STONECPS

My siblings and my cousins all wanted me to set up a poker night at our place. You see, most of my cousins and my siblings play this game and they have a day where they will play poker with their friends. It is actually nothing serious as they don’t play with big money at stake but they are just doing it for fun. And they say that it is really a great game and it gives them a perfect opportunity to bond with their friends. It is even a cheaper alternative also instead of going out and do bar hoping. Chips, beer and poker set are all they need to have a fun night.

And so they are suggesting that we do it also in our family. All of us are already working and so we rarely get the chance to go out and catch up with each other’s lives as what we normally do before. So they are thinking that since they all have a passion for this game, we can then have the same thing every Friday or Saturday perhaps as our siblings and cousin binding time also.

We have a spare room in our place where we can do this activity. I think it is really a good idea. But first I have to read about this game first and learn about it. I heard I can read about it from WSOP and get tips, and online lessons on how I can be a better player of this game.

Lately I haven’t had the time to play with my favorite online games. I have been really busy online and offline that I rarely check my Facebook account to play some of my favorite online games there. Like my Café in Café World has been closed for more than a month I think because lately I have no time to just go online and relax instead of working

But then one day, I saw hubby trying out the games at Caesars online. I got really curious since I am new to this kind of online games. I am not really good with cards and I really have no idea how to play the other games, but hubby patiently explained to me how to play each of the games there and so the result is, I was able to get hubby out of his chair while I continue playing his game. LOL.

One of the reasons why it caught my attention was that the site has an ancient Rome look and with a Las Vegas based atmosphere so I got really interested to check it out. Hubby said that it is a good site as he gets to play and relax without the need to leave home. All of his friends plays here too so they get to play with each other even if they don’t physically see each other. How cool is that.

I remember hubby telling me that he used to play cards with his friends almost everyday for fun. So I am really glad he discovered this site so he gets to play his favorite game even without leaving home.

May 1 is Labor day and another thing to look forward to for this event is that Cebu Pacific is having a Labor Day Sale.

They are offering domestic fares for as low as P382. The sale period is from April 30 up to May 2 (but I checked out the site as early as this morning and promo fares are already available so you can start booking now). Travel period is from September 1 – 30, 2010.

I actually tried booking a round trip ticket for two adults, one child and one infant and the total is only less than P3000. It is really so cheap that I was tempted to book already. The last time I was able to avail of Cebu Pacific’s promo fare was a round trip ticket to Bohol and it cost us P1500 per person. But I asked hubby and he said no because baby boy is only two months old by September. We both agreed that the earliest we can go on a vacation after I give birth is either December 2010 or January 2010.

But I am sure Cebu Pacific will still have upcoming promos such as this so if they release a promo for December or January, I will surely book one for our family as I really wanted to go out of town with them.

The brother of my grand father has been diagnosed to have Stage 4 Cancer. Everybody in the family was really saddened by the news. He is single and so he has no kids to take care of him. Only her youngest sister and my aunt are the ones who are attending to his needs right now. Everyday they will go to his place to check on him and attend to his needs. He doesn’t want to be confined in a hospital since he knows that there is really nothing that can be done for his condition. He doesn’t even want to have chemo therapy as he believes that it is just useless since the cancer was discovered when it was already at its worse stage. He just relies on high grade type of pain reliever because he admits that it is the physical pain cause by the disease that he cannot bear.

Thank goodness that we can rely on JazzMedical for his medical supplies. We just order everything online and it will be delivered to my grand father’s house so we are sure that all his medical supplies are always complete. What we like about JazzMedical is that they offer low prices on their site so it is a big savings for us since we will need all the savings that we can get so we can be sure that we can provide for all the medical expenses that our grandfather needs. They even accept multiple payment methods like credit cards and Paypal so it is a big convenience.

I just hope and pray that my grand father will not suffer that much because of this sickness.

I am already on my last trimester of pregnancy. I can’t believe that time flies that fast. In less than two months, I am on my full term already and in no time we will be seeing our baby boy.

I can still remember when I was still on my first trimester. My pregnancy this time is different than my first as I had a hard time. I was advised to take bed rest for more than a month. I actually prefer to just stay at home during that time as I can’t function anyways because I feel dizzy and nauseated the whole day. I even look worse as I have big pimples and acne which I think is brought about by the hormonal change that I am experiencing since I am having a baby boy. If only I am not pregnant that time, I will not think twice to buy acne treatments as I have the worse pimples and acne breakouts that time.

Everything was smooth sailing after the first trimester. I was able to go back to work and had no problems ever since which I am really very thankful. I also had my 4D ultrasound and congenital anomaly scan already and everything is normal.

Now I am on my third trimester already. I am getting heavier and heavier everyday that it is getting difficult for me to walk. Thanks to my dad who fetches me from work everyday, at least I don’t have to commute when going home.

I am really feeling excited and anxious now. I can’t wait to see my baby boy!

I always love it every time I receive an email from Artscow as it means that they have exciting promos again to give to their loyal clients and they are having one again (as they always do every week).

Do you have a Facebook account? Do you want to get twin set of photo drinking coasters for free? If you answer yes to both these questions, then this promo from Artscow will be the one for you.

All you have to do is to log in to your Facebook account and refer 3 of your friends. After doing this, a user-specific code will then be revealed for you to use during checkout.

It is that easy and after doing this, you can get you personalized photo drinking coasters for free. Even the shipping is free. How cool is that?

Act fast as this is limited to the first 3,000 orders only.

B has been sick since Tuesday so my husband and I are up almost the whole night since Tuesday monitoring her condition. Aside from that, we both have pending jobs that we need to finish, so in between taking care of B, we have to squeeze in our schedule the work that we have to finish.

So for this week, we have been only been sleeping for a maximum of 4 hours of sleep everyday and then we have to go to work the next day. This leaves us with eye bags and joint pains (can you recommend the best joint pain relief to ease our pain?)

But at least now B is doing much better. Her fever is gone since this morning and hope that her condition will continue to get better. She is actually quite active already and is back to her usual self again – playful and active. (Thank goodness!)

I can’t believe that I am just a couple of months away and I am already due to give birth. When I was on my first trimester I got so excited that I started planning for the Christening of our baby. But then after I short listed the venues that we are considering for the baptism, I stopped planning and decided that will go back to the preparations a few months before giving birth.

And so now that I am less than two months away, I am back to the Christening planning again. Since we already have a venue in mind already and we just have to visit each of the venues in our short list, I decided to concentrate on other things for the Christening like:

1. Souvenirs for the guests and the god parents. I am thinking (if I have the time), to prepare a loot bag for the god parents which can include promotional pens (which I will personalize with the name of our baby boy and the date and venue of the Christening), spa items for the female god parents and useful tools like Swiss knife for the male god parents.
2. Food Carts. If I will be able to find a venue that will allow food carts, I want to get one or two food carts. I am considering getting Starbucks food cart and Sonja’s Cupcakes.
3. Balloon Décor. I already talked to my friend who is a party planner and she will be in charge to decorate the venue. I might order online too for Mylar balloons so it will be cheaper.
4. Cake. Which I think I will order from my party planner friend or if I find the time, I might contact Frupcakes which I found in multiply.

I am excited already, not just for the Christening preparations but most especially for the coming of the new addition to our family.

NY Times and the Lens Blog is asking everyone, amateurs, students or pros to take out their camera and take a picture of their part of the world. This event will be held on May 2nd at 15:00 UTC, which is 11 o’clock EST on Sunday morning. Their aim is to create a marvelous global mosaic; a Web-built image of one moment in time across the world.

They encourage participants to put some thought on the picture that they want to capture (they are more on the thought behind the picture than the technique) as each participants can only send one photos. Below are the general topics that participants can consider:

Religion
Play
Nature and the Environment
Family
Work
Arts and Entertainment
Money and the Economy
Community
Social Issues

Photos can be submitted to this link submit.nytimes.com/moment (the link should be active at 15:00 U.T.C.). After submission, participants will be asked to categorize the photo by location and subject and will be asked to enter a caption for the picture.

All photos submitted will appear instantly at the Lens blog and on NYTimes.com.

It is the time of the year again for filing of taxes. My friend used to delay the preparation in filing her taxes as she finds it too time consuming, complicated and really a big hassle especially for her who has a very busy schedule.

But gone are those days when she hates this time of the year when she has to file her income tax after she discovered that she can file taxes online with the help of E-smart.

E-smart offers free service that assists tax payers file their income tax online. They will give tax payers all the forms that they need to file their income tax and will give step by step instructions on how to go about the filing. They even offer technical support to answer all the questions that tax payers using their service, might have. They have other packages like the De Luxe package where they offer added services like helping tax payers get further reductions and refunds.

My friend is really happy with E-smart. Now tax filing is as easy as 1-2-3.

Chopard is a jewelry company founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard. It is now recognized as one of the most elite watch and jewelry brands in the market today. You can buy Chopard brand jewelry at many dealers in store and online. J.R. Dunn Jewelers is an authorized Chopard retailer and can provide you with some of the best products from the famous designer.

In 2010, Chopard celebrated its 150th anniversary with the release of its Animal World collection. The collection consists of both traditional jewelry like necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings, as well as a large variety of watches. Each piece in the collection took many hours to create and looks like a mini sculpture with intricacy that can only be noticed by viewing it up close. Chopard Animal World jewelry can be viewed online in J.R. Dunn’s picture gallery. It can also be purchased online.

Chopard is famous for its pocket watches. The Chopard L.U.C. Louis Ulysse watch can be worn both as a pocket watch or a wrist watch, as it comes with a converter piece. The accessory was created as a tribute to the company’s founder. The watch serves multiple purposes and has a sleek design that is sure to be noticed by passersby who see someone wearing the design. The faceplate features a Roman numeral design that adds to its sophisticated look. The watch, although it has a sophisticated design, can be worn for any occasion.

Many celebrities have been seen wearing Chopard jewelry. Mariah Carey was wearing giant diamond hoop earrings during the 2010 Oscars. The earrings looked more like bracelets swinging from her ears, but they were definitely an eye catcher. Chopard prides itself on having unique designs that are worthy of celebrities tastes. If you are interested in purchasing Chopard jewelry, then check out their designs online.

Starbucks is celebrating Earth Day again. This program of Starbucks is running on its third year already and I am really glad to hear that successful business establishments such as Starbucks are doing projects like this to help save the earth.

They encourage coffee lovers and their regular patrons to bring their personal tumblers or well loved coffee cups to any Starbucks stores on April 22 (Earth Day) so you can get P40 off your beverage of choice.

The campaign will run from April 22 in celebration of Earth Day and April 23 as Starbucks way of saying many thanks to their customers who will make the effort in bringing their personal tumblers for their Starbucks fix everyday.

'''Tacori Engagement Rings as Family Heirlooms'''

Getting engaged is the pathway towards building commitment and trust. Engagements can last anywhere from six months up to a year. The engaged period usually begins with an exchange of rings signifying the start of a commitment to one another. Although it is common for the woman to receive an engagement ring, both the man and the woman can exchange rings to one another as a symbol of their monogamous relationship. After the period of engagement, what happens to the ring? Does it become a part of the bridal set? Is it moved to the other hand and becomes another piece of jewelry? If the jewelry is of high quality like the Tacori engagement rings, then not only can it become any of those things, it can also become a family heirloom that is passed from one generation to the next.

'''Creating a Jewelry Tradition'''

The passing of jewelry within a family is not a new concept. Families, especially wealthy ones, have been practicing this jewelry tradition for years. Tacori engagement rings have been a part of many celebrations when it involves passing the ring down. When a family decides to start a tradition like this, they're careful to select pieces that are of high quality and are timeless. The investment process is careful and deliberate as they make their choice on the jewels they will bring into their family.

'''Beauty for a Family's Lifetime'''

Tacori engagement rings are stunning and beautiful. That's the first impression that many people get when they see their jewelry. That's why their jewels are chosen as items that represent the taste and style of many families. It's breathtaking to see a piece of jewelry that captures beauty, class and sophistication all at the same time.

The John Hardy Brand of jewelry is well respected throughout the world. The unique and earth-inspired designs appeal to a wide range of customers. The new pieces for the 2010 collections of the John Hardy Brand take inspiration from all around the globe. These new additions were created with the intention that they would harmonize with the older John Hardy collections, yet lend a fresh and unique feel to the year.

The new Macan designs have a smooth and light feline aura about them. With sterling silver and beautiful cut-work tiger strips on pendants and bracelets, these new pieces give an exotic feel to the Macan collection. Stunning gemstones of black, white, or pink cherry sapphires add to the beauty of these new pieces.

The 2010 pieces in the Bamboo collection were inspired by the Japanese art of bamboo basketry. Bamboo accents on these round pieces give them a very organic feel, and gemstones in new colors are now available on these pieces. To the Chain collection has been added a number of coiled bracelets with a variety of colored stones which will pair well with other John Hardy pieces from previous years.

A new collection was added in spring 2010 which draws its inspiration from Japanese Zen gardens. With calm flowing patterns, these pieces exude tranquility and simplicity while still maintaining femininity and grace.

The new pieces in the John Hardy Men’s Collection pair sterling silver with organic materials to achieve a strong masculine look. A few of the new pieces draw inspiration from oriental dragons. Dragon cufflinks and a dragon bracelet are included among the simpler pieces for the Spring Men’s Collection.

The new 2010 collection and the other pieces added to already existing collections are modern yet timeless. They draw upon exotic and foreign elements, and the results are appealing in every way.

Are you looking for activities for your kids this summer? Then you can check out this Summer Photography workshop for kids and teens that the Alcove is offering.

1. Photography for Kids
This workshop is open for kids 7-12 years old. Each student should bring any digital camera during the workshop. The speaker for the workshop is Dennis Balangue who is a semi-professional photographer for six years already.

The workshop will be held on May 8, from 9 AM - 12 nn. The workshop will teach the students the basic of photography through classroom lecture, supervised photo shoot and a photo clinic.

Topics that will be discussed during the workshop include:

• What is photography? Definition and history
• Exposure, as related to the importance of light in photography
• Composing and designing photographs for visual impact
• Basic camera parts (and how to maximize each)
• Different shooting applications

The fee for the class is P1,500 which includes handouts, snacks, and certificate.

2. Photography for Teens

Students who wish to enroll for this workshop must be 13 years old and above. Each student should bring any digital camera during the workshop. The speaker for the workshop is Jay Alonzo who is a photographer for magazines such as High Life and Mabuhay (Philippine Airline's in-flight magazine).

The workshop will be held on May 8, from 9 AM – 5 PM. The workshop will teach the students the basic of photography covering both the aesthetic and technical aspects through a lecture, actual photo shoots, working in a digital darkroom (demo only), and a photo clinic.

Topics that will be discussed during the workshop include:

• Understanding light for photography
• Maximizing the use of the digital camera
• Composing and designing a photograph for visual impact
• Seeing with a photographic eye
• PLUS: Tips on shooting people, architecture, product, still life, low-light, and other applications

The fee for the class is P2,500 which includes handouts, meals, and certificate.

Pre registration is required (until April 30, 2010) to reserve a slot. To register, a 50% non-refundable partial payment is required. Full payment is due on the first day of class. A 5% discount will be given to those who will pay in full before the class starts.

Both classes will be held at the Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati Avenue, Ayala Triangle, Makati City (across from The Peninsula Manila). For more details, please call 892-1801, send an SMS to 0917-559-4417, email cruz.ct@ayalafoundation.org or visit www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph.

Before I start my research about Mesothelioma, let me blog first about this summer getaway that I have discovered.

Because of the scorching heat of the sun, everybody wants to go the beach so you can expect that resorts are really crowded especially if you will go on weekends. So if you want a private place that you can just have all for you and your family, and then you should probably try this beach house for rent in Punta Fuego that my good friend discovered and had shared with us.

For only P11,800, you can rent the whole house for 6 persons. The house can accomodate a maximum of 12 pax and you only have to pay P500 for each exrta person in excess of 6. You can use the billiard table, the swimming pool and gives you free access to the beach. This rate even comes with free breakfast and two staff to assist you during your stay. You can contact Brian (the owner of the house) @ 0915-8472264 for more details.

My siblings are actually planning to book an overnight stay here and I am already excited.

Gosh a lot of expenses are lined u for me this month. Well actually I like to do a lot of things like:

• Book for an overnight stay at Punta Fuego as B is really asking us if we can take her to the beach.
• Then we have a family outing too for my side of the family.
• I also need to do some shopping for baby boy’s stuffs like his feeding bottles, stroller, clothes, and others.
• I also want to reward myself and buy another Long Champ bags.

I think my list will go on and on. So I am really serious in doing some job search from beyond.com so I can look for a part time job that I can have as a sideline so I have a source of funds for the extra things that I like.

So far I have four prospective sidelines already. I am actually overwhelmed by the amount of work that has to be done but I am hoping that I can do it. Besides it is extra money for me, which means extra money so my family can splurge (and enjoy) a little.

Artscow has released a lot of new products to respond to the numerous requests they received from their avid clients. And the best part is, they are even offering discounts and promos for these new products.

One of their newly released products is the twin sided printed shoulder bag. For only $9.99, you can order this personalized shoulder bag and it even comes with free shipping. To avail of this promo, just enter the code below:

Coupon Code: NEWCLBAG
Expiration: April 20, 2010

And have you seen those cute hand bag hangers? I really wanted to buy one of those but the personalized handbag hangers from ArtsCow is cuter and is even a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. Artscow is even offering a promo for this for only $3.99 and it even comes with free shipping already. To redeem this offer, just enter the code below:

Coupon Code: MOMDAYHH
Expiration: April 30, 2010

Hubby and I took a leave from work last Wednesday as hubby just arrive form his three-weeks posting and so we wanted to spend some quality time together.

We started our day late as we arrived late Tuesday evening because we went out with my family to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Hubby and I brought our daughter to her Enopi class and then while waiting, we dropped by Chinese General Hospital for my monthly pre-natal checkup. After an hour, we have to go back to B’s school to fetch her and then we had lunch at our favorite restaurant, Café Monaco.

After lunch, we went back to Chinese General Hospital for hubby’s check up as he is experiencing tummy ache ever since he came back from Kolonya and he is thinking that he might have Amoebiasis again. His doctor confirmed that he is just constipated since he even gained weight which is a sure sign that he doesn’t have Amoebiasis. (Hubby gained 10 pounds which means that he really needs to go on a diet and do exercise to loose weight. Now I am thinking to buy him pull up bars to get him started with his exercise routine).

And because we promised B that we will take her to the mall, we went to SM Megamall as per B’s request, after our check up where we treated her to some toy shopping. She bought stuffed animals again and she went home not with one, but with three stuffed toy animals – zebra, a frog and her sexy peacock.

It was really one long day but B and I are both happy since hubby is back here with us.

I have been planning for our family summer outing for days now and it seems as though up to now, we haven’t agreed on where to go this summer. The problem: the budget.

My aunt asked me to plan for it since last month and I have been researching the net for the best place that our family can go for two days and one night. This outing is for all my relatives from my mom’s side of the family. We are composed of 17 adults and 5 kids. The only request that they require when they asked me to plan for this trip is:

• It should not be that far so our grand mother won’t have a hard time with the long travel
• The resort is not that expensive
• The beach resort should have a swimming pool so the kids can really have fun

My cousin found a place called Pueblo Por La Playa. It is a private, members-only resort in Quezon. My cousin got the quote from the resort and I presented it to all my relatives. I even showed them the website and they just love the place - the resort have infinity pools, a spa, and the resort offers different sports activities like volleyball, kayaking and jet ski. But since we are a little tight on the budget, my relatives find the rate per person a bit expensive and some of my relatives can’t afford to pay for all their family members to join this trip.

The kids in our family are all excited already after seeing how nice the place is so I really wanted for this trip to push through. The last time our entire family went on a family vacation was last January when we spent the New Year in Tagaytay and we really had a blast so we are all really hoping that we can do the same thing again this summer.

Now I am tempted to get payday loans since we plan to leave next weekend and it is a few days short from payday so I can pay at least half of the expenses so my other relatives won’t have to think of their contribution and all of us can join the trip. I also plan to talk to my brother and see how much he can shoulder.

I am really hoping that we will be able to finalize this trip before the week ends as it is really getting difficult to book for the accommodation since it is already the peak of the summer. I hope that my family can enjoy the sand, the sea and the sun soon.

Philippine Airlines is celebrating their 70th Anniversary and they are having promos on their airfare. And to counter this offer, Cebu Pacific offered a 70% off promo also from April 1-2.

My good friend Kathy alerted us of this promo. I was not tempted at first to book a flight as the travel period is from January – March 2011 but then on the first day of the promo I woke up around 5:30 AM just to check the rate and it was so affordable. The problem is I tried and tried searching and there are no more available seats during weekends and since school is still open during those months, I don’t want B to skip school for two to three days and I have no choice but to say no again for this promo (Yah, I really feel disappointed because the airfare is only P1000 round trip from Manila to Kalibo).

Oh well maybe this promo is really not meant for me. LOL. I hope they will release another promo soon as we really plan to go on an out of town vacation when baby boy is already big enough to travel by plane.

I haven’t discussed this with hubby yet as he is away (but I plan to discuss this with him when he return from his assignment next week), but I was thinking about a solution to resolve our dilemma on whether to renovate our house in Bulacan or purchase a new house here in Manila.

You see, hubby and I have been thinking if we will proceed with our plan to get a new housing loan to finance the renovation of our house in Bulacan. The problem is, Bulacan is quite far from the city which is where our kids will be studying. So we are thinking if we just buy a smaller house in Manila instead where it is close to the schools that we are considering for our kids.

But I got an idea this morning:

• Since our house in Bulacan only needs renovations (like changing of the kitchen sinks to Franke sinks, replacing the ceiling, the wood frame in the bedrooms, etc) then we don’t need that big amount of money to finance the renovation. The house there is just bungalow style with three rooms but I think it is big already for the size of our family so we don’t need to demolish it completely and build a house of our dreams from scratch. We can just repair some parts of the house to make it look nice so we can make it as our weekend house.
• Then we can get a loan then to buy a much smaller house here in Manila which will be closer to the schools where our kids will be studying.

Actually I am excited about this idea. I know how much hubby wants to live in the suburbs but I know he also doesn’t want his kids to have a hard time commuting to and from school everyday because it will be stressful for them. At least with this setup, we can go home to our house in Bulacan during weekends so hubby can relax and rest after a very tiring week at work.

Let us see what he gets to say with my idea when he comes back.

I saw this from the website of Pear Tree and this gives me an idea to send out photo birth announcements upon the arrival of our cute baby boy.

I was not able to do this when I had my first born but this is a perfect idea to show our precious son to our friends and relatives especially to those who are abroad and who can’t visit us in the hospital so they can have a fist glimpse of our second baby. So I already forwarded the link to hubby so he can choose among the photo cards from the site.

And speaking of our second baby, I am starting to plan again for the Christening of our baby. I actually have a list of restaurants and clubhouses that we can consider as our reception venue after the church ceremony. When hubby arrives, we will check each of this restaurants and clubhouses so we will know which one to book. I also have a caterer in mind already and I am also considering getting a dessert package from SanFo Treats:

It looks really yummy isn’t it? Hope we can fit this dessert table in our budget.