Just A Few Random Facts For A Quick Reflection Of Moi!

I was tagged by Toni and got me reflecting....


Jake and his reflection...

7 Things That Scare Me
Losing a loved one. Accidents. Drug-crazed person/s. High interest rates. Creepy-crawlies. Seeing blood. Speaking in public.

7 Things I Like Most
My family (immediate and extended). Blogging. Taking Pictures. Shopping. Travelling. Crafts. Christmas!

7 Random Facts About Me
I wear glasses. I wear a size 9 footwear. I'm a Scorpio. I'm the eldest of 3 siblings. I graduated Grade School, High School and College from DLS-Zobel and DLSU. I'm a CPA. I got married at age 24.

7 Important Things In Our Bedroom
A/C. 3 pillows each for Jerry and me. Watch/clock. Framed wedding picture. Bible/prayerbooks. Cellphone/charger. Closet.

7 Things I Plan To Do Before I Die
See the world with loved ones. Eliminate debts. Secure the kids' future. Sponsor a scholarship for at least 1 person (not necessarily a relative). Learn to cook/bake. Renew marriage vows. Confess.

7 Things I Can Do
Drive (like crazy). Crochet/Cross-stitch/Sew. Sing (a bit). Dance. Surf for hours. Understand the Cebuano dialect even if I'm not a native of the place. Eat okra and ampalaya.

7 Things I Can't Do
Cook. Bake. Walk on tightrope. Swim (hehe!). Dance on the ledge. Do a cart wheel. Bungee jump.

7 Things That Attract Me To The Opposit Sex
Eyes. Smile. Bod. Wit. Sense of humor. Profession/Family background. Car. (My dear hubs passed all the criteria plus MORE of course. *wink* Hahaha!)

7 Things I Say The Most
Teka. Ok. Ngi. Yuck. Isa! Uy. Luv' u.

7 Celebrity Crushes (local / foreign)
Brad Pitt. Ashton Kutcher. Richard Gere. Dennis Quaid. Keannu Reeves. Colin Farell. Troy Montero.

7 People You Want To See Take The Quiz
YOU are invited to answer all or some questions in the comments page... Come on now, don't be shy... Just pick 1 or 2 questions and post your answers to my comments page so that I'd know a little more about you.

Have a good week!

I Don't Know. I Just Want To... Get Healthy

Cutting Back Now

I feel bad that pasta is now considered something that I should eat sparingly and that cakes and pastries and fastfood/commercial fried foods are to be avoided (bye bye french fries, pizza and fried chicken, Jollibee, McDonalds and the rest.)

On the other hand, I just realized how much of this baked goodies I've been eating before and how much hydrogenated fats/oils (or trans fats - the worst kind of all) have 'polluted' my system!

Click the following links to know more about hydrogenated fat and what it does to our body:

1. Know Your Fats
2. Hydrogenated Oils - The Silent Killers
3. How To Avoid Partially Hydrogenated Fats
4. TransS Fatty Acids And Coronary Heart Disease

Check Out What I Had Lately


The Majestic Lunch Buffet I had during a meeting with my Finance Team. Not too healthy as there is still the oil in the piece of vegetable lumpia on the upper right, and sugar in the sweet and sour fish on the lower left and pork sparerib on the right, and coconut milk in the spicy squid on the center. But hey look, I skipped rice!



Another attempt this time at Rai Rai Ken Japanese Restaurant with their Salmon and Tempura Bento. I failed miserably as the salmon was coated in sweet teriyaki sauce and the tempura is deep-fried in batter (something to be avoided...). I ate all the vegetable siding and skipped the rice though.


The diminutive SBD book that I always carry in my bag these days.

I'm sure I haven't totally eliminated these dangerous food ingredients (hydrogenated fats, saturated fats, etc), but I'm getting there.

I hope it's not too late to start eating right.

How Could You Eat That Much And Not Gain Weight?

Skinny Girl On The Block

I never had to diet. When I was little, I was the skinny girl who always got teased in school. And it was a bit traumatic as I felt rejected by some classmates for not having the right look back then. I had buck teeth that had to be braced in high school. My hair was long and straight. And I was so tall and so thin that I looked like Morticia Addams. Boo!

Paparazzi (if he could still recall) would always offer to give me P100 for every pound that I gained during summer. So with my best friend Gerie (a lady, mind you), I would buy 2 pints of ice cream and 2 packs of Clover Chips (cheese flavor) from the nearby grocery and we would pig out in my room. We did this for as long as our measly summer allowance could last. Then we would weigh ourselves inside Banco Filipino where a big weighing scale was parked right by the main door (I never actually knew why it was there). I was bent on gaining weight and making that buck in the process. Anyway…

Long story cut short, I never earned my P100. Nope. I NEVER GAINED A POUND! Can you just believe that?

Fast forward to 1992. The Supermodels were in vogue then. Women/girls wanted to look waif-thin. The skinny, scrawny look was now the rage. Kumbaga, uso na ang body-type ko. Hah!

When I got married, I tipped the scale at 110 lbs. At 5 feet and 5 inches tall, I was the envy of those who were on the fat side. Payback time. Hehehe…

Update On My SBD (South Beach Diet) Efforts

13 years and 3 active boys later, the tides have turned. I weighed in at a whopping 137 lbs! My heaviest weight and I wasn't even pregnant! That was when I chose to do SBD. That was a week ago. I planned to lose 12 lbs to get back to an acceptable 125 lbs – just the right weight for my height.

How did I fare after a week? Uh,… well…

I didn’t do a 100% 0-carb diet. I tried hard, but not quite successfully. I cheated here and there. I had pieces of yema, half a small pack of chips, 5 spoonfuls of rice, 3 small scoops of ice cream on several occasions over a period of a week.

BUT… the good thing about doing SBD (I bought myself the South Beach Diet book by Arthur Agatston), is you make it a lifestyle. You learn what to cut down or totally eliminate. I’ve learned that it’s not just about the weight loss anymore. Seriously… I have become aware of my health on the whole. Now I’ve become more careful of what I eat. I don’t just stuff my face with anything that suited my cravings. Now I pause and think if it’s the healthy kind of carb or not.

I think I did pretty well after all. Don’t you think? I’ll stretch Phase 1 for another week to get used to this healthy eating habit. Oh, yes… I forgot to say I’ve lost 4 lbs now since I started. (Yey! Bring on the ice cream to celebrate! Hahaha!)

Always Finding Good In Every Situation, Captain?

I usually go home from work at half past five. When Jerry gets me around that time, Kyle is already with him. Then we drive from Mactan Island back to school in the city to get Matt who by now is done with his basketball practice. This pretty much is our afternoon routine.

Yesterday, blame it on migraine, I got off pretty earlier than usual. As we were nearing the Marcelo Fernan bridge, connecting the island to the main province, I heard an unusual clicking noise somewhere near the right of the vehicle. Jerry said it was probably Kyle. It wasn't, because Kyle was asleep when I turned to look.

The noise grew more audible to be ignored and Jerry thought it best to stop by the gas station. It was the rear right tire that was making all the noise. It got punctured by a motorcycle metal spoke!

Great, now I'll have to spend some time nursing my head in the car as the attendant tried to change it. So much for going home early...


Jerry was taking out the spare tire to replace the punctured one.

As soon as it was over, we drove back toward the bridge. I sat there quietly and looked at the sun setting behind the clouds. Jerry said "I'm glad it (flat tire) happened before we passed the bridge"... (Thinking to myself) or we wouldn't have made it to the next gas station on time, or we would have been caught in the rush hour traffic, or the flat tire could have caused more serious trouble, or...

"Yes", I agreed...I looked at the sun now partly hidden but still casting a golden glow to the horizon, and marvelled at the sight... Jerry was absolutely right.

Look, Ma. All You've Got To Do Is Eat Less And Take A Bit Of Exercise

I thought Sunday would just be another quiet break for me...


Checking our stuff at Tee'licious and checking my weight...


Testing some heavy-duty chains and mini fans...


Putting back the boxes, and stacking 'em up like Legos...

It turned out to be a day of discovery at the mall with so many things to see, touch and play with...

You're Pretty High And Far Out. What Kind of Kick Are You On?

It's FRIDAY!!! End of workweek!!! That's my happy pill!

I met with my Finance Team lunch time today to discuss ways to save the world to implement cost-cutting measures. In between portions of Majestic's seafood buffet, we were able to thresh out areas that we think need some trimming. These items will be presented during next Tuesday's weekly meeting. I have a bit of time to get the materials done. Meanwhile...

Ah, yes, it's the weekend. Let me regale you with Jake's pics as I cool down to prepare for the free days ahead...

I'm On a New Diet. I Can Eat as Much of Whatever I Want.

NOT!!!

In between paperwork and meetings, I found myself one coffeebreak googling about South Beach Diet recipes. I randomly clicked on the listed sites and found myself mildly really interested. (Talking to self) I think I could do this without having to sign up for a gym workout. I just need to shed off about 12 lbs. That's not too bad. What's a few weeks of dieting, if it's going to make me healthier and feel good about myself later on? Anyway...

Then I came across the line that says cut out bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, fruit, candy, cakes, cookies, ice cream (ICE CREAM???), and sugar for 2 weeks of zero carbohydrates! Nooooo!!! *Groan* This is going to be tough after all.

In the car, on the way home, I happened to mention about it to Jerry and told him I want TO JUST TRY doing some pseudo South Beach Dieting. I took my 1st step and bought leafy greens, cheese, tomatoes, and a fat free salad dressing, etc.

On my first 1st day, dear hubs prepared a special lunch meal of fish in basil and olive oil and a small cup of coleslaw. Yummm. The food was made healthier and even more special with Jerry doing it for me. Haay... It was lovingly packed in an Adidas toiletry bag which I brought to work. Hehehe...

Day 2, I had tuna salad for lunch, courtesy again of my dear hubs, who woke up extra early to get the salad ready. Aw. He's really sweet! I can't believe he's going out of his way to do all this for me....

Hmmm...I hope, he doesn't think I'm TOO FAT!!!! Hahahaha!

Great to Finally Have the Chance to Relax and Unwind for a Change

The sun was high and the weather was perfect for a dip. By 9am we trooped to the pool taking Jake with us who seemed to refuse to take his morning nap to join the elder brothers.





Everyone was in swim shorts and Jake looked cute in his orange hand-me-down pair.

It was warm but the pool water was cold. They didn't go right in and I was amused to see Jake's chin quiver for a few minutes when Jerry slowly lowered him on his floater. I thought he was ready to cry!

But that was just the initial shock. A few minutes later, he was just like the rest, unmindful of the cold water and enjoying the splash and the ripples caused by his bigger bros.

I spent about 10 minutes max with them before heading back to our home.



--- --- --- ---

As the boys were downstairs enjoying their swim, I was engaged in the weirdest workout ever in my whole life.

For some reason, the water closet in our bathroom was clogged and threatened to spill out its (barf-worthy) contents on the pristine pink and white tiles any moment. I was there, oh yes, with sweat running down from every pore in my skin, unwillingly yet bravely working the plunger.

EWWW!

All He Wants...

All Jake wants to play with are the big boys' toys...




One of the boys - Matthew (yellow), Kyle (red) and Jake (white). Note the cellphone on Jake's right hand on the second pic.

One thing common with my kids at a very young age is their penchant for electronic gadgets like cellpones, pdas, remote controls (of tv, cd/vcd player, aircon), keyboard (laptop or desktop computer), telephone, electric outlets, playstation, car steering wheel, car switches, etc...

Sometimes I fret when he insists on tinkering with these thingies rather than with his own plastic toys. I've tried buying him those regulation blue, red, yellow colored plastic toys that he could push, pull, twist, turn, or pound. However, these usually end up in a growing pile of thing-a-ma-gigs that he has practically outgrown fast. And he is soon back to the bigger boys' toys.

Whoever is tasked to keep watch over him must possess an athlete's alacrity and be fast enough to take out the batteries of the remote controls before Jake wrecks it by repeatedly pressing the power button. This person must have the limbs of a contortionist to catch a falling cellphone/pda that Jake might accidentally (he doesn't do it on purpose) drop. The designated yaya must be watchful and make sure the electric outlets are capped with rubber, or stop him from getting caught in the telephone cord.

It got me thinking, do I need to buy him more of the toys fit for his age to divert his attention? Or do I just enjoy the savings of not having to spend for toys that will just keep him interested for a short period?



Here's happy Jake playing with his brothers' playstation.

Seeing Double

Taking a break from work, I checked on my emails. Yahoo... nothing. Gmail account 1... still nothing. Gmail account 2... nothing... No wait, there is 1 new message. I must have gotten used to not seeing any new message in my inbox lately that I almost missed out on that new bold alert indicating that I did have 1 new incoming message.

I was hoping this wasn't just some misrouted email or junk mail as I patiently waited for the page to load.

Then, there it was. I saw the short but sweet note that presented itself on my laptop screen.

just wanted to let u know we love your shirts :)

xoxo
maureen and marnelli pearson

This was a note from the twin-singers (from the USA) who graced the opening of Chains last July 8. They sang energetically that night and they were also two of those who walked the ramp during the fashion show.

Aw, this is really flattering. What a testament for Tee'licious - this note with their pics too. How sweet is that?

Fit to a Tee - Our One Day of Fame

Last Saturday, exactly a week ago today, started at a slow steady pace that later built up to a crazy crescendo. The make-up artists, Bernard Miaga and Charles Lao, were at the Banilad Town Center earlier than the appointed 9am. Impressive, considering that most people these days are so used to being "fashionably" late. Hehe. At 9am, Jerry and I came rushing to the parking lot to get ready to meet them and wait for the models to arrive.

Not too long after, SJ Quiteves, of Ad Models Phils, joined the group at Postrio to wait for the rest to arrive. Mamarazzi and I had coffee as I exchanged text messages with Sunstar's fashion editor, Mae Manacap, who was rushing on her way. Royce Acebu, owner of Chains, was there. Nikki Tan of Tamn bags for Tee'licious looked like a model herself when she walked in Postrio to join us. The customary greetings and introductions ensued. Yes, except for Nikki and Royce, it was a first-time meeting for everyone else.

From Postrio, we all sauntered back to Chains to get everything started. Being a neophyte at fashion foto shoots, I found myself a bit lost in all the prepping up of the outfits. There were a few hits and misses as we tried to mix and match our tees and bags with the other stalls' skirts, cargoes or shorts. Ay, you should have seen me and Nikki running around like headless chickens trying to come up with different looks - corporate, party, casual, hip, etc. The tees and bags were literally flying off the shelves and onto the lean bodies of our models.

Mae initially wanted 5 sets of outfits for the models SJ and Karina Gajudo, but in the course of all of the running around etcetera, it was down to just 4.

The locales where we had the shoot were in front of Pod5 and Postrio, and inside Cagnaan and Nice Things. SJ and Karina were lovely and they actually fit the image that we wanted to project. They gamely posed for the cams. They smiled, pouted, and gave dreamy, naughty, sexy looks. I was an instant fan and a paparazzi at the same time. Although not as good as well-known fotog, Alex Badayos of Sunstar, I had fun taking photos of the shoot myself. Hoo-ha!

The whole whirlwind of activities lasted up to 1pm. By then, everyone else was starting to look exhausted, and famished, and parched... The Sunstar team deemed they already had enough materials for the feature and finally called a pack-up.

Today, a week later, I bought my copy of Sunstar and turned to the fashion page. There they were, the lovely models in our yummy colored Tee'licious tees and bags, in two pages, splashed in full color!



Then the flurry of last Saturday's fashion foto shoot came rushing back. It was definitely all worth it!

It Was Nice Having You

MA!!!

It was short but sweet. We're glad you had a smooth flight and you're now back to Paparazzi's waiting arms (Ngek. OA ba? Hehehe).

We hope to see you again in one of your visits or when we cook up another surprise weekend in Manila.

We love you!


See you when I see you Lolarazzi! By then there will be more
added to my 2 pearly-whites.

"AH-MWA!" *Jake doing a flying kiss*

Impromptu Get-Together

Sunday night was a rare experience of being with my maternal balikbayan relatives (from New York) last seen when I was still a young girl. It was timely that Mamarazzi was also in town for a visit to my 91 y/o Lola Meding who has just recovered from viral infection. What started as pure coincidence (I think) with Aunt Belen and Aunt Nanette (from the Sering branch of the family) planning separate trips to Cebu turned out to be an instant reunion of sorts.

Papa Lalo (Matugas) tendered a dinner party at their spacious abode for the small group. Of course, what reunion would be complete without a feast of lechon, dinuguan, kinilaw, and various seafood fare, right? I didn't intend for the get-together to go undocumented either. So for the Sering, Matugas and Arreza members of our families, here are a couple of shots to capture the happy occasion.


Jerry, Kyle, Papa Lalo Matugas on my right, Jake and me, Aunt Baby Calderon on my left, Aunt Belen Sering in orange tank, Mamarazzi in purple, Aunt Nanette, Bingo and daughter Cheska Matugas. In front are Aunt Ring-ring and Uncle Hermie Sering.


The same group as above plus Matthew, Ethel Matugas and Lola Meding