Beautiful

There is nothing else which I want to put in here but the picture of someone who makes our lives beautiful. My husband's and my source of joy, our dear, dear, dear daughter.

'Prettyful' isn't she? :)

**********
Mood: So awake even after a very busy day.
Music: This is Me, Demi Lovato (from my daughter's Camp Rock CD)

What's On?

I have a love affair again with the television. It was sparked by laid back mornings and afternoons when I took a break from work the past month - mostly endorsements and a few meetings - I am moving on, moving forward that is why.

I can have my television tuned in at the Lifestyle Network the whole day and I won't get bored. I particularly love Food Network especially Ellie Krieger's healthy recipes. She's one woman I love watching - calm and composed. She has a very nice speaking voice. And I love her no-frills style. I am partial to short, short hair the past months. It just look so neat.

I have this feeling her books will be included in my budget in my next trip to the bookstore, The Food You Crave and Small Changes, Big Results. She's one example of healthy living.

Another woman who seem to have no effort at all in her kitchen is Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa. I love how dainty she makes the ambiance which matches her recipe - the fresh flowers, the table setting, all the decorations that go perfectly well together. It's a feast in the eyes.

I love pasta! It goes without saying that I am into Everyday Italian too. It was a pleasant surprise to me that Giada de Laurentiis' recipes are quite easy to follow. Or these fabulous cooks just make it so easy for a novice like me?

Over at 2nd Avenue, I am fond of watching The Ellen Degeneres Show. Light, bubbly, just your everyday chill out show. I love her dance actually, she does it so well. I feel like doing it while I watch her. Watch her and learn to sway while having fun. It's Ellen's signature dance. :)


National Geographic Channel gives us this very informative and very brave documentary Don't Tell Mom.....I Am In.....This show is hosted by Diego Bunuel which features mostly war torn countries no mother would want her child to be in hence the title. Diego had been to Colombia, Congo, North Korea and yes, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Imagine the preparation which goes in each episode and the risk they all take. It's worth watching as you get a road trip and in-depth look on their featured countries.

These shows will be on top of my mind when I just want to sit back, relax and check what's good on television. My love affair won't end.

********** Mood: Cheerful,
Music: My daughter singing KC's song, Imposible.

I Get the Point

We have a total of four days off, the weekend and a special holiday today and it's our city's anniversary tomorrow. My husband and I decided to get out of the house and spend some time in a hotel where we are a member. It's just within the metropolis but it's a good way to have more bonding time and avail of our membership privileges at the same time. It's not always that we have holidays this long.

We are in the hotel since yesterday and we'll be going home tomorrow. This is a good rest as there is not much cleaning around as there is room service, not much preparation for food either. We stay a lot in the pool as husband and daughter are both water babies. I took a dip too yesterday and it recharged me.

My daughter met a few kids her age. She had a grand time playing with them and "competing" with their dolphin swim. I snooped overheard what they were talking about and it goes around Camp Rock, swimming, their schools, Jonas Brothers and back to Camp Rock.

I brought with me my daughter's Math book and notebook as I want us to go over her notes and assignment during our vacation lull. The daughter rolled her eyes as I told her earlier to accomplish her Math assignment. Am I a party pooper or what? I just don't want her to be loaded tomorrow with assignments.

She did a part of her assignment fast. I told her it's alright, she can finish the rest tomorrow. I won't spoil this vacation. I told myself there is a time for everything.

I am learning now. Vacation is a vacation is a vacation. The daily grind comes soon enough I don't even have to think about it. You see, when I am on vacation, the things on my mind are the things I will be doing after the vacation. Sure I enjoy the free time but it's always like putting a schedule to everything - controlling the flow of things. I am doing away with that kind of attitude now. I need to be spontaneous, I want to be spontaneous. I have to learn to let loose and enjoy - smell the flowers and smile.

I read this somewhere, "a person who allows his day to pass by without practicing generosity and enjoying life's pleasures is a person who breathes but does not live". I get the point perfectly.

********** Mood: Relaxed
Music: Beautiful Ones, Suede

Champorado and Cereal

Do you have a comfort food? I think I have lots judging by my weight. But what I really look for most of the time is your good old champorado. The very basic chocolate rice porridge made of glutinous rice and rich cocoa. I like mine swimming with milk.

I haven't eaten it with tuyo (dried fish) yet though I remember my grandfather won't have any champorado unless he has dried fish with it.

There's a classic story going around in our family about my special inclination with champorado. My Aunt asked me what food do I want on my eighth birthday. And without batting an eyelash I said champorado. That's been a running story and joke in our family. That everytime there's a birthday celebration, the champorado should not be missed.

I guess I love champorado because of the memories it hold too. Cooking it, preparing it is so simple but it's been one of my bonding moments with my mother. I love how she does it and how she gives me bowl after bowl whenever I ask of it. Living in the U.S. now, she tells me she still prepares it from time to time and serve it with my sister and brother.

Now I am doing the same with my daughter. Though lately, it's not champorado. She finds delight in this chocolate cereal with milk. She has to have it in the morning along side other breakfast and she has to have it in the afternoon when she gets home from school.

She loves cereals - Oreo's, waffle crisps and fruity pebbles with fresh milk. But this Milo cereal, she loves it with powdered milk diluted with water. Preferences, preferences.

Comfort food within the comforts of home having it with the person you love most. Bliss. :)
********** Mood: Calm
Music: Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol

From the Gym to a Birthday Party

It was our second session at the gym yesterday. We spent almost two hours with our trainer guiding us with our workout. At the rate things are going, I am enjoying going to the gym and stretching, burning some fats. I don't experience sore muscles at the end of every session but on the following day. They're tolerable and as they say, no pain, no gain.

We are heading to a birthday party of my daughter's classmate after the gym so we decided to take a quick snack to fill our stomach. We do not want to be tempted and give in to the temptation of eating so much during the party. We dropped by the cafe at Fully Booked and ordered some healthy options.

Husband has his tuna and salad green. Notice the hand - the chips are soon gone. They are multi-grain chips so it's okay to devour them all. :)


I had pasta. Boy, I love this cafe's aglio olio. It has the most generous serving of basil. They're crunchy too. I don't know how they do it but it just gives a good feel in the tongue with every spoonful of it. This was supposed to be to go but I decided to eat this as husband was having his tuna.


After this we picked up our daughter and attended her classmate's birthday party. As always, the kids had a blast even if only a few of the invited classmates were able to attend. We actually left the party at half past seven in the evening. The kids enjoyed playing and dancing together.


I also had a pretty good conversation with the grandmother of my daughter's classmate. It was mostly our concern with the children's work load in school. This will be on another post.

How was your weekend? If my Saturday was full, Sunday was kind of laid back. Church in the morning and a little review of school lessons with my daughter in the afternoon. It's a new week ahead of us. Let's all have a great one. :)

********** Mood: Productive
Music: Shut Up and Drive, Rihanna

Of Leg Warmer and Head Band

We finally had our first day at the fitness center this morning. My husband and I enrolled in a gym a week or so ago. We just have to manage both our schedules so we can have at least the first week to go to the gym together.

My husband goes to the gym but he stopped late last year for various reasons, time being number one. He gained a considerable amount of weight for the last six months that even tying his shoelace proved to be a frustration at times. That belly is one big block. I, on the other hand, was encouraged to go the gym when I lost some weight because of my oral rehabilitation (adult braces in other words). It seems though I am gaining back those unwanted pounds for the last months.

Using the body composition analyzer, our body mass index, fat percentage, fat mass, etcetera were measured. I will not go into details but it's enough to say that we are overweight, especially yours truly. I need to burn a lot of my body fat to attain the desired weight for my age and height.

We are doing our best with our wellness program starting with the inclusion of brown rice, wheat bread, fruits, milk, more fish, oats in our meals. What we should be diligent about is our portion control. We are one in saying that we can never lose if we invest on our health and wellness properly.

The first day at the gym was fine, the trainer very helpful of course and welcomed each question I have. My husband and I were tired but enjoyed every second we spent in cardio and weights. Those were just warm-ups, an introduction in using each equipment. I like the leg curl, cardio and total abdominal work out the most. :)

One of the questions the fitness center representatives ask is what made us decide to enrol in a gym. This is really a part of our wellness program - we want to be fit and yes, vanity on the side is included. For one thing, smaller sized tops and bottoms are a lot cheaper than size 16 and up.

This motivation is good enough, what needs to be done is making this a lifestyle. The writing on the wall says it well.

I won't apologize for this but well, even if it's FloRida and T-Pain I am listening to as I post this, my last song syndrome right now is "let's get physical, physical, I want to get physical. Let me hear your body talk..." Think Olivia Newton John complete with leg warmer and head band.

********** Mood: Energetic
Music: Low, FloRida and T-Pain

Conti's

We had our early dinner at Conti's last week after doing a little shopping and groceries in a nearby mall. We scouted for a dining place as we went around. I suggested Conti's to hubs and daughter. I first had a taste of the frozen mango tart from this restaurant during a birthday celebration at the office. It was really good. Needless to say that's one of the desserts we ordered.

The other one is one of their best sellers, choco overload. I would like to try anything chocolate, except for chocolate mint. Here it is, really delectable.

Before the desserts came the main course. No appetizers needed but drinks to quench our thirst from the long walk inside the mall. I had mango, hubby had iced tea and the little girl had her shake.

I tried the baked salmon as it is said to be their specialty. It's good though the cheese topping has a somewhat strong garlic taste.

One of hubby's favorite foods is the chicken ala kiev which he also prepares for our dinner from time to time. He tried this one from Conti's. He found the serving quite small versus his appetite.

My daughter had her chicken and fries with macaroni salad on the side. Nothing fancy about the taste, a standard fix for my daughter whenever we dine out.

The day proved to be full of Conti's as my cousin brought us a her belated birthday gift for my daughter, a chocolate cake from the said restaurant.

My daughter brought half for her classmates the following day and her friends loved it! Anyone's who's a chocolate lover would I suppose. It's delicious. :)

********** Mood : Pleased.
Music: Soft Melody, John Kaizan Neptune

Castle and Clouds

I was looking for a happy picture where clouds are highlighted. I checked my hubby's computer because all the pictures of sceneries are organized in his folders. And there it was, folders of our summer outings. This was taken at Club Manila East where kayaking is also an attraction. Kayaking on a pool that is.

I love the water's royal blue color, a reflection of the clear sky. I love how colorful the cabanas are, slightly seen here with yellow and blue roofs. I also like the landscape with a castle on top of an improvised hill with bright clouds over it. This is such a happy place. :)

Here is a picture of my hubby and daughter having the pool all by themselves and kayaking all the way. I have posted this one several photo hunts ago for the water theme.

And here are the other guests of the resort enjoying their colorful kayaks. This resort now provides a venue for those who want to learn how to surf if you must know. Interesting isn't it? Surf on a pool.

Please see my streaks of clouds at Everything and then Some.... taken at Grande Island, Subic. And check out other photo hunters too. Have a lovely weekend!