just simple thoughts

Remembering My Mother in Law

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:54:16 PDT

I was browsing through the photos that I have stored in my laptop and then I saw this particular photo of hubby's arm.

It was taken after hubby's blood extraction when he donated blood for his Mom's operations last February 28. This actually brings back memories and unfortunately, sad memories...That was the date my mother in law went through what is called gastrectomy procedure to remove the mass from her stomach which she noticed just 2 weeks prior to her surgery. The family was later informed that the mass was so huge that it was impossible to remove only the mass without damaging the stomach. The surgeon ended up removing a great portion of the stomach and only about 5cm was left.

When the specimen was sent to the lab for biospy, it turned out that my mother in law had stage 3-B gastric cancer. Through I knew that she was battling with the killer "C", I was still hopeful that she will be able to win the battle.She was a fighter and was recovering pretty well from the surgery. Aside from her IV, there was no medical equipment attached on her system to help her recover. Hence, I was hopeful.

I never imagined that she will lose her battle exactly 2 months after the surgery...She bacame thinner and thinner, weaker and weaker...A lot of people were saying that she shouldn't have been subjected to open surgery but the surgeon explained that they might have to deal with internal bleeding due to the growing size of the mass.

To this day, I still can't believe with the turn of events...Everything happened so fast. But then, the family's consolation was that my mother in law didn't suffer long and we know that she's now in a much better place.

The Ring

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:37:26 PDT

A friend will be getting married soon and just like us, they started preparing one year before the big day. Almost everything is settled – the church, venue of the reception, caterer, photo & video, flowers, invitations, gowns – they were done with almost everything except for one…their wedding bands!

They have searched every jeweler for the perfect wedding ring but none (so far) meets their standards. What they want is a wedding band that is simple yet unique. Anything extravagant (with regard to the ring design) wouldn’t look awkward on the groom so I made a suggestion that they try to search online for mens wedding rings as a starting point. They might be able to find something that suits their taste and have the ring custom made.

Wedding preparations could be stressful but definitely fun. In my case, I had a great time attending to every minute detail for our big day.

Sis is Coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:08:14 PDT

Time check: It’s now 3:47 in the morning of May 1 and I am counting the days! My sister is due to come home for a vacation by the end of the month. I am just so excited because I haven’t seen my one & only sister for more than 10 years. They had to wait for the release of their green card before they could come home. Finally, the long is over. In a few days, our family will be complete again.

Another thing to be excited about is the new handbag that I am about to have. I just got a message from my sister and she asked me to check if there’s any handbag from Macy’s & Coach’s that I want. Quality handbags are one of my girly weaknesses. As I have said before, I am not a “gadget person” so I would rather have a new handbag than an apple ipod touch.

Excited much!

Playpen Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:57:18 PDT

Hubby’s nephew has a new spot in the house and it was delivered this afternoon before we left my sister in law’s place. It’s a playpen that was handed down by my eldest sis in law. Except for some scratches on the wood, the crib is still in perfect condition and just needs some makeover. Actually, a really nice baby bedding with matching pillows and a few stuff toys should do the trick. Guess who’ll be doing the makeover? US of course! And we are so excited to buy baby items for the little boy!

Hot Hot Hot

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:57:42 PDT

If I can’t wait for the audit season to be over so I can have some “ME” time, I also can’t wait for summer to be over! I can’t stand staying inside the house for hours because the hot & dry weather just makes me so uncomfortable. We can’t even enjoy family meals because it’s so hot in the dining area and in all other areas of the house for that matter. Hence, tomorrow we are scheduled to look for outdoor dining sets so we could at least enjoy the breeze outside and have a cozy meal.

Not unless I go and stay at the beach for the whole duration of summer, I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy the summer.

Fashionably Pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 08:31:40 PDT

Whoever said that you can’t be fashionable even while pregnant? Just look at Pia Guanio, very fashionably pregnant! Except for her growing tummy, she even managed to maintain her slim figure – something that most pregnant Moms fail to achieve.

Anyways, I was looking through plus size maternity dresses awhile ago and I can’t help but drool over some items. Many dresses were still flattering despite the baby bump. Yes, I was looking for maternity dresses not for myself but for a friend who’s now 32 weeks pregnant.


Photo Credit: babiesnbellies.com

I was specifically looking at this lace maternity mini dress from Babies N Bellies but was so disappointed to learn that it is temporarily out of stock. Among the selection of maternity dresses, immediately fell in love with this one - will surely make a pregnant mom look fresh & young. It's also made of light material which makes it a perfect summer dress.

Because it's currently our of stock, I have to search for other items available from Babies N Bellies. I prefer shopping at this online shop because they accept payments through Paypal which makes it very convenient for me to shop online plus they offer free shipping within the US for orders of $100 or more. Geeeze! I hope I find something because my friend will be celebrating her birthday next month.

Busy Audit Season

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:46:25 PDT

Audit season...Urgh! Why do you have to keep me so busy, leaving me no time to relax? This is the period that we have to double time with our work to meet the deadline for our reports. For me, this means bring work home. But because I just came from a maternity leave and work has piled up, I have to triple my effort to catch up with work. I am not only bringing work home but this could also mean sleepless night for me.

Photo Credit: standsandmounts.com

Because I need a decent work place at home, I am looking at computer carts that will not only serve as a place for my laptop but will also provide ample space for all those files that I have to look at. My table at the office has become too small to accommodate all those documents that I have to go through…I wonder if I can find I computer cart big enough to accommodate loads and loads of documents.

I just can’t wait for this season to be over!

Relaxing in Hot Pools

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:48:12 PDT

It’s back to work for me since Thursday of last week and the work on my table has piled up. Although it was expected, I am still so overwhelmed by the amount of work load that I have to deal with and I am so pressed for time! Reports have to be submitted in less than a month and as of this writing, I was only able to accomplish 20%! Talk about stress and I can very well relate to that.

Photo Credit: Ace Water Spa

Geeeze! I really can’t wait for this “busy season” to be over and have some “ME” time. Once this “season” is over, I am sure to hit Ace Water Spa and dip into one of their hot herbal pools. I am not so certain if they are using raypak heaters to keep these pools hot, but whatever heater they are using, I am sure to relax my tired muscles in one of those pools.

I have checked the website of Ace Water Spa and noted that they have 3 hot herbal pools – Mint (36 C), Jasmine (38 C) and Lavander (40 C). As a 1^st timer, I might start with the Mint pool; the other two might just be too hot for me.

Just thinking about it makes me want to go back to my vacation mode! Urgh! I better get back to work and have all the required reports over and done with so I can treat myself to a relaxing hot dip!

Chewy Mango Butterscotch

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:38:08 PDT

Thinking ways to amuse myself, I decided to try the Butterscotch recipe I found in one of the threads at the forum of medskul.com. I have decided to post a copy of the recipe below but if you want to read the entire thread on Filipino/Ilonggo recipes, just click here.

Butterscotch from Bacolod has always been one of my faves and I thought of making my own to satisfy my cravings and at the same time amuse myself. Anyways, I have made some chewy Mango Butterscotch bars by making a few tweaks on the original recipe.

The modifications that I made were very minor and mostly of the changes were intended to achieve the chewy state. Okay, so here are the fine-tunings that I made:

1/2 tsp of baking soda instead of baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract instead of 1/4 tsp
additional 1 cup of corn syrup
1 cup sliced dried mangoes (to turn it into a Mango Butterscotch)
melt sugar and butter together plus the dried mangoes over low heat; and
line your baking pan with wax paper or parchment paper

It was such a big hit at home that I had to bake a 2nd and 3rd batch in just one day! :)

My Humble Eyewear Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:45:09 PDT

I never thought that over the years I have already collected a few pieces sunglasses. It was never intend to collect eyewears, yet unintentionally, I was able to own a few pieces and each one has its own story.

It occurred to me to looked into everything that I have when a dear friend recently gave me a fab pair of Evita Peroni sunglasses. As I looked into my mini collection, I realized that I threw money on some pieces that were just sitting in the closet, worn only only once or twice or never at all.

Before I started writing this post I was contemplating if I should start with the latest one that I have but then I thought that it would be best to start with the very first pair that I own. So here's my Cour Carre sunglasses and it was that first pair that I owned since I became a working woman.

The lens is too dark and I am not even sure if I ever wore this one. It is also too small and I feel so awkward wearing this. I don't even know what occurred to me to buy it in the first place. Anyways, though it's just sitting in my closet, I can't imagine the thought of throwing or giving it away because of the sentimental value that it has.

It has thin arms that was so unlike most of the pieces that I have.

The brand name can also found on the nose pads. And if you'll notice, it looks like there were no scratch on the nose pad which confirms my that this is not one of my faves.

The brand name was also written discreetly on the arms which will be unnoticed when worn.

This is one of those fashion sunglasses that comes cheap. I bought this at SM Department Store for around Php300.00 (I think). I knew I just had to get this the minute I saw this particular pair. How can I resist the chic shape and design?

I must admit though that despite being a fashionable piece, I wore this only once, twice, thrice at the most because I get really dizzy when I wear this plus I don't get much protection from the glaring sun. Moral lesson: never buy a cheap eyewear and without a UV protection.

It's just sitting in my closet yet there are so many cracks on middle...What kind of quality do you expect from such cheap price?

Look at the details on the side...so unique! In fairness, people having been asking me where I got my sunglasses during those few times that I wore this.

Now, here's one of my faves! It a Mossimo eyewear and what makes it special is the fact that it's polarized! This one stays in the car and I use this almost everyday. I also love wearing this when I drive because of it's dark lens, I don't squint against the sun and again, it's polarized!

I also love that the brand name was discreetly printed on the sides on the lens.

My Gucci pair...What can I say...I love the brand, I love the design! BUT...I rarely wear this one...Because the lens isn't really dark, it doesn't give much protection against the glaring sun so I would categorize this under fashionable rather than being useful. Anyways, it's nice that I always get complements whenever I wear this.

The brand's logo was also screaming all over the arms (the one thing that I don't like)...but it looks good on me so what the heck! :)

The brand's logo can also be found on the nose pads. I don't know but seeing the brand's logo on the nose pads makes me feel secure that I am getting an authentic piece. With all the imitations found everywhere, I just want to feel secure that I am not throwing my money on fake brands.

The scratches on the nose pad is proof enough that this is among my faves! :)

Red Herring sunglasses I got from Debenhams. It still has the UV protection sticker and tag which means that this was NEVER worn. I got this for a good deal and bought it originally for resale at my online store but I just could make myself publish the photo at eBay.

Hubby said that it looks good on me...Half of me is saying that I should just keep it for myself, while my other self is saying that I have too many already and I should just let this go.

Let's see which side of me wins... :)

I just love the rhinestone details on the sides. I love blings and proud of it! :)

My Evita Peroni pair and the latest one that I have...Given to me by my dear friend only last week and it came all the way from Doha, Qatar!

I just LOVE-LOVE-LOVE my Evita Peroni pair! I love the shape and the unique design of the arms!

The brand name was printed on the inside part of the arms so nothing is visible outside. :)

To care for my eyewears, I make sure that each one is always inside their respective cases with the cleaning cloth wrapped around them.

Recycle Old Magalogues

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:34:39 PDT

I have been written quite a number of posts about Human Nature products already. Why? Because I just love their products and I believe its time to switch to all natural personal care products that are free from harmful chemicals. Patronizing and promoting Human Nature products is also my way of supporting their social advocacies, hence the tagline, "Pro-Philippines, Pro-Poor, Pro-Environment".

Because I am also selling products online, I am now staying away from using plastic wrappers when packing the products for shipping by recycling old magalogues. I make pouches out of the old magalogues and I use these pouches to ship products to my online clients. This way, I am not only promoting Human Nature's all natural products but I am also helping - in my own little way - in protecting the environment.

You too can help protect the environment by recycling old magazines, turn them in to pouches and use them as gift bags!

One More Week...

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:45:23 PDT

Prior to my maternity leave, I used to dream of being a stay at home wife but now that I am staying at home for 2 weeks straight, reality hit me that I am not molded to be just a plain house wife. I now realize how boring it can be to just stay at home and wait for dear husband to come home from work. One more week and I am ready to go back to work! Though I can spend my maternity leave until May 14, 3 weeks is enough rest for me and I am ready to go back to work after the Holy Week. For now, I am trying to amuse myself with ITIL v3 Books that my cousin left at our place.

Anyways, I am glad for the few weeks off that I had from work. Bored as I may be, I definitely needed this break to recharge and appreciate that I have work to keep me busy. One more week and I intend to make the most out of that remaining week…hopefully hubby & I can go out of out next week! :)

My Worn Out Comfy Funny Shirts

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:18:10 PDT

I am running out of space in my closet so I thought of using my time at home to clear my cabinet of stuff that are no longer useful. I was in the processes of sorting out shirts when I these funny tee shirts that I bought from Spoof Limited sometime in 2000. These shirts are in my possession for almost 12 years already! No wonder they look so awfully disgusting! :) Yet, despite being so worn out, I still can't part with them up to this day because they are simply so comfy and I love wearing them at home (of course with the kind of state that they are now in, I don't have the guts to wear them outside).

I remember how people smile at the prints when I used to wear these to the gym or during dance practice (yes, I used to be physically active). Anyways, I has been quite sometime since I last made my purchase from Spoofs Limited. I think they still have a booth/stall at SM North Edsa and I might check that out the next time I go to Manila.

For now, I will be hanging on to these comfy shirts, nevermind if they look so awful. :)

Loving Human Nature Products

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:58:26 PDT

I was lucky that hubby & I were able to drop by the Human Nature flagship store along Commonwealth Avenue just weeks before I was admitted to the hospital due to an ectopic pregnancy. Had we not visit their store, I would surely ran out of Natural Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner and Balancing Facial Wash. Because I am still trying to recover from surgery as of this writing, there's really no way that I can get out of the house to visit their store so I am really glad that I am still able to enjoy Human Nature products while I am on maternity leave.

I have tried the Natural Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner, the Balancing Facial Wash and the Natural Sunflower oil and I am loving those which explains why I got them again on my second purchase. I also decided to try a few other items such as the hair mask, the hand & foot salve and the new Healthy Lotion.

What more can I say? I just love the sweet-fruity scent of Human Nature's Healthy Lotion Berry Bliss scent! Like the other Human Nature lotions, the Healthy Lotion - Berry Bliss (intoduced to the market only this March) is has no parabens, mineral oil and other harmful chemicals. It is made of passion fruit, sunflower and avocado oils to ensure that the skin is nourished with vitamins and antioxidants.

I got the 50ml bottle (to stay in my bag) so I can get the moisturizing I need anytime-anywhere, and the 200ml bottle which I use at home. Proof enough that I really love the product!

It is also my 1st time to try Human Nature's Natural Hair Mask and I got the Jasmine scent. Like all other products, the hair mask is also 100% FREE from harmful chemicals - it has no parabens, phthalates, SLS/SLES, formaldehyde and other toxic substance.

The label also reads, "strengthening, moisturizing and nourishing, with vitamin E and vitamin B-complex...a breakthrough in total hair care! Avocado (with Omega-3) restores moisture and elasticity; Gugo bark nourishes and strengthens to minimize hair loss. Organic virgin coconut oil adds the final kiss, leaving your locks healthy, shiny and soft!"

Although the direction says "to leave on 30 minutes then rinse off completely" what I do is I leave it on overnight with shower cap on, hoping to achieve maximum and results. What do I get? It's like I just had a hot oil from the salon! Hey, I am not trying to make a sales talk here but I really am happy with the result.

The only thing that I don't like though is the scent...Jasmine scent is too strong for me and I do smell like I just came from a salon! :) Anyways, my 200G tub is almost empty and will try the Rosemary scent on my next purchase.

Another product that I got was the Human Nature's Hand and Foot Salve in Eucalyptus scent. Okay, I am sounding like a broken record but for emphasis, this too has no parabens, phthalates, SLS/SLES, formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals. Again, there's an assurance that the product is 100% FREE from harmful chemicals.

Though it is a hand and foot salve, I use this exclusively for my feet.The eucalyptus scent is very relaxing and I put a generous amount on my feet at night before I go to bed.

For more info about Human Nature and their products, you can check out their website here. You can also purchase Human Nature products through eBay. On the other hand, if you wish to become a dealer and enjoy discounts either for your personal use or for extra income all you have to do is to drop me a message at justsimplethoughts@yahoo.com and I will gladly assist you because my office is just a few kilometers away from Human Nature's flagship store.

Thoughts on Future Biz: Personal Care Products

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:42:17 PDT

Starting a biz related to cosmetics & personal care products is no joke. One has to have the appropriate training, particularly with product formulation, and the amount of investment involved would be quite huge.

It is not a secret that I am planning to apply for an early retirement, say 5 years from now, and I have been very vocal that I do want to start my own biz. Because I am more into those “girly” products and services, I am thinking of starting my own line of perfumes and scented lotions and body scrubs considering that I had training on how to make those. If I will venture on those, one of the equipments that I will need is an accurate and reliable laboratory balance because measurement of every raw material has to be exact and approximation of measurements would be a huge risk.

Yes, I am seriously thinking of venturing into this kind of business and as early as now, I am already thinking of a good strategy to market the products. It is a known fact that marketing plays a major role in the success or failure of any business. I just hope that I’ll be able to come up with something when the right time for my biz comes.

On Maternity Leave w/ Tom & Jerry

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:28:55 PDT

Nearly 1 week after surgery, I am still trying to recover at home and so bored. Despite the fact that my ectopic pregnancy was removed through laparoscopy (a less invasive procedure) and the wounds on my skin are starting to heal, I can still the feel the pain inside my body which limits my activities. Although Tom & Jerry keeps me company, I never imagined it could be this boring to stay at home and do nothing but eat and watch TV. I want to tidy up the house which is now such a mess but can’t. I couldn’t even update my blogs as much as I want to because I find long hours of sitting very tiring and painful.

On the brighter side, just staying at home for quite some time gives me ideas on how I can redecorate the house once I fully recover from the surgery. One of the things that I want done is to change the lightings in our house from the usual fluorescent lamp and incandescent light bulb to led light bulb. I have learned that led lightings are more energy efficient that the usual lightings – considering the ever increasing cost of electricity, we really need to switch to something more economical.

I still have a few weeks left of my maternity leave and I hope to recover soon so I can still have time to enjoy my stay at home and do more productive things other than watching Tom & Jerry at Cartoon Network.

Short-Lived First Pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:31:26 PDT

Before I go any further, I want to warn you - my readers - that this will be a very long post. Probably, this shall be the longest blog entry that I have ever written since I strated blogging because I am likely to pour my heart's content at this particular post.

Okay, let me start by saying that I got married in 2007, just a few months before my 30th birthday and we have been trying to conceive since day ONE. Fast forward to 1 year later, we decided to seek medical help and have a fertility work-up to speed things up for the obvious reason that we're not getting any younger. We went to Dr. Delfin Tan, one of the best and seasoned ob-gyn around. A trans-V ultrasound was performed to check my reproductive organs and another procedure called hysterosalpingogram (HSG) was performed to check my fallopian tubes. (I will never forget how painful that HSG was!) Thank God everything was okay and all medical results showed that I have a healthy reproductive system.

Simultaneously, they also did some test on my husband and was asked to go through a semen analysis. It was then that we found out that he had low sperm count or Oligozoospermia which could be caused by low luteinizing hormone (LH) as per lab results. Because of the situation, our ob-gyn said that we could have 4 cycles of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and should the 4 cycles of IUI fails; we have no other option but to go through with in vitro fertilization (IVF).

After had 2 cycles of failed IUI and a series of hormone therapy, we realized that we were running out of funds and the cost (meaning the money value) of trying to have a baby was no joke. Hubby and I decided to just take our time and let nature take its course. We thought that God will give us our bundle of joy in His own perfect time. So we didn't push through with the remaining 2 cycles of IUI, not mention that it's impossible for us to raise the money needed for one cycle of IVF.

From around the last quarter of 2008 up to 2012, hubby & I have been taking our time, allowing nature to take its course and praying that in God's perfect time; He will grant our hearts' desire. Now, fastforward to March 1 of 2012 - yes, that's the 1st day of THIS month. It was around 10:00 in the morning of that day when I suddenly felt cramps on my lower abdomen similar to the one I experience when I am having my period. I thought that may be it was because I am due to have my period in the next few days. Well, I am expecting to have my period on March 11 so I didn't give it much thought. But when I went to the bathroom later that day and saw that there was blood, I knew that something was wrong! There's no way that my period would come as early as 10 days before it's due. I have to admit that a part of me was hoping that the bleeding was already an implantation bleeding but I still do not want to get my hopes up so I still waited - may be it was just my period coming early. Again, I had blood the following day but it was so unlike my regular period...it was not continuous, not having and does not have clots.

Although I was already worried that something could be wrong, I still decided to wait for March 11 and see if my normal period will arrive. I waited until March 12 but no heavy flow came although I have been bleeding/spotting everyday since March 1. I decided then that it was time to have a pregnancy test.

I had my 1st positive pregnancy test on the morning of March 13. If you will notice, my urine sample was reddish and that was because of the blood that goes with my urine. Yes, I am still bleeding at the time. Hubby & I decided to take a leave from work and visit an ob-gyn from our area confirm that positive result that I got and to find out the reason for my bleeding. I have been bleeding for 13 days straight and I don't think it's normal.

The ob-gyn was doubtful that I could get a positive pregnancy result within just 2 days after my missed period and she was bothered by the bleeding so she did a trans-V ultrasound. For the whole duration of the procedure I was really keeping my fingers crossed and praying that everything will turn out fine. Unfortunately, hubby & I were bound to hear another disappointment, I had a clear-empty uterus but there was a mass near my right ovary. According to the ob-gyn, it could be a beginning ectopic pregnancy. She said that to be certain, the HCG level in my blood has to be monitored so she referred me to my ob-gyn at St. Luke's Hospital - Dr. Delfin Tan.

Dr. Tan requested for a repeat ultrasound and the results states, "within the right adnexa, medial to the right ovary is a small complex mass measuring 14 x 14 x 13 mm, cannot totally rule out beginning ectopic gestation." Because the mass medial to the right ovary was still too small, it was also suggested that a follow up scan be performed after 3 days for re-evalutation of the complex mass. So Dr. Tan ordered for another ultrasound after 3 days.

During the 3-days wait for the next ultrasound, I was really praying that God's hands will touch my baby and everything will be fine. That was indeed that longest 3 days of life. By the 3rd day, March 16, it was confirmed that it was an extrauterine gestation and I had to undergo surgery on that same day before my fallopian tube ruptures. So instead of going home after my check up, I was admitted to the hospital and was prepared for surgery at 4:00 in the afternoon of that same day.

At exactly 4weeks and 5 days, we lost our first baby. It was really one of the saddest and lowest points in my life. Imagine how hard we've been trying to have a baby and how long we've waited...we almost had it yet, lost it still...I know God has a better plan and everything will happend and will be given in His own perfect time...may be this is not yet the right time...Yes, I am sad but I'm still keeping positive thoughts...

Defying Road Safety

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:57:58 PDT

For months the province of Bulacan has been implementing a “No Helmet No Ride” policy to compel motorcycle riders to make an effort to be safe on the road. Not a day has passed that I haven’t watched, heard or read news about road accidents involving motorcycles and almost always, fatal accidents have resulted due to the failure of the rider to wear a helmet. I really do not see the logic why some people have the guts to ride a motorcycle but do not have the sense to wear safety gear.

Yesterday, as we were on our way home I tried to take photos of every motorcycle I saw on the road. These were just some that I saw – I couldn’t take a photo of each of them because they were just too many. Anyways, it was almost 6:00 in the afternoon and as expected, traffic enforcers were nowhere to be found…may be they were on duty only until 5:00pm.

Obviously despite the “No Helmet No ride” policy, some riders on the road were still not wearing a helmet. I don’t know if they were just plain hard headed or they really do not care about their safety. It doesn’t mean that these riders have the option of not wearing a helmet just because traffic enforcers were not around – they should think of their own safety. Besides, such policy was implemented for the safety of the riders.

While there were those who had a helmet on, I am not certain if those helmets were as durable as the scorpion exo. I know some people who have settled for cheap helmets just for the sake of complying with the requirement of wearing a helmet. But the question is: Are these cheap helmets which are available from side walk vendors durable and can save lives?

My Computer Decided to Retire

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 20:48:30 PST

What can I say but I am having a very challenging Monday. I want to call what happened this morning a challenge because I want to stay away from negative vibes and no matter how bad a situation is I now try to make an effort to look at the positive side. So what am I talking about? I was trying to catch up with work that has piled up on my table (I was on leave for one week – that’s why) and had to beat a deadline when my PC’s motherboard decided to retire. I guess I’m still lucky because one of my officemates is on leave and I am now using her PC. Since she’ll be back to work tomorrow, I’ll need my PC to work on. The cliché “when it rains, it pours” came to mind…As if catching up with work it not yet enough…Now we have to canvass for Motherboards because I do not know if getting a new motherboard will be much cheaper as compared to getting a brand new CPU.

For the meantime, I hope our IT Department has a spare computer that I can use while waiting for my PC to be fixed.

Not really a great way to start the week but I am keeping my fingers crossed that won’t have any more challenges for the rest of the week. :)

Smile During Troubled Times

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 02:15:54 PST

I found this mini cake from BreadTalk that I bought some years ago while looking at some old photos in my laptop. I think I bought this cake when hubby and I had a simple wedding anniversary celebration at home and the cake's simple smiley design lured me into buying it.

At the time, the happy smile on the cake signifies the happy years shared with hubby...Now as I look at it, this same smiling, happy face on the cake is what the family needs during this tough time that we're going through because of my mother in law's current state of health. Though I still can't discuss my Mom in law's health issues, we are still positive that God will heal her and we are making an effort to keep that kind of smile on our face.

Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:07:40 PST

I was finally able to try these proudly Philippine-made. As far as I know, this is the only "bean to the bar" chocolate brand from the Philippines. I once heard that there is a dark chocolate that has some twist in it...if memory serves me right, it's the dark choco with calamansi and dark choco with green mango & salt. At the time, I had no idea where I could get these unique chocolates.

I was get Theo & Philo chocolates at the Human ♥ Nature store along Commonwealth, Quezon City.Though I want to try every product that the brand has to offer, I was only able to grab Milk Chocolate with Pili Nut & Pinipig, Dark Chocolate with Siling Labuyo, Dark Chocolate with Green Mango & Sea Salt, and plain 70% Dark Chocolate because were the only products available during my visit.

I super love the Green Mango with Sea Salt...I just couldn't explain the contrasting flavos of bitter-sweet dark chocolate, the sour green mango bits and the saltiness...somehow, these contrasting flavors complement each other. As for the Dark Chocolate with Siling Labuyo, it was worth trying out of curiosity but anything too spicy is just not my thing. On my next visit to Human ♥ Nature, I hope the Dark Chocolate with Calamansi is available because I look forward to trying that one.

Theo & Philo is something worth giving to our love ones abroad since we Filipinos love to send "pasalubongs" to our "balik-bayan" friends and family.

Everything at STEAK in San Juan

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:06:33 PST

I used to be assigned in one of the government office in San Juan and it used to be my second home for about 4 years until I was reassigned in 2010. Aside from missing my former officemates, I also miss the great food and restaurants that we used to go to and one of them is a steakhouse called Everything at STEAK - just a walking distance from my former office.

Looking at some old photos reminded me of the good times we had at this place. We normally celebrate birthdays at Everything at STEAK since this was one of the nearest restaurant, not to mention the good steaks served at very prices that are budget friendly.

One of my faves - Rib eye steak with mashed potato! Yum!

Potato skin is a must during every visit! :)

When I happen to be in the area of San Juan, this is one place that I will definitely visit.

Musical Intruments Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:16:12 PST

Heads up music lovers! I know that musical instruments can be quite expensive but if you know where to look, you need not invest that much on instrument. If you are from the South, Cebu is well-known for its guitars so if you happen to be in Cebu, either on business or pleasure, you may want to check what they to offer.

With the number of guitar stores in the area and the level of competition, I am pretty sure that you can get a good deal especially if you’re an expert when it comes to haggling. :) And when you try search online, I am sure that there are a lot of online store that offers coupons and great discounts. In fact I saw one music store that offers 15% OFF a single purchase worth $199 and up until the end of the month. Just be patient, search the web, conduct an online and physical canvass, and I am sure that you won’t spend that much on instruments.

Good luck and happy buying! :)

Palladio Rice Powder from Beauty Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:05:53 PST

In one of my entries last week, I talked about the bt minerals powder foundation the I got recently from Watsons. I mentioned in that post that it has a pinkish tint and without even the need to put a blush on, it makes my face reddish. Should I be happy that I will be saving on blush on? I will be if will get that pink glow on the right place, but no! It doesn’t only make the apples of my cheeks pinkish but my ENTIRE face!

I even shared in that blog post that I felt that I wasted money on the product. However, the practical side of me dictated that I try to find a product that can go well with bt minerals in a way that it will “balance” the pinkish effect of the power foundation that I got. In my search, some of my considerations were the price and quality. It should be something of quality but not overly pricey.

Now I am glad to update that post because I have found an oil absorbing powder that can go with my latest mineral powder foundation that I have and neutralize the pinkish effect! Yay! It is the Palladio Original Rice Powder that I got from Beauty Bar for only Php325.00 – very budget friendly.

According to the product description that I read, “it absorbs excess oil, thus maintaining proper pH level on the skin’s mantle.” Since I do have oily skin, I am hoping that the product will effectively reduce my face’s oiliness. Some reviews say that it’s not a travel-friendly companion because it is a loose powder. It can be messy to apply as can be expected from loose powder but if you keep the puff in place, it does makes it a little less messy even if its in you purse upside-down. Some also complain about the scent…Yes, it’s not fragrance-free but it really doesn’t bother me. Actually the smell reminds me of Chin Chun Su.

I am now using this together with my bt minerals powder foundation and was able to achieve the result that I want. Some people use this as a setting powder but since I am using a powder foundation that has shimmers and I wan to enjoy the dewy effect - I do just the opposite and happy with result! :)

Glimpse into Building a Website

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:29:26 PST

Do you want create your own website but fear that the process might be too complicated? No need to worry because the process of building a website could be as easy as 1-2-3. I know so because I am currently running 2 blogs with its own domain name and one of them is what you call “self-hosted”. To give you an idea on how easy it is to create a website, I will share how I was able to build my websites but I will focus more on my self-hosted blog – how to get your own domain, hosting and connect your domain & web host.

Initially, both my blogs were hosted by Blogger and with address that ends with the usual .blogspot.com. Well because my blogs at the time were still babies, I thought that investing in a domain name would be premature. Fast forward to a few months later, I decided that it was time to take my blogs to another level and get my own domain. Because I do not want to trouble myself with domain registration, I decided to take the easy path and acquired customs domain through Blogger. You can easily register a domain through sites such as GoDaddy though…It was just that since both blogs were hosted by Blogger, I opted not to bother myself with configuring the DNS settings and all.

Getting a custom domain with Blogger is relatively easy, all you have to do is:

go to your Dashboard;
click on the “Settings’ tab;
go to “Publishing”;
click the “Custom Domain”;
check the availability of your desired domain name; and finally
proceed to check out

You will have to wait 3 days at the most though before your custom domain becomes fully functional. Within this period, your blog will be in transition.

There came a time however when I had to get my own hosting and make my 2nd blog a “self-hosted” blog. In choosing a hosting provider, my number one consideration was the kind of customer service and the live chat facility. I am not an IT person and I know that I will need a lot of assistance which makes customer support was my paramount concern. After much thought and consideration, I finally decided to get the services of BlueHost as my web hosting provider.

I was able to transfer the hosting of my domain from Blogger to Bluehost simply by clicking on the "Transfer Domain" icon under the Domain category of my Bluehost CPanel, enter the domain to transfer and hit "continue" button. To complete the transfer and make everything work, you must either update the IP address for the domain to that of the hosting account, or change the nameservers to those of your hosting provider. In my case, I chose the latter because I find changing the nameservers much easier and less complicated.

To sum it all up, building a website is really easy and a good customer support from your hosting provider and domain registrar will make everything less complicated.