Shards of Thoughts

Wordless Wednesday: Together

2009-08-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by Butch, my husband.

Pedia check- up, street food, dinner with friends then back to Nigel

2009-08-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

We brought Nigel to the Pedia today for his monthly check-up. In the waiting area I saw this baby that kind of resembles Nigel- also big and plump. Actually he’s bigger than Nigel. I asked the daddy how many months old he was and apparently he’s even younger than Nigel- 5 months old!

I think we’re gonna stick to this pedia we just consulted. I like her. She seems experienced. I can tell by how she answered my questions and the long line of patients she has. Nigel is now allowed to drink fruit juices. I’ll be giving him an ounce of freshly squeezed orange juice diluted in water tomorrow.

In the afternoon, Butch and I satisfied our craving for street food in U.P. I thought this cheap date of ours would be canceled because it was raining. But we still went ahead. We just ate our fruit shake, chicken and squid balls inside the car.In the evening, we had dinner with our dear couple friends- Apol and Cyrus, Ethel and Rio. We ate at this restaurant also inside the U.P. campus called Chocolate Kiss. It was good to meet up with friends again. We haven’t done this in a really long time since I gave birth.

We went home at around 9 pm. Nigel, held by my mom greeted me at the gate. Nanny Weng said Nigel was restless and kept looking at the door when somebody came in. Though he was already tired, he refused to sleep because he was looking for mommy. After washing my hands I took Nigel into my arms and his worried look turned into a smile. I nursed Nigel after which I took a bath. I left Nigel playing with his daddy. When I came back to our room our li’l angel was already asleep.

300!

2009-08-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

After such a long time because I put on the mommy hat, I was able to drop 300 entrecards. Not for this blog though but for nurturingnigel.com, my mommy blog. I also want to drop for this site eventually.

Its funny. I was about to submit this site, shards of thoughts to some search engine so it can get a pagerank. But when entered its URL in my pagerank checker, I saw pagerank 2! I guess google has already indexed this site. Hmmm I wonder when did they rank it. The last time I checked was about three months ago and it said n/a. Does anybody know how often and when google updates pageranks? I really want to know.

Being Humbled

2009-08-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

God has a way of humbling His children. He knows which of your buttons to push, when and how long to press.

Bad mommy, BAD!

2009-08-14T02:35:00.000-07:00

Nigel bumped his head twice already this week. On the first incidence he fell from the bed. It was his first time (and I definitely hope the last) to fall. He was sleeping soundly already. I placed pillows all around him because I badly needed to change pads. When I went back I saw him on the floor face down crying. I immediately picked him up. There was a bump on his forehead. This happened about two days ago. Just this afternoon, he bumped his head again while playing. He was seated on his rubber puzzle mat. I think he saw the curtains being blown by the wind behind him. He tried to turn around and fell on his back bumping his head. The poor little thing cried loudly. All I could do was comfort him.

Of course, I hate myself for this. Nigel is growing so active and mobile everyday. He needs to be supervised at all times. Nevertheless I reckon all children have bumped their heads at one point in time. I guess I just have to be more attentive.
I’m dropping entrecards for nurturing Nigel again. I want to to this an everyday thing once more. I’m going to work on a schedule so I could accomplish a lot of things. Its time to conjure the Lynette Scavo archetype!!

I signed up for Facebook. I’ve seen Butch tinkering with it and having fun. And boy was it addicting or what.

Anyway, I hope things work out. I wanna do a lot of things.

Butch and I went back to Tramway because…

2009-08-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

…we wanted to savor the eat-all-you-can buffet food without any cares! One of the reasons why we chose this restaurant for the baby dedication reception was because the food is good and the price is very reasonable. But both Butch and I were not able to eat as much as we wanted to. We were very busy table hopping with Nigel making sure our guests were entertained and eating well. So yesterday, we went back. This time we took our time and enjoyed the buffet!

We came early. Around 11 a.m. which was good because after an hour, lots of people started coming in. This was probably because yesterday was a non-working holiday in respect of President Corazon Aquino’s burial. I saw some people wearing yellow. Perhaps they came from Manila Cathedral or something. I also saw a group of nuns! This is very odd and surprising for me. I know for a fact that nuns, are folks who chose the religious life and vowed a life of POVERTY, CHASTITY and OBEDIENCE. What the heck are they doing in an eat-all-you-can buffet?I once thought nuns weren’t allowed to eat meat. Oh well. I guess they are.

Rain, rain go away, mommy Wendy needs to go to the bank.

2009-08-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

It’s raining cats and dog outside. Apparently, there’s a storm they named Kiko. I wish it would stop. I need to go to the bank and do some stuff. Our part-time nanny is now a full time one. Nigel is beginning to be a real handful to take care of. He has become very active and easily bored. For sure, he’ll be more active once he learns to walk. Since I already have help, now I can take care of some of Butch’s needs. I’ve sort of neglected him since Nigel came along. But this morning, I prepared him breakfast and his packed lunch for work! For which he thanked me.

What is up with neobux? It keeps telling me that my ip address has clicked on the ad within 24 hours when I hadn’t in days. I saw in their forum other “clickers” are also having the same problem. One suggested that this happens to users who share their internet connection with other users. Unfortunately, we share ours with my sisters. I prayed about it the other night. “Lord, how am I going to solve this ip address problem?” All of a sudden, an idea crossed my mind. I thought of using Internet explorer as a browser (I normally use Firefox). I tried it just now. And it worked. As I write this post, I am clicking ads and happily seeing “ADVERTISEMENT VALIDATED…” ! Yey!

Lord, please make the rain stop. I really want to go out later.

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, a migrain inducing movie

2009-07-14T02:42:00.000-07:00

After such a long time, Butch and I were finally able to see a movie together. Since Nigel was born, we couldn’t go out as a couple. We would always take turns just to go malling or spend time with friends because Nigel needed our 100% attention. How were we able to go out together then? We hired a part-time nanny! I refused to get one before because Nigel was too young and the thought of leaving Nigley boy to a total stranger bothered me. He is 5 ½ months old, and mommy and daddy needs some alone time. Grandma Noni assured me that she was going to supervise anyway, so we finally got one.

I really wanted to see Transformers. But just to see how Butch would react, I said I wanted to watch Hannah Montana, the movie. I was very surprised for he easily agreed. I didn’t think he was keen on spending money to see a kiddie flick that I could just catch on HBO or something. But he did. When we reached the mall, I told him I was just kidding. I think he was relieved.
I thought I was going to have a good time. But in the car, I felt like I was losing an appendage or something! Was I missing Nigel already? In the movie house, I couldn’t focus on what Optimus Prime was saying. It was hard concentrating, all I could think about was going home to Nigel. Something inside me ached to be with my son- hold him in my arms and smother him with kisses.

Boy, Transformers was a very fast paced flick. It was action packed and looking at the transforming auto-bots gave me a migraine!

I learned two things that day
1. No matter how tired Nigel makes me, I cannot stand being away from him.
2. I do not like robot flicks

Perhaps Butch and I will just eat out in our next spend-quality-time-with-your-spouse day.

After three months...

2009-04-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

It is eleven thirty p.m. Both my boys are finally asleep. Butch is snoring and Nigel is sleeping on his tummy after a satisfying meal of breastmilk in a bottle. It was a rough day for my li’l angel. This afternoon, he was given the DTP immunization shot. He didn’t have fever but he was fuzzy nd whinney the whole afternoon and Butch couldn’t appease him. I guess he wanted his mommy.
At three months old, Nigel is now 7.2 kilos. He can roll over, raise his head 90 degrees, put his hands together, laugh out loud, giggle, vocalize and hold his toys. I am happy to witness how he is developing and growing. By now, he can already sleep through the night in most days. For this reason, Daddy’s night shift no longer exist. I am the one who gets up when Nigel cries for attention once in a while. His pooping has also lessened to two from five to six for the past months. Sometimes he doesn’t even do it in a day.The parenting book What to Expect the first year says this is perfectly normal. At this point the baby is using more of the nutrients cause he’s rapidly growing. That’s why there is less waste product.

As for me, My tummy has definitely shrunked but its still not the same size pre-pregnancy. I don’t think its ever gonna be that flat again. My wound from having a c-section has completely healed. I no longer feel any sort of pain that used to bother me a lot during the the first and second month. My period is even back. Not too happy about this. I was told it wouldn’t come back as long as I am breastfeeding. Apparently I’m not that lucky. I also noticed that my milk supply drops days before and during my period. This has forced me to supplement with formula. I give Nigel four ounces of S26 everyday. I still give him breastmilk 95 % of the time. I just don’t want to see the small can of formula put to waste. It is pretty costly.

I can say that I’ve adjusted to my new life as a mom. But for some reason, I still couldn’t fit blogging into my day. I try whenever Nigel is asleep but I find myself too tired so I also sleep instead. I wanna have more energy to do the things I want. I don’t want to get stuck in this routine. I wanna do other things besides being Nigel’s mommy.

Some snapshots during our stay in the hospital

2009-02-11T00:20:00.000-08:00

Of course Butch was snapping pictures with his Nikon D40 during my stay in the hospital. Here are some of his shots…

Taken inside the operating room. I specifically told Butch not to take my headshots while inside. Otherwise I would throw away his camera with every strength I had left in my body hahaha! All I see of myself in this picture is my left hand. I was very groggy and half asleep during the operation. I didn’t feel a thing! Thank God for epidural.

My sister said It really hurts when they take the catheter out. This was taken when my doctor was removing it. They also changed the dressing of my stitches for the first time that's why was covering my eyes. Here at home, Butch does it for me. I don’t want to look at it. I haven’t checked out my post pregnancy body yet. But I know my tummy is still big and I bet there’s a some loose skin.

Just out of mommy’s tummy! Nigel looked more like me on day one. He’s definitely got my eyes and skin color. Everyone’s saying this as they looked at Nigel’s pictures. But on the second day, his skin turned a little redish and he started looking more like Butch especially when he’s asleep. He has Butch’s nose and lips. Oh well, I guess he’s a combination of him and me.

I gave birth at the New Era General Hospital. An institution built and run by the “Iglesia Ni Cristo” Church. A Christian sect here in the Phlippines. The picture above is their place of worship. My cousin/ doctor is an active member of this church. I have no regrets giving birth in this hospital. The people are courteous, the service is good and the price is very reasonable. We spent a lot less than we expected.

Like I said, we weren’t able to take Nigel home right away. He had to stay in nursery a couple more days. We visited him everyday though. I breastfeed him. I am so glad I practiced taking care of babies with my nieces Iris and Chloe! Otherwise I’d be so clueless the first time I picked Nigel up. Butch wasn’t allowed inside. I had no one to help me or to panic with hahaha! I would take pictures of him with my cellphone camera and look at it all day with Butch.

He cooked “Tinola” for me

2009-01-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

For the past weeks, these are what I’ve been eating

Breakfast: Low fat milk and 3 tbsp of instant oatmeal
Lunch: less than a cup of rice, 1-2 slices of meat and 1 cup of whatever veggies
Dinner: Green Salad or All-Vegetable Sandwich

These meals are easy to prepare and are low in sugar and calories. It has helped me lose weight. But like any food, if you eat it every day you will surely grow tired of it. Butch has been in his paternity leave since Thursday and last night, he cooked “Tinola” for me. He thought of it because green papaya, one of its ingredients is said to encourage contractions on pregnant women. Tinola normally has chicken, malungay leaves and green papaya. But since we are after eating the green papaya, Butch didn’t put chicken just the malungay leaves and other spices.
I am happy that Butch is with me now. He said it was okay. He was not able to use up his leave credits last year and this is the perfect time to use it. Two days ago, he took me brisk walking in U.P. At noon time we went to Wildlife, a park/ zoo housing endemic animals here in the Philippines. We ate our lunch there and walked around seeing all sorts of animals (in cages of course)- different species of snakes, birds, fishes, mammals etc. I’ve been a resident of Quezon City for a long time but that was my first time in that park. I enjoyed very much. It’s unfortunate though he was not able to take pictures of the animals. His Nikon D40’s battery run out after we ate lunch.

Someday, we will take Nigel to this park to see the animals.

I wonder what will Butch cook for me tonight.

Wordless Wednesday: Walking, walking and more walking... to induce labor

2009-01-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

*picture taken by Butch as I walked in U.P.

Kate Winslet Finally wins Best Actress

2009-01-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

Kate Winslet won the best actress award during last Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards for her role opposite Leonardo Di Caprio in “Revolutionary Road”. She also won the best Supporting actress award for the movie “The Reader”. This is a long awaited win for the British actress who has been nominated 5 times for an Oscar but has never won. Like what she said in her acceptance speech for best supporting actress “I have a habit of not winning things…”Well, her luck seems to have changed. Will she finally win an Oscar too this year? The nominations are yet to be announced. But I am very sure Kate will be nominated for best actress as well.

It was pretty obvious she would win for best supporting actress category. Her contenders namely Amy Adams, Penelope Cruz, Viola Davis, and Marissa Tomei are no match for the Kate’s caliber and experience as an actress in my opinion. She was very composed and prepared going up the stage as she held on to the list of the people she wanted to thank. But when she heard her name came up as best actress winner, Kate seemed stunned. Who wouldn’t be? Beating Ann Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and Kristin Scott Thomas- all spectacular actresses is quite a feat. Here’s a video clip of her acceptance speech as best actress…

Congratulations Kate, you deserve it. Oh boy! This makes me want to watch Revolutionary Road even more but I don’t know when it is showing on this side of the globe.

The American Idol Season is upon us!

2009-01-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

I was channel hoping yesterday and I saw that American Idol Season 8 will premiere this January 14 on Star World (Asian cable channel that carries it via satellite). This talent contest is by far the most entertaining there is for me. I’ve been a follower since Carrie Underwood’s season.

They say the ratings have been slipped though. I wonder what they will do to make the show more interesting. Around mid last year the producers announced that there will be another female judge for season 8. Joining the three will be songwriter Kara DioGuardi. This grammy- nominated composer has written songs for successful artists like Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Hillary Duff, Enrique Iglesias, Nick Lachey just to name a few. Will she be harsh unlike Paula? I really don’t mind if they add another judge as long as they don’t remove Simon Cowell. He may be really harsh, but his comments are quite entertaining. And his judgment is one of the reasons why the show is so successful.

Last season two males, David Archuleta and David Cook battled it out for the title. I was rooting for David Cook and I am glad he won. I wonder who will win this year. Will it be another male or a female singer? Though Cook got the title, Archuleta seems more popular; at least here in the Philippines. His song “Crush” was Song of the Year in RX 93.1’s year end count down. Though it was only released late this year, it still managed to be 2008’s number one hit! Cook’s “Leave the Light on” on the other hand was only number 16 or something.

Anyway, I am looking forward to an enjoyable show this year. I will be watching it with Nigel!

I’ll be asking for Pancakes with maple syrup

2009-01-07T05:08:00.000-08:00

After I give birth, I will be finally off the “no-sweets” diet. I miss eating carbs. But right now I need to be focused to make sure Nigel comes out healthy. They say that once you get into labor you’re no longer allowed to eat till you give birth. I think it has something to do reflexes. Where in the world where will I get the energy and strength to push if I hadn’t eaten anything?! Labor could last for hours and hours. I guess one forgets the hunger when the labor pain is really bad.

I’ve already told this to Butch. I want pancakes with maple syrup to be my first meal when it’s all over. I have a sweet tooth, that’s a fact but I will still limit my carb intake even after I give birth. I want to eat more healthy stuff- fruits, veggies and fiber so that I can be healthy for Nigel and Butch.
My Ob-Gyn asked me to do a count of Nigel’s fetal kicks to make sure he’s healthy and there’s no problem. Starting tomorrow, I will take note of how many his kicks are within 1 hour after a meal. I’ll be recording it in the same small notebook I use to record my blood sugar.

I was hoping for a PR3, oh well…

2009-01-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

As the New Year kicked in, Google also gave away new page ranks. I’ve been waiting for this especially for my blog, Nurturing Nigel. I’ve been posting regularly, exchanging links with the same niche, and making sure I had constant traffic. I was aiming for a PR 3 but I entered my domain’s URL in the pr checker site and www.nurturingnigel.com is only PR2. I know for a fact that Google updates page rank every three months. I guess I’ll just continue blogging and wait for the next update. I don’t want to think about PR too much or pressure myself about it. I’ll just enjoy writing and interacting with other bloggers. When From the eyes got its PR3 before, I didn’t know anything about blog rankings. I was just happily expressing my thoughts, sharing my life with other bloggers. I guess I’ll do the same with Nurturing Nigel. As Butch always told me, the unlimited internet access he pays for every month is for my enjoyment, so I’d be relaxed and stress-free (He knows for a fact that my atopic dermatitis and asthma flares up when I am stressed). He said the moment he sees that the internet causes anxiety on my part; he’s going to have our DSL cut-off! I don’t want that to happen, I love blogging- it keeps me grounded and sane but sometimes the money-making part is the one that gives any blogger pressure.

Anyway, just enjoy blogging, Wendy, just enjoy it!

One of those pay-per-clicks programs finally paid me

2008-12-28T17:02:00.000-08:00

I joined a couple of pay-per-click programs around August of this year. Many bloggers are doing it. I’ve read numerous posts about them being paid with matching “proof of payment” email from paypal. I thought these programs are a great way to earn extra cash. I do it alongside dropping entrecards. There has been a lot of talk though that these programs are a scam. After all, it’s easy money. I joined three namely Isabelmarco.com, pay2surf.net and neobux.com. Out of the three only Neobux paid me.

So, are these paid-to-click programs really a scam? In my opinion some are and some are legit. Isabelmarco.com allows you to withdraw funds only when it has reached $9.00. I was faithfully clicking every day until my funds finally reached that amount. When I tried to withdraw it, I couldn’t find the option to send it to my paypal account. After much tinkering with the system, I found out that they changed the rules all of a sudden. They said they only paid “paid accounts”. I had a free account with them. I think “paid accounts” are the ones who also advertise with them or something. I was very disappointed and felt really scammed!

I WILL NEVER USE and RECOMMEND ISABELMARCO.COM to anyone.

Pay2surf.net on the other hand allows you to withdraw funds when it reaches $36.00 if I recall correctly. But unlike most paid-to-click programs that pay only a cent to click one add, they pay two cents. Again, I was faithfully clicking until my funds reached to about $8.00. Then one day when I logged in, I noticed that my funds went back to 36 cents! I was frustrated and disappointed. I never used it again.

At that point I almost gave up. But I decided to give neobux.com a chance. After all, their site looked very professional and I haven’t read anything bad about them.

$2.00 is the minimum amount of funds they allow you to withdraw for the first time. They allow you to view 4-5 ads a day. I was finally able to withdraw my funds last week. They had a 4 cent charge though for withdrawing. They say its “processing fee”. Well, at least they paid me.

Before joining any of these paid-to-click programs, do a thorough research about the site first. Many bloggers write about their experiences in joining and they share whether they had a good or bad one. Stay away from the sites that have a bad reputation. And if the offer is too good to be true, IT MUST BE A SCAM!

I will continue clicking with neobux. If you’re looking for a legit paid-to-click site, try this one.

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T16:19:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, let Carrie Underwood serenade you with this classic Christmas song.

Oh the Pain!

2008-12-18T05:10:00.000-08:00

I may not have gestational diabetes but my blood sugar level is way up there. In other words, I am on the verge of having it. My Ob-Gyn isn’t very pleased neither am I. I am now under a very strict diet and I am forbidden to eat sweets.

And the worst part of it all, I have to check my blood sugar before and after every meal, which means I’d have to prick myself 6 times a day. Actually, the pricking and hurting started with the glucose test last Tuesday. They had to draw blood from my arms and wrist for four friggin’ times!

For now, I’d have to stick to this diet and keep my blood sugar on a normal level. Otherwise, its insulin shots for me- more needles and more pain.

Meanwhile Butch won a roundtrip ticket for two to Boracay! Isn’t that great! We have up to November next year to use the ticket. I’ve never been to Boracay so this will be such a treat for me.

I’m so hungry right now

2008-12-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

I’m scheduled to have the glucose test about two hours from now. It requires a 12- hour fasting. My Ob thinks my tummy is too big. We’re doing the test to rule out gestational diabetes. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t have it. Have to admit it’s been hard to stay away from food these days. So many celebrations have come up- Iris’ birthday (the whole family ate at Superbowl). My baby shower with Yumi and Nina and of course my birthday celebrations last Friday and Saturday. There will be more eating opportunities to come because there’s still Christmas and New Year. Oh man!

I have a lot to do this week in preparation for Nigel’s coming. I have to pack my hospital bag and wash Nigel’s clothes among other things. Nigel is slowly invading our lives! Yesterday, Butch and I bought this wooden shelf to house Nigel’s baby stuff. We also have started rearranging the apartment to make way for the play pen/crib.

On top of all these, I still have to maintain my three blogs, writing posts and dropping for all. Lord, thanks for the energy and strength to accomplish all these!
I want to eat out after the test. I heard it involves a lot of needles because they need a sample of my blood. Ouch.

Organize your bag!

2008-12-10T04:03:00.000-08:00

I’ve had this problem too many times. And I am pretty sure most girls have had it too. These are irritating moments when you can’t seem to find what you need from your purse. Looking for a pen or lip gloss, you scramble the contents even taking out some of it. Amy and found a solution for this. We saw a really neat hand bag organizer in a shop called Simple Joys in SM City North Edsa, The Block.

Organizers for different sizes of bags are available for 200-250 Php. Amy chose one just right for the size of her purse. This nifty organizer is made of good quality and has different compartments for big and small items alike. Amy said she saw one in the internet and wanted one ever since. She was very happy to have found one in Simple Joys.

I’m changing my OB-GYN for the third time

2008-12-03T20:39:00.001-08:00

This is my first time to get pregnant. Being comfortable with my health care provider is very important for me. After all, she’s going to deliver my baby. I didn’t like the first Ob-gyn I went to. My health card recommended her to me. For one, I don’t think she’s never gotten pregnant herself and I found her kind of condescending. I couldn’t possibly live with that.

Butch and I asked friends for recommendations and we found my second doctor. She was nice. Very motherly and professional at the same time, I could tell she’s had a lot of experience. One problem I had with her though was she was always either extremely late or absent when I would visit her for my regular check-ups. I think she goes to like three clinics a day or something. Butch always makes a point to accompany me. He would take a leave of absence or go under time from work just to be with me. Imagine the disappointment when she doesn’t show up. Nevertheless, I think I could stick with this doctor. I would if this opportunity hadn’t come up.

My third OB-GYN and definitely the last is actually a cousin of mine. I didn’t think about her initially because her clinic is far from where I live. But we saw each other during my sister’s wedding and I was able to update her about my pregnancy. I found out that she had another clinic that is near my house. I’ll be sticking to her for sure. I am confident that she will be able to take good care of me and Nigel. After all, she’s family.

I had my first check-up with her yesterday. She said the baby is too big and I should stop eating carbs. I am currently on a “diet” from sweet stuff. I want to deliver Nigel normally. I don’t want him to get too big. She also asked me to do this blood sugar test. I will do it next week.
I just finished encoding the booklet Butch asked me to type. It’s actually shorter than I thought.

Nail Polish and stuff to encode

2008-12-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

Today, I finally removed the glittery blue nail polish Amy applied on my toe nails while playing “Cutix” with Iris. I had a very hard time removing it with acetone, my tummy was in the way. I was able to remove it though. It revealed my ugly long toe nails. I figured cutting it would be tiring. Good thing Amy offered to cut it for me. She even gave me a foot massage. I am so blessed to have her as a sister! She’s such a good and generous person. I know someday the Lord will bless her beyond her wildest dreams! How I wish my toenails look this good…

Butch asked a favor from me. He wants me to encode this booklet about being part of a church by Rick Warren. They will use it in our church’s upcoming discipleship program. I am happy Butch is making an effort to join another ministry. We’ve been absent in the worship team since I got pregnant. The booklet has 32 pages and has 4 chapters. I encode one chapter each day. So far I’ve done two chapters. I promised Butch I’d finish it before Saturday. Butch just arrived from work. Time to go, I’ll be preparing his dinner.

Crazy Crepes in SM North Edsa, The Block

2008-11-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

A popular past time among Filipinos is going to the mall. My sister Amy and I are no different. The other day, we went to SM North Edsa, The Block. We were both craving for something sweet and the mall had lots of restaurants to offer. But this place called Crazy Crepes caught our attention with their very attractive window display of scrumptious crepes! We didn’t order right away we wanted to build up an appetite so we visited the shops first. I saw a couple of items I want to buy when I get my blogging money next week.

After about three hours of window shopping, we were finally ready for the crepes. A crew took our order as we chose what kind of crepe we want from their window display. I chose Caramel Nuts with Cookies and Cream ice cream for 85Php. We approached the counter to claim our orders and pay for it. I was kind of surprised with their crepe’s presentation. My idea of crepes is eaten on a plate with a fork. But what they gave me was rolled crepe and inside was the filling that your suppose to scoop out with a tiny spoon they provided. Hmmm a little unconventional but it was worth a try. We found a table and started eating. Anything with cream ice, caramel syrup and cream is divine! Add the crunch and texture of the chopped almonds and cereals contrasting with the softness of the crepe bread, it was quite an experience. But what I found to be such a hassle is eating it rolled and wrapped in paper. I don’t know if Crazy Crepes is trying to be novel or simply cutting costs but eating it this way takes away the fun. After a while, there was no sense using a spoon. The ice cream melted a spilled on the paper. It was kind of messy to eat. How I wished they provided plates and utensils. I will definitely go back to Crazy Crepes but I will request for plates and utensils. If they can’t provide it, I’ll probably go somewhere else to satisfy my crepe craving.

Computer virus and other thoughts

2008-11-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

Butch said our desktop has lots of virus. I think I am to blame for that. I visit tons of sites in a day to promote my blogs. It’s very possible I might have stumbled upon a site that has a virus. I told Butch I was sorry. He said he would have to reformat it this Saturday. I am so blessed that hubby knows how to maintain our computers. I wouldn’t know what to do if our computers crash.

I have so many things to write about but have so little time. Since I entered my 3rd Trimester, I’ve been feeling so tired- like I just want to sleep all day. I still have to complete the list of the stuff we need to buy for the baby. We will be shopping this coming Monday. I’ll be asking help from my mommy friends.

I want to go out again. Stay in a coffee shop all day, organize my thoughts and just write the whole day. I have bits and pieces of ideas. But like pieces of a puzzle, I do not know where they belong yet. I still have to figure that out. I know I got to get it out of me and if I just focus, I know I can do it.

I finally purchased a domain from google for Nurturing Nigel. They say it will kick in after three days. After it has, I will continue promoting it. Take care of its real rank and stuff.

“From the eyes” just got kicked out of project wonderful. They said it’s because I do paid posts. I am seriously thinking of making some major changes for that blog of mine. Change the name, get it out of blogger, get my own domain and webhost and stuff like that. That blog has a greater calling and purpose I think. I already told the Lord about it and He seems happy. I know He’ll help me.

Project Runway Philippines final three designer's collection

2008-11-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

The very first season of Project Runway Philippines recently culminated with the top three designers showing off their collection in Philippine Fashion Week.

Philipp Tampus kicked off the runway show with beautiful clothes having a fresh and modern take on crochet. Dedicating his collection to his mom who loved making crochet, Rajo Laurel christened him as a "romantic". His pieces beautifully flattered and celebrated a woman's body. The judges felt that he "needs a leash" design wise. Some of the pieces needed restraint because it had way too much details. Here is a video of Philipp's collection.

Veejay Floresca followed. His pieces were clean and elegant. Rajo Laurel christened him as a "modernist" during the judging. Apples Aberin Sadhwani commented that Veejay will go a far in the fashion industry. All the judges criticized Veejay's wrong choice of fabric for the pieces. This was the collection's main weakness. Here is a video of Veejay's collection.

Aries Lagat was the last designer. According to him, his collection is about a girl from another planet who wanted to adapt to her new environment. This story translated perfectly to his collection. The pieces were cleanly tailored and innovative. Rajo christened him as a "technician" because of this. I personally think it had the best wow factor. However the judges didn’t like the last piece of the collection (a gown). They felt like it was disjointed from the other pieces and this made the collection seem hanging. Here is a video of his collection.

WHO WON PROJECT RUNWAY PHILIPPINES SEASON 1?

ARIES LAGAT of course. His collection made the best impact on the judges and audience. It had the strongest point of view and the best wow factor. His collection will appear in SM Manila’s window display.

Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road and her sexy pictures in Vanity Fair

2008-11-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

Most people know Kate Winslet from the blockbuster Titanic but I fell in love with her in Sense and Sensibility. She filmed it when she was 19 and was the most promising young British actress that time. Today at 33, she is the youngest actress to get five Oscar nominations.

I admire Kate for her wit, charm and raw talent in acting. Way back Titanic, she was often criticized for her weight. I remember people joking that Jack should have been the one wearing the life vest. Rose could have floated with all that fat. Kate didn’t care about the remarks. In fact she admitted to having “child-bearing hips”. In 2003, GQ magazine once edited her pictures to make her look slimmer. Kate wasn’t offended but publicly apologized saying she doesn’t look like that in real life. Here is that edited picture of Kate in GQ…
But now, Kate is back. With a new movie and a hot body! Kate is reuniting with Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie, Revolutionary Road. Set in the suburbs of Connecticut in the mid-1950’s, Kate and Leo play a couple having marital problems. Opening on December 26 in the U.S. the movie is directed by Kate’s life partner, Sam Mendes. I am pretty sure Revolutionary Road will garner Oscar nominations. Perhaps Kate will win best actress this time.

Kate is also on the cover of Vanity Fair’s December 2008 issue. Ain’t nobody could call her fat now with this new body she worked hard for. The poses were inspired the Deneuve character from a 1967 film called Belle de Jour. Check out one of the pictures...

Many were surprised with the photos. Some are even saying that the pictures were airbrushed. Kate was deeply offended by such rumor. I don’t think it was edited either. It’s quite easy for any Hollywood celebrity these days to get the body they want with the technology and new weight loss methods available. Just look at Mariah Carey. I heard she has a personal dietitian and chef to maintain her weight. If you have the money, it would be easier to get the body you want.

I can’t wait to see Revolutionary Road. I am sure Kate will do great as always.

The doctor, the mall and picking myself up

2008-11-07T03:25:00.000-08:00

I went to my immunologist today to get my allergy shots. She said after I give birth we will stop the therapy for the meantime. This is done because my immunity would be lower than usual because of blood loss and things like that.

I went to the mall with Amy. I enjoyed myself very much. I never really liked shopping when I was younger, but now there are days when I want to let my eyes feast on the beautiful things the malls have to offer. I am currently dropping cards now for From the eyes. My computer is running a little slow. I am pretty sure it will pick up.

I am getting a bit discouraged with this whole blogging thing. But deep inside something is telling me that I should not give up. That I should go on.

Lord,
Please help me. I know you once told me that if I want something I should go and get it myself and you will be with me. I feel discouraged Lord. I know its up to me to pick myself up and move on. Thank you for teaching me to be driven and be passionate with what I believe in. Be with me my God, be with me.

Customizing "Nurturing Nigel"

2008-11-06T03:05:00.001-08:00

I’ve been customizing my Nurturing Nigel template. I must say, I am more experienced now compared to when I started JOHIAspeaks and From the eyes. Things are easier for me. I changed the background and the header. Dealt with html codes and did a little photoshop. And I am quite pleased with the outcome. As of now, I am making NN not look like blogger’s generic template as much as possible. I am not doing a lot of socializing yet. I will do that after I get my own domain. I did all these as I was dropping cards and waiting for ops in PPP (none so far).

This afternoon, I finished writing my Sunday post. I think from now on, I should make sure I finish my Sunday post first before writing paid posts and other posts. It keeps me focused and really helps me reflect. As soon as I get NN and this very blog monetized and earning a steady income- you know supporting a child or two in World Vision, I will begin working on my Super Blog for the Daddy. The one that will house my revelations and NGO adventures. I am currently dropping for NN. I hope I can finish it before Butch arrives.

The Blender and my earnings in blogging

2008-11-06T03:04:00.000-08:00

I made 125$ for the month of October with Review Me alone. Of course I am happy. With regards to ops, I am leaving that all to Daddy. I made only 33$ this week. My goal was 50$. I am still trusting God for all things. I feel sleepy, its 11 pm but I still want to drop.

Butch and I were speakers in JAM. I had fun and I was blessed. I like hanging out them. I need to put a sign on the PC I am using saying the things I have to remind myself constantly of. But I want it written in my heart not in some paper that I can easily forget about.

After the talk, we went straight to SM to buy a blender. We want to make fruit shakes for its very healthy. We had a couple of oranges in the ref so we made orange shake. We were both excited to watch our new appliance crush ice. The old one we had we got as a wedding present did not crush ice very well. When we tasted the shake, it was bitter. We forgot to take out the seeds. Nevertheless we tried our best to finish it. We want all the fiber and nutrients.

I dreamt that my laptop and other important document got lost. I thought it was real.

Finding a Pearl

2008-11-06T03:03:00.000-08:00

I just woke up from a dream. I dreamt that I found a big oyster and inside was a pearl. It took some time to open the oyster but I was able to get the treasure inside it. I found the treasure with my sisters.

When I was out getting my eon card, Daddy told me, “OPEN YOUR EYES…” That time I was getting disappointed that I wasn’t getting any ops. Then Dad said “OPEN YOUR EYES…”Then I remembered what I read the other day. Jesus said “my food is to do the will of the Father…” and “Israel, do not forget that you are a special and peculiar generation… I have set you aside for a greater purpose…”

I also remembered the jar of the star-coin prayers Dad gave me when I started blogging again. Could it be that Daddy is not letting me get the ops. It seems so easy for other bloggers. Why can’t I do it? I guess I’ve been side tracked a little. Perhaps even though I don’t see it, if He allows me to get all the ops and earn money it would make me forget the real purpose why I blog. That is to share who God is in my life and be a blessing to others.
Not getting any ops certainly reminded me of this.

When I finally got His point, things changed. I used to drop and run on blogs. I visit 300 plus blogs a day and never caring about the post or the person who wrote it. “OPEN YOUR EYES and look around, for the harvest is ready…” I stopped dropping and running. Instead I read and commented. I found out that there are many bloggers who are sick, needy, sad, etc. When I would come across one, I would lay my hand on their blog and pray for them.

I am happy I am back on track with Daddy! Things are bound to be more exciting. I think I found a treasure indeed just like in my dream. Doing Daddy’s will is my delight, a treasure I wouldn’t trade for anything.

By the way, I finally wrote the review for that furniture site. I enjoyed writing it. I hope it will make Sean happy.
Lord, I've been down in the money road before and it only made me miserable. Thank you for saving me from that. You are my treasure! I know I do not need to chase after these things because you have provided for me. MY FOOD IS TO DO YOUR WILL. I love you!

My blogging adventure with the Lord continues…

2008-11-06T02:31:00.000-08:00

I can’t say that I haven’t been waiting for it. The Lord did say He will bless me. The track record of His faithfulness is undeniable. I got offered another paid post at review me for 5$. I happily clicked on the offer but there was something wrong. There was no option for me to accept the offer. It seems that the screen had some missing text. I didn’t know if it was my computer’s problem or the advertisers changed their minds about the offer. I logged in and out of the site time and again, but the option to accept the offer still didn’t show up. Then I said “Lord, what are you trying to do? You must be checking my reaction towards this!”

I could be really disappointed and worried that the offer might be cancelled. But I wasn’t. In my heart I was secure that there was still more to come even if it would cancel. While singing “Here in my Life” I just felt so happy. I have this peace and security inside me that I know no one can steal because I am steadfast in the love and care of my Saviour.

I got a comment on my tabulas blog on my “Dusty Rough Diamond” post. I rarely get comments from that blog. The comment goes “thank you for writing this…”. Also, I was checking out my stats and somebody stayed for 22 minutes reading my “God, if you are real why can’t I hear you” post. The reader found my blog through google. I am happy because of this. Makes me think my blogs are serving its purpose of letting people know who God is from how I experience Him.

Things are just so crazy in the main house. Ivy still can't find new helpers. Chloe and Iris are still wreaking havoc. Nevertheless, we love them.