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It has been quite hard for me to really blog these days. I rarely write just for the sake of writing anymore (which is a bad thing). However, it seems that doing Project Life is doing me good, since it has motivated me to start using my handwriting again, and has cut down my scrapping time to almost 80% which freed my time. Plus, the instant gratification that my family gets to read and see what I make is way better. I’m going to still be doing digital pages and albums, but the “pressure” to get caught up is no longer there. Because almost a month in 2012, I am caught up with everything that has been going on – document-wise.

1. Listening – Beyonce’s 4 Album. The song, I Was Here, is amazeballs. Listen to it.
2. Eating – Oatmeal with Lo-Fat Milk.
3. Drinking – Water
4. Wearing – Pink & Grey Shorts + Grey Shirt
5. Feeling – Sore & Stiff
6. Weather – Cloudy. Not too Cold nor too Hot.
7. Wanting – Instant Gratification. (as always Agatona.)
8. Needing – More Motivation – to actually work. I need to shake the moneymakers!
9. Thinking – About My Day today – work, work out, go to Mart’s tutorial, maybe scrap OR start watching Modern Family.
10. Enjoying – Dance Central 2.

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The husband and I are due for our annual check-up anytime this week or early next week. I need to set up an appointment with my OB-gyne for the annual things you do as a woman (papsmear, breast exams, etc) and I have been encouraging the husband to have blood chemistry tests, even if he looks perfectly fine and healthy. Between the two of us, it is much obvious I am the one who is unhealthy and out of shape but with the way he is with his diet – fried foods, sisig, crispy pata and liempo every week – I am pretty sure that there might be an elevated blood chemistry result there somewhere. (I’m taking a wild guess that cholesterol and uric acid are the ones that might get elevated).

I have high cholesterol too, so I have been spending more time in the l-arginine website reading about the effect of L-arginine and the feedback from consumers who have taken it. According to the site, people who suffer from high cholesterol lack Nitrix Oxide in their bodies, and with L-arginine, it can supply the molecule to the body and revert back naturally high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. I hope it is as effective as they claim in the site!

As for us, I am clearing a date in our calendar for our check-ups, especially for me!

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As I am writing this, my legs are so stiff that it takes more effort for me to walk around the house, let alone when I sit down and get up. My shoulder blades and arms are so heavy that I feel so tired all the time. I have been “dancing” with our new XBox Kinect Game, Dance Central 2, for 40mins everyday since Monday and oh wow, it surely is fun but very exhausting! It has evolved into a family activity with my eldest dancing once he arrives from school until before dinner. No wonder I never really gained weight when I was a teenager, given I was dancing in my room everyday for a solid two hours (It’s a private running joke between me and my siblings how they know I’m dancing in the house). Now, two minutes into a dance and my breath comes out like a lapping dog. I wonder if deer antler spray can help?

I read that deer antler spray tones muscles and repairs sports-related injuries faster. Have you noticed how a deer’s antlers grow so fast? That’s the concept of the spray. Today I am thinking if I should just skip the session, but the husband said I must work it out until it hurts no more (kinda like that song…).

I hate to admit it, but buying the XBox Kinect was a wise decision .

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Ever since the little princess celebrated her birthday last year with a party, she has been asking when would be her next party. When 2012 rolled in, she asked me which birthdays get celebrated in order and got a bit upset when she found out that there were more than 10 people in our extended family who were celebrating before her and it is more than 100 sleeps till her birthday.

Nevertheless, everytime she sees something on TV, she somehow relates to her birthday. Like when she sees Strawberry Shortcake, she says “I want Strawberry Shortcake for my birthday Mom!” or when she sees a Barbie car, “That’s my birthday gift or my Christmas gift, right Mom?” Right now, her idea of a fun party is exactly the way she threw her party last year (simple), except now instead of McDonald’s she wants to get Jollibee (yes, really!).

It got me thinking how she would be celebrating her 7th birthday next year. Tradition dictates that you make an effort to celebrate a child’s life in her 1st, 7th and 18th birthdays. Now, we initially raised the green flag in giving her a big party, even hiring a party caterer Dallas and giving away Republic of Texas food crates to guests. Republic of Texas Foods has the best gourmet food crates! But now, something better but cheaper is brewing in my head.

I can’t share what’s in my head for now as it is all jumbled up and crazy but I think Marts will really be happy! It involves:
1. Pink
2. Make-up, manicure and everything
3. Ballet
4. Ice cream and all her favorite indulgences
5. Her friends.

The only problem I foresee is that her birthday falls on a summer, so we won’t get to see her classmates everyday. That means whatever I am planning should be finalized by February, the latest, so that we can give invitations to her select classmate friends by March, when they graduate from Prep.

But hey, we’re talking 12 months in the making here. And I have always been more effective when I cram So let’s see.

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This week, around the weekend, this man will turn 33.

I think I have told the story of the boy who had two birthdays? (It’s him, of course. What’s the point of the story if it isn’t about him? )

Back in 79, his mom delivered him at home with the help of a midwife on the 29th. However, his hospital records show he was born on the 28th. (And he only found out about this when he was in college). So, to avoid confusion, we let the kids know their dad’s bday is on the 28th. When they grow older (like Mato did), we explain the story of the two birthdays. As for me, I really feel it’s not fair for him if I don’t greet him on the 28th, and NOT celebrate on the 29th. So he always ends up having two mini-celebrations, or two birthdays . (Unfair for ME who celebrates my birthday two days after Valentine’s – and I only get ONE celebration for the two completely different events!) Haha.

Boyfriend Gifts – I think I’ve given him all the pretty much useless stuff he can own in his lifetime. And all the mushy, sentimental stuff too — all of which are in a box, buried under our bed, to be opened when we die. Haha. I kinda miss writing letters though. It was my forte back in the days, writing stuff that can make you go “awwww” (and Im not kidding!). But then again, the internet came. And writing creatively became writing for the money. You can say it has sucked out all the stuff that can make you go “awww” out of me. I only write to my kids now. And the one hundred and one articles I need to write every week.

But hey, don’t count me out just yet.
Maybe I can make the husband go “awww” again (I doubt it’s going to be because of my letter though, haha).

Happy 33 and 33 again Birthday Boy!

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Divorce is hard on anyone, especially a young couple. They’ve only recently decided that they want to commit their lives to each other, but somehow, something isn’t working that’s why their marriage is coming to an end. That’s bad enough, but what can make this event even more difficult is if there are children involved. The addition of a child or children to a stressful situation like a divorce adds another level of complication. If you find yourself in this situation, there are ways to make this process slightly less stressful.

Image via flickr.

Evaluate your situation

First, before you get a divorce, do some thinking. Is this problem something that will pass or is it something bigger? Don’t automatically jump to divorce if you and your spouse aren’t getting along. Marriage itself is difficult, and those first few years are the hardest of all.

It’s been said that a marriage is 50/50. Well, a 50/50 marriage is two people only going halfway. It should be 100/100. Try to work past personality differences, disagreements or whatever it is that is hurting the marriage. Naturally, if there are real irreconcilable differences, this might not work. And if there has been infidelity or abuse, then the damage might be too much to repair.

Do some research

If you and your spouse are heading for divorce and the problems can’t be fixed, do some research on how to file for divorce. Try to avoid any random TV-ad attorney who may be more interested in getting as much money as possible from your spouse or making a name for himself rather than actually helping you through this process. The internet has lots of articles about filing for divorce, many written by people who have been through it themselves.

Don’t let your kids get caught in the middle

A divorce can get messy. Children are sometimes caught in the middle of a vicious back-and-forth between their parents. If you’re going through one, it is natural to feel hurt, and you find yourself always hating your ex-to-be, but never use your children to hurt your spouse. They aren’t weapons or tools that you can use to your advantage.

Don’t let your kids blame themselves

If you are a young couple, your children are probably pretty young. They won’t be able to process what is happening. They may even think that their parents’ separation is somehow their fault. You and your spouse need to make it clear to your kids that what is happening is not their fault. If they are old enough to understand, explain it to them. This isn’t because of anything they did; mommy and daddy just can’t be married anymore.

If you are a young parent getting a divorce, keep your children in mind. Yes, the marriage you hoped would last forever is no more and, this is a difficult experience for you. Just remember that this time is hard on your kids too.

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My mantra: Find your own happy!
I will make a conscious effort to look at the positive side of things all the time throughout the year.
This is my way.