Who Are You?

When it comes to managing money, there are five kinds of people in this world. Who are you?

#1: Gloria Gastadora:

Gloria Gastadora lives on 100% of her income. Sometimes, when she borrows money, she lives on 120% of her income. She’s never absent during Midnight Sales. Her credit cards are faded due to overuse. Even if she wants to give to God or invest in her future, she cannot. Obviously, after all is spent, she has nothing to give to God except her loose change. In Church, Gloria Gastadora isn’t a tither, but a tipper.

#2: Kunat Kuripot:

Kunat is a frugal and fearful fellow. He lives on 80% of his income, because he saves 20% or more for his future. He lives in fear. He feels safe only when he knows he’s got lots of money in the bank. It really seems safe, except that he doesn’t know that putting his life savings in the bank isn’t such a wise idea at all. When he retires, Kunat will realize that his savings isn’t enough. And like Gloria Gastadora, Kunat Kuripot can only give his spare change to God—because he’s always afraid of his future.

#3: Bertong Bulag:

As a kid, Berto was a financial whiz. Upon graduating from college, he already opened a mutual fund. He also started investing in a blue chip company in the stock market, putting small amounts of money every month. He also started a business, and it has done very well. Berto has become wealthy. The problem is that he still cannot give to God, because he sees it as an expense, like it was a luxury he can’t afford. He doesn’t realize that giving to God is also an investment—the most secure and long-term investment of them all.

#4: Wally Waldas:

Wally has no problem giving to others. He is very generous to others, but he isn’t generous to himself. Because he doesn’t invest for the future. Wally just likes giving his money away to people who end up abusing him. His close friends tell him that his giving is no longer helping others, because they have become parasites. But he’s blinded by his need for their attention. Wally, in the long run, cannot even give to God, because his money will be long gone.

#5: Manny Mapagmahal:

Manny gives to God, gives to others, and gives to himself. After receiving his income, the first thing he does is set aside 10% to God. The second thing he does is to set aside 20% to put in investment vehicles—such as funds, stocks, businesses, and real estate. He also has set aside an Emergency Fund—3 to 6 months of his salary in the bank. The third thing he does is to limit his expenses to 70% of his income.

Today, Manny is prosperous. He now gives 20% to God, invests 30%, and lives on 50% of his income. In his old age, he’ll continue to be even more generous.


http://bosanchez.ph/what%E2%80%99s-the-best-investment-in-the-world/


I think no.1 and no. 4 ako hahahah....

got this from - http://heart-2-heart-online.com

05/23/09

For your viewing pleasure only.

Highlights of this video:

- My Family
- Kentucky and Indiana Bridge
- Outlet Mall
- Mickey D's
- Hubby and Son singing HALO
- Highway
- Apartment

Its been 3 yrs since I bought my first Gucci bag but when an SA (Sales Associate) from Gucci Outlet emailed me these photos, I can't help but drool, I can't contain my excitement... I was panicking yesterday when I received an email from her and in my excitement I almost deleted it haha... I am really a Gucci Lover and I won't deny that even before when I had the money, I chose to buy the Gucci bag instead of the LV bag. I find Gucci bags more elegant, simple yet classy. I mean don't get me wrong I like LV bags too but not as much as I like Gucci.

Here's the email I received yesterday from the SA. Some of the SAs from the store modeled the bags for me to look at.

Good Afternoon!

We received some new arrivals today! If you are interested or have any questions please feel free to give me a call or e-mail me back at the store. Keep in mind all sales are final, there are no returns or exchanges. I hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks!

Sales Associate - Sorry I cant give her name here.
GUCCI

1. $869 med babouska guccissima ivory dome: retails for $1,395 and dimensions are 13.25"x9"x4" (LxHxW)



2. $1,109 med pelham guccissima brown leather: retails for $1,850 and dimensions are 14"x11.5"x5" (LxHxW).




3. $369 gg plus joy tote w lavender trim: retails for $595 and dimensions are 13.5"x10.5"x6" (LxHxW). - My BEST PICK!!!!


4. $459 d gold messenger gg sand w sage trim: retails for $660 and dimensions are 13"x11"x2" (LxHxW).


5. $499 med babouska boston brown leather: retails for $1,250 and dimensions are 12.75"x9"x7" (LxHxW).


6. $779 babouska guccissima brown tote: retails for $1,295 and dimensions are 14"x14.5"x5" (LxHxW).


7. $829 Lg pelham gg sand w sage trim: retails for $1,190 and dimensions are 13"x11"x7" (LxHxW). - MY Second Choice!!!



My BEST PICK - JOY TOTE with Lavender Trim - in Neiman Marcus they sell this bag for $630 and in the outlet store the bag is only $369. Where's my GENIE IN THE BOTTLE?!?! LOL.

I guess everyone has their addictions, people take time from their lives to indulge in their habitual pleasures, smoking, drinking partying. If there was an AA (alcoholics anonymous) meeting for shopaholics then that would be me, I thought that I would stop looking at bags after purchasing my first Gucci but I guess the itch is still there, most people try to fight their whole lives against their indulgences but mine is harmless. I mean what can you do if you cannot afford it, I grew up with normal ordinary clothes and never once looked to see if the accessories I had were the "in" fashion at the time, so I guess I am trying to make up for those years that I missed out.

Here are some of the things that I currently crave but of course, it is practically impossible to buy these things unless I won the lottery, so I guess I will just have to whet my appetite and satisfy my fix by looking at these nice pictures.


1. Medium GG Mermaid Tote $419
2. D Ring Sand GG Canvas Hobo $559 , D Ring Wallet $289
3. D Ring GG Canvas Green Trim Tote $529. D Ring Wallet $289
4. D Ring Brown GG Canvas Tote $529, GG Canvas Wallet $319






1. Lavender Guccissima Boston $769, Wallet $279
2. Purple Leather Bamboo Hobo $549, Purple Guccissima wallet $ 209
3. GG Sand Canvas Horsebit Nail Dome $1,019, Wallet $259
4. Powder Pink Guccissima Tote $749, Guccissima Wallet $ 239






These are all from Gucci Outlet.

Photo Credits from Purse Forum

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like falling
Gravity can't forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
The risk that I'm takin'
I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
Halo, halo

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

My Mom is absolutely the best, nicest, caring, kindest,funniest, religious woman I know. She is an inspiration to me in many ways. She continues to be a friend, mentor and a role model for me and my siblings. Her relationship with the Lord continues to grow and she never wavers in that. She is a wonderful mother, independent, strong woman.

Heres wishing you the best Mothers Day ever!




And for all the wonderful MOMS out there Happy Mothers Day!

Being a stay-home mom presents its own share of struggles, but it can also offer its own set of rewards for parents. So here are one of those rewarding moments that I want to share...

Children See, Children Do

I'll always remember this - ”don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” robert fulghum


I grabbed this video here:

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you hang my First painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately Wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a Stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind To animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you make my Favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little Things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I heard you say a Prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always Talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you make a Meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I Learned that we all have to help take care of each Other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of Your time and money to help people who had nothing,And I learned that those who have something should Give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you take care Of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have To take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw how you Handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t Feel good, and I learned that I would have to be Responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come From your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things Hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw that you Cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be. When you thought I wasn’t looking I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and Productive person when I grow up.

Got this again from Ems Blog.

1. Do you exercise full or minimal control over your child's / children's behavior?
Yes. D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y. I don't want them to grow up a SPOILED BRATS.



2. Do you expect your child / children to obey 100% or let her / him / them do what pleases her / him / them?

Yes. I expect my child to follow me 99% of the time, I use the word follow instead of obey as obeying sometimes means that you have no alternative or free choice to do the things being asked of you. I leave the 1% because parents make mistakes too and I am hoping that my kids are smart and wise enough to know the right thing to do.


3. Do you welcome discussion or you simply set rules?

Yes. I welcome discussion because I want to hear their side too and I think this will help me and them to become a better person.



4. Do you reprimand?

Oh YES. It will be far easier to correct a wrong behavior when it first appears than after it has become a habit.


5. Do you use spanking for punishment?

If it was done in anger with no explanation no absolutely not. But if my child knows beforehand what the penalties are and if there is teaching, sometimes YES.


6. Do you use some kind of a reward System for motivation?

Yes. I do this when he got a perfect homework and exam in the school.



7. Do you enjoy being a Parent?

Oh Yes. Very rewarding and fulfilling. I love it =).


8. Are you a hands-on Parent or do you have a full-time Nanny?

I'm a hands-on parent. I can't exchange this with any other job.


9. At what age would you let your child make simple decisions for himself / herself?

As long as he can prove to me that he can make sound decision.


10.Do you and your Husband have the same Parenting Style?

We don't but we talk about it.

Wife Style

7. How long have you been married?

8yrs and counting.


8. How do you feel about being a Wife?

It's not easy being a wife. But I feel secured.



9. What has been your typical sleeping attire since you got married?

Long shirts or duster dresses. Conservative kuno =)


10. How do you show how appreciative you are of your Husband?

Actions Speak Louder Than Words. I prepare his food everyday ( breakfast, lunch and dinner) and a lot more.


11. What do you do when your Husband annoys you?

We fight LOL. But I love it when he annoys me. Lambing kuno =).


12. You are buying or planning to buy your first house as Husband and Wife ....

Location first, then the style and price of the house. I'd like to have a separate sink and potty chair in our masters bathroom.


13. How does your house look like at the end of the day when Hubby gets home?

Sometimes messy sometimes clean. He doesnt care at all if its a mess or not. He just like to have a good meal when he gets home.


14. How do you feel about running a household?

Very challenging. It is a much more difficult job than one would even imagine.


15. What is the sweetest gift you have given your Husband so far?

Love and Care.

After reading this meme from Ems blog I feel obliged to answer the same questions about my husband =).

Here's a chance to see how well you really know your husband. Cut, paste and fill in the answers.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the tv?
History Channel, Sports Channel, Sci-fi Movies, Travel Channel

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Ranch or Bleu Cheese

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
Okra

4. You go out to eat and have a drink; what does he order?
Rootbeer or Dr. Pepper

5. Where did he go to high School?
Don Bosco

6. What size shoe does he wear?
Size 9 and half

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Books, 3D magazines, movie memorabilia, scale models

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Turkey with swiss sandwich

9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Cake

10. What is his favorite cereal?
Raisin Bran

11. What would he never wear?
White Polo Shirt

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Boston Red Sox

13. Who did he vote for?
N/A

14. Who is his best friend?
ME =)

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Nagging lol

16. What is his heritage?
Filipinio and Spanish.

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Chocolate Cake

18. Did he play sports in high school?
Soccer and Basketball

19. What could he spend hours doing?
Reading and listening to music

20. What is one unique talent he has?
Singing

05.02.09

Its almost the end of the school year for my son as a kindergarten. I scanned his class picture from the yearbook because kids grow up so fast and the next time you see them it might be their college graduation picture.

So here's Aidans class picture for the year 2008-2009. By the way he's turning 6yrs old soon. How time flies...

A funny blooper video clips of my two kids..

Here are a couple of movie clips of my son at 10mos old.

I just need to share this inspirational soulfood by Bo Sanchez

Use Gratitude to Receive More Blessings



Wealth isn’t money.
Wealth isn’t the cars you drive or the houses you own.
Wealth isn’t your jewelry, the stocks, bonds, or cash in your bank.
I now believe that wealth is an emotion.
Wealth is an inner feeling.
More precisely, wealth is an outlook, an attitude, a belief.
And the most obvious measurement of wealth is gratitude.
Ungratefulness is focusing on what she didn’t have; Gratitude is focusing on what you have.

Remember this powerful truth: Your Wealth equals your Gratitude. And your Gratitude equals your Wealth.


But what kind of gratitude do you have?
Let’s find out…

There are three degrees of gratitude:

· Superficial Gratitude
· Simple Gratitude
· Sacred Gratitude


1. Superficial Gratitude

This is when you’re thankful for Big-Ticket items only.
You win the Lotto.
You get a new car.
You finally pass the board exam after 9 tries.
Your daughter finally gets married at 45.
Your visa is approved after 16 years of waiting.
Your adulterous, jobless, alcoholic husband finally changes.
Or your adulterous, jobless, alcoholic husband finally dies.
Whichever comes first.
I mean, how can’t you not say thanks?
Everyone starts with Superficial Gratitude. But I call it superficial because this feeling of gratitude will disappear rather quickly.
Superficial Gratitude is great. But if you want to be really happy, you need to graduate to a deeper form of gratitude…


2. Simple Gratitude

In Simple Gratitude, you’re thankful even for the small things in life. For the roof over your head, for the leftover food on your table, for the semi-neurotic family around you. Stuff you take for granted.

Remember this famous line?

I once was sad for I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.
–Unknown

But do you know that there’s something even more powerful than Simple Gratitude?


3. Sacred Gratitude


In Sacred Gratitude, you’re thankful for life itself.
You’re thankful that you’re alive.
You’re thankful that you exist.
You’re thankful that you breathe!
You’re thankful for the adventure of daily life, with all its ups and downs, highs and lows, and twists and turns.
This kind of gratitude doesn’t depend on situations anymore.

And there’s a big difference between knowing you need to be grateful, and actually having every cell of your body singing, “Thank You!”
This is Sacred Gratitude.
It’s one of the sweetest things in the world.
Nothing can touch you. You’re at peace.

When you have Simple Gratitude—and especially Sacred Gratitude—you receive so many blessings.
Why?
Because when you become grateful, you also become an…

…Inverse Paranoid!

You know what a Paranoid is: A fearful person. He thinks that the world is out there to get him. To steal from him. To hurt him. To put him down.

An Inverse Paranoid is a happy person who believes the universe is conspiring to bless him. To serve him. To love him!

An Inverse Paranoid expects the best out of life.
An Inverse Paranoid expects great things will happen.
An Inverse Paranoid expects that he’ll walk into fields of blessing each day.
An Inverse Paranoid believes that the world is plotting to fulfill his dreams!
An Inverse Paranoid looks at bad things as merely disguised blessings.
An Inverse Paranoid wakes up each morning and say, “I expect to be blessed today! Yeepee!”


Are You A Blessing-Expert Or A Problem-Expert?

Why do grateful people become Inverse Paranoids?

First reason: Gratitude is one of the most powerful forms of love. And you know that love casts out all fear. Paranoia is fear. So gratitude casts out fear from your life.

Second reason: Because grateful people focus on blessings in their life, they become Blessing-Experts. What does that mean? They know how a blessing looks like, sounds like, smells like, tastes like, and feels like. Because of this, when they open their eyes and look around their life, they’ll smell a blessing a mile away! They’ll zero on it and grab it.

Ungrateful people are Problem-Experts.

When they look around their lives, they can’t see the blessings right in front of their eyes because they don’t know how they look like.

April 16, 2009

Early this year I had some subscriptions given by my mileage program from US Airways. I would have lost the mileage program if I had not agreed to their subscriptions to a couple of magazines, as they were given to me free by the mileage program. A girl like me would not subscribe to mens magazine, electronics or home and garden magazines. So you can expect all the subscriptions were all about fashion and cosmetics. The sad part is I haven't read any of them because when I opened them I look at some of the stuff that I would like to buy but cannot do because in this kind of economy it doesn't seem right to be extravagant ( maglalaway lang ako ha ha ha).



So here are the magazines that I have since January of 2009. I don't know when I will have the chance or time to read them.

April 16, 2009



I'm so proud of my sister Carol. She just earned her Bachelors Degree in Nursing today!

.
Flowers for me....




He drew a yellow heart for me.

He drew this boat house for her friend Jenny.

And this purple heart and boats for his dad

Just wanted to share this nice lyrics and song =). Senti muna ang lola nyo ;)





I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it,
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing,
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down but
No I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb (yeah)

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb (yeah yeah ea ea)

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith

My friend got me into trying out a different cosmetics line, I usually subscribe to MAC and Neutrogena but because of her insistence I decided to go take it out for a spin. I had a lot of mineral makeups before but they usually do not pass on my quality review for myself as they also contributed to a couple of breakouts, but Everyday Minerals was pure joy.

It is still touch and go but I am beginning to like the brand, after trying it out for two days it is good enough to mention in my blog, even my husband agrees that it is different in a good way.

I will keep you folks updated on what happens next, here are a couple of pictures for you to see.

I have had a lot of events in the month of February but most of them were due to the kids being sick, the most notable was that my eldest son having an appendectomy and then the following month there was a lot of grief at the passing of a family friend, my uncle and my husbands grandmother, it is for these reasons that I was unable to update my blog and share my everyday stuff.

I am hoping that I will be able to get back into the grove with my writing.

Here are some of get well cards that my son received after his surgery and some valentine treats from his classmates.

I remembered when I was growing and being a little tot, I had a baby sitter or as they are called in the Philippines 'Yaya'. Both of my parents worked so me an my older sister were left in the care of someone else, as in the states you pay the baby sitter for taking care of your kids while you are either at work or having a night out with your husband.

The yaya is also important for a lot of single moms as they are indispensable for helping you take care of your kids. The yaya does not usually have to be a total stranger as they can be mostly your neighbors or relatives, it is standard practice to have grand parents take care of the grand kids as this gives them a bond while the apo is growing up.

The sad reality is that in the states, baby sitting is readily available but usually quality is also synonymous with price, so you can expect to pay a good part of your salary for baby sitting.

I am a stay at home mom and I want to share some of my tricks and tips in the absence of a baby sitter.

Jumperoo - baby usually jumps up and down and helps develop leg muscles



Exersaucer - allows for lateral movement and a substitute for a high chair



Bouncer - he drinks milk while on the bouncer



Car Seat - when he is sleeping or taking a nap


Activity House - fun activities for babies, with lights and buttons



Glider - best way to rock a baby while holding on to him, no place to put a duyan here so this has to do.



Baby Einstein DVDs - Kids love these as their attention focused on the colors and music of the DVDs.



Playpen - a nice safe area where he can play and when he is older he can stand up and take naps on.



How bout you how do you take care of your babies?

01.25.09 & 01.27.09







I am very thankful for the last 31 years of my life, God has opened many doors and thru the trials and hardships he has always been at my side. I not only celebrate my Birthday but also our 8 year Wedding Anniversary, time is short and you don't really notice these times in your life, it seems that it was just yesterday when we got married and now we have two wonderful kids I hold dear to my heart.

I would like to thank all my well wishers, people who called me up, emailed or just said happy B-day. We had a simple celebration in our place with just the family but it was very meaningful and who better to spend your birthday than with your husband and kids.

I look forward to many more birthdays to come and wedding anniversaries in the future, you only get to celebrate that one special day in your life and for that one brief moment you are at peace and everything is perfect.


Oh I forgot we still have Valentines day! ;)

I did not make a wish list last Christmas holiday, So now I'm going to make one for these important events of my life and usually this falls in January. I guess that's why they call it a wish list because there is a chance you might get it or then again you might not ha ha ha... It is nice to dream about what you can't have that's why I made this ;)

My son has been eating baby food since he was about 5mos old I think. But if you will watch this video clip of him I think the baby food is not enough ha ha ha...He has 2 teeth now and maybe his gum are so itchy that's why he can't get enough of his teether. He eats different flavors of baby food like sweet potatoes, banana and rice cereal and all of them are organic based food. I'll try my very best to give him organic food or fresh food as he grows up. Lets see.

I just want to share this video of my babies! Yes they are still my babies hehehe...I don't want them to grow up so fast! I just love them to bits that's why I'm enjoying every moment of it!

So here you go:

Get the kid and hubby to help!

I plan to begin training my son and hubby to take over some of the household chores, such as washing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, cooking breakfast or dinner, dusting, folding clothes and laundry so that I'm not the only one in the apartment doing these things while two other people lounge around eating junk foods and playing video games haha....

Take time for me, among other things.

Time for me, lose more than 10 pounds, organizing, how about organizing did I say that already hahaha, how about time for me, or the 10pounds!

Never Say Never

I resolve never to say "not my child or " my child will never".....

The one thing that I have learned for the past 5 years of being a mom is that there are no absolutes in this parenting game, and you may find yourself eating your words one day.

You may have the best of intentions but life has a funny habit of getting in the way some times.

So being a mom - I can say the hardest job on the planet! No other job can beat that!!!

I resolve to…

- stop saying negative things about other people especially to those who hate me and to those who don't like me.
- focus on the positive in my relationship with my partner.
- stop blaming others when I am just as much at fault.
- stop making assumptions or judgements.
- pick my battles and avoid sweating the small stuff.
- stop giving advice to those who don't ask me.


I will...

- start saving for my kids future.
- donate more for charities - this is gonna be our third year that me n my hubby will be donating in charities. Maybe we will sponsor one child in St. Jude cancer research hospital or world vision.
- focus more on my personal problems like health, financial etc.
- help other people if they want me to.
- exercise more and eat less.
- Invest in 401K and IRA.
- save more and travel with my family and give them the best and memorable vacation ever.
- enjoy each moment together with my significant other, live in the present and nurture myself as I nurture my partner.

I'm wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed 2009!

Cheers!!!!

Please Watch this video!

The topic of schools is always a hot one at family gatherings. So everyone we encountered had their own set of beliefs about public and private schools. I heard the following:

" I know you are a Catholic. Don't you want your child taught in a Christian atmosphere?"
" You know they have a lot of those ( name your racial group) in public schools."
" If you ever want your child to go to college you better look into a private school. You know private schools do better on all those college tests."

I bet you have heard similar comments especially from relatives and friends.

So here are some of the factors why we chose to put our son to public school:

- I first looked at price - I wanted to estimate just how much it would cost for my son to complete elementary school.

- Not all schools offer full day kindergarten - my son's school does which could alter the tuition costs for that grade.

- Student/Teacher ratio in public school are 18. In private or parochial school are 20 (some of them are less).

- The cost of public school FREE. In private or parochial school range from $4,752 - $8,500 a year. And they increase about 5% every year (accdg to my source).

- Speech therapy, hearing and vision services, classes for students with limited english proficiency are all provided at no charge in the public school while in the private, speech therapy costs about $2000 per year.

- Private and public schools do not give the same tests so there is no way to compare them in the characteristics that counts the most.

- Some of the schools ( private) restricted visitation which made us feel suspect as to why they would not allow us to look.

- Public schools offer free bus service. In private you have to pay $650 per family and some parochial school does not offer bus service.

- Public school has a very diverse population with students of various economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The private schools were much less diverse. - I want my son to have early exposure in other ethnics and other religious backgrounds.

- Traditional schools and many regular program schools do not offer advance program classes for gifted and talented students. Many of the private schools do not offer them either.

- In fact, many students from private and parochial schools come to public school during the day to access their special education services because they are not available at the private school or are cost prohibitive.

- It is true that my son is not being taught religion at school. He is being taught values ( honesty, respect, perseverance, etc.) and how to be a good person. My husband and I cover the rest at home. I actually prefer to be the one who tells him about God and our faith.

- Paying huge tuition rates does not guarantee that my child will be immune to the dangers of the world.

- School is for academics and church is for faith. My son is with "the right kinds of people" and in the best academic setting possible.

- I am not convinced that paying tuition here in the US is the better choice especially if you have more than one child. And don't forget, there is college to pay for and it doesn't come cheap.

***This blog is not to criticize any private or public school or the people that choose them. School choice is a private issue best left in the family. We all make decisions for the best interests of our children and what works for one may not work for another. To use a trite old saying: " different strokes for different folks".

I do criticize those people who look down their noses at parents who choose public schools. Their elitism reveals their ignorance about the facts of public schools. Sensible people know that not all public schools are equal. There are good and bad schools in both the public and private sectors. The Catholic priests scandals of late show that no school community is immune. Knowing the facts is essential. Keeping our children the top priority is our responsibility as a parent. By the way the quality of public schools that are paid for here in the US comes from the property taxes. So if you live here in the US and you are paying taxes , your taxes goes to the school etc. So there you go. There's a big difference of what kind of public school here in the US and in the Philippines. I just want to make that clear. Same with the private school.

Public or Private? Which is right for your child read more here.

We recently took some time off our mundane schedule by going to Chicago, probably the largest
city in the Midwest equally famous for its scenic views and world class restaurants. My husband
had previously gone to Chicago with some friends but their trip was to visit the two baseball
parks, Wrigley Field (home to the Cubs) and Cellular Field (home to the Chicago White Sox). The
trip itself was a good five hours of driving thru Indiana.



The weather before the trip was pretty cold in Kentucky and most of us had colds at one time or
another. Byron was also having some dry throat (hoarse) at the time so before on our trip, we set up an appointment with his pedia, she said that Byron was OK for the trip and did not exhibit any signs of being sick, so with that in mind we decided to proceed with our vacation.

I have a couple of friends in Chicago, who have visited us here in Kentucky, needless to say they
have been petitioning us to visit their place and also they had a couple of baby stuff that they
did not need and they were giving it to Byron.

The drive was uneventful but tiring, it was also Halloween and it gave a chance for Aidan to get
some sweets, unfortunately we arrived in Chicago too late as most of the malls had used up their
supplies of treats for the kids. We ended up buying Aidan some candies. We then proceeded to Lot's house were we ate home cooked meals of Adobo and Chinese food, exhausted we made up our bedding's and were soon fast asleep.

The next day we went around the city visiting some of the locations that you see in the pictures,
again since this was just a weekender we did not go into any museums, this trip was more about
taking the sights in and going exhibits would have used up most of our time not to mention we would need to shell out some cash.

So for the next two days we toured different places in Chicago and on Sunday we ate at an authentic Japanese Market/Restaurant Mitsuwa. It seemed more like a cultural center to me but the food was very good. We drove back that Sunday and my husband returned to work on Monday.



Byron got some coughing owing to the fact that all of us had some colds, so we ended up bringing him to the Kids Hospital in the area. They asked him to stay for two nights as they wanted to monitor him in the end the docs said that he probably contracted something from us 3. He is feeling better now but he still drinks his meds.



Well that's all I have for now until next time.

He is almost 4mos now.