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I Heart My Country</category><category>EON</category><category>Holidays 2009</category><category>Costume Cauldron</category><category>Alice In Wonderland 2010</category><category>Web Hosting Geeks</category><category>wishlist</category><category>Music To My Ears</category><category>New Beginnings</category><category>A Woman's Tale</category><category>Catholic Chat City</category><category>Delifrance</category><category>G1BO</category><category>Seiko</category><category>Macross Frontier</category><category>Sweet Nothings</category><category>Log Furnitures</category><category>my birthday</category><title>Extraordinary Life Of An Xtraordinarymom</title><description /><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>784</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/KnYB" /><feedburner:info uri="blogspot/knyb" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><feedburner:browserFriendly></feedburner:browserFriendly><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-5462127542484940639</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2013 04:18:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-10T16:21:07.039+08:00</atom:updated><title>Life In Capones</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Last time I island- hopped was when I was 10 years old. My Auntie would take me and brother with her every time she would go to the beach. As a kid, it was one of the good memories I had. I can still remember getting pricked by a sea urchin. It was really great to be able to experience to go to an isolated island again.&amp;nbsp; Isolated, because even with tourists around, the people of Zambales was able to control the crowd and they were able to maintain the original feel of a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ctpJaYTXuQ/UXoqNycO3BI/AAAAAAAAJNk/NEAlu7n6k98/s1600/IMG_0240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ctpJaYTXuQ/UXoqNycO3BI/AAAAAAAAJNk/NEAlu7n6k98/s1600/IMG_0240.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
I went to our balcony around 4am in the morning. I just thought of having some "me time". When I got out, I saw the moon shining over the islands of Camara and Capones. When I went to bed the night before everything was dark at that very same spot. This has got to be one of the treats I enjoyed during our stay in Zambales. The moon served like a spot light over the islands. The sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly as well.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_nwMSxl0m4/UXoqP2XuIiI/AAAAAAAAJNs/xlPNhJjoh0k/s1600/IMG_0243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_nwMSxl0m4/UXoqP2XuIiI/AAAAAAAAJNs/xlPNhJjoh0k/s1600/IMG_0243.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
After my short sight-seeing of the moon over the islands, at 6am, I went to the reception area to reserve a boat for our island hop. With our experience, it's best to go island hopping early in the morning. The water is calm and it's safe to get a healthy exposure with the sun. After our reservation, I had our breakfast packed so we can eat at the island. At 7am, our boat was ready and waiting.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DsXuaSKeFzE/UXoqa8jLxjI/AAAAAAAAJN0/T9vMzunIfIs/s1600/IMG_0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DsXuaSKeFzE/UXoqa8jLxjI/AAAAAAAAJN0/T9vMzunIfIs/s1600/IMG_0256.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The boat was equipped with life vests both for adults, kids and even for a 1- year old. Our boat ride went smoothly. In the middle of the ocean, we can saw through the crystal blue green water, saw some corals and fishes.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sprtFTqO2As/UXoqomUzZ4I/AAAAAAAAJN8/AxrGJU1svKg/s1600/IMG_02932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sprtFTqO2As/UXoqomUzZ4I/AAAAAAAAJN8/AxrGJU1svKg/s1600/IMG_02932.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Capones Island&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MxcJZ1Qxt8/UXoq3q5Z3OI/AAAAAAAAJOE/yO6YhP1tMFQ/s1600/IMG_0303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MxcJZ1Qxt8/UXoq3q5Z3OI/AAAAAAAAJOE/yO6YhP1tMFQ/s1600/IMG_0303.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;Breakfast in Capones&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
We chose Capones because the beach area is bigger than in Camara, with lesser visitors also because most would prefer Anawangin Cove. When we arrived in Capones, there were tourists around. Most of them, slept at the island.&amp;nbsp; When our boat man told us about tourists sleeping, camping over at the island, I feared that we might end up with trash everywhere. I'm really happy that they kept the place clean.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2jHvbkdGmqA/UYHjhSiKvdI/AAAAAAAAJQw/jv43qwApizs/s1600/IMG_0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2jHvbkdGmqA/UYHjhSiKvdI/AAAAAAAAJQw/jv43qwApizs/s1600/IMG_0345.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
Me and my sister Les&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DJ1eW96lC0/UXorU8q0lGI/AAAAAAAAJOU/uT5RbtS0E9E/s1600/IMG_0358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DJ1eW96lC0/UXorU8q0lGI/AAAAAAAAJOU/uT5RbtS0E9E/s1600/IMG_0358.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
One of the things we enjoyed in Capones was the clear water that housed some shells, corals, crabs and small fishes. It was quite an experience for my kids. My youngest son, played with sand for the very first time... swam in sea water. My eldest went snorkeling with his dad. It's wonderful to see my children love nature.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT31qKvr6EA/UXorikAtNYI/AAAAAAAAJOc/k10Z1B8tNUU/s1600/IMG_0443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VT31qKvr6EA/UXorikAtNYI/AAAAAAAAJOc/k10Z1B8tNUU/s1600/IMG_0443.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Like I mentioned earlier, there were tourists but the beach remained the same. Everyone had their own spots to enjoy.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn_qRB25GR8/UYHj9ZFmF5I/AAAAAAAAJQ4/FKbTi4QO-ls/s1600/IMG_04412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn_qRB25GR8/UYHj9ZFmF5I/AAAAAAAAJQ4/FKbTi4QO-ls/s1600/IMG_04412.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
The sand was white and fine. But near the water, you'll find shells small stones.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HMd51u0aR5I/UXorwtkaOdI/AAAAAAAAJOk/VxAzhRqkuno/s1600/IMG_0501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HMd51u0aR5I/UXorwtkaOdI/AAAAAAAAJOk/VxAzhRqkuno/s1600/IMG_0501.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HakObdgH0gU/UYyt0abuxMI/AAAAAAAAJV8/1scJC-yV90Y/s1600/seashells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HakObdgH0gU/UYyt0abuxMI/AAAAAAAAJV8/1scJC-yV90Y/s1600/seashells.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
For me, it's instant paradise. I don't even have to fly some place, beat a number of people for a spot.&amp;nbsp; Define beach, adventure and fun all together, here in Zambales, we have an untouched treasure. Let's take care of it, respect and preserve the beauty of the famous islands of Zambales.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Island Hopping:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Camara, Capones, Anawangin Cove: Php3,500&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Camara only: Php 1,100&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Capones only: Php 1,300&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;li style="text-align: justify;"&gt;You can stay on these islands for as long as you want during the day. It is important to make clear arrangements with the resort management and boat man before going.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Bring umbrellas, tents or anything for cover.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Brings lots of drinking water. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Food is allowed, but make sure to bring your excess/ trash back with you.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Fishing, snorkeling is by request. Ask your resort management with regards to this matter.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Ask your boat man about the famous lighthouse in Capones. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.pundaquit.com/about-pundaquit-zambales/how-to-get-to-pundaquit-zambales.html//"&gt;Going to San Antonio Zambales&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/05/life-in-capones.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ctpJaYTXuQ/UXoqNycO3BI/AAAAAAAAJNk/NEAlu7n6k98/s72-c/IMG_0240.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-4176177415183568216</guid><pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2013 03:23:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-02T11:23:39.117+08:00</atom:updated><title>Sleek Looking Television Set Up</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
T.V. Mounts? Not only they make your room stylish, but most of all they're considered as space savers. Since we bought our LED TV, we have been contemplating on buying a durable t.v. mount. As of the moment, we thought that our 32" t.v. is good if we place it on a regular t.v. stand. But just recently, my husband and I decided to invest on a much bigger and more advanced television set. With that, we are greatly considering of hooking it up on the wall, so we can turn our living room to an instant entertainment area.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
A flat screen TV just doesn't look right when it isn't properly mounted or placed on a high quality stand. There are tons of these types of stands online, but most of them are not going to handle the weight of a high quality flat screen television.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6TVkUPirijE/UYHaJKvsZ-I/AAAAAAAAJQc/EW9Ry-M9Jfg/s1600/7067add1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6TVkUPirijE/UYHaJKvsZ-I/AAAAAAAAJQc/EW9Ry-M9Jfg/s400/7067add1.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
You can &lt;a href="http://www.standsandmounts.com/plasmaandlcdmounts.aspx//"&gt;Shop Standsandmounts.com for flat screen TV Mounts &lt;/a&gt; that are cheap but also have a lot of sturdiness built inside. They are even organized by different sizes of televisions so you know exactly which one will work for your home. These are quality wall mounts made from superior grade materials. You can find slim fit TV mounts, arm TV mounts, ceiling mounts and even different flat screen TV stands.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X9ix04lUne4/UYHaJKJrcyI/AAAAAAAAJQY/RLa4I6gMsGc/s1600/7067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X9ix04lUne4/UYHaJKJrcyI/AAAAAAAAJQY/RLa4I6gMsGc/s320/7067.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
These offer a particular style and grace that you're also not going to find at other places. This is the ultimate for home entertainment systems that must be organized and wire free. Many businesses also use StandsandMounts.com because of the prices and variety. If you are trying to set up a unique space, take a look at the different types of mounts that you can buy and use in your restaurant.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
There are ceiling mounts made for posh spaces that hang from steel wires, cable of handling all types of TV weight and making a stable yet different look for your interior. In addition, the slim fit TV wall mounts are perfect for home entertainment systems that want a sleek look with no wires showing. StandsandMounts.com is the perfect place to go to get mounts quickly as well with fast shipping. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/05/sleek-looking-television-set-up.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6TVkUPirijE/UYHaJKvsZ-I/AAAAAAAAJQc/EW9Ry-M9Jfg/s72-c/7067add1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-42448194771168015</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Apr 2013 07:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-13T15:01:19.383+08:00</atom:updated><title>Maternity Gifts and Ideas</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
In a few weeks, I will be attending a baby shower of a friend of mine. It is going to be my first event. It always excites me when it comes to &lt;a href="http://cherishmaternity.com/gifting/baby-shower/59//"&gt;Baby Shower Ideas &lt;/a&gt;. As much as possible, I want it to be extraordinarily colorful and it doesn't have to be wrapped in a box. I learned this from a close friend of mine in college. It was quite a learning because I make the celebrant/s happy and excited.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7zzTvJSWsPg/UWj9TT0gJzI/AAAAAAAAJJg/8wPC6Q6wITU/s1600/Gift_Set1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="351" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7zzTvJSWsPg/UWj9TT0gJzI/AAAAAAAAJJg/8wPC6Q6wITU/s400/Gift_Set1.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
For the baby shower I'm going to attend to I plan to give a gift basket containing baby clothes in different colors. Baby clothes nowadays comes in all colors both for a baby boy and a girl. A blue shirt might suggest that it's a for a baby boy, but the additional ruffles makes it feminine. The cut and&amp;nbsp; print on the clothing greatly matters. Now, blue can also be as girly as the shade of pink. Pink can be mixed with blue, green or brown to make it more boyish.&lt;br /&gt;
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For our mommy friends, usually we give baby showers when mommy is at her 8th or 9th month. It's not too late to gift her with &lt;a href="http://www.cherishmaternity.com//"&gt; Pregnancy Clothing &lt;/a&gt;. A cute shirt can come in handy even after giving birth.&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CiNSLWC-BVU/UWkBaDG0cXI/AAAAAAAAJJw/cdcbIWGPNzk/s1600/TEE_TCPI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CiNSLWC-BVU/UWkBaDG0cXI/AAAAAAAAJJw/cdcbIWGPNzk/s400/TEE_TCPI.jpg" width="198" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Apparently, maternity cut clothing has been a trend lately. Personally, it's one of the things I enjoy throughout my pregnancy. Even with a bulging tummy, we moms can still be fashionable. And we can use these clothes over and over again. When buying maternity clothes, take note of the structure and design of the clothing. Then, imagine yourself in it without the big tummy. This particular shirt above can go with denim shorts, skinny jeans and a chic looking pair of flats.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/maternity-gifts-and-ideas.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7zzTvJSWsPg/UWj9TT0gJzI/AAAAAAAAJJg/8wPC6Q6wITU/s72-c/Gift_Set1.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-7332054852588492537</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:16:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-10T15:42:22.848+08:00</atom:updated><title>AirPlay Your Favorites</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZgndhp_v6Y/UWd8ape2rNI/AAAAAAAAJIg/HMZm66Z4tnY/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZgndhp_v6Y/UWd8ape2rNI/AAAAAAAAJIg/HMZm66Z4tnY/s320/photo(1).JPG" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The latest addition that will make our Apple experience more fun.&amp;nbsp; Actually, we bought our Apple TV a few months ago. We use it to play movies, documentaries, music, games and to view our latest pictures using our television. Online, we go to Youtube to watch the latest episodes of our favorite tv series.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Apple TV will make Apple entertainment more unbelievably fun. Through wireless streaming, you can now enjoy your favorites from your Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad in a much bigger screen. Setting up is fast and easy. Simply attach&amp;nbsp; your Apple gadget and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network, and AirPlay will automatically appear. Choose the application you want to use then AirPlay will stream from your Apple gadget to your HDTV.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Oi7NE_EPmw/UWd8ev5v9uI/AAAAAAAAJIo/xtm-kj-77jw/s1600/photo(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Oi7NE_EPmw/UWd8ev5v9uI/AAAAAAAAJIo/xtm-kj-77jw/s320/photo(12).JPG" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; It's like a specialized tv show, play whatever you want. Anyone in the room can view, play and listen with you.&lt;br /&gt;
If you have external speakers&lt;b&gt;...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;i&gt;AirPlay technology is built into speakers, receivers, and stereo systems from manufacturers like Denon, Marantz, B&amp;amp;W, JBL, and iHome&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: x-small;"&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.apple.com/airplay//"&gt;source &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Gaming.&lt;/b&gt; This has got to be one of the purposes why we got Apple TV. Since we're so much into gaming apps, being able to view our play on HDTV makes it more exciting and entertaining for the whole family.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="color: magenta;"&gt;Colorful and exciting&lt;/span&gt;,&lt;/b&gt; because we can view it on HDTV.&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="color: red;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;3 Fs Family, Fun and Friends&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt; not only because we now have a great option for viewing, but also because we can now share our favorites with the people around us.&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="color: blue;"&gt; Relaxing&lt;/span&gt;,&lt;/b&gt; because I can already set some relaxing music and graphics on a much bigger screen with surround sound.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/airplay-your-favorites.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yZgndhp_v6Y/UWd8ape2rNI/AAAAAAAAJIg/HMZm66Z4tnY/s72-c/photo(1).JPG" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-340230521262463010</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:13:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-26T15:16:42.198+08:00</atom:updated><title>High In Sky Eye</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
During the recent holiday (Araw ng Kagitingan) we went on an out of town trip to Tagaytay City with some guests from Cebu. The highlight of our trip was to experience the tallest ferris wheel in the country called Sky Eye. Last time we visited Tagaytay, that was 2 months ago, I remember seeing the whole grounds still being developed. It used to be the horseback riding park beside Taal Vista Hotel. Now, it is called the Sky Ranch. As of the moment, there is a small amusement park and food stalls already open to the public.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Here are the details:&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Entrance Fee Sky Ranch: &lt;/b&gt;Php100 (20% discount for Senior Citizens and PWD)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sky Eye Fee: &lt;/b&gt;Php150 (Infants below 9 months are free of charge).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Loop Ride:&lt;/b&gt; Php250&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Most of the rides are at Php50&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
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&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The main attraction at Sky Ranch is Sky Eye which over looks the whole Taal Lake. We went around 9 in the morning, the sun was out but not too hot, the summer breeze in Tagaytay is still cool. But I advise to bring umbrella and sunglasses, because once it hits 10am- onwards, it is going to be scorching hot. &lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKhh8uoOhpI/UWZSKyfzugI/AAAAAAAAJHA/jUi5I7G-RhY/s1600/photo(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKhh8uoOhpI/UWZSKyfzugI/AAAAAAAAJHA/jUi5I7G-RhY/s1600/photo(12).JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nDxOsPgQ3Xw/UWZtVo9eRuI/AAAAAAAAJHg/yeGYp_x4eqk/s1600/IMG_0634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nDxOsPgQ3Xw/UWZtVo9eRuI/AAAAAAAAJHg/yeGYp_x4eqk/s1600/IMG_0634.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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My sister and Mikee&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tUlb1Lc3Fik/UWZSMsXZTdI/AAAAAAAAJHQ/LyR-ha9Jf-E/s1600/photo(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tUlb1Lc3Fik/UWZSMsXZTdI/AAAAAAAAJHQ/LyR-ha9Jf-E/s400/photo(13).JPG" width="310" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Night visit at the Sky Ranch is also something to look forward to. I have seen images of the Sky Eye beautifully lit at night. Though there won't be any view of the Taal Volcano, the cool breeze and the warm lights of Sky Eye is an attraction already.  I always thought that the Giant Wheel in Star City is the tallest. Sky Eye took the seat at (207 ft) with  32 air-conditioned gondolas making it the tallest in the country. &lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2atzxao5ZqY/UWZSLoaiHAI/AAAAAAAAJHI/mE4q1PUNtQA/s1600/photo(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2atzxao5ZqY/UWZSLoaiHAI/AAAAAAAAJHI/mE4q1PUNtQA/s1600/photo(11).JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
View from our gondola: The peaceful Taal Volcano.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
They say that a gondola can house 4 people. Based on our experience, maximum of 3 would be better.&amp;nbsp; When we saw the other passengers getting off their gondolas, one problem we noticed was the difficulty of going down. &lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uQb0ge36T90/UWZtWynaX7I/AAAAAAAAJHw/T5RTLGGjbcg/s1600/IMG_0690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uQb0ge36T90/UWZtWynaX7I/AAAAAAAAJHw/T5RTLGGjbcg/s1600/IMG_0690.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Considering that the wheel is continuously moving, it is dangerous if someone's foot will get caught at the bar in the middle of the gondola. Leg room is going to be a problem if they'll proceed with 4. We insisted that we ride by 2s or 3s. It's a good thing that the person managing the ride was very open for the adjustment we wanted, thank you.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The timing of our visit was perfect. Over-all, our guests had fun. After the 10- minute ride in Sky Eye, they freshened up some more with buko juice from a nearby food station. It was an experience for them to ride the tallest ferris wheel in the country. It is worth sharing to their fellow Cebuanos. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
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&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
As for me, I'm happy that I was able to ride Sky Eye. I just love how such ride makes me feel so relaxed, as if I wanna own one.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/high-in-sky-eye.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKhh8uoOhpI/UWZSKyfzugI/AAAAAAAAJHA/jUi5I7G-RhY/s72-c/photo(12).JPG" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-4400746651637034375</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:33:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-16T20:51:36.273+08:00</atom:updated><title>The What Ifs On My Next Cellphone</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
For the past years, I have been contemplating if I should get a new cellphone. With the new iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, it sure makes owning a cellphone more colorful and exciting. In terms of functionality, I'm already fine with what I have as of the moment. But to be honest, it does gets into me, the urge of getting the latest in terms in cellphone technology... But then again, the question is do I need it? There 's only one thing that's blocking my urge to get a new phone.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
*The fast turnover of gadgets, which makes your old one outdated. Unlike before, I'm talking about the trend 10 years ago, even with the change of time and technology, we get to keep our old ones. We&amp;nbsp; have an option to give it or sell it for a good price. Now,&amp;nbsp; the value depreciates as fast as the turn over. It's too much.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Here are my what ifs just in case I finally shift to an updated cellphone.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
If I get to choose between Apple and Samsung... my mind is not made up yet.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
If I get to choose to dress- up my cellphone, I would really like to glam it up, at least a fancy looking protective cover.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I4hrC2P0kAY/UWYdmoOHWYI/AAAAAAAAJGw/7IdW0b-E_ag/s1600/samsung-galaxy-s3-full-bling-falling-hearts-on-pink-fade-snap-on-protector-faceplate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I4hrC2P0kAY/UWYdmoOHWYI/AAAAAAAAJGw/7IdW0b-E_ag/s320/samsung-galaxy-s3-full-bling-falling-hearts-on-pink-fade-snap-on-protector-faceplate.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
If I finally get to choose the right phone for me... most definitely, I'll be on a hunt for a reliable store that sell &lt;a href="http://www.phonearena.com/news/Top-accessory-offerings-that-can-protect-connect-and-power-your-mobile-device_id37760//"&gt;phone accessories&amp;nbsp; &lt;/a&gt; that will also include a wide range of &lt;a href="http://www.wirelessemporium.com/accessories-for-samsung-galaxy-s3.asp//"&gt;galaxy s3 accessories &lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
I do have plans on getting a newly cellphone, it's the right timing I'm closely waiting for to execute the plan.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-what-ifs-on-my-next-cellphone.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I4hrC2P0kAY/UWYdmoOHWYI/AAAAAAAAJGw/7IdW0b-E_ag/s72-c/samsung-galaxy-s3-full-bling-falling-hearts-on-pink-fade-snap-on-protector-faceplate.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-6240595278806148308</guid><pubDate>Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:35:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-10T15:51:35.035+08:00</atom:updated><title>My Partner This Summer: Jacobs' Tote</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
It's been awhile since I posted something about the things I love... one in particular are tote bags. I saw the beauty of totes in the middle of my motherhood. Having a child around, I always thought that a baby bag came as "a must". Throughout my journey as a mother, I've learned and practised how to fit and organize my personal stuff and my children's needs in one bag, which I call the "mommy bag".&amp;nbsp; From then on, I was always on the look for large totes more than satchels and purses.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
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&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
When it comes to bags, I am very particular with space, durability and structure of the bag.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
1. Space, because I am sharing it with my kids and I want everything to be in place.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
2. Having children means carrying all sorts. Light to heavy I must say.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
3. Structure. Even if my bag contains diapers, bottles, small toys etc. the next thing I would want is for my bag to look good, that people wouldn't even think of the craziness inside it.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"&gt;
For this year, I made an early hunt. Aside from the idea that summer was fast approaching and I need a summer bag, it also served as somewhat a form of reward for myself.&amp;nbsp; So I went online and searched. At first, I was looking into getting my third Longchamp. I almost did, but I didn't see the point they all look the same hehehe!&amp;nbsp; With other brands and designers few stuff caught my eyes, but nothing really to it. Then I had a bag conversation with my sister that led us looking into Marc Jacobs. So yeah "why didn't I think of MJ".&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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The final decision was to buy Marc Jacobs. Here in the Philippines, fake items are being sold everywhere. I have to double check if there are "fake" Marc Jacobs being sold, from the name of the bag and the design.&amp;nbsp; I just saw 1 MJ fake item that's being sold  rampantly. I took note of it and made sure that I wouldn't be getting the very same design of the fake item.&lt;/div&gt;
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First thing I did was to search via Google for Marc Jacobs Totes. Then it led me to the Marc Jacobs online store which showed the line of totes they have available. I immediately saw what I liked, from the size, the color, the structure and with the description, I know it's durable.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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I want the real deal to go straight to http://www.marcjacobs.com They were on sale at that time. Lucky!&amp;nbsp; but shipping is another story. I have to ask my in -laws a big, big, big favor if I can have it shipped in GA and have the bag sent once someone's bound to visit Manila. My in- laws were very nice to lend me a hand.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZ0C4babWgE/UWFMQGiq2HI/AAAAAAAAJF4/69oyZ1UIc54/s1600/bag2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZ0C4babWgE/UWFMQGiq2HI/AAAAAAAAJF4/69oyZ1UIc54/s1600/bag2.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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When it finally arrived at our place in GA, my sister- in-law sent me pictures unboxing the bag. At first, it looked small like really small.&amp;nbsp; It looked plain blue, I was expecting it to be darker. The thrill with online shopping, you'll never know until you get to hold the item in person.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"&gt;
It took 3 days for the item to be delivered :D In the box was the receipt, a paper bag and the bag itself was in a safe plastic wrapper. A few weeks later, we were surprised by a relative from GA and I got really excited when she mentioned that I have a bag with her... Could it be? Maybe... Yes it is!&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dD-8MIEZ34/UWEaxVBeRlI/AAAAAAAAJFI/hpHtqx-D0wA/s1600/My+Partner+This+Summer-+Jacobs+by+MJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dD-8MIEZ34/UWEaxVBeRlI/AAAAAAAAJFI/hpHtqx-D0wA/s1600/My+Partner+This+Summer-+Jacobs+by+MJ.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
To compare: it's as big as a large Le Pliage. The handle is just right as a hand bag and enough to throw it around the shoulders. Tote with PVC handles, base and Jacobs 
logo embossed front pocket. Nickel MJ logo rivets and zip top closure. The color is navy blue and I so adore that it can look midnight black and... it's easy to clean! This bag is perfect as a "mommy bag". There are other bags that came in different colors and designs. I chose this bag because so far, I haven't seen anybody toting it around here in Manila. It's simple. The designer's name is up front but it's not too loud and it goes well with everything. It's plainly extraordinary. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
First hit at the beach this month, I have MJ as my official partner for summer 2013!&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-partner-this-summer-jacobs-summer.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZ0C4babWgE/UWFMQGiq2HI/AAAAAAAAJF4/69oyZ1UIc54/s72-c/bag2.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-8508254851308028343</guid><pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:36:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-05T20:36:28.114+08:00</atom:updated><title>Note To Self:</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DFbXRAiyxcc/UV69apGJVQI/AAAAAAAAJEY/_2VHRY3h4_4/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="143" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DFbXRAiyxcc/UV69apGJVQI/AAAAAAAAJEY/_2VHRY3h4_4/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Early today, I came across this post of my cousin Jordz.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&amp;nbsp;I'm not going to hide it. If there's one thing that's preventing my life from being perfect, it's this feeling of being helpless when I'm placed on a spot where/ when I'm not given a chance to defend myself or a situation where I can't even explain.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
 I end up holding on to that moment for a very long time. I end up ranting and yapping about it over and over again. I even came to a
 point when I was called pathetic. I shrug it off, thinking that I'm
 not the only person who gets into these kind of situations.&amp;nbsp; I'm not as daring like others who can handle confrontations. I keep my 
mouth shut as much as possible. But when blogging came in, though it 
helped me release my feelings, I did said a lot of negative things, 
especially every time I was provoked or pushed. I know, it's rude, it's bad and even "sickening". But don't worry, I pondered upon it.&amp;nbsp; I thought that this is something hard to swallow. Really, I've 
been "yapping" for quite sometime. It's a good thing that it's the other way around---found inspiration in it and told myself that it's time to stop,&amp;nbsp; let go, let the situation be and move on.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
I don't need to worry on what others will think of me, it's important to carry-on, be myself, be truthful and of course be sensitive to those around me.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
To those whom I've hurt, I'm very sorry, I'm sorry that I used blogging as a way to pour out some negative thoughts.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Moving on!&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/note-to-self.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DFbXRAiyxcc/UV69apGJVQI/AAAAAAAAJEY/_2VHRY3h4_4/s72-c/Untitled.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-4932453956645033264</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:21:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-03T18:21:32.538+08:00</atom:updated><title>It's A Hermit Crab!</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
One of the things I enjoy doing at the beach is getting decorative sea shells by the shore.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nH8eLm-PotE/UVwCZSyHUQI/AAAAAAAAJEI/8Z3XYbyoo7w/s1600/seashells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nH8eLm-PotE/UVwCZSyHUQI/AAAAAAAAJEI/8Z3XYbyoo7w/s1600/seashells.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
This time, I accidentally grabbed a live shell. As I was going through our bucket, I got startled when a small shell started moving. There I saw the shell crawled its way under the pile. When I searched for it, something came out... it's a Hermit Crab!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
How I wish I'm still at the beach so I can return it. In relation to this story, in Sm Megamall, there's a store that sell Hermit Crabs which are way bigger than what I found. They call it "Lucky Hermits". I've always been curious about it, but never had the intention of buying one.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCl3mSHAHU8/UVv7pJ5Z2BI/AAAAAAAAJDo/fKdg-WTSwIY/s1600/IMG_0587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCl3mSHAHU8/UVv7pJ5Z2BI/AAAAAAAAJDo/fKdg-WTSwIY/s1600/IMG_0587.JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
If it's considered to be as a "lucky crab" I'm gonna grab onto that thought. Because here I have a hermit crab that accidentally landed in my bucket of shells. It's something positive, it might just bring all the good vibes in, it's alive and I'm gonna take care of it. &lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/its-hermit-crab.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nH8eLm-PotE/UVwCZSyHUQI/AAAAAAAAJEI/8Z3XYbyoo7w/s72-c/seashells.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-5837983378437809940</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-03T18:10:18.768+08:00</atom:updated><title>Nature's Treatment</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
In my food blog, I mentioned that I was busy preparing for a short getaway. That I can't find the right location but at the same time, praying that my husband was also on the look. Just after making that post, my husband told me that he was able to make arrangements with the help of a friend. Since Holy Week is the only time my husband is available, we took the risk and agreed to book for our vacation on a Good Friday.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYlKqdT4AT8/UVviuG_AUGI/AAAAAAAAJDU/rRX7Ri9nk-s/s1600/IMG_0494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYlKqdT4AT8/UVviuG_AUGI/AAAAAAAAJDU/rRX7Ri9nk-s/s1600/IMG_0494.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Holy Week, usually in practice, we spend this occasion to ponder on our spirituality. It may seem a bit off to go out on this day,&amp;nbsp; in reality, we have no choice but to grab the opportunity. My parents even tried to convince us not to go, or at least move the date of our vacation. Deep inside me, I thought... I trust that God will not let anything bad to happen. Along the way, we prayed for His blanket of protection.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
On our first day at the resort, we didn't do much activities. We relaxed and used the quiet beach resort as a place to meditate and appreciate God's creations once again.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1UZSFoPywV4/UVviraZvU2I/AAAAAAAAJDA/Eo1ex1Dbgi8/s1600/IMG_0213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1UZSFoPywV4/UVviraZvU2I/AAAAAAAAJDA/Eo1ex1Dbgi8/s1600/IMG_0213.jpg" /&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
One of the blessings we received was the location of our room. Our balcony overlooks the entire beach area and of course, we were graced with a lovely sunset.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83rxoDD_QLk/UVvisuCp_NI/AAAAAAAAJDI/o_H7idjMmYc/s1600/IMG_0240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83rxoDD_QLk/UVvisuCp_NI/AAAAAAAAJDI/o_H7idjMmYc/s1600/IMG_0240.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
I went to bed that evening with the ocean view totally dark. I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to go and relax at the balcony. When I went out, I saw one of the most fascinating things about nature. The moon was literally shining over the islands of Camara and Capones. This sight was extraordinary for me. The light's reflection on the ocean? I was served with a perfect view for some "me time" and meditation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YWrgnrd4728/UVv_8SaearI/AAAAAAAAJD4/a8b35P8njp0/s1600/IMG_0501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YWrgnrd4728/UVv_8SaearI/AAAAAAAAJD4/a8b35P8njp0/s1600/IMG_0501.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
Thought that we go out of the ordinary things we do in the beach. We continued with our activities and went to an island.  It was the highlight of our vacation. Though the island is a known tourist spot, even with other beach goers around, the place still looks isolated and it was very beautiful.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
We didn't spend so much, a 2-3 hour trip from Manila, nice scenery along the way... plus, we got high- class treatment from nature itself.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/04/in-my-food-blog-i-mentioned-that-i-was.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYlKqdT4AT8/UVviuG_AUGI/AAAAAAAAJDU/rRX7Ri9nk-s/s72-c/IMG_0494.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-6222168981134503425</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 04:43:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-03-18T12:43:31.529+08:00</atom:updated><title>School Is Over!</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Last Friday was my son's last day in school. Come to think of it, it relaxes me a&amp;nbsp; little that I will not be waking up early for the next 2 months. For the past 3 years, since my son started to attend school, I noticed that even if he is on vacation, he still gets bored at home. When he entered primary school, I made it a point to prepare a line of activities for him. Things that will keep him busy and productive in the house. This year, my husband and I have decided to enroll him to summer school. Well that is, with our son's consent.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
We've coordinated with the school as early as this month. This summer, the school is going to offer various lessons on arts and crafts, math, reading, language and "I think" music. My son is a hard core student when it comes to numbers. So since he's already good in Math, we're looking into enhancing his reading skills and/ or language and an additional of arts &amp;amp; crafts. These activities will surely prepare him for the next years and steps in school as he grows. Some students prefer a private tutor.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href="http://www.varsitytutors.com/atlanta-calculus-tutoring//"&gt;click here &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
When it comes to a more physical activity, over the weekend, my husband and I took time to set- up the humongous swimming pool of my parents. I like the pool because the size is just right for the children to swim without the fear of them getting into an accident. At the same time, it's big enough for someone to learn how to swim. Even if we don't go to the beach as much this summer, at least there's an available place with a swimming pool we can go to enjoy a sunny day.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/03/school-is-over.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-6169675502145375474</guid><pubDate>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:49:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-01T21:15:18.619+08:00</atom:updated><title>A Good Cup of Our Favorite Moments</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vdJsuRQMoI/UTAWuIfDKnI/AAAAAAAAI5g/OzDv6hhqx8w/s1600/too+bright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="222" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vdJsuRQMoI/UTAWuIfDKnI/AAAAAAAAI5g/OzDv6hhqx8w/s320/too+bright.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Last month I got a surprise visit from a very close of mine. Our small get together was spent with our friend Karen as well. It's been aw long time since Ate Rina's last visit to the Philippines. Last time I was with her was back in 2009. I was the only one available then to meet up with her and her husband. Since I stay at home 24/7, for every friend who comes home from another country, it has always been me whom they look up to when it comes to organizing reunions. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Well, ever since we were teenagers, when it comes to gatherings, I really like to participate and share my ideas on how we can spend&amp;nbsp; an occasion.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XUQb-RQPv3M/UTARLTtnQiI/AAAAAAAAI5U/ALU8Do2O-K4/s1600/860060_10151308049127807_1933522351_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XUQb-RQPv3M/UTARLTtnQiI/AAAAAAAAI5U/ALU8Do2O-K4/s1600/860060_10151308049127807_1933522351_o.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Hectic schedule here and there, but another friend was able to make it. Karen. As always...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZVKZlTA-Uw/UTAinoy6xOI/AAAAAAAAI5w/enY22O6i2s0/s1600/Picture+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZVKZlTA-Uw/UTAinoy6xOI/AAAAAAAAI5w/enY22O6i2s0/s320/Picture+5.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
It's the 3 of us again!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
The picture above was taken in 2008.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
We started our beautiful afternoon with some catching- up. When Ate Rina saw my younger sisters, she got overwhelmed with how they've&amp;nbsp; grown. She even thought that my youngest sister Les is still in high school. But actually, my youngest sister is already graduating from college soon. Which changed our topic on how we were during the times when we were looking for a good school for college. &lt;a href="http://www.veritasprep.com//"&gt;VeritasPrep&lt;/a&gt; is very famous when it comes to preparation for college, especially for elite schools.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4WQtzxoNZOI/UTAjnYHr2CI/AAAAAAAAI54/-tHZ6jS5EZI/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4WQtzxoNZOI/UTAjnYHr2CI/AAAAAAAAI54/-tHZ6jS5EZI/s1600/photo.JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
This year, most of my friends are pretty busy, mostly because of work. 
Some of us have babies to attend to and other events in our calendars. 
The least that I was able to come up&amp;nbsp; with was a small afternoon gathering at
 our place. My parents' house has always been the ideal meeting place 
for us even as kids. My parents has become my friends' guardians too. We had dinner, talked about things from "then" and "now". The highlight of our evening was about ghost stories from our old houses. It sure is nice to see my friends again. Whether if&amp;nbsp; someone's back to visit or whoever are here in the Philippines, a relaxing time spent with them is greatly considered as the cream on top of a good cup of our favorite moments.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-good-cup-of-our-favorite-moments.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5vdJsuRQMoI/UTAWuIfDKnI/AAAAAAAAI5g/OzDv6hhqx8w/s72-c/too+bright.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-8041491846815007298</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:23:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-19T14:35:56.134+08:00</atom:updated><title>Trip Down To Taal Lake</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
It's not our first time to get a closer glimpse of the Taal Volcano, but it is our first time to be back again after 10 years. After hearing mass at the Carmel Church in Lipa Batangas, we decided to go to Tagaytay via Talisay. But before heading up to Tagaytay City, we went around Talisay for the kids to have a closer look at the Taal Volcano.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XL5WVenOPgE/USL3nRXe6lI/AAAAAAAAI2Y/CchTTGPW0WE/s1600/IMG_0049resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="392" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XL5WVenOPgE/USL3nRXe6lI/AAAAAAAAI2Y/CchTTGPW0WE/s640/IMG_0049resized.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QGoMrdjj64/USL3mru7WVI/AAAAAAAAI2U/LvRso7rhyio/s1600/photo(15).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QGoMrdjj64/USL3mru7WVI/AAAAAAAAI2U/LvRso7rhyio/s1600/photo(15).JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
My son Frankie has always been fond of seeing a real volcano. One of the things he only see and read about in books and on television. The closest he can ever relate to with is the Taal Volcano. Even if he have seen it several times, he makes us feel that each visit we make to Tagaytay it's always his first.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
With so much excitement, he'll start asking, "are we going to see the volcano?", "are we going to see the volcano?" Over the weekend, Frankie was able to take a closer look of the beautiful Taal Volcano. He was very happy. As a matter of fact, he was overwhelmed how big it is as we went closer.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0gTXktABUTg/USMYEVey1RI/AAAAAAAAI38/l-ikWegNuYo/s1600/IMG_0052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0gTXktABUTg/USMYEVey1RI/AAAAAAAAI38/l-ikWegNuYo/s640/IMG_0052.jpg" width="426" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The Taal Lake was peaceful. We can smell the fresh breeze coming from the lake itself. Base on my observation, the fish pens are not crowded anymore. Makes the whole lake look cleaner. We wanted to go in a resort and spend some time by the shore of the lake, but we weren't prepared, maybe on our next visit.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp85rf01jxs/USL3og8o9RI/AAAAAAAAI2s/cvAXS4XKvXk/s1600/photo(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp85rf01jxs/USL3og8o9RI/AAAAAAAAI2s/cvAXS4XKvXk/s1600/photo(7).jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
As for me, I am very satisfied and happy that I'm able to take my children out on adventures like these. It's a simple trip but we get to bond, it's educational and fun. I can't wait for our camping trip. &lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/02/trip-down-to-taal-lake.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XL5WVenOPgE/USL3nRXe6lI/AAAAAAAAI2Y/CchTTGPW0WE/s72-c/IMG_0049resized.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-5744778867095979944</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 03:24:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-01T21:29:20.737+08:00</atom:updated><title>Finding Inspiration: Miranda Kerr's Definition of Grace</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;When I read her definition of what "grace" is, I knew I need to share it not just to make a point, but also to spread on what being graceful is all about both inside and out. &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Good if&lt;/span&gt; we can &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;all apply it in our daily living.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;On Good Manners:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;One of the things I'm very particular of, and I've been very quiet about are &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;issues towards &lt;/span&gt;those who have money but &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;who aren't &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;fully aware of what&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;etiquette&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; is.&amp;nbsp; "&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;F&lt;/span&gt;or me"&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;, base on what I've experienced, &lt;/span&gt;I can say that having money, doesn't follow that a person also have good manners. Hard truth, in reality, we can't just walk to a person and tell him or her "hey, mind your manners". A well-mannered person never bash on somebody else. A well-mannered person always look for the good in everything. A well- mannered person knows when to speak and knows when to remain silent.&lt;/div&gt;
Grace is often described as being elegant, merciful and kind. I made 
this blog post because something in the past was trashed over me. I 
wasn't able to give a feedback thinking that it is such a waste.&lt;span class="userContent"&gt; &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;But&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;I knew that there will come a time that I'll be writing about it&lt;span style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;still...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
In my experience, I have been bashed by those who talks about "grace" or being&amp;nbsp; "graceful" all the times. &lt;span class="userContent"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;Where is grace when a person loves to  look 
for mistakes on other person's work in life, a fault- finder. Where's grace when a  
person gets upliftment by feeding on a person's imperfections.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;Where is 
 grace if you like taking advantage of other people and giving them 
false  hopes and beliefs of who you truly are.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;Where is grace in all 
that?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;On Forgiveness &amp;amp; Faith&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It's so sad how I was looked down upon so much.&amp;nbsp; How people can be so mean so that they can gain self- confidence. At first, it kinda bugs me, but looking at my mother, who's entire life is being spent as&amp;nbsp; a stay at home mom.&amp;nbsp; Like me, people likes to look down on her. But she gets through everything as if nothing happened.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;I don't understand what some people have against housewives... really? What do we have that you loathe the most?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
My mom's strength is my strength. The thought that I/ we have nothing to lose makes me/ us stronger. I was taught to forgive instantly. &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;What's importan&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;t now is to take care of my family and &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;to have dignity. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;We do react... sometimes we get angry. But in the end, we gain nothing from it, better to search for inspiration instead. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;On Gratitude&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This entry is important to me, because after months of being silent, I'm able to share my thoughts and feelings through the words of a person who doesn't even know me. A person who's oceans away from me, a person whose world is far different from me. Even with that, she was able to share a meaningful take on what "grace" is.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;Miranda Kerr is a role model to me. A mother, a wife, a successful model but she reflects a humble "Being" to the people and you will feel that she's being truthful. Her definition was very inspiring.&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;It is something worth thinking everyday in life to become a better person and to do good towards the people that surrounds us.&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;span class="userContent"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: large;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;“Grace is gratitude, surrender, faith, forgiveness, good manners and understanding.”&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;-&lt;span style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Miranda Kerr&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/02/finding-inspiration-miranda-kerrs.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-7513771798194779692</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:36:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-19T19:46:23.497+08:00</atom:updated><title>What He Loves The Most</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
If there are men who are into things like cars, bicycles, gadgets like cameras, or an over-all collector, my husband on the other hand, is a guitar man. Even before we met, music has been part of my other half's life. We met through my brother who plays bass for my husband's band back then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I want to share part of his life as a music lover because as he goes along his journey, there were stories or experiences that inspired/ inspires him not as just as person, but as a family man. When we were preparing for our wedding, I had a personal talk with him as to what we want for each other as we grow old together. From me, the only thing I asked was for him to continue his music. Our first years as a couple was a bit of a struggle. It's normal to make adjustments, especially financially. One of the first source of income we had was when he had private lessons on Jazz music. It paid our bills, milk and diapers for our baby, and groceries.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Two of his most loved guitars that helped us go through those moments are his Ibanez AS80 (which I call the"sexy guitar" because of it's curves) and the Ibanez AF120. These were gifts from his dad during his visit in America in 2001.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfrlrTPqKPA/URM2O5Zg1TI/AAAAAAAAIwk/xGldGDu7VUA/s1600/photo(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfrlrTPqKPA/URM2O5Zg1TI/AAAAAAAAIwk/xGldGDu7VUA/s1600/photo(2).jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
I've seen, heard and felt both guitars play. It was very soothing to the ears. Of course if the player is good, it's sounds like as if the sound is putting the person into deep relaxation. Another story behind these guitars was when my late father- in-law had a stroke. For a son, the feeling is devastating. When it&amp;nbsp; happened, my husband who was my boyfriend then, was in a hospital in GA taking care of his dad. He gave me a call and shared to me what he has done. That he has given up everything to the Lord, that for every note he's going to play, it is offered to The ONE above.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gWmAMgBoL2E/URM2PSwTe_I/AAAAAAAAIwo/5TRmhBOlRpM/s1600/photo(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gWmAMgBoL2E/URM2PSwTe_I/AAAAAAAAIwo/5TRmhBOlRpM/s1600/photo(3).jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
It was one of the most touching things I've heard in my life and it was the most moving too. Even up to now, I hold on to that experience of my husband. It's one of the inspirations that motivates me. Surrender, wait for nothing in return it will make you a better person. It the following years, he would always play music for everyone, even my family. It's been years since he bought a guitar. I even asked him one time on when he plan to add another to his collection. He told me that, he not the person "who just buy guitars". For him, he'll know if it's the one, first thing he'll do is to try it.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
A worthy guitar that can go in line with the others? Every time we would go out, one of my husband's stops are guitar shops. Any musicians reading this? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. There's a famous shop here in the Philippines called Audiophile. It's a guitar shop that sell Ibanez guitars. In every mall we go to, Audiophile is a must to visit. As a matter of fact, as a frequent buyer and visitor my husband was able to make friends.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vAqo5LPpvGs/URMbp7yUymI/AAAAAAAAIt8/b9ejDqmTpDc/s1600/karms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vAqo5LPpvGs/URMbp7yUymI/AAAAAAAAIt8/b9ejDqmTpDc/s1600/karms.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
During our visit in Audiophile shop in Cubao, an acoustic guitar got my attention. From the looks of it, it sure is beautiful. The moment my husband went inside and asked for the guitar if he can try it, I knew that it's "the one" guitar he has been waiting for. And so my husband tried it and he was blown away by it's performance and added features. It's an acoustic- electric guitar.&amp;nbsp; He seldom see things that he really wants, but once he finds something worthy of his money, consider it sold! But this time, he asked for my permission. It was being sold for almost Php17,000. So I said yeah, buy it. I'll be happy to see you happy. For me, it's the thought the he has been working so hard and everyone truly deserves a reward at the end of the day. Only, it took years for him to get that "worthy" reward for himself.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FUy1xlUCyLk/URMbs6mLJ2I/AAAAAAAAIuE/np7NgpiqG20/s1600/papa%27s+gutar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FUy1xlUCyLk/URMbs6mLJ2I/AAAAAAAAIuE/np7NgpiqG20/s640/papa%27s+gutar.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Let's face facts first. As much as I wanted to spend Php 17,000, as a housewife, I can't just let go of that kind of amount. For Christmas this year, he told me that when he asked permission to buy it and I said yes to the Ibanez Montage, it was already the biggest Christmas present for him. So there you go, a gift that was well- appreciated by the person I love the most.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNsdoZ1rWYY/URMdIpkvCXI/AAAAAAAAIvU/lz0F6M43ARw/s1600/60734_376490145759538_269248886_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aNsdoZ1rWYY/URMdIpkvCXI/AAAAAAAAIvU/lz0F6M43ARw/s400/60734_376490145759538_269248886_n.jpg" width="266" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
While unboxing his Ibanez Montage, I told him, that he should display his beautiful guitars. It can be a source of inspiration to his everyday life, to me and even his children. Actually, he would put our kids to sleep just playing his guitar. Mikee our baby and Frankie our eldest son, would smile at him, the next thing you know, both are already fast asleep.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For display, we decided to hang it first like the ones in guitar shops. The Ibanez Montage is the one on the left with the tag. And right beside it is the famous vintage Ibanez 1973 "Lawsuit Guitar" which my husband bought from a friend who needed financial help at that time. Later on, the Ibanez AS80 and AS120 will join the display.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Every guitar has a story. I'm so grateful that I became part of his journey as a musician. I'm happy to have met such an artist. Music, it feeds ones soul with love and passion...&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-he-loves-most.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XfrlrTPqKPA/URM2O5Zg1TI/AAAAAAAAIwk/xGldGDu7VUA/s72-c/photo(2).jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-8162735972334710971</guid><pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:44:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-15T10:44:35.862+08:00</atom:updated><title>An Early Preparation for SY 2013-2014</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
In school, I grew up having a tutor. It helped me cope with the advance lessons I get. Some might think that having a tutor means that the person is poor in academics. That's partly true but, for me, as a parent, I believe that having a tutor for my kid helps boosts his knowledge in various subjects. As early as January, my son's school registrar handed me the enrollment form for the coming school year. And time sure flies by so fast. I mean, I thought we just enrolled him for school. Now, the school year is ending and we have to prepare for a new one.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Part of the preparation was to look for a good tutor. Since my son's previous teacher left to pursue her studies, we are now in search for a reliable teacher. At &lt;a href="http://www.tutorspree.com/browse/brentwood-ca-tutors//"&gt;tutorspree.com &lt;/a&gt; they offer the best way to find high quality private tutors for every subject. We noticed that for the past summers, even if I give my son activities at home to&amp;nbsp; do, we still end with so much time unused.  My husband and I talked to him and asked if he wants to do a few sessions with an activity he loves. With a quick yes, we will enroll him to a summer class of his chosen interest.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the summer school activities, a good tutor and of course our family bonding, I can say that our son is ready to face another fun year in school.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-early-preparation-for-sy-2013-2014.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-3698106210472444456</guid><pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:32:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-07T11:08:02.520+08:00</atom:updated><title>A Quick Time Out--- We Head For Tagaytay</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The beginning of 2013 was pretty hectic for us, especially for me. It's school work and hangover from the holidays that's been bugging me. Plus, 2 weeks after the new year my youngest son got terribly sick. To sum it up, the first month of 2013 was pressuring.&amp;nbsp; We all want our kids to recover fast and of course, we don't want them to get sick. Through the years of being a full time mom, I've learned a lot of things everytime my little ones would get sick. As much as possible, I stay away from hospitals and do home treatments with the help of our family doctor. But with the recent situation with Mikee, I "almost" gave up and thought of bringing him in a hospital.&amp;nbsp; It was very draining. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We were able to solve the health issue by changing and adjusting my son's milk in-take and diet. Thank God that good results came out immediately.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Once my son got better, we decided to go to Tagaytay to relax. My husband went on leave and as an additional blessing, a relative from GA came to visit us. Tagaytay City has always been our quick getaway destination. We never get tired of it. We love the cool climate, clean air, the view of the good 'ol Taal Volcano and tempting restaurants.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6G5lWetgEOw/UQ-oHKZqRYI/AAAAAAAAIkM/07ZI50TZse0/s1600/photo(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6G5lWetgEOw/UQ-oHKZqRYI/AAAAAAAAIkM/07ZI50TZse0/s1600/photo(5).jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Our first stop for the day was Paseo de Sta. Rosa. It was a beautiful morning to go for a relaxing stroll around the area. When we got there, most of the shops were still closed, few were already open. We window shopped a bit looking for nice things that we can purchase on our way back from Tagaytay.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dzn-dIOW6yw/UQ-t7T8Z-cI/AAAAAAAAIlY/0JQLGehs6IQ/s1600/photo(16).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dzn-dIOW6yw/UQ-t7T8Z-cI/AAAAAAAAIlY/0JQLGehs6IQ/s1600/photo(16).jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
In Tagaytay, we first visited our favorite place. The Taal Vista Hotel. Chillaxing with a great view, windy morning and photo fun moments with my family.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d9UDVawZqac/UQ-oFryJdlI/AAAAAAAAIj4/S2891zHQ_T8/s1600/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d9UDVawZqac/UQ-oFryJdlI/AAAAAAAAIj4/S2891zHQ_T8/s1600/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Then, we had lunch in RSM where we also spent time with our Tita from GA, Perry and his family. We enjoyed so much Filipino dishes. There's Kare-kare, Signature Bulalo of Tagayatay, Lumpiang Sariwa, Pancit Malabon and Crispy Pata. For dessert, we feasted on Leche Flan, Buko Pandan and Ice cream for this kids.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ovgtj5WUDl8/UQ-oFqA0W7I/AAAAAAAAIj8/4NlYzYofkCg/s1600/photo(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ovgtj5WUDl8/UQ-oFqA0W7I/AAAAAAAAIj8/4NlYzYofkCg/s1600/photo(14).JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IsmlUZj6umU/URCmYCJxWkI/AAAAAAAAImk/oTxfLC67k0g/s1600/photo(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IsmlUZj6umU/URCmYCJxWkI/AAAAAAAAImk/oTxfLC67k0g/s1600/photo(10).jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The view from the second of RSM Restaurant was spectacular. We've been in and out of RSM Tagaytay but it was just recently when we found out that they have a second floor. Anyway, aside from the great view, we were also enjoying the cool breeze and acapella songs from the musicians of RSM.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-quick-time-out-we-head-for-tagaytay.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6G5lWetgEOw/UQ-oHKZqRYI/AAAAAAAAIkM/07ZI50TZse0/s72-c/photo(5).jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-2561947450513609608</guid><pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:44:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-04T20:44:12.442+08:00</atom:updated><title>File Your Taxes Today!</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;When it comes to taxes everyone needs to take note of the process with regards to filing our taxes. Sometimes, due to the load of work we have, we tend to forget or at least, be aware of the recent changes or updates on tax law&lt;u&gt;s&lt;/u&gt;. Here in our country, in the private sector, it's the company who's handling the processing of the employee's taxes. If you're going to look, yes, it's not really a problem. But what about those who have businesses and those who handle the filing of their taxes themselves? Like what I've mentioned earlier, those with a busy schedule tend to forget or disregard issues when it comes to their taxes.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;In other countries, e-files is already available so that the citizens can file their taxes immediately and clear things in case the have some concerns with the process. An &lt;a href="http://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/all-articles-and-videos/IRS-Tax-Forms//"&gt;irs form&lt;/a&gt; was made available for each state. The irs form is a tax form needed to file your federal and state taxes. There is also a guide that will walk you through your tax return so you don't need to know which tax forms to file. Here are the &lt;a href="http://www.irs.gov/faqs/index.html//"&gt;irs FAQ. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/02/file-your-taxes-today.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-2792827335198723405</guid><pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:03:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-01T21:45:45.846+08:00</atom:updated><title>Music To My Ears: Making Room For Our Music CDs</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Usually, I get rid of our old stuff every time I do some general cleaning. Clothes, shoes, bags, furniture, kitchenware. But during my last cleaning session, I took out our old original music CDs and found room for them to be displayed and to be listened to once again.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
I grew up exposed to music.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
1. My dad is an excellent piano player.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
2. Both my brothers are good guitar players, bass and lead. And one of them can sing by the way.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
3. My dearest husband is a very good jazz guitar player as well as an over-all musician.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Other than these, with me, my brothers and my husband growing in the 90's, we got exposed to the sound of the Alternative genre. I had a collection of cassettes. Then, we slowly shifted to the era of music CDs.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EZjpLQ76fI/UQsXYId7VaI/AAAAAAAAIgs/wOi46jtDUvs/s1600/cds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EZjpLQ76fI/UQsXYId7VaI/AAAAAAAAIgs/wOi46jtDUvs/s1600/cds.JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Being with musicians, knowing some famous music writers and bands, we developed a relationship with the music industry with full respect and promised ourselves to buy original CDs both OPM and foreign.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
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For the past months, my husband and I have been in search for original CDs. Hard to find Alternative albums. We met with several online sellers. Some offered a pretty nasty price for over-used CDs, with cracked CD casing and scratched discs. But there was this one seller, a collector of music CDs. He owns a total of 5000 CDs, not counting the ones he already sold. When we found out that he's a collector, we knew that the stuff he's selling are in good condition and we were right. His price ranges from 250- 400php depending on the genre, title and condition of the CD itself. Most of the CDs featured in the photo above were bought from this online seller. Feels like we hit a gold mine of rare music CDs or at least the ones that are not available in record bars anymore.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Right now, I'm still in process, making room for more music CDs. Writing a new list of titles to be ordered :D We're also in search of a vintage record player. We found one and it comes with cute set of speakers. Still thinking about it though...&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/02/music-to-my-ears-making-room-for-our.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EZjpLQ76fI/UQsXYId7VaI/AAAAAAAAIgs/wOi46jtDUvs/s72-c/cds.JPG" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-3355100301333765389</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:39:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-01-29T17:15:46.524+08:00</atom:updated><title>A Traumatizing Evening In Sm Megamall--- Part 2</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;All happened in 1 hour and we didn't see a single police. All we saw were guards in white uniform and that's it. I asked a guard on what happened and I asked if there were any guns involved. He said none and they're still investigating. Right there, a lie was told, a misleading statement. I am so sure I heard gun shots. Just to let you know, we have the right to information as victims of this traumatic event. We don't wait for someone to get hurt physically just to be able to justify that there were victims. Those people who ran in confusion are all victims. The people I saw crying are victims, the kids who were crying are victims. No one was shot, but I'm sure deep inside our minds and hearts, for most who were there, we're all scratched and traumatized by this event. It turned a fun evening for families into a nightmare. Personally, it will take some time before I can get over this. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Why am I so affected? I felt I was trapped in a situation where there's no room for escape. At the same time, I need to look and act straight for my children, or else, the effect is going to be on them, which is worse. My husband was calm the whole time. He had a previous experience 3 years ago, where a hitman gunned down 2 men near his table. Not only that, the hitman went back and made sure that both targets were dead and shot them again. My husband and his colleagues crawled their way out, with their heads down so they won't be able to take a glimpse of the killer. This recent event in SM Megamall reminded him of that. But he made sure to look calm at the same time, you know he is ready to protect us, his family.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;With the small decisions we made during that night, the simple urge to order another round of barbecue, made a huge impact. Because if we didn't order and waited for those 2 sticks of barbecue, then we would have been caught inside a worse scenario. We're set to buy Krispy Kreme donuts and milk for the boys. Both the supermarket and donuts are at the ground floor. &lt;/b&gt; It's the "what ifs" that's been bugging me.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;I told my husband, that if he panicked or if he showed fear, I would probably have gone hysterical. My thoughts and my emotions were driven by my husband's take on the situation. I saw that he was calm, so I thought I should stay calm too. Deep inside, he was trying to balance everything, as he was also keeping a positive vibe so that our eldest son Frankie won't get scared.  He was thinking of alternatives to get out and as defense if the situation would have gotten haywire.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;On safety and security? why do we always have to wait for something bad to happen before we improve the security system. &lt;b&gt;Those CCTVs have a purpose.&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;We don't use it after the culprits have gotten away. &lt;/b&gt;We use it to monitor all movements in and out of establishments. Any suspicious move should call for immediate inspection. At least, a head start to call for back up, more security while an incident is ongoing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Follow up report via TV Patrol:&lt;/b&gt; The group was composed of 5-6 men and members of the group called Martilyo Gang. It was said that after the heist the group separated ways and blended with the crowd.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Now whoever was&lt;b&gt; forcing the metal door &lt;/b&gt;of our restaurant to open--- I don't know... big possibility it's one of them pretending to be one of the civilians.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;With this event, in order to cope and continue with life like the usual, I thought that it would be best to move on with the regular things we do. But this time, we are more aware, more sensitive and cautious of the things, people and events that goes around us everyday. And that--- I am going to bring my family away from any jewelry shops, money changers, banks or any store that sell valuable items, anything that can be a target for another heist. Especially if I don't have business with any of these at all.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I braved to recall the things that happened night of January 26 because I know that I also need to release my thoughts and emotions over the matter. I told to my parents, I kept on talking to my husband about it... Now, to my readers...&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;0o0o&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;I thank the Lord for the blanket of protection He laid over us... and for the continuous guidance, strength and wisdom to overcome such events. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-traumatic-evening-in-sm-megamall-part.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-3460544584202223432</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:28:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-01-29T17:21:21.889+08:00</atom:updated><title>A Traumatizing Evening in SM Megamall--- Part1</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;It was a relaxing Saturday. Usually, I spend it with my family in the mall the whole day. But last Saturday turned out to be so different. &lt;b&gt;It was our first time to decide to head out to the mall late in the afternoon and stay until dinner.&lt;/b&gt; SM Megamall has always been a weekend stop. Every weekend, we're there. Night of January 26, as always, Sm Megamall was full. Mostly, are families.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;After visiting a furniture shop, my husband said that he needs to withdraw money. &lt;b&gt;We were in Bldg. A at that time. So I suggested the ATMs at the 2nd and ground floor of Bldg. A. But since we need to check on some things at bldg. B, guitar shops, toy shops and a quick look at Ace Hardware, we decided to cross the basement bridge going to BDO bldg. B. &lt;/b&gt;While in line at the atm, my son Frankie suddenly asked if we could have barbecue for dinner. Right in front of BDO was Bar-B-King. So my husband said, "okay look for a table and order".&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Before I continue, I mentioned all these stores and point of locations to bring a lighter view on our whereabouts when the shooting happened.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Our table was located near the entrance of the restaurant. There, we were enjoying our food, laughing, we were really having fun as a family. As I was finishing my food, my husband told me that he wanted to order another round of barbecue. I said, yeah, "go, join me, I still have a bunch to finish". "Usually, we don't go for second rounds". He ordered&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;a barbecue meal and while waiting, &lt;/b&gt;I got Mikee from the high chair took him for a little walk around the restaurant. Then we heard a commotion. At first, we saw "few" were running away from "something".&amp;nbsp; Then, I heard 2 gun shots, that's when the rush of &lt;b&gt;people panicking "swarmed" the basement floor headed for bldg. A&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;it was chaos!&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;The restaurant manager of Bar-B-King immediately locked the metal door of the resto and ordered everyone inside to stay down on the floor. Slowly, one by one, we all crawled towards the back part of the restaurant. In my mind, I was thinking... "okay, we're trapped!". At least the people outside can proceed to the other building and scatter out the exits, but us, we have no other place to go, and we don't even know what was happening, what was causing the hysteria.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;You know what's unbelievable that went through our minds--- zombie apocalypse. If you have seen &lt;b&gt;"the swarm" &lt;/b&gt;of people running with their terrified faces...(lahat na iisipin mo).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;It took about 15 minutes when we saw people out again. It feels like there was a sudden pause. Then, another commotion. Everyone went inside the shops and we saw SM guards running away from the scene. With that--- " all I thought was, "okay that's it!" "what now dear Lord". We were all at the back of the restaurant again when the manager shouted that "someone was trying to open our metal door" that "someone was forcing them to open it". All the men, the staff and crew of the restaurant went in front to hold the door down and to secure it even more. At the time when someone was trying to open the metal door of our restaurant, I looked at my 2 kids and prayed to spare them if something was about to happen to us.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;It took another 30- 45 minutes before it was cleared. We saw security everywhere and the people started to come out from their hiding place. Immediately, we rushed to bldg. A where our car was parked. The basement that was once filled with families and happy faces was empty. Stores are closed. We saw people lying on the floor of their shops crying (mostly women). I came across a lady who was hysterical looking for somebody and a kid who was with a guard whom I assume has lost touch with his parents or companion.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;I've always felt safe in SM Megamall. It's one of our favorite places to go to and hangout as a family. I've heard of previous reports of shootings in other SM Malls, &lt;b&gt;but I was still sure&lt;/b&gt; that nothing similar will happen in Megamall, until last Saturday's robbery happened. Maybe it will take some time before I can get over this.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;On the news, we found out that the gunmen robbed the jewelry shop inside the department store. It was just on top of us. It's the part that's very near an escalator that connects the ground floor and the basement, it's where our restaurant's at that's why everything was very clear. The chances of those armed men scrambling down to take the exit near our restaurant was big.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;If you noticed, I've highlighted some sentences. Those are the important things that led us to where were at during the shooting/ robbery incident. Tiny decisions it may seem, but it made a big impact both good and bad. Please read on to the next post entitled:&lt;a href="http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-traumatic-evening-in-sm-megamall-part.html/"&gt;A Traumatizing Evening in SM Megamall--- Part2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-traumatizing-evening-in-sm-megamall.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-4026064883257796070</guid><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 03:26:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-01-28T11:26:36.287+08:00</atom:updated><title>Good Thoughts on Good Things</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
The other day and yesterday, I crossed paths with two meaningful messages that came from two important individuals in my life. The first message was from my sister- in-law's email to me and the second one was from a very good friend---Rach.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
My sister-in-law is my big sister. I didn't grow up having an older sibling... having her changed everything. One of the things that we do keep in touch aside from our regular talk via Skype, is we email each other. We share stories, our own discoveries from our individual journeys, politics from both sides of the world, movies and even with the latest trends. Like I said, I grew up not having&amp;nbsp; a big sister whom I could have talked to and shared some of my secrets and stories with as a child and as a teenager. I vent out almost anything to my sister-in-law. She's like an angel who's ready to lend a helping hand and who will always be there to listen. In between, each email and in each conversation we have, my sister-in-law never fails to give encouraging words, inspirational stories, and lessons we can both learn from. Her words of wisdom is something I look forward to all the time. &lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yPO6DX9MRXw/UQH5c_x14WI/AAAAAAAAIaE/s4lRCbHdgew/s1600/ate+ria%27s+words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="26" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yPO6DX9MRXw/UQH5c_x14WI/AAAAAAAAIaE/s4lRCbHdgew/s640/ate+ria%27s+words.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
I want to share it because it is something deep to hold onto and make life better. I did notice how time quickly permits us to get whatever we want. Our WILL to make things happen, sometimes does make those thoughts and things into reality. The whole message says that we should be careful on what we do and for things we wish for. May it be a material thing, thoughts we can't express, wishing someone well or looking into our paths to reaching our goals in life. It is best to think forward and to stay positive all the time, so whatever comes,&amp;nbsp; in the end, we bring peace to ourselves and we spread it to the people around us as well.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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The goodness radiating from us is enough to say that we have reached our dream, it doesn't matter if I'm poor as long as I make others happy. Did you ever experience when you wanted something so bad... but as went through the process of acquiring that thing, you helped someone else? Then suddenly, you forget about that thing you wanted? I did, and I'm living that situation almost everyday. It's one of the secrets why we, stay at home moms, are always happy, smiling even if we don't get anything in return. Even if we wear the same clothes everyday, even if we don't earn money, even if sometimes, we're taken for granted.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Moving on, thinking of good things, will make losing, fear, defeat and sadness vanish.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
This second set of inspiring words was from my friend Rach. I met Rach through my husband. Rachel is one of my most valued friends (I bet she doesn't know that :D). I share so much laughter with her, she's very honest, patient and of course sweet and nice. Rachel is a person full with goodness. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCd4uESPnyw/UQH5ck70E7I/AAAAAAAAIaI/0n_dYxFejHY/s1600/rachel%2527s+inspiring+words.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="251" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCd4uESPnyw/UQH5ck70E7I/AAAAAAAAIaI/0n_dYxFejHY/s640/rachel%2527s+inspiring+words.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Yesterday, I saw this post on her Facebook wall. I come across this message several times, like, in my whole life. But everytime I see these words, it feels like it's always my first time to cross paths with it. Just a thought: maybe because everyday, we encounter different individuals that may cause damage to our lives. If there are people radiating goodness, definitely, there are those who look for mistakes and those who can bring negative vibes in full force. It's something we can't get rid of.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
What can we do about it? For some, they will probably stay away from those individuals causing the conflict. Others, can simply dance around it and hold onto to those words above. Or, find something good in it, help those causing the trouble and spreading hatred. Respect each other. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I found being a full time mother a blessing. Socially, yes, I'm drained... zero. The good part, since I mingle with less people, I'm not expose to anyone who can bring harmful thoughts towards me and my family. At the same time, I still have friends whom I can trust and share some good moments with.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/01/good-thoughts-on-good-things.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yPO6DX9MRXw/UQH5c_x14WI/AAAAAAAAIaE/s4lRCbHdgew/s72-c/ate+ria%27s+words.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-3607958126316471147</guid><pubDate>Mon, 21 Jan 2013 12:22:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-01-22T20:34:39.500+08:00</atom:updated><title>Something Funny or Something on the Head</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
Over the recent Holidays, one of the highlights of our celebration was to come up with something funny to wear or at least a hairpiece or something on the head. I gotta say this has got to be one of our hilarious take before 2012 ended. I was surprised with what my siblings prepared. I thought no one's going to exert effort since it was our first time to set a theme for our Christmas party. I gotta hand it to them, especially to Ella (angel) and Nino (Pinoy Superman).&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cKm276tqR8/UPjCnyizTAI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/VennYAQwKRg/s1600/IMG_0294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cKm276tqR8/UPjCnyizTAI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/VennYAQwKRg/s1600/IMG_0294.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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Ella with her handmade angel wings.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpLhtAQ-lGk/UPjCqpHaxJI/AAAAAAAAIRA/iOJAjdxJE9U/s1600/IMG_0297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IpLhtAQ-lGk/UPjCqpHaxJI/AAAAAAAAIRA/iOJAjdxJE9U/s400/IMG_0297.jpg" width="266" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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My son Frankie and my husband who came as Ironman and Capt. America.&lt;/div&gt;
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My boys were very lucky that some friends gave them some masks of The Avengers heroes. We didn't spend on anything. The Ironman chest piece of Frankie was a gift from his birthday last year.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UWR53amkBXg/UPjCrU16O_I/AAAAAAAAIRE/7I8kU294QMs/s1600/IMG_0299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UWR53amkBXg/UPjCrU16O_I/AAAAAAAAIRE/7I8kU294QMs/s400/IMG_0299.jpg" width="266" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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As for me, I didn't prepare anything at all. I was very busy. Good thing that the theme tapped not only on&amp;nbsp; "something funny" but also "something on the head". I borrowed this Enchanted Kingdom hat from my sister.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-woM8GlMYD6s/UPjCvd2NddI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/F06A8cYuoF0/s1600/IMG_0301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-woM8GlMYD6s/UPjCvd2NddI/AAAAAAAAIRQ/F06A8cYuoF0/s400/IMG_0301.jpg" width="266" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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My sister Les had something on her head too, and she made it.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWzNl5OcEyE/UPjCxPUJunI/AAAAAAAAIRY/HUG4GBKEemE/s1600/xmas9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YWzNl5OcEyE/UPjCxPUJunI/AAAAAAAAIRY/HUG4GBKEemE/s400/xmas9.jpg" width="290" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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My brother Ver captured everyone's attention with his funny glasses.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDJ0bP2yRdw/UPjCx99_lNI/AAAAAAAAIRc/i2Mv3qEEFsU/s1600/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDJ0bP2yRdw/UPjCx99_lNI/AAAAAAAAIRc/i2Mv3qEEFsU/s640/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" width="406" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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Lastly, the highlight of our evening: My youngest brother as a Pinoy version of Superman. I'm really proud of him because he didn't spend so much on his costume. He told us that he went through "tiangge" shops for cheap items. He also came up with old clothes and reused items. It reminded me of &lt;a href="http://www.timothysykes.com/"&gt;best penny stocks&lt;/a&gt;. In cases like these, we need to be resourceful.  With amazement, we thought of following my brother's footsteps. On our next costume party, it's best to be creative by not spending too much. It's more fun and it's very rewarding to find oneself thinking that you were able to create something fun and entertaining by not shedding too much cash.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/01/something-funny-or-something-on-head_21.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cKm276tqR8/UPjCnyizTAI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/VennYAQwKRg/s72-c/IMG_0294.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-5174406147632999016</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 03:44:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-03-09T09:39:02.253+08:00</atom:updated><title>Celebrating Life at Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Max-hyCyLAg/UP0zgJOkhgI/AAAAAAAAISs/NPWcuM7ohEs/s1600/mikee%27s+hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Max-hyCyLAg/UP0zgJOkhgI/AAAAAAAAISs/NPWcuM7ohEs/s320/mikee%27s+hand.jpg" width="213" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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It has been a year since I gave birth to my second child and I haven't shared my extraordinary experience&amp;nbsp; when I&amp;nbsp;gave birth to this lovable baby. With my first child Frankie, I was already blessed with a normal delivery. But during the process, I was completely dazed with the medicines and pain killer given to me in the hospital. I was half- awake when I delivered Frankie, but as soon as he was out, I fell asleep immediately that I wasn't able to hold him. It was my husband who held him first.&lt;br /&gt;
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With my second son Mikee, my husband and I decided to move to a new hospital. My admission letter was addressed to the Labor room of St. Lukes Medical Center, but the day I was going to give birth, I decided to go to a different hospital. And I made the right decision, for I was given a different feel of giving birth with my second baby.&lt;br /&gt;
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There's 1 reason&amp;nbsp;with the sudden change of hospital:&lt;br /&gt;
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*Since I'll be spending a short period of time in the hospital, I thought that it is going to be more practical if I get admitted to a private hospital that's not too big and can still&amp;nbsp;cater to my needs and standards as a patient. We chose Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital. &lt;/div&gt;
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Ever since, Jesus Delgado is known as a Maternity Hospital that has now expanded as a General Hospital. Aside from the fact that Jesus Delgado has been in service for decades, this hospital has been getting good feedback on their facilities and services. Plus, we have friends who highly recommends it. And my mom told me, that during her time, Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital&amp;nbsp;was the "St. Lukes" of Maternity Hospitals. I guess even up to now, because Jesus Delgado is&amp;nbsp;able to maintain that standard that gave me the best experience when I gave birth to my son Mikee.&lt;br /&gt;
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In my opinion and with my experience, Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital specializes on "traditional"&amp;nbsp;maternity care. I arrived at the labor room exactly 8:30&amp;nbsp;in the morning&amp;nbsp;with 2 cm. Once they got my admission letter from my OB who's a very known doctor in the industry, the nurse aide immediately began preparing me. I was impressed with the process. It was fast, clean and efficient. And of course, the nurse aide was explaining to me everything in the process and the purpose of each. By 10am I was ready and waiting. My husband was outside waiting as well. My OB doctor dropped by to check on my condition and gave orders.&lt;br /&gt;
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You know what's amazing with the staff of Jesus Delgado Memorial Hospital? (particularly in the labor room and delivery room) &amp;nbsp;Everyone inside are doctors with nurse aides. So instead of getting a ratio of 1 nurse: 1 patient, it's 1 doctor: 1 patient, how relieving is that? It's something I didn't experience in&amp;nbsp;my previous hospital.&amp;nbsp;I was greatly secured because aside from my OB and Anesthesiologist, there's another doctor looking after me (bedside). They're very pleasant, they're very knowledgeable, they know the whole meaning of health care service.&lt;br /&gt;
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Labor pain began around 3pm with 5cm. In a matter of minutes the pain went stronger---but--- for me, it was still bearable. Learning from my previous experience on giving birth, pushing while contracting eases down the pain. I was awake the whole time and without any pain killer.&lt;br /&gt;
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In Jesus Delgado it's different. They will administer the pain killer on the go signal of the patient. Again, basing it on my experience, the doctors told me to give them the go, (as instructed by my Ob-Gyne)&amp;nbsp;if I want the pain killer to be injected.&amp;nbsp;We patients have options and our decisons&amp;nbsp;matter. And I&amp;nbsp;felt I was given value when they asked me to decide on it. By the way, the process with the pain killer was explained to me ahead, the moment I&amp;nbsp;was admitted.&amp;nbsp;Though,&amp;nbsp;it&amp;nbsp;became really, really painful,&amp;nbsp; thinking of the life that's about to&amp;nbsp;say hi to the world&amp;nbsp;made me endure everything&amp;nbsp;until I reached 10 cm +2. Meaning, I was fully open, my water&amp;nbsp;has broken and the baby's about to come out.&lt;br /&gt;
In my opinion, I guess that's how you give birth the traditional way.&amp;nbsp;I pushed and pushed (minus the screaming and all the crying :D) while the doctors helped me get through. It was an amazing experience. I'm very proud of myself as a mom... After, I was able to hold Mikee with his umbilical cord still attached... It's just wonderful and rewarding once I&amp;nbsp;was&amp;nbsp;able&amp;nbsp;to embrace Mikee wide awake.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIEnDqPj5iM/UP0zhf7r8sI/AAAAAAAAIS0/duisrERNMJA/s1600/mikee2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIEnDqPj5iM/UP0zhf7r8sI/AAAAAAAAIS0/duisrERNMJA/s320/mikee2.jpg" width="213" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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I stayed in the hospital overnight. That's how fast I recovered. When my OB and the other doctors visited me in my room, they were amazed that I was already mobile and I even walked to the nursery to breastfeed my baby. The recovery was fast because I was well taken cared of. I was a first time patient in that hospital, but it felt so homey. I will never forget the kind hearts who gave me this experience. My Ob- Gyne... she's the best. I look up to her just like my mom. She  never introduced or even mentioned C- Section to me even the first time we met. All she kept on saying was " Kaya mo yan mag normal delivery! Kahit 8- lbs pa yung baby" (&lt;i&gt;You can do normal delivery even if the baby weighs 8-lbs&lt;/i&gt;). Of course in reality, if the situation asks for a C-section, then if it's for the best... But then again, it's all about the encouraging words to go for a normal delivery which makes it inspiring and that motivated me as a mother to do well and to give my best for the baby.&lt;/div&gt;
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&amp;nbsp;Life is a blessed gift. Every individual brought into the world is bestowed with a unique characteristic.&lt;/div&gt;
</description><link>http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/2013/01/celebrating-life-at-jesus-delgado.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Enchie)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Max-hyCyLAg/UP0zgJOkhgI/AAAAAAAAISs/NPWcuM7ohEs/s72-c/mikee%27s+hand.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1655696611488664986.post-7346484212667013256</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:39:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-01-04T21:39:50.022+08:00</atom:updated><title>Disclosure 2013</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
This policy is valid from 04 January 2013&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact&amp;nbsp; Enchie @ &lt;a href="http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://xtraordinarymom.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.&lt;/div&gt;
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&amp;nbsp;The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.&lt;/div&gt;
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&amp;nbsp;This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.&lt;/div&gt;
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