Sink or Swim

My baby’s baptism party is in a few weeks and I still don’t have giveaways to my guests. I don’t want the usual dust gatherers, i.e. figurines, frames so I’m looking at promotional items instead. I saw some really useable items from US Imprints like custom journals, bike bottles, aluminum coffee mugs and eco-friendly totes. But what I liked most are these cute non-alcoholic hand sanitizer sprays. They are costly if you buy just a few but for a minimum of 250 items, you could get them for as low as $1.06. I’ll have to check if you can have different logos per spray because my client is planning on purchasing these for a promotional tour this December. I could ask him to get me extra fifty items so I can hand it out to my guests as well.

What time is it and what are you wearing? 2PM. My husband’s old baseball shirt and “fat” shorts for comfort.

What are you doing? Researching about rv insurance while the babies are sleeping. I’m also downloading a few apps for my iPhone

Latest purchase? Gawd, I can’t think of anything aside from my iPhone two months ago. All our recent purchases now are mostly food. Which just means I can shop guilt-free next month.

What was your breakfast/lunch? Two cups of rice and fried milk fish for lunch, one slice of banana and black coffee for breakfast.

read more »

My DSL service sucks for the past two weeks. Which is why I’m now looking for a back up whenever this happens. I’m not sure which to get from the two – I know speed has to do with the location. However, the reviews vary a lot and I can’t really get a reliable answer. I hope that whichever I choose will be stable enough so I can finish my work even if my main DSL sucks big time.

The Smart BRO USB modem is a small, palm-sized device that you can carry with you wherever you go. And anytime you need to surf, just plug it into the USB port of your PC, and you’ll get connected in a flash. Total initial payment is P1,495 with FREE 120 Hours of internet surfing and 1,000 SMS (on-net). Broadband Internet use is P10 for every 30 minutes.
** Available in selected areas (3G or HSDPA areas)

To find the mate of your dreams is an elusive search that all men and women seem to embrace. You search for the person that will fulfill your evolving expectations of who you want to share your life with. From the more traditional methods of dating to the unconventional patterns that are becoming more trendy everyday, all you seek is happiness, romance, and energized dates that will last a lifetime.

Only a few decades ago, the ritualistic courtship of two people did not involve cell phones, computers, or online profiles, but things have changed. In the pursuit of your partner you may have consulted friends, coworkers, family members, strangers, online services, or your own apartment building. It’s commonplace to step outside of your social circles and experiment with different hobbies in the hopes that you will meet someone new with which to create a trusting and healthy relationship.

Today, dating has become a job to some as they feel they need to prove themselves to a prospective suitor in order to remain appealing, attractive, and desirable. So much time and energy is expended as one attempts to find their match and hold onto them. But dating should be another exhilarating experience in life, one in which two people bring out the best in the other and make them feel like no other can. read more »

… can definitely make or break your career. No matter how amazing you are as a designer, if you can’t even attend a single conference call, upload your excellent work or update a client’s blog or page using CMS, then you’re no good for the company. I just wish my boss won’t see it that way and understand that it all has to do with the recent storm.

To make matters worse, I just got back from my maternity leave last Monday. It’s been four days and now and I’m nowhere near to finishing my deliverable. I hope tomorrow will be different. My boss and coworkers understand but for how long?

16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?
The beach last May. We rented a private house with a pool and it was only a 5-minute walk to the beach. It was a perfect weekend that I dream of having a property there soon.

17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Dictionary. With a husband who writes for a living, I just feel conscious or perhaps a bit competitive when it comes to writing. I could never beat him though.

18. Do you have a nickname? What is it?
Can’t tell. You might use it to retrieve my passwords

19. What are you dreading at the moment?
That I will give birth and no one will be around to drive me to the hospital.

20. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
Don’t care.

read more »

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course)
A design and music studio. My husband and I promised each other that this is a room we’ll definitely invest on.

2. What is your dream car?
For now, a Fortuner.

3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog?
Tons. I like Twitter, Femalenetwork, HGTV to name a few

4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want?
iPhone 4. I’m hooked baby!

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
Watch TV or re-read a good book. Most of the time, I go out with my husband so we can have a pig-out on any of our favorite restaurants.

read more »

Are you a Facebooker? Are you addicted to those stupid games that suck a person in at the drop of a hat? Would you care to share your Facebook identification link so that we may all stalk you be your friend?
Yes but I never got addicted to it. I try not to check out the games because I have a tendency to be too competitive I’d probably won’t turn the computer until I’ve beaten everyone.

What kinds of cereal do you have in your home right at this very moment?
The good and fattening kind. Luckily, no one believes in those fad diets that work type of cereal in our house.

What is the strangest thing you have said to:
* get a job?
I could do anything that you want
* get a date?
No need to do anything because I rock! Seriously, you don’t need tricks when you’re a girl read more »

1. Tell us about one thing that you’d change about yourself if you could.
I’ll try not to be too controlling. And maybe try not to hoard too much or gossip a lot.

2. Mattel decides to make a Barbie-like (or Ken-like) doll of you — what would be the most important accessory or accessories they would absolutely have to package you with in order to portray your lifestyle? Most likely a laptop, an iPod and a kick-ass pair of boots.

3. Hey, do you like surprises? If yes, what kinds?
Yes, but it’s usually limited to the nice kind.

4. What was the last snail mail that you received that was significant? A pamphlet about
colonix reviews. It was significant because my father has been complaining a lot about his health lately and I want to have him try one of those colon cleansing products.

5. If you could pick out a brand new nickname for yourself, what would you choose and why?
Katie because I just love that name.

6. John Edward’s mistress was on Oprah this past Thursday. She stated that no third person can break up a marriage, so it had to be broken before the two started doing the nasty. Do you buy that?
That’s just BI. Okay, something must be wrong with the relationship in the first place but do you really want to be the reason for actually making it fall apart?

7. Do you think it is okay to keep secrets from your s/o?
Never if it can affect our relationship, finances and kids’ welfare.

8. Have you ever played Truth or Dare? If yes, what’s the weirdest dare that you did?
Yes. I was asked to walk with just my two-piece suit in a cold weather. Luckily, we were on the beach so it wasn’t that hard. Just chilly.

9. What, in hindsight, the stupidest thing that you have ever done?
Not buying properties when I was single. I should’ve invested more.

It’s really a happy month for me personally. We just celebrated my father’s 56th birthday and my mother-in-law’s 61st birthday and it was good to see the family together again. We rarely have the time to go out of town or have dinner except for occasions such as these. The kids were all as excited as the adults to celebrate which made me realize that we need to spend more time with our relatives. Now that the 2nd baby’s arrival is just a couple of weeks from now, we’ll have to do what we can to get out of the house and enjoy our freedom!

Aside from that, things at work are equally great. Design projects are arriving left and right that I find myself eating for only 15 minutes and not taking afternoon naps anymore. It’s still not as busy as before wherein I have to pass off some of the projects to other designers. I guess I’m very efficient and fast now because I know I won’t have as much time when I give birth. I was also like this on my firstborn. I remember finishing three web sites a week and on my final week, even managed to record 5 tutorial videos for a client. I gave birth that night without any backlogs at work. Amazing huh? I hope it will be like that as well this time. The money is a great bonus too. I’m not sure if I can work immediately so I’m saving up as much as I can just in case I need to take off more than a few weeks longer.

I heard my neighbor discussing about septic tank cleaner with her friend via phone and all I can think about is how suburban and domesticated I’ve become. Mind you, I still have a helper to cook and clean the house but gone are the days when conversations range from music, art, foreign films and travel. Lately, it has been renovating, lot hunting, recipes, baby-proofing and finding the right preschool. I am not complaining however. Life just gets better each day and I’m glad that I’m earning enough money without leaving the house. Thank God for those who made telecommuting a trend.

I was going to write about herbal eczema treatment but then I stumbled upon this meme on a friend’s blog. Disney films are just my favorite so I had to join. It took me more than 30 minutes to answer this! It was hard because there are many good films, characters and song to choose from.

Sunday Stealing: Harriet’s Choice: The Disney Meme

1. Which non-Disney Princess Disney Film is your favorite?
Is this limited to animation? If not then – Monsters Inc., A Bug’s life, Cool Runnings, High School Musical, Peter Pan, The Kid, Parent Trap, Mighty Ducks

2. Which Disney film makes you cry the most?
Can’t think of anything right now aside from Finding Nemo. They all make me teary eyed one way or another. 

3. Which Disney film makes you the happiest?
I just love Alladin! I think Robin Williams and the animators did an amazing job with the genie’s dance performances and sketches.

4. Which Disney film has the best music?
I love Mulan’s, Little Mermaid’s and Alladin’s.

5. Which Disney film has the best love story?
Alladin. It still gives me goose bumps whenever I hear the song “A Whole New World”

read more »

…until seven more months.

Diet plans, weight loss pills and strict exercise regimen.

Skinny jeans, stilettos and very tight tops that won’t let you breathe.

Waking up early or leaving the house if I don’t feel like it.

Doing all projects that fall on my lap. I now outsource them so I can take it easy.

Play nice with clients from hell.

Taking care of everyone. Now they take care of me

1. Speak a foreign language. Choosing between French or Spanish.

2. Drive a car. Yep, still don’t know how no matter how many times my husband nags at me.

3. Bake. I love to be like one of those stay-at-home moms who can bake almost anything.

4. Create animated movies

5. Be patient.

6. Swim or to be more accurate, swim when I can no longer touch the floor of the ocean or pool

7. Dance like the heroine from Step Up 2

8. Play the violin. I want to learn this so much.

9. Be brave enough to watch a horror flick

10. Surf

Part Two – The Where’s?

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Working inside my mansion while I can hear the laughter of my kids in the garden.
Where were you last night? Dizzy in bed.
Where did you grow up? Manila
One place that I go to over and over? Boracay
Your favorite place to eat out? Sbarro or Aveneto Pizzeria
Wish list items? Designer handbag and iMac
Last time you laughed? Just this morning
Last time you cried? Four months ago.

Part Three – The What’s?
Something that you aren’t? Rich and famous.
Last thing you did? Ate a bowl of fettuccine Alfredo. 
What are you wearing? Huge shirt and yellow capri pants.
Something you’re not wearing? Any outfit that will show my flabs. I would take appetite suppressants if eating wasn’t so enjoyable.
Your favorite store? Kamiseta, Maldita, Bayo