Bye SC 2008-2009!

Gabby with classmate Amber and schoolmate Cassidy. This was taken two weeks before their summer vacation. How time flies, school year 2008-2009 is finally over! Hello school year 2009-2010! Gabby is moving up to Grade 1. 

Mom And Gabby

Gabby with my Mom (Lola Lorna), train ride one Sunday afternoon in SM Southmall. Bonding time for them!

Toy Hunt Meme

I am excited to post my first entry for this meme. I had fun!  I noticed that a common toy that our child has is a mini laptop.

I actually planned to talk about the same toy laptop initially. I posted it here anyway so you'll have a clear picture, literally :=) of what I am talking about. But I saw this little toy piano that Gabby liked so much. It was given to her by my Mom in Summer of 2008. I saw it has numbers too, so I decided to put it as my entry. The numbers correspond to musical notes, serving as a guide for her to follow and make music, sing her heart out. Sometimes I couldn't make out her tune, but that's ok! I just can't seem to find her piano booklet! Where'd that booklet go???) Anyway,  since the numbers are hard to distinguish from this full view, I zoomed in so the numbers can be clearly seen. Hehe, I don't want my  first entry rejected by default (not following instructions, LOL!) Join our Toy Hunt and have fun!

 

Beaute de Maman Health & Beauty Products

Who said looking good and staying healthy at the same time is just a myth during pregnancy? Generally, expecting moms worry about the safety of the baby in their womb therefore, they tend to suspend using most beauty products. We all know that several beauty products are not safe for both mother and baby since it may contain harmful chemicals and ingredients. Problems related to the physiological and hormonal changes experienced by women during pregnancy such as stretch mark, darkened nipples, acne, etc. are usually left untreated.  As a result of this, mothers-to-be often feel unattractive, undesirable and unaccepted.

Beaute de Maman Health & Beauty Products offer a unique line of products developed and evaluated by board-certified obstetricians.  The products only contain natural and herbal allergy tested ingredients, making it safe for pregnant women and their babies. The products were carefully and diligently researched by physicians and practicing obstetrician and tested on actual human patients. And the mission aims to deal only with maternal problems. I’ve read that the products have been  used by Hollywood celebrity moms-to be, who believe in what the efficacy of the products and its non-harmful effects. Not to mention how affordable it is compared to other leading brands in the market today. So mothers-to-be? No more worries, order now ! Look good and healthy at the same time during pregnancy. 

Beep Beep

Shots taken at a Carshow in The World Trade Center last month. Gabby enjoyed the scenery and posed by her favorite cars. 

Adoption Advocacy

There are thousands of Filipino babies in the Philippines who deserve a family and a home. And we are certain that there are thousands of  deserving adoptive families in the Philippines and around the world who are waiting to be matched with these babies. 

Lifeline Foundation Support Team Inc is advocating adoption. The team is creating a web portal unifying all local information on adoption. This aims to provide those families with the necessary information on adoption and to bridge the gap between agencies focused on adoption in the Philippines. 

Find out more about the Team and be a part of the change!

 

Redheads Social Network

Another interactive network, Redheadd.com, creates a portal for red headed people and red head lovers to meet, intermingle, share and build friendship over the world wide web. Interesting enough, it is a site specifically for people with red hair – oh well, you either are naturally born with it or you had just had a red dye done in your favorite salon??? Haha. Yes, sporting a red hair is now part of fashion and style.

Red hair varies from a deep orange-red through burnt orange to bright copper. And from what I read, approximately 1% to 2% of the human population has red hair! Wow! Hence, the members (those genuinely redheads) of said portal are a rare find, don’t you think? I just hope that most of them are not “fiery-tempered redheads” as many commonly refer them to be – talk about stereotyping, huh? I don’t think so, after reading through their exchanges. The site also has a gallery where they sell merchandise items such as shirts, stickers, etc. that displays the Redheadd.com logo. It also has a forum, blog, message walls, music, videos, to name a few,  where they share their common interests, their life – red head to another red head, finding identity and a sense of belonging. - Fun! 

The Best Coffee Shop Down South

I've found the Best Coffee House: BoNa Coffee Company, proudly Philippine owned, offers only the freshest low fat, low cal muffins and gourmet sandwiches, guilt-free salads and the tastiest coffee, smoothies and concoctions. This company only uses 100% locally-grown beans!  

You will feel at-home in this indie coffee shop with FREE wifi (YES, its free...and unlimited).  Be part of this community.

The Cause of Giving Back

Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc is the company's partner foundation. BoNa supports and help fund the foundation's projects -- which aim to change people's lives. 

Find out more more about it! Visit http://www.bonacoffeecompany.com

FRESHEST: On My Soapbox

Hi there! I am inviting you to visit me on my newest site On My Soapbox! Watch out for exciting,fun and no non-sense entries that may change you or someone else's life!

Gaga Over Coffee!

One of my newest passions…COOOFFFEEEE!

 

More Updates...

Just wanted to  share with you our newest picture. She’s more vibrant, smart and adorable than ever.  She is also becoming independent and responsible.  Now, she can take a bath on her own! Yahoo!

 

Hi Gals!

Hi EVERYONE!  MISSED ALL OF YOU!!!

Wow! Been REALLY busy, obviously! I'm working now with the most promising COFFEE COMPANY in the country (YEAH!) and we are exxxppannddinggg! We are going to open soon at the Mall Of Asia so brace yourself! I will be posting new entries, announcements over here. 

There should be no excuse! We should find time for everything. So I'll be more disciplined, consistent and diligent. Though blogging is not my priority, I will find time writing here, I enjoy it anyway, and there's extra income from it. 

See you around!

Long Time No Blog

Thanks to JoyD for this tag. Bottom line, its keeping the friendship alive!

I love the blogs of these people and I’m glad to pass this award onto them! All they need to do is to leave the following message on their post when they pass the award on to their chosen eight bloggers.

They all are charmed with the blogs, where in the majority of its aims are to show the marvels and to do friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut or that they propagate? Then let’s try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to 8 bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this.

And now to the ladies who are keepers of friendship: Racel, Shimumsy, Alf, Tere, Liza, Emzkie, Pinaymama, Rhedge

Are You Looking For Someone?

Life is all about relationship. We were created to have a wonderful relationship with the Lord, and our brothers and sisters. It is always important to have meaningful and healthy relationship with friends and other people. I’ve made a lot of friends when I was still in school and in the companies I’ve worked in. I make it a point to get in touch with them through SMS, email or community service websites. Once in a while I make time out to see them for get together fun and chatty. One time when we were arranging a reunion we wanted to invite everyone but got lost of some of our friends’ contacts. Glad to know that there is free people finder now over the world wide web that can help locate people. Just key in the name of the person you would want to get in touch with plus the state he/she is in, then you will be given the details that you need. And as I said it, it is FREE. 

Grateful to have these kind of tools now. It keeps us connected and close with people we love no matter where they are.

 

Dental Day - Just For Sharing

I just thought  of posting this entry here to share with my Blogspot friends…

DENTAL DAY

Yesterday was “dental day” for Gabby and myself. We visited our dentists, mine an ortho, hers a pedia dentist. My dentist happens to be the brother of Gabby’s. We went to their chic clinic in Alabang where we had our bi annual Oral Prophylaxis. Their clinics were adjacent to each other so it was convenient for us to have the treatments done on the same day. The other clinic has just been constructed and it was Gabby’s first time to see it. There is a small play area in one

corner of the reception area. The toys, slide and mats looked new as well. Kids will enjoy spending time there. Mickey Mouse is the overall theme of the clinic. The walls are painted with Mickey Mouse character, he is also on cups, goggles, scrub suits, down to paper clips and ballpen. Gabby didn’t get bored during the whole 30 minute procedure as her eyes roll about around the room, enjoying the scenery.  Pedia Dentist is relatively a new evolution dental practices in the country. Most of us didn’t have this back in our time then. And I am glad we have them now to take good care of our kids dental needs. 

Just For Laughs

Just for sharing... from a very good friend who have finally settled down and resigned from a toxic and stressful job to take care of her family. This is a cute poem for hardworking people alike out there! KEEP YOUR SANITY!

Prescription Eye Glasses

I have a friend who loves to wear very stylish eyeglasses. She has a collection of different colors and design, shapes and sizes. She opted to buy less expensive brands yet very chic and elegant and very good quality. Very practical she uses them as accessory, or an accent to top her daily ensemble. It need not be expensive or highly branded as long as it addresses her needs to see clearly and be in fashion. If you are smart like her, you might want to check out Incredible Stylish New Frames From Zenni. They offer high quality frame, anti scratch coating, full UV protection and more value for your money -- from Zenni Optical $ 8 Rx Eyeglasses to $ 30.00, you can have prescription eyeglasses service by merely inputting the needed data on an online form to calculate the right and correct eye grade for you. Voila! Prescription glasses delivered right to your doorstep. Very affordable because they manufacture their own frames and sell it directly to customers. Deal or Dud? Check out for yourself, Zenni Optical was on FOX news!

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Every parent and school must have known Eric Carle through his wonderful children’s books! His number 1 work of art in 1969 – “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is the most popular book he has written. Very colorful and artistically written and created, every child is drawn to it!  This book has been translated to more than 45 languages and over 25 million copies sold.

His art work is created in collage technique, using hand-painted papers which he cuts and layers to form bright and cheerful images. As an added dimension, many of his books also has die-cut pages giving them a playful quality – a toy that can be read, a book that can be touched. The themes of his stories are usually drawn from his knowledge and love of nature, which is also shared by most small children. His books also offer the child the opportunity to learn something about the world around them. Learning, stimulating, creative and fun experiences for very young children. 

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is one of Gabby’s favorites. The story not only follows the very hungry caterpillar as it grows from egg to cocoon to beautiful butterfly, but also teaches the days of the week, counting, good nutrition and more. Very interactive fun! Some of Gabby’s collection of his works include “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” , “Pancakes, Pancakes”, “The Tiny Seed”, “Do Kangaroos Have Mothers Too?” and “From Head To Toe”. Each month, I bring her to a bookstore and let her choose a book that we will read for D.E.A.R. (it’s our Drop Everything And Read day!). It’s smart to surround them with books to read!

Who Told You To Do It?

I have been swamped with work for the past weeks. I have taken on a new position as General Manager of one of the companies under a Holdings group wholly owned by Filipinos. Concurrently, I am also handling Lifeline Foundation’s Parental Assistance Program which is being supported by this company. So there! I got so engrossed in the daily grind I found myself losing out on the context of my life somehow. Why am I here? What am I doing? Who am I doing it for? And WHO told me to do it? 

God gave my life a meaning, a purpose. I have then learned to  align my way of life with this purpose. Our vision to build schools, libraries, livelihood projects, fishery, environmentally-friendly facilities, etc. –ALL for empowering lives of people. Changing one life at a time! Somewhere in the middle of things in the past weeks at work, I have forgotten about Him when my WORK is suppose to be my WORSHIP as well. I  can’t compartmentalize my life –I only have ONE LIFE. Remembering I am a PACKAGE DEAL – mind, body, heart and spirit ALL IN ONE. Yes Father, I am setting my mind and keeping it set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on earth. I am keeping my heads up so I can only see YOU. Getting rid of all the stinky rubbish, rising up to the flak. I put my hands to the plow, moving forward and not losing sight of who I am in YOU.

Thank you Father!

Spread The Blog Love

My very good friend Race sent her LOVE to me. Thanks again!

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 (Pls. don't remove) Credits: Elements/Paper by Dani Mogstad/ Layout by JennyL

 Rules:

1. Don't remove the credits when you post the image

2. Please link back to the person who tagged you and pass this tag to many of your friends

3. If you have more than one blog, please post this to all of your blogs so your other blogs can be listed to the master list too.

4. Remember to come back here at A SLICE OF LIFE (pls. don't change this link)and leave the exact post url so I can add you to the master list to help increase our rankings and improve our Technorati Authority.

5. Spread the BLOG LOVE FEVER!!

BLOGGERS: 1.Jenny Said So 2.) Simply Jen 3.) This and That 4.) Bargain.Sales.Deals. 5. A Slice of Life 6.) Aussie Talks 7. When Mom Talks 8. Mommy Talks 9 Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps 10 All Kinds of Me Stuff 11 The Salad Caper 12. Winding Creek Circle 13. InkBabyStudios 14. Me and Mine 15. Creative in Me 16. For the LOVE of Food 17. Little Peanut 18. Pea in a Pod 19. It’s Where the HEART Is 20. Around the World 21. SugarMagnolias 22. Nita's Random Thoughts 23. Nita's Corner 24. Nita's Ramblings 25. Batuananons 26. Thomas Web Links 27. Filipino Online Community 28. Thomas Travel Tales 29. Bohol Paradise 30. My Wandering Thoughts 31. Arts and Entertainment Center 32. Great Finds and Deals 33. Make Money Online 34. Entertainment News and Beyond 35. Erlinda's Wandering Thoughts 36. TnT Kit 37. Aha Mama! 38. A Zone for Digiscraps 39. RazorianFly :] 40. WebGeek Journal…All About The Memories 42. Spymama 43. Alamak OiOi 44. 41. HasH's Personal Blog 45. MommyAllehs Up-Close and PersonalAll About Kawaii 47. My Photographic Sketch 48. Embrace Simplicity 49.WilStop 50. Fun.Fierce.Fabulous 51. Kidd Designs 52. Me,Myself+2 53. 46. Anygen's Journey 54. Ultimate Food Cooking Guide 55. Moments of My Life 56. My Crossroads 57. A Beautiful Life 58. Race Corner 59. A Place of Being 60. Geng's Journal,61. YOUR BLOG HERE

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*******NOW I am spreading the BLOG LOVE to Lizzie,Shimumsy,Steve & Emz Journey,Malyn My Journey In Life, and to all my blogger friends out there ......... go girls spread the love and fun.....

Arts Workshops

IMAGINATION STATION is the newest project of Lifeline Daycare Centre. It aims to provide a venue for children and teens age 3 to 15 year olds to learn, explore and develop their skills in various aspects. Art, science, music, crafts, writing, photography, sports, etc, anything that you can imagine your child can do! In collaboration with professionals, teachers, students, artists, musicians, moms and dads and people who care – the concept was born.

The courses are guaranteed very affordable. Reaching out to the community, the Foundation is now accepting enrollees and will start classes in “ART FOCUS” course on September 13^th, Saturday 8:30am through 11am. It will run for a month with specific 8-session modules designed per age group. 

It's Snack Time Tag

(Credits: Doodled snacks by Kate Hadfield)

GABBY turned 5 last July.  Here’s the list of her favorite foodies:

1.Nido Full Cream Milk

2.Pork, Fish, Beef, Shrimp Sinigang – Basta SINIGANG

3.Cakes, Donuts and Waffles

4.Ice Cream

5.Fruits – Apple, Ponkan, Pineapple, Grape

6.Peanut Butter Sandwich

7.Biscuits – Oreo, stick-o, skyflakes,

8.Strawberry and peanut filled cookies

9.Rice and pasta without sauce

10.Pancit Canton, Arroz caldo

11.Dalandan and Melon Juice

12.Fried Tilapia, carrot tempura

13.Shrimp Tempura

14.Lumoiang Shanghai, Boiled, Scrambled egg, sweet banana with ice and milk

Tagged by Mommy Race and I am now tagging the following mommies: Shimumsy, Lizzie, Genny, Liza and Gretch.

This is for all mommies out there to share their kid’s favorite snacks. When you are done with the tag link me up here so I can add your blog(s) to the master list.

1. I Am Mommy 2. All About The Memories 3. Enchanted Play 4. Just My Scrap 5. My Happy Place 6. Iam Dzoi 7. 8. Suburban Sass 9. To the Moon and Back 10. Raising Sandy 11. Mommy Talks 12. Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps 13. All Kinds of Me Stuff 14. The Salad Caper 15. Winding Creek Circle 16. InkBabyStudios 17 Belly, Baby and Beyond 18. Celebrating LIfe 19. My Life is Peachy 20. My Precious Niche 21. Just Me.. Eds 22.. Eds Mommy Life23. Me and Mine 24. Little Peanut 25. Pea in a Pod 26. Creative in Me 27. Notable Bistro 28. Sugarmagnolias 29. Around the World 30. Blessings in Life 31. Tere’s World 32. Journey in Life 33. Thoughts & Beyond 34. Food Trips in Davao City | Davao Food Trip Dot Com 35. Nierva Dot Com 36. Davao Life 37. Race Corner 38. A Beautiful Life 39. Moments of My Life 40. My Crossroads 41. Geng’s Journal 42. A Place Of Being 43. Your Blog

FALLEN BLADDER IN WOMEN

Have you heard of a condition in a female body called CYSTOCELE or FALLEN BLADDER?

"A cystocele occurs when the wall between a woman’s bladder and her vagina weakens and allows the bladder to droop into the vagina. This condition may cause discomfort and problems with emptying the bladder.

A bladder that has dropped from its normal position may cause two kinds of problems—unwanted urine leakage and incomplete emptying of the bladder. In some women, a fallen bladder stretches the opening into the urethra, causing urine leakage when the woman coughs, sneezes, laughs, or moves in any way that puts pressure on the bladder.

A cystocele is mild—grade 1—when the bladder droops only a short way into the vagina. With a more severe—grade 2—cystocele, the bladder sinks far enough to reach the opening of the vagina. The most advanced—grade 3—cystocele occurs when the bladder bulges out through the opening of the vagina."

My mom is diagnosed of grade 3 cystocele and had undergone operation recently. Her OB-Gynecologist said that it may result from muscle straining while giving birth, heavy lifting or repeated straining during bowel movements or when our body stopped making estrogen during menopausal period. She further explained that when we go through menopause our bodies stop making estrogen. The hormone estrogen helps keep the muscle around the vagina strong hence, without it, the muscles around the vagina and bladder may grow weak.

How is  Cystocele treated?

"Treatment options range from no treatment for a mild cystocele to surgery for a serious cystocele. If a cystocele is not bothersome, the doctor may only recommend avoiding heavy lifting or straining that could cause the cystocele to worsen. If symptoms are moderately bothersome, the doctor may recommend a pessary—a device placed in the vagina to hold the bladder in place. Pessaries come in a variety of shapes and sizes to allow the doctor to find the most comfortable fit for the patient. Pessaries must be removed regularly to avoid infection or ulcers.

Large cystoceles may require surgery to move and keep the bladder in a more normal position. This operation may be performed by a gynecologist, a urologist, or a urogynecologist. The most common procedure for cystocele repair is for the surgeon to make an incision in the wall of the vagina and repair the area to tighten the layers of tissue that separate the organs, creating more support for the bladder. The patient may stay in the hospital for several days and take 4 to 6 weeks to recover fully."

Mom undergone treatment for large cystocele. We stayed in the hospital for 4 days and she is now recovering at home. It really pays well for us women to be SELF AWARE of the things that is going on with and within our own body. Giving respect to what our body is telling us could lead to early detection of a sickness or disease and could save our life. 

First Filipino Presentation

It was the first Filipino Presentation in Gabby’s school. It was only recently that the school decided to add Filipino subject into their curriculum. We recognize that being able to communicate well in the english language is as important as being able to communicate well in Filipino.

The children sang “Bahay Kubo” while holding on to cut out vegatable-shaped boards. The preschool level were assigned to be sesame seeds or “linga” in Filipino. Gabby had a great time memorizing the song a week before the presentation and have learned a lot about vegetables! 

Curious Joy Wants To See Tag

Got tagged by Curious JoyD

This is so cute and I want you to pass this to your friends...

Rules : 

1. Be Spontaneous and have fun!!!

2. Grab your camera and get your hand bag / bag and take out all the stuff inside. Take a picture of all your stuff.. Everything... Even the used tissue paper or candy wrapper.. or we might see something   amazing in your bag.!!

3.  List all the things ..

4. Make sure to link back to Aussietalks and leave your URL .

5. Pass this to your friends and tell them to link back..

Here we go!

• Huge Prada Bag 
• Black Stuff organizer (love it! it keeps all abubut in place)
• Black Givenchy Wallet
• Black Givenchy Card holder (gifts from sis)
• LV Cheque book holder (also a gift from sis)
• Cellphone
• Makeup organizer : pressed powder, 2 lipstick,eye shadow, clear mascara, blush-on stick, lip balm, eyebrow pencil, eye liner, oil film
• Smint candy (to keep my breath fresh)
• Hair gel stick (to keep my hair neat)
• Scoonji and extra hair bonds for Gabby (she always loses her bonds)
• Alcohol (for disinfectant)
• Hand lotion (for smoother hands)
• Car keys (ofcourse)
• Ballpen
• Toilet seat cover (yay! can't stick out my butt on those bowls in public toilets)
• Hair brush
• Pocket-size perfume
• Vitamin C
• Shades? (I always leave them in the car)

Please make a comment and leave your URL when you're done and I'll add it here..Thank you so much!!!