Today…

Outside my window…It is very sunny and relatively hot.
I am thinking… Of catching some zzzs later because I slept too late last night.
I am thankful for… today. It’s a FRIDAY!
From the kitchen… Fried egg, toast and luncheon meat for breakfast. And coffee too!
I am wearing… The usual – sleeveless tops and shorts.
I am creating… Some digital scrapbook pages.
I am going…To meet a friend for dinner later. It’s been a while since we last saw each other and I missed her!
I am reading… Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado for inspirational and for fiction, I still have to choose a recommended read by my friends.
I am hoping… For a good weather during the weekend.
Around the house…My self working on this post. :P
One of my favorite things… My iTouch!
A few plans for the rest of the week… Just spend some quality time with my husband and our kidlet.
A picture I love:

Baby Kley, our niece we have yet to meet because she lives in Australia. Her smile is endearing, right? Makes you smile too! :)

Baby Fever

And the babies just keep coming! Thanks to online baby announcements posted on Facebook, I have been well-informed. Early this week, I learned that an aunt by affinity and her husband adopted a very cute and handsome baby boy. And just this morning, a friend living abroad posted photos of their equally-adorable bundle of joy. Both boys are so good-looking and I can’t help but take delight on them!

My Life After 13 Months

It’s been thirteen long months since I have left my job and started to live a life which is a far cry from the life and environment that I was used to. The transition was not as easy as I wanted it to be and until now, I am still trying to adjust and find balance. Because of the abundance of time in my hands, I can honestly say that it can be very overwhelming. Almost every weekday for a year, I wake up wondering what to do that day, aside from my usual responsibilities as a mother and as a blogger. Also, I blogged whenever I feel like it. Everything that I did actually, depended on my mood. On my feelings.

It can get frustrating at times. Not being able to accomplish anything and being unproductive can be very annoying, especially when I was used to being productive when I was working at the university, when my day-to-day life was filled with meetings, consultations, coordinating and many others. It’s a good thing that with much prayers and perseverance, I finally found some ways to make this kind of life work for me. I found a system to make sure that I do what I need to do every day beginning this week, no matter how I feel upon waking up. My greatest enemy in accomplishing things is no other than myself. Like what I said, everything depends on my feelings. But it is wrong to make my feelings my master.

I am grateful for the resources I have found online help plus an inner conviction that I can do more. I am on for a good start and I am positive that I can absolutely sustain what I have started if I put my heart and mind into it. Wish me luck!

Free iPhone and Android App for Pregnant Women

People these days are so luky to have access on almost everything with the help of gadgets that seem to be getting smaller and lighter these days. With my iPod, I can listen to music, surf the Net, get in touch with my friends, check my email, play games and even track my period! That thingamajig has indeed made my life easy. In fact, yesterday, I have not gotten out of bed yet but I have already provided the information needed by my friend regarding SPIA comparisons with the help of my iTouch.

Well there is another thing that you can do conveniently too, if you are expecting. You can track your pregnancy and your baby’s development plus many others with an application called My Pregnancy Today. Developed by the leading website dedicated to helping us become better parents, Baby Center, this app offers:

• My pregnancy day by day: A weekly guide for your pregnancy.
• Fetal development images: Lets you view your baby’s growth with unique images developed by expert medical illustrators.
• Pregnancy checklist:  An interactive to-do list filled with activities and reminders to keep you on track with decisions, doctor appointments, and others.
• Award-winning videos: Lets you see what is happening inside the womb with breathtaking 3-D animations. You can also learn about your own delivery day with live-action birth videos.
• Birth clubs: This is where you can meet other expectant moms who are due at the same time as you for instant advice and support.
• Due date calculator: Learn when your due date is and start a count down to the big day.
• Nutrition guide: Useful tips and recipes to keep you healthy and manage cravings.

You can download this app from My Pregnancy Today for iPhone and My Pregnancy Today for Android. It’s free!

Self-Imposed Moratorium

… on booking travels is no fun at all.

Several airlines have been holding various seat sale promos these days and all I can do is ignore them! We just came from a trip down south and as expected, funds are low. Moreover, we are trying to save up for some big projects which we hope to start before the year ends. Besides, we still have two or three more domestic trips scheduled towards the fourth quarter of this year and we also need to save up for them too. I am already thinking of selling our sony digital cameras because they have been unused for so long (and we need the money, remember?) but it is hard for my husband to let go of things! Argh.

Anyway, we promised to visit a friend who is a missionary and now assigned in a place down, down south soon. I think we can squeeze that in into our very busy schedule. Let’s see if a Christmas at his mission are will do. That is going to be very exciting, don’t you think? :)

Cebu Pacific Seat Sale: July 14, 2011

Another seat sale is taking place at Cebu Pacific Air. Read on!

DOMESTIC
Manila to Cauayan (Isabela), Coron (Busuanga), Laoag, Legazpi, Naga, Puerto Princesa, San Jose (Mindoro), Tuguegarao or Virac P488

Cebu to Bacolod, Boracay (Caticlan), Clark, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa or Tacloban P488

Davao to Cagayan de Oro or Zamboanga P488

Zamboanga to Tawi-tawi P488

Travel Period: Oct 14 - 31, 2011

Manila to Bacolod, Boracay (Caticlan), Calbayog, Catarman, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Kalibo, Roxas, Tacloban or Tagbilaran P588

Cebu to Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Siargao, Surigao or Zamboanga P588

Davao to Iloilo P588

Cagayan de Oro to Iloilo P588

Travel Period: Oct 14 - 31, 2011

Manila to Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Surigao or Zamboanga P888

INTERNATIONAL
Manila to Kota Kinabalu as low as P488

Travel Period: Sep. 1 - Jan. 31, 2012

Manila to Taipei P888

Manila to Busan, Incheon or Osaka P2,088

Cebu to Busan or Incheon P2,088

Travel is valid from September 1 to October 31, 2011 unless otherwise stated. Sale is until July 18, 2011 or until seats last. Book online by visiting the Cebu Pacific website.

We Were in Cebu!

Now I understand why Cebu City is referred to as The Queen City of the South. After dreaming for so long, I have finally visited the said city along with my daughter and husband. My man has been frequenting Cebu City for his training and other business trips but it was the first time for my daughter and me. There is nothing to hate about the place! Everything is lovely – the people, the food and tourist spots! And we have not visited all tourists places at that! But we have tried their famous pork suckling which we had during our three lunches while we were there (per my request, of course) and boy, I felt so stuffed after every meal! My daughter commented that if we keep on doing it, her mom and dad will need weightloss pills because the three of us won’t fit in the bed anymore!

Anyway, we look forward to swimming in their finest beach during our next visit. We also want to visit other tourist spots that we missed. Aside from that, we also hope to meet another friend whom I have not seen for about a decade now. Until then, Cebu! See you again!

Harry Potter Cake by Charm City Cakes

Are you a Harry Potter fan? This cake is for you! This amazing sweet treat was made by the premiere of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in NYC. Celebrity baker Duff Goldman and his Charm City Cakes crew are the creative geniuses who are behind this awesome dessert.

photo by Charm City Cakes

Innovative Business Solutions by Zugo LTD

Technology and the Internet have revolutionized the way we practically live our lives. It has made almost everything and everyone within our reach. It has made keeping in touch more convenient – with friends, family, employees and even business associates. With the aid of technology, we can do our shopping, business conferences and other transactions without ever stepping outside the comforts of our homes.

For many, the Internet has opened the doors of good business opportunities. An online business is said to be more manageable thus its proliferation. The market obviously, has now more players which is advantageous on the part of the clients. However, we cannot say the same thing for business owners. With the number of emerging competitors everyday, they need to find business solutions in order to stay ahead of their rivals. That’s where Zugo LTD comes in. Zugo can help you design simple yet powerful customized toolbars for your target clients. What’s so nice about Zugo’s toolbars is that they are very easy to install and uninstall. Moreover, they do not contain any suspicious spywares and viruses that can harm your computers. Their products does not even affect your computer’s performance as they are lightweight and compatible with most browsers.

I Cram.

The week is almost over and I can’t report any major accomplishment! Oh, I was able to finish one long novel and help a good friend order some nice college flags from an online store called Vista Flags but aside from that, I don’t have any other achievement to boast about. I felt really sluggish at the beginning of the week and now that it is about to end, I am in a state of panic! I need to cram! I am cramming! We have a very busy weekend and I need, badly need to do oh-so-many things before tomorrow, both online and offline. It does not help that my ISP has been acting up since last night, when power was restored after an 11-hour brownout. Argh.

Like what I always say, I NEVER LEARNED. *sigh*

Cebu Pacific Seat Sale (July 4, 2011)

Itching to book a flight but with a limited budget? Avail of Cebu Pacific’s seat sale. Here’s the deal:

PISO FARE
Cagayan de Oro to Iloilo
Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi

Travel Period: Oct. 14 - Dec. 15, 2011

DOMESTIC
Manila to Naga P488

Travel Period: Jul. 16 - Sep. 30, 2011

Manila to Dumaguete, Tacloban or Zamboanga P688
Manila to Cagayan de Oro or Davao P888

INTERNATIONAL
Manila or Clark to Macau
Cebu to Hong Kong P888
Manila to Beijing or Shanghai P1,888

Travel valid from August 1 to September 30, 2011 (except where specified). Seat sale period is only until July 7 or until seats last.