feel the excitement because the changes in my married life have been fulfilling. Aside from being a new mom soon, I also love the material gifts I've been blessed with. One of the recent blessings that we received is our home. I know how difficult it is renting your own place or living with someone else that is why I am very happy that we have a place we can all our own now...

On the other side, I also feel sad because of some incidents that I my mom told me lately. We have a family friend who's house was foreclosed because they were not able to pay their housing loan. The Foreclosure Advice came unexpectedly that they were not able to save for it. The loan modification they applied for was already late. I wish we can do something about it or at least help them prior to the event (something like a Foreclosure Prevention) but they didn't say anything about their problem.

I pray that we won't experience anything similar to this. We might have problems in making ends meet but still we'll try to really save for the amortization of our home... this is our first Christmas in our home and we hope to spend the next 50 Christmases on this same house.

the result is out...

2008-09-27T16:40:35Z

We had our monthly check-up last Thursday... and we had our ultrasound.

According to the result, we are having a ...

for more detailed kwento, please drop by our PRINCESS' blog

first Christmas

2008-09-27T16:42:42Z

Christmas 2008 is one of our many firsts in our relationship. This will be our first Christmas in our new home, first Christmas together (alone, since we are not celebrating it with either side of the family) and first Christmas with baby Gwenks (though she's still inside my tummy). You bet I am really excited about this but at the same time nervous. After 31 years of my existence, this is also the first time that I am preparing something alone for my family (though it will just be for the 2 of us). As early as now, I am already starting to search for some list of what I can prepare and cook. I have already tried searching for Christmas dinner recipes over the internet and so far, I can say that I am on the right track.

Don't worry, my requirements are simple since I don't want to mess with our first Christmas dinner. In case you have a special recipe that you would want to share, I'll be glad to learn it Promise, I am really open to suggestions...

practical tips and more

2008-09-27T16:43:11Z

As a SAHW, I always make it a point to look for sites that can make my life easier One of these sites is Doc Joey's Blog, Practical Tips and More. This site is very helpful... You can find anything from tips to recommendations to articles that can make life and living more fun.

In addition to these tips, it is also offering a raffle in honor of the site's 100th post. It is very easy to join...

In honor of this blog's 100th post anniversary, I am holding a raffle! The lucky winner will get a gift pack from Ethan's Store .

Unfortunately, this will only be available to those with Philippine addresses (because shipping outside the Philippines is too expensive for me).

Bloggers based outside the Philippines who have relatives and friends in the Philippines may also join, provided that they can give a Philippine address where the prize will be sent. So if you have relatives in the Philippines whose birthday is coming up, you may want to try to win a present!

The prize:
A gift pack consisting of
- Caliko Room and Linen Spray in Lavender
- Caliko Lavender Massage Oil
- Caliko Lavender Essence Burner Oil packed in a gift bag, with free courier delivery anywhere in the Philippines!

How to join:
1. Review my blog on your blog. Please make sure to link back to this site.
2. Make a comment on this blog that you have joined. Make sure to include the URL of the review that you have made.
3. This contest will run until October 25, 2008, 11:59PM Manila time. I will base the cutoff on the dates and times of the comments.
4. Drawing will be on October 26, 2008. Winners will be announced on this blog.
5. As mentioned above, please make sure you have a Philippine address where I can send the prize.

That's it! It's that simple!
*-*

what to use

2008-09-27T15:57:20Z

I have been experiencing frequent headaches lately. I am not really sure if it has something to do with pregnancy or with my eyes. It has been two years since I last had my eye check-up. I think my glasses are still okay but I am not really sure with it. The last time we were in the mall, I saw some glasses which were on sale. I would have checked it out since it is being offered with up to 50% discount. But on the other hand, I am still thinking if I should purchase a new set of contact lenses instead. (The last time I wore one was on my wedding, almost 3 years ago and I truly miss using one already).

I have to weigh which one I should buy in the future. I am not really comfortable with using the contact lens everyday, only on special occasions when I wanted to feel a little beautiful than usual. I still prefer the glasses since it is easier to maintain, especially when the baby comes out soon... hay hay hay... I'm torn

coffee break 1.37

2008-09-27T15:46:28Z

At first, I have this tendency to say that leaders are born. From what I've noticed, off-springs who are born to parent leaders tend to follow the footprints of their parents. But when I see leaders who are starting on their own, this makes me change my mind.

Now I can say that leaders are made. How? Through different aspects in their lives. There are those that are honed and developed with the help of their love for certain things. If a person has this goal to protect the environment or the government, he tends to give everything to support it. He tends to lead other people who can help him make his goals possible. Another way leaders are made is through their experiences. When they feel that it is time to lead and their experiences inspire them to do so.

As a whole, being a leader is made and formed with the will of the person. You can never bring out a leader from someone who doesn't have any interest with the goals.

debt consolidation

2008-09-27T13:24:04Z

I have been seeing Tips on 'How to Save' in different magazines and newspapers lately. I guess this is in line with the crisis that the whole world is experiencing now.

Among the tips that I've learned, its debt consolidation that I found most useful. I found out that when you consolidate your loans, you will be able to (1) reduce the interest rates for your debt. There are banks and financial companies that offers debt consolidation loans to interested individuals. Once you availed for the debt management plans you can eliminate or totally stop the interest rates added to your debt. Aside from this, you can also (2) pay lower monthly payments for your debt. Since you will need to pay lesser interest, this means that you will also pay lesser monthly dues. Lastly, since you will have a new scheme for your payment, you can already (3) restore your credit rating.

From these information, I think it is really time to start consolidating my debts (not that I have much to consolidate). Instead, I should use my credit card wisely, especially now that work has been very minimal. I have no other means of earning except for my online sideline. G's salary is just enough for our house's amortization and everyday expenses. All my earnings have been used for my maternity check-ups and medicines. We cannot make wrong moves since payday loan debt consolidation is not even an option for us. We have to really, really spend wisely.

I just hope that all my maternity benefits like ones from Philhealth and SSS will be given on time. This will surely help us much during my delivery... or else, I would really opt to use the credit card for our hospital bills. Then we would have to resort to consolidating our debts after.

christmas shopping

2008-09-22T17:18:48Z

93 days to go before Christmas. If I can have my way, I wanted to start shopping as early as now. I do not want to miss anyone on my checklist. But with the things are going and the expenses that we are expecting by the start of 2009, I think I have to limit my spending. I noticed that since there are times that my godchildren do not get their gifts, I might as well choose only those that I will really see and meet. This time, I might end up buying for 3 or 4 only since I won't be able to go home to Isabela for the season. Instead of buying gifts, I might just use the money to buy additional baby clothes for baby Gwenks.

I know that my godchildren will definitely miss me this year but I will surely just make up for my absence next year. I know they will understand

weekend again

2008-09-22T17:02:17Z

Today is Monday... Our weekend went so fast even if we woke up early on both days. Saturday was spent at home. We started the day watching Negosyong Swak na Swak and Salamat Doc. After that we ate breakfast and stayed online. While G was checking on one of our PC, I was watching my Koreanovela online (thanks to Milet for the link). He would watch it too. In the afternoon, we were scheduled to go to Sta. Rosa but were not able to go. We just watched TV again in the evening.

Sunday, we went to Sta. Rosa early. We forgot to call the office to ask them if someone can meet in us. In the end, the one in-charge with the move-in texted that she is not going to work that day. So we headed for the church instead. We were able to attend the 10am mass then later went to SM for lunch.

After eating at Goldilocks, we decided to window shop. G checked on some black shoes since his working shoes looks worn-out already (to think he just bought it a couple of months ago ) I wish I can buy him one of the Dansko shoes that I saw online. Maybe I can give it to him for Christmas...

Later we went to Booksale for some book hunting. We are trying to look for a bible book that we could read to baby Gwenks. We ended buying another pregnancy book instead. Before going home, we dropped by the grocery for our week's supply.

We went to SM at around 11 am and went home by 5:30. We were dead-tired after.

a frequent visitor

2008-09-20T12:49:41Z

Guess who has been reading my blog...

Yesterday, I got to talk with my youngest brother. He told me how he celebrated his birthday. He even uploaded the pictures they took during the celebration. He said that it was a just a simple get-together with his boys. 'Nagpainom lang sya ng konti', were his words. It has been a tradition in our shop that whenever he celebrates his birthday, we make sure that we celebrate it with these customers-turned-friends. Then out of a sudden, he asked why I didn't blog about his birthday. So I sent him the link, he later told me to add the video which he uploaded on Youtube for his older manong to watch also.

Here is the video with the boys singing... so far, hindi naman daw sila nalasing... unlike the previous birthdays that he had.

looking for a business loan?

2008-09-20T12:05:39Z

Is it recommended to apply for Business Loans now despite the economic crisis that the world is into? As a SAHW, I always try to look for opportunities where I can earn something even without going out of the house so often. One of the things that has entered into my mind is starting up a business. Since we are moving to a new subdivision where there is a good market, I think a sari-sari store or a mini-grocery is a good option to start with. Now, I am contemplating if it is worth taking Unsecured Business Loans.

I heard that Accommodative Financial Solutions is offering several types of loans for different needs. They provide minimal interest rates for Unsecured Small Business Loans which requires 24-48 hours approval. In addition to this, they do not require any collateral like home equity with the loans that you apply with them. If you are interested, as much as I do, you can contact them anytime.

I hope to come up with a decision before next week. I still have to prepare other things once I decide to finally push through...

waking time

2008-09-20T12:33:11Z

I have been up since 5am. The reason, 'wala lang nasanay na katawan ko'. During weekdays, I usually wake up early to prepare our breakfast and sometimes G's baon. This has been my routine since he started working in their Ortigas Head Office that even during weekends I still wake up early.

If I can only choose, I would like to extend my bedtime a little longer. I wanted to sleep next to G longer since we don't get to cuddle more during weekdays... at naiipit si baby :p

We'll just make up for it later tonight, maybe. We usually hit the bed earlier during weekends for our marathon tv shows...

happy Wednesday thoughts

2008-09-18T16:25:08Z

It's nice to think of happy thoughts when it is gloomy and raining outside...

Happiness is:
1. being able to travel a little farther north last weekend
2. attending G's moon cake festival, bringing home hopia
3. celebrating ading and daddy's birthdays
4. meeting G's officemates again after several months
5. sale at Robinson's Galleria
6. dollar's value going up, more remittance and bigger savings for siblings
7. diesel price rollback
8. eating cake and pizza for free
9. text message from DDC Land: Move-In clearance is already available
10. having better skin which means I can for go my acne treatment until I give birth

To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.

TV series I'd love to watch again

2008-09-18T16:02:35Z

I like this week's Coffee Break. When I saw it, I started running in my mind the television shows that kept me up at night (without my dad's knowledge).

Just like Jan, I am also an avid fan of McGyver. Who wouldn't love Richard Dean Anderson and intelligent but simple innovations. If my memory serves me right, I think it is usually shown every Monday at 7:30pm back then.

Another show that I love is Knight Rider. I like the action moves of David Hasselhoff and his car. I would also watch The A-Team but I not really a fan of it.

When I was in high school, I'd look forward to Mondays because this is the schedule of 21 Jump Street. The show stars Johnny Depp.

The TV show that I truly miss is BATIBOT. It may sound funny but I miss it to the max. I miss Pong Pagong, Kiko Matsing, Kuya Bodjie, Ate Shenna, Manang Bola and the rest of the cast. I would really love to see it on tv again. I learned most of the things that I knew now from that tv show...

Others in my list includes:
1. Beverly Hills 90210
2. Small Wonders
3. Friends

not so old picture

2008-09-18T15:22:47Z

It has been sometime since I last checked the pictures on our memory card. As I was deleting some pictures which were either blurred or out of proportion, I saw this one picture that G and I had when we went to Obando. If I remember it right, this is the only picture that we have together then because we were busy dancing in the streets and praying for our intentions. Going to Obando is our greatest accomplishment when it comes to TTC. We had planned to attend the festival last year but we were not able to push through because of lack of research on how to go to the place and other info. This year, I researched for it as early as February (I think). This picture is taken after the event, while we were resting inside the church. The activities for the day just ended so we were really tired then.

If I remember it right, Obando Festival is not just for couples who have been trying to conceive. This is also an event where single males and females can pray for a possible lifetime partner. In addition, the third day is for anyone who wanted to have more blessings. I think this is likewise applicable for individuals who wanted to start a new life (like those who had undergone alcohol rehab) and would want to continually change for the better. For me, faith is just like any drug treatment center out there, that when you choose to believe that you will be healed, you will be given this gift.

our home

2008-09-18T14:48:25Z

Finally, G received a text message yesterday from our housing developer. The text message contained the information that we have been waiting for. Our Move-In Clearance has already arrived... this means, we can now work with the application and installation of our Meralco line and water meter. If we can't ask for it to be installed immediately, then we will have to wait for another couple of weeks to a month Despite this, I am already looking forward to our moving in... finally, I can say that my long wait is over. It will just be in time for our 3rd Church Wedding Anniversary on October 29. This is the best gift ever that I received for our anniversary. With this gift is the freedom to do the things I've always wanted to do and to be. This also means that I can already be called the Queen of my Home.

Here are some pictures of our small home. We took this a month ago, when we had our initial inspection for the changes and improvements. It is still bare but anything will do, as long as we can move in and I can start with my thing.