Trip to Monasterio de Tarlac

My Sister in Law got an invitation from her friend and now is a priest at Monasterio de Tarlac (Fr. Ezekiel) to come and have a chance to see the Relic of the True Cross of Jesus that was shown to the public last January 30. We were informed that this was a truly special event because the Relic will only be opened to the public only twice a year (Sept. and Jan). So, we decided to come and see it last Sunday, and thankfully we did.

We woke up at around 3am to travel from Manila to Tarlac to be able attend the 9am Holy Mass. Going to Tarlac was very fast now especially when the SCTEX (Subic, Clark, Tarlac Express Way) was already opened. I realized that the Monasterio is not yet well known by the locals since my relatives who are from Tarlac doesn't even know the place yet. From Tarlac City, you will cross a zig zag road and a steep path to the top of the mountain before you reach the holy place. Our car almost slid down the road when my Brother in Law made an unexpected stop at the top, thankfully some police officials there helped to push back on track.

What makes this place extra special you may ask?  You can read it here

Being expose to the sun, sacrificing a few hours of sleep to go here and having to wait in a very long line to wait for your turn was all worth it, trust me, when the moment comes when you are able to see the Relic of the Cross yourself and touch the glass container holding it. Taking pictures was not allowed so we don't have any actual pictures of the Relic. We can't explain the feeling we had when we saw it... it's magical and we felt like we were being touched by Him.

Here are some photos of the place

My sister in law and family

Bishop of Tarlac Most Rev. Florentino F. Cinense, D.D.

Balloons with wishes

people arrived from different places to  see the Relic

the 30 ft high statue of the Risen Christ

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

White or Yellow gold: Which do you prefer?

Every time I am looking for gold jewelry, I am more attracted to the white gold ones over the yellow ones. But I always get the same feedback that white gold looks cheap and simple. They say that yellow gold is more elegant and classic looking.

White Gold is always compared as shiny silver only, which is why they said that it looks cheap. Yet I still prefer this over yellow gold because since it's looks ordinary I can wear it anywhere. I can go to Divisoria or the market wearing white gold earrings and I will not have the fear of being noticed by thieves. Our wedding ring is in white gold since it gives a more radiant shine to the diamond stone.For me, I think White Gold suites my simple fashion style better.

I think the only disadvantage of white gold is that it is more prone to skin allergy compared to yellow gold because of the metal used. Also when it is being worn all the time, white gold needs to be shined often in order to keep the dashing color that it had when it was brand new.

How about you which do you prefer? white ore yellow gold?

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Effects of Global Warming!

I just want to share some photos of some parts of the Earth that was affected by the continuous warming of the atmosphere. I am feeling worried and nervous by just looking at the pictures, but it is needed for everyone to be seen so that we could be more serious in advocating to save our one and only planet.

Rising tides
Some scientists predict that a warmer climate will trigger more violent storms, which will cause increased rates of coastal erosion.  This is a section of shoreline at Cape Hatteras in North Carolina in the USA, pictured in 1999 and 2004. The southern United States and Caribbean region were battered by a series of powerful hurricanes last year.  Rising sea levels are also expected to speed up coastal erosion.

Vanishing islands

Other parts of the world could face even more drastic change.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a consortium of several thousand independent scientists, predicts that sea levels could rise by between 9 and 88cm within the next century.  This would threaten low-lying islands such as Tuvalu in the Pacific. These images, taken this year, show the effects of a higher than usual tide.

No snow

As the climate warms up, mountainous regions may experience lower levels of snowfall. This image shows Mount Hood in Oregon at the same time in late summer in 1985 and 2002.

Argentina's Upsala Glacier was once the biggest in South America, but it is now disappearing at a rate of 200 metres per year. Other scientists say it's reduction is due to complicated shifts in glacial dynamics and local geology.

American photographer Gary Braasch has been documenting images of environmental change since 1999.
The image on the left is from an 1859 etching of the Rhone glacier in Valais, Switzerland, and shows ice filling the valley.  In 2001, the glacier had shrunk by some 2.5km, and its 'snout' had shifted about 450 metres higher up.

More pests

Tree-eating wood beetles are likely to benefit from a warmer climate and reproduce in ever-increasing numbers.  These images show damage to White Spruce trees in Alaska caused by these pests.

Pictures by: Gary Braasch © 

 Information by: BBC

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Thank you my dear Teflon pan!

Because you are quite expensive compared to ordinary pans, I just bought you last year. Even though I broke my piggy bank just to have you, in return, you never failed to disappoint me. I am not a good cook, so having you in the kitchen makes me motivated to try different dishes. I hated to cook before, one example dish is the fried fish. Yes, fried fish!

I know it is so easy to cook but using an ordinary pan makes it hard for me. My fried fish is always not presentable since it's skin is always sticking on the pan and that is why when I transfer it to the plate, it looks like it was already eaten by a cat.

But with you, my Teflon pan, my fried fishes looks classy, even though sometimes I forgot to put salt in it, the fish still looks and taste yummy. It looks like it was cooked by a pro!

But, there are things that really don't last forever. I am sorry my dear Teflon pan if I forgot to introduce you to the other members of this house. I thought I will be the only one to use you, I should tell them that you are very particular on what utensils to be used in your surface. You don't like metal since it can damage your non stick surface. Also, you don't like to be put in a dish washing sink and you don't want to be poured with cold water while you're still hot. Washing you with a non scratch pad or a sponge is your favorite since it will not ruin or harm you.

You made cooking experiences fun, my Teflon pan, and I am really sorry if you gained some scratches on you right now. I know I am to be blamed for it also, but don't worry, I will take good care of you more and I will make sure that I will be the only person to use you ever again. I know you are lonely alone, so I will brake my piggy bank once again to buy you a partner in the kitchen.

Till tomorrow Teflon pan... Thank You!

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Saving the planet in my own little way!

I have read this report from a friend's Facebook wall last time.

CNN: NASA reports that by the next 10 months, earth will get hotter by 4 degrees from now. Himalayan glaciers are melting at a rapid rate. Our climate is changing drastically and it's getting worse.

The different nations should really do something to educate their people about the drastic change of the globe's climate before it's too late. The people on the other hand, need to take this seriously to avoid suffering from the consequences Global Warming can bring.

Being a mom to a 3 years old boy, I don't want him to be the one to suffer in the near future if the Global Warming will not be stopped.  That is why I decided to change some old habits and do something to help our planet survive. 

Last year, I started putting plants in pots on our front house. We can now at least breath fresher air compared before, and I am planning to add some more plants.

Also, every time I went to the wet market I always bring my pink re-usable plastic bag.

This way, on my own little way, I can help plastic waste decrease.  I also love the feeling that other shoppers and store owners appreciate you for not using plastic bags.  I already gave my mom who lives in Muntinlupa her own re-usable bag and she said that she is also very happy on how people reacts when she uses it. Good news is that she is already used to bringing her own bag before the Muntinlupa Government announced that effective this month they will already ban the use of plastic bags and Styrofoams.  (Read the news here)

When shopping at the malls or even in Divisoria, I use my eco bag or any big foldable bag where I can put everything I shop directly in the bag. 

I also have tips for new moms out there, it is best to use cloth diapers for your babies.  If you want to save more moolah then cloth diapers are a lot better than disposable diapers available in the market.  One cloth diaper can be used from birth till he is about to be potty trained.  You can check out cloth diapers like Fuzzi Bunz.  You can check it out at Hobbes & Landes:  Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Rockwell Power Plant, Greenhills Promenade. You can also check my previous post about cloth diapers here.

And my latest discovery (well not that latest, but it's just now that I take it seriously) is to lessen the paper we use and even receive.  Papers come from trees, and because consumers has demand for it, of course, producers manufacture it.  Recently, I enrolled my credit card bills in an online statement so that I will not received my statement using paper anymore.  

How about you, what is your contribution to protect mother earth?


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

WOW! I got a PR4!

I can't believe what my eyes is looking right now. I thought google had a PR update the other day already and at that time when I checked this site it was still stuck at PR3, but that's alright for me since it's better than it became lower. But when I opened my site today I saw this!

To double check if this is really true, I went to the PR checker site and the same number came out.

I am so thankful for having this rank.  Now I am more motivated to post quality articles everyday, and I hope to get more advertisers and opps too.

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

First time at Banana Leaf Asian Cafe

My husband and I had a date last Saturday. We have no plans, we just want to go out by ourselves that time and enjoy each others company. We went to Robinson Ermita to have a lunch, he recommend dining in "TGIF" since we haven't tried eating there. But, since my impression of the place was being too expensive I declined (now I wish I never did). Since he wants to try something new and at a not so expensive price, we decided to dine in at Banana Leaf Asian Cafe.

Since I already tasted some Japanese and Chinese foods, I think this maybe the right time to try cuisines of other nearby Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even India and that's what Banana Leaf has to offer.

The place is neat and very comfortable since when we entered there are lots of vacant seats available.

panoramic shot of the place

I don't know what to order, so I decided to look for the mark that indicates if it's the Chef Choice or Banana Leaf's specialty. In choosing food, I am not that adventurous like my husband who always want to try anything new to him.  I am afraid to be disappointed in the end, and that's why I still order foods that are familiar to me.

We ordered the following:

• Deep Fried Pandan Chicken P168.00 (appetizer)
• Hong Kong Curry in Chicken P178.00 (for me)
• Hainanese Chicken - Set Meal P198.00 (for Noel)
• Stir Fried Mango and Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce P208.00
• Iced Lemon Grass with Honey P68.00 (for me)
• Iced Tea Tarik - Malaysian Pulled Tea P68.00 (for Noel)

The first food they served was our appetizer the Pandan Chicken.  I already tasted this kind of food when I bought a ready to cook variety from SM Supermarket.  But the Pandan Chicken in Banana Leaf is really satisfying and we really enjoyed the sweet taste of it.

Our main course comes next, mine is the Hongkong Curry and Hainanese Chicken for Noel. One of my favorite dishes is chicken curry but maybe I got used to eating the Filipino style of the said dish (which is not that spicy) that is why I did not enjoy the Hongkong curry that much.  The curry is too flavorful for me, so I just asked Noel to finish my food since I really can't eat it all. 

On the other hand, Noel enjoyed his Hainanese Chicken.  It come up with 3 different sauces: the ginger sauce, the chili sauce and the sweet soy sauce (kecap manis).  He finished it all and was very satisfied with it. 

The waitress also served the Stir Fried Mango and Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce.  This dish is superb, I like how it tingles in your mouth.  The sweetness and sourness of the mango and the chili sauce is perfect for the juicy shrimp.

We finished our meal with my Iced Lemon Grass with Honey and Iced Tea Tarik for Noel (I forgot to take pictures).  The Iced Tea Tarik is a must try drink in Banana Leaf, the lemon grass on the other hand is a so so drink for me.

Overall, since dining there is for Noel's early birthday celebration it's good to know that he enjoyed the food.  For me, maybe next time I will try their other dishes and maybe at that time I will be more satisfied.

 
what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Freezing Boiling Water

We all know it is really getting cold these days but when I saw this, it really made my day!



what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

One Credit Card is enough!

Yesterday I received a call from a credit card company asking me for my personal info since he said that I am qualified to receive a credit card from their bank. Since, I already have lots of credit cards and that 3 of those were already closed (thank heavens!), I told him that I am not interested and that I don't need another credit card.

I originally plan to get rid of ALL my credit cards in my recent post, and yes I am still motivated to do that but just like any other women that switched mind quite often, I realized that I need to maintain at least one credit card. What for, you may ask?

First of all that card will only be used for emergency purposes. I am not asking for it, but what if we need to rush someone to the hospital and it's a holiday and that all the banks are closed. We all know and it's sad to accept that almost all hospitals in our country do not accept patients that doesn't have money for down payment, so a credit card can still save the day if this unfortunate circumstances happen.

Second, I want to have one due date for all our utility bills. Last year I forgot that our internet bill was already due and before I knew it our internet connection was already suspended. Having only one due date for our Meralco, Maynilad, Phone and Internet subscription will save me from the hassle of paying. Besides it will still earn me some credit points.

That is why I think ONE credit card for the whole household is enough, just as long you know when to use it.


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

There's a New Baby in the house!

Okay I know I posted about planning to be frugal this 2011 last time, and yet now we purchased a new gadget.  Before you raise your eyebrow, let me first defend why we need to purchase this new gadget.

My husband, a graphic artist, sometimes needs to scan some pictures and print some documents for his work.  Scanning documents outside is worth P10.00 and printing is P5 for black and white and P25 for colored print out. If we will do the scanning and printing ourselves we will surely save a lot.  But, even though we need a printer and scanner at the same time  it's very expensive to buy it separately.  Thank goodness there's the Brother multi-function product. For a very affordable price of  P3,650 (model: DCP-J125) we get a printer, a scanner and a copier all at one.  It's really a great deal since it also comes with a FREE KFC Bucket Meal worth P535 (promo last until January 31 only).  The warranty is 2 years so we are not worried much about the product and besides it has good reviews.

a printer, a scanner and copier for only P3,650.00

FREE KFC Bucket Meal worth P 535.00

photo via: photobucket

 




what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Just sign up and win an Apple Ipad, Macbook or Nintendo Wii

Pakyaw is a new site that offers GREAT discount for food, travel, and other exciting things people love to do.  Their first deal will start on February 1, 2011

Just by signing up on their site (just click HERE) you will automatically get a P100.00 Pakyaw money that you can use whenever you find a deal you want. As of now, this is the only site that offers a sign up bonus.

Another exciting thing about this site is that they are giving away not just one Apple Ipad, Apple Macbook and Nintendo Wii but check this out, starting January 10-31 they will be giving away 1 unit per day which means a total of 22 cool gadgets will be given away!

So what are you waiting for SIGN UP NOW! (just click HERE)


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

My new found love: Working Mom Magazine

My fascination in reading magazines started when I was already working and of course having a monthly pay check. Since I was still single back then, I preferred reading the Cosmopolitan Magazine. When I got married, my interest switched to keeping the house clean and cozy, and preparing easy to cook food for my hubby, that's why I preferred the Good Housekeeping magazine. When I became pregnant, my priority was to have a healthy pregnancy and to know what to expect when the baby was born that's why I collected Smart Parenting Magazine.

I still love all the magazines mentioned above but it's a good thing that I discovered the Working Mom Magazine because it's contents are also very interesting.

So, what makes me want to try it? It is not because Ms. Bianca Araneta Elizalde is in the front cover but since I want the year 2011 to start right, the topic that catched my attention was: "Organize your Life, 2011 checklist" and "25 easy steps to a calmer, more confident you".

I may have a blog titled "Living Life to the Fullest" but the truth is I can't help to worry most of the time. I am still having a hard time trying to stop thinking what will be our future?, why others behave like this?, how can we do this, do that?, or even who killed Magellan (nah.. just kidding).

I also get easily irritated and frustrated whenever someone did things wrong and not the way I expected it. That is why reading tips on how to be a calmer and to have a positive outlook in life will really help me.

I want to thank all the people behind every articles in every magazines for sharing their ideas and stories so that people like me may know what to do if the same situation would ever happen to us.


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

2011 Financial Goal

Financially I can humbly say that we are okay. By stating we are okay means we are not badly in debt and yet we still don't have huge savings in the bank... it's just enough to get us by. We can provide for Ren's therapy sessions and can still pay the brand new townhouse we bought last June from Camella in Daang Hari, but still, sadly, we cannot avoid to use our credit cards.

This 2011, as the one in charge with the house budget, I am planning to get rid of ALL our credit cards and start pushing ourselves to live our life without it. Going out without a credit card can help us control our spending and it may increase our savings in the bank as well. I am also thinking of having a Time deposit or setting up a small business in our province.

How can we achieve our plan if we have minimal income? hmmmp....... discipline... and we need lots of it, and no more to impulse buying.

I have a few ideas that I am thinking to cut down expenses, check it out:

• We can cut down unnecessary items in our grocery list like foods that make us fat: candy, wafers, cookies and chocolate biscuits, and instead increase on our water intake if we get a little bit hungry. This way we can hit two birds with one stone, slimmer and healthier body and a happier wallet. 

• No more watching TV from morning till night instead the TV will be opened for 2-3 hours only during the day. This way our electric bill might go down a little. 

• Use Chikka online when we need to text other people when we are in front of the computer, this way we can cut down on our cellphone loads. 

Since I am working twice a week now, I am planning to keep my salary in the bank and will just use my husband's salary for our monthly expenses.

I am looking forward to shout " I am not rich, but I AM DEBT FREE!!!"

photo via: http://pantsinacan.com

How about you what is your Financial Goal this 2011?


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest