no luck at the outlet

i had no luck looking for something 'good' at the outlet stores because i am still too...

moving on to better things...we went to the tulip farm after some shopping. the flowers were just lovely. i'll post pics this coming weekend. paul's computer is too slow. =D

most of our photos are here

Created with flickr slideshow. or click here

blogging in victoria

i am lying in bed in victoria as i write this. victoria is BEAUTIFUL. my mom kept saying, 'ay mas maganda dito kesa sa vancouver!' and i have to agree. maganda talaga. i'm very happy my husband agreed to go here instead of whistler...i'm sure it's gorgeous there, too, but i don't know what would be out there for us to see since paul is the only one who's into winter sports.

while in vancouver yesterday, we went to pinpin for lunch...filipino-chinese restaurant daw...filipino restaurant, period! pero ang sarap! i was very happy with our meal with the whole family. unfortunately, the rest of the clan didn't get to enjoy vancouver kasi yung kotse ng mga kamag-anak naming ayaw tumawid ng canada, nasira. so to the rescue ang ibang relatives. kami diretso gala kasi we have hotel reservations that we couldn't cancel.

we went to stanley park and granville island. maganda ang stanley park, the biggest 'city' park in north america i think. it was huge. we were getting lost just trying to get in to the parking lot kasi ibang bansa nga so medyo hindi kami familiar sa mga signs and what not. plus we don't know the difference between a blinking green and a solid green traffic light.

i realized during this trip that there are only two things that matter to my daughter when it comes to destinations: playground and a beach. it does not matter where in the world it is, these are the two places that make her really excited. nagkataon sa stanley park, the playground is right next to a beach, so she hit two birds with one stone. she's behaved rather well during this trip. it has been smooth since saturday and yesterday...kanina lang medyo she had her moments but overall, she's doing great.

granville island was alright. it's sorta like pike place. naglakad lakad lang kami and had dinner. no real highlight and we were dead tired na so we went back to our hotel and we were all asleep by 8 pm.

today we made the trip to victoria and wrestled through canadian traffic...driving here is interesting...it's a whole new blog entry! i will save that for later.

today we've already hit the parliament building, the empress hotel and the craigdarroch castle. lahat kasi yun malapit lang dito sa hotel namin so madaling puntahan. tomorrow we go to butchart gardens and the butterfly garden. i have a feeling michelle will enjoy it. =D

i'm liking twitter

kasi i don't have to write anything too lengthy and it updates my facebook, too. so now i'm blogging like it's a tweet!

it's been a hectic several days...i think that's how it is before you go on vacation. you cram everything in the days leading up to it and then you just let go and let lose. RELAX

i miss the gym. seriously. nakakagulat man. i miss it. i'm bringing my workout stuff so i can workout at the hotels we're staying in. or maybe i'm just afraid that i'm going to like being a couch potato again and quit working out.

michelle is so excited to see her dad tomorrow. after she took a shower (late ko na sya pinaliguan), she said, 'come on mommy. let's go see my daddy.' sabi ko, 'anak, kailangan matulog ka muna. pag gising mo bukas, sasakay tayo ng airplane para makita mo na si daddy, ok?' she replied, 'but mommy, i don't like to tulog.' (yes, that's how my daughter talks)

when she talked to her dad on the phone kanina, 'hi daddy! i can't wait to see you!' tuwa naman ang ama.

we bought the new creative vado hd pocket video camera so uploading her videos on youtube should be a snap. i'm TIRED of uploading her videos from our microdv and i hate the quality of videos from my phone so i finally convinced my hubby to get it in time for our vacation. i'm sure you'll see videos by tomorrow night. =)

pan de sal part 2

i'm making pan de sal again and with my dad's tips, making the dough tonight for baking first thing in the morning...just like it's done back home.

my dad just told me that his lolo (actually, kapatid ng lolo nya) had a bakery waaaaaaaay back then and he used to work there as a kid so he has a vague recollection of what they did to make the bread. the bakery closed many years ago when the family moved to the states and my dad's other lolo who was the chief panadero passed away not too long ago. SAYANG! i could have asked him for tips, pointers and ingredients. oh well. it's good to know na this baking thing didn't come out of thin air for me. at least i can say the passion for baking is in my genes. =)

rising bread in the evening...

a new adventure...a change in direction

when i was younger...before i really knew anything. i told myself that i want to be a stay at home mom like my own mother. i want to be the one who prepared their meals and brought them to school. i wanted to be home whenever my kids got home from school. soon after i gave birth to michelle, i realized that i didn't want to be a stay at home mom and went back to work after my maternity leave. in january, after working for ML for 5 years, i was part of the merger's staff reduction and was 'forced' to stay home. now that michelle is bigger, i am really enjoying spending time with her and being home has given me more time to experiment in the kitchen for some of the things sold at tselogs. aside from the buko pie, we started selling the cheese rolls (think porto's in so-cal, that's where i got the idea), and just last week i made rocky road pie which we're not selling at the restaurant but can be ordered directly from me. maybe they're not so original, but they sure are tasty!

today, i'm experimenting with the filipino staple, pan de sal. if it is God's will, i want to open my own bakery soon. i'm going to try to learn on my own before i have an expert teach me so that i am familiar with the steps and the ingredients. but i'm excited and i love doing this kind of thing. i don't mind waking up early in the morning to bake which is weird because i used to not like waking up early for anything! i keep praying for the Lord to show me the way, to reveal to me that this is indeed one of the things He has called me to do. i really pray that He will bless the work of my hands and let His glory shine in every tasty treat that i pull from my oven.

first attempt. not bad, but doesn't look like pandesal. (mukhang boling sya) pero masarap naman. would have been great rosemary bread but that's not why i sought to make hehe

i call it ICE CREAM weather

...or halo-halo weather, pwede narin! GRABE ANG INIT DITO NGAYON! it has been a hot, hot, hot, weekend and michelle is loving the sunshine. yesterday, we went to coyote point park for a picnic and a quick wade in the murky beach. hehehe di maganda beach dito but we have no choice. the water was surprisingly not cold so we let her do what she wants in the water.

we went to dinner naman at stinking rose ng saturday night. ed had a serious craving for prime rib so he organized the whole thing: he texted every one, confirmed who was coming, made reservations, and the highlight of the evening, he paid for our dinner! wooo hooo! nothing's better than a free meal! thanks ed!

today, we went back to the beach. IT IS HOT! our thermometer recorded 90 degrees F by 4 pm. (dito mga 4 to 6 pm ang kasagsagan ng init). ready na si michelle para magtampisaw...naka swimsuit pa! pero mas malamig ang tubig kaya di sya nagtagal. we decided to just buy a water sprinkler thing from target and let her lose sa likod bahay. she had a blast!

tomorrow, i think, it's supposed to be HOTTER. we do not get this kind of weather so early in the year. usually umiinit lang ng ganito pag september na but we'll enjoy it while it's here.

blog updates

the entries from my blogger doesn't seem to be appearing on multiply. read blogger for all the updates.

i feel so guilty

grabe pala pag nanay ka. nagiging parang leon ka pala kapag kinabahan ka dahil baka malagay sa panganib ang anak mo...

dalawang beses ngayong araw na to, tatay ko ang nagmamaneho, muntik na kaming mabangga ng ibang sasakyan na walang kaayos ayos mag maneho pero ang talagang bumagabag sa akin yung pangalawang insidente kaninang umaga nang papunta kami sa park para mag picnic.

sakay ng magarang asul na sports car tong lalakeng intsik kasama ang nobya nya. mula sa pinaka kanan, lumipat sya papunta sa linya namin sa pinaka kaliwa. bigla bigla ang paglipat na ginawa nya kahit na sumignal pa sya kaya muntik na nyang mabangga ang kotse namin. nang malampasan namin ang sasakyan nya at nakita kong medyo bukas ang bintana nya, sumigaw ako ng 'a$$#0!€!'. siniguro kong maririnig nya dahil sobrang kinabahan ako sa ginawa nya. that was so unlike me! at narinig naman nya at nag gesture din sya ng hindi maganda na nakita ng aking ama na ikinagalit nito. tinigil ng tatay ko ang sasakyan at sinugod si lalake.

NATAKOT AKO dahil baka bigla nalang suntukin ng tatay ko yung lalake! ayoko ng rambol!!!! so bumaba ako at inunahan ko na si daddy. sinigawan ko si lalake. sabi ko, 'you should be careful out there! i have a kid in that car (sabay turo sa kotse namin). it's not about your life. it's about my daughter!' sabay alis. di sya naka imik. pati nobya nya di makatingin ng diretso. nag reason pa sya sa tatay ko na sumignal naman daw sya. sabi ng tatay ko, 'you did but you were not being careful!' tinawag ko na ang tatay ko at bumalik na rin sya sa sasakyan namin. umalis ng kumakaripas si intsik. nanginginig ang buong katawan ko at di ko maalis sa isip ko ang nangyari.

i feel so bad kasi that is not something i would do. that is not what i should have done and I WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! while in the car, sabi ko sa Lord...'Lord I'm very sorry. That was not how you would have wanted me to handle the situation. Forgive me Lord and grant me the patience in situations like that.' i feel so terrible talaga kanina! grabe! di ko maexplain!




LORD! SORRY TALAGA! FORGIVE ME!!!! =(

microblogging

i just joined twitter and have added it to this blog.

there seems to be something wrong with multiply as the things i post here do not appear on multiply.

can you tell i'm not doing anything?

???

i wonder why so few of my friends are updating their blog...


oh! that's right! you all still have your jobs!



ako lang pala walang trabaho. hehehe

shout out!

thanks lai for keeping up with my blog and making a comment on almost every single one.

sounds like a slow day at pier 3. =D

i love working out!

i just have to say that because confession brings possession!

i want to love working out. i have gone to the gym for 4 straight days and aside from the one day i used the threadmill, my body seems to be taking the beating pretty well. i told myself to stay away from the threadmill because that one time i used it, i could literally feel every single bone in my feet each time i took a step. the bones cursing me until the next day. lesson learned. i use the elliptical machine and will be moving on to the stair master maybe next week to spice things up.

i'm also doing pilates every other day. will squeeze in yoga once i find my dvd.

do i sound determined? who wouldn't be when this is what you hear from the people around you:

to explain to michelle when i'm headed to the gym my dad said, 'pupunta sa gym ang mommy mo para lumiit liit naman ang katawan ang laki laki nya na kasi.' at least he does not complain when i leave michelle with him while i workout. di sya pwede umangal!

from one of my aunt's closest friends na parang uncle ko narin, 'yang katawan mong yan, nag-gigym ka? ipapasara ko yang gym na yan, hindi effective!' funny, NOT!!!!!!

from my cousin, whom i know meant well naman, 'gusto ba ni paul na mataba ka?' syempre hindi! payatot ngayon ang asawa ko. mukha kami number 10!

the same cousin above upon seeing the bridesmaid dress i will be wearing at claire's wedding, 'yan ba susuot nyo? e mag gym ka nga!' again, i know she means well. but it does sting a little.

so rather than wade in misery, you gotta move your fat butt when you hear comments like that.



i already lost 1 lb. hep! hep! hoooray!!!!! A MILLION MORE TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

things i currently can't live without

inspired by lai's 'favorite things', here are some of the things i can't live without:

allergy medicine - i would feel crappy as hell if i don't get my daily allergy medicine in the spring. sometimes, it's so bad that i have to take one in the morning and then another early in the evening so i can get by.

chapstick - my lips get really really dry. so i try to have one chapstick each in the 2 purses i use all the time and one by the bed, and one in the bathroom (so i can apply immediately after i brush my teeth)

likas papaya - yes, i use likas papaya as my soap. i don't think it has made my skin lighter but i think it's made it more even. i alternate with a bodywash so my skin doesn't get so dry.

neutrogena acne-free facial wash - this is what i use to wash my face with. i was a pimply adolescent...hindi naman acne but this helped me clear my skin so i still use it kahit na i'm waaaaay past puberty.

moisturizer - any brand by lancome for daytime use. lai would argue that it doesn't matter what kind you use but i see a difference when i use lancome. dahil recession, i buy the cheapest one they have so it doesn't hurt my wallet that much. my pm moisturizer is by garnier (super affordable!), mas intense yung moisturizing ng sa gabi and walang spf. always get a moisturizer with spf for daytime use!

bible - i have two by my bed. one of them is a combo of 2 translations (or versions) and another in a different translation. para maintindihan ko talaga. we have to get our 'soul food' everyday. otherwise, we go hungry spiritually.

tissue - for my sneezies.

bluetooth headset - because my hubby is so far away, we are on the phone a lot and this device frees my hands so i can still work while talking to him. i have a really crappy one from motorola. i would not recommend it. get a jawbone, so much better.

internet - i have very vague recollection of what i did in my spare time noong wala pang internet! sad but true!

sunglasses - i can't drive without them or i get a headache from the glare. madami din akong sunglasses but i get them at nordstrom rack and marshalls. designer brands na orig for a quarter of the price..sometimes cheaper! my 2 faves are by gucci (got it for $50, originaly $450) and michael kors (paid $25, originally around $200). who says style can't be affordable?????

caffeine - in coffee, diet soda or tea. baaaaad!

...to be continued.

bangag

dan brown kept me up all night because i wanted to know who the real antagonist was in angels and demons. it was 'sorta' predictable in the sense that you should pick one of the least likely people in the story BUT it was an interesting plot, otherwise, i would not have stayed up for it.

i still have not finished the book (i've got some 20 pages left to read). i stopped reading at the point where i don't think there would be any more big, big revelations. my left arm is sore from holding the book while reading in bed for almost 6 straight hours. (i'm so bad when i get into it and i can only do that kind of reading at night!) i've only slept for 2 1/2 hours because i had to drop off my mom at the bart station at 630.

i am again running on caffeine. i hope michelle keeps up with a wired mom.

i can't sleep

i am tired from a sorta long workout from the gym (1 hour and 15 mins is long for me). i finally committed to this whole gym thing for at least 1 year. after i signed my name and gave them my credit card information, sinabi ko talaga sa sarili ko, 'what am i getting myself into?????'. remorse kaagad!!!! haaaaay! oh well! i have to commit to something that might lead me to lose weight. i'm totally fighting every urge not to blog about this whole weight thing because it's exhausting to me and not entertaining to my few readers. nakakasawa na yung topic! i want a change! i want to fit into my clothes again. i miss my clothes!!! i look at 1 black sweater that i bought from br not too long ago na gustong gusto ko, siguro mga 5 times ko palang nasusuot, masikip na. nakakalungkot! kainis talaga!!!

so i researched online to see what i type of gym workout i should do to maximize weightloss. seems like i should start with reducing my caloric intake by 500 calories and low impact aerobic activity 3 to 5 times a week for at least 30 mins each time. i should try this for two weeks and then change it up. i also did pilates this morning and some free weights. i frustrated and determined. and now i am exhausted but can't sleep. *sigh*

dahil hindi ako makatulog, i've been doing research on our seattle/canada/portland trip at the end of the month. the seattle and portland thing is all set. it's canada that i can't quite figure out. we will definitely be going to vancouver, but after vancouver, i don't know whether to go to whistler (site of the 2010 winter olympic games) or victoria (think beautiful gardens, castles...sorta like europe). i heard both cities are beautiful and i want to see both but with a 2 year old in tow, i'm not sure how much travelling she can take with the little time we have (just 3 days in canada). so if anyone from british columbia chances upon my blog or anyone familiar with both places, i seriously need your help in making a decision.

maybe i should read my book so i can sleep. medyo exciting tong angels and demons.

current read

i've temporarily placed 'great expectations' on hold to read dan brown's angels and demons so that i could finish the book before the movie comes out next month.

pag gutom nga naman...

walang 'endangered species - endangered species' sa mga taong gutom!

click here for story

nakakahiya no? pero sayang nga naman yung pating. patay na e, di mabuti nang mapakinabangan at kainin.

laker photos

here

a night with the lakers

we saw the lakers vs houston game last night down in l.a. it was a short, fun, and exhausting trip for me, paul, chel and t. cham and allan joined us to see the game as well.

well what can i say about watching the lakers? it is soooooooo much better than watching the warriors! the fans in l.a. had so much more energy...maybe because they had a superstar in their team unlike g.s. staples center is huge and there's so much going on inside and outside the stadium so there's a lot to do before and after the game.

some of the stars we saw other than the basketball stars were, of course, jack nicholson who sat not too far from us, tori spelling, penny marshall, and former governor gray davis. cham also saw zac efron and danielle fishel (topanga from boy meets world, remember her?) from their side of the court and allan said he saw catherine zeta-jones. i'm sure there were so many more stars out there on friday night but we just didn't recognize many of them.

it was exciting to see kobe and yao who were the only 2 players i was really familiar with. i almost forgot that phil jackson was the lakers coach until they flashed his picture on the giant overhead and it reminded me of watching my forever love, michael jordan and the bulls, win championship after championship back in the 90s. seeing the lakers reminded me of how much i love the game and i told myself i should watch more of it on tv. i'd love to take my dad and my brother (when he gets here) to see another game (live!) in the future. but the next time we go, we should make it a week long trip and make the most out of being down south.

after the game, we went back to our hotel and had drinks....actually, they had drinks since i was nursing a bad bad cold and the alcohol was not helping. my stuffy nose kept me up all night. i'm currently running on all the caffeine i consumed today so i can keep up with michelle and all of life's other demands.

pictures to be posted tomorrow. i'm dead tired and still have to make buko pie early tomorrow morning before church.

****
we got back earlier this morning and went straight to tselogs and it was packed. it was crazy! crazy but good!!! i told the crew that i have never seen the place so busy before. 95% of the tables were occupied during the lunch hour and i was there again from 430 to 8 pm and it was just as crazy! both times, there were people calling to pick up orders as well. it was awesome!!!