Life Can't Wait: January 2011

Mellow Yellow Monday #74, Blue Monday #65 and Pixelbug Weekend #61 (365/29-31)

Monday, January 31, 2011

Happy Monday everyone!

How was your weekend? Like what I have mentioned on my quick note, our weekend was pretty packed! Saturday was my Granny's (my Dad's mom) 90th birthday! We just have a very intimate celebration but we have so much fun. Though we're not complete, we were able to bond again with a few of my cousins.

Our ever dearest granny, Lola Estring!

and the food :)

Then Saturday, was my goddaughter Keilah's1st birthday party held Jollibee Global City. We have so much fun! Especially our little one, it was her first time ever to participate in a Kiddie Party. She has always been shy and attack by her stranger anxiety though we know its far much better than before, but this time was totally different. She did join the fun!

Way to go baby! We are so proud of you!

Then this Monday our Journey to Finding the Right Preschool continues. After Cambridge IS

and A-Plus Chinese Language Center and Preschool, our next stop was at Kinder Care Learning Center at BF Homes Parañaque (review to follow on a separate post)

Great job baby!

How about you, how was your weekend?! Hope you all have fun!

It's Monday again and I hope that we all have a wonderful week ahead!

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I am participating in the 2011 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day, to get me out shooting, using my camera and learning new things with it daily. Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. We have teens to adults, male and female, as well as people from all over the world. Come join the fun!

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Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Hi everyone! Thanks God it's weekend already and you know what, since I am on leave at work for a day last night, I just slept for more than 12hours! I have not done that in ages. It was truly refreshing! What a great a way to start a fun weekend right?

Since I am a bit hyper after that refreshing as most of you I think have noticed already, I just want to make a quick post before I get moving. We'll be heading out to my Aunt's house at Cainta to celebrate my Grandma's 90th birthday! We will have a mini celebration there to where she is staying. Me and my other cousins have planned for a potluck party. My share will be Pancit Palabok in a winnowing basket. It will definitely be a fun-filled reunion for us. Can't wait to see my granny.

How about you? What are your plans this weekend? Oh and by the way, congratulations to all my fellow bloggers whose Page Ranks have already been updated by Google. It is really nice knowing that after all the time that has been allotted to knowing stuffs like SEO, web hosting and whatnot, the hardships have been paid off! Guides online are definitely a big help! Good luck to all as we all aim for a higher PRs :)

Friday Fill-ins #64, Letters of Intent #42 and Friday Follow #38 (365/28)

Friday, January 28, 2011

So...here we go!
1. Up Now and What's Next is the title of my other blog.
2. Because of the bus bombing recently, they have been thinking that there is a terrorism going around.
3. Coats and scarves, mittens and boots: are essential during winter.
4. What I badly need right now is a nice back rub.
5. I'm thinking about how to increase our income.
6. Live life to the fullest and be happy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a good night sleep with my little tot since I will be off for tonight, tomorrow my plans include attending my Granny's 90th birthday at Cainta, Rizal and Sunday, I want to run in the morning and in the afternoon, we'll be attending my goddaughter's 1st birthday party!

To Lazy Me,

When you open and start reading your review materials, would you be responsible enough to finish it?! You are planning to take up a course in Digital Imaging but how could you start a different one if you still have lots of pending exams?! C'mon! Get moving!

From Your Inner Responsible Self

To a Fellow Driver,

Have you seen any sign that allows double parking? Please, I don't have much time to wait for you til you finish your errands!

From a Driver who Wishes She Could Lift Her Car so She Can Leave

To My Allergies,

When will you be gone for long? Or I even wish that that would be forever! I don't have much time to check each food that I am eating for allergens! And I also don't like to be in my dermatologist's clinic every season change!

From a Mom whose under medication right now but not enjoying it

TGIF once again! Come and join us at

and meet lots of wonderful bloggers! Thanks much for my new followers! Feel free to wander and comment on my simple abode! I love hearing those! Hope you will all have fun! I will definitely head over to your blogs and return the favor!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

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TABASCO® Original Red: Not Just About The Heat!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

This post brought to you by TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

Me and my husband love to eat food but not just that, we love to spice it! We believe that spices would do wonder on any food, from a simple nachos to stuffed pizzas. Have you heard and tried TABASCO® Original Red? If you have not, you are missing out half of your life! LOL!

Believe me or not, if you are missing a lot if you have not heard or taste the TABASCO® Original Red. This was one of our recent discoveries, we were able to try this out when we dine at one of the famous restaurants here in Alabang. We have ordered their Baked Ziti in red sauce and one of their stuffed pizzas (sorry, my husband forgot its name). My hubby loves to eat any pizzas topped with a few hot sauce so when he saw this TABASCO® Original Red in the condiments counter of the restaurant, he got one to try it. As soon as he got a taste of it, he immediately fell for it!

But of course, that won’t go away without me trying it. Honestly, I like something hot but I am not really into it, but since hubby has nothing bad to say after a few bites of his pizza with this red hot sauce, I have decided to add a few drops of it on my Baked Zitti, and guess what?! My husband was right, there is much more to it than its hotness! This sauce enhances the flavor of food you are eating! I am not kidding! I have been a frequent eater of Baked Zitti but that was the first time I have ever love every single bit of it.

That day, we have left the restaurant so full and very satisfied. And you know what, we didn’t end the day without going to the supermarket nearby to buy this TABASCO® Original Red since as we all know our most-awaited game, Superbowl is just around the corner. And as always, pizzas of different flavors, and now topped with this red hot sauce, will definitely be served while watching this exciting game. Good thing they got this Pizza Perfected page that will ease your preparation.

By the way, you might want to check out their Game-Day Party Menu page where it has tons of simple ideas and recipes for food that you will definitely love. I am actually planning to try one of those as soon as I got home!

Shoot Me! 20 of 52, Project 52 #2 and 365/27

Here's my share for this week. These were taken at Sbarro Restaurant in Festival Mall. My attempt for a self-portrait

Too Close?!

And this was taken by my little tot!

And for today's photo, look what I got from our mail today

Loots from Bicol! From a good friend of mine, Vi! Super love it! My old slippers can rest now! LOL

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Wordless Wednesday #219 and Sepia Scene #71 (365/26)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Love her to bits!

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Journey to Finding the Right PreSchool: Second Stop: A-Plus Chinese Language Center and Preschool

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Here's the continuation of our Journey to Finding the Right Preschool for my little tot. After our first stop at Cambridge International School, our second stop was at A-Plus Chinese Language Center and Preschool, inside Festival Mall. It is a preschool that offers dual language program. Chinese/Mandarin language lessons are incorporated on their curriculum which is actually the reason why I got interested on this center (No! We're not Chinese, I just like the idea of my little tot as bilingual :) or even trilingual :) )

Yesterday was her first day of a 3-day trial classes. Me and her nanny were allowed to stay inside the classroom as well so I can observe too. There were 10 students that time, two teachers (one Filipina and one Chinese) and a teacher aid. But looking on the names inside the classroom that are posted in their wall, they got 15 students which for me, is a bit too many for a class.

Here's their Tuition Fees, I got this when I called them, because during the trial class, there was no interview of orientation that was done.

Nursery (Quarterly mode of payment):
For 3x a week class: PHP16,771.00/quarter
For 5x a week class: PHP 22,361.00/quarter

Misc (one-time payment): PHP13,000.00 (for school uniform, cooking needs etc)* I still recommend you calling them to check if these rates still applies

Here are the things I have observed while attending the 3-hour TC yesterday morning:

Roughly 15 students per class which I think for me is too many for the teachers to handle. As I observed, there were times that a student or two, were just in the corners doing something apart from the group
The classrooms or should I say class area, is big enough for 15 or even 20.
Cleanliness are not that observed inside the classroom. They are wearing their shoes inside the whole center, not just a pair of socks. I was actually worried on the sink inside the classroom. Water can be easily spill on the floor just by washing their hands and there is no foot rug that they can use to prevent spreading the water inside the classroom if in case.
Teachers are nice and are all approachable
I didn't find any spaces as waiting area. There is a big playground outside. That's what you will see at first when you go to their center.

So here's my ratings for A-Plus (from 1-5, 5 being the highest):

Keys	Ratings	Comments
Proximity to our residence	5	very much accessible
Teaching method	5	progressive
Facilities	3	not well maintained
Curriculum	N/A	**
Ratio of teacher vs student	3	too many
Cleanliness and Hygiene	3	not that well-observed

** As per their curriculum, I was not able to observe it that much since when we went there, it was their Chinese assessment which as per the teacher, is a one-on-one session with the Chinese teacher. However, the other students were left without really nothing to do.

We have decided not to continue the trial-class anymore this morning. Out little tot will have a break this week. We'll resume attending TC on a different preschool by next week. Just stay-tuned.

Here's their contact information as for your reference:
A-Plus Chinese Learning Center and Preschool
Level 4, Festival Supermall, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, 1781 Philippines
Tel. 772.1662 to 64 | Email inquiry@a-plusclc.com
www.a-plus-mandarin.com

The feedback above is 100% mine and I am just sharing our experiences while we are on our search for a good preschool. My experience and point of views might be different from your so I am still suggesting you to try it out in case you are interested.

Ruby Tuesday #64: Abesamis Dental Clinic Review (365/25)

Last Sunday was our little tot's dental appointment, time to put in another composite filling to one her right molars. Sad to say, two of her molars need that, that's what you get for too much sweets. The first molar was done December of last year and since our little tot don't want to have that on both of her molars on that same day, we opted to reschedule it and that was last Sunday.

Her dentist was at Abesamis Dental Clinic, inside Festival Mall, Dra. Tanya Macapagal. She was actually her second pedia-dentist. The first one was from Asian Hospital, she was nice but for some reason, our little tot was not comfortable whenever she was there. She would keep on crying all throughout the procedures. The time that we were visiting her was also the time when our little tot's stranger anxiety was still at the peak. Plus maybe because it is inside a hospital, that added to her fear factor. Good thing a fellow GirlTaker suggested to try out Dra. Tanya since we were looking for an alternative that time. First encounter and a few was not that perfect as well but Dra. Tanya was so patient and kind that she was able to get our little one's attention. She's really nice and super friendly on kids. She would really take her time to at least have a connection to her patients. She was able to convince our little one to follow her. Plus the ambiance and location of the clinic, it is inside a mall, helps a lot in convincing my little one. So since then, our visit to her dentist are hassle-free and no more tears!

The staffs are also nice and approachable. Their facilities are clean and well-maintained. Plus they have a small play area for kids. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a pedia dentist around South. Here's their contact details and their website as for your reference:

Abesamis Dental Clinic
4th Level, Festival Supermall
Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Philippines
Tel. (632) 771-2001
Mobile: 0920-9197468
0923-3762561
www.abesamisdental.com

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As per today's photo, look at what I have as breakfast LOL!