The Credit Card Debate

Lately, I've been telling myself - too loudly for another human being with normal ears to hear, I guess - "I think I need a credit card," something my housemate, Miss E, had been supporting quite forcibly.

He actually got me an application form from HSBC and excitedly outlined all the supporting documents I would need. He even volunteered to send in the application himself, once completed, through the same person who assisted him with his own application. 

He's got an HSBC credit card already and, according to him, enjoying the perks he would otherwise not enjoy had he not decided to get a credit card from the said financial institution.

I told him, however, that I don't intend to shell out cash for an annual fee. That being the case, I plan to have the credit card cancelled before the first year expires. As with almost all credit card companies here in the Philippines, the first year is a no-annual-fee year.

The thing is, I still am not sold to the idea of purchasing things on credit, especially since what I plan to purchase is a laptop. A laptop, as we are all aware, doesn't appreciate in value, so that swiping a card for such may be considered a bad debt.

On the other hand, months back, I had already come to the conclusion that I need a laptop to be able to do more stuff online, especially when I'm in the city and far away from my computer at home. 

There are times when my schedule at work isn't so hectic that I get to enjoy some free time, free time which I almost always spend watching movies on DVD, reading books or chatting with friends. Now that isn't so bad a way to spend free time, isn't it?

But then, I've been wanting to rake in extra cash lately - I've got financial goals of my own, you know - that I intend to give online freelancing a shot. My other friends are into it and have expressed their satisfaction so far. 

Sure, freelancing is not a walk in the park, but in due course, once the right buttons had been pushed, things, as a lot of freelancers declare, are bound to get better and better. Somebody just need to take a step forward.

Now that's just half the story. The other half is the fact that never in my life had I experienced purchasing stuff via credit card, and I'm apprehensive of the emotions it might invoke in me. I know I now have financial discipline ingrained in this brain of mine, but who knows what might happen the moment I have an actual credit card with my name in my hands, right? 

And now that I'm thinking about it, one of my sisters is against me getting one because she herself got burned by her own credit card experience.

Okay, so I don't have a credit card. Not that I have bad credit standing that the credit card companies are dumping me like hot potato as fast as they can, just that I never had been really serious about applying for one in all the years I had been employed.

Unbelievable, you might say. Well, there still are people like me on the planet, people who opt to live simply and away from complications.

My husband of thirteen years, who was already frugal even before I had learned to appreciate the trait, oftentimes asked me whenever I expressed desire to send in an application with a credit card company, "What do you need a credit card for?" which then would get me to thinking, "Indeed, what do I need a credit card for?" 

To set the record straight, we're not well off. There are still times we find ourselves strapped for cash, but not too strapped to cut down three meals in a day to two. Thank goodness for small favors.

So there. I need a laptop, but I don't think I really need a credit card. I have some savings in place for an emergency fund, but there's no way I'm going to dip into it to pay for a laptop, brand-new or otherwise. Maybe I'll just go on spending my spare time watching movies on DVD, reading books and chatting with friends.

As for the extra income, I still got me my small-time retailing business and the money management business I've been introduced to by a long-lost high school friend. 

Maybe I just need to learn the tools of the trade more. And maybe when I get better at both, I might be able to raise enough cash to buy the laptop I need.

The Battle Is On!

Several weeks back, I was repeatedly reprimanding my twelve-year old for playing too much Tetris Battle on Facebook.

"Ma, it's not as if I'm forgetting my studies already," she, as well, repeatedly retorted. "I'm finished with my homework, and I have nothing else to do."

Finished homework. That basically was the time-tested signal for me to stop insisting she stayed away from the darn game that was taking too much of her time. As it was, arguing with a tweener took more energy than explaining the concept of gravity to a rat. (That's an overstatement, of course.)

And then Saturday night, curiosity got the better of me. I thought to see for myself what it was about Tetris Battle that got my daughter hooked. Lo and behold, for reasons unknown, I got hooked, too. 

I found myself competitively seeking to annihilate competition that made my daughter laugh out loud and say, "I told you, Ma. It's a darn good game."

Now this cannot go on. Plain and simple. No ifs, no buts. I recognize that playing games once in a while is healthy stuff. 

But then, once upon a time, I also got so enamored by Facebook game apps (read: Farmville, Cityville, Farmtown, Pet Society, Sorority Life, Mafia Wars, etc.) making most of my waking hours away from the computer miserable. 

Why? 

Because I hardly had enough sleep.

So yes, from now on, I'm leaving Tetris Battle alone. Or better, I'm blocking it from my Facebook account.

My Book Dilemma

Something is wrong with me. I know there is, something I can't point a finger to.

Yesterday, my housemate, Miss E, accompanied me to a nearby shopping strip to grab a book on personal finance. I already had a title in mind, one written by a famous Filipino author. Problem was, the moment I found what I was looking for, I was dismayed to discover that the price had gone up 25%.

"So expensive now," I thought out loud. Not that I didn't have enough money in my purse to pay for it. I did, but with frugality now being a key part of who I am, it was difficult to simply ignore the faint scream inside my head saying, "Are you sure you need that?"

Miss E took the book off my fingers and looked at the tag price.

"Expensive? This?" My good friend looked aghast, pointing at the tag with emphasis.

Indeed, "expensive" is never absolute, but relative.

Miss E, by the way, is gay. And his being gay, of course, does not have anything to do with his perception of "expensive."

"Yes, it is expensive," I insisted.

"We're here because of this book," he said after heaving a sigh of disbelief. "Why not get it while it's still available?" He had a point, but the frugal side of me was still winning the battle.

"I know, but ..." I pointed to another shelf. "Let's go check those books." That we did. Half an hour later, I still haven't made a decision.

"Let's go window shop for a thermos," he said with a hint of exasperation. 

A half hour more later, he was ready to leave for work. At that point, I still had not bought a book. What I purchased was something I had not planned on purchasing - a stainless steel door stopper for one of our bedroom doors at our home in the province. Funny, eh?

To cut the long story short, the moment he was gone, I went back to the bookstore. 

After some time, I was able to convince myself I probably didn't need the book because I think I already knew - in part, at least - the concepts the author would be discussing. Besides, there's a lot of free information regarding personal finance on the Internet. So why the need for a book?

It was an open-ended question, something not answerable by a "yes" or a "no." Sometimes, I hated answering those types of questions.

I wanted a book, and there was no way I was going home without a book in tow, not after all the hours I've wasted away looking for one.

Finally, as soon as my back started to ache, I decided to grab one of those on sale, an inspirational by Van Crouch.

If you know me, the moment I hit home, I skimmed through the book's pages. The book was worth all the hassle I went through. (Of course, not that the hassle was brought about by some outside force.)

Now to make matters of this sort easier to tackle, I've decided that next month, I'll include money to pay for a book in my budget, and the months thereafter. It was about time I invested in my mind.

Just Another Blogging Day

My other blog, Career Mom Online, has lately been getting traffic through search engines via the keywords "Toni Gonzaga" and "Papa P" when I most certainly have NOT written anything about them. (For those who have not heard of them, they are Filipino showbiz personalities.) 

As a matter of fact, were it not for me checking my blog stats on a regular basis - if you're a newbie blogger like myself, you probably know what I'm talking about - I never would have known a controversy involving those two exists.

It turned out, one of the URLs in Career Mom Online's blog list had those keywords in its most recent post title, "benefitting" my blog as well.

If I must lie, I'd tell you I'm not complaining because there's an off chance this particular visitor might find my site more interesting than local showbiz gossip. But of course, that's a shot to the moon. 

If I were that visitor, the moment I realize I won't find what I'm looking for on the page I'm on, I'd be clicking the back button in no time at all.

If truths be told, however, aside from adding another notch to Career Mom Online's bounce rate (if a site's bounce rate is 50%, it means 50% of its visitors view only one page), I get deeper and deeper into thinking, "Maybe it's about time I blogged about something else." 

But blogging - for me, at least - is about writing what I believe I'm good at, something I believe in, something I think would benefit a reader in more ways than one.

Ah, maybe I'm getting old. Maybe I'm becoming a snob when I have no reasons to. But believe me when I say I believe the mind becomes what it is fed. Believe me, too, when I say I mean no offense.

Yes, it's definitely one of those blogging days.

Joke Time, Drawing Time

Today, Sunday, our busted computer is scheduled to hit a computer shop for repair. The boys, having been told they were coming with us – us, meaning myself and my husband – immediately rushed to the bathroom to take a bath. 

The moment he emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in an oversized towel, my eight-year-old asked, “Mama, why does a vampire use mouthwash?”

“Why?” I asked back.

“So he doesn’t develop bat breath.”

Eyeing the sliced cucumbers I put on a serving plate, along with a serving of mayonnaise + ketchup dip, my husband said. “You should have peeled the skin away.” He normally peels the skin off cucumbers and apples, something I strongly disagree with.

“Did you know that the skin contains the most nutrients in a cucumber?” I retorted for the thousandth time.

“You still should have peeled the skin and made your own salad out of it.”

Sponge Bob - Mark, 8 years old

Sponge Bob - Kurt, 6 years old

Later, as soon as the boys were dressed, they sat down and took their drawing materials out. On the right are what they’ve sketched so far.

Shortly after an early lunch, we were on our way to have the computer fixed.

Raising kids who go hungry practically every hour, I made sure they had eaten before we left the house. It was one frugality trick I’ve learned over the years.

Hello, Little Kitty

Friday night, after two days of rest, I was on my way back to work. I was a few yards away from the office building when I heard soft meowing. I looked around, and I spotted a kitten emerging from the bushes lining the walkway. The poor thing was all alone, probably in search of its mother.

I wanted to do something to help it. But given my phobia of stray cats – I accidentally stepped on one years back and I had to endure painful bouts of anti-rabies vaccination to make sure there wouldn’t be any complications – all I could do was pray for its safety.

I know strays might be difficult to control, but it is my belief it would do more good than bad if cat owners had their cats neutered. That is, if they want their cats to live healthier, happier lives.

Just my two cents, though.

Lower Back Pain, Proper Posture and Positive Thinking

Because seeing an orthopedist was a challenge, the condition I was in a limiting factor, after discussing things with my husband, I opted for massage sessions to alleviate the pain in my lower back. For two days, I stayed home to have those massages. Come to think of it, there wasn't much I could do. Walking wasn't an option, what with the pain I had to endure.

Good thing I had vacation leave credits carried over from the previous year. I didn't want to start 2012 with absence after absence from work.

Thankfully, the pain gradually subsided after every massage session, and sitting, lying down and walking were no longer as painful as that night I found myself strapped on a bed in a hospital emergency room.

Yesterday, Friday, I was feeling better and decided to report back to work. The back pain still lingered, but it had reached a point of tolerability - no more grimacing or abrupt stoppage of whatever I was doing.

And much as I have discovered through untiring searching on the web that the back pain I was suffering from might not be, in any way, related to the cold water I bathed with the day I had to rush to the ER, I made sure to follow some recommended common sense instructions to improve my posture and not stretch my lower back's capacity to its breaking point.

Prior to this, I had a nice little chat - through text messaging - with a former colleague who had been compelled to quit her job several months back because of chronic lower back pain. According to her, she feels much better now because she slowly but surely discovered that the pain had been associated with her sedentary lifestyle. At the moment, she makes sure she's constantly on the go - swimming, running, brisk walking.

Looking back now, aside from me not eating enough healthy stuff, I, too, hadn't been exercising enough. Although I made sure to walk on a regular basis, I also sat too much, unmindful of my posture - I'm sure I slouched too often - especially at the office.

Now that I already have a clearer picture of the situation, I feel more confident about the possibility of me conquering and eradicating my lower back pain once and for all. I'm giving myself two weeks to see if the steps I'm doing now - massages and maintaining proper posture, especially when sitting - are going to turn the tables to my advantage.

If not, I just might have to schedule that appointment with an orthopedist, as the ER physician who saw me suggested. But if you ask me, I have a feeling that appointment is no longer needed. How's that for positive thinking?

What Is Wrong With Me?

I man the night shift. Consequently, I am asleep at day. Now Tuesday afternoon, I was awake earlier than usual. And like I always do, I forced myself to go back to sleep until the alarm clock did its thing. That unfortunately was wishful thinking. Sleep proved elusive.

Left without much of a choice, I got up and took out the newspaper. To while away the time, I worked on the crossword puzzle I was unable to finish that morning. After poring through a few articles, mostly on the devotion and/or fanaticism displayed by Filipinos who flocked to Quiapo for the Feast of the Black Nazarene, I found myself shivering a little. For the record, I can bathe in either cold or warm water without any problems. But today, the water from the faucet was colder than usual.

Half an hour later, I was ready to flag down a jeepney. Another ten minutes thereafter, I was ready to get off the jeep. But something unexpected happened. All of a sudden, I found myself tormented by searing pain down my lower back. The first thought that came to mind was, "Geez, I should have used warm water for bathing." Miss E, my housemate, oftentimes told me to heat a kettleful of water before my every bath. But I never listened, my reason being I could take the cold.

I braved the pain, thinking it might go away if I didn't think about it. I went to work like I had planned. But shortly after my first task for the day, I was at the pantry couch, lying down, doing everything I can to alleviate the pain. A supervisor suggested that I visit our next-door neighbor, a hospital, for a check-up. I did, and about three hours later, after a urinalysis and a pelvic X-ray, the doctors concluded I was suffering from musculoskeletal spasm. The urinalysis and X-ray results both came out normal, much to my relief.

Now the fact that the tests yielded such results somehow reinforced my suspicion that it might really have been the cold water. There probably is no scientific evidence to prove that, and a good number of people attest to the healing wonders of cold water, but really, what else could it be?

Sheesh, I don't know. I'm not even sure which avenue to take now. Nephrologist? Orthopedist? Or chiropractor? I'm stumped, if you ask me.

A Sunny Monday Morning

Contrary to the blurry Sunday we experienced yesterday, today is a sunny day. As a matter of fact, at around 11:00 a.m., it was scorching hot that walking to school to fetch the boys for lunch without so much as an umbrella to protect my stubborn little head was close to, well, suicide. So an umbrella I did bring.

Problem was, I realized too late that the umbrella I brought wasn’t big enough to protect my two boys as well. I should have brought another one.

Then again, as I was already near the school grounds, going back to fetch another umbrella was totally out of the question. Good thing I had the presence of mind to bring my purse with me. We could just board one of those service tricycles stationed near the school.

My eight-year-old was already waiting by the school gate when I got there. His little brother was nowhere to be found though. As it turned out, my youngest, a Grade 1 pupil, had to stay for a few minutes to clean the classroom, along with several of his classmates.

While waiting, I couldn’t help but notice the school guard telling kids not to climb up posts, run up and down the stairs, or do other stunts that might render them incapacitated if anything untoward happens to them. Kids, indeed, and all the things they were willing to go through to get a good laugh!

Mondays and weekdays I’m off work are the only days I get to play the mom-fetches-kids-from-school game. A trivial matter for some, a non-event for many, something most mothers from the neighborhood get to do on a daily basis. But cliché as it might seem, if you ask me, I'd say the best things in life are still those that are either free or taken for granted.

The Cat, The Bird And The Garbage

I was doing a little housework when I became conscious of the fact that Tweety (very ingenious, huh?), our pet bird – a crested myna bird – was croaking its tonsils dry. That is, if they even have tonsils. At this point, the kids were in school already, and I was all alone at home. I went out to check what was going on. Poor Tweety was flying around in circles inside its cage – restlessly, as if trying to get away from something.

I inspected the cage and saw nothing out of the ordinary. And then, I belatedly realized a neighbor’s cat found its way on one of our potted plants. It was sitting still, noiselessly, intent on observing our frenzied bird.

Much as I wanted to keep the cat where it was, I just couldn’t take the screeching. Tweety’s anxiety was getting to my nerves. I gently shooed the cat away. The moment it scurried away, Tweety stopped its delirious activity.

I was clearing the table when I suddenly heard Madonna’s Like A Virgin booming out of somebody’s speakers. Our neighbors were generally peace-loving neighbors, subdued in more ways than one, that music coming out of somebody’s speakers like that was not an everyday occurrence. I went out of the house to check up on things again. And geez, I just had to smile. It was the garbage truck, trying to catch everyone’s attention!

I took the garbage out, and the moment the garbage truck was directly in front of our house, Michael Jackson’s Thriller was pounding the speakers. Shortly thereafter, before the truck decided to move on, one of the collectors called out to let me know our garbage had been collected and the garbage bin back in place.

Too shallow, I know, but really, I just love this little place of ours in the province. 

What Is Tonsillopharyngitis?

Tonsillopharyngitis is defined as acute inflammation of the pharynx or palatine tonsils, or both.

I don’t know, but every time I drink cold drinks, I am most likely to develop a sore throat. Lately, hard as it was, I decided to stay away from any beverage that’s cold or overly sweet. So far, the effort seems to be paying off nicely.

December 21, 2011 was supposedly my last day at work for the year 2011. However, because of tonsillopharyngitis – or sore throat – as advised by the doctor, I had to call in sick. Swallowing, at that point, had become a real pain. And because my work required the use of my voice 80% of the time, I decided reporting for duty wasn’t, in any way, going to do me any good.

I’ve done some research, like I always do – not that I’m complaining, of course – and here are some of the things I discovered to prevent sore throat from getting worse, if not relieve the soreness once and for all:

• Keep allergies in check. Postnasal drip is often caused by allergies, which irritates the throat. If you’re suffering from an allergy attack, an over-the-counter antihistamine may help alleviate symptoms. However, keep in mind that antihistamines have drying effect. It is important, therefore, to increase fluid intake. Antihistamines may also make you feel drowsy.

• Take some lozenges. The best lozenges contain glycerine. They keep the tissues around the throat properly hydrated. They can be found in health food stores or specialty drug stores. Stay away from lozenges that contain mint or menthol. These ingredients are bad for the larynx because of their drying capabilities.

• Decongest. A stuffed-up nose forces a person to breathe through the mouth, irritating the throat. Taking an over-the-counter decongestant may help with the breathing problem, and ultimately, treat sore throat as well.

• Moisten the throat tissues with steam. Either you run hot water in the kitchen or bathroom sink, drape a towel around your head to trap the steam, then inhale; or turn up the hot shower in the bathroom and indulge in a steam bath.

• Soothe the throat with some tea and honey. Tea with honey is well-known for its therapeutic benefits, especially in relieving sore throat. Adding ground red pepper to the tea-plus-honey combo may boost its therapeutic capabilities. The pepper has mild anesthetic qualities and can help strengthen the immune system.

• Either zip it or turn down your volume. If you really have to talk, minimize your volume. That said, however, whispering can be bad for the throat, too. Always remember to keep your pitch within your range.

• Gargle with salt water occasionally. Regular gargling, especially with mouthwash, is not recommended as this can have an irritating effect. Gargling with ¼ teaspoon of salt in ½ cup of water once or twice a day may help increase blood flow to the throat area. Ensure though that you only rinse and not swallow the salt water solution.

That's it for now, folks. Stay tuned for more health-related posts.

Source: top7business.com

One Foggy Sunday Afternoon

It was a foggy Sunday afternoon. The sun barely came out all day. Shortly before we got ready for Mass, the kids had Disney’s Pinocchio on DVD. I asked my six-year-old what he so far learned from the movie. He said, “Don’t talk to strangers, especially if they’re asking you to come with them. Don’t lie if you don’t want your nose to get all pointy.”

“Is that all?” I asked again.

“Pretty much, yes,” he replied after a slight pause.

That made me pause myself. He was right about the what-not-to-do stuff, but what about the things he ought to do? I somehow expected him to also mention the good deed Pinocchio did for Geppetto towards the end of the movie.

Now did that mean I was teaching him too much of the DON'Ts and not enough DOs? That was something I would have to include in my list of things to ponder upon.

Later, at church, my eight-year-old kept asking me what time it was. He, along with his little brother, were having trouble keeping still, much to my chagrin. They especially got excited and oblivious to the fact they were in church when they started spotting other kids they knew from school.

At this point in the proceedings, other kids were getting restless themselves. They were either walking around, lying down on pews, chatting with their seatmates or playing with their PSPs. The PSP part was something that bugged me. I wondered if parents were aware their kids were simply playing with their PlayStations while the Mass was ongoing.

Thankfully, at some point, my youngest noticed me participating – singing and responding when warranted. “How do you know what to say?” he asked.

I showed him the words projected on screen on one side of the church. From then on, he was singing and responding himself. Realizing what his little brother was doing, my eight-year-old followed suit.

During the consecration, when the bell started to ring, my youngest exclaimed, “Oh, it’s recess already!” 

Through sheer will, I managed not to burst out laughing. Kids, indeed! The moment we got home though, I had to insist it wasn’t right to misbehave during Mass. I’m not sure I got my message across the way I wanted to, but in time, I know, I will.

The Internet, The Kids And My Sanity Speaking

As of the moment, my Internet connection is running pitifully slowly, and I’m starting to get annoyed. Really annoyed. There are five lights on our Motorola modem – four green, one orange. Yesterday, the moment my six-year-old son relinquished control of the computer to me, the bottom green lights decided to take a nap, leaving me with no choice but to work on offline stuff.

Half an hour later, I still was in the same situation. “There might be an outage,” my husband declared. “I passed by a group of men from the Internet company installing stuff a couple of blocks away.”

“But the Internet was working earlier,” my son insisted.

Slow as a turtle?

My husband then decided to tinker with the wires at the back of the modem. And voila, the Internet miraculously came back to life! “The wires got messed up,” my husband said, shrugging.

With the Internet working at that point, I was able to publish the blog posts I worked on offline. An hour later, the Internet went off again. And once more, the modem’s bottom lights went out of commission. As my husband was out of the house at that particular juncture, I decided to do the tinkering myself. After a few minutes of wondering which way to go with the wires, I got the modem back in working order.

Thirty minutes later, I was again in the same predicament, twisting and pulling wires. Thankfully, the Internet came back on.

Today, the Internet, so far, has not gone off. I have been online since I got on an hour earlier. But boy, the download speed is just so maddening. I’ve already checked the computer for viruses and spyware, optimized Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, so I’m pretty sure it’s not the computer or the browsers malfunctioning. 

My idea of peace ... well, sometimes.

I have a feeling it might actually be the modem. Now this modem was given to us by the Internet company as replacement to the original that got fried after a furious thunderstorm a year and a half ago. It was not brand new when we got it. Even so, if I call the Internet company now and they decide I need to have the modem replaced, they’re going to charge me for a new one. Geez, Internet companies!

If that is bad enough, wait until you hear this one. The old computer my father-in-law insisted we bring with us when we moved to this place almost two years ago hasn’t been working for several months now. As a result, the kids decided to create a computer schedule so all three of them have ample time to either work on their projects or simply play computer games on this particular computer I'm using now.

Lately, however, the schedule had been tossed out of the window, forever forgotten, resulting in sometimes major squabbles among them. It’s time, I believe, to take that computer to the shop. No more procrastinating. That is if I want some peace and quiet around here.

A Healthy Start to 2012 ... Why Not?

Okay, so I'm dieting, but not because I want a leaner, to-die-for frame. On second thought, maybe a little bit of that, too. That isn't so bad an idea, is it? But honestly, I just want to be healthy. I admit I haven't been eating as much healthy stuff as I wanted to lately, especially during the holiday season, what with the delicious food - cholesterol-laden and all - that graced the dinner table.

After a considerable amount of procrastinating, shortly before 2011 ended, I finally convinced myself it was time to see a new endocrinologist. Six years ago, after I gave birth to my youngest, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Much as I didn't want to say goodbye to my former endocrinologist - a good-natured doctor with a kind face - I had to because of schedule constraints.

The new doctor who saw me requested routine blood tests. And since I also had to tell her my other medical afflictions - past or otherwise - she asked that I undergo a kidney function test. Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, but I've been in remission for as much that time.

Guess what, after the 12-hour fasting I had to go through, it turned out my LDL cholesterol - also referred to as bad cholesterol - was above normal, which got me thinking, "That's probably the reason why I easily run out of breath when I climb the stairs!"

So being a person who enjoys doing online research, the moment I got the chance, I started scouring the web for information on food that can help lower bad cholesterol. Here's what I gathered so far:

Fiber-Rich Food

Studies have shown that increasing the intake of oat products, legumes and other high-fiber foods can help decrease bad cholesterol. Soluble fiber grabs onto the cholesterol and eliminates it through the digestive system. Fiber-rich food choices aside from oatmeal and oat bran are apples, beans, barley and prunes.

Fatty Fish

Sardines, anchovies and wild salmon are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Aside from reducing LDL levels, they also help lower high blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. Omega-3 fatty acids may also help elevate HDL - good cholesterol - levels, which transport bad cholesterol to the liver where it can be eliminated.

Olive Oil

Unhealthy fats such as saturated fats and trans fats should be eliminated from the diet. Trans fats are usually marked on food labels and/or list of ingredients as "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" fats or oils. Replacing these with monounsaturated fats found in extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, avocado, peanuts and tree nuts can help lower LDL and raise HDL levels.

It is important to note, however, that as in anything, even good fats should be taken in moderation. They contain more than two times the calories provided by carbohydrates or proteins.

Dieting is not going to be as easy as pie, I know. But surely, I'll live. After all, I will still be eating, just more of the healthier stuff this time, and not starve myself to oblivion.

Source: about.com

The Life I Live

Life is precious. Life is fragile. Life is what we make it. Life is like a flower, a ribbon, a piece of candy, a piece of something colorful and fluffy. Others even call life names ranging from horse dung to something blatantly offensive. I can make a list of things to describe and compare life with, but this one rings the loudest: "In a snap of a finger, without warning, like a thief in the night, life can be lost."

I've known the above all of my grown-up years, but it was only after my husband's mishap on New Year's Day that I realized how very true every little saying I've heard and read about life. The fact that I now have mentioned the accident three times in a row in this blog is, I think, enough testament to that. Life, indeed, is precious and can be lost in a heartbeat.

We have a peculiar household, a setup people may find unconventional, something that's not easy to contend with at first but gets easier as the days go by. I work far away from home. I stay in the city during weekdays. On weekends, I go home and try, as much as I can, to fulfill the duties expected of a homemaker.

It's not a setup I would have preferred, but I can only do what I can and make the most of it. Besides - in my view, at least - it's better than working overseas. Like other parents in the same situation often say, quality always outruns quantity.

This is my life. Not easy, not a walk in the park. Then again, I oftentimes have a good laugh. Despite the challenges, I can say with all honesty that I don't envision myself living someone else's life.

Everyone has his own yoke to carry. Everyone has his own life to live. No matter how challenging my life - or yours, for that matter - seems to be, there's always a life somewhere that's bound to take the long, winding, difficult and forsaken road. Yet, as the sage oftentimes say, there's light at the end of a tunnel.

Thank you, God, for the life I live.

2012 Family Getaway #1: Isdaan Floating Restaurant

New Year’s Day at my mother’s place came and went without a hitch. Now that’s discounting the road mishap my husband unfortunately got himself into. Except for being hit and the culprit running away without so much as a backward glance, he sustained no life-altering injuries. The expenses he later incurred for vehicle repair was not something he was happy about though. 

But really, all was well that ended well. What was more important was he was okay, and not in a hospital or morgue somewhere.

God, indeed, is good.

The following day, the family agreed to meet again, this time to eat out and do a little sight-seeing. As some of my other siblings had already gone to the place – the Isdaan Floating Restaurant and Park in the town of Gerona, also in Tarlac – in prior events, it was decided we went in the afternoon or just before dusk.

It wasn’t something that happened everyday, so really, the mere fact that we were traveling together – an aunt, a cousin and his family also were with us – was already an experience worth chronicling.

As it was my first time to visit Isdaan, I was simply awed by the sight that welcomed me. The place was a pretty thing to behold at night. My digicam adored it – the overall ambiance, the fish, the huts floating on water, the flurry of activities, the lights, the kids running everywhere, the magicians, the trio that serenaded guests while eating, the face painting the kids so loved. I was clicking here and there until I ran out of batteries. And that’s not to mention the food. The food was well worth the price.

Probably the only thing that didn't sit well with me was the fact that orders took a long while to be served. Customer service was a little lacking as well.

The Tacsiyapo Wall was an interesting thing, especially as soon as guests started lining up to smash plates, cups, saucers, porcelain bowls, even wall clocks. I still am not sold to the idea of managing anger by smashing stuff on walls, but hey, it’s some people’s idea of fun. Live and let live, indeed.

The kids were indefatigable the whole time. As a result, the adults had to alternately run after them, making sure they didn’t end up hurting themselves, getting lost or swimming with the fish in the water.

All in all, despite the customer service not being excellent, the experience was a fun one – an event worth keeping a journal about.

Refrigerated Mocha Cake - Weekend Mommy Version

I’m not a good cook. But if it’s a choice between tightrope walking and cooking, I’ll choose cooking in a heartbeat. My cooking skills are definitely not something to brag about, but every time I venture into coming up with something edible, I have the greatest of fans – my kids. Whatever I come up with, they attack with gusto. And for a mother whose cooking skills are tantamount to almost, well, nothing, that is enough encouragement for me.

Now one of my sisters - I have three of them and all superb cooks - once told me cooking was a matter of common sense. I know I have common sense stuck somewhere within this frame of mine, but when it comes to cooking, I have yet to discover if indeed that is the case.

For the New Year festivities at my mother’s place, my husband decided to cook his signature Pansit Malabon. Between the two of us, my husband is the better cook. He actually is a good one, if I must say so.

For my part, I opted to concoct something the kids will surely enjoy - graham refrigerated cake. That’s a no-brainer, one might say, something practically anybody can do. I would have to agree. But hey, at least, it’s something I recognized would be a big hit among the children. I would have been very disappointed if I decided to come up with something fancy and ended up with something messy. That would have been a waste of both my time and money.

Okay, so if you’re at all interested, here's the recipe to this refrigerated mocha cake version of mine.

Ingredients:

6 pieces 340 grams Nestle all-purpose cream, chilled overnight

350 ml sweetened condensed milk

2 packs honey graham crackers

6 pieces graham crackers, crushed coarsely

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

1 pack Knick-Knacks chocolate-coated cookies

9 pieces Cream-O chocolate cookies

1 small box Jack N’ Jill pretzel sticks

1 small pack Jack N’ Jill pretzel twists

Procedure:

Mix coffee in two spoons of hot water. Mix coffee, all-purpose cream and condensed milk in a bowl. Layer your rectangular container with graham crackers. Add in 1/3 of the cream mixture. Spread evenly. Do another layer alternating crackers and cream. On the topmost layer, evenly spread crushed graham crackers. Top with pretzels, Knick-Knacks and chocolate cookies. Chill until cream is set.

Like I expected, it was a hit. Minutes after it was served, the cake was all gone.

My Husband's First Day in the Year of the Dragon

As it has always been every year in my hometown, New Year’s Eve was a blast- yes, blast in the truest sense of the word. Despite warnings from the Department of Health to stay away from firecrackers, especially those deemed illegal, a lot of people have opted not to deviate from tradition.

Midnight of January 1, 2012 was marked by seemingly endless supply of pork barbecue, hotdogs on sticks, salads, pansit, spaghetti, round fruits of varying sizes, fireworks, firecrackers – mild and not so – karaoke singing, vehicles tooting their horns, both young and old jumping, jingling the coins in their pockets, the belief being they’ll grow taller and have a financially healthy life ahead if they did.

It was chaos – in a good way. Even the kids, the very young ones included, were wide awake to join in the merrymaking.

At 5:30 a.m. though, my husband had to leave for home – an hour-long ride from my mother’s place. Thirty minutes later, he was back, ashen-faced but still calm and collected. As it turned out, he got involved in a road mishap on the Expressway, the culprit hitting him from behind and running away without so much as giving him a backward glance, not even bothering to find out if my husband was okay or not. 

Good thing the worst that had happened was my husband’s vehicle having to spend a few hours of New Year’s Day in a mechanic’s shop. He emerged out of the accident shaken but totally unscathed. For this, my relief is immeasurable.

The world has become weirder and weirder by the minute, littered with people whose interests come first before others. So for motorists out there, please take extra care when on the road. Never attempt to drive when you’re not feeling well or your faculties are not on full alert.

I recognize that the problem may not be you. Still, the possibility of you getting involved in an unfortunate accident is there, no matter how careful you are. Be always on the lookout. While on the road, never, for a minute, lose your focus. Because it can only take one second for things to turn from good to bad to worst.