Monthly Highlight: March 2012

I enjoyed watching these:
Movies:
- This Means War
- Mirror, Mirror
- The Hunger Games
- Crazy, Stupid Love

Television Shows:
- American Idol because I want to watch Colton Dixon and Jessica Sanchez. But really, it's Colton Dixon. :)
- The Walking Dead
- Clips of the impeachment trial which sadly will resume on May yet.
- Walang Hanggan
- Dahil sa Pag-ibig

I read:
- Yummy, Everyday Pasta
- Life as One Direction, Dare to Dream (This is actually my daughter's favorite band and I had an inkling to just read it. It's fun reading about these kids and how they reached success.)

I listened to this music a lot:
- Whoa! It's like I never listened to music these days because all I hear when I am in our house is the  music of One Direction or Lana del Ray's the title of which escaped me. And when I am somewhere else I don't stick my earphones to my ears. What happened in March? No music for me?

I received/I gave:
- Cakes!
- Book for my daughter - The Popularity Papers
- The new iPad

I bought:
- Book for my daughter - The Popularity Papers
- Earrings
- Shorts for my daughter and myself
- Top for me
- Yummy, Everyday Pasta

I savor these memorable days of the month:
- Church Santa Cena
- I really had a lot of bonding moments with my daughter this month. We had a lot of eating out and over those lunches and dinners, we were able to share so much.
- Watching movies with my daughter and with her friends.

Restaurants I visited (with family and friends)/Food I love:
- Red Ribbon's Mocha Choco Crumble cake
- McDonald's spaghetti
- KFC's Cheesy Bacon
- The Cake Box's Red Velvet Cupcake
- Four Fingers' Soy Garlic Chicken
- Napoli's Mozzarella Bars
- Tokyo Cafe's Tuna Sandwich
- TGIFriday's Cajun Shrimp & Chicken Pasta, Tortilla Crusted Fish and Oreo Madness
- Moonleaf's Chocolate Milk Tea (for my daughter)

Accomplishments:
- I have to say I cleaned the oven by myself! It looked spanking new after.
- I was able to focus on tasks important to my career. These tasks could spell the difference in what I am aiming for. I have been praying about the big breakthrough.
- Facing head-on what I needed so I can move forward to my career.

New/routine workout I enjoyed doing:
- Core exercises which do not need any equipment which I can do at home.

For the first time:
- I prepared the following:
* Korean-style fried chicken
* Cream dory in wrapped in pechay leaves dipped in coconut milk
* Sweet-style spaghetti (the first pasta I prepared using Yummy, Everyday Pasta as my reference)
* Pancake with nutella
* New mix for lumpiang shanghai I found on the net.

- First time to "adopt" another child for four days. My daughter's best friend stayed with us.

- I went to the cinema and watched a movie alone.

- Feeling confident that I am blessed and my family too, during our Santa Cena.

My feel good moments:
- For the first time I felt blessed during our church's Santa Cena. I need a single post entry for this but in a nutshell it's the first time that I took it to heart, what it means to me and what it could bring me.
- Daughter having fun with her friend who stayed with us for four days.
- Daughter's bonding moment with two of her best friends watching The Hunger Games and having their lunch all by themselves. I went to the gym while they were having lunch.
- Having able to focus on my work-related tasks before doing anything. Delaying gratification.
- Being focused with what I should do first before I do something important too but not urgent. Again, delaying gratification.
- Bonding with my daughter over our lunch eat-outs
- My daughter was not stressed out for the first time in reviewing for her finals.
- I love hearing my niece's voice.
- The foot massage the pedicurist gave me in one of my nail polish sessions.
- Summer rain.

March passed by like a wind. There were a lot of things to do and to accomplish it ended just like that. It moved so fast.  March was a month of realizations for me to stay calm, cool, collected no matter what the situation may be. It was also a month that I realized I was given some situations to help me strengthen my character and uphold my values. It was a month of dealing with a few matters head-on, be thankful and move forward to take on what is for the best.

It was this month when I realized how good God is to me and to my family. I have long been faithful but I have to admit sometimes stress takes a toll on me. But March made me realize God has always saved me and continuously help me achieve my goals, professionally and personally. Always. I need not fret nor worry. This is the month where I felt I was free from all things I need not worry about. I just have to keep the faith. Surrender and be more appreciative of God's blessings. Like what I have said in my monthly highlight, this is the first time I have proclaimed,  and be confident about it, that God has blessed me and my family after our church's Santa Cena. And my shortcomings forgiven.  This is the first time that I had a conscious effort to acknowledge what our Santa Cena really means and how I feel about it.

I could say March is more on strengthening my faith, my character, of spiritual awakening. It's liberating! In all areas of my life, I am now more confident, more focused and a lot faithful.

Resolution for March:
Diligence and discipline.

Have I been faithful in that resolution? 30%. I realized that I have been diligent and disciplined towards the end of the month. I was really disciplined in focusing on my tasks before I call it a day. I was confident enough to tackle a responsibility I have long postponed and accept the result, move on and take on what is best for me. Now, had I only did all these from the very start of the month.

Note:  My resolutions don't just start or end on a specific date. I do them continuously as part of my Be the Best Person I Can Be Project. :)  I just highlight each monthly for focus.

Resolution for April:  
Carpe Diem! Just do it!

Fresh Papayas

I'm having these fresh slices of papayas for lunch like a boss. :) Oh yes, time for cleansing. I've eaten so much this week because I've been out a lot with my daughter and can't help but eat out.

Hello to my fellow Photohunters. All this time Photohunt is already hosted at The Saturday PhotoHunt.  See you every Saturday, then! :)

Here's my entry for the week: fresh papayas - eating them for lunch, like right now as I post this. Multi-tasking. It's raining on a summer month here in the Philippines. Crazy weather. I feel like doing nothing at all but surf ze web and eat (well, eat healthy foods, promise) and bug my daughter. After a week of being stressed out on most days, it's great to just chill-out. Crossing my fingers I can do just that today.

This is funny and I just have to post this. I went to see the picture of the week from The Saturday PhotoHunt blog and I was looking for the "LIKE" button. Oh geez.  Shame on me.  

Two things: 1) I haven't gone blog hopping in a looooong time and not used to commenting anymore in blogs.   2)  Facebook have eaten me. 

Happy Saturday (or whatever day you are in now.)  Just be happy!   :) 

Monthly Highlight: February 2012

I enjoyed watching these:
Movies:
- Drive
- All Good Things
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Chronicle

Television Shows:
- A few episodes of AI.
- The first episode of Glee w/ Samuel Larsen.
- Still catching up w/ the impeachment trial. Yes, I am enjoying and learning from this.
- A few episodes of Coco's soap.
- The Oscars.

I read:
- Rogue Magazine.
- Mostly online articles from Yahoo.

I listened to this music a lot:
- Sam Tsui's versions of the following:
* Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You.
* Mash-up of Firework, Dynamite and Grenade.

I received/I gave:
- Ryan Gosling DVDs from my husband! Yay!
- Shoes and clothes for my daughter.
- CDs for my daughter.
- Book for my daughter, Before I Fall. She loves it!
- Treated my daughter to hair pampering.
- Extended help to one of my relatives.

I bought:
- So many things for my daughter:
* Shoes, slippers and clothes.
* Bracelet and headband.
* CD of One Direction.
* CD of Greyson Chance.
* A book, Before I Fall.
- Japanese and Korean condiments in preparation for my Asian cooking adventure.
- An egg ring, finally!
- An angel figurine for the daughter of my friend for her birthday.

I savor these memorable days of the month:
- Field Demonstrationa and Family Day at my daughter's school.
- Recital of my daughter at school. She sang Sing by My Chemical Romance
- Pampering day of my daughter at the salon. It was her first total hair treatment.
- First time to attend a grand evangelical mission of my church held at a huge venue, Quirino Grandstand.
- Movie date with my daughter.
- Meeting my friends in a birthday party we all attended.
- Frequent eat-out with my daughter. Our small talks here make us share more with each other.

Restaurants I visited (with family and friends)/Food I love:
- Red Ribbon's palabok and their cakes which I had a lot for the month of February.
- McDonald's breakfast.
- Creamy tomato pasta at KFC.
- TorinPesto Spaghetti at Bubble Tea.
- Fried chicken from BonChon.
- Pancit Bihon Guisado from Savory.
- Asparagus Mayo Spaghetti at Kimono Ken.

Accomplishments:
- Reformatting my laptop all by myself!
- An orientation on financial management which refreshed me in how to better deal with
savings/expenses/income.

New/routine workout I enjoyed doing:
- RPM!
- Weights - loaded up!

For the first time:
- I prepared the following:
* garlicky pork patties
* hamonado
* sesame pork teriyaki
* chicken cordon bleu
* eggplant szechuan style
* pan-grilled chops

- Attended our church's grand evangelical mission.

My feel good moments:
- My daughter's team winning the grand prize in retro dance and just seeing her enjoying her school activities.
- Watching my daugther sing with her co-band members at school looking so confident and so happy with what she is doing.
- Successful hair pampering of my daughter. This made me giddy too actually.
- Chaperoning my daughter and her best friend to Astroplus for the CD launch of their favorite band and eating out with them.
- Eat-outs with my daughter (and a few times her best friend was with us).
- Seeing my daughter getting her emotional issue with a puppy love. :)
- Seeing my daughter have a great time with her best friend, their bonding moments here at the house on a weekend. Her best friend made an effort to make her feel better.
- Daughter is making good friends at the church especially one boy who shows his concern for her when she was so down.
- Heart to heart talk with my daughter. I feel great that she trusts me a lot.
- Watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with ze hubs.
- Ryan Gosling movies!
- Being able to lend a helping hand to one of my relatives.
- Non-stop laughing of my daughter and husband to an anecdote relayed by my husband.
- Mom and Pop's calls and thoughtfulness.
- Inspired by how churchmates devote their time for the church's activities with all their heart. I feel especially inspired by the young people who show enthusiasm with their church responsibilities.
- I appreciate so much how my mom got so concerned also for my daughter's first heartbreak.
- Daughter's first time to lead the group in a prayer.
- Daughter's first time to do a church duty on her church schedule. She loves doing this.
- My mom's sharing on how my father is looked up to in his place of work. Really inspired by this.
- Movie date with my daughter, Chronicle, which she requested us to watch.
- Attending a birthday party of a friend's daughter with my daughter.
- Daughter volunteered to sing in the church's Parent Tribute Day.

February was a roller coaster ride for me. I chose to be silent for a while and collect my thoughts. I promised to bounce back with even greater faith. I just needed some quiet time, just a few days.

I am glad to note that I had so many really feel good moments for February. I also must say that since I started focusing on the blessings and starting my day with prayers and gratefulness, I got even more aware of the things that I appreciate and thankful for. These are the things that make my day.

Resolution for February:
Focus, prioritize, take action.

Have I been faithful in that resolution? 80%. I acknowledge that I need to improve. I have to say in the home and professional fronts I've been able to do all that but I missed in my personal goal of achieving my desired weight for February. The cakes and all the carbo-loaded pasta got the better of me. But I've been good for the past three days in my food intake.


Note:  My resolutions don't just start or end on a specific date. I do them continuously as part of my Be the Best Person I Can Be Project. :)  I just highlight each monthly for focus.


Resolution for March: Diligence and Discipline.

Home Cooked

My family attended my aunt's 61st birthday celebration a few weeks ago. Everyone looks forward to events like this because we rarely see each other. I miss them and as expected, there were lots of updating from each other. I didn't notice the time. It was already 12 midnight when we left my aunt's house.

My aunt is a great cook and I think two of her children got her talent in the kitchen. I eagerly anticipate seeing my cousins and my niece and yes, the food that they will be serving. Nothing unusual or grand but they really cook well.

Three of my favorites from my aunt's menu are chicken cordon bleu, spaghetti with meatballs and biko!

I was so inspired by how my cousin prepared this that I tried doing this last weekend I think. She said she just followed what she saw in YouTube. That's the problem with me. I don't have the patience like that when it comes to cooking. Anyway, the appearance of what I did was nothing like this but taste is okay. I have to start somewhere, y'know.


Chicken cordon bleu
And I thought I have mastered spaghetti. Well, compared to this, a big NO. They only added Italian sauce and added meatballs with basil but I don't know why it tastes sooo good.


Spaghetti with Meatballs
Oh yes, my all time favorite dessert, biko! I love this!


Biko
I don't have their talent for cooking but I'm working on it. I have been working on it and will continue to work on it. I don't surrender easily. :)

*All pictures courtesy of my cousin posted in my aunt's Facebook.

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

Monthly Highlight: January 2012

1. I enjoyed watching these:
Movies:
- Ides of March

Television Shows:
- Anderson
- The New Girl
- American Idol, Season 11
- Sometimes PBB Unlimited amuses me.
- I tried catching up with the coverage of the impeachment trial.
- Enchong Dee's soap

2. I read:
- Mockingjay

3. I listened to this music a lot:
- Someone Like You by Adele

4. I received/I gave:
- Cake for my aunt.
- Potluck during the small family get-together at my FIL's place.
- I received a lot of cakes this month.
- Baby feeding set for my husband's godchild.

5. I bought:
- My gym outfits - cycling shorts and bottoms.
- A lot of food.
- Refurbished my eyeglass and my daughter's.

6. I savor these memorable days of the month:
- 15th wedding anniversary of husband and I.
- My sister's birthday.
- Get-together during my my aunt's birthday celebration.
- Family get-together at my FIL's place.
- PTC at my daughter's school which was really rewarding.
- My daughter's first duty at the church's evangelical mission.
- First time to attend an evangelical mission at the church for both my daughter and I.

7. Bonding time with family and friends:
- Lunch date with my friends at Yakimix.
- Customary Jan 1 get together at my father in law's house.
- Attending the reception of my husband's god child.
- Going to my aunt's house to celebrate her 61st birthday.
- Dinner at Stacy's with my family.
- Lunch with my daughter at Shakey's.

8. Restaurants I visited (with family and friends)/Food I love:
- Buffet at Yakimix. I love the Korean BBQ.
- Dinner at Stacy's. Wheat bread which comes along with shrimp scampi is good!
- Lunch with my daughter at Shakey's.
- Fry and Pop, sour cream variant.

9. Accomplishments:
- I managed to organize very important work-related documents which serve as my references for the time being. I have now ease in using important files.
- I lost 2 lbs from the holiday binge.

10. New/routine workout I enjoyed doing:
- Religiously attending Body Pump and Body Combat.
- Surprisingly I am again enjoying Body Balance and Gentle Flow.

11. For the first time:
- My daughter's suitor came to the house, handed me a cake and greeted me a belated Happy New Year. Oh geez. There are a number of boys who has a crush on my daughter. Once one of them went to the house but we were not here but this is the first time that a boy actually goes to the house and stays for several hours. My 13 year old daughter has a persistent suitor.

- Attended our church's evangelical mission with my daughter.

12. My feel good moments:
- My daughter's 3rd quarter grades significantly improved. She's already in the top 4. Her adviser's very good feedback on her - that she's one of the star pupils.
- My daughter represented their class in two essay writing contests in school.
- Seeing my daughter bond with her friends here at home.
- Opportunities presented themselves to me.
- Being able to give time to blog again. Also diligently update my Project 365 blog.
- Mom and Pop's phone calls.
- Get together with the relatives.
- Dinner with the family.
- New outfits for daughter and me :)
- Daughter's new hairstyle.
- My red toenails.
- My haircut!

I am holding on to a dream I had on the first day of the year 2012. It's a dream I never had for so many years. The feeling was fantastic! I feel good about it. Whenever I feel down, I try to think about it. I know my dreams tell me about what's going on and what is happening. It may be one of God's signs to me. I am definitely having a breakthrough year on 2012!

This year 2012 I declared it My Breakthrough Year and A Year of Giving (from me). When I say breakthrough, I mean going up the next level, achieving things and dreams I am just so excited about and being where I want to be, God willing. At this point, a month after 2012, I'm fervently working on them and praying hard for their realization.

When I say giving, they need not be big but I am also speaking about small gestures of kindness which is a part of my goal to be a better person. So far, I'm able to wholeheartedly do this. :)

Resolution for January:
I choose to keep the faith. God has always been with me. I will only give room for hard work, a prayerful heart with high hopes and great expectancy.

Have I been faithful in that resolution? 95%, yes!


Note:  My resolutions don't just start or end on a specific date. I do them continuously as part of my Be the Best Person I Can Be Project. :)  I just highlight each monthly for focus.

Stacy's, Capitol Greenstreet

We just had a long weekend in the Philippines, the first for the year, because of the Chinese New Year which fell on a Monday. The family attended two events on Sunday, a christening and my aunt's birthday, so our scheduled dinner on a Sunday was put off for Monday night. I urged them to try Stacy's.

I have read about Stacy's and recently, one of the celebrities I follow in Twitter and Facebook had their picture taken at the restaurant. It is such a dainty restaurant. If you are familiar with Sonja at Bonifacio High Street, it's like a bigger version of it. I researched some more and found out prices are very reasonable and menu is actually a mix of Filipino, American, and Italian dishes. And they have cakes! :)

This if for free. A cup of marshmallows, popcorn, and pink pretzels. I love the cup. I hope they give it away. Or peg for a certain amount, as long as it's reasonable, I'd take it.


Share popcorn while waiting for the food to be served.
My daughter ordered Homebaked Chicken Parmesan which she devoured up to the last piece. She loves food with cheese generally.


Home Baked Chicken Parmesan, P215
She partnered it with hot choco. Hot drinks come with a cookie I suppose because my husband's coffee has one too.


Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows, P95
I do not take rice often so I settled for the Spicy Lemon Shrimp Scampi which comes with a soft wheat bread with garlic and butter spread. I love it! I also like it that the food server asked me if I do not like my scampi spicy. It's as if she read my mind. I do not like spicy foods. I was about to say to just make it mild.


Spicy Lemon Shrimp Scampi, P215
My husband had Mobster's Meal which has sausage and a mix of stir fried vegetables. This one's really spicy. By the way, the rice is molded in a heart shape. Nice.


Mobster's Meal, P215
For dessert I ordered Devil's Cake. I love the chocolate filling with chocolate bits.


Devil's Cake, P125
My husband ordered Cafe Americano which perfectly matches the cake we shared. My daughter really has no sweet tooth so it's only husband and I which consumed the cake. Good thing. :)


Cafe Americano, P80
Oh yes, the change comes with butter ball. I do not see butter ball in the grocery. I thought this is phased out a long time ago. :)


I love the interior of the restaurant. My husband loves it too as he is so fond of the 50s. It looks cozy, dainty and just so much fun.

Cuteness!


I love the pink ref!

Us :)
We're going to visit this restaurant frequently. It's just a short distance drive from our home. :)


Stacy's
Capitol Greenstreet Commercial Center,
1 Capitol Hills Drive, Quezon City

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

I am officially missing Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Even Cinna.

I finished Mockingjay yesterday, the final chapter of The Hunger Games Trilogy (written by Suzanne Collins). I know these books since they were released, from 2008 for the first book, 2009 for Catching Fire and around August of 2010 for the last book. Obviously I have not paid much attention to them until last December when my daughter wanted the books.

There were no single issue of The Hunger Games but they come in threes already. I bought the whole set for my daughter. I started reading it too. I got hooked.

Yes, this book is classified under the Young Adult (YA) category, roughly from age 14 to 21. But a middle-aged woman like me still loves this particular trilogy.

Why do I like it? Let me see. My thoughts are racing why I like these books so much I need to organize them.

1. Characters:
Katniss Everdeen's character is very interesting for someone her age who lived through poor conditions in a post-apocalyptic world. With a sister to take care of, a mother who seemed to withdraw from the world when their father died and an ugly cat who's another border in their house - she's both strong and vulnerable.

She poaches, she hunts, she trades in a black market, she manages her feelings for a certain boy. Stubborn, strong-willed for a 16 year old girl. She doesn't always make the best decisions but always manages to hold on and stand by her words and actions.

I am glad to note the writer did not make her a superwoman nor someone too pure and great but someone who shows her vulnerability, picks up where she messed up, plans another course of action, and do it.

The boys are there of course. I like Peeta Mellark for his being honest that it hurts. He bakes too! And paints and knows what to say and what not to say which makes him someone to lean on in times of distress. He's someone you look for when things are getting so chaotic.

Gale Hawthorne is the hunter, strong, good looking, fighter with almost the same family background as Katniss. I love his character in the way that he loves Katniss but not lovelorn. He lets go of the woman he loves knowing he is not the one she needs to survive. This he did with no drama. Letting go and moving on.

2. Setting:
As always, in every book I read, the setting plays a major part in my imagination. I get all the more enticed to read the book with how I imagine how the characters live and move in their houses, in their buildings or wherever they may be. In this case, in the arena where the hunger games are held. I cannot wait to see the Cornucopia in the movie version. How does the Capitol look like? The other districts? The whole of Panem?

3. Plot:
It's the plot where I got so really engrossed which also made me wonder why it's under YA category. The Hunger Games and later on in Mockingjay, Quarter Quell, leave nothing to your imagination the way battles are described. Your mind will see how it is happening. I mean it's very graphic your heart will race as to how this will end.

That's the reason why it's hard for me to put the books down especially reading towards the last part of Mockingjay. How on earth will this end? It's like there is always a cliffhanger. The author is very good at that.

For Catching Fire and Mockingjay, I can't seem to guess how they will end the story because the pages are thinning already but the story still does not suggest what is going to happen. As a reader, and I'm talking about myself here, I get to foresee or at least imagine how the story will flow. But with the two books I've mentioned, I was really waiting how they will hack it so to speak. In some books that I read somehow I know "oh it's bound to happen" (like Dan Brown books). But The Hunger Games trilogy excites me in this way, what will they do next?

Oh dear, I cannot wait to see the movie version of The Hunger Games. It's on March 2012. I love the preview.


I am not really keen on post-apocalyptic movies or television shows that's why I am surprised I love The Walking Dead and The Hunger Games. Well, pleasantly surprised. :)