march on...

Toy Addiction

2012-02-08T12:39:00.000+08:00

Do you know these guys? These are Edward, Percy, Thomas, James, Gordon and Emily. They are Sophie and Sam's train collection from the series Thomas and Friends. There are more that came in different shapes and sizes last December as Christmas gifts for the little ones.

Hubby and I always wonder how Sam can memorize the names of all the trains (there are more like Cranky, Toby, etc.) when they practically all look alike. But I guess when a kid is really into something, even at 2 years old, he just knows.

One thing nice about having all these different trains : I use them to exercise the little boy's color recognition. He answers eagerly when I ask the colors of his fave trains.

He just loves these guys so much he even brings them to bed, with matching kumot pa.

Sam and his train tracks

Rudy Project Sports Watch

2012-02-06T12:16:00.000+08:00

Last month, I got this from the mail: my new Rudy Project sports watch. Yay!

In partnership with Rudy Project, BDO gave away Rudy project stuff to new VISA cardholders with a minimum amount spend. I chose the white watch over the bag and shades.

When I first opened the box, I was not at all ecstatic as I thought I'll be. This watch actually sat on my drawer for almost a month, I'm torn between giving it away or using it. I'm actually pretty happy with the G-Shock that hubby gave me before and it serves its purpose well. Plus, I recently got a Cartier Tank watch from my dad which is one of my precious item of the moment :) Since we were kids, Papa loves giving us watches as he wants us to be very conscious of time. Until now, he loves to buy watches but I think only the youngest sibling inherited the early bird attitude.

Last week, I finally gave the RP watch a road test; wore it to work as I was going for the sporty Friday look and it looked cute with my Adidas red and white shirt. So finally, I've decided to keep it :)

Happy Thoughts

2012-02-02T09:45:00.000+08:00

I have lots of that these days. God really knows how to keep us balanced.

Work right now is kinda toxic! I get home every night with a tad of energy to make a conversation with my husband. He asked why and I said "By lunchtime I feel like I’ve been raped by 3 horses. Lunchtime pa lang 'yan!" So imagine how I feel at the end of the day. Haay. This too shall pass…

On the other hand, my personal life is awe-inspiring right now.

With husband getting on the physical regimen and making a personal effort now to live a healthy lifestyle, that brings a smile to my face.

Sophie naman is vying for top of the class. Yay! Progressive schools don’t have honor rolls but the ‘most holistic child’ is their version of it. A Holistic child is someone who has show exemplary development in all aspects of learning - mental, physical, socioemotional, etc.- from the first day of school until the last assessment period. During our 2nd trimester parent-teacher meet last week, my daughter’s teacher showed us Sophie’s progress and eagerly relayed how fast Sophie finished the assessment exam. What else is nice? Somehow she had mastered the art of working fast. Remember my post here? She's still OC but faster. I just let her remember our new mantra when working on art – mabilis at maganda (quick and beautiful) :) I let her say that when we're working on her homework so she will be conscious of time and at the same time not sacrifice quality of her work. Looks like its working. Whether Sophie makes it to the top or not, I’m already so proud of my little girl :)

My little boy Sam is also an achiever on his own. Last January 14 was his first out-of-town trip without the diapers! Yay again! He is turning 3 in two months time and although he is off diapers during daytime and nighttime since he turned two, our trip to Subic was his first long trip without the diapers. Hubby asked, ‘what if ma-wiwi siya during the trip’ and I said with conviction, ‘marunong na ‘yan magsabi. We will stop in the middle of SCTEX if he wants to go wiwi. It’s now or never’ I’m that confident of my boy. And yes, we made it to Subic and back without a single drop of wiwi out of place. Last week, we went from QC to Makati and nobody even worried if Sam should use a diaper or not. Good boy Sam!

Recipe Share: Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-30T10:29:00.002+08:00

This is one recipe to share, the story on why it's making online rounds for almost a decade now be true or not. For those who are not familiar with the story behind Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip cookies, read here:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/cookie_recipe.htm

I'm one of those curious kitty that just had to try the recipe and taste it for myself. I got this email several years back but got to try this only last week with the new oven. I tweaked the recipe a little, replaced Hershey's with coarsely chopped M&Ms and used Meiji black (coarsely chopped again, I just love texture in cookies) for the chocolate chips.

can you see the M&Ms peeking?

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)

2 cups butter
24 oz. Chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups sugar
1 - 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp.. Baking powder
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 c ups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the
butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with
flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips ,
Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on
a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees...

Makes 112 cookies

This recipe really yields a LOT! I halved the recipe and still made around 5 1/2 dozens. I would have made more if we (with my assistant named Sophia) made smaller balls. The secret really is to use fine oatmeal, premium chocolates and bake the cookies for only 10 minutes or less, depends on how your oven works. Me, by 7 or 8 minutes I turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for a minute before taking it out. Once cooled, the cookies will have soft centers but we love to eat it while they're warm, so chewy and chocolate still melted. This is a must try recipe!

Sophie's 5th Birthday Part1

2012-01-27T12:14:00.002+08:00

On January 16, my little princess celebrated her birthday in school with her teachers and classmates. Hubby and I took a day off from work and personally took care of the party.

When we got in the classroom, Sophie's teacher announced that the kinder class prepared a simple presentation for us. They did an interpretative song number. How sweet di ba? :)

And now it's game time!

First game for the kids was Decorate Your Cupcake! Kids super loved this game :)

that's me preparing the props for the game while the kids wash their hands in the classroom sink

The day before the party, I made a dozen chocolate cupcakes for the game. By the time it got out of the oven, Sam got two while Sophie ate one, hubby got I don’t how many. To make the story short, I had to make another dozen of cupcakes. I used the recipe for S’mores cupcake (minus the icing) and in fairness it’s good, very moist and not too sweet. I'll share the recipe some other time.

The morning of the party, I made the frosting, divided into three parts and made yellow, pink and white frostings. I also bought coated chocolates, sprinkles, mallows for the topping and brought stocks of party toothpicks I got from a Gourdo’s sale.

Here are the cupcakes the kids made. How creative :)

Next off, our version of pin the donkey. In keeping with the Barbie theme, we did pin a bow on Barbie’s hair. So kikay and fun :)

Last, it's trip to Jerusalem which I found out was the class’ fave game and Sophie is actually good at it. I thought she’s gonna win pa because she made it to final 3 J

Then it's time for the official happy birthday song and blowing of the candles! Everyone was mesmerized by Barbie cake and may I say that it's yummy too. Highly recommended :)

After announcing the best decorated cupcake (with the celebrant as judge), it's time for the most awaited part: Eating time!
Jollibee never fails to make even the pickiest eater enjoy this food. There was enough to share with the kids, teachers and staff. Even the parents and nannies in the waiting area got their share.
On a not so good side and I just have to share this, Jollibee's online delivery almost gave me a heart attack! Advance order is not allowed so we had to order on the morning of the party. Unfortunaately, our account won't load properly and after gazillion reloads and restarts we had to resort to phone delivery. Because of this I wasn't able to join the online promo and, me being me, just had to give a piece of my mind to their management.

After meal, Sophie gave away her token to her classmates, those character string bags with goodies inside.

Even little bro got one and ain't he just happy about it :0

Everything went well and I'm glad the kids had fun and Sophie was the happiest kid ever :) Thank you to Teacher Cath and Teacher Jo for helping us during the program.

Happy birthday Sophia! We love you :)

What To Expect From A Five Year Old

2012-01-18T19:08:00.001+08:00

What it’s like to have a 5-year old girl at home?
For one, don’t go sleeping with your hands dangling and at your kikay girl’s disposal. See what I mean?

I guess I got her exposed to manicures and foot spas too early in life. Oh well, just a little more practice and she can do this as a side line hehe.

All other things to watch out for in a 5-year old:

1. She does not like to be called our baby girl anymore, just pretty girl;

2. She now chooses what she wants to wear, how her hair should be done, what bag to bring and what accessories to wear. Downside of that is… she chooses my stuff! So were always fighting over my bag, my trinkets, my makeup! She likes adult stuff now and at five years old, mind you. I can just imagine how it’s gonna be when she turns pre-teens;

3. She knows how read, write and spell so gone are the days when husband and I spell out words we don’t want her to know like ‘Let’s have i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m’ or ‘Daddy, you just said s-h-i-t! It doesn’t work anymore so we have to think of another tactic. Any suggestion?

4. She’s more confident and has greater control of her fine and gross motor skills. She can prepare her own pancake, scrambled egss and sandwhich. She now prefers to take a bath all by herself, tie her shoe lace, etc. She’s more confident in so many other things and (insists on) asserting herself. How time flies…

5. She can ride her bike with one less training wheel (the other one tore off from overuse). She can balance even if her bike doesn’t have a training wheel so I think a few more practice and she can ride a bike without the training wheels.

6. She knows the day of the week and super excited when Saturday comes because that’s when Mom and Dad stay home.

7. My fave part – she has finally found her true love, the arts. Almost everyday she has a piece of artwork for her dad and I or for her teacher. Like a day before her birthday, she made me a paper heart filled with raindow colors. As she handed it to me she said, ‘thank you Mommy for my birthday party.’ I was teary-eyed as I said thank you. Isn’t that the sweetest?

My daughter is all grown up now. As I watch her do big girl stuff, I get all nostalgic and look back into the days when all she did was breastfeed and sleep, breastfeed and sleep. Now, she doesn't even want a meme (lullaby) at night.

Little girl, don't grow up so fast please?

Prepping for Sophie's 5th Birthday

2012-01-13T11:59:00.007+08:00

Our Sophie is turning a year old on Monday, January 16, and is super excited to celebrate her birthday with her new friends in school. That got me a little worried.

After we checked out from the hospital, I realized I haven’t done much for my daughter’s school party. Aside from calling the cake supplier and making a to-do list while we were in the hospital (I have two kids so I have to multi-task galore!) I haven’t accomplished much for my daughter’s celebration. I’m a little worried because work-wise, we are launching four, not one not two, but FOUR new programs for our primetime block. So I’m so swamped with soooo many things!

Haay, kaya ko ‘to.

So, to start off, last Saturday husband and I met with a cake supplier I found from sulit.com.ph to finalize Sophie’s cake design. I’m so excited about the cake plus the supplier also makes cupcakes for several network parties so I hope she’s really good. This is the peg for Sophie’s cake c/o Deniel's Arts and Crafts. Yep, the little girl wants a Barbie Princess party.

Then last Sunday, I went to a local mall where there are a number of bazaars and bought stuff for the loot bags. Cute right? The string bags are only P20 each.

This week, I would go to Trinoma to buy paunti-unti banners, party prizes, stuff for the games and giveaways, etc. I tell you, I love organizing parties and events but I never realized a simple school party can entail so much work. Well, there's always a first time for everything.

After a few calls and texts with the school teachers, I got a confirmed slot to hold Sophie’s party.

Our neighbor, who supplies party needs will make the balloons with the Barbie theme.

The celebrant herself made the thank you cards and decorated it. I just asked her to write Thank you and put her name on a dozen blank papers for a personal touch then I'll do the decoration. But the enthusiastic girl got her colored pens and stamps and decorated each paper. Thanks sweetie, that's one less work for mom :)

Finally, the food. Sinong bata ang ayaw ng Jollibee? So we’re ordering the food online for the kids and school staff. Jollibee and BDO credit card has a promo going on right now for online delivery, it's time to put my new plastic money to good use. Then, we're buying ice cream cups from the grocery. I find ice cream cups less messy especially since the party will be inside the classroom. I bought colorful napkins, utensils and cups so we don't have to serve the food with boring white utensils.

Here's to hoping the party will go well and kids will have a grand time. Tomorrow, we're off to Ocean Adventure in Subic for a pre-birthday celebration and the kids are so excited! They just love Subic :)

Happy birthday our dear Sophia, our wise angel of God. We love you very much! :)

When Seizure Happens

2012-01-12T13:18:00.000+08:00

The scariest moment of my life happened on that night of January 4.

At around 1230am, barely two hours after I dozed off to sleep, I heard a loud cry from my little boy. We still co-sleep with our children and when I sense my kids suddenly wake up in the middle of the night I just let them hear my voice, touch their backs and they go back to sleep.

When I heard Sam cried, I immediately comforted him but before I could finish ‘Mommy’s here Sam’ I was surprised that he already stopped crying. That puzzled me because he would usually turn to me and hug me until he’s asleep again so I got into a sitting position and checked if he really dozed off. I was surprised that his eyes were somehow looking up and he didn’t turn to me. All these were happening in the dark but my mother’s instinct knew that something’s amiss.I waited for a second or two if he would just close his eyes but they remained staring at the wall on his head.

And then everything was chaos.

I immediately woke my husband up and when he opened the lights, there lay my son. His body has stiffened - arms up in an L position, fists closed tight, his eyes were dilirious. He was having a seizure! In the first few seconds, I saw that he was still trying to move his mouth maybe trying to speak or trying to fight it off but his body was too rigid.

It was a totally out of body experience for husband and I. Everything was a blur but I knew that I had to keep my wits and my calm. My husband was in some sort of panic and he was holding on to our dear son and told me to wake up the helper and pack the bags. As I was grabbing things to bring to the hospital, Sam’s body suddenly went limp and I rushed to him again while my husband tried to wake him up. This moment I was silently praying for a miracle from God, to please make him wake up. Barely 10 seconds after, my little boy suddenly made a loud restrained cry. He was having chills but thank goodness he’s awake. I resumed to packing our bags, made sure all his health cards, milk and extra clothings were there.

In the ER, the doctor immediately attended to him and said that he registered a 38 C fever. We were directed to one of the ER’s bed, answered some questions like if there may be head injury prior to the seizure, how long the seizure lasted, any case of vomiting, if my son turned blue,etc. In some cases, kids with seizure lose air and turn blue. Scary right? After the Q &A the attending physician called Sam’s doctor and got orders to confine our little boy and conduct some tests. We had to stay overnight for monitoring as seizure may recur within 24-48 hrs after the first attack. He was put on IV therapy and was brought to our room. His only medication is a round-the-clock Paracetamol administered by the nurses for 24 hours and nasal spray.

That night as I layed on the hospital bed with Sam, I realized… that was the most traumatic experience of my life! I stayed up for hours just watched my little boy sleep and prayed that there will be no more second attack. Please, I don't think I can bear that sight anymore. Like a broken record, the haunting scene kept playing back in my head. As I write this, a week after the incident, I still wake up in the middle of the night and check on Sam. Touch him if he’s even slightly hot or if he’s breathing properly.

That morning, urine test and CBC test results came out clean so the doctor said the fever and seizure are caused by viral infection. Meningitis was ruled out also as my son manifested normal active behavior even after the attack. I found out also that febrile seizure may likely to happen to a child who has a family background of

What happened to Sam is a case of febrile seizure which is common to children from 6 months to 5 years old. Apparently, children his age may experience this attack even if the fever isn't really high. To know more about febrile seizure, I'm sharing these sites to you: http://www.medicinenet.com/febrile_seizures/article.htm ; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/febrile-seizure/DS00346/DSECTION=symptoms ; http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-febrile-seizures. These sites helped me during those questioning time.

To all our friends and families who prayed and wished our little boy well, thank you very much. It was very comforting to know so many people love and care for him. He is back to his old witty makulit self.

2012 Fashion Report

2012-01-06T12:22:00.000+08:00

Every year, my friends and I share our 2012 fashion report. This has been a yearly thing for almost a decade now and this year I decided to share with you my blog friends what I have gathered from the web.

The colors of Spring

Do take note and check your wardrobe if there are outfits that need to take a back seat for a while.

The trendy outfits

Donna Karan 2012 collection is tribal inspired

Can I just say, I love the cold shoulder styles, it's subtly seductive!

Alexander McQueen 2012 spring collection

Guess by Marciano 2012 spring collection

H&M 2012 Summer Collection is all about candy colors

http://www.fashionizers.com/fashion/springsummer-2012-fashion-trends/

The bags.

I usually don't take much of the fabric used for bag spring collections because they just stay until there, summer and spring. I take note of the colors and style, though, because they can stay until pre-fall in a different fabric.

D&G 2012 handbag collection

The Shoes!
I love these shoes. Don't you? Sorry not much flats featured here as I'm not a fan hehe :)

LV metallic toes 2012 collection

Oscar dela Renta lace collection for 2012

The Christian Louboutin collection. Pointed toes are showing up again but they say boots are gonna stay rounded.

Let's finish this entry with what's in on makeup this year. More colors, of course!

Don't you just love the colors of fashion this year? They're vibrant, bold and very inspiring. Just make sure you don't overdo, try to incorporate just a little bit of something new with something classic or else you'll end up as a fashion victim.LOL!

Have a fashionable 2012 everyone!

http://petite.about.com/b/2011/09/21/michael-kors-2012-spring-collection-looks-like-fall.htm

http://www.fashionizers.com/accessories-2/springsummer-2012-shoe-trends/

http://www.fashionlatest.net/hm-collection-2012.html/hm-spring-summer-collection-2012

http://www.fashionlatest.net/best-makeup-2012.html

My Baguio Trip Essentials

2012-01-03T09:09:00.000+08:00

Lemme share what made me survive a very chilly weather, 2 kids and constant moving around during our Baguio trip. My new must haves as of the moment:

1.) Mulberry replica bag. The bag is my very first online purchase. Yep, I'm a virgin of online shopping.

I ordered the bag last month from Multiply and since it's a pre-order item and came from Korea, it took a couple of weeks before it reached me. Good thing it arrived in time for our family vacay. I must say that it's very versatile, very roomy. Although the leather is not much to my liking (it's synthetic, something I wouldn't buy if I saw it in a store), I couldn't complain much because I made the purchase online. The body is made of gamusa material with color a cross between red and brown.

photo taken with my nephew at Bell Mansion in John Hay

2) Stormtech Hooded Thermal jacket. This jacket got me through a rainy and chilly tour of the Christmas village, a morning jog and walk around Session Rd. It's very versatile, waterproof, light and has lots of pockets that can even hold my chunky wallet and 2 cellphones if I prefer not to use my bag. I love it!

3) Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer. I've listed this product under my Favorite things but I never really realized the benefit of a moisturizer until this Baguio trip. I put it in the morning before I go out, at night before bedtime and anytime in between as skin can really get dry from the cool wind.

So there, my 3 essentials. Of course, there are other 'essentials' I brought but for the 2011 trip I was able to manage my suitcase more. In 2010, I brought so much shoes, clothes, makeup,etc. that our car was mostly filled with my stuff. LOL!

Welcome 2012!

2011-12-31T22:58:00.000+08:00

2011 was like a trip to the carnival for me. There are parts of it that I enjoyed so much like taking a ride on a ferris wheel or bump car, it’s high it’s bumpy but so much FUN! There are some rides that I ‘m just not so fond of but have to get on it anyway because that’s what families do, take the journey and experience together. It’s a ride that makes you scared or makes you frown but you do it, for love.

This year is like a roller coaster ride but, nonetheless, I’m thankful for so much blessings.

I’m thankful for our careers that keep on flourishing. Recently hubby got an award for innovation and I got an Out of the Box award for a special project on Rizal and for other projects launched. It feels so good to be recognized for hard work.

I’m thankful for all the material blessings. It’s like God always checks our list of goals and wishes and provides us the means to achieve them. There are so many blessings this year it’s just overwhelming. Next year sana ganun ulit :)

I’m thankful for the continuous good health of my parents and in-laws. They are important to me and I always pray to God to make them live longer. I want my kids to grow up with a special bond with their lolos and lolas.

For the family that keeps my heart beating and inspires me to be better person everyday. To my adorable and smart kids who loves me and makes me proud all the time. For my very loving husband and bestfriend; I’m thankful that this year is the time when hubby finally quit smoking. That is such a blessing for us.

Let’s toast to 2011! It has been one hell of a roller coaster ride but it was memorable and enriching. Let's leave our hang ups, anger, spite, resentment and all negativities to 2011 and embrace 2012 with positive and happy thoughts. May the year of the Dragon bring us better economy, better health and more blessings.

Be safe as you greet the new year and have a prosperous 2012 everyone! :0

Happy Holidays from the Garcias :)

Christmas Celebration 2011

2011-12-29T15:10:00.002+08:00

Last December 23, our family drove to the City of Pines to spend Christmas. This is a yearly thing for my in-laws and it always excites us especially the kids. They're just that lakwatsero much :)

This year also, I decided to find something new to share from my Baguio trip. Last year it was the trip to Tam-Awan Village and the Ukay-ukay experience. This time, food trip naman.

Jack's Restaurant
This restaurant is located inside the same building as the Empire Cinema in Session road. There are other branches of Jacks along Baguio City but this one was the nearest we found from Burnham Park. It's very *uhm* old (literally) and has the carinderia ambience to it. So was the food... and that's a compliment.
Sabi nga nila, kung gusto mo ng mura at masarap, ask the taxi drivers for the best turo-turo and carinderia and they'll point you to the right direction. Well, hindi kami nagtanong sa taxi driver but it's one of those well recommended for affordable yet yummy dish. A meal will only cost you P80, with rice and stir fried veggies na. There's something about the chicken that will make you think of home and Max's. The taste is very uncomplicated and deep fried. Best of all, there's just so much veggies in each plate.

Jack's Rice with Veggies, P80

Seafood Fried Noodles, P140

My cousin-in-law ordered Tenderloin tips and the verdict was that it looks dry but it's not. Everyone was happy with their orders.
If you're along Session and want to try this place, you have to find the Empire Cinema sign. The resto is located on the second floor.

The inside of the building reminded me of the old cinemas in Pasay when I was young, with giant wooden wall decors.

Cafe By the Ruins

Now this was a totally different experience. After the affordable lunch at Jack's, we decided to treat ourselves with coffee and desert. We actually went here the previous day but since it was Christmas day, the place was closed. Boohoo for me because I coaxed them to walk from SM Baguio to Shuntug Street (near City Hall) just for coffee and it was closed :( Anyway, on the 26th we went back and it's open. Yay!

This place was the ruins of a garden theatre which later became the house of then Benguet Gov. Whitmarsh. The place is very cozy, has a chillax ambience.

We ordered the drinks first, the Ruins blend coffee (P80) with cinnamon and tira tira sweetener. If you're a child of the 80's, you know tira tira very well. This coffee is nothing I've tasted before, it's a fiesta of different flavors in one sip.

Chocolate de Agua (P80), made of cocoa tablet and water.

Leche Flan (P60), everything a flan should be

The Chocolate Lava Cake (P180), you have to taste this to know why it's famous.

the chocolate oozed out of the cake. Yum!

This is another must have, the pan de sal with herbed cheese spread (P80), the richness of the cheese and freshness of the herbs are in perfect harmony. The cayenne pepper gives it a kick.

My cousin in law saw assumption tart on the menu and immediately ordered it saying this start is a special recipe only sold in Assumption College.

Cafe by the Ruins is all worth the long walk after all. Although parking is a challenge especially on peak days, I will definitely go back here. I'll try the main dishes next time.

Let's Do This

2011-12-28T14:13:00.001+08:00

How was your Christmas? Me, I had a wonderful holiday with my husband, kids and relatives. Got lovely gifts from family, friends and co-workers.

It was a busy one but fun, of course.

I'm sure our brothers and sisters in Mindanao are busy too but in a very very different way and it's no fun at all.

I'm sharing this call out with you so you too can share your blessings to Sendong victims. I'm glad I was able to become a bridge to those who wish to help through our network.

This year, I had the means to give special gifts to people I care about the most. I'm thankful to the Lord for giving the opportunity to do that.

I'm also thankful to the Lord for making me an instrument to help those in need. To extend a hand the best way I can.

You too can help so let's do this.

So Ready for Christmas!

2011-12-22T13:49:00.000+08:00

Bags are finally packed, gifts packed and ready for delivery to family and friends. Some made it to their destinations already. Grocery for the trip packed, toiletries packed. Pak na pak na and ready for the holidays and for Baguio trip tomorrow. Yay!

Just when I thought I could never make it to Christmas without going nuts, I made it after all. Thank God.

I'm down to my last Christmas party tonight, the most demanding party by the way because I'm a talent manager of one of our Ms. Bebot 2011 contestants and the grand coronation is tonight. Haay, mahirap pa lang maging talent manager, magastos na, matrabaho pa! Just this morning I have to buy him (yes, contestant is a him and it has to be a straight guy) fake lashes and stockings. Kaloka! I have to squeeze in ideas for our Bebot in between my gift buying and all other errands. Kailangan talaga sabay sabay, noh?

Anyhoo, I wish you all a Merry Christmas! In case things get totally crazy from here on, I want to be able to greet you all a safe and prosperous Christmas. Let us all remember the reason for the celebration is Jesus. Have a blessed day!

Can Employees Demand Christmas Bonus from Their Employers? - A Repost

2011-12-22T13:16:00.000+08:00

This is a repost from HerWord.com which I am subscribed to. This is a very nice-to-know read for those who are part of the working class and look forward to a Merry Christmas bonus from their employers. Because of the global economic crisis, almost everyone is tightening their belts right now especially the big companies who knows better and wants to make sure the business will stay afloat despite the financial turmoil.

It's the time of the year once again when everybody's expenses shoot up and all we have to rely on is the 13th Month Pay mandated by law. Those who have been consistently receiving Christmas bonus (or any additional benefits by any other name given by their employers during the holidays) are lucky because they have additional money to tide them over until the end of Yuletide. But what happens if their employer suddenly decides that it can't afford to give out Christmas bonuses to employees this time? Do employees have any legal recourse?

Generally speaking, bonuses are not a demandable and enforceable employer obligation. This means that employees generally cannot demand from their employer that they be given Christmas bonuses. In case they do and the demand is not granted, they also cannot ask the court to compel their employers to do otherwise.

Because it is not mandated by law, Christmas bonuses are typically considered as an act of grace. In the case of Producers Bank of the Philippines vs. National Labor Relations Commission (G.R. No. 100701, March 28, 2001), the Supreme Court defined "bonus" as "an amount granted and paid to an employee for his industry and loyalty which contributed to the success of the employer's business and made possible the realization of profits. It is an act of generosity granted by an enlightened employer to spur the employee to greater efforts for the success of the business and realization of bigger profits. The granting of a bonus is a management prerogative, something given in addition to what is ordinarily received by or strictly due the recipient. Thus, a bonus is not a demandable and enforceable obligation, except when it is made part of the wage, salary or compensation of the employee."

There is, however, an exception to this general rule. In fact, this exception applies to all types of additional benefits beyond the minimum labor standards given by employers to their employees, despite being referred to as "act of grace" or "act of generosity". In many cases where employers unilaterally decided to withhold such additional benefits for different reasons, the Supreme Court had ordered employers to continue giving the benefits if the same has "ripened into company practice" so much so that withholding the same would violate the doctrine of non-diminution of employee benefits. This is called the rule on long practice.

For the rule on long practice to apply to the giving of Christmas bonus, there must be a showing that: first, the giving of the bonus should have been done over a long period of time; and, second, that the act must have been consistent and deliberate on the part of the employer. In the case of Manila Electric Company vs. Secretary of Labor (G.R. No. 127598, January 27, 1999), the Supreme Court upheld the workers' demand for their Christmas bonus (among others) because it was found that Meralco had been giving their employees bonuses during the holidays since 1988, or for almost 10 years prior to the filing of the case. According to the Supreme Court, "the giving of the special bonus can no longer be withdrawn by the company as this would amount to a diminution of the employee's existing benefits."

But how long is "long period of time" before the giving of the benefits can be considered as having already ripened into company practice? Of the decided cases, the shortest period is two years. In the Meralco case state above, however, the Supreme Court separately ruled on the act of giving the Christmas bonus and the amount of Christmas bonus to be given. While it ruled that the giving of the bonus itself has ripened into company practice, the amount of bonus given did not, as it was not constant. The amount of Christmas bonus awarded to the employees was reduced from two months to one month, as this was a more equitable amount, according to the Supreme Court.

If you have questions for Atty. Allen, email feedback@herword.com.

About the author:

Atty. Allen A. Liberato is head of Corporate Legal Affairs at strategic marketing communications firm TeamAsia. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman and her law education from the University of Perpetual Help under Dean Justice Isagani A. Cruz.

GT - Where'd My Money Go?

2011-12-16T18:03:00.001+08:00

This week, we've got a pretty interesting topic on GT. It's all about figuring out what happened to all the moolah we got this year.
In retrospect, I'm pretty sure we're they all went: the house, the car and my daughter's education.

Manu on his baptismal day (suddenly a car becomes like a member of the family)

this is pretty much where ALL the money went

The whole year this year, my husband and I only have one theme song, 'Wake Us Up When September Comes' because that's when all the money will stop pouring out of our lives (aka end of loan payment). Nevertheless, all the sacrifice means also that this year, we got some of our major dreams pinned down :0 Next off, trip to Europe :)

We are actually very happy for all the blessings that came to our lives like the LCD TV that husband recently won in Christmas party raffle, the free phones we get for being loyal network subscribers and I get from work and other blessings we get other investments. If not for all these, we won't have anything new or any additional budget for this year.

Lastly, I recently spent on something big this month (as September already came to pass). It's an investment that's worth the money. I will share about it in another post.

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Eleven Days and Counting: Rushing Through The Holidays

2011-12-14T20:46:00.000+08:00

Whoa! Only 11 days before Christmas and there are so many things left to be done, gifts to buy and wrap. To top it all off are the Christmas parties that I have to attend. Goodness, can’t I stretch the days a little more? Parang sa showbiz, kapag hindi pa ready ang next gap or segment, spiel muna si host para ma-stretch ang time.

What happened to my early August holiday shopping? Suddenly, I’m rushing (again) to get all things done before the family’s Baguio trip on the 23rd. Okay lang sana kung fly ka lang sa Christmas party and have fun. Sophie’s school party, for one, will be done in a home for the aged in Marikina. And the little girl got a little bibbo ang volunteered for a part in three different presentations. Not one, not two, but three parts (!) which only means I need to find her costumes for these three characters. Waaah! Can you sense the panic in me?

I’m sure most working moms are in a panic mode right now. In my industry alone, this is the season also for special projects like Christmas and Yearend specials, departments are preparing for the launch of new programs at the start of 2012 so as much as I need to take a few days off to take care of personal errands, commitments need me to be at work as much as I can.

Right now, I try to survive the holiday rush with a trip to the malls before and after work, good that both malls near my work have extended their operating hours until 11pm. Another thing to be thankful for are the online stores and the very enterprising friends who offer gift-worthy items so I can do quick shop while working (although I think I ended up buying more for me than those on my list, nyak!)

Multitasking is the key but how far can you go in terms of multitasking? I remember one fateful morning at work, I was finishing a brief for a meeting while purchasing our airline tickets for Coron while having my breakfast of coffee and bagel while doing my makeup. By the time I finish, I was practically wasted.

Sometimes I don't know if my mantra for the holidays should be 'get done with it and fast!' or 'oh Christmas, don't come yet I want to enjoy the spirit to the fullest.'

Which is yours? :)

Food Share: Alba Restaurant Dinner Buffet

2011-12-14T13:34:00.000+08:00

For our anniversary, hubby and I decided to pig out. Considering the horrendous traffic now, we thought it would be practical to find a place within QC area and Alba's T. Morato was top of mind. It's been a while since our last buffet pig out at Yaki Mix.

Here's some photos of the feast that we enjoyed and made us full until the morning after :0

Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup)

It has a little spice to it that I love, unconsciously finished this off

Appetizers

the sobrasada (spanish spreadable sausage, orange) and salchichon (salami) are to die for! I'm ordering these for Christmas

tapas caleintes (hot appetizers) table

The Paella

they served two types of paellas

Berenjenas al Horno (baked eggplant with three kinds of cheese)

this dish just melts in your mouth. Hubby can't get enough of them.

Lengua Estofado, cooked perfectly

Lechon and Roast beef station

I skipped this part as I'm not a big fan of lechon bust hubby said it's really tasty

After coffee I checked out their delicatessen station to check our their gift packs. The sobrasada would have to be ordered on day in advance but all the rest are readily available.

photo for posterity of a bondat couple. Good thing I wore a pleated dress and jacket* or else, I looked like a pregnant woman.

* brown pleated shirt dress - For Me
jacket - thrifted (Baguio)
wooden clogs - Parisian original
bag - Franco Sarto
watch - Cartier tank watch

For My Friend and Lover

2011-12-13T13:06:00.000+08:00

Six years ago, I sat on the corner of my bed in a Linden Suite two-bedroom suite praying for a fine weather and a memorable wedding. That’s it and I surrendered everything to Him. I slept that night with anxiety at how everything else will turn out on December 10 but I never even had the slightest worry that I may be doing the wrong thing or that I may be marrying the wrong guy.

I was sure that my husband is my soul mate, my twin flame or whatever astrologers call it. We’ve been through a lot for 12 years before we finally tied the knot.

Six years later and 2 children after, nothing has changed. He still is my bestfriend, best critique, best supporter, most avid fan and my soul mate. We have accomplished so much and it’s just a proof of how well we work together. We have more dreams to accomplish and I'm glad that we do good at making them happen :)

To my dearest husband, Happy Anniversary to you. I love you, not even death will change that. (sorry for the late post, I forgot to pick it up from my draft )

GT: Something Old

2011-12-09T19:36:00.001+08:00

As the old saying goes, friendship is like wine. They get better as they age. I am happy to still be friends with some of the most cherished people that I have met when I was still in college (uhm, like more than a decade ago) and still see these people although not as often as we want to. This post definitely contains something old but something to treasure for life.

Here's a picture of me and my college bud Michelle of http://www.mrsmartinezravesandrants.blogspot.com/

We've been through all Comm Arts classes, AB pageants and thesis together. Glad we still see each other once in a while. Oh, I recently got a treat from her. Visit here to know about it.

Thanks again Che for the post! Ipamamalita ko ito sa lahat ng kamag-anak, kaibigan, katrabaho, mutiply at FB friends ko :)

thanks Chai for the pic :)

Last Saturday, we attended two birthday parties. The parents of these celebrants being good ol' friends (from college too), we couldn't pass the opportunity to say yes even if we know there might be a conflict with the party schedules. Good thing one party was early lunch and the other in the afternoon so we were able to attend both :)

An early lunch birthday party with puppet show for Wynona Esguerra, daughter of friends from UST Winston and Nia, held at Mom and Tina's in Pasig City. Winston is husband's band mate. See more story here. I have yet to upload our group pic with the rest of the group.

That afternoon we attended naman the 7th birthday party of Nicole, daughter of Doods and Nora. Doods is a friend from my theater days.

the parents and celebrant teary-eyed during the speech part

How nice it is to reconnect with old friends once in a while, see how they are and what has been happening in their lives. It's such a fun and nostalgic moment every time.

My share for this week's GT:
http://beautyqueengene.com/2011/12/gt-something-old/

Thank Goodness for that Nasty Cough

2011-12-08T13:14:00.000+08:00

Husband had been a smoker since the tender age of 11. Yes, that young. He sneaked from their house and went to the sari-sari store to buy his poison and smoked there or any place where his dad can't see him.

http://www.cigarettesflavours.com/2010/06/page/2/

He’s been enjoying this bad habit since so that sums to more than 20 years of being a smoker. Until a month ago.

He rarely gets sick (weird for someone with bisyo, right?) but last month he was inflicted with a really bad cough. He had no choice but to stop smoking and since his cough lasted for almost two weeks, he couldn't smoke for quite a while. When the cough subsided, he still abstained from smoking because there are still occasional bouts of coughing.

Then it came to a point when he realized he had not puffed one single stick for 19 days. As they say, it takes 21 consecutive days to form a habit and he promised and tried to reach 21 days cigarette-free.

You see, since Sophie was born he’s been trying to quit smoking saying that he still wants to be alive to watch his kids grow old but the willpower is just too weak.

Then, that nasty two-week cough happened.

Now it’s been more than a month and going two that he's been puff-free. I was considering on giving him an electric cigarette as one friend of ours who also quit smoking uses it when there is an urge to smoke but husband says he’s not really craving for a puff. Goody, I hope and pray it will be permanent. I hope that the 20 years of bad habit will be overpowered by the 21 days of will power and that he will really go clean for his kids.

Because he's been a good boy, what would be a nice gift for Mr. birthday boy?

My New Project Entry # 5 plus a New Baby?

2011-12-05T13:34:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, was another morning aerobic session. We jogged, stretched, did crunches as the rain continuously poured on. Rain or shine, exercise pa rin. Career talaga.
I think I missed 3 or more sessions of aero because of my busy schedule the past weeks and I think I gained weight again. Darn! I even missed one belly dance class :(
Yesterday, I'm contemplating on taking slimming pills, slimming coffee or drink to help me lose weight. Why can't losing weight be as easy as gaining weight?
Heck, I will try to push my will power to the limit and not succumb to artificial slimming techniques. I really want it as natural as possible because I'm afraid the rebound will be much worse.

Oh and what could be worse than getting pregnant after all the weight lose effort? Husband has been bugging me for baby number three saying that our little boy is no longer a baby (he now smells like a stinkin' 2-year old) so it's high time (daw) for a new baby.
I love babies, I adore my kids but right now they're already a handful just them two. What more with a new baby G.? Anyway, my mind's not yet resigned to only two kids but, maybe a year or two more before I'm ready to carry a little angel again?

Ang Lakwatserang Pamilya

2011-12-01T14:44:00.000+08:00

What a week! Just before lunchtime today, I came across a client that doesn't know what she's talking about and a client who wants to force a commitment out of me, one that I wouldn't give even if she pushes me off the building. Geessh! Talk about Thursday madness.

Anyway, it's all part of the job. Good thing I ended last week with so many happy notes that I'm still in a positive mood today. First off, finalized our Palawan trip for next year. Husband and I got our flights and accommodations booked. Yay! This will be my birthday gift and I'm so excited especially since it's been a while since we traveled on our own. Remember my last post regarding our Coron trip? Well, this time we're pushing through with it, whatever happens. AS IN. We just booked a 3 day tour, though, because we couldn't leave the kids for more than that. We may get homesick and fly home in the middle of the tour.
We got one more travel itinerary for 2012, this time with the kids but I'll share about it when all is confirmed.
I'm just glad I'm back on the road to lakwatsa. The kids are older now and from our trips to Subic and Baguio, we know that they, too, enjoy our travels to different places. Nobody whines and grunts kapag nasa lakwatsa. Even I get surprised at how behaved my kids are during long-distance trips. Mga mana sa magulang :)

We also got our annual December trip to Baguio all set and just waiting for the dates to arrive. The family is spending the Christmas in the city of Pines and the kids (and yayas) are super excited. Me, I'm just as excited to visit places in Baguio I haven't been to before. Hope to sneak a Sagada trip.

BC Bloggers

2011-11-25T19:20:00.000+08:00

First off, I would like to thank Paula of http://www.mommydiary.net/ for inviting me to BC Bloggers.

People, if you aren't part of this cool group of bloggers, don't get left behind and join :)

GT - Look Your Best

2011-11-24T09:51:00.000+08:00

It's GT day! Today, the girls are sharing their fave outfit. That ultimate wardrobe that makes us feel special, pretty and comfy and for me it's gotta be this cowl purple dress. There's something about cowls that I love. I guess it brings back memories of those dresses that my mom made for me when I was a kid. I used to don dresses with cowl necks and open backs. One dress even had butterfly sleeves.

Growing up, I find this style very classic and I have several versions of this cut in my current wardrobe. This particular dress I wore to garden weddings, at work, to church and even during pregnancy.

See more of the GT stories here:

http://beautyqueengene.com/