My husband has a new toy and it is his new Canon 50D Digital SLR. I did not know that he is actually planning to buy one and I only learned about it days before Cobi’s baptism. His initial plan was that he will sell his Canon 40D first and use the money from its sale as the initial cash out to buy the Canon 50D. But being a camera addict that he is and since he wanted to use his new toy on Cobi’s baptism, he decided to buy the camera the day before Cobi’s baptism even if it is still a few days short from payday and even if he hasn't sold his Canon 40D yet.

So how did he manage to buy the camera even if he is short on cash? Cash advances had been his savior. He knows that he can’t wait until payday to purchase the camera and so he thought of applying for cash advance so he can buy the camera before Cobi’s baptism.

Cash advance is a short term loan and can be your answer if you need cash below $1000 instantly. The advantage of cash advance is that there is no credit check involved when applying. The application is also very convenient as you just have to fill up an online form to submit an application and you can instantly receive an online approval. Once approved, the money can be deposited to your bank account usually within the next business day. That is how convenient applying for a cash advance is.

I know that my husband will be able to pay for the cash advance when his pay check arrives so I gave him my approval to obtain the cash advance. I know that it made my husband truly happy and it is a good thing too as he has a much better camera to use for an important event in my son’s life, which is his Baptism.

Last August 26, Howell paid for our last monthly amortization for the house and lot that we purchased five years ago. I must say that it has been very challenging for us financially as we have to pay for our monthly amortization and then add to that our monthly household expenses. But my husband and I never regret our decision in making this investment.

And now that our loan is finally finished, we are looking at a new investment like buying gold bullion. Gold is a very good form of investment as its value will appreciate in time and most of the time is not even affected by the fall of the economy. It is also universally accepted so I can easily turn it to cash anytime I want to sell it.

My husband is really bold when it comes to investment. I was afraid to take a risk at first but I have seen the benefits of making such investment and I really learned that we will never go wrong with gold investments.

It was a very tiring but fun weekend for us. Since this is my second to the last weekend before I go back to work, we decided to have our last adventure and booked an overnight stay at Sofitel for some quality time and family bonding. We had no yaya and my mom and my sister did not go with us so this is the first time that Howell and I went out with Bela and Cobi without any help.

I thought I would go crazy at first taking care of a newborn and my super active Bela but hubby and I survived the weekend and we had fun especially Bela. We just stayed in the hotel almost the entire time and we only went out one time when Howell decided to have dinner at Dampa instead as he is craving for tuna belly, but I think we did good for a first timer.

We can never really deny that one of the prevalent health issues nowadays are related to STD. No wonder why Department of Health is doing a campaign to prevent diseases such as these to make the public aware of such a disease and on how to prevent and cure it.

The problem with these kinds of diseases is that it can be easily transferred to another individual and thus the virus can spread easily. So those who are suspecting that they are infected should be responsible enough to have a std testing so they will know if they are infected or not so they can do the precautionary measures to prevent infecting other people.

Those who will be tested need not worry as the results of the test, be it positive or negative, will be kept with strict confidentiality. They even offer same day std testing so those who are suspecting that they have STD need not wait for a long time to know the results. And if ever they are infected, they can even get help and counseling on how to deal with the disease.

STD is a curable disease so if you suspect that you are infected but such a disease, better get a test as soon as possible to deal with it right away and get the necessary treatment to cure the disease.

I am so excited because I was able to take advantage of the latest airline promo and was able to book a round trip ticket to fly to one of the best beach destinations. I was able to get hold of my friend who lives there and she promised to give us a tour while we are there. She even told us that we can even have an island hopping tour if only their boat will be fixed in time for our arrival.

Hearing about the island hoping tour makes me really excited as I know Bela will have a great time exploring the different islands. So to be sure that my friend’s boat will be fix right away, I helped her find a store where they can order the Boat engine that they need to fix the boat.

US Engine Inc is a store which sells rebuilt engines from Marine engines to car engines. All their engines have been remanufactured by their experienced technicians who follow a systematic remanufacturing method which passes the standard of the automotive machining industry.

All their products come with a seven year warranty so you will be sure that their products are reliable and of high quality. If you purchase a Marine engine from them, you will be sure that it is safe to use for your boat as they follow a rigid inspection for all their products. All their rebuilt engines are tested and inspected more than thrice before they are packed and shipped to its customers. My friend was really happy after checking the site of US Engine Inc and she promised me that she can really give us an island hopping tour as she is sure that their boat will be fix soon after getting a rebuilt engine from US Engine Inc.

Today was a special day for us as it is the Christening of our dear Cobi. We are all happy for this day as he is now a new member of the Christian community. Although we want it to be a really happy event, we can’t help but feel sad as this is the first family event that mama is not with us. I am sure the whole family misses mama especially we know how much she loves occasions like this of her grand children.

But I am sure mama is happy now. Her kids are all established already. Her eldest son is already an engineer and her two daughters both got healthcare jobs. She has a son who is a priest (and we know how proud mama is for Fr. Jason) and my hubby who is also an engineer. She knows that her grand children are all growing up to be smart and God fearing children. Most importantly, we know that mama is happy now because she is already with her Creator.

We know that it may take a while before we all can finally move on but I know mama will help us heal the wounds and fill the void of her absence.

To Mama, we all miss you so much and we know that you are just there always watching over us.

We had a very busy weekend. Saturday is a very hectic day for us as we have to bring Bela to her ballet class in the morning and her swimming class in the afternoon. Thankfully for this Saturday, it is a national holiday so she has no ballet class in the morning and so we don’t have to wake up early.

Yaya is away for a week so Howell, my mom and I took turns in taking care of Cobi and Bela. After giving Bela a bath and after having our lunch, we left around 1:30 PM so Bela will not be late for class. While Bela is attending class, Clarissa of Frupcakes also delivered at CSA the cupcakes that I ordered for Cobi’s baptism.

After Bela’s class, we dropped by at Conti’s in Serendra to buy a cake as it is also Cobi’s 2nd month birthday so we also had a small party at home.

Sunday was equally a very busy day as it is Cobi’s baptism so I have to make a separate post about that on Cobi’s blog.

It was a very tiring and busy weekend for us but it was also a weekend well spent with my family and hubby’s family.

I was chatting with my friend last night and he is experiencing so much stress now at work as he needs to look for a store where he can order Hydraulic rams and other industrial supply.

The good thing about being at home while I am on my maternity is I can always go online to browse the net. So while Cobi is sleeping, I was able to do some research to help my friend look for Hydraulic valve and rams and other industrial supplies and that is when I discovered Fremont Industrial Supply.

Fremont Industrial Supply have been in the business for more than forty years now and they sell only high quality Electric motors and other industrial supply from more than 50 manufacturers so my friend can surely find what he is looking for from Fremont. They even offer various shipping options to save on shipping fees.

My friend can just send Fremont an email for any product inquiry and request for product quote for the product that he is looking. Alternatively, he can also call them so their customer service agents can quickly handle and answer my friend’s inquiry.

My friend is really thankful that I was able to give him the site of Fremont Industrial Supply as it surely solved his problems at work.

In just a few weeks I will be going back to the office to work. This means I won’t be able to see Cobi and Bela 24x7. As early as now I am feeling sad already and I am already having separation anxiety. I am not sure if I can stand it to be away from Cobi and Bela even just for a couple of hours five days a week.

I have 78 days of maternity leave so I have been used to just staying at home and be with my kids. I love it every time Bela opens her eyes in the morning and I am the first person that she sees. I love it every time Cobi feeds directly from me. I love it that I don’t have to take a leave if I need to attend to important events in Bela’s school. I love it that I can take Bela to school and fetch her almost everyday.

These are just some of the things that I will really miss once I go back to work. So if I choose to stay at home, what would be my options:

• I can look for online schools and study at home so at least I will not be stagnant and will still continue to learn. I checked out a list of online schools here and I have a lot of options to choose from.
• I can get a work-at-home job. I know a number of mommies like me who have work-at-home jobs in the IT field.
• I can set up an online store where I can sell US products. I found a number of multiply sites who sells stuff from the US and I am pretty sure that I can give a much lower price than them.

But I guess I will still not find the courage to resign and leave work. I have been working for more than a decade now and imagining myself not having a regular pay check scares me, especially I have two kids to feed. Oh well, I hope in time I will be able to adjust and will be able to go back to my old self as a working mom.

You all know how much my hubby loves to collect different kinds of things. Whether it’s toys, magazines, posters, coins, various currencies and even sand and pebbles from the beach that he visited.

And as you see, he may have spent large amount of money for this yet he’s happy and contented for he thinks that he can still sell this in the future if ever he decides to. So now I am thinking that since he also collects coins, why not suggest him to start investing with his collections and consider gold coins as part of his collectibles.

Not a bad idea right? Aside from the fact that he will have additions to his collections, he will also have valuable investments that he can definitely use in the future. And as we all know, gold can do a lot of help when it comes to financial security since its value doesn’t easily depreciate.

So I’m hoping that hubby will consider my idea and I’m sure to myself that I’m willing to help him to invest with this.

On this day of your life, Abie, we believe 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.

Of course I always want to help other people to see God’s creativeness in my own simple ways. I can start in my own home by inspiring my children to do good things to others by becoming a model to them.

As we all know, helping is a very great way to make people happy. Just by showing them that you care will always be a lot meaningful. So I hope that many people will do this and share the blessings that they receive by paying it forward.

I am happy with the progress of our preparations for the baptism of Cobi:

• I already ordered the cake for the event
• I will be meeting up with my souvenir supplier this Saturday to pick up our orders
• We already stared distributing the invitations and we will continue distributing it this weekend
• I already bought clothes for me, Bela and Cobi which we will wear on that day so we only have to look for Howell’s Bab
• Hubby is already working on the tarpaulin

I guess we are all set for next week.

I know we have a lot of expenses lined up for this year but hubby is really serious and he wants me to do some research so we can explore other investment options like investing in precious metals.

We have asked our friends who have tried this kind of investment and they said that investing in precious metals such as silver, platinum and gold in the form of gold coin or ingot is a really safe and good investment as it will not depreciate in time so investors will be sure that their investments will be secured no matter how many years will pass from now. And unlike other type of investments, its storage won’t be a problem as it can easily stored either in bank or in a safety deposit box at home.

I know that investing in gold will be the best way to go for us, if not for now, maybe in the future.

Hubby surprised us one day and brought home one of this cute babies:

A brown Labrador which he bought from his officemate. We already have a black Labrador named sassy and she is already 5 years old. Howell gave it to me as a gift when I got pregnant with Bela. Howell really wanted to have a brown Labrador and so when he learned that his officemate is selling a brown Labrador, he did not think twice and bought of these three cute Labradors.

Bela was so happy when she saw her new pet and she is even helping her dad take care of our new baby. They even went to Cartimar the other day to buy stuff for our new baby like dog food, sleeping mat and a lace.

I know this is another responsibility as we have to take care of Bela and Cobi also but I know hubby and Bela is happy with another addition to our family.

Yehey, after two months I was finally able to get hold of my iPhone. I returned it to Globe for checking last June as my brother noticed that it has yellowish display. After a month of following it up with them, I was able to get it back but they did not replace it as they said that they did not find anything wrong with it. I tried to talk to one of their customer service agents and he suggested to leave it again and he will try to find a way to have it replace as I was still complaining about its yellowish display, the OS which they upgraded to version 4 without my consent and the scratches which was originally not present when I turned it over to them. After three weeks, I was able to get my iPhone but still they did not replace it.

Oh well, I guess there are really some things that I should learn to let go. Though I will start to go crazy because the OS version 4 is really very slow.

I don’t know what has gotten into hubby but these past few days, he has been talking about investments and how we can save for the future of our kids. We use to sit down and talk about our investment options but this time, he is really serious as I saw him checking out the site of United States Gold Bureau.

United States Gold Bureau is a great source of information about precious metal investment as they offer tips, news and information on how we can start with our first precious metal investment. And if ever we finally decided to go ahead with our planned investment, their hard asset professionals are always available to assist us in getting the best value that the market has to offer for gold, platinum and silver bullion or coins.

But I am happy that hubby is doing some research as I too would want to make investments to save up for the future of our growing family.

The virus is spreading….

My mom went to Cebu for a three-day conference and when she arrived, she is not feeling well and she has cough and cold. Then my dad got the virus, and I got the virus which I passed to Cobi and yaya. So by Sunday afternoon, almost all of us in the house are sick.

So I was really lazy from Sunday to Tuesday to work since I really feel sick and weak and I really have to stop and rest because even if I wanted to, my mind is not really working and I am really not being productive. I just slept almost the whole day during those days to recuperate and I only stand up when Cobi needs to feed from me.

Cobi, my mom, my dad, yaya and I are almost doing well now and I just hope that the virus will stop spreading so Howell and Bela will be spared from it.

I thought it will just be a quiet day for me and I will be able to work the whole day to finish all my pending work but then it turn out to be one busy (but productive) day for me:

• I started working around 9 AM and was able to finish quite a few of my pending work.
• We left the house around 3 PM to fetch Bela to school
• It rained in the afternoon so there is heavy traffic on our way to St. Scholastica and we were an hour late. Thank goodness Bela did not get mad at us and she was safe inside the campus while waiting for us.
• After fetching Bela, we went to Shakey’s for our afternoon snacks.
• After eating, we went around the stores and my mom, my sister, my sister and law and I were able to buy clothes that we can wear for Cobi’s baptism. Though I am still not that happy with what I got so I might go around the malls again this weekend.
• While we are shopping for clothes, Howell was able to run to National Bookstore to buy envelopes for Cobi’s baptism invitation so we can start distributing it tomorrow.
• We were also able to go to Landmark and buy some PJs for Cobi and some clothes for Dominique, my niece.
• While we were in landmark, Howell and Bela were able to do some shopping too at the toy store there.

I can’t believe we were all able to do this in just a span of four hours.

I love watching the show America’s Next Top Model. Aside from the fact that I find the judges funny, I love the show as I am really in awe at how the makeup artist and the hair stylist transforms the model from one look to the next as they change themes every week.

I have no talent when it comes to hair and makeup so I am wondering if it is a natural born talent or I will learn to be a good hair and makeup artist like them if I will enroll in beauty school in Wichita.

Beauty school in Wichita is one of the thirty branches of Regency Beauty Institute. I heard a lot of good feed backs about them as they really produce great hair and makeup artist. Well I guess, if you study in a school with nothing but the best professors in the beauty industry and a campus that mirrors the upscale salons, then there is no reason for you not to excel and be the best hair and makeup artist.

I am in a rush right now as I still have a number of pending tasks that I need to finish before the 25 hour deadline. I really planned to work the whole day today but I suddenly had a change of plans when my daughter begged that I bring her to school. I promised her yesterday that I will bring her to school today so when she started asking that I should go with her, I really can’t find in my heart to say no as I know it will really break her heart.

So now I am cramming (as I always do) and I am hoping that I will find the energy to stay up late to finish everything that I need to finish.

This is hubby’s house in Bicol. I think it has been more than a decade when they left this house when they move to Manila. They only go to Bicol maybe once or twice a year since they left and so nobody took care of their house there.

But since Mama is now back in Bicol, they wanted to repair the house as they will be going home to Bicol now more often to visit mama and it is also mama’s wish to see their house back to the way it was before.

When papa and my sister in law was there for a month after mama’s burial, they were able to start the house repair and renovation. They were able to install discount laminate flooring already, install shower at the CR, install wall divider for the two rooms, and install new roofing. There is still more work to be done but at least it will keep papa busy. And I think more work is coming as they are planning to buy the lot beside their property so they can have a bigger lawn and garden as they know that mama would love that also and the kids can have a bigger place to go home to every time they go home to Bicol.

Hubby is happy with the progress of the house renovation and I know he can’t wait to go back to Bicol to visit their house again.