A sweetheart. A momma. A wife.

Our Time: The Forgotten

2013-02-20T09:53:00.001-08:00

In this world we live in, we often hear a familiar phrase. The moment we start working, that time we get married and when that precious little bundle gets born. Every 'congratulations' has a 'don't-lose-yourself' phrase attached to it. In the chaos of your new home, while juggling work and family, don't lose yourself.
Don't lose yourself.
Have time for yourself.
Relax, you need a me-time.
Pamper time for yourself.
All this phrases are centered mostly around women. Even most of the ads on TV are catered towards this concept. Heck, you can't have a perfect relationship if you didn't have some me time. It seems to be the most important thing especially in dealing between marriages and parenting.

But wait! Is that really all there is? Is that the most important piece of advice we can give to our fellow wives and husbands, fellow parents and especially the oh so newly weds?

Definitely not.

This society has neglected (or maybe forgotten would be a more appropriate word) to put importance on our relationship with our other half. Its not always about me time. It should be about our time too. In the midst of juggling work and home, play dates and me time, our time often gets pushed to the last of the list and most often just forgotten.

Join me as I explore this forgotten concept. In the next few blogs, I will be talking about the importance of our time and how most marriages & parenting problems comes from the lack of our time.

Depression

2013-02-13T15:35:00.001-08:00

Haven't really put much thought in it?
Everybody thinks its just an excuse.
That no such thing could really ever exist.
That its just an escape.
But when you think about it.
When you experience it for yourself.
Its not very much fun.
Depression is not a sickness.
Its more than that.
It comes from within.
Not the brain.
Its buried deep inside.
And the only person who can uncover it is oneself.
Something deep down there is buried and its causing all kinds of imbalances.
Meds won't really help much.
Sure talking about it can help.
But admitting to oneself what you are trying to dismiss is the key.
No use of denying it.
No use of ignoring it.
Because it will eat you alive.
Not only will it destroy you,
It will break everything around.
It will drive everyone away.
Want to know how it feels like?
It will feel as if you are slowly decaying
With all hope lost.
You hang on for dear life.
You grab it with all your might.
Just to realize that you are just a few seconds from slipping away.

Money

2013-02-13T15:27:00.001-08:00

Money makes this world go around, including everyone in it.
It such a harsh reality, but its the truth.
It can make a person happy, but it can also bring you down.
It causes joy, but also brings grief.
Its can do a lot of good, but it can do more damage.
It creates new friendship, but breaks a family apart.
It can drive a person to persevere, but also drive them to their end.
Money is not evil.
It is just the root of all evil.
And when you thought you had it all, in just a split second, it can all vanish.

Nobody knows

2013-02-08T00:47:00.001-08:00

Nobody knows
I'm crying
Nobody knows
I'm screaming
Nobody knows
All the thoughts
Because from the outside
Carefree and a smile plastered on her face
She walks around
All relaxed and goofy
Nobody knows
She is praying to get through the day
She wakes up with doubt in her heart
Hours pass
Always that guilt following her around
She doesn't know where its coming from
Or why she feels the way she does
Worthless and hopeless
But that's all inside
Nobody can tell
Nobody needs to know
She greets everyone with a smile
Does all her duties with extra care
She doesn't argue
Doesn't question
She listens to others
Listens to their worries
Listens to their cries
Forgetting her troubles all together
She loves unconditionally
Cares too much
She tries so hard
Putting a brave face on
But late at night
When the lights are off
Her face hidden away
Facing the window
She silently weeps
She silently prays
She silently begs for a miracle
Trading everything just to be saved
All because
She doesn't want to disappoint
Doesn't want to be a burden
All day long
Her silent plea
A sigh of relief
A cry of help
A piece of understanding
Overflowing forgiveness
But its too far away
Hopeless and broken
She dreams away
Still broken tomorrow
And the next day

Shutdown

2013-02-07T10:22:00.001-08:00

You know those days you have when you just feel like shutting down. It might be impossibly possible, but it feels like just the right fit. Those times when you're almost in a happy state then a wave of crazy clouds your head.

Yup. It's a crappy day.

Whatevers-in-the-ref-dinner

2012-12-06T16:37:00.001-08:00

So its one of those nights that I got caught up with all the nonsense I was doing that I forgot to cook dinner. Well, its not that I really forgot, I just kind of pushes it to the side until I absolutely had no time to even think about what I was going to feed the people who are under our roof. I know I had put fish out an hour ago, but I did not really put any thought into it since I was so focused on the tiny little screen of my newly upgraded phone (thanks to the carnivore handy man aka my husband.

In an attempt to satisfy not only the stomachs but the tongues as well, I did my best to sort through the mighty refrigerator of anything edible. Let me tell you, it was not an easy task. I had to taste test lots of bottles to go with the fish. I was confused, very confused. Until finally I just grabbed two bottle of salad dressing, tomatoes & onions. Threw them together with the frozen tilapia fillet an added just a tad bit of water. Put it in the stove and covered it.

And then you know what I did? I ran to the store, (ok not literally) to pick up some stuff for the gift baskets I was trying to get done for picture purposes. I am actually inside the car right now on my way back home. Im crossing my fingers that it will all turn out good. Will post pics later. (Did I mention my sister is driving me? Yup, I do not know how to drive.)

That is the daintiness of my day. Till the next blog. Byezz!

2012-11-14T09:34:00.001-08:00

Favorite past time:

Karaoke with Daddy H & Baby H. <3

What's your favorite past time?

Im back!

2012-11-14T08:10:00.001-08:00

Im back and hopefully *crossing fingers* for good this time. I know I don't have that much readers. Heck, I might have zero at all, but blogging soothes me. Ok. Maybe not blogging. Writing does. Blogging is writing. Uh! Whatever. You get the point. There's something about keeping track of your dainty moments and rereading them over and over again. It reminds you of who you are. It reminds you of what you have and what you should be treasuring. It reminds you of all the good things our good Lord has given us.

This past few weeks has been a constant reminder of how short our life is. Its been days that life's uncertainties has been constantly on my mind. I have come to realize how important it is to make every word, action and moment count. That every thing that comes out of our mouth should be positive, that every action we take should impact anyone around us in a good way. And that we should act as if every moment will be the last one because we will never know what tomorrow will bring. Heck! We don't even know what will happen in the next five seconds. No amount of predictions can gaurantee the next few seconds of our life.

And its sad. Its very sad how a tragic moment has to happen for me to realize any of these.

So call up your parents, give your grandparents a little more hugs, have a date with your sibblings, play with your kids, spend time with your spouse, treasure your friends, get to know your aquaintances, learn to like your enemies. Forgive. Love. Laugh. Enjoy every little moments of life. Catch it, record it, write it down. And never forget to give thanks to our Creator and to continually pursue what God intended us to do here on earth.

On that note, I miss my mommy Alice. She was a big influence to my life. Every good thing in my heart was a huge part of hers.Thank you for being one of the best grandma anyone can have. You nurtured the best mom in the world, your daughter, my mother.. You spoiled me in love and nothing can ever outdo that.
Thank you also to my Lola Inday. You were a provider not only to your family to everyone around you. You give so much of yourself. Thats were my papa gets it from and thats were I prolly get it from too.
To my Lolo Maning. You were always quite. But you also always cared in your subtle ways. Every birthday or Christmas, you always gave me something. You always called me, and in between your books you inserted my gift. Its not the gift. Its how you never forget. Every year we all lived together, you never forget my birthday. Its sad how I realize it just now. Thank you for always remembering.

Those are the people who are far away from me. I hope someday I get to visit you or vice versa. Even though I am miles and miles away. I will always I have you hidden in my heart. I promise to sing you a song for the holidays. ;)

And that is the need of my drama mode! :)

A Luau Birthday Party

2012-11-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

On November 20th 2012, my family & I attended a Luau Party. A very close friend's daughter just turned two. It was a beautiful party. Perfect for little girl who just turned two. The decors where wonderful and the food was delicious. Enjoy the pics!!!

Insanity done! Turbo fire, here we go!!

2012-05-22T08:56:00.001-07:00

So I'm finally done with Insanity. Thank heavens! That routine was just so intense in a way that you really have to really really want it to get through it and finish the job. It does the work though. You'll be ripped if you're actually following it word by word. :) I was in a way but not really, although we did get the 6 times a week nailed. I just modified it a lot just because I had back surgery 3 years ago, so I really did need to take it slow. My husband on the other is doing it, even in the times that I don't when chores & being a mom gets in the way.

So now a friend let me borrow her turbo fire because like us she had moved on to the next routine. :) I started yesterday. And if your like me who is a frustrated dancer, you're going to like this workout. You get to dance but not feel stupid about it. Hahahah Because the steps are so workout related that it just like any other workout, but you have that beat to follow. Alas! My dream of being a dancer has came true! Ha! Its so intense and fun. The more intense it gets the shorter the workout is. So another good thing about is if you're like me who has a very hectic schedule, (wife wise & mom wise lol!) then this workout is made for you. You can choose from a variety of 30 minutes to 15 minute workout or if you just want to do the 10 minute stretch. Its all broken down. And great thing about is it, I now have time to workout in the wee hours of the morning, while everyone else is still snoring. Haha! I could never do that with insanity because its like 45-60 minutes and every workout is going to take your breath away that you need a lot of recovery time. I like insanity, but its for those who are really dedicated. So trbo fire is good for me because I am always short on me time and this is perfect me time without getting the to do list piled up. Plus! Its a good stress reliever because you're constantly punching and kicking the air. Haha!

About to explode

2012-05-21T12:54:00.001-07:00

I just wanna say that I am overwhelmed and definitely stressed out. I feel like there's a ticking time bomb inside of me and I am just anxiously watching out for it to explode. You ever have that feeling? Believe me its not just the party planning that's causing it. I don't even know what's causing it. I'm just... I guess tired and anxious and stressed. I guess what's really stressing me out is the people around me that feels also like walking time bombs waiting to explode. And I'm just anxiously waiting for it to happen, feeling helpless and overwhelmed by everything else. I don't know. I feel like my brain's just trying to unscramble everything and its messing up with my body's chemistry. Lol. I have that ugly feeling at the pit of my stomach. I just wanna scream. But I have to get it together because no one else will do it for me. Ahhhhhh!!!!!

Scrambled Salmon

2012-05-19T09:14:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
5 eggs
3 tbsp of mayo
Pinch of salt
Diced onions
Diced tomatoes
Diced green onions
Salmon fillet (chopped to preferred size)
1 Cheese slice cut into small pieces.
Half a stick of butter.

In a medium bowl combined 5 eggs and start whisking. Gradually add the mayonnaise and keep on whisking until well blended. Add a pinch of salt and mix some more. Set aside.

Dice half a red onions. Dice half a red tomato. Dice 4 green onions. Cut salmon fillet into pieces. Cut 1 cheese slice into pieces. Set aside.

Melt butter in a frying pan on medium heat.
Saute the red onions & red tomatoes
Fry the salmon on the same pan, 2 minutes on each side.
When salmon is cooked, add the scrambled egg.
Cover for 3 minutes. Add green onions & cheese on top. Cover for another 5 minutes on low medium heat.

Served over hot rice or bread.

What's on my mind?

2012-05-18T13:09:00.001-07:00

This phrase keeps going through my mind right at this moment.

Don't blame God for the problems you are facing. Blame yourself or the people around you who actually makes it happen.

Not a good thought, I must admit. I was brought up not to dwell on blaming, but instead to focus in dealing & trying to fix problems. Its such an easy advice to throw to people that comes my way. Not so easy when I have to do it. You see, it's so natural to get engulf in all the craziness and just sink into all your feelings and emotions and allow them to dictate your every thought until it becomes who you are and affects the way you live. Before you know it, you are a completely different person, defined by your past, and without knowing it, dictated by the one's who did you wrong. The bad part about it is, this is exactly what's happening and you don't even see it that way. Because if you did see it that way,, you would have probably stopped yourself. Imagine a life dictated by the people who did you wrong? Who wants that? No one! But it happens anyway. Why? Because like I said earlier. We get engulfed in our own sorrows & pains that it clouds our judgement. And by the time we realized it, we have dug our own grave so deep that it would take a massive deal of effort to just get out of there. In plain English? Its not going to be easy at all.

So what do we do now? Blame God? Of course not. Why not? Because there is actually a thing called free will and nobody in this world are forced by God to do something. You know who forces people? People themselves. So were back to blaming people? And go back to the dugging a whole for yourself thing? No thanks.

Let me say it again. Just what do we do here? We all know. Its common sense. Easy fix. Easy solution. And yet everyone fails to do so. Why? Because the easiest things on earth are actually the hardest thing to do because of our own damn pride. Or maybe its just not pride. Maybe its the pain, the memory, the present situation we are in. It jogs our emotions. And then we feel. Its the feeling. The most fleeting thing in the world and yet we always go by it. Why? I don't know. I guess I'll have to figure that one out on my next rant. Goodbye!

Shrimp Mac n' Cheese

2012-05-15T23:31:00.001-07:00

Recipe soon!

Hayli's Party Preparation

2012-05-15T23:01:00.001-07:00

So it's my daughter's 1st birthday next week and we are just so swamped with to do list. She only turn 1 once, lol. So everything has to be memorable and good so when she grows up and look at her pictures, she will feel very special & loved. Hehehe

I chose the Alice in Wonderland theme. It was suppose to be Hayli in Onederland, but like I said, she will only turn 1 once so it shouldn't just be my decision. Besides the theme is so complicated & has too many aspects. I would need to be very creative. And frankly, I really don't have time for any of that. Lol!

Anyway, as you know, recently went to Vegas about four weeks ago. And while we were there, we visited the four floors of the M&M store. While roaming around the M&M store, my husband liked the colorful theme and all that he was like, "We should make M&M the theme for her party." And of course there has to be some middle ground. Lol! So we finally landed on a Candy land/ sweet shoppe theme.
With all the help and wonderful ideas of my supporting husband, creative mother, wonderful sisters and the boyfriends and a family friend that's more like an older sister, we are on the way of making a candy shop out of our house. Lol!

But for now, this is how our house looks like. Its a work in progress. And I have till the weekend to put everything up so we have three more days to relax. :) *fingers crossed*

enjoy the pics!

Filipino Style Spaghetti

2012-05-11T14:42:00.001-07:00

Recipe will be up soon!!!!

Enjoy the pictures for now :)

Recipe:
Onions (chopped)
Garlic (chopped)
Ground beef
Hotdog
Canned mushrooms
Tomato sauce / spaghetti sauce
Velveeta cheese
Cream cheese
Sugar / condensed milk
Butter
Spaghetti noodles

Vegas trip!

2012-05-09T09:12:00.001-07:00

So I never told you how our vegas trip went? Shame on me.

I was so caught up in getting caught up with everything around here. My baby's upcoming 1st birthday bash, laundry's still piled up from the trip, don't even get me started with the clothes that needs ironing & folding, empty ref, need to grocery hence the loooong grocery list, and of course there's Insanity! How could I even forget that when we didn't do any workout while away. So yes. I was so busy in Mommy/house duties. (to be honest, I've only done the grocery part and a little bit of the decor for baby's party)
Man, I need two whole days, 1 day to clean this whole house and the other day to just sit and relax and not think about anything at all whatsoever!!! I wish! Who knew four hours of sleep could be a luxury sometimes, and 10 minutes in the shower all by myself very relaxing!

So I really needed that vegas trip! Lol! It was fun! Wish it didn't end. It was that fun! It was like my own version of "spa". Lol. You wake up to just take a bath. Somebody else takes care of what you eat. All day you just walk around, take pictures, eat!, sight see! You get back in the room and the whole room is all cleaned up. You curl up to new sheets at night. New towels that's always so hot & toasty! Did I forget to mention room service? Wish we had room service in our own house! Lol.

But that's why its called a vacation. If you had that everyday, it wouldn't be that special.

Now I'm back in my city, which I happen to love, no doubt about it. My life, which quite frankly, a lot of people would wanna have. So even thoughI don't have that kind of life in my vacation everyday. I realized while I was away. I still had a pretty awesome and blessed life that I get to spend with two of the most adorable people in the world. My baby and my husband!

Ps: I'll expand more on the trip when I get around to uploading the pictures! ;)

Stuck in bed

2012-05-09T08:55:00.001-07:00

Woke up early today. I was planning to make a good breakfast. Blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon strips, toasted bread, fried hot & spicy spam, hot caramel macchiato coffee, mango shake. Yum!

Unfortunately, my baby is sleeping near the edge of the bed, so I have to stay put at the edge of the bed myself. I want to move her to the crib, but then she'll wake up and start crying or be all hyper and I still won't be able to make breakfast.

I can't go back to sleep either because its too cold, the ceiling fan is on. I should turn it off, but then baby's gonna be all sweat. Baby & daddy, they like the cold. Not me! So I'm all curled up at the edge of the side of the bed because my baby is literally sleeping on top of the quilt. So I am using one of the pillows as my blanket. I am literally in a weird position were no one could actually fall asleep in.

But its all good. If I cooked that huge breakfast, who's going to eat it? Its almost lunch time and everybody in this house is still snoring. Even our bulldog is snoring his nose off.

So I gues we'll stick to oatmeal, if they ever wake up soon. Or just plain coffee because we are late!

Funny quote!

2012-05-07T22:25:00.001-07:00

"The best way to make someone remember you is borrow money from them."

Its been a while

2012-05-07T11:08:00.001-07:00

By a while, I meant a whole week.
I'm trying to squeeze a blog while on my way to work.
Oppss! I'm already here. Boo hoo! Lol.
Will definitely blog later.

Quote for the day

2012-05-07T11:07:00.001-07:00

You have the right to criticize only when you're doing the job perfectly yourself.

Another trip!

2012-04-26T13:22:00.001-07:00

So finally after almost two years, I get to go out of this huge Texas state! The last time I went to Vegas, without knowing, I was pregnant. I was probably 2 weeks pregnant that time. It was September, 2010. So that would make it a year and a half. Wow. I have been in my little small corner for a year and a half and I survived! Yey me! Haha!

So tonight! We are leaving for vega and this time around, our darling daughter will be tagging along. This should he fun as I have no other intention but to eat and eat and eat. Lol! Don't even remind me of insanity! Ahaha!

So if y'all have any cool suggestions on places to eat and whatever to do or go. Please do comment.

For sure, for sure I will definitely have to visit Max Brenner!!! Because I just have a massive sweet tooth. And of course, our vegas trip would never be complete without a brunch in Jollibee and stopping by at Red Ribbon to take home a yummy cake!!!

To any of you who don't know what Jollibee is. Its a fastfood in the Philippines that is equivalent to McDonalds. The menu consist of hotdog in a bun, couple kinds of burger, fried chicken with rice, breakfast food, ice cream sundae and other filipino food. Its just so good. You have to try it. Too bad they don't have it in Texas.

Anyway, will update y'all soon on any dainty news I'll have to share!!!!

Babush!!!!

Last night's festivities

2012-04-26T09:15:00.001-07:00

Sorry folks! I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the finished lechon last night. My hands were too oily. Plus, I was too preoccupied in eating & eating & eating!!! Hey, I can justify my eating habits because I exercise. So I deserved it! Ha!

The lechon was sooooo good. To any of you who doesn't know what a lechon is. It is a kind of delicacy that we have in the Philippines thats always been stapled in any event or dinner party.

The Homemade Lechon was so delicious. The sauce that was used to brush it was just the perfect balance of flavor. The stuffing used to flavor it complemented the meat. And it was so drenched in good flavor that the meat sucked it in. So with every bite, you have this juicy and tender meat that seems to melt in your mouth. I didn't even use pinakurat (a kind of yummy sauce!) to eat it with. It was that good. It was beyond words! Too bad I didn't get to capture that moment. Then you pair it with white steamed rice and a glass of ice cold cola and you are in food heaven! Of course, I didn't indulge in the cola part because I am just trying to avoid that. Lol.

Then dessert, we had a slice of this tres leches cake with a creamy & milky, not too sweet filling. The icing was just the right amount of sweetness. The cake itself was just so soft and moist. Even the fondant tasted great.

We had ourselves a good yummilicious dinner!

Of course, whats a party without booze ey! So the guys had their drink. Well, only 3 of them shared a bottle of french liquor. And they almost finished it! Good thing my Aunt took it away. Lol! They were hammered which made the night even more fun because they were just blabbering their hearts out. Lol.

By the way, shout out to my mother in law. Its her birthday today! Happy Birthday Mommy! May God pour his favor on you as you have with us!

Lechon!!! Roasted Pig!

2012-04-25T18:02:00.001-07:00

My uncle & brother in law are always full of good ideas specially when it comes to food. And since it was my mom in law's birthday, what better time to have another good idea. Well they have been at it for a long time and finally they're acting on it. They decided to barbeque their own pig. Lol Roast would be a better word.

They're actually still cooking it right now. I'll take another picture later when its cooked and I'll let you guys know how good it tastes. Heheh!

Another birthday!!!

2012-04-25T17:52:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is my mother in law's birthday! And tomorrow my husband and I together with our daughter, my brother in law, our nephew, and my mother in law will be heading to vegas baby, yet again! I don't know why, well I do know why. But our vacays and trips always takes us to vegas. For one I married into a family who likes casino! And I myself, a food lover! So vegas is always a good choice, since it is full of great casino's for them, good food for me, and great shows for the kiddo's!!!

Since were leaving tomorrow, they decided to have a little dinner tonight to celebrate our dear Mommy's birthday!! And you know me, I just love dinner's and parties and plus I would take any excuse to pick up a cake. I just love selecting a design for cakes and have them made.

So I went ahead and ordered yesterday at a local bakery called CC's sweets & tweets. Sadly they require you to call ahead 48 hours in advance. Good thing I always go there every friday to buy a cupcake called "the rocher" that they only sell on fridays and by the way I have never tasted it because they always ran out by the time I get there LoL!!! So Roberta, the owner was so nice and said that for me she could make it happen! Yay! I love her and that place and everything they make. So I was so excited to see the cake! And now I have it and I just can't wait to show it to you guys.

Its a tres leche flavored 6 inch cake. I will let you know how good it is after I take a bite at it later. Lol!