Toy Hunt: Farm Animal

I'll be busy today so I'm going to make this short and quick.

I really had a tough time looking for any farm animal toys that the little girl may have. She has oodles of other toys but not one falls in the farm animal category, until of course I remembered this cute little lamb stuffed toy that was given to her when she was born. It's still got the tags on, and pretty much brand new as I've kept it away from her at the time she got it. What would a tiny newborn want anyway with a fluffy toy like this right? Well, I'm glad I found it so I can show it to her when the day comes that she gets bored with all of her toys. Maybe this will keep her amused even for just a short time.

Mommy Moments: First Smile(s)

Would you believe I never documented the day Erin first smiled at us? Well, yeah, forgetful mother that I am, I am not quite sure what day or month it was that she voluntarily gave us a smile. This first picture though was definitely an involuntary one as it was taken when she was just two weeks old. It is one of my favorite photos of her. (The pictures are small so make sure to turn your led lights for this to see my favorite captured moments.)

Babies do smile a lot when they are asleep, didn't you notice? But, according to BabyCenter, babies flash their genuine smile at around 3 months, so I went digging for pictures of the little girl at this age. Here she is at 14 weeks, wide awake but giving us a hesitant one.

And by around the fifth month, she started to give us an endless supply of those melt-your-heart smiles.

It sure pays to take all these photos because you can look back and reminisce these truly wonderful moments.

H-O-T!!!

Geez, it is H-O-T! If it's snowing like crazy up north, down here, we're like being baked in an oven. I was just out outside to hang our clothes to dry and as expected, I've added more tan to my arms and shoulders without even going to the beach. I'm all toasted in a few minutes time. I don't know when this heat is letting up, but I am just glad that I am not in Victoria right now to experience it in the 40's. I guess that wine of the month is out of the picture for a while because we have enough heat to keep us (more than) warm, which reminds me that it's time to bring out those ice-cold drinks now. I'll be back tomorrow for my entry to Chris' Mommy Moments.

Free Basic Seminar in Make-up and Fashion Styling

Here's another public service announcement for you. I got this again from my N@W egroup, and just wanted to share this event to all interested.

When & Where
February 4, 2009 (Wednesday) – 1-4 p.m.
Little Theatre of the Philippine Institute of Quezon City, 62 Kitanlad St. Quezon City (near Banawe, E. Rodriguez side)

It's a free event provided you bring the following materials:
Foundation – match the skintone
Concealer – match the skintone
Pressed Powder – match the skintone
Eyebrow Color Pencil or Powde in medium brown with grey
undertone
Eyeshadows – all tones of brown, either matte or frosted
Pear colors in whitish yellow or skintone color
Yellowish pearl color
Eyeliner – black in pencil or cream
Mascara – black water resistant
Eyelash Curler
Blush – Pinkish brown or peach
Lipstick – in pinkish brown or plumish color
Moisturizer – for eyes, skin, lips
Sponges – all kinds
Brushes – Angledbrush for eyebrows
Applicator brush for eyeshadow
Blending brush for eyeshadow
Blush brush
Lip brush
Facial Mist
Facial Wipes
Kleenex

For more information and/or registration, call Michel Rocha or Cindy Lim at (632) 7120067 or 4130010.

Counting Down

February is right around the corner, which means only one thing to our family. There's only a month left before our birthdays as all three of us celebrate it in the merry month of March. Also, the Virgin Mary is dropping by our house for her yearly visit. It's a tradition in our family now, ever since I came to Oz. Anyway, I better check out these Nixon watches. Maybe I'll be getting somebody a nice set for his birthday. :) TTFN.

Ideal Getaway

Your Ideal Island Vacation is Nevis



On an island vacation, you need the sun, the beach, the sand, and the ocean.

In other words, it doesn't take much to make you happy. That's what the vacation is for. Nevis is perfect for a true island vacation aficionado like yourself. It's underrated, small, and laid back. Sure, it's a slower pace, but that's ideal. You won't be overwhelmed with activities, and you'll take the time to truly relax.

What's Your Ideal Island Vacation?

But my question is, where the heck is Nevis? So I googled for it and discovered that...

Nevis (pronounced /ˈniːvɪs/ (NEE-viss)) is an island in the Caribbean, located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Puerto Rico and 50 miles (80 km) west of Antigua. The 36 square-mile (93 km²) island is part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies.

Source: Wikipedia

In that case, bring on the holidays! I would certainly love to go there. :)

One Down

Woohoo! We finally are getting one of our cabinets delivered this afternoon. After all the waiting, we can finally starting saying goodbye to our storage woes. The one coming in today is not actually discount furniture from the shops from Fyshwick but we did get it using a cool 12-month no-interest payment plan. I would have thought that we would be getting them next month yet but I'm pleased with the change of plans, as it is already one month since we ordered them. One down, one more to go. I really hope the other one comes soon so I can start making space for it and start being more organised. :)

Avent's Joyful Parenting Event

I got this announcement from one of my e-groups. Just sharing with those who might be interested in attending this event for parents.

WHAT: Philips Avent’s JOYFUL PARENTING EVENT
WHEN: January 31, 2009
WHERE: LJS Corporate Center located at 550 Mag. Abad Santos St., Bacood Sta. Mesa, Manila, Philippines

Let our highly qualified speakers give you more than just the basic on pregnancy, infant care, breastfeeding and others to prepare you for Joyful Parenting.

The Programme Highlights are as follows:
“Getting Back to Normal” by Dr. Christopher Joseph Soriano, (Ob_Gyne)
Issues after pregnancy like timing of sex, exercise, hygiene, family planning methods, post-partum depression and subsequent follow-up like pap smear, breast exam, etc.

“Breastfeeding & Beyond, Growing up with your Baby?” by Dr. Anthony Calibo, Pediatrician
Issues on breastfeeding, immunization, growth and development, child proofing your home and more.

“Keeping the Glow during Pregnancy” by Ms. Catherine Bernardino, Goody Products Philippines
Pregnant Moms’ Beauty Arsenal – From Make up to Wardrobe

ADMISSION IS FREE but registration is a must. To register please call (02) 713-9435 to 38 local 143 or 130 and look for Jenny, Lorie or Virgie; or you can send us an email with your name, contact details, email address and name of companion(s) to avent@ljs.com.ph . Daddies are encouraged to attend.

Special gifts and prizes await those who will pre-register. Onsite registration starts at 1pm. Event proper starts promptly at 2pm.

Toy Hunt: Round Toys

This week's theme is not an unusual adjective for most of children's toys, but I tried to refrain from posting the obvious. Immediately below is not a totally round one, but just the same, it's got round features so I decided to post this one as my entry for the week.


It's part of a set of toys for the beach or sand pit. It's like a shovel, only round at one end, and you can make round shapes of sand with it. Erin got this as a prize in one our Christmas party games.


The item above is my entry to this week's Litratong Pinoy theme which is Orange. But I figure, since it is round in nature, I'd post a different perspective of it with this photo here. See all the bumps on its surface? It might look a bit weird but everyone here loves playing with it because it bounces in all sorts of directions.

Widening my horizons

Apart from the continuing education requirements I have to complete for my profession, I have recently attended an online class on digital scrapbooking. I love it really, it's just that I am too lazy to scrap or I feel like I don't feel creative enough to do a layout. Yeah, it all depends on my mood which really isn't helping because I've pretty much gotten nowhere in my scrapping abilities, save for the basic layering, cropping and rotating on Photoshop. Anyway, if you're into it as well, you can check out my other blog for future online classes. TTFN and hope you all have a wonderful weekend ahead.

Mommy Moments: Latest Birthday Photo of Erin

The little girl's second birthday is in March yet so I will be posting her party photo taken last year.

Erin celebrated her birthday with family and friends on Easter Monday, as her real birthday fell on a weekday. She loves Huckle Cat even when she was just an infant so we decided to use this character on her birthday cake which was done by a fellow Filipina based here in Canberra. This year though we may be joining the Dora bandwagon as she is totally smitten by this character. But we're also torn in using Iggle Piggle of the In The Night Garden Series as she loves him as much too. We'll see.

As her party was not really celebrated on her birthday, I am posting a photo (above) that was taken on the day itself. She turned one in this picture. We just ate out that day, bought a simple cake at Michel's and posed for a few shots when we got home to blow the candles.

Tempting Offer

My goal for this year is to be able to get back into the workforce, even if it is just only part time. I have checked with the local OTs who are in public service, but they've informed me that there is no vacancy at the moment. I got to exchange emails with a good friend though and she was offering me position with a very generous salary. It is very tempting but unfortunately it is a job in the US. I might have a job there but hubby may have a hard time getting one of those programmer jobs. But still it is something to think about. Seriously.

Noblesse Oblige Award

Thanks to Chris for passing this on to me. I am deeply flattered! :)

This Award is presented to bloggers who display consistency in any one or a combination of these conditions:
1. The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.
2. The Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.
3. There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4. The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5. The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.


The Blogger who receives this award will need to perform the following steps:
1. Create a Post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.
2. The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post.
3. Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved – preferably citing one or more older Post to support.
4. The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award conditions.
5. The Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.

I've put up this blog to pretty much highlight how it is to be a parent. I am a first-time parent and though it is a hard job to do, it has its rewards as well. I love researching and learning more about how to cope with the different challenges that this new responsibility of mine has brought.

Also by joining these photo memes, I think I have met a few other moms who are in the same boat as I am. And I am so glad that this blog has been an avenue for that. :)

This award goes out to Era, Jigi and Jeng.

Buyer's Market

I just did more research on those microwave ovens available here in Oz. Geez, I didn't realise it would be more dificult choosing one than I thought as I really don't know much about them. There are lots of brands to choose from and they seem okay, but still I need more feedback performance-wise. The only consolation is that almost all the appliance stores are offering great installment plans so even if the ovens are not on sale, we can opt to not pay them for at least a hundred days. It certainly is a buyer's market now, but only question is does the buyer have the money to buy things? LOL.

22 Months Already?

I can't believe it slipped our minds that Erin turned 22 months yesterday. Come to think of it, she's going to turn two in a couple of months. She certainly has grown so fast and so much in the past few months, absorbing everything like a sponge. Of note is her fondness for TV commercials and how she can sing along the last few parts of the jingles. It's so fun watching and listening to her now because she has all these jargons in an attempt to imitate all these words that she hears. I can't wait for the day when we can actually converse with her in complete sentences. That will surely be a treat! :)

Out of the budget

Oh boy, our old microwave oven finally bid us goodbye tonight. It just would not turn on anymore no matter where we try to plug the poor old thing to. Well, it's been J's oven even when he was just living as a bachelor, and it's done him a good service in all those years. Now it's time to hit the shops for a new one ASAP because we just realised how important an appliance it was in our everyday life. I hope they good brands on sale, because this really was not included in this month's budget. And since we're out looking for a good oven, we might get the convection type combo as well so we can do more with it.

Toy Hunt: Interactive Toy(s)

This is just one of Erin's interactive toys. It's a Vtech Alphabet Phonics Book. I normally wouldn't buy her toys, especially those as expensive as this brand but heck, what was I supposed to do when I saw it at KMart being sold for only 4 bucks? And since she is much into singing her ABC's now (no matter how 'trying hard' she sounds), I gave in and got her this during the stocktake sale.

Here's more information on the toy from their website:

Who will win the race between the rabbit and the turtle? Find out with the Alphabet Phonics Book- a 6 page, interactive storybook with a fun animal theme. Children can explore phonics, the alphabet and simple spelling in a familiar and encouraging book format.

Touch sensitive page buttons will also introduce children to basic letter formation by simply tracing the strokes with their fingers! Encourages language development and learning through observation and memory.

Sweet Tooth

You Are Chocolate Chip Pancakes



You prefer sweet and rich foods. You shy away from anything that's overly bland or unnaturally fat free. It's not likely that someone would find low fat cheese or sugar free cookies in your kitchen. Instead, someone might find a pan of brownies baking in the oven or warm popcorn covered in real butter.

What Kind of Pancakes Are You?

Well, they are very much spot-on on this, no doubt about that. Makes me crave now for pancakes! :P

Weight Watch

Oh boy, all those food fests during the holidays seem to be biting me in the a$$ now. Sorry for the French, but I really do think all the hard work I did last year exercising my butt off went out of the window. As I look at myself in the mirror these days, there seems to be a hint of a mommy pouch making a comeback. This only really means two things, people -- diet and exercise! And I'm not talking about diet pills, crash diets or bootcamp workouts okay. Just keeping things in check and doing everything in moderation, I reckon, is always key. Yeah, right! It all remains to be seen...

Mommy Moments: First Picture(s)

This is my first entry to Chris' Mommy Moments. This week's theme was easy so I couldn't pass up on this one. I hope you aren't squeamish, but as the theme calls for first pictures of the little girl, then there is no other way to go but to be totally true to it, right?

Alright, here goes... I gave birth the natural way (see my foot?) -- no drugs, no episiotomy, just 6 stitches! I had been in active labor since 10 PM. By around 2:30 AM the following morning I was already 8 cms dilated and began pushing soon after. At exactly 3:23 AM, this little bub, Erin Chloe, came out, screaming her lungs out within seconds. Click here to read my blow-by-blow account of Erin's birth.

And here she is all cleaned up, in our room at the postnatal ward.

Gosh, she looks really different now as compared to the way she did before. Ah yes, definitely a Mommy Moment for me there! :)

Free Seminar: Sharing the Gift of Giftedness

Just popping in to say that if you're not busy visiting any vacation rentals this weekend, you might want to check out this event which I earlier posted an announcement on at my other site AngTherapist.com. If you have or know a gifted child then this event will definitely be of interest to you.

When & Where
January 17, 2009
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Benitez Theatre
University of the Philippines
College of Education
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

For more information, contact Joanne Nepomuceno at (63)917-8172663.

Toy Hunt: Small Toys

This weekend's Toy Hunt focuses on small toys. I am featuring Erin's Little People set by Fisher Price which she received last Christmas. I've zoomed in on this little carrot-top girl because she really is small. When made to stand, she's only about three inches tall. Not tiny, but big and safe enough for the kiddies to play with. Erin enjoys playing with this set which comes with her own picnic table and basket, bench, umbrella, and rabbit.

On Home Improvements

If you didn't know about it already, we have accomplished our very first home improvement project, and have blogged about it in my AMOP blog, with before-and-after pictures as well to give you an idea of how much of an improvement it really was.

Well, any day now we are expecting a few storage cabinets to be delivered to finally get some if not most of our things organised. At the moment, we are sorting through all of our stuff to get rid of unwanted items and hopefully get more space for all of them. And in this process, we found quite a few that we have been searching for in a long time, like those disposable gloves that J was supposed to use when he was fixing our walls. Anyway, I can't believe how we can acquire so much stuff in less than a year that we've been here. Don't worry, we've not thrown everything into the bins. Some of them have been donated to charity so that other people can make use of them. That's our good deed for the year. :)

Toy Hunt: Toy with Wheels

It's my first post here for the new year, and it's for Joy's weekly toy hunt. This time, I am featuring a gift which Erin received last Christmas from one of her godfathers. It's a convertible rocking/push-along horse. She likes it a lot as it's totally different from the rest of the toys she's got, which are mostly stuffed or just manipulatives.