i cooked a Turkey!

i wanted to make this year's Thanksgiving a special one so my husband and i decided to cook our own turkey but quite apprehensive at first because i haven't done it before. i heard a lot of failures when they tried cooking their own but Alton Brown made me confident to try it. i watched his how-to video through foodnetwork site and absorbed his step by step method to make sure i wont fail this. the Nicolaisens joined us to celebrate the thanksgiving by the way. i started the preparation a day before the thanksgiving by brining the 10 lb turkey. i followed the measurement for the brine ingredients and transferred the whole thing in the bucket to totally soak the bird. i let it stand overnight and the day of thanksgiving i started baking around 10am after i finished cooking my beef stew (i so love!)... baked the bird for almost three hours until the bird reached 161'F. after the bird is done, i baked the green bean casserole and the whole wheat pecan bread.

i waited and yes a bit terrified for the outcome of turkey so i made sure there are beef stew and green bean casserole so there will main course to serve in case the turkey will fail. so three hours have passed, checked the bird's temperature and took it out from the oven. visually it passed meaning it has a golden but not burned color... i sliced some from leg portion and ... my! it's perfect!...perfectly cooked, savory, moist and tasty... the brine did the wonder.

my husband carved the turkey and everyone has some in our plate topped with gravy that Henrik made himself in the last minute. everyone enjoyed the bird!

and me... of course was feeling good, i call it the first-timer's luck. i'd like to share some tips to store the left-over food because definitely there will be a lot, which i love for my turkey panini. what i did is took out the bones of turkey so it will fit with pyrex container. i baked the green bean casserole with pyrex pan then serve with it too and stored also with it. investing on pyrex is really a helpful and convenient way since you can warm those in the oven and directly serve in the table since it's presentable as well. after the gathering, just place its cover and store in the fridge, easy!... we got a set from costco for $29 and has variety of sizes with corresponding lids, it has something for pie & bread pan too!. the set is called bake and store since all are oven and microwave safe.

i hope everyone had a nice thanksgiving... personally, this is a very good year for me. the very reason for me to be grateful!

my early day with Vampires (11-20-09)

it was Twilight the movie that started it all... my going gaga to the four series of Stephenie Meyer's book. i was able to watch Twilight "by accident", it was last December of 2008 when i had those nothing-to-do moments and that was when my husband was in east coast for a short project in New Jersey. so, i decided to watch a movie and i believe that was the second week of showing in theaters so there's no queue at all, just a normal flow but low and behold the room is still full!... i fell in love with the story, maybe because it was a stress-free movie and the kind of love story that i know is impossible... it made me get away from real world even for awhile. if others can get this feeling out of meditation and yoga; however, this was my way.

as soon as i got out of the theater, i went straight to Borders which is strategically located below the theater level! since i was looking forward for the sequel i bought the second book- New Moon. After reading New Moon, i just develop a thirst to finish the rest of the series which i didn't have yet until my husband gifted me a complete series in hard-bound copy!... it was such a delight and something i consider collectible and maybe my future daughter will gladly read.

i read all four books in a matter of seven days i believe, got engrossed every night that my hubby have to scold me to sleep. yesterday, was the first day of New Moon, i watched for 2:45 show, luckily no queue yet but as expected it's full!. i was happy with the movie but i must say that Taylor acts well that Robert but anyways this is not an Indie movie that you need to be objective about the quality or about the actors/actresses. this is meant to be a fun movie, an entertaining movie. when i got out of the theater, there!.... 4 different queues for various time schedule!. it was crazy! i just am glad i was not able to fall in line!. getting an early time is the wise decision. there's only one thing that i can't understand in theaters, the pricey popcorn and soda!... hell! it's too much!.. so i brought my own chips.

looking forward for Eclipse, this is actually my favorite book amongst the four series. since Edward proposed already in New Moon... yes! there will be a honey moon!

high five with Jay Leno

i got a chance to see the live show of Jay Leno yesterday, 11-05. it was in studio 11 of NBC vicinity in Burbank. oh boy!... i sure did enjoy every bit of experience and hey!... me and my hubby were seated in center isle, very close to the stage where we got a privilege to high five Jay at the beginning of the show. shallow?... not for me!

my hubby and i are avid fan of Jay, it's usually the last show we watch before hitting the sack. i admire him as a comedian, his marriage for 29 years, his unsullied reputation (hopefully he won't follow the footstep of David Letterman's scandal). so we patiently waited for us to get in the studio, it was organized i must say. 'til we passed the security check and as we were walking to the seats, one of the crews directed us to the front center area, lovely!.

while waiting to start the show, Jay just popped out from back stage wearing a casual dress and he came without the air of arrogance nor star attitude at all. he welcomed everyone and those who want to ask something or take a picture with him were given a chance. i was not that bold to do it but will definitely be next time.

i got disappointed with Chelsea Handler although she's really funny, her off camera persona is not at all admirable, exactly opposite of what i saw with Jay. He is a good man on and off camera. no wonder this man was able to stay in his stature of success and very much love by many. he deserve every bit of his success and i'm glad he still got a show, he's a gem amongst the NBC talent.

the comic part really caught my attention, the stand-up comedian's name is Sebastian Maniscalco... he is effectively a very good comic, his facial expression, his actuation and script are indeed funny. i can't stop laughing all throughout his skit. i am interested to watch his future shows because somehow i find other comedians quite corny.

being an audience with Jay Leno's show is worth an experience. he ought to be called a Star. i hope his show will last!

not a live show for me... Chelsea!

i was one of the audience in the live show taping of Chelsea Lately. prior to seeing her live show... i find her funny, i like watching her on tv, it's very entertaining to watch her show, relaxing i may say. today, after the watching the show the verdict is... i will never be an audience of her live taping. i have lots of reasons!

• camera equipments blocks my view (i hardly saw her)
  
• i could hardly hear her talking
• all audience are asked to clap 90% of the time (making my hands numb by the way)
• we are forced to laugh A LOT (the thing that i hate most)... i will laugh if i find it funny
• long waiting time
• the show is too short for that long wait
  

i am very observant... yes you can't underestimate me. i observed things i don't like and it all start in the queue while waiting to enter the studio. i noticed a wandering eyes, i hate wandering eyes especially with a guy who is with his wife. it's a big insult for a woman whose husband can't control staring at other woman for the fact that the wife is beside him. i don't tolerate this habit and for you women out there remember... never trust guys with wandering eyes. for men out there, give due respect with the woman you're with, if you think your partner does not notice your drooling eyes well you're wrong. be careful with your actions because when women builds courage to trash your face... it will be worse than you can imagine... unless your woman is dumb and illiterate, you will be tolerated.

i will still watch her show... but only in the comfort of my home. chelsea is still funny for me by the way.

Best-seller of the week!

this week's most saleable favors is the Baby Angel with Cross... a lovely giveaways in which we offer blue and pink colors relevant for the gender of your tiny celebrant. it's been a week of packing for baptism events!, it's a figurine baby angel with an intricate cross at the side accompanied with sheep underneath is a chunk of cloud. indeed the unblemished parallelism to every baby celebrant. don't forget the wreath... it simply polished the irresistible visage of this favor.

the material is totally durable so surely this piece will last a lifetime. baptism is one of the important events in a christian life. it's the official occurrence for one to take part the duty that every christian beholds. it's a parent's obligation if they opt to have their child to be a part of their religious practice. family and friends share the auspicious day with the baby's parent and godparents are mandatory in this rite. a feast may it big or small is a way to celebrate it after the rite is consummated.

a happy celebration, a happy rite indeed... the child may not be able to feel nor understand it but this is a vital part in child's foundation on the aspect of religious awareness from then onwards to adulthood. it's but right to be thankful... for having the acceptance of the rite, for the friends and family sharing the important event and above all is the gift of having a child.

show gratitude through a memento by a favors of your choice.

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movie date

Law Abiding Citizen... starred by Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx. movie that's unreal but sure was not dull. i understood the hatred and anger of Gerard in the beginning of the movie but halfway along the movie his act of revenge is too gruesome that it does not justify anymore his loss. gruesome is even an understatement... it was an ill vengeance ... lots of innocent people tasted his undue amok but Darby it.

this is a significant day for me. i received something (not really unexpected) because i've been waiting for it... although it arrived much earlier. my husband and i celebrated at Islands and a pumpkin cake for me!

had a funny talk again with my niece kyra... made me really laugh so hard. she confided something that made her mom yelled frantically about the word kyra mentioned... unknowingly, she thought mom is not listening... hahahaha. mommy ingrid is in red alert. i'm glad we have kyra, must've been so boring. kyra is my constant text mate... yes, she got her own prepaid cell phone, she's six and i got my mine when i was 22?

a very happy day!

a short course for me

i have started my five-session course for Adobe Photoshop Elements... a 3-hour class on mondays. was only convinced first by my husband but i realized that this is very useful for Whims and Likes. i woke up by 7:30am... prepared myself with warm shower, it's been a chilly morning, had a wonderful breakfast prepared by hubby. it was only a 7-minute drive from home... class starts by 9am.

my professor is very articulate and she explains things exquisitely which is very important since software involves a lot of technicalities and software jargon. the computer lab uses Macintosh... i use pc and so are the rest of the class. Dr. Jill Kiefer, the instructor, suggested that it's better to bring our own laptops to better familiarize with our own equipment ... will gladly do!

http://www.pvartcenter.org/education.htm

today the subject is more of layers... having to unlock the image in order to apply the editing process. i had been using the software for more than a year now but i haven't widely use the vast commands i can take advantage of for the pictures in our website.

i sure am glad in taking this class, making use of my time before i go back to my career and most importantly is very beneficial in our business. looking forward for my next session and this time with a quarter!... it's a cost of coffee by the way, hehehehe.

the picture-perfect bride to be

she was with the Man in the Moon, she's probably Legally Blond but definitely she never had a Cruel Intentions... those were some of the movies that Reese Witherspoon starred in and i've watched admiringly. having to watch E-news everyday, i was able to take glimpse of the stars who said "i do"... tons of them did for 2009 alone. the brides are all lovely, in fact i featured some of them in my previous blogs since Whims and Likes caters to wedding favors.

my wonders never ceased to see Reese in her white dress in the future. Although she got married last 1999 with Ryan Philippe, it ended last 2005. everything has a reason but girl ...she moved on! i admire her elegance, her neat feature, her talent as an actress, her ability to represent a woman who survived distress caused by separation with flying colors and very articulate as well making her the spokesperson of Avon that made her to visit countries in Asia and Europe.. i never heard her jumping from one man to another unlike Kate Hudson nor Jennifer Aniston who's been with dozens of men after Brad, that's very exasperating but maybe it is the lifestyle that floats their boat or maybe they have yet to find the man worthy for keeps... instead Reese found a stable relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

her petite build and light persona made me think that she will definitely be a picture perfect bride. her genuine smile perfects the aura that i find admirable in a woman. whoever will be the groom in the future, he sure is a lucky one and Reese will definitely be an outstanding bride amongs the stars. i am looking forward to have her perfume called "Bloom" under Avon products. seems that it has a floral scent of gardenia, magnolia and jasmine... interes [...]

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other side of marriage... i like!

when one will claim that she got a perfect marriage... i will just laugh on you girl!. you can sell me a fake gold but can't fool me with the marriage made in heaven. problems and issues are the major ingredients of marriage. the most appropriate phrase for an almost perfect marriage is a "strong marriage"... never perfect.

i don't want to expound that side because what i love about being married is it makes me happy, smile, grow, strong and explore. the article that i recently read inspire me to blog about the the side of marriage that i really like and would live without. one of the aspects of the article is the companionship, indeed true to what was said. just like me and my husband, we do travel a lot. i'm one of those lucky wives that has a hubby who loves to drive. irregardless what was agreed about taking turns in driving, especially going to las vegas, it will always end up him driving all the way. it gives us pleasure to see new places... it's a shame to admire something and can't share it to anyone but you alone. the appreciation can turn to a wonderful conversation, exchange of insights and a way to connect the past experiences because something is recalled.

being married makes life easier and happier... it is!. although as i've said no marriage is perfect but a couple can achieve something easier than one who is single. to celebrate the important dates in my life makes me happy. feeling that i am being taken care of makes me happy and the fact that there is something who wants my presence and loves my attention are such an elation. knowing that i have someone when i get old and frail... i hope so!... is enough reason for me to love the other side of marriage. it ain't easy... true... but surv [...]

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best-seller personalized tag#7

the personalized tag #17 is the most chosen tags when favors for child's occasion are ordered. even i would choose this. i love about this is its organic look, tasteful design that is symbolic of chaste, whimsy, young and blatantly cute. the tag is gender safe so either a boy or girl celebrant can avail these together with the chosen favors. the font is strikingly fancy making it egregiously playful as a child. who wouldn't love a bear!... i remember my plush collections when i was a kid, one of them is the big & huggable koala bear gifted by my uncle Gavino. the gift box is best representation of a special event or occasion that anyone who'll receive it will definitely can pose a smile even not knowingly. gifts makes one feel special, loved and adored... who wouldn't want to receive one?! i just love celebration!... make us to look forward on that day, make us share the day with our loved ones, makes us value appreciation, make us wise in decision making, at times it paves way to reconciliation, can be a reason for reunions and it's a best time to act on the essence of giving.

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Butterfly Candle Favors

butterflies posses a contradictory representation in terms of significance of their presence for us humans... who can't fly unless of course if you belong to a Cullen clan... hehehe. depending on their colors, butterflies are considered good luck and generally a dark-colored ones signify bad luck. i'm one of those who does not believe 'til i could personally attest to it... eventually i did. a day before my mom died a dark brown butterfly roams inside the classroom during a break back when i was in college. it was around september and i remember my good friend cates even mentioned that it's not a good sign... i ignored it. following day, during our interaction activity i got the news. the worst news that anyone could ever have.

but that never ceased my love for butterflies. it gave me more good news after the tragedy. their pure presence are enough to feel that everything is cool and fine. their colors are just amazingly wonderful, their discreet presence are nonetheless soothing and having them around is a sure sign that the day is indeed a good one. the last time i had a close encounter was my visit in Huntington Botanical Garden in San Marino. it was a typical yellow but a very crisp bright one , it sat to where i was and gracefully hanging around as if wanting to initiate a talk... luckily it didn't otherwise it would scare the hell out of me!

butterfly just simply exudes elegance, pleasant mood, gracefulness, uncorrupted persona and freedom. the very reasons why the butterfly candle favors is one of my personal favorites in Whims and Likes product line. the latest occasion that these giveaways were ordered for was the 18th birthday. it was a good choice!... it's ni [...]

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Precious Moments Favors

Whims and Likes is running on its 2nd year on January 2010. indeed we're happy that we were able to reach our market with an outstanding feedback. my most enjoyable part in the process of each order is the packaging itself, i must admit that every favors ordered, i always fall in love! with those cute and dainty figurines, colorful and pleasing candle giveaways... if i were to receive it, i will definitely like! almost all the products were patronized but the most ordered favor is the Precious Moments figurine. somehow, i understood why... the trinket just speaks all the qualities of every darling moppet. innocent, cute, personable, angelic and irresistible. this is a 1978 Precious Moments trinket figurine collection that lulled last 1981 and was reintroduced on 1998.

i could say that the figurine is an epitome of a perfected colors of the faintest yellow, lightest purple, minty green, yummy pink and a well finished designed just sealed the deal. it's all about a little lad who generously gives free puppies, that classically personifies the message that's scripted inside the trinket box which says " God Loveth a Cheerful Giver".

ain't it true?... giving is the only saintly doing that us human can possibly do.

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one of the "k's" got M...

one of the kardashian sisters got married last weekend (09-27-09). 250 star-studded guests (as expected)... flocked a beverly hills mansion as the venue of the event. many are raising brows when the couple jumped in tying the knot just after a month of being together. for me, the hell with what other say!... it's a couple's prerogative, there's no such thing as getting-to-know stage anyways. it takes forever to know one!... getting hitched immediately is the thing that float their boat! good luck!

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most devastating typhoon in Manila

i found out last saturday night (9-26-09) that a typhoon hit Manila, i took it calmly at first because it's not unusual since hundreds of typhoon would come and go but the recent one is something i can call as "ondoy's wrath"... flood, it's not new to me but the level of water that elevated within couple of hours is a living history.

i called my aunt and after three rings she answered, it's a good sign and i'm at peace when she said they are fine. her three-level house did a job!. i remember back in college, my friends and i would slowly cross Taft ave from school with knee-level flood. ignore flood! but the open manholes are what were afraid of. flood is something expected annually in Manila's way of life. i was stunned with what i saw in youtube, video clips from friends in facebook, pictures posted, direct experiences of friends. these kind of typhoon disaster has never happened in Manila before, not as tragic as this. my heart melts for my fellow Filipinos who lost their houses, lost lives and had lost a hard earned belongings.

i'm glad that my very good friend posted a link for those Filipinos living abroad and fortunately there is drop-off location for donations near my place. it's not just enough to feel bad nor feel sorry for the victims, what i feel is what i must do and that is to act on this... in my own way for my fellow Filipinos.

my walks with Kyra...

i had a chance to take a short vacation to San Jose... freed myself from a stress that's been messing around my mind and health. i've never understood it before since i never been in so much stress in my entire 34 years of existence.

as soon as i arrived to my brother's place, my six year old niece- Kyra, welcomed me with a very tight hugs and a very warm sweet voice of "oh! tita weng !!!"... the sincerest welcome ever!. i've been with adorable Kyra long before she was born. i lived with my brother and sister-in-law... during her pregnancy and i had a privilege of driving my sister-in-law to the hospital on the day she was about to give birth to our amazing Kyrafafi as how my brother would call her and eventually everyone got fond of calling her as that.

the recent time i shared with kyra, it's noticeable that she loves music and yes! she got a very sharp memory... not just because she's my niece but indeed she is a very smart and very nice child... very selfless and caring and i must say her parents inculcated in her the value of respect and tactfulness. i noticed her confidence but no way in arrogant manner as what i noticed to others... she is playful but not in annoying way!

for a straight week we enjoyed our walks going to school which starts around 8am, a ten minute walk with a lot of talks and laughs that i never thought i could get from a six year old kid!... her off is 2:30 pm but i would often arrive around 2pm because i don't want her to wait and every time she sees me, the excitement is always there... we were walking back home in the scorching 90's temperature and my adorable kyra would exaggeratedly utter "my god! it's one million degrees hot" hahahaha... who wouldn't laugh?

along the walks, she would ask a lot of questions about me, my mom and her tito shiva. i shared a lot of story of her dad way back when i was young... i told her a lot of fond memories i had with her dad and that made me remember how lucky i am to have a funny, understanding and caring brother - kuya atong. he is the funniest among my four brothers, a very hard-working and a good family man.

last september 1st, we bought a cake because it's my mom's birthday. kyra was excited about it that she even sang a birthday song for mamay!... she graced in blowing a candle. i had so much fun with this short vacation... got a chance to meet my very good friend carms and her family, my very welcoming sister-in-law ingrid would bring me around the malls and places we could enjoy and the most favorite trip i had was in yosemite!... brought food for picnic and my brother took a leave just for that day. every night we would have tea time and oh my! ...kyra is a sucker of tea too! let's just say it's in the genes? ... hahahaha!

kyra welcomed me as if i've always been part of her household... what crushed my heart is when she asked me if i could just stay with her forever... on the day i left, i was controlling my tears because i want to leave in a happy mood but she was crying so hard already that my brother had to carry her inside the house when i was starting to get off the drive way. i just love this kid!

i miss our walks and those lively talks!... and oh, i just spoke to her... she is declared as 'star of the week'!... oh my kyrafafi!... thank you for making my stay very happy!

admiring the late ex-President Corazon Aquino

it was ex-President Ferdinand Marcos who tickled my awareness in politics since i was born under his Presidency. his intricate signature in textbooks, his state of the nation addresses and of course his birthday which is exactly the same day as mine. Marcos was a common name in the household i grew up and being a martial law baby... i am not proud of it. i heard a lot of personal experiences of my brothers, friends and relatives that made me refused every inch of his system.

when the assassination of Ninoy Aquino happened, i was seeing the black side of Marcos regime. there was political riots and coup d'etat and these caused fears to many and i've seen that fear in my mother's eyes. it was because one of my brothers worked for NBC News, Manila chapter and his job entailed running towards chaos to capture the historic moments for the world to see... something but innate to every mother to have their kids only in a safe place and be far from danger.

Filipinos overcame that "dark times" triumphantly through people's power, enabled Cory Aquino as the first woman president in the Philippines and of Asia. Without a doubt she was able to restore peace. i never experienced a chaotic circumstances politically in a very obvious manner when i was growing up in her regime. but then again, politics is a chaos by itself. there was a smooth transition of presidency through election when ex-President Corazon Aquino ended her term and it only showed that greed for power and position was not the kind of air she breaths.

i could say that she was the best president in my era. she died August 1st 2009, untainted. i saw in the media how Philippines mourn. Her personal and unselfish values exemplifies through the experiences of friends and the works she left. three more presidents reigned after her and none equaled the admiration that i have for ex- Pres. Corazon Aquino.

i'm still hopeful for Philippines, i hope that a value-driven and truthful leader will reign... soon!

a june bride from 'girls next door'

the name is Kendra Wilkinson, one of the three beautiful women of the reality show 'the girls next door'. i just watched the complete wedding ceremony awhile ago from E-channel and yes the ceremony melts my heart. 'twas held at the playboy mansion last june 27th, 2009... hugh hefner open heartedly honor the request of the couple to hold the wedding in latter place. i admire the girl!... nothing superficial about her, she seems so real... i find the man very adorable and very affectionate to Kendra... the hubby's name is Hank Baskett, a known football player who hail from New Mexico. there are tons of reality shows in local and cable channels, by the way this is the "it" thing nowadays ... i noticed one thing though that most of them are-- "Fake!" with the likes of The Hills, Laguna Beach, The Real Wives… so on and so forth.two l. it’s very rare to see a couple who stars in reality shows that i feel genuinely are in love but this couple is different… none are arrogant nor they portray being cool, well they don’t need to try hard on that aspect since the couple is indeed cool. the bride was presented by his only brother- Colin... on the first dance, the groom cried and on the night before the wedding day the man was the one who uttered... "forever" he wants it to be... you're a lucky girl Kendra!

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an afternoon Tea Party

there's something about Tea Theme Party that is very appealing to me. the kind of get together that encompasses the semblance of calmness, comfort, light-mood and tradition. tea party as reminiscent of Victorian era can set the mood of women to put-on some unassuming gesture of being a lady.

i grew up surrounded with girl stuffs being the only lass of five brood. my mother took pleasure in pampering me with dolls, stuffed toys, cookware toys, sanrio knickknacks and dresses... this is how i started my relationship with girly things! ... and i still do!... no wonder i find it comforting to watch the movies that inspired by Jane Austen's novel. it depicts women in a feminine yet highly principled way, stimulating discussion either in group or between lady friends were always accompanied with a cup of freshly brewed tea and tiny pastries... oh! lovely.

what draws me to Tea Party? ... well... the hat, the dress, the china wares and of course the fine sandwiches and pastries often serve with tea. i wouldn't mind to have a ravishing petite sandwiches made of pumpernickel or wheat bread, a sumptuous slice of pound cake or strawberry shortcake, an inviting scones and tarts or a delectable blueberry and banana walnut muffin... the inviting presentation of these bite-size sandwiches and pastries in a stack-up trays and colorful china teaware that is set in the garden, patio or simply in the comfort of your living room... that is what i call a simple yet grand comfort.

tea and the tiny bits of delicacies are the best companion of conversation, the tradition that passed vastly from Chinese as early as 2737 BC to Japanese then Europe in 1652 then in America in 1690... presently, Tea Party is widely used as a simple way of entertaining guests at home, hotels and some restaurants.

i recommend for you to experience the Tea Room of Huntington Botanical Garden located in San Marino, California. it's a very awesome place and the room is in the amidst of the luscious garden.

i hope one day i could host a tea party for my dear friends or i hope to receive an invite for this theme... i will gladly attend and enjoy my cup of tea!

in the comfort of an Old Friend

i recently got visited by my old friend of mine, on the 4th of July weekend, with her wonderful husband and two adorable kids. friendship that started when we're sixteen, freshman in college... when the age of innocence and naive laughter are the sole air that soars around.

in life, we continue to meet friends along the journey, may it be at work or community we live but what i love about the company of an old friends is they see the person i was in the past and a person i am now and still the acceptance and a comfortable company are there. no pretension, no trying to be cool nor act smart, no competition and most of all the sound of old laughter and familiar humor just reminds me of the almost forgotten past, the kind of me in the past... how simple life was and how grounded we were.

a simple talk is enough to comfort the gloomy and fickle hormones that constitute women ... what is better than reminiscing the past that blissfully make us young and insouciant again.

the other night my friend and i were talking and she just reminded me how shallow we were in terms of being happy... for as long as we laugh it was enough!

life gets complicated as we age. having a friend to share the best moments in the past is a driving factor to look back the simple me then and be reminded that i love that kind of me better.

embracing "green living"

we started to embrace green living at home..."green living" by using recycling system, environmentally cleaning agents and energy-efficient lighting system.

this is a matter of choice that my husband and i decided. this is not a fad nor temporary exploration rather embarking to a better way of living that benefit our household and the environment.

if this is decided by heart and willingness is genuine, as how we adapt it... it's easy and yes! it feels good!... doing something for the environment and the ecology is priceless.

the way we did it...

• we put two trash bins in the kitchen. one for recyclables like plastics, papers and bottles and the rest of the trashes are put on the other bin.
• then we replaced all the existing bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs which we purchased in Ikea, but you can definitely buy these in other retail stores.
  
• for cleaning aids, we opted to have the brand called Seventh Generation, the ingredients are environmentally friendly and very effective. they carry products for dish washing liquids, tile cleaner, multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner & laundry soap. i used everything except the laundry soap in which i'm planning to try soon. what i love with all the cleaning aids we bought is it does not have a pungent smell that can cause head ache and most importantly it works!... much better that the usual products we used before. no worry for price because it's very competitive with other cleaning products and if you want to try it go to Target.

a clean house for a healthier environment... what is better than this?! it would really be nice if everyone could take part to better the environment.

three things i vouch for green living... saves money, saves environment and feels good!

"my super sweet 16" show

i was browsing on cable channels recently, out of boredom obviously and I came across the show called "my super sweet 16"... oh, i finished the show, by the way... to summarized it in one word!--- it's "crazy!"

you could see how bratty and demanding the celebrant was, well of course with the willing and tolerating parents, i may say. her sweet 16 is far way more than an average wedding celebration. from expensive gown, tiara, favors, reception and of course a brand new BMW sweet 16 present, friends were howling with envy and eye popping moment from the teenagers when the car was presented to the sweet sixteen celebrant. every teenager yearns to drive their own wheels and it doesn't hurt if it's a beamer or benz. i've never seen a sweet 16 celebration as grand as this with an easy total damage of $200,000.00!

given this money, would you dare throw it on something like this? I surely know... I wont!

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shower party etiquette... don't forget!

a day to shower with gifts!... no matter what kind of shower party it is, gift giving is a must. i have attended numerous shower party, mostly bridal and indeed it is such a fun-filled event. one thing i love about the shower party is its intimate gathering which means everyone who are present in the party is a friend of the celebrant. for those who want to throw a shower, the etiquette below will help a great deal to make a successful and non-awkward party. there are three factors to make the event possible... 1st is the hostess, a person who will organize or initiate the party, 2nd is the guests, people who are friends of the guest of honor which is the 3rd factor of the event. guest of honor is simply the person that the party is being given to. here are the simple etiquette!

• never give your own(guest of honor) shower... this must be given by the hostess who is obviously your friend.
• as a hostess, you are in-charge to choose where to hold it, sending out the invitations and shower favors are your responsibilities too... as a hostess keep in mind that shower party is something informal so a friendly and pleasant atmosphere must be the goal.
• the hostess should only invite guests that the guest of honor knows... sorry! but this is for friends and close friends only.
• men and women are ok... don't limit it for women's gathering only.
• the venue should be comfortable... usually being held at the place of the hostess or any place that everyone will feel at home.
• must be a fun-fi [...]
  
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5 Green under your nose tips!

green living is something that my husband and i have started embracing. this is our way to impart concern for the environment which benefits us as a couple and us as a community and yes! for the planet we live in. living green should not be a fad that lives for a while, we must take this as a way of life... i've been hearing this green movement for quite a while but i honestly never for a minute gave a damn on it... this was before! it takes sincere realization and zealous goal to jump into this kind of path.

never entertain the fact that it's hard and expensive because it's not... there are hundreds of ways but doing these five tips that my husband and i were already practicing can make a whole lot of difference financially and environmentally.

1. Recyclable grocery bags...all groceries are selling these, buy a lot!, it's just a dollar something by doing so we can eliminate the non-biodegradable plastics that can litter for thousands of years.
2. Stop buying bottled water... aside from causing a big hole in our pockets, this contributes the same problem as the grocery bags in our environment. what we do at home is, we buy water from refilling stations with our two gallon container which cost us only .75 cents per refills. we bought a ceramic dispenser for convenience which only cost 20 bucks! for lifetime use.
   
3. Sorting... please sort your trash... allocate a paper bag for trashes plastics, glass bottles and papers. a seven year old kid can do this... why can't we?
4. Brew your own coffee... buying coffee from starbucks, coffee bean, etc... is a discreet way of chucking your hard earned money for nothing! don't tolerate laziness... the disposable cups that's being used for these coffee are making a hell of a mess in our environment.
   
5. Grow your own plant/trees... no matter if you live in a house or apartment, never stop from growing your own plant. there are lots of easy-to-grow plants that you can have indoor. we have six pots of plants inside the house and you may also consider planting strategically outside, this can lower air temperature during warm weather thus avoiding usage of aircon that boosts the electric bills big time and during cold weather the trees can act as a windbreaker thus allowing less cold air to enter our houses.

so easy!... anyone can do these! and my wishlist... a solar powered house... a girl can dream!

Shower Parties not just for brides and babies

the most common shower parties being thrown are for baby and wedding events. shower party as celebrated is derived from the idea of flourishing or the word itself showering the celebrant with gifts so giving gift is only but pertinent and a sure sign of etiquette ... i will expound in my future posting about the etiquette in shower party which is quite extensive. i just want to focus now to the variety of shower parties being celebrated which are not familiar for others. this may give you an idea to throw one for your friend or better yet your close friend since this is an acceptable informal celebration initiated only by chums.

BABY SHOWER is celebrated before the baby is born, gifts may be for the use of the mother or the baby's. BRIDAL SHOWER is typically given for the bride but the gifts may be for the benefit of bride and groom. never equate this with stag party since gift giving is not required on this albeit this is given to the groom but stag party is merely focus on the get together of guys on the last day or days of bachelorhood. ADOPTED BABY SHOWER, yes! adopting a baby can be celebrated but instead of the usual like ' the baby is brewing', 'welcome baby boy/girl' instead use 'for a chosen baby' announcement. celebrating this must be cleared with the adopting mother because others may not want the public to know about the scenario otherwise you may do so. OFFICE SHOWER PARTY is given to a person who's about to be promoted at the work setting by the closest office mate. this is usually held in the office per se and attended only from people at work. HOUSE W [...]

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place not typical...at all

i have come to a different level of relationship with the Library. when one speaks of the library it's typically but a boring, grasp a be-silent-rule, a place for books... the way i perceived it by the way. i remember back in high-school, bunch of my friends and i would go to library... at times for research but most of the times to chit-chat with the things i can no longer recall but that must be really funny because all we do were laugh hard, really laugh hard that i remember maricel, jeline and i would just be in tears with laughter... as expected... typically, we were scolded with the hard shhhhh and fierce eyes directing to our table.

i just love going to pv library these days and my husband does too. it's the local public library close from our place. i usually walk, with unfeigned excuse to burn calories as well. my liking to go becomes a desire that i never have to push myself at all. i take indian peak road, the route is peacefully surrounded with trees and grasses at each side of the street... i would pass promenade mall making the distance seems shorter, although not!, turning my brisk walk into a leisurely walk... distracted by the sale signs, featured clothes in the boutique windows and a swift stop for a squirt of evelyn & crabtree hand lotion in which most of the stores have a sample table on a brick walkway across their shop... i tried a rose scent hand lotion by the way... this afternoon.

my husband and i already borrowed tons of books and dvds!... books are free, dvd's only cost a buck! and they have a gift shop that carries products from various countries. at times i feel like having my solitude, i tried going to a park but i can use my time better if i read, alone without distraction. i love how pv library structured and designed the area... privacy was obviously a goal. all the books that i would feel and think of reading are all there! never disappointed me... the other week, i was able to finished a self-help book by accident. i went there for dvd but then i felt kinda lazy walking back home so i decided to stay for a bit, sat in a private lounge for reading where i just shut my eyes and meditated 'til it gave me an urge to read, so i did. until i glanced in the window and noticed it's getting dark, i didn't realize that i already spent 6 hours reading. the library closes at 9pm btw on weekdays and 5pm on weekends.

ignorance is not an excuse for not knowing... our drive to know and understand things has ways. learning should never stop just as mind doesn't. although my formal learning is over, self-learning will stop, never!

The Book by David Wolman

"Righting the Mother Tongue" is the recent book that I read. The work of David Wolman simply entranced me to the process of standardization of English language. Basing on the present orthography, I was amazed on how the "olde" English language was botched, tangled and confused so to speak. Thank god! I was born to the post generation of geniuses in the likes of Chaucer, Gutenberg, Caxton, Milton, Bullokar, Dewey, Benowski & Webster when everything are already polished and fine. They are the enthusiasts whose intellects had exhausted the analytics of standardizing, correcting and modifying the English language that seemed so flawless. I salute them!

I equate English language as monetary unit in which one uses to deal and transact with from day to day that it is but right to master. Since English is actually my secondary language being a Filipino descent, I'm utmost cautious in using the language with proper spelling and grammar... although as an immigrant and having a husband who speaks English, I must consider it as my primary language nowadays but will always have Tagalog and Cebuano dialects by heart.

The book flaunts the transition of English language which dates even way back to 14th century when there was no standard of correct spelling at all. The work of Chaucer like the Tales of Canterbury and marvelous scripts of Shakespeare showed a limpid difference in the English spelling nowadays. To discern the then and now, it is simply called as the "old English". Influences of British, French, Latin, Danish and others are embodiment of English language. It's funny when I found out in the book that even the former President Roosevelt had a taste of misspellings himself in one of the public letter he had written. To maintain the reputation of Mr. Roosevelt and of course to save him from humiliation since he belongs to the great echelon, the legislative body requested to revamp some words that the president misspelled and adapt those as the correct spelling... Isn't this great!... the perks of being a President...Then!

You might be wondering why standardize the language?... simply for the purpose of practicality and order. Books and other forms of prints have been the vital influence in the literacy of spelling. Books as being the source of knowledge since time immemorial and who produce these?... The letterpress! The letterpress, thanks to the first metal letterpress of Johannes Gutenburg, were the big push of standardizing the spelling of each word to program the machine that will equate to efficiency and less time consumption thus resulting to mass production. It makes sense isn't it?!...

Most of the spellings before were based on how one pronounce it. Depending on the writers at times when they want to be distinct and sophisticated they want the influence of French word to be inculcated in the language. Historically, French was the language of the elites, aristocrats & socialites, Latin was the language of the Church and English was the language of the farmers otherwise called as commoners... Had I not read this book, I wouldn't be able to know this. The group of reformers changed this lingual casting, thanks to them!... You could just imagine if there is no standard spelling, it must have been a chaotic English world, your spelling will be different with mine... oh my!... Then came Webster, Benowski and the rest... the reform started to flourish.

To all the intellectuals of the past... I admired you all. The selfless act of rigorous reform that benefited the present generation is the epitome of generosity. The realm of your intelligence and passion for betterment were the foundation of your accomplishment.

This book is amazing... do read it- RIGHTING THE MOTHER TONGUE BY David Wolman

Wine Tasting at Napa

I used to hate Wine, any kind of wine. The sour and bitter taste gave me enough reasons to feel so, well I've never been a fan of alcohol based drink... but that was then! ...to remind you. Now, my appreciation for red wine is a big turnaround. The rich, fruity & bold smell of it is a big enticement for me. The big push to like it is mainly the benefits that I heard and read. The concern for benefits comes with the age, I guess...you know what I mean.

I am now officially a red wine lover and still in the process in choosing which kind my palate really loves. I avoid something that is somewhat pungent but into something with a touch of sweetness yet rich in texture. I noticed that most of the Cabernet Sauvignon works for me but Shiraz or Syrah really caught my taste buds... I so love this!. Since US does not produce this massively, Australian red wine became a common bottle in the kitchen. Yes!, they produce a very good Shiraz red wine in a pretty affordable price.

My husband and I went to Napa. The scenery is amazing and of course wine tasting is a must. Napa is a haven of wineries and vineyards in the US. We opted to have a Wine Train which is a four-hour winery tour that serves four course lunch with wine pairing upon request. Since there are tons of wineries to visit we decided to choose couple of wineries during the trip that we would visit for wine tasting after the Wine Train experience. Oh! I have to mention too that during the ride in the Wine Train, you can't get off. You just get to admire the view of vast wineries as the train rolls in a slow paced mode.

The food in the train was impressive by the way. I got my well-done lamb that was so tender and tasty with baby potatoes & veggies. The gravy was enough for me to say that the food was sinfully good. My husband had grilled chicken in polenta and veggies which I tasted of course... It was good and he loved it. I should know since chicken is the only meat he eats and when he doesn't like it only a piece of meat will be trimmed off but this time the plate was clean.

These are some of the wineries and vineyards that caught my eyes during the train ride...

• Chandon
• Secoquia Grove
• Bella Oaks
• Nickel& Nickel
• Turnbull
• Bello
• Peju
• St. Supery
• Bieulieu BV
• Grgich Estate
• Satui
  
• Hall
• Whitehall
• Rutherford
• Provenance
• Mondavi
• Chandon
  

After we got off from an entertaining train tour we decided to go to Satui for wine tasting. Each person costs $5 bucks which was a good deal. You get to taste eight kinds of wines. Various Chardonay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Zinfandel. One of the wines interests me, it's called Gamay Rougue. It's a bit sweet and fruity. It's something you can drink without food pairing.

On our second day, we headed to Castello Di Amoroso. It's a real Castle!... belongs to the family who also owns the Satui Winery. We were welcome with umbrella because it was a bit raining. Had a grand tour of the Castle with our impressive tour guide named Josh. The castle has quite an intricate passage as what the typical medieval castles were. Most of the bricks, walls and irons were imported from Italy where the owner came from. After the castle tour, we were directed to the cellar room for wine tasting and yes my husband and I were impressed with the kinds of wine they produced. We ended up buying a dozen of red wine and most of it was the wine that I loved called Fantasia and that entitled us for free membership with perks like discounts and invitations for the events in the castle all year round. Nice ha!

Napa Valley was indeed a very lovely place. The best hideout for relaxation.