Halloween Party at Bayan

We just came back from a Hallowen Trick or Treat held at our office and I am happy to say it was a fun-filled (and tiring!) day.

It was a very succesful event this year considering the number of kids joined was overwhelming compared to previous years event.

Kudos to our HR team who made sure that the kids had fun by providing entertainment such as clown host, games and magic show. The best part ... trick or treatin' parade from various department/divisions of Bayantel.

Sam went home with tons of loots! In fact, a big plastic bag full of candies, lollipops, jellies and chips! Can't wait for her to join next year.

Sam's pictures while waiting for the program to start














Trick or Treatin' with Jody and Margaux....

Overwhelmed with the Magic Show

Oh no, crying lady bug again...Sammie got scared with the clown host.

Christmas at October?

Yes, our Christmas tree was already adorned with red and gold matte trimmings as early as October 28!

Uber excited?!?

No… it’s just that with Sam’s party to be held at our residence this coming Sunday makes me more OC by filling up “gap or idle spaces” inside our house. Hahaha!

Hubby was forced to help me set up our Christmas tree yesterday and he can’t believe that we are actually setting up the tree this early…tsk!tsk! nauna pa sa All Saint’s Day! Hahaha!

Anyway, here’s our semi-finished Christmas tree with Sam’s tarp ready for the party.

Party Preps Update

Barely one week to go for Sam’s 3rd birthday party.

Mommy is very much excited and worried since it’s been raining for the past weekends non-stop. I’m already contemplating of getting tents as back up, but thinking about the additional expense, it made me think twice! My other back up plan is to seek help from the Big Man up there by offering prayers and eggs to monastery of Sta. Clara :) Wow, great back up plan huh! lol. :)

Budget wise, I am already way beyond my original budget… as always! I just noticed the other day that I am close to 30% above my target expenses. Shocks… the small, petty things like pabitin toys, give-aways and prizes bought months back was a surprise when I started adding them up. Hah!! Talk about being uber excited! :) Good thing cash flow was manageable since I was able to provide partial payments to suppliers ahead of time.

So with barely one week to go, what have I accomplished so far?

… party invitations sent out (still for completion this week!)
… suppliers mostly paid already with minimal balance left as service guarantee.
… last minute party details coordinated with Jelly Bellies and Josiah’s.
… cupcakes finalized from Elaine Shih (need to remind her cake stand rental)
… pabitin toys, piñata candies, balloon burst prizes and lootbag goodies with thank you tags already completed.
… themed lilo and stitch tarps printed and already delivered.
… 30 pcs balloon burst prizes already wrapped.

Still pending…
… final decision if to get party host (been delaying this for weeks now!)
… themed piñata design from Apple (N@W)
… pabitin toys awaiting for set up.
… cookie lollies tokens for older kids – need to confirm this order asap!
… remind the village security for traffic re-routing.
… decision on tents, tents and tents! Need to check weather forecast by Thursday.

Yes, still cramming… Well, I almost forgot these things since I’ve been very busy lately! Hahaha! But no worries…I’m certain everything will fall into its proper places on the day of the event. *cross fingers*

Wish me luck! :)

Our guestroom cum stock room for Sam's party favors

tagged by Joy

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Mike. He promised to paint our perimeter fence tomorrow…and I doubt it! Hahaha!
2. What were you doing at 0800? Sleeping soundly.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Blogging
4. What happened to you in 2006? Busy with house planning and construction.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Honey, need help please!
6. How many beverages did you have today? Lots of diet coke.
7. What color is your hairbrush? Black Denman hairbrush with black bristles
8. What was the last thing you paid for? Kare-kare take-out for lunch
9. Where were you last night? Dinner with hubby at Seaside Dampa Ortigas, yummy! :)
10. What color is your front door? Dark brown.
11. Where do you keep your change? In a bowl, top of the stairs.
12. What’s the weather like today? Kinda sunny.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Mango
14. What excites you? Party planning, travel/trips and shopping for myself.
15. Do you want to cut your hair? Nope.
16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes
17. Do you talk a lot? Yes
18. Do you watch the O.C.? No.
19. Do you know anyone named Steven? None.
20. Do you make up your own words? No.
21. Are you a jealous person? Not so.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Anne
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Kaye
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? Raymond, my brother.
25. What does the last text message you received say? “I’m on my way na” - - from my brother.
26. Do you chew on your straw? No.
27. Do you have curly hair? No.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? House hunting at Cavite and Sta. Rosa on Monday.
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Hubby’s uncle. Aaargghh!
30. What was the last thing you ate? Keebler’s Chocolate Cookie Chip.
31. Will you get married in the future? Already married.
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Pirates of the Carribean at the World’s End
33. Is there anyone you like right now? Hubby…. Kinda extra sweet lately.
34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Weeks ago.
35. Are you currently depressed? No.
36. Did you cry today? No.
37. Why did you answer and post this? I was tagged by Joy, thanks dear! :)

Halloween Trick or Treat

Just would like to share Sam’s Halloween Trick or Treat activity at Fairchild Learning Center last Friday.

I got so inspired with Sophia’s (of Jane) bumble bee costume. Hence, when I saw the lady bug costume at Rustan’s, I immediately bought it for Sam. Got other complementary pieces from SM for black tights, leotards and knee high (red and white) socks.

Mind you, total costume spent P649.00 only. Hahaha! Tipid Mommy! :)

The night before the event, costume fitting photo sessions:




Junior Class Trick or Treat



Crying lady bug....


Yummy Halloween Treat with pasta and cake

Cool Mom Award

Thank you Mich for the "cool" Mom award!



Hope I can live up to it and really be super cool Mom to Ico and Sam! :)

Passing this award to other cool Moms I know: Jane, Jen, Joy, Peachy and Jody.

LV Happy .... end of my quest!

Remember I posted before that I was so desperate to get the Neverfull bag from LV?

Been trying to get the bag anywhere in Asia, but no luck... can't find the bag from LV Manila, HK, SNG and Bangkok! Tried asking my boss to get it from Vegas last month, but sad to say... no available stock as well.

Jen (fellow blogger) even offered to buy the Neverfull bag from SanFo, but was so dyahe to ask her uncle to bring my bag straight from Alaska! (thanks, Jen!)

My only hope was to get it from LV E-luxury website and have it shipped here in Manila thru my aunt's balikbayan box from NY. But after several site visits... the Neverfull bag was no longer available. OUT OF STOCK when I was about to click "buy now" button. Wow, really ironic, huh!

Out of frustration (and desperation), I went to LV Greenbelt the next day... checked some LV bags and decided to buy the next best thing I could get. I bought the LV Batignolles Vertical in less than 20 minutes.




Yes, very impulsive buy!! Kinda pricey especially I know for a fact that the LV bags here in Manila costs P7K more compared to other Asian countries. But what the heck, I want to go home that day with my LV bag!! :) Very, very bad!!

And so my LV Neverfull saga ends... Neverfull MM became NeverNA talaga! Hahaha!

But believe me... really happy and satisfied with my new LV Batignolles Vertical bag. I really felt damned good that day! The feeling.... priceless! Hahaha!

Oh by the way, my friend from HK told me he could get me another LV bag by November 8... I am so tempted!!! I am thinking of getting hand carry (Speedy 30) LV bag this time. Haay... very addicting vice! :)

Friendly Site Awards

Got this friendly site award from Jane, Jade and Yvetchie.

Thank you so much for this award.

You really made me smile today! :)

Blog Tags Marahon

Been out for several days and I owe you guys answers to your blog questions.

Well, here it goes….

From Jade: What will be your Christmas gift for your husbands?

No idea… I haven’t given considerable thought yet, very bad! :)

But now that you’ve asked, I might get him new office shoes. Or get him new shirts again this year since I saw him weeks ago looking at the new striped shirts from Lacoste. Bahala na! :)

From Erika: What is your most expensive purchase with your own money? Walang daya?!

My 1-carat diamond stud earrings! Hehehe! Grabe, really saved for this one! Hubby never knew the exact price of my earrings...til now! Hahaha! And I kept it from him since 2003 pa! If he finds out… he will kill me! lol.

From Jane: How much are you willing to spend for a designer bag?

I never thought I’ll spend so much for a bag! I started buying affordable and nice designer bags before like Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Esprit, Benetton/UCB, Nine West and Guess.

Then I moved to Nine West, Kenneth Cole and Coach bags.

And just this year, I am into LV and Gucci bags. Very bad!

For now… think $1K will be my maximum budget. Promise! :)

From Kelly: Which local or foreign celebrity best describes your style?

Since I got “big”, I prefer low-maintenance style. That is simple, traditional, safe and conservative get-up. Boring it may be, but I think I outgrew my passion for fashion! Hahaha! Think it comes with age… my usual outfit: jeans and shirts. I guess, I am more of Jennifer Aniston... Taray di ba!?! lol.

From Yvetchie: What’s inside your bag?

Today, I used my black Coach bag for work.

What's inside? Make up kit, Denman black hair brush, D&G Light blue perfume, Johnson’s baby cologne, tissue pack, wallet, mobile phone (N6300), Bayan wireless landline phone (BWL), pens, company id, car keys, small plastic envelope for my receipts.

From Jody: 7 List

Instructions: Each player starts with 7 random habits/facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your
blog!

• I love to travel. Given the financial freedom, would really love to go to places. Europe will top my must-see destination.
• Love going to malls. Shopping or malling is one of my favorite pastime and stress therapy too!
• I am a frustrated ballet dancer. I wanted to learn ballet when I was young but my parents cannot afford to send me to ballet school. Truly envy my friends who attended ballet class. So I promise myself if ever I have a baby girl, I will send her to ballet school. (hahaha! talk about passing your frustrations to your kid!)
• I want to learn how to bake. I already bought baking gadgets but can’t find time (and too lazy!) to bake. My ultimate dream, Sam and I baking together chocolate cookies every Sunday afternoon.
• I am a left-handed person.
• I love to eat "street foods". Be it pork barbecue, pork isaw, chicken feet, IUD, ihaw tenga etc... suki ako! My fave tambayan: UP Kalayaan dorm and UP Beach house.
• I don't eat "dinuguan". Nope, I am not Iglesia but my Mom was an Iglesia once. She never cooked dinuguan at home and since then, I m not used to eating dinuguan. Wala lang!

Can't think of tagging anyone... think I'm the last blogger who was given question tags. Naiwan ako...Hahaha!

Hi ho, hi ho...we're off to Cagayan de Oro!

It's our annual party for our valued-clients, and this year, we will celebrate with fun and style at Cagayan de Oro! It will be a three-day affair of golf (and gulp!), festivities and city tour courtesy of our company as an uber treat to our top corporate clients.

I just can't wait...this is my first visit to CDO and I am so excited to see DOLE Farm (heard the steak, really really yummy!), enjoy white water rafting, trekking at Macahambus Hill and enjoy the scenic city tour! Best of all, taste the yummy food of Cagayan! Pina ham and pastel bread! Yum, yum, yum!! :)

And, our official party place will be at Hotel Koresco with golf tournament at Pueblo de Oro! Hmmm... sweet escape treat for the clients!

Christmas Wish List : Bloggers Christmas Party

For Bloggers Christmas Party on November 11.

1. Chunky Chips Ahoy! : My favorite! Actually, I've been planning to get this since last week, but I feel so guilty buying it. I know I need to control my "sweet" cravings since I am already "big" ... but, if it's a gift... I won't feel bad eating it! Hahaha!(hugas kamay pa!)

2. Body Shop: Lip and Cheek Tint OR Liquid Eyeliner - My essential MUST-haves inside my kikay kit! I hoard the lip and cheek tint especially if Buy 1 Take 1 Promo. Hahaha!

3. Foot Spa Home Kit : Love pampering thy feet! Hehehe! scrub, mint, foot lotion etc...

4. Picture Frames : can't stop collecting these! :) Preferably 4R or 5R and brown in color.

Really enjoyed doing this... See you all! :)

I Am Fabulous Award

Thanks N!ce for this Fabulous award!

Really thankful to be considered a FAB Mom! Whooaaa! :)




Passing the FAB award to other cool blogger Moms: Jen, Joy, Jade (ni Omar) and Peachy

A Halloween Treat

Got this cutie Halloween Treat from my new blog friend, Yvetchie.

Truly appreciate and thankful with this treat! :)



Don't just choose your friends making this cliquish and 'just groupies'...Make NEW friends by choosing random visitors!!!.

Hence, I am passing this Halloween treat to : Erika, Kitty, Melisse and Kathycot.

Why I'm Annoying ... The husband speaks!

Think it would be better if the husband answer this. Syempre, I am biased noh! LOL! Here’s what my hubby has to say:
note: believe me, unedited version ito ha! I really asked him to do this tag :)

What happened? : This is what she always ask when something happens … even if the answer is obvious & glaring at her face. Seems that a confirmation is always a requirement.

Told you so!: Somehow, it’s never her fault. In everything that happened, someone is to blame … except her. Talk about passing the buck :) She never runs out of comment (and side comments) even if the discussion is about, say, politics.

Conspiracy Theory : For somebody who loves to read, she has an explanation for everything … as in everything. And that’s why we rarely watch the news … politics & her theories sometimes don’t jive :) It’s a good thing though that its just me hearing it.

Connect the dots : She has a God-given talent of making all things connected. Even how independent/separate two incidents are … somehow there’s a (bizarre) connecting between the two.

Honey, which is better? : For her it’s always about choices. Everything boils down to two options … and, mind you, she won’t rest until she gets an answer. Although she has made up her mind on the issue … still she would ask for your opinion (talk about democracy!). But when you make a choice … she would always have a comment about it.

An Excuse for all seasons : Whenever a confrontation happened, she never runs out of excuses … even to a point that she would say that the reason she’s buying something is because she was “deprived” when she was a kid. And since when that was related?! :) Come to think of it, she always gets away with it!

“Really?” : Often times, she would ask a not-so-mind-challenging question, which requires a not-so-mind-challenging answer. But even with all the sarcastic emotion-less response made … she would still say, “Really?” Aaarrrgghhh!!!! :)

Saving for the wrong reasons : Whenever we do our monthly grocery, she would always see to it that we save a few bucks on buying “bundled” or “promo” products. Thrift, I would say. Even emphasizing how much savings is being realized. But when it comes to buying certain things that requires serious consultation … expensive bags, watch, appliance etc…those things are bought on instinct! :) Of course, savings is non-existent during these times.

Jacqui: Ok…ok… fine, my fault na nga… pero, sometimes lang ha! lol.
That’s why I love you Honey, you always let me win and let me off the hook easily… or… too tired to argue since you know you’ll never win, anyway? Thanks Honey for doing this tag! :)

Thanks for the tag, Joy.
My husband enjoyed doing this! Hahaha! :)

another Egel Nest Blog Award...

Thanks abie for another Egel Nest Blog Award! :)

Truly made me smile today... More reasons why I love blogging! :)

and now Mommy is sick too...

Ayan, because of my tender loving care... Mommy is sick too!

I did not report for work the past two days. Had fever, headaches and bad colds. Sam enjoyed every minute of me at home. We just stayed in our bedroom watched DVDs together : Elmo , Barney, Dora and Baby Einstein! Pinatulan namin lahat ng re-runs DVD!

I've been dying to open my blog but the headache is too much for me. I feel so weak and drowsy and I can't barely look at my homepage. Been sneezing like hell that it hurts everytime I sneezed. Too much sneezing not good, believe me!

Funny because Sam's under nebulizer treatment and got a dose of it as well.

The good news...Sam is already ok. Little cough left, but definitely ok and back to her usual self. She'll be back na tomorrow at school.

Me...well, I need to go back to work! I reported for work today but still not on my top shape!

Also, as I am typing my blog entry now, I can hear Daddy sneezing at the background! Think he got bitten by Sam's virus too. Hahaha!

sick girl

Samantha was sick since yesterday. Her fever, between 38-39C for the past two days. She won't eat and she's been so extra clingy to Mommy. Obviously, nag-lalambing!

We brought her to Medical City ER, just to be safe. We were surprised to see ER was full and we were on waitlist for available bed. Grabe, puro kids talaga with fever! Parang may epidemic nga at the hospital!

When the nurse got Sam's temp, it was 40.3C. This prompted the nurse to endorse us immediately to the resident doctor. We were prioritized and given the next available bed for Sam to lie down. She was as given paracetamol and was asked to apply cold sponge bath to subside the fever. After three hours, Sam’s temperature went down to 38.4C. As per her doctor, it is still too early to give her the CBC plate count. The result will be negative since it will take three days for any infection to manifest.We were then advised to go home and observe should there be any changes on Sam’s condition.

As first-aid solution, round the clock paracetamol should be continued. Also, since they noticed she has slight cough and colds, they requested to give Sam nebulizer treatment at home to ease her breathing and nose congestion.

As per my last reading, Sam’s temp already down to 36.4C. She already ate tinola for dinner and now slightly back to her usual self, watching Elmo DVD. Sam’s condition already improved and slowly recuperating from fever.

I think it was Mommy’s tender loving care helped. I didn’t report for work today and just stayed with her to attend to all her lambings. Hopefully, she gets better soon. Kawawa naman Sammie! :(

New Baby

Nope, I am not pregnant… no new addition to the family!

But, got myself a new baby…. My new Nokia 6300 mobile phone! Yehheey! Finally, I was able to upgrade my phone after two years. Hahaha!

I am not a techie gadget-type person, but I love everything about this phone. Aside from its usual mobile phone function, it has integrated MP3 player and stereo FM radio. Nice camera with 2 mega pixel quality and 8x digital zoom. And you can take great videos too! Really cool, huh! :)

And best of all, it is very stylish, sleek with matte stainless steel finish. Elegant looking! Simple and easy to use and… very affordable too! (real winner for non-techie person like me, promise!)




So there you go…out of my frustrations to get myself new LV bag (still, no available stock btw!), I opted to upgrade my mobile phone instead. Hah!

Gosh! I can’t stop spending …mauubos ko na budget ko for my LV bag! lol.

Samantha School Updates

Sam officially started schooling October 1 at Fairchild Learning Center.

One week passed and we are surprised with the changes that happened to her. It seems she emotionally matured overnight! Well, that is an overstatement. But, really we were able to clearly see lots of changes on her with just one week of school time. :)

As per Teacher Wendy, Samantha already displays readiness for school. Her attention span was longer compared to her previous summer class. She can now follow simple instructions and can participate well with class activities. She has become quite independent in school and as a matter of fact, displays no qualms when no “yaya” with her on her first day. She also interacts freely and plays well with her fellow classmates. Though sometimes they noticed, she’s so picky with her school snacks that she sometimes prefers not to eat. Overall, Samantha displays the eagerness and willingness to learn.

On our end, we see how independent she had become. She’ll play alone and get things she needs without asking help from us or yaya. You can leave her alone watching or playing, and expect that she’ll never get bored. She can easily entertain herself with other little things. At night, before we sleep, we would usually hear her sing their farewell song (may last song syndrome lagi!) and sometimes after praying, she’ll talk non-stop until she reach the portion when teacher would ask them to sit! lol! Mine-memorize sinabi ng teacher.

and for her school outfits….
I opened her cabinet the other day and saw that she’s got plenty of unworn dresses. Funny because aside that she had outgrown these, most of it with tag labels pa!

Haay…sayang lang... and naka-liitan na talaga!

You see, Sam’s usual get up either pair of shorts or jeans with matching cutie shirt top, and her crocs. That’s it! Very simple, cool and low maintenance girl! Hahaha! :)

Though sometimes, really lovely to see her wear dress… so girly! :)

Red Drama Day!

Don't you just love my red shoes? :) Got this few weeks back from Charles and Keith, Trinoma and just loved the striking patent color and sandal wedge-style. So lovely! :)

Really made me smile and feel sexy all day yesterday! Hahaha! Bakit ba, care nila! :)

Anyway, Friday was a happy and splurge-free day with my red shoes and red bag!(Thanks Colleen for the practical bag from SNG!)

Can't wait to wear them again next week with my drama outfit.... all black attire with striking red shoes! Hah, can't wait! :)

Egel Nest Blog Award

Thanks Jane for this blog award...I am so touched, really! :)
Your award made me smile and feel proud of my blog!




Brad Egel originally created this award and started the egg rolling to pass the love around. Sharing the Egel love nest to my fellow Mommy bloggers Jackie, Yen, Toni and Nice

still sleeping...

I just can’t resist taking picture of Sam and Daddy while sleeping…




This is how my two babies sleep on a weekend…. So peaceful and funny! Look at Sam’s favorite sleeping position… nakatuwad pa! Hahaha!

Both of them still sleeping while Mommy busy preparing yummy lunch! (Sam's fave: shrimp sinigang, Daddy 's favorite: Inihaw na Liempo)

Still sleeping....and to think I took this picture at 11:20am!!

Party Preps for MIL

I was tapped by my lovable MIL to help her organize her 60th birthday party this coming December. Isn't that great! :) Party planning again for me ... but this time, MIL’s budget! :)

She asked me to help her prepare for 150 guests who are mostly co-teachers, close friends and relatives. It will be simple party to be held at their residence, but I wanted to ensure that everything would be “simply perfect” for her… wow, pressure! Hahaha! Rarely does my MIL celebrate this “big” and I wanted it to be truly special and memorable for her.

I’ve got lost of birthday gimmicks and surprises lined up for her and I can’t wait to share all these. Almost every night I would make kulit to hubby, sharing different party ideas and verify MIL’s preferences. He would always say, “ooopsss, bakit kasama kami dyan?” or “mas excited ka pa sa Mommy ko ah!” Hahaha! True, I am really excited for her. Bakit ba?! :)

I guess my excitement was so contagious that I was able to influence my MIL to shift to party mode immediately. Surprisingly, she asked for my favorite curtain maker last weekend and asked for new curtain design for their home. She told my curtain maker that she wanted to change all her old (lace curtains, hehehe!) to a new design like mine. She wanted the grommet-style curtains this time in preparation for the festivities this coming December. She liked daw how my curtains made, simple and yet elegant looking. (Naaks…syempre, deep inside happy ako kasi she’s proud how I fix our home!)

So… off to Larry’s curtain again this weekend at Divisoria with MIL :) Bonding moments again… and si hubby, “Oh no… Mommy and Jacqui together = longer shopping time! lol.