Another Birthday

Yesterday I turned another year older. I look forward to more exciting years ahead. I'm thankful for my good health, loving family and other wonderful blessings.

Here's a nice quiz that I would like to share with you. I tried and the quiz and the result suits me well.

Your Birthday Predicts You're Sensitive

Ever since you were born, you've always been able to cooperate. You enjoy supporting and being inspired by others. You appreciate the dynamic of a group. Getting along with others is essential to you. You are both fair and well mannered. You are very intuitive and easily effected by other people. Sometimes you are too delicate.

What Does Your Birthday Predict About You?

Three on Thursday #4

Make your Three on Thursday’s list.
It can be about anything under the sun.

My son's three frogs namely:

1. Smoochy (big one)
2. Twirly (the wooden top)
3. Bubbles (the wind up toy that floats on water)

Emerald Sundays #5

click here to join

1. Post your "Emerald Picture". It can be a little green or a whole lot of green.
2. Post an Emerald Sundays badge found on the top left sidebar
3. Sign in to Mr. Linky using your specific url of Emerald Picture post (put: 'www.mysite.com/emeraldSundayspost' instead of www.mysite.com)
4. Visit each other.

Jibbitz for Crocs

Wall-E and Eve Jibbitz

Emerald Sundays #4

click here to join

1. Post your "Emerald Picture". It can be a little green or a whole lot of green.
2. Post an Emerald Sundays badge found on the top left sidebar
3. Sign in to Mr. Linky using your specific url of Emerald Picture post (put: 'www.mysite.com/emeraldSundayspost' instead of www.mysite.com)
4. Visit each other.

I saw this green snake at the zoo in Tagaytay. I'm not sure what kind of snake it is but its green color is mesmerizing.

Three on Thursday #3

Make your Three on Thursday’s list.
It can be about anything under the sun.

Three Movie I Recently Watched

1. It's All About the Women

Starring: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Missing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Candice Bergen

"Mary Haines (Meg Ryan), a thoroughly modern woman suddenly confronted with an age-old dilemma: a cheating husband. The ladies in her life swiftly rally to Mary's side, led by her best friend, Sylvie Fowler (Annette Bening), a dynamic magazine editor. But when Sylvie betrays Mary in a Fuastian bargain, the entire group is shaken to the core - and two women face the most painful breakfup of all - their friendship."

2. Gran Torino

Starring: Clint Eastwood

"Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowlaski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalsk's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino."

3. Changeling

Starring: Angelina Jolie, JohnMalkovich

"On a Saturday morning in a working-class suburb, Christine said goodbye to her son, Walter, and left for work. When she came home, she discovered he had vanished. A fruitless search ensues, and months later, a boy claiming to be the nine year old is returned. Dazed by the swirl of cops, reporters and her conflicted emotions, Christine allows him to stay overnight. But in her heart, she know he is not Walter.

As she pushes authorities to keep looking, she learns that in Prohibition Era L.A., women don't challenge the system and live to tell their story. Slandered as delusional and unfit, Christine finds an ally in activist Reverend Briegleb (Malcovich), who helps her fight the city to look for her missing boy. "

Emerald Sundays #3

click here to join

1. Post your "Emerald Picture". It can be a little green or a whole lot of green.
2. Post an Emerald Sundays badge found on the top left sidebar
3. Sign in to Mr. Linky using your specific url of Emerald Picture post (put: 'www.mysite.com/emeraldSundayspost' instead of www.mysite.com)
4. Visit each other.

Here's my boy in green. He's very excited to get presents from the balikbayan box. (Photo taken some time in December 2008).

Three on Thursday #2

Make your Three on Thursday’s list.
It can be about anything under the sun.

My Three Favorite Sanrio Characters

1. Hello Kitty
2. My Melody
3. Little Twin Stars
   

Emerald Sundays #2

click here to join

1. Post your "Emerald Picture". It can be a little green or a whole lot of green.
2. Post an Emerald Sundays badge found on the top left sidebar
3. Sign in to Mr. Linky using your specific url of Emerald Picture post (put: 'www.mysite.com/emeraldSundayspost' instead of www.mysite.com)
4. Visit each other.

I was inspired to create this lady bug after my son finished painting his DIY train. Using a smooth pebble in the garden, I painted this lady bug. It looks nice in my garden. I'm thinking of making some more.

Related posts:
Lady Bug pebble
Painted pebble

Three on Thursday #1

Make your Three on Thursday’s list.
It can be about anything under the sun.

My Three Favorite Desserts

1. Blueberry Cheesecake
2. Sans Rival
   
3. Carrot Cake
   

Month of Hearts

February is the month of hearts. During this month we celebrate Valentine's Day. Remember to express your feelings to the people you love not only on Valentine's Day but as often as you can. To love someone is its own reward.

Accepting Vulnerabilities

"Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength."
~Sigmund Freud~

No one is perfect. Each person has his own strengths and weaknesses. The latter can be a burden if we don't do something about it. We can still be strong despite our vulnerabilities in life. All we have to do is learn to accept our limitations and focus on the things we are good at. There are so many things in life that we can focus our strengths on. If we fail at one thing, don't wallow in defeat. Use it as a challenge to do better next time. Success does not always happen overnight. We need to work hard and exert effort to become good at what we do.

Emerald Sundays #1

click here to join

1. Post your "Emerald Picture". It can be a little green or a whole lot of green.
2. Post an Emerald Sundays badge found on the top left sidebar
3. Sign in to Mr. Linky using your specific url of Emerald Picture post (put: 'www.mysite.com/emeraldSundayspost' instead of www.mysite.com)
4. Visit each other.

It's my first time to join this meme. I was looking through my archive and saw these old photos. They were taken at the play area in a fast food restaurant a few years ago. My son had a grand time on the green slide.

Treasure Today

"Memories, important
yesterdays, were once todays.
Treasure and notice today.

~Gloria Gaither~

I'm thankful to God for each beautiful morning and peaceful evening. I cherish each wonderful sunrise and admire every glorious sunset.

Little Pleasures

"It isn't the great big pleasures
that count the most; it's
making a great deal out of
the little ones."

~Jean Webster~

I'm grateful for the little pleasures of the heart:

• My son's smile and laughter.
• A snail mail from someone special.
• Comment/s on my blog.
• A delicious meal.
• Delectable dessert.
• Beautiful sunny day.

Friday's Feast #2

Join the feast here.

Appetizer

What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?
I love watching Care Bears, Smurfs, Voltes V and Transformers.

Soup

Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?
I would get a Pug and name it Bren.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?
It really depends but I like shopping for new clothes so I would say 8.

Main Course

What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?
I like listening to slow, soothing music on the road.

Dessert

When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?
I didn't buy it but I got a free alarm clock which I put in our room.

I Love Apple Pie

I love homemade apple pie. I love the smell of an apple pie baking in the oven. Want to make your apple pie more special? Just put a scoop of your favorite ice-cream and you have an apple pie ala mode. I prefer vanilla ice-cream on mine. How about you?

Perfect Summer Dessert - Halo Halo

Now that summer is here, a perfect way to cool down is with a bowl of this colorful dessert. This is called Halo Halo, a popular Filipino dessert. It's an attractive dessert because of the medley of sweet ingredients such as shaved ice, milk, boiled sweet beans, assorted fruits, gelatin, yam, flan and sometimes topped with ice-cream.

How to make your own Halo Halo

Ingredients:
(The following are the common components of Halo Halo. You may choose only the ones that you like. You're free to create your own Halo Halo. You may also control the amount of ingredients per glass or bowl depending on your taste.)

• sweetened bananas, specifically saba (sliced into pieces)
  
• sweet potato (cut into cubes)
  
• purple yam (already prepared, often bought in small jars/containers)
• canned or sweetened jackfruit (cut into strips)
  
• nata de coco (preserved sweet coconut)
• macapuno
  
• gelatin (already prepared and cut into small cubes)
• tapioca (prepared and sweetened in sugar syrup)
• sweetened garbanzo beans
• sweetened red beans
• lechan flan
  
• rice crispies (pinipig)
• corn kernels
• ice cream (optional)
  
• sugar (amount added depends on one's taste)
  
• evaporated milk
• shaved ice
  
• ice-cream (optional)
  

Procedure:

• Halfway fill a tall glass or deep bowl with a tablespoon of each ingredient of your choice above. Then fill it with crushed ice. Top with ice cream, purple yam or leche flan (or bits of each). Then serve with milk and sugar.

Friday's Feast #1

Join the feast here.

Appetizer

What does the color dark green make you think of?
It makes me think of a field of grass in summer.

Soup

How many cousins do you have?
I have 21 cousins on my mother's side and 11 cousins on my father's side.

Salad

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you?
On most occasions, I would say 9.

Main Course

Name something that is truly free.
I believe that true love is free.

Dessert

Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence.
Say a prayer everyday and rejoice in goodness.

Life is a Gift

"Live your life while you have it.
Life is a splendid gift - there is
nothing small about it."

~ Florence Nightingale ~

There are so many things to be grateful in life. Focus your energy on the wonderful things that make you smile and happy. Appreciate even the little things and the tiny details. Cherish each day and make it special.

Cruise in Life

"Every morning is a fresh beginning. Every day is the world made new. Today is a new day. Today is my world made new. I have lived all my life up to this moment, to come to this day. This moment--this day--is as good as any moment in all eternity. I shall make of this day--each moment of this day--a heaven on earth. This is my day of opportunity."

~Dan Custer~

This is a wonderful start of something new and exciting. It's hard to begin but they say the hardest part is always the start. Once you've taken that first step, it's easier to think of your next one. Join me as I begin a journey. Let's take a cruise together and enjoy the beautiful things around us.