Defensive Driving

I attended a trouble shooting seminar last Saturday offered by Honda Cars Cebu to their clients. They showed us how to change a tire and offered tips on car maintenance and whatnots. Plus, the driving tips were quite helpful too.

One thing I learned - be a defensive driver!!! Driving here in the Philippines can be quite a challenge given the poor road conditions and equally worse motorcycle/jeepney/taxi drivers attitude. I especially hate it when taxi drivers cut me off to get ahead, when motorcycle drivers swerve in and out of their lanes and when jeepney drivers stop almost anywhere on the road to pick up passengers causing traffic. That's what you have to expect when driving in the PI. Since you can't do much about other's driving etiquette, might as well do something with yours, i.e. keep a level and cool head, be a defensive driver and give way to the other drivers to avoid collision.

Speaking of collision, more and more motorcycle drivers are getting into an accident here in our city. While many wear helmets - they are just those cheap kinds, some even have small kids as passengers and let them wear bicycle helmets!! What good is that? There are good brands like the HJC IS-Max that I can suggest. I really wish the PI laws would implement strict rules regarding the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

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Trip To The Mall

When I bring my 2 boys to the mall, I don't call it "malling"; I call it a full body workout. Forget 2 hour in the treadmill or zumba! I have my own sure fire way for losing weight and staying toned. You won't believe how tiring it is to carry a 2yr old around the mall - not to mention the times when you have to run around and chase him when he suddenly see's something he fancies.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother bringing them to these places at all. I mean, they run around, throw tantrums when I don't buy them toys, refuse to be civilized human beings in restaurants and demand to be carried even if there is a perfectly working stroller with us.

Oh well, I guess at the end of the day, it's the smile on their pretty little faces that makes a trip to the mall worthwhile. You see, there's always a lot of new places to see, people to meet and things to buy in the mall(!) so its pretty easy to make a kids frown turn upside down. After all, they won't be small for a long time so I'd better make the most of it.

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New Point & Shoot

Most of the people I know either has a Nikon SLR or a Canon. I, myself have a Nikon. While I am completely happy with it, I actually want to get another cam. However, I want a smaller one. Especially since the kids tend to reach out for the cam and grab it. I am always scared that they destroy the lens or something. There are times too when a big bulky SLR is somewhat inconvenient so a smaller digi cam is a great alternative.

A friend of mine works in Olympus and she has suggested several models of olympus digital cameras which is just right for me. Why Olympus, I asked? Apparently, it is one the best in digital cameras (according to her). I will consider her suggestion. Truly.

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Be Still My Beating Heart

I woke up early today coughing and felt a tightening in my chest. I don't know whether it's because I had a dream about Hubby and I suddenly miss him more or if I need to visit the doctor and his little ecg machines. I have a history of MVP (mitral valve prolapse) so I am quite familiar with the feeling. Just for the information of those who doesn't know what MVP is, it is a heart problem in which the valve that separates the upper and lower chambers of the left side of the heart does not close properly. Symptoms include palpitations, chest pain, difficulty in breathing after an activity, fatigue, cough and shortness of breath when lying flat. I have 3 out of the 6 symptoms, that's 50% chance of my MVP acting up.

Anyway, I really do hope this is nothing. Of course, to be on the safe side, I think I will probably pop by the doctors on Saturday. Better be on the safe side.

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This is REALLY it.

I've always talked about going on a diet but lo and behold, I've never followed through with my plans.

These are the 2 reasons for my failure. #1. My absolute favorite breakfast food and snack item. Nutella. I can eat it on its own, with bread or banana. I (extra) love it alone though. I can eat it all day if I can.


#2 Vanilla Ice cream.

It's the perfect dessert for every meal. 'Nuff said.

But then, my pants doesn't fit anymore. =( I HAD TO SHOP for additional clothes because my old clothes doesn't look good on me anymore. Plus, I am tired of people commenting on my weight gain - so there. This is really it this time. I will make sure to follow through with my diet plan.

So there - today I swear I'd start cutting back on my sweets and even rice. I am currently 104 lbs. I hope to lose 9 lbs to reach my ideal weight of 95 lbs.

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Island Adventure

When Hub and I went to Boracay for the first time last July, we decided that we should try the activities that the island has to offer. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very cooperative so we just tried Helmet Walking and Para-sailing. Helmet walking involved us going 15feet down with big bulky helmets which made us see the life underwater. It was so much fun posing for pictures underwater and feeding the colorful fishes. Para-sailing was extremely scary! I didn't realize how high up you could go and how strong the winds can be.

The one thing I wanted to try as well was the ATV tour. How cool is that in the pic? I'd pick out the biggest ATV Wheels in the lot for sure. Anyway, the tour would be led by a guide and your group with go through the island and you end up at the highest point of Boracay where you can marvel at the beauty of pristine Boracay. My friends who were there a week after us tried it and I was a bit jealous looking at their pictures. Okay, I was jealous already because we didn't get to spend the weekend in Boracay together as originally planned but that's fine because the 3 days with Hubby was worth the wait. Maybe, we can try the ATV thing the next time we visit the island - hopefully this time we will be with the kids.

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Friday Fill-Ins 08-11-2011

And...here we go!

1. The only question is where did I put my wallet?

2. I finished 18 glasses of water in one day.

3. Three things on my desk: Water, Victoria Secret Hydrating Lotion and my ever reliable 2011 Starbucks Planner.

4. P E E is the one thing I HAVE to do today!

5. I love playing with my 2 boys.

6. My lotion (see#3) is a bit fruity for my taste, it overwhelms the senses.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing some more Babel Rising, tomorrow my plans include bringing Jacob to his class in Gymboree, I do hope he cooperates this time and Sunday, I want to shop!

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Playing God

I know I am not supposed to be slacking but the game Babel Rising is so addictive. I especially love it when all the "heretics" die because of the massive earthquake!!! Basically in the game you are God, and mankind wants to build a tower to reach heaven. This is obviously unacceptable so you stop them by using different natural disasters.

Anyway - speaking of natural disasters, I am reminded of death and how imminent it is. Personally, I know 2 people who died last week. When I was young, I didn't think much about it - not until I had 2 kids of my own whom I love to bits. I cannot bear the thought of leaving them. Which brings me to the point of this post. I've been meaning to get additional insurance coverage for myself and life insurance (with investment) for Hubby. I have been scanning the site, www.wholesaleinsurance.net to get ideas on how much we're supposed to spend in relation to our age. I want to choose the right company to get insured with, just to make sure, after all, this is for our life. It can disappear in a blink of an eye. We should be prepared for it in all aspects. Agree?

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Goal Weight: 100lbs!

I've been trying to lose weight for the past couple of weeks now (via dieting) and frankly, I don't see it working. I love to eat. I am easily tempted and I can't live without sweets and rice (ack! too much sugar).

The next best thing is to exercise. I will probably try Zumba and badminton. I will also try to run a marathon (good luck to me) or better yet, I want to try biking! I love to bike, when I was young, my sister and I would spend the whole afternoon biking around the neighborhood. Too bad there isn't any biking trail here in the City. Maybe if I had an SUV I can install an suv bike rack, go up North of the City and explore the provincial area. Oh well, since I've got none of those (yet) I'd settle for the stationary bike that we have here our family room. Let's see how long I can last with that.

Weight watch, 107 lbs. Goal = 100lbs. I can do this!=)

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Shoes For Me.

Shoes galore.

I've asked a designer friend to make me some lovely shoes. Here are some of our ideas.




I chose option 2 and 3.

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