Saturday, September 12, 2009

Reminiscing Mode

My mom and bro visited us yesterday and they brought some of my old stuff (HS to College Years) that I have left ever since I moved out from LP.

Some interesting finds:


My elementary and high school yearbooks. Sayang naiwan pa rin yung sa DLSU.



An unfinished cross stitch project.



A VHS tape of City of Angels. I wonder if I borrowed this from someone?



A manual of Spencer's gift to me from his first paycheck.



College course cards.



Photo negatives of High School memories.



Cassette tapes. Yeah, I love Shaggy!



NBS plastic, their old design.



This one tugged my heart. Photo album.



And the whole time I was tinkering and cleaning these things, KT was with me! So sweet!





Thursday, July 9, 2009

Another MAID BEWARE...Leyden Haberia Reyes


I thought she was the angel I have prayed for... until things started missing... and then yesterday I accidentally saw her diary, and to my surprise she had been stealing from us and she actually has a list (not all are shown). And some are really, really odd things, like tissue rolls, my old notebook, alarm clock, my tweezer, a copy of birth cerificate of Sofie!

I don't care if she is klepto.. I don't think I can sleep peacefully knowing I have someone in our house who is a thief!

This morning, after thoroughly checking (and discovering more things she has hidden) I paid the days she had worked for us and sent her away! I also gave her the things she stole (HELLO, TWEEZER??? COULD NOT BELIEVE SUCH PERSONAL THINGS PINAGKAKAINTERESAN PA!!!!)

Goodness, I'm the one who cooks na nga and all she has to do are the minor things, our washing machine is even automatic .. AS IN IHUHULOG NA LANG PAGKATAPOS ISASAMPAY NA LANG! She does not even take care of Sofie. And then she is like this! I don't need to pay 3k monthly plus free toiletries to someone who is just a pain in the ass!

And by the way she admitted that she has falsified her age, (only 17) even in her NBI clearance. She is connected with Leah Gonzales, whom she said was her aunt, and had encouraged her to invent stories just so they can both apply in the agency.

Again, she is the replacement of a replacement from Lerixx Manpower. I did not ask for a replacement anymore despite our contract because this had been costing us already (money-wise, and for God's sake MY SANITY!)

I am calling out to all agencies, future employers, please think twice if you see this person knocking at your door!









Thursday, June 25, 2009

And then some more!

I initially wanted the 'immersion' style but then we realized likot na si Sofie talaga.




I love this shot! The guests were afraid of the icing I guess coz we had about 15 left after the party! LOL!




Prizes for the games.




Kids lootbags.





For the Godparents, though some were not able to come (Your tumblers are still in our home, you're welcome to drop by hehehe...)





My beautiful daughter, I think we look alike here when I was a toddler too.




Some more pics (Random Order) !

Picking up candies that fell from the Pinata!


Mommy and Baby Sofie!



Another shot of the cake.





Food! Where's the soup?




Sofie's Christening and First Birthday!

To my Sofie,

This is mommy's birthday wish for you, not only today but for the rest of your birthdays... that you will grow up as a good person, strong and independent yet has faith that there is someone out there who is bigger and more powerful.


Mommy will always wish what is best for you and will give anything as long as I can. I will always be your biggest fan, in every milestone, in every achievement. I will always support you in any dreams you have. Mommy will always be here for you, ready to comfort you in times of trials.


Parents will always want what is best for their children. Mommy too, but more than that… . Beyond success in life, I will always wish you fulfilment and happiness!


I love you , anak!



-Mommy



Yay! Got the pictures from Focal Point. Thanks Chris, we love the shots! So let me share with you some pics taken during my daughter’s Christening and 1st birthday celebration last June 14, 2009. (I know it's like a teaser only teeheee! For sure my guests will want to see their pictures! More pics in FB or Picasa!)




Cupcake Tower by Iko's Bakeshop (Supplier of Shakey's Galleria)





DIY photocubes (Inspired by GT forum)





Edsa Shrine, San Lorenzo Chapel





Likot ni Sofie during the ceremony!





Our Little Princess... Forever!





Thursday, May 28, 2009

BEWARE OF THIS MAID/YAYA





Up to now it still gives me goosebumps. I just could not believe it happened and could not erase scary thoughts of what else could have happened.

About 2 months ago, I had been doing maid/yaya hunting. I asked for referrals from relatives, friends and officemates; had begged to ask their own household help but got no results. Out of desperation I resorted to inquire from agencies, despite the fact that it was more expensive and I will be dealing with strangers. I short listed those that are legit (as they claim they have license) and talked to 5 of them (most are from sulit.com.ph)

They have almost the same standards: an office fee of 3k (minimum), 20-25% maid's salary (lowest salary is 3k), delivery charge (P300), and will provide Police and NBI clearance of maid. Medical tests are optional and their fees (ranges from P250 - 600) varies on the type of tests you want. Their replacement polices differs, the average is within 6 months should something happen (like what happened to us) they will provide a maid replacement. Most agencies also claim that they had thoroughly interviewed and trained (???) the applicants they provide, which I highly doubt.

We have decided to get from Lerixx Manpower since here is where my former manager' good friend got their maids. For now, I will not make any comment on this agency. I am still giving them the benefit of the doubt, BUT they better take actions and answer my calls. I had been trying to contact them after I went to the police but all their contact numbers (landline and cellphone) were either just ringing or busy.

Back to this runaway maid, it really did not occur to me that she would do such. Though I find her work as mediocre ('pwede ng pagtyagaan kesa sa wala'). I have observed that she does not really interact with my daughter. Though I primarily hired her as maid and not yaya, there will be times of course that I had to do something else or there will be nights that Sofie will be awake while I am working and I would ask her to look after my baby. And she would just literally LOOK at my baby, just sitting beside her crib! It was fine, I guess, because Sofie could have picked up incorrect words. Whenever I ask her to list what we need to buy for a week's food menu, I often find mispelled basic words. And she seems to be color blinded because she interchanges the colors blue and green, black and gray. Please don't get me wrong, I am not expecting her to be an intelligent person but she, her bio data and the agency told me that she was at least a High School graduate!

She has a bad habit of answering "Hindi ko po alam (I don't know)" whenever you ask her and I find it absolutely irritating!

She had broken a few things as well: our stove knob, handle of pot (which was new) cover, did some silly things like using the liquid toilet bowl cleanser to the tiles of our CR, put our pitcher under the sink along with the cleaning materials. But all these are trivial, and I could let it pass.

What she did today has compelled me to go to the baranggay and police station (they are not that helpful, but that is another story) for police blotter.

So here is the story (Sorry for the long prelude, I just could not contain it within me.). After getting her first month's pay (May 17, 2009) she asked if she can have in advance her next month's pay and that she will just work it off. Her drama was that her mother was in the hospital and she was the only one who can give money. I did not buy it and instead told her that we can give her half of her salary on the 30th. (It was her preference before to have her pay once a month.) She agreed and even suggested that she will just move her day off on the same date.

Three days ago, she asked if she can just get her salary on Thursday (yesterday) because her cousin will go to their province thus she will just meet up with her in Puregold/Hypermarket which was near us. That was fine with me. She went out 8:30am and came back 10:15am.

I told her then as she arrived to prepare our brunch, She did, though I noticed it took her long to finish it. After our family ate (12:30pm) we went back to our room. And that was the last time I saw her.

It was already around 4pm when we discovered that she was gone, along with some of our things! Based on the look of our kitchen and dining, it seems that she did not eat anymore and hurriedly put away the dishes, did not bother to clean the table and do the dishes. Her CR (Yes, she has her own maid's quarter and CR!) was a mess, all her unwashed maid's uniform were piled up! We found a note saying that she was sorry she had to leave because she is pregnant! This I could not believe! Just the other night I saw blood stains on her white pants indicating that she just had her period.

I could have forgiven her if she had just left, but she took the Nokia cellphone we lend her, a pair of slippers, few bills and coins, Sofie's RL bag (new and worth P2k) ... oh and I was also looking for our alcohol in the sala, she took that too!

I have yet to find what else is missing. I thank God that all our valuables are safe and I thank God that she did not harm my daughter. It just bothers me now, if all along she had planned this or if she had other bad plans for us.

Creepy, scary that we had someone in our home with such motives. God knows what else she could have done.


Her name is Gerelyn Melad Lidong, 18 yo, born on Oct. 15, 1990. She said that her province was in Apayao. And she has a cousin in Fairview, Pasig. She refers this cousin as her only contact here in Manila.






Friday, May 15, 2009

A more readable Font type

After getting 2 constuctive comments from my loved ones (hubby and my tita), I changed the font style that I have used. I guess it was just me who can decipher the previous one I used :p

Credits can be found below.




Thursday, May 14, 2009

Save the Date


Just freshly done! Credits will be on my next post (tired and sleepy already). I might send this out to the guests later or tonight hopefully....



Blogless

...for more than 3 months!

Oh, yeah! Of course, I have my reasons (errr.. EXCUSES?). Ironic as it may sound but for the past months my mind was filled with scattered thoughts and questions. And yet I opt to be silent. Perhaps amidst the craziness inside me I found comfort in being silent in my internet life (that includes FB, Plurk and GT).

Quarterlife crisis? I don't know because I turned 29 last month and I'm not sure if that is still considered in that age range. LOL!

We also changed our address (literally, we MOVED) and got busy with the fixing and packing, unpacking and ....(okay the fixing is not yet totally done, harhar)!


So, enough of the drama. I am here now and cramming with the preparations for Sofie's baptism and 1st birthday celebration!







Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Mixed Emotions

February - the Love Month!

I have mixed emotions as this month started. Happy. Sad. Excited. Melancholic. And excited again. {I am using the sandwich approach here!}

HAPPY. Well, it's Valentine's! And this will be Sofie's first so I told my husband that we will have a family date. And I am also secretly expecting some Ferrero from DH, ok not a secret anymore! It is also Sofie's 8th month birthday. Since her birth, we see to it that we celebrate her monthly birthday until she reaches her first year (a simple one, just a cake and a candle, and picture taking). So this time it will be a 2 in 1 celebration.

SAD. Because I know as the day passes by, it is like I am counting the days I'll be spending with Ms. Dine, my manager in the virtual office I work for. Yes, she is the author of the award winning blog, The D Spot. When I read her post, I already had a hunch of what she was trying to tell. Then she confirmed that she has submitted her resignation letter and it will be effective mid-February. I cried.

I cried for a number of reasons. I don't think I can publish them but one thing is for sure I will definitely miss someone who is genuinely concern with her staff.

EXCITED. Finally, the much awaited balikbayan box will soon arrive! Would you believe that we had been waiting for it since January? I literally stopped myself from buying toys for Sofie during the Christmas season so as not to duplicate the toys my relatives from US had bought for her.

MELANCHOLIC. On February 17, it will be 3 years since my grandfather passed away. There are still times that I cry. There are still moments that I get sad especially when I see old pictures of him and my grandmother. Photographs that most of the time I was the one who took.

AND EXCITED AGAIN. And I will be certainly jumping like a kid if the SIMS 3 will work with great speed on my lappy. SIMS 3 will be released on the 20th of this month.



Monday, January 26, 2009

Last Stretch

Last week as I was looking for baby photo contests that Sofie can join, I stumbled upon the website of Baby Central. It is the online portal of Baby magazine. And I find their site cool and it is fun to connect with mommies (and daddies!) and talk about our babies and the joys/pains of parenthood.

I was having second thoughts of submitting an entry for their 'Famous Baby of the month' contest. I was thinking it might be late since we only have 1 week to promote my baby's picture (Yes, it's like a popularity contest, the winner is based on the number of views, comments, and ratings.)! Nevertheless, I submitted a picture of Sofie, which a layout I did prior to my knowledge of this contest. Coincidentally, the title of my LO is the same with the title of the theme for the month, Baby in Red. For a day or two, I was happy to see that there were so many views already.

So here's the future stage mom campaigning for her daughter!

Please vote for Sofie, your comments and rating are very, very much appreciated.

VOTE for Sofie HERE!


Thank you!



Saturday, January 24, 2009

Obama -rama and a lappy

So I figured out that for last week most blogs will talk about the inauguration of President Obama. I am proud to have witnessed this historical event - LIVE (through web, oh how we love technology!) When my husband saw me watching it, he said he never thought I was interested in politics. I answered, "this is history, this is what Sofie will be studying in her history class down the road (memorizing dates, places, etc)." And let's face it, though I am in the Philippines, the country (or any other countries for that matter) is somehow affected with what happens in America.

Here are some links about the Inauguration that I find interesting (maybe you will too):

Filipino artist, Charice Pempengco to sing at the Inauguration
Curious on how many people watched the Inauguration on web?
UFO spotted during the Inauguration
Quick Facts about the Inauguration

On a serious note, we are all aware of the global financial crisis - so here's to hoping for solutions and a better future for all of us. YES WE CAN!

You may be wondering what is the lappy all about? Well finally, I have my own lappy and I'm using it now (Wipeee!).



{My Lappy}



Friday, January 9, 2009

For My Daughter

Inspired by Smart Parenting's (December 2008 Issue) article 'Letters from the Heart', I made my own letter to my daughter, Sofie. I added a twist though, I digiscrapped it. I have 2 versions, a kiddie one that has a fun look and another one that looks formal and a bit sentimental. But they just have one message, that my daughter will always be loved...







{Credits for the first two: Mee Gee Designs. For the last one: Mocha Latte Swirls by Valeri Brumfield}

 
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