A Life in Bloom: April 2010

Facebook “Friends”?

>> Friday, April 30, 2010

What do you do with persons who add you as friends on Facebooks even if you rarely know them? That was the question asked to me by a friend during our chat tonight. It seemed that she has been getting a lot of requests and the most recent one claims to be a Texas Maritime lawyer. I have few similar requests, I told her. Most are university students who I often see around but rarely interact with. Most often, I approve their requests because I still can’t think of a reason not to. I call them “fans”. Haha! Seriously now, I have been thinking of filtering or grouping my Facebook friends but nah, I am too busy right now to do that. :)

International Scrapbooking Day 2010

>> Thursday, April 29, 2010

The {inter}National Scrapbooking Day will be celebrated this weekend. Sales and promos have already begun and some of my friends have already started shopping. As for myself, I am currently trying my hand on scrapping again. I have plenty of unused kits on my EHD and I made a promise that there’ll be no purchases until I’ve used them.

Anyway, I will post {i}NSD alerts and news on my digital scrapbooking blog so stay tuned!

Next Read: The Shadow of the Wind

>> Wednesday, April 28, 2010

It is nice to be back into reading again. But what’s nicer is to have friends who won’t only tell you how to get rid of blackheads effectively but also recommend what books are good reads.

As suggested by my friend, Kaje, I will start reading “The Shadow of the Wind” by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I just finished Jodi Picoult’s “Keeping Faith” and I can say that I like it though the ending did confuse me. Haha! (And according to Kaje, The Shadow if the Wind is as confusing as well. Oh well!)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Synopsis:
The novel, set in post–Spanish Civil War Barcelona, concerns a young boy, Daniel. Just after the war, Daniel's father takes him to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a huge library of old, forgotten titles lovingly preserved by a select few initiates. According to tradition, everyone initiated to this secret place is allowed to take one book from it, and must protect it for life. Daniel selects a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. That night he takes the book home and reads it, completely engrossed. Daniel then attempts to look for other books by this unknown author, but can find none. All he comes across are stories of a strange man – calling himself Laín Coubert, after a character in the book who happens to be the Devil – who has been seeking out Carax's books for decades, buying them all and burning them. He is really Julian Carax.

But of Course!

You Inner Gender is Female

You're sensitive, caring, and willing to connect with anyone who's open to you.
You make friends easily, and you enjoy all sorts of conversations.
You understand most people you meet - better than they understand themselves.
You're totally a woman... or at the very least, your soul is female.

Self-Portrait

This, my friends, is a not-so-latest self-portrait. I have recent ones, of course, but my breakouts are so obvious in them. One friend suggested pronexin to treat them because as she said, acnes are indeed embarrassing and must be treated pronto! It must be stress or my hormones but like what I’ve noticed, my breakouts are getting frequent these days. It must be the weather too. Or my diet. Whatever the cause may be, I need to treat them and take extra care of my skin.

Today’s Message

>> Tuesday, April 27, 2010

On this day, God wants you to know...

... that today you can help a thousand people see God's light. Feel God's light shining within you and take a step to inspire someone else to shine. As you share this vision today with just one soul, that reaches ten lives that touch a thousand.

What Gave Me a Good Laugh Yesterday

>> Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I know it’s bad but I definitely had a hard time stopping myself from laughing when I interrogated a colleague, J, regarding this huge acne on top of his nose during lunch yesterday! We’re a mean bunch alright! One friend even called him Rudolph! When I had three breakouts on my nose last week, J had a grand time laughing at my expense. This time it’s my turn! Haha! We took turns asking him about it and remarking how big and reddish it is, as if it’s not already obvious. I think that his acne grew overnight because it was not there yesterday. His red nose looked familiar and I can’t remember which movie or cartoon show I saw it. Trying to recall was tough until I remembered. It was in one of the episodes of Grey’s Anatomy! Just don’t ask me which one. Haha!

ZFF Health Leaders Congress

One of my many tasks is to facilitate the applications of our student leaders to various leadership congresses, conventions and seminar – workshops. I believe that their exposure to such activities make them better student leaders, better persons. After sending out their application papers that we painstakingly prepare with them, I am with them waiting, hoping and praying that they pass and qualify as delegates. Most often, they make it. But there are times when some of them don’t. It is heartbreaking but it’s part of life and they learn that they can’t have everything that they want no matter how bad they wanted and worked for it.

Recently, our university was invited by the Zuellig Family Foundation to nominate three students who are in the field of nursing. If they qualify, they can attend the Health Leaders Congress next week. The dean of our College of Health Sciences helped us in choosing the top three incoming third year students. We only had a week to prepare their application papers and essays. And our hard work paid off. Early this week, we received a fax message with the information that the three of them are qualified to attend the ZFF Health Leaders Congress next week in Davao City! Woot! Congratulations to Dianne, Eyart and Kevin! I am so proud of you!

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Thanks to the recommendation of a friend, I am done reading Sophie Kinsella’s “Twenties Girl”. I was never fond of ghost stories. But this is one book about a ghost I totally love. It is a light and amusing read in contrast to Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult which I was reading before I started on Twenties Girl. I felt the need to take a break from Jodi’s books and this is just the perfect book that I was looking for.

Anyway, the synopsis goes:
“Lara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don't get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara's great aunt Sadie - in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl - has appeared to make one last request: Lara must track down a missing necklace Sadie simply can't rest without. Lara's got enough problems of her own. Her start-up company is floundering, her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, and she's just been dumped by the love of her life. But as Lara spends time with Sadie, life becomes more glamorous and their treasure hunt turns into something intriguing and romantic. Could Sadie's ghost be the answer to Lara's problems and can two girls from different times end up learning something special from each other?”

Learning the Arts & Science of Beauty

>> Saturday, April 17, 2010

One of the many persons I will surely miss when I leave is our family’s hair stylist. For more that 8 years, the three of us go to him whenever we need hair cuts, styling and make up for my daughter and I during special occasions. We were chatting last night and he mentioned that one of his friends is now attending classes in an established and well-known Cosmetology school in Colorado. The school is Regency Beauty Institute which was founded more than 50 years ago in Minneapolis. From what I learned, their campuses are depiction of affluent salons, giving their students exceptional education and learning experiences which make them successful in their field.

The Jollibee Party that Was

I know, I know. This is super late but I don’t know why I always forget to post this. Here is another memorable photo taken during our big EB with Twitter friends and some MBAPs last February 2010:
It was a fun-filled Jollibee party enjoyed by adults and kids alike. Even our emcee, Kuya Louie had a grand time. Hopefully, this is not the first and last time!

Get Rich Slowly

Browsing through Zen Habits today led me to Get Rich Slowly. The Get Rich Slowly author, J. D. Roth formulated and shared Fourteen Tenets of the Get Rich Slowly Philosophy which I believe to be helpful if we want to live an abundant life. Here they go:

Money is more about mind than it is about math.
The road to wealth is paved with goals.
To build wealth, you must spend less than you earn.
Saving must be a priority.
Small amounts matter.
Large amounts matter, too.
Slow and steady wins the race.
The perfect is the enemy of the good.
Failure is okay.
Do what works for you.
Financial balance lets you enjoy tomorrow and today.
Action beats inaction.
Nobody cares more about your money than you do.
It’s more important to be happy than it is to be rich.

A Gamer Has…

>> Thursday, April 15, 2010

This reminds me of my cousin who is a gaming addict. We are of the same age and if I go gaga over gadgets, he is spending his money on toys for big kids! A visit at their place is a treat for another gamer like me (and DH and DD) because I/ we get to enjoy his gaming thingamajigs. However, I do like to spend time chit-chatting with his mom who is my favorite aunt and enjoying the the sumptuous dishes she prepare. The kids enjoy the most, playing with their toys and the toys for the big kids too. That is, when my cousin isn’t playing.

I Should Procrastinate!

As if I do not know myself. LOL! I am one procrastinator and it works for me. But again, that's just ME!

You Should Procrastinate

Believe it or not, procrastinating is actually pretty good for you. So go ahead and do it.
You work well under pressure, and deadlines don't bother you. In fact, the less time you have, the better.

If you put off a task, you get it done more efficiently. There's nothing wrong with using procrastination as a way to motivate yourself.
Whether you procrastinate or not, you'll eventually get the job done. The only difference is, if you procrastinate, you might do a better job.

Daydreaming

The weekend is almost here and I can’t really believe it. I am looking forward to it because of the tons of household tasks that needs to be accomplished around here, especially that my weekend girl is now working in a fast food chain. The laundry needs special attention and so is the floor. And the rooms. And DD’s toys. And our books. Etc, etc. etc. It’s the entire house and everything that we have in here, actually, need special attention.

I wish I own a magic wand to help me finish the household tasks while I am blogging or playing Words with Friends. Or Facebooking. But yeah, I am daydreaming again. LOL!

Hoping your weekend is great!

The US Gold Bureau

>> Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Most people opt to buy gold coins these days. And why not? Gold has been the most valuable commodity for many centuries. Moreover, gold is more stable and indestructible compared to paper currency.

But same with any other investment, one must never act without getting the proper education on the matter first. It is important that new investors must first find a reliable company that will aid them in making the right investment. The United States Gold Bureau is such company. Their dedicated professionals will help you increase your wealth if you decide that investing on gold is for you. You will be taught that not all gold is not created equal, thus, knowing which gold is more valuable can be very beneficial to your investment.

The Stingy One

>> Saturday, April 3, 2010

One of my brothers has been bugging me about my laptop. Before we left for Manila last week, he told me to buy a new one so I can sell this one that I am using to him. Since I can’t afford to let go of this laptop yet, I told him to check out the daily deal at ecomeloctronics.com for new and refurbished laptops and computers.

He said that he wants to blog too, the reason why he wants a laptop of his own. He is a very good writer (unlike his sister who is, up to now, a wannabe. Haha!) And the very reason why he doesn’t want to invest on a new laptop is: among the three of us, he is the most stingy! Since we were young, he doesn’t like to spend much and that makes me wonder, where does all his money go?

My dear brother, I have many complaints about my laptop and many times, I have been tempted to give in and sell it to you. However, until I have a brand new replacement on hand, this laptop stays with me, defective or not!

Desserts

Aside from the big bag full of durian tarts, I am also contributing mango float and black samba during Ted’s graduation party this coming week. It will be a simple celebration and since my siblings have varied favorites, I will just prepare the two. The mango float recipe, in case you are wondering, can be found here. However, I still need to finalize my black samba recipe. Strange, I know, since I have been preparing it countless times since I learned it from Marijo. I’ve innovated it a little and I can’t seem to remember the proportions. Haha! Silly me.

A Mall Rat

Unlike DD and DH, I am a mall rat. Whenever given a chance, (meaning when Mark leaves the house for errands around the city or the malls to be exact), I tag along. The last time we went to SM Pampanga, Mark had a transaction with Globe and I waited outside. One lady approached me offering a flyer on auto insurance quotes while another lady offered me a credit card application papers. Both I had to politely refuse simply because I do not need them! (Though I should have offered the former to Mark.)

Anyway, most often, we go to these malls:

SM Pampanga and Robinsons Pampanga. These two huge malls are facing each other so it’s a breeze going back and forth.

This afternoon, we look forward to visiting the Marquee Mall for the first time. We haven’t been there (Mark and I). DD and DH will be tagging along too, plus Dudley, so it is going to be fun!

The Bedtime Test

Your Normal Bedtime Says You're Balanced

You are a flexible, adaptable person who seeks balance in your life.
While you would love to stay up as late as you want, you're too responsible to do so.

You work hard but also let yourself relax. You probably have a reasonable bed time, but you probably don't always stick to it.
You do your best, but you don't hold yourself to impossible standards. You've got to have some fun too!

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