Here is one nice idea for christening giveaways.  I ordered these online at http://myworld.ebay.ph/herhobbies as gift for a godchild for P50 each.   Wholesale price is P120 for 3 pieces.  They are handmade and available in different colors.   I ordered in my preferred colors.  Here are the sample pictures.  The items are more precise and nicer in actual.

Here’s another design for only P30.

It also comes in nice packaging that I failed to take a photo with additional cost.


The seller is also reliable and efficient and easy to communicate.  I will definitely order again.  I am planning to order from her my Christmas giveaways.

School year 2012 to 2013 is opening one week from today.  Checking my list, each item got a check mark already!


     - All school uniforms, sando and briefs were washed and pressed.  I personally did this task.  Our new household help has not gotten my trust yet on washing and ironing our important clothes.


     - All books and notebooks are labeled and plastic covered.


     - All school supplies are labeled.


     - Bought new shoes and socks.  My kid's old school shoes still fit.  I was instructing my kid that he will wear the new shoes on Mondays and Wednesdays, old shoes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and rubber shoes on Fridays for his PE class. 


     - Bought bigger bag for my kid’s 7 books, 6 notebooks and other school needs.
     
     - Bought drinks and biscuits for his baon.


     - And most importantly, I have set my kid’s mind that it is school time once again! :)  I started practicing him to sleep and wake up early.  We practiced writing his name, read his old notes and others.


Good luck to my kid! How time flies! Before you were just a baby, now you are certified student! All we wanted is for you to enjoy school and have a good education. Welcome to big school!  

Yesterday, May 28, Monday was terribly traffic in Cavite! The cause --- dry run of ‘roundabout scheme’ in Aguinaldo Highway corner New Molino Road.


I usually leave our house in Dasmariñas City at 8:30AM and expected to be in Makati after 2 hours.  Now that it’s summer and no classes yet, I am enjoying the 1 ½ hour travel time every morning and 2 hours travel time going home via Erjohn bus with Ayala route.  


Today, I left the house minutes after 8:30AM and got off the bus before 9AM.  I reached Makati at 12:45PM!!! That was almost four hour trip!  I have able to pray the rosary and my St. Pio novena, completed my sleep, listed down my things to do and pay, added birthdays in my mobile calendar, read several chapters in a pocketbook from my bag, ate biscuits, retouched my makeup, combed my hair several times and chatted with my fellow passengers during my trip.  I was tempted to play games in my mobile phone but I was reserving my battery.  


Going home, I decided not to ride the bus that I usually do.  I rode the UV Express van from a parking terminal in Makati up to Imus.  I left Makati by 5:00 in the afternoon.  By the time I reached Coastal Road, the end of traffic was a few meters after the tollgate.  Imagine that! After passing St Dominic, the traffic was so clear!


It was relief for me and many others I suppose, when Maynilad finished the pipe-laying project in Aguinaldo Highway.  Traffic was horrible during that time.  I even do not like to go to work by just thinking of the traffic and stress I had to go through.  I was expecting a heavier traffic next week as classes begin.  I was really surprised of this new event in Cavite!


I really hope the plan to have a roundabout or rotonda to us will not push through.  The roads are too small for the volume of vehicles passing and a roundabout will just consume space instead of making use of it.  I hope officials will study carefully the advantages and disadvantages of the plan.  I support Bacoor to their goal for cityhood but for me the roundabout will not be beneficial and will not add any impact to the cityhood.  For me, it will be just another venue to post and display the Revilla name!

My friend and I was able to try Chef d’ Angelo’s Eat All You Can at Robinson’s Place Ermita a few days ago.  For only P175, you can enjoy salad, pizza, pasta, soup and rice meals as long as you can.  Choices for salad are ceasar’s and potato salad.  Pasta sauces can be tuna alfredo, tomato with mushroom and chicken alfredo.  For the rice meals, viands are fish fillet with sauce and buttered vegetables.  The soup was cream of asparagus. We added P50 for bottomless soft drink. With a total of P225, it’s so sulit!

Our wristbands

My plate

Her plate

After 2 hours! ",)

I believe this phrase.  I truly believe that HE knows everything that is best for us and HE will answer our prayers as long as HE wills it and in HIS perfect time.  I know that HE has the best plan for me and my family.  We keep on praying and believing in HIM and do our part and HE will do the rest.

I got a chance to visit Water Camp Resort and Inn in Kawit, Cavite last weekend.  This is our first time to visit the place and be in Kawit.  Going to this place from Dasmariñas on a Sunday morning is easy as there were no traffic along Aguinaldo and Tirona highways.

We arrived at 9AM and the resort is full already.  There were long lines to pay the entrance fee and to enter the resort.  We didn’t get the cottage we preferred.  There were no more choices.  Blame it on the PEAK SEASON!

The entrance rates are: Adult Php 240; Kids below 4ft Php 220

There are available rooms for day or overnight stay that needs reservation and deposit prior to the date to avail.

There are six swimming pools – mini wave pool, kidney-shaped pool with slides, lazy river and children’s pool.  My kid loved the children’s pool because of the fountains and the lazy river too.  It has Little Josephine for the food, grilling stations and billiard tables.  You can bring in food but they don’t allow electrical cooking equipments inside.

I don’t have decent pictures as I was annoyed with the too much crowd.  Sharing the best of what I shot:

Kids pool with interactive fountains

Hotel Rooms

160m Lazy River

Our family is a regular visitor of David’s Tea House in Dasmariñas, Cavite.  Occasionally, it’s nice to eat something different aside from regular fast food readily available.  Since our child learned how to eat, we always consider him when dining out.  Of course we also wanted him to enjoy the food.  He is not a picky eater.  He eats almost everything but he has moods in eating.  With David’s Tea House, there are foods that my kid loves to it.

The service in its Dasmariñas branch is good and fast.

Our favorite order:

Daddy's favorite appetizer - Spicy Chicken Feet

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Beef with Broccoli Flower

Pancit Canton

Watermelon Shake

We also like their Crispy Fried Chicken and Siomai that I failed to take a photo of it.

I am reposting this nice article.  It’s a nice read for couples with kids.  I learned from it.

Restore Romance After Kids Arrive
Whitney Hopler


Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications
of Lorilee Craker's new book, Date Night in a Minivan: Revving Up Your
Marriage After Kids Arrive, (Revell, 2008).


After a long day of changing diapers, helping with homework, refereeing sibling squabbles, and the countless other demands of parenting, romance may be the last thing on your mind. But without romance, your marriage will suffer. It is possible to enjoy a hot romantic relationship with your spouse while still fulfilling all your parenting responsibilities. You just have to be proactive about it.


Here's how you can restore romance to your marriage after kids arrive:


-Find common ground among your discipline styles. 
Clashing ways of disciplining your children will cause lots of tension between you and your spouse. So let down your defenses and seek to understand each other's approaches. Talk about what each of your parents did well and what mistakes they made. Recognize that you and your spouse each have the same goal: to train your kids to think and behave in healthy ways. Rather than fighting against each other, remember that you're on the same team and do all you can to support each other to work toward your common goal. Avoid criticism. Instead, ask for your spouse's suggestions when facing a discipline problem. Try to learn from each other.


-Give each other time off. 
A powerful way to nourish your marriage is to give each other time away from the demands of childcare on a regular basis. Take turns scheduling break times when one of you can take the kids and the other can pursue some personal enjoyment on an evening or weekend day. Don't expect your spouse to read your mind about this; talk to him or her about what specific ways you want to get out, and when. Then plan for it! 


-Moms, give dads the chance to fully participate in parenting. 
If you're a stay-at-home mom who spends more time with the kids than your spouse does, be careful not to assume that your way of handling parenting is the best or only way. Whenever your spouse is available, give him opportunities to fully engage with the kids, and the freedom to parent the way he wants to -- without criticizing him, nagging him, instructing him, or re-doing what he does because you don't like the way he does it. Give your spouse the time and space he needs to learn, just as you have had yourself. Accept your spouse's different parenting style. Notice what he does particularly well as a parent, and compliment him on that. Let him know that you appreciate him as a dad.


-Divide household responsibilities fairly. 
Figuring out who will do what chores around the house will help you and your spouse avoid power struggles that damage your marriage. Don't keep score about which one of you is working harder at any given time. Remember that you both work hard to contribute to your family in different ways. Show respect and appreciation to each other for all of your efforts. Think about how you can serve each other rather than worrying about how you're being served. Take a hard look at your expectations of each other's household loads to consider whether or not they're realistic. Sit down together to make a list of all the chores that need to get done. Discuss what's most important to each of you, what you're each good at doing, and what you each dislike doing. Then assign each other the chores that best fit. Don't nag; instead, encourage each other's efforts.


-Build healthy relationships with your parents and in-laws. 
Do all you can to try to have positive relationships with your parents and in-laws. Set boundaries and ground rules for respect. Seek forgiveness and reconciliation for times you've hurt each other in the past. Work with your spouse to present a united front when communicating with them. Talk about stressful issues calmly yet firmly. Adjust your expectations to reflect the reality of who they really are -- not just who you'd like them to be. Defuse negative comments with a positive attitude and humor.


-Mesh your social styles well. 
If you're an extrovert and your husband is an introvert -- or vice versa -- work on discovering how your personalities can complement each other, and how you can have fun together. Get to know what motivates both you and your spouse, and why. Don't push your spouse to do something that makes him or her uncomfortable, like making small talk at a crowded party for an introvert or sitting on a lake fishing all day for an extrovert. Be creative about finding activities you can both enjoy together. Purposefully try to make each other feel loved and cared for.


-Manage money wisely. 
Financial stress can erode romance quickly. Figure out what emotions like beneath the money issues between you and your spouse. Seek to understand what you each truly value, and why. Discuss how your parents viewed money and what they taught you about it growing
up. Talk about your goals for saving, spending, giving, and investing.
If you don't already have a household budget, set one up. Split any
leftover money between you, giving you each the right to spend it
however you like. Take turns balancing your checkbook, and keep each
other fully informed about the state of your finances. When dealing with disagreements over money, be humble and willing to genuinely listen to each other's perspective. If you're in debt, make a specific plan right away for how to pay it off. Choose a future project you're both excited about saving for -- such as a vacation, or a new kitchen -- and let your shared excitement motivate you to manage all your money wisely as you save for it. 


-Plan your family well. 
If one of you wants more kids than the other one does, trying to pressure the one who doesn't want more to go ahead anyway will cause great damage to your marriage. Recognize the spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, and financial responsibility of increasing your family's size. Expect that each new child added to your family will take away time, energy, and money from existing family members. Trust that, if God truly wants you and your spouse to have another baby, He'll make it clear to both of you in His timing. Give each other the time and space you need to thoroughly think and pray about the decision. Listen to each other's concerns without getting defensive. Find another couple who has wrestled with the same issue, and see what you can learn from them. Don't make a decision one way or the other until both of you have peace about it.


-Improve your sex life. 
Even if you're feeling too tired from parenting demands to think about sex, make it a priority. Realize that great sex can actually energize you by relieving stress in your marriage relationship. Schedule times for sex to enhance your bond with your spouse. Instead of waiting for your spouse to make the first move, decide to be proactive about romance yourself: Cook your spouse's favorite meal, write a love note and leave it in his or her car, etc. Consider what activities you and your spouse found romantic before you had kids -- from going to a live concert to playing miniature golf -- and try those same activities again whenever you can. Turn your bedroom into a romantic zone by removing all toys and other reminders of your kids and adding some romantic items, like candles or silk pillows. Make a habit of flirting with your spouse. Don't hesitate to discuss the specifics of what you'd like in your sexual relationship. 


-Show caring. 
Put your relationship with your spouse first, and your kids second. Do little things to help each other on a regular basis, like emptying the dishwasher or playing a game your spouse loves but you don't like. Give each other time to pursue your individual interests. Compliment each other. Get away together on dates when you can, and use the time to do something you both enjoy. Give each other gifts. Remember that, as hard as it is to squeeze in romance during this season of heavy
parenting demands, it's worthwhile to build your relationship now so
you'll have a great marriage later on when the kids leave home and it's just the two of you.

I got this from Facebook and I am sharing to you, the readers of this blog.  I myself don’t know this.  :) All I know is that 0933 is sun and 0927 is globe because those are the start of my numbers.  This is useful for those who avails the unlimited text or call promos.  You’ll know which number is the same network as yours.  To organize my phonebook, I put codes on the names, like <name>-G for Globe subscribers, <name>-Su for Sun subscribers and <name>-Sm for Smart subscribers.  I’ll know what network without looking at the numbers of looking at this list.

I saw a big billboard of this warehouse sale last night and would like to share it.

Dasca Sports Outlet is on sale that started last Tuesday, May 15 up to June 16, 2012 from 11:00am to 8:00pm, Monday to Sunday.  Up to 50% discount on some items.  Dasca Sports Outlet is located in Petron station along Aguinaldo Highway near Dasmariñas Welcome.  

I love taking pictures.  I love capturing my kid’s activities and developments. 

My first digital camera was a Kodak EasyShare with 3.2 megapixels resolution camera.  The camera is easy to use as the features are very simple.

When bigger resolutions were invented in the photography world, my sister gave me a Sony Cybershot T200 camera as a Christmas gift in 2007 I think.  It is an 8.1 megapixel camera and 5x optical zoom.  The camera is so slim, stylish and sleek.  I love this camera.  I specifically like the large touch screen and smile shutter features.  My son was still a baby when I got this camera and I always use the smile shutter mode when taking his pictures.  This mode automatically takes picture when the subject smiles.  It is very fun to use! Until this day, I still use it as it is very handy.

December last year, I upgraded to DSLR!! I got myself a Nikon D3100 as my Christmas gift for myself.  I originally planned to get a midrange DSLR camera as I don’t want to upgrade again in the near future.  But, my budget does not permit so I opted to this model.  I mostly take pictures of our family during events, activities and basically anything we do.  I am not really planning anything to become a professional photographer.  I just want good photos.  So I have no regrets of getting an entry-level DSLR camera as I am really a beginner.  Nikon D3100 has 14.2 megapixels, very handy, the size and weight for me is just right for a girl.  It’s very easy to use and I enjoy experimenting on the different modes.  

This means, more and more photos will be shot! More memories! More fun!

Happy Feast Day, San Isidro Labrador!

Happy Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon! I can imagine the colorful decorations, food, happiness and people feasting this day!

For this summer, my hubby and I enrolled 5 year old kid in the Swimming Clinic at Jardin de Dasmariñas Resort.  He had the Water Safety or the Toddlers course.  The class is for 10 days and 1 hour per session.

There are eight students for the class and two to three coaches for each session.  We were asked to buy goggles and kick board. 

On the first day, all the kids were given floaters and had water familiarization.  They let kids enjoy and play in the water and a little bubbling exercise.  For the succeeding days, they practiced the bubbling, breathing, floating and kicking until they became good at it.

Now that the course is done, I can say that my kid became not really a good swimmer but he knows the basics.  He now enjoys the water and loves it!  

My realization for this activity is that my son may be fast learner in school or in other things but to some other activities it takes some time for him to learn.  It might challenge the trainer on how he would make him learn but he’ll definitely learn.  It just takes time.

We will definitely enroll him again next summer.  Thanks to this summer clinic, my kid enjoyed summer!

I turned 36 years old yesterday!  

Four more years and I'll be 40! I feel so old, really! I know it's just a number.   But realizing that I am getting older, I am becoming more afraid of getting sick and dying without finishing my responsibilities here on earth.

There were no party, no balloons, no cakes, no flowers, and no gifts! My kid was even asking, why there was no cake! Our family had a very simple celebration.  We ate out and had mass.  I got my wish of visiting Padre Pio Chapel in Libis and being with my family made my day special.  I did not take pictures at Padre Pio Chapel.  I was shy to distract people who are praying.  The place is so peaceful and sacred.  We lined up and pray to the life size St. Pio image.  There were so many testimonies of people who prayed to the saint and were granted that made me really believe that my prayers will be granted too.

My birthday wishes:

• To be healthy and live decades longer than my parents did for me to fulfill my duties as a mom and as a wife.

• For me not to lose my source of income as this is where I mainly get the means for our living.

• For our family to have another baby!

I pray to God that He will grant me everything that is best for me and my family!

Happy Birthday to me! :) Thanks to everyone who remembered and greeted me on this special day.  Thanks for the wonderful wishes.

Happy Mother's Day to all moms in this world!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom in heaven, my MIL, my sister, aunties, in laws, friends!

One resort to visit in Dasmariñas City, Cavite is Jardin de Dasmariñas Resort in Brgy. Sabang.  It is not big as Volet’s Resort but it can accommodate several people.  It has Olympic size and kiddie pools.  They have lots of cottages with electric fans.  The fees are affordable.

They also accepts private pool parties.  They have reception halls for parties also.  They have rooms for overnight stay.

Sharing my pictures of Jardin de Dasma:

Playground

Rooms for overnight stay

Olympic size pool and cottages

Olympic size pool and cottages

Private pool for occasions

Videoke Room

Kiddie Pool

Cottages

With electric fans each

The rates are posted here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.415476681801693.115026.139608829388481&type=3

I got this from Facebook.  You might want to join and get a token for your mom on Mother's Day.

I am not joining the contest.  My mom is in heaven since 2000 after her battle with cancer.  Though she is not here anymore, I still would like to answer the question in my blog: What’s make a mother?

Being a mom entails a lot of sacrifice.  I know my mom loved all of us her three children from the day we were conceived until her last breathe and I believe she is still loving and watching over us from heaven.  My mom took care of us, sacrificed her own career to be with us and then went back to work to help my dad finance our education.  We grew up with household up.  Before going to work, she would wake up early in the morning and prepare our needs for school.  My mom who was a teacher and a guidance counselor at the same time would accept several teaching loads and finish work so late.  During the weekends, she does the laundry; go to the market, groceries, and others.  She guides us her children with our assignments and projects in school.  I remember my mom would do reviewers for us during examination days. 

She was not only a mother of us but also for mother for so other people, her students, co-teachers, nephews and nieces.  She was a favorite principal sponsor for weddings of everyone she knew.

After my graduation from college and gotten my first job, I wanted my mom to enjoy her income for herself and not to support me financially anymore.  She travelled, enjoyed her life, bought things she needed, repaired our house, everything she’d like. 

But she haven’t enjoyed much, she got sick and eventually passed away.  I know she does not want to leave us and was thinking of us her children.  We assured her that she and my dad rose us up very well and we can handle the situation.

Now that I am already a mom also, she remains to be my inspiration.  Her words and advices are still vivid in my mind up to this day.  Everything that I have learned from my mom and my dad too are my guidance in raising my kid.  I know they are guiding me from up there.  I hope I can be like my mom, the best mom that I can ever be.

How I'd wish my Mom is alive and double celebrate Mother's Day and our birthdays!