Cutty

What do you give a 90+ year old woman as a birthday present? Surely, she'd rather have something more meaningful. Rosary? Prayer book? At a loss, I went out and bought ingredients for one of my best-seller cakes. I'll bake the base tonight then I'll frost the cake tomorrow. I hope she likes it. I also hope she's not diabetic.

This morning, we met with our architect and the contractor for our home expansion. The project scope and time line were discussed. Those are the only things we're waiting for since we have the necessary permits. The initial plan was to finish the project in eight months. I requested the contractor to squeeze it into 5 months, since I am planning to combine the house blessing with Javi's 1st birthday celebration. There are just a few other tweaks needed before we sign the contract and give the contractor our initial installment. In addition to that, the homeowners' association also had several guidelines for construction. We need to secure IDs and shirts for the workers. Before that, the workers would have to get NBI clearances before ID are issued. With all that in mind, we can only begin construction on Tuesday. The only thing we can do on Monday is to enclose our construction area in time for deliveries that day. I remembered that we failed to include the repaintin...

I've heard conflicting reviews about these establishments from different food bloggers. I'm so curious that I really want to try them for myself. These are not written in any order. Florabel Co's Crisostomo in Eastwood and Felix in GB Cara Mia for their Gelato cakes and Affogato M Cafe at the Ayala Museum Myron's Place for the Wagyu burgers Chelsea Cafe Stock Market People's Palace SALA restaurant La Cocina de Tita Moning's Bread and Butter Pudding and Chicken Relleno Lusso's Foie Gras Burger Astralis in Rockwell Pia y Damaso's desserts Bizu for the High Tea Yes, it is definitely a long list. Should we try one or two restos per month, Daddy? Mababaw lang naman kaligayahan ko.

Two weeks ago, an opportunity opened up. There is a new building being constructed in a prime location. I am almost certain I'll get a space since the owner and my father are good friends. They've done each other favors. I hope another one won't hurt. In this space, I plan to put up a service-oriented establishment. I'm in the process of gathering data from product suppliers. I've talked to several people in the same line of business and have gotten the basics from them. They even shared their compensation scheme with me. I also found a training center where I can get trained individuals to man this establishment. This center offers free training to the residents of the city. I've also gotten hold of someone who does consultation for people who want to get into the business like me. I even have the menu of services conceptualized. I'm already thinking of color schemes, furniture layout, seasonal offers and other amenities for this business. I ho...

For months now, I've been looking for a bottle cleaning detergent for my kids' feeding bottles. I have actually several options. Pigeon - This is the first brand I've tried. However, I find the Pigeon brand too expensive, P450 per liter. When we only had Johann, it was quite easy to dish out money for this since this could last for months. Considering that we sterilize our milk bottles twice, daily. It'll be another unnecessary, not to mention expensive, expense. Mess Out - This is a local brand I heard from the other new moms. One bottle used to cost less than P90. The quality is quite okay. It lasts longer than Pigeon because it more sudsy. However, the distribution of this product is quite poor. I used to find this in Rustan's Supermarket and Landmark. Whenever I see this, I'd hoard bottles. But, this has been missing in the shelves for weeks. I hope this gets replenished soon. I have yet to see if Babyland has stocks. From the makers of Cycle...

A few nights ago, my mother and I sat in a demonstration specifically organized for the doctors, nurses and midwives. We were the first ones to arrive. It was good though, because we got to sample the heavy snack prepared for the attendees. The Executive Chef of the Julius Maggi Kitchen was asked to prepare a light meals for the audience. We were given recipes for the light courses. We even got to sample most of them. Nearly all recipes had Magic Sarap in them. He even put three packets in one dish. I was already imaging the amount of MSG in there. Of course, there were other Nestle products incorporated in the recipes. Here is what was prepared before us: 1) Pumpkin soup - It is not the usual richly-flavored soup. It is lighter version because milk was used, instead of cream. This also had a touch of ginger. It was an immediate hit. 2) Salad Nicoise - The dressing was okay. There really was nothing to rave about this recipe. 3) Spaghetti Aglia Olio - In my opinion, t...

I've always found bags by Ferragamo and Dior too matronly. But, it seems that their designs are more feisty lately. Check these out by Ferragamo. This reminds me of Chanel. It is cheaper alternative because it is made of coated canvas, not leather. This one reminds me of my Gucci tote. I hope Dior releases a red version of this one. What do you like? *photos grabbed from Neiman Marcus

... is the secret to a healthy, glowing, flawless skin. The rest of the world inject it. Japanese women drink it in its purest form. Check out Oprah , if you don't believe me. I've heard of more outrageous practices that are too gross to share with you. I trust the conventional and hygienic method of cleansing and moisturizing, coupled with facials by my reliable dermatologist. Oh, the price of beauty.

I've been sleeping really late these past few days. So, when the hunger pangs hit, I munch on this Have you tried it? I've also tried to the Sundried Tomato variant. But, I went back to this. It is nothing of substance, just air and salt compressed in a thin slice of potato. I am just too lazy to go down and get myself a decent snack. Besides, I can't leave the kids alone in the room.

* The Jesuits have their own Michael V. * I expected the Father Provincial to be as old as the University President * The Manila Cathedral could be in the same league as the churches in Europe * The Cardinal smiled only once during the whole mass. * The Cardinal is so soft-spoken, it so difficult to understand him. * The Society of Jesus is the only missionary group that was able to infiltrate Mindanao. * Why do Cardinals wear red skull caps? * Dulcinea's Churros are shaped by hand before frying in boiling oil. * Having churros for breakfast made up for my tossing and turning the previous night. * Mas matitigas ang ulo ng mga matatanda. Sila pa yun ayaw pumila. * I didn't eat on time the whole day. * It's good that I brought an extra set of clothes for the afternoon program because I ruined my top with hot chocolate. * I don't like way the guest speaker emphasized his non-pedigree roots. * It was fun sitting beside Alex during mass. There was never a dull m...

... will I get up at 3:30AM just to make it to the engagement ... will I see 150 Jesuits celebrate the mass with Cardinal Rosales ... will I walk the streets of Intramuros in stilleto heels ... will I get to enjoy unlimited churros con chocolate for free

If you are familiar with the clothing brand Religioso, you'd be glad to know that they custom design clothes also. They do wedding gowns, too. What's most interesting is that their shop is just a stone's throw away from my in-laws' house in Kapitolyo. I'd like to pay them a visit. I wonder what they can come up for me.

A few days ago, I posted an entry about Givenchy shoes . Adora had them on display on the third floor. I didn't know that Adora carried the brand. Needless to say, I was amazed to see them in real life. The silver sandals first caught my eye. As I made my way deeper in to the store, I found that they had the other ones I like on display too. Pang- window dress-up sa boutiques pala ang taste ko =P Anyway, I didn't bother trying them on for fear of causing a thousand peso damage. The silver sandals is 49K and the other two cost 59K each. They were definitely lovely to look at, but scary to hold.

As much as we want to prepare for the future, it seems that our money in the bank will not be able to earn as much as it would in InvestmentForge . If you study the bank rates, most of the banks would only return 2% per annum for the amount we have in the bank. I think it'll be wiser if we moved some of our savings to Investment Forge. My $50 can earn 2% in 40 days. Can someboday else beat that?

Yesterday afternoon was supposedly a day at the salon with Lesley. However, she got delayed by some maintenance work in her condo. I went on without her and kept myself company with the latest issue of Metro Magazine. ----------------- I was delighted to see Lea on the cover. If I had one favorite singer, it is Lea. You see, I grew up listening to the Miss Saigon soundtrack. She is one Filipina who's got the beauty, the intelligence and the talent. How I wish she became part of the Glee Club. Our paths would have crossed, not that our batches would have overlapped. Here are some photos of her from the magazine. I just love this long-sleeved gown. I also love how the fabric drapes around her body. I hope to pull off something like this someday. In my dreams talaga . Motherhood really becomes her. ------------------ After spending some time with Lea, I felt that I needed a bathroom break. As I was approaching the door to the loo, I felt someone's eyes are on me. ...

Johann will turn two in a couple of weeks. We're having a swimming party. The caterer is already booked. We're having Monggolian . I ordered the cake from Shoppersville , a decent and cheap alternative to Kitchen Krafts . Since he loves cars, I got him the McQueen cut-out cake. As you can see, we don't have a theme. We're just going to celebrate the day with things we enjoy. I hope that it won't rain that weekend. However, looking at the extended forecast, it seems that there'll be downpour. I might as well offer eggs to the Monasterio de Sta. Clara, just in case. --------------- Javi is 7mos old yesterday. He can already do pull-ups. He's been eating solids though he still needs to get used to the taste of the mashed veggies. We tried squash yesterday. He liked the sayote much better. He's been enjoying bananas and is getting tired of Cerelac . Tomorrow is his scheduled Pedia appointment. I hope to see some weight gain. He's be...

One of our considerations for getting a pre -owned car were the cost of improvements we're going to make. We foresaw the need to change the suspension for our kids' comfort. We'd also have to replace the steering rack. Since I will be using the car, most of the time, it has to be easily manoeuvred to cope with the driving needed in Manila. Weighing the cost of the improvements, we opted to buy a brand new family car instead. How I wish I'd seen these very reasonably priced steering rack s. We would have reconsidered getting a pre -owned vehicle.

I am more of a shoes person than a bag person. When I go on trips, I usually bring home at least one pair for myself. Now that I am a stay-at-home-mom, I no longer purchase shoes for going out or for work. I find it a waste of money. But that doesn't prevent me from trying those on. Look at these. If only I had the legs to showcase them in... *photos from net-a-porter.com

I didn't grow up close to my father. Yes, we lived in the same house but we seldom spoke to each other. Growing up, I often find myself at odds with him. He'd reprimand me for questioning (a.k.a. disrespecting) him. I'd resent him for a number of reasons I would rather not mention. Our fights would end with him sending me packing. But when I finally moved out after getting married, he found himself looking for me. He was having this mid-life crisis while I was just too stubborn to back down. As much as I wouldn't want to admit it, we're just too similar to get along. Now that I don't live in his house, we get along better. We are civil to each other. We are more patient and more tolerant with each other. Being a parent myself, it is easier to understand him, not that I fully understand him. He is 57 today. Somehow, he is not the same father I was accustomed to. He's gone soft. I can no longer use him as a threat when it comes to my kids. Wh...

Accidents happen any time of day. Accidents don't care if you're flat broke. This is why car insurance is a necessity. It is as vital as food and health care. So, even if my budget is stretched, I have find to find a way to fund my car insurance. I wonder what are the auto insurance rates in my area.

I got this from my cousin who works for ABS-CBN. You may know of someone who's interested in getting formal training on the ins and outs of film production. Check out the image for more details.

With all this talk about Hayden and infidelity, I believe these words are very timely. "...Women need to have more respect for other women," she says. "It takes a lot of work to put together a marriage, to put together a family and a home. … You have to have enough respect for other human beings to leave their lives alone. If you admire that life, build it for yourself. Don't just try to come in and take somebody else's life." - taken from Oprah's interview

I read somewhere that Gucci is now on sale. I wonder which items are at reduced prices. Should I bother going to Greenbelt to see what other boutiques are on sale? --------------- The end of season sale is now at our midst. As much as I'd like to get a new bag (like a very discreet Burberry), I don't think I'll be purchasing anything as high-priced as that. I am foreseeing a number of expenses in the coming months, including trips in July and August and a house expansion. I'd have to factor in Javi's 1st birthday as well. Looks like I'll have to wait for August to see if I'll be making "the bag" purchase this year.

Tomorrow will be MIL's third death anniversary. I wasn't with the family long enough to know her well. I know that she is one generous soul. I know that she favored Vic over his other siblings, being the only boy. She wouldn't listen to reason but would listen to Vic as if she heard from the wise man. She is one person who is not afraid to speak her mind. Her children would often shush her to curb her tongue. She may curse a lot but I realize that it's not meant to be taken personally. I heard her curse her children often enough. She's also one gullible person when it comes to his son's jokes. That's why she often the butt of Vic's jokes. She led a very charmed life. She had the means to spend and to travel to her heart's content. She's just limited by the disease that "crippled" her in the last years of her life. Her health affected her disposition. She was almost always tired and irritable. Vic would often say that had...

Johann will be turning two in a couple of weeks. We initially didn't want to celebrate his birthday with a party. I just wanted to hold a swimming party for his cousins and get several stalls of finger food. Mother also volunteered to bring spaghetti and BBQ. However, the cost of the stalls would would almost cost me as much as real food. I'll see if the caterer can accommodate my booking.

Last weekend, we had the official meeting for the festival we're hosting next year. We sat down and projected our expense for this project. Roughly, our target is 2M. Heading the Logistics committee, it seems that I am running a very big chunk of the project. Accommodations, Transportation, Welcome/Send-off, Venue are just some of my concerns for this project. I am hoping to get the venue grant so we can take that off our budget. If I am not mistaken, that is 10% of our total project expense. I already got my quotation for the bus rentals. I waiting for more. Next, I am off to scouting hotels for 80 people. Good Luck to me.

For those who do not want to see this rant, please move on. ----------------------- People think because I've married into a well-off family, I am so lucky, I no longer had to work for a living. It is true that we do get some perks and some assistance if we need it. Yes, we were given a house as a wedding gift. But like most couples, Vic and I had to work for what we have. Vic and I have this investment that earns enough for our monthly needs. Sometimes, it is more than enough. The situation will change once our kids grow up. Unlike what you believe, we do not live off someone else's generosity. I wonder who gave you that idea? I know of some parasites. I also know that there are also some people who'd take advantage if they can get away with it. I just can't decide who is worse. -------------------- Vic went into the corporate setting because he wants to be independent. Had he decided to work in the family business, he'd be burdened with family polit...