How to Create an Emergency Evacuation Kit...Just in Case

This article was originally posted in Yahoo!

From hurricanes to earthquakes and wildfires, natural disasters can be frightening. While these emergencies come in many forms and may require anything from a brief absence to permanent evacuation, there’s one thing you can do to ensure your safety — prepare.

If you’re forced to leave your home, you may have less than a minute to get out. Having an emergency evacuation kit packed and ready to go could mean the difference between your wellbeing and hardship.

“You can’t control disasters, but you can control how prepared you are for them,” said Rafael Lemaitre, director of public affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “The outlook for the coming Atlantic hurricane season, for example, looks to be quieter than normal, but all it takes is one to affect you and your community. It only takes one disaster to change your entire life, so it makes sense to prepare.”

What you’ll need

Beyond stocking up on nonperishable food, water, flashlights and clothing, you need to collect important documents to include in your evacuation kit. Your kit should include:

• Cash: In small bills. If the power is out, you won’t be able to make withdrawals from an ATM.
• Identification: Copies of your driver’s licenses, Social Security card, birth certificate and marriage records.
• Insurance: Copies of home, auto and health policy information.
• Banking: Savings and checking account numbers.
• First-aid kit: The American Red Cross recommends bandages in various sizes, gauze pads, adhesive cloth tape, antiseptic wipe packets, antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone ointment, an oral thermometer, non-latex gloves, scissors, tweezers and aspirin.
• Medication: Keep at least a seven-day supply of essential medications in your evacuation kit and determine how often you should replace stored medication. Have extra copies of prescriptions or leave a copy of your prescriptions on hold with a national pharmacy chain or with a relative who lives some distance away.
• Legal: Copies of wills or power-of-attorney documents.
• Contact information: Doctors, family members, friends and work contacts, among others.
• Connectivity: An extra cellphone charger or portable charging unit for your phone. Solar and wind-up chargers are available, while others use small batteries.
• Navigation: A map of your city or region that includes street names and public transportation information. Disasters often force detours and changing traffic patterns; a map will help keep you from getting lost.

Pulling it all together

Use a large water-resistant backpack or duffel bag to hold your emergency kit. Look for bags with padded shoulder straps and waist straps to help distribute weight and make it easier to carry long distances. Experts suggest keeping documents inside a waterproof container in your evacuation backpack or duffle.

Store your emergency supplies in a safe place where you can grab them easily.

“Studies have proven that the more prepared people are, the less anxious they are and the more quickly they recover from disaster,” said FEMA’s Lemaitre. “It only takes a few minutes a couple times a year to make sure your family’s evacuation kit is up to date, but it’s an important investment to make for you, your family and your children.”

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MOTHERHOOD: When a Woman Left Me a Note About My Son in the Doctors’ Waiting Room

My heart melt when I  read this article.  My boy has special needs too and we are lucky that we live in a country where people are considerate with PWA(People With Disability).  These people makes our burden lighter.  Their little caring gestures makes our lives better and easier, if only they know it.  I am hoping that there are more people that are compassionate rather than judgemental.

Originally posted on Yahoo!

PHOTO: John Howard/ Getty Images

I’ve learned a lot having a child with special needs. I have learned a lot about his many diagnoses — Phelan-McDermid syndrome and autism among them. I have also learned a lot about myself and other people. Sometimes my son’s presence brings out the good in other people and, unfortunately, sometimes the bad.

As he was growing up, we heard it all: “Why does he walk funny?” and “You need to teach him some manners.” But two negative moments in particular stick in my mind.

When he was young, he had to wear glasses since he was diagnosed with myopia along with optic nerve hypoplasia. He also couldn’t sit up until he was 18 months old because his hypotonia or low muscle tone, so he would lie in the baby carriage while we made our way out and about.

Most of our outings in his first few months were to doctors or specialists to get tests, scans and bloodwork – you name it, he endured it! So it was nice for us to get out to the shops one day. I was looking at some books and turned back to the baby carriage to find a lady, pointing and laughing at my son and his glasses and gesturing her husband to come and look. Yes a grown woman did this! As I was only just starting my journey of motherhood — with the extra bonus of having a very special little boy with a disability — I was mortified. I rushed back to the car and came home in tears.

On another trip out, another grown woman walked past us, looked at my son in his glasses and remarked to her companion, “Did you see him? How ridiculous!” Again, she was referring to his glasses.

As we’ve gone along our journey together, I’ve learned to shrug it off. Of course, this is easier to do on some days than others. Maybe some people need to keep this old adage in mind: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

On the flip side, we also come across some lovely people in our travels.

We were waiting in the doctors’ waiting room at the end of the school holidays. My son can sometimes get in other people’s space, and I was in no mood to deal with people today. To minimize this, we went to the children’s area. He could also get a good view of the parking lot from there, since he loved watching cars and waving at people as they were coming and going.

He’s nonverbal so he makes his happy noises when he’s excited. We were in the play area by ourselves. There were big windows between us and the other patients, so he didn’t seem to be bothering anyone. We got a few quizzical looks and a few smiles.

When we finally got in to see the doctor, my son was as uncooperative as ever. I don’t blame him after years of being poked and prodded by every sort of medical specialist you can imagine!

Then we came out and to the reception desk to sort out our payment. The receptionist said, “Another patient gave me this to give to you. I’m not sure what it is.” I was a little worried as she handed me a folded note.

The note read:

I wanted to give you a huge hug – you looked like you needed one.

Your son is a lovely young boy and I hope he brings lots of love + sunshine to your life.

Keep smiling –

an ASD Mum xx

“Is it OK?” asked the receptionist. “Yes, it is a lovely note,” I replied. I paid and went out to my car. I sat for a moment and read the note again with tears running down my face. It was the little lift I needed. And yes, he does bring lots of love and sunshine to my life! It was a beautiful gesture from someone who has been there.

Thank you “ASD Mum” for taking a little time out from your day and doing this small gesture to make another mom feel better.

Special needs moms really do have each others backs!

By Jodie Wedmore

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MOTHERHOOD: Your Body After a Night of Not-Enough Sleep

 

Who can relate? And I raised my hand - ME! ME! ME!

Funny indeed.

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TRAVEL: Japan's Lawson Convenience Store

When we went to Japan, we were so happy that our hotel has a convenience store nearby. Their convenience store like 711, Lawson, Family Mart are the mini shopping mall for the locals. I believe Japanese do not cook on a daily basis so these convenience stores are huge part of their lives. They can buy almost everything in here. 

So the next time you will visit Japan, make sure that you stay at a hotel that has a nearby mini shopping mall. 

Here's a video of what we found at Lawson Convenience Store near our hotel on our first night in Japan.

   

What was your experience with Japan's convenience store? Leave a comment below:)

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MOTHERHOOD: Things I Never Understood About My Mother — Until Now

August is a Mother's Month in Thailand and in celebration of this wonderful women in our lives, I'd like to share with you how motherhood change our principles and beliefs in many of us.

Check this article.  Which ones can you relate to?

Link:https://sg.news.yahoo.com/8-things-i-never-understood-about-my-mother-121622308864.html

Photo courtesy of Lori Garcia

When it comes to motherhood, it’s hard to say who shapes who more — the mother or the child. And even though moms parent with varying moments of warmth, understanding, rigidity, and spontaneity, devotion remains at the heart of each and every one.

But mom’s unconditional love doesn’t mean her methods are always easily understood. My mom was an amazing woman full of love and gentle guidance, but there were plenty of times I didn’t grasp her reasoning. It wasn’t clear to me why she’d lead me to independence only to keep me on what sometimes felt like a short leash, or why she trusted me, but not necessarily those around me. Before I was a mother, I didn’t understand that to her I was everything — her only child; the greatest love of her life.

If I had to round up the biggest quandaries that defined my development, these eight momisms perhaps say them best:

1. “Friendships in threes are hard.”

Growing up next door to two besties, there wasn’t a week that went by when two of us weren’t on the outs with the third (and we each took turns being the third). My mom used to always say, “Friendships in threes are hard,” and she was right, although that’s not to say our friendship wasn’t worth the sometimes struggle. Just ask Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe.

2. “Piano lessons are a privilege.”

From the ages of 4-12 I was, ahem, “privileged” to take approximately 416 piano lessons. And even though I made a solemn promise to myself that I would never, ever, under any circumstance insist the same of my child, those piano lessons taught me a lot about patience, perseverance, and even posture. Plus, I can still play the theme to Ice Castles … SO WORTH IT.

3. Half of all money goes to savings.

It didn’t matter whether my grandpa slipped me $5 on the sly or my aunt mailed me $20 in a birthday card, my mom hijacked half of all money I received to deposit into my savings account. Giving up half of the mad money I’d spend on Hello Kitty gel pens and Bath & Body Works glitter lotion wasn’t easy, but saving enough money to purchase my first used car made it worthwhile.

4. Allowing me to play hooky from school.

For as Type-A a mom as she was, she’d let me ditch school a few days a year for a little mother-daughter bonding time. At the time I thought my mom was just being uncharacteristically cool, but I now understand that these mommy-daughter ditch days were her way of staying connected to me at an age when I would have rather done anything than actually hang out with my mom.

5. “Nothing good happens to a teenager after 10PM.”

I remember exactly what I was doing when my mom said this, the most outrageous claim my teenage ears had ever heard. Even though I swore she was so wrong, 10PM did seem to mark the time the real fun started.

6. “I don’t know that friend, so I don’t think so.”

If my mom didn’t know you, the time I spent with you outside of school was pretty limited. It was like she knew that if you were up to good things (and only good things), she’d have already known you. And dammit if she wasn’t right.

7. Waiting up for me at night while pretending she wasn’t.

Living at home during college, late nights were a pretty standard occurrence. As a notoriously early riser, my mom had no business being awake at 1 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. Yet there she was, watching TV or organizing the family photos because she “got busy and lost track of time.” Yeah right, and bless you, Mom.

8. “Call your grandparents.”

For every huffy dial my mom ever made me angrily stab into my cordless phone, the moments spent talking to my grandparents remain among my most cherished.

What do you understand about your mother now that you are one?

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TRAVEL: Butter Beer Experience @ Universal Studio Japan

Recently, we were very blessed to have an opportunity to visit Osaka Japan. 

Having an avid fan of Harry Potter as my travel buddy, my hubby cannot skip the chance to visit Universal Studio to discover the taste of the "Butter Beer".  Days before our trip, he cannot stop talking about this drink which I cannot even remember it in the story.  Well, he just read the book for a number of times.  And he didn't stop there, he watched the movie sequels as often as I can remember.  

Watch this video and see if "Butter Beer" is something to look forward or something to forget.

Have you tried "Butter Beer" too? Let us know your experience by leaving comments below. 

Have a nice day:)

FINANCE: Psychology of Money

One day, while browsing Facebook, I saw a post of a friend about choosing family over money. I couldn't help myself but comment on his post - Why choose if we can have both.

Many of us (including me) thinks that money is the root of all evils. That's the reason why I never dream big to become rich one day.  I would always say "magiging mitsa lang ng buhay ko ang pera".  Never did I realize that I was in a big black money myth hole.  

When I became a mother, things changed and thoughts about money is part of it.  We have to strive for the better, if not for the best.  We dream big for him and by dreaming big, we need resources - in other words we need more money and grow it.  But where do we start?

After reading articles and financial books, I was glad I learned  the different psychology of money.  Here are the 5 truths that changed my perception about money.

1.   Money is just a thing - a paper.

It cannot move, it cannot think on its own.  Therefore, it is the person who uses money that can control it. The power of money depends upon who holds it.  Therefore, we have the power over the money.

2.  Rich people  are not necessarily the bad people.

Are you watching teleseryes/telenovela? Can you remember Mara Clara?  Mara(portrayed by Judy Anne Santos) is the poor young lady and Clara (portrayed by Gladys Reyes) is the rich brat girl.  We fell in love with Mara's character and hate Clara up to the root of our nerve.  If Clara's character is the poor brat girl, do you think the story will sell like hot cakes?  

Unconsciously, we associate money with the villain.  Obviously, no one wants to be a villain.   Everyone wants to be the good one, the friendly one, the approachable one, the ONE, even it means to be the poor one.

3. Money cannot buy happiness but...

Yes, I agree.  Money cannot buy health but aren't you willing to use your money if your sick child needs medicine?  Money cannot buy intelligence but don't we want to send our children to a good school to acquire the knowledge, they cannot just pluck it from any tree.  Money cannot buy a family but don't we want to give the best for our love ones?  Can you get the idea? 

4. Money is NOT the root of all evil but the LOVE for money is.  

Simple, right? If you let money rule your life, then that's the evil in the making.

5. We all need money to live

Let's face it, aside from air, water and food, we also need money to survive.  We need a roof to cover our heads, we need clothes to wear, food to nourish our body, medicines (doctors too) to keep us healthy, school to teach us how to live our life productively, etc., and all these requires money. You're lucky if you can get all of these for free.

Reality is, it's the way we look at things that modifies our life decisions.  If we look at money positively, we will attract more of it.  If the other way around, you will run out of it.  

So the next time we are baffled choosing between family or money...think again, why choose if we can have both.  Remember, our family is the primary beneficiary if we have more money, right?

MY TV FAVE: Modern Family

 

Modern Family (started in 2009)

This is my own version of teleserye.  I started watching Modern Family a year ago or so and I always cannot wait for the next episode.  I got hooked ever since that I eventually downloaded the episodes on my mobile to catch up on my train ride to work. For every Modern Family day is is an absolutely light day ahead. Sofia Vergara's character "Gloria" is one of my favorite, she's simply hilarious. 

They are now on their 6th season and the turn of events is genius.  From Phil and Claire (and the grown up kids), Jay and Gloria (Manny and the new baby), Mitchell and Cameron (with the adorable Lily).  I know its title is Modern Family.  However, I don't think it's a good idea to watch this series with your children because of some big words for small minds.  But this is a good bonding with your husband, sharing a good laugh moments watching this unconventional family.

More Sleep Please

This articles reminds that I have to get more sleep. Being a working mom, I sometimes feel like a headless chicken running around to prepare dinner and to get everything ready for the next day before retiring to bed. Don't get me wrong, I like doing these for my boys even I have to stay up in the wee hours of the morning and giving me only a few hours of sleep.  I must keep in mind to have a conscious effort to remind myself that I need at least 7 hours of sleep to avoid at least those ugly lines and most especially, to give me the energy that I needed the next working day.  Read on.

 

The 5 Best Secret Anti-Aging Secrets

  Sleep Recommendation for All Age Group

Want a whiter teeth?

Are you in need to flash that smile and afraid that you teeth is not as white as it can be?  Try these natural remedies, it may take weeks to months so better start now...it's quite funny too!

Pursuit of Happyness

Do you want to be happier?  Watch this video...



Taken from Yahoo! Philippines

FINANCE: Your Life is in Your Hands

I read this article from a financial blog and I found it funny but very realistic.  Our life is really in our hands, we made our destiny.

Read the complete article HERE.

You Are My Pea

This a heartfelt clip of motherhood..I miss my baby who made me a mom:)

Thankful For Our Village

It's been awhile from my last post, and I never realized that it was that long.  When I first started this blog, my only intention were to have an outlet for my feelings as mother, a breather for being a wife and just to express what's in my mind, in other words, a shock absorber.  Not many of my friends knows about it neither a single family member, and that made me feel more relaxed in posting and no pressure at all.  But recently I received a comment for one of my post, asking me to email her.  My only reaction was "whoa, someone's actually reading my blog."

 I feel lucky to be messaged by a reader that with a lot of blog choices everywhere, she chose mine. There are 2 reasons why I was touched by her story, 1st - we are both mothers and 2nd both her and a very close person to me survived an illness that everyone is scared of - Big C. After exchanging few emails, she openly shares her story with me by letting me post her very own life's challenges and triumphs.  And I feel so blessed to be the reader this time.

Thankful for our Village
You have probably heard the saying, "It takes a village", as this is a saying that people throw around when you have a baby. It is also a saying I came to believe. On August 4th 2005 my daughter was born. There were no complications. Once my daughter came, our "village" surrounded us. We had my husband's family, my family and all of our friends coming to meet our little Lily. Things were going great and nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to be faced with.

Within a month of returning to work, things started to change. I was feeling breathless, extremely tired and I didn't have much in the way of energy. Of course, these are all things that are generally attributed to being a new mother, but I just felt like there was something else going on. I visited my doctor and after several tests, we found out what was wrong.  

On November 21st, 2005, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. This is a cancer that is found in the lining of the lung, which is typically caused by exposure to asbestos. I was unknowingly exposed to asbestos as a child and 30 years later, I ended up with mesothelioma.

My first thought was what was going to happen to my baby. At that appointment, I was not given the best of news. I was told that if I did nothing, I was looking at 15 months left to live. I thought of my baby, my husband, together all alone and without me. I knew at that moment I had to do whatever I needed to in order to save my life. Since I was dealing with a very grim diagnosis of mesothelioma, I went for the most drastic treatment offered. This meant that on February 2nd, my husband and I flew to Boston for my treatment. I had an extrapleural pneumenectomy. My left lung was removed and I spent the following 18 days in hospital. Then there was another 2 months of recovery before I began chemotherapy and radiation. This all happened while learning the ropes of motherhood.

If we did not have our village surrounding us with prayers, love and support, we could not have done it. Our village was made up of all kinds of different people from various parts of our lives. Even those who we did not expect to support us came around when we needed them the most. Then there were some people who we thought would be there but they fled as soon as we tried turning to them. The funny thing about all this is that the cancer helped us to weed out those who are really a part of our village and those who are not.

My parents had Lily live with them while we stayed in Boston. They started as grandparents to Lily and then helped to raise her. Because of this, they had their own village step in to help them out. Many people helped with babysitting and in any other way possible. While we were in Boston, we made some new friends who were going through similar situation. This helped us get through each day.  

While seeking treatment, my little girl was learning to eat solid food, scoot and roll around. I missed these events. I was able to be somewhat included through the pictures of her milestones that were emailed to me. I would show off her pictures, all while trying not to cry. However, Lily was the reason I was there, fighting for my life. I knew she had wonderful caretakers and that she would bond deeply with them.

Now that we have a true understanding of just how fragile life can be, we make sure that we embrace every moment of it. My favorite quote is, "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death."

Make sure that you are embracing all that life throws your direction. Cancer is a strange and funny thing. Even though there is a lot of bad that comes with it, there is a lot of good that comes with it as well. Believe it or not, I am thankful for what I have been through as I have learned so much.

Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance - Heather 

Thank you Heather.  Wishing you happiness and the best of health:)

Dream, Believe, Survive...

Now that we have a new administration waited to do their magic on our country, try to digest this insight from a fellow Filipino who wants better future for our nation...do we really depend everything to the government???

Narinig mo na ba ito: "Libre lang ang mangarap."

Pag mukhang walang direksyon ang buhay mo, sasabihin nila,"wala ka man lang
kaambi-ambisyon!"
Pag andami-dami mong gustong gawin, sasabihin naman nila,"ambisyoso ka!" Ayos
ba?

May mga nagtatagumpay sa buhay, may sumisikat at nalalaos, may gumaganda ang
buhay pansamantala ngunit pagkatapos ay bumabalik sa dati at kung minsan ay mas
masahol pa.
Tignan mo yung kapitbahay mong nag Saudi o kaya'y pumunta sa Dubai at Italy o
kaya si ate sa Hongkong. Wag na tayo lumayo… Musta kaya ang buhay sa call center
sa bandang Libis o Ortigas? O kaya yung teller ng banko sa Makati . Ano ba ang
kasalukuyang sinasalamin ng buhay nila. Kaginhawaan? Kasaganahan? O kahirapan pa
din.

Marahil marami ang nangarap sa buhay. Kahit siguro yung kaibigan mong ewan,
marahil ay may pangarap din ngunit libre nga ba ito? At kung libre, bakit madami
pa din ang hindi nakakaabot sa kanilang mga pangarap. Kasya ba ang take home pay
mo? Musta ang credit card mo? Max up na yung pangatlo?!

Palagay ko hindi libre ang mangarap. Tulad na lang ng kalayaan, subukan mong
isalin sa ingles ang salitang ito – freedom. Libre nga ba ito? Kung libre ito,
bakit may Ninoy, bakit may Evelio Javier, at madami pang nagbubuwis ng buhay?
Tsk tsk. Nakakatuwa ang paggamit ng ating mga salita.

May kakilala akong nag-Saudi. Nakapag pundar ng bahay, umabot sa mahigit isang
milyon ang nahawakang pera. Tuloy tuloy na sana pero nalulong sa droga, nawala
lahat ang kabuhayan. Nangarap ba siya? Marahil. Pero somewhere along the way,
nawala ang focus niya.
Tapos si Manong Ed, istokwa, bata pa tumira na sa palengke. Sabi sa kanila,
"black sheep" ng pamilya. Di na inintindi ng magulang. Ang batang palaboy-laboy
sa palengke ng Surigao, kamuntik naging sundalo, kamuntik din nakatapos ng
engineering at nag-mekaniko. Nasaan na siya ngayon? Nag-abroad na, tangay ang
limang kaibigan at kapamilya. Saan kaya niya hinugot ang kanyang lakas upang
makaalis sa palengkeng naging kanlungan niya habang siya ay nag-iisa?

Listen, yung nanay ng friend ko at age 44, nag-nursing. Saan na siya ngayon? Nag
to-tour na. She has all the money to do just that. Ano! matanda ka na? Eto isa
pa. Yung lola ng friend ko, nag retire at age 65. Bumalik sa skul, kumuha ng
Law. Sabi ng mga apo at anak, "Matanda na kayo. Pahinga na lang kayo sa
bahay." Sagot niya, "Ubingak pay! (bata pa ako)." Nakinig ba siya? Hindi! Ayun
pumasa sa bar, lawyer na ang lola! Whew!

Ano, hihirit ka pa?

Minsan sa isang seminar, lumapit sa akin ang isang clerk, may konting luha at
lungkot sa kanyang mga mata. Sabi niya, "Labing pitong taon na akong clerk, wala
pang nangyari sa buhay ko!" Ako ay namangha at nabagabag. Anlalim nun ah! I got
scared. Sabi ko, "Anong ginawa mo? Madami namang seminar na pwedeng puntahan,
libro na puedeng basahin o kaya panibagong skills na pwedeng pag-aralan." Ang
kanyang tugon ay nakakalungkot. Sabi niya, "Busy ako sa work eh!" She was
practically imprisoned sa lamesa niya for 17 years! Kaya ang mas malalim na
tanong, "Are we busy with the right things? Does it make us grow? Does it make
us a better person? May mas magandang pupuntahan ba ang ginagawa natin sa
susunod na mga taon?"

Ang karayom, pag tinusok sa 'yo ay masakit. Mararamdaman mo ito. Kaya ang
karayom itinali ko sa isang steel rod at itinusok sa dibdib niya, at sinabing,
"Tignan mo yang isang officemate mo. Dati clerk din siya, ngayon Systems
Administrator na. Pareho kayo ng simula diba?"

The desire to dream starts from the heart, it is a daily decision to be where
you want to be. It is owning it. `Tol, wag ka umasa sa mana mo o kaya sa
gobyerno o sa Boss mo. At the end of the day, commodity ka lang. Ang buhay kasi
is buy and sell kaya dapat alamin mo ang tunay mong halaga baka na
syo-shortchange ka! Bilhin ka ng boss mo sa halagang Php10,000 tapos ibebenta ka
sa halagang Php100,000. Yan ang harap harapang prostitusyon!
Ask yourself. Masaya ka ba where you are? Ok ka na ba diyan? kumusta lineage ng
pamilya mo? Is that what you want to see in your generation? Sabi ng isang guard
sa akin noon. Junie, security guard na lolo ko. Security guard din tatay ko,
kaya security guard na din ako. Sabi ko, "Ayaw mong maging chief of
police?" But really, kung yung nagdaang henerasyon sa pamilya mo e puno ng
kakulangan, would you even dream and act to change it? O you resign to it and
say, "Eto ang kapalaran ko."
Simulan mo. Minsan masarap maging discontent. Wag mong isiping bata ka pa o
matanda ka na o may kakulangan ka. Ala akong pinag-aralan eh. Mahirap lang kami.
Wala kaming pera. O nagpapadala ka sa mga taong nagsasabing, "Sama-sama na lang
tayo dito!" This one really scares me! O nagsasabing, "Ambisyoso ka!" `Tol, at
the end of the day, di naman sila ang magpapakain ng pamilya mo eh. Try mong
utangan sila. It' not about lacking in resources, it is about resourcefulness.

I started losing friends when I realize may mga taong excess baggage sa buhay
natin. Minsan may nakilala ako, sobrang nega. Sala sa init sala sa lamig. Laging
may problemang dala. Minsang kasama ko sabi niya, "Bat di mo ako kinakausap?"
Sagot ko naman, "There is nothing good to say!" Lagi akong nagtatanong, "Is this
person going to make a good influence sa buhay ko?" Syempre, yan din ang lagi
kong tanong sa sarili ko.

Choose your friends. An eagle can not fly if he is dressed like a turkey. And
you can't go to the same school as the duck's school.

Tignan mo if they have grown in the past few years kasi may tinatawag na Law of
Association. Are they excited about life or they see it as drudgery? Are you in
survival mode or is your life accelerating? Pareho ba maxed up credit card niyo?
Do you hear more complaints than movements? Ang bakasyon ba mas
pinagpla-planuhan kaysa sa buhay? Is happy hour better than growing together?
There must be what they call the next level kasi ang buhay hindi dress
rehearsal. Kaya if you see yourself in the bar every weekend with your friends,
you better run away from them!

Start within you. Change the way you see things. Look at your life as a new
canvass. Choose the colors! Wag mo nang balikan yung nakaraan. Di mo na mababago
yun. Yung ngayon at bukas, may magagawa ka pa. Dapat may internal change muna.
You have to start with your character. Be a better person everyday. Lahat ng
gagawin mo should have an impact hindi lang sa buhay mo kundi sa mga taong nasa
paligid mo. Everyday decision yan.

Pag-align na yung character mo, pag tama yang puso mo, everything will come into
focus. Mas magaan ang buhay mo. Then yung sinasabi nilang, the whole universe
will collide to give you what you deserve will definitely happen. Remember, the
universe respond to deserved, not need, not want.

Finally, stretch yourself and your life like a rubber band. You will never know
what your potentials are until you stretch yourself hard enough it's gonna break
you. Don't let anyone live your life and drive you where they please. Like a
boss with a stick and a carrot dangling at the other end. The only person who
can tell you na hanggang diyan ka lang is yourself so the competition is not
between you and the other person. It's the devil inside you that doesn't want
you to grow.

Make a decision to change wherever you are. Don't wait for someday. Someday,
someday, someday. Remove that from your vocabulary and say NOW IS THE TIME TO
CHANGE!

Sama sama tayong mangarap. Mahal ang mangarap pero halika, I'll walk with you.
Ano, kelan tayo magsisimula?

You already know everything you need to know about success. All you have to do
is to put the remote control down, scoop that bag of chips away, get out from
the couch and do something!

My 3_th Birthday

On this day, I was on holiday from work. I didn't feel special, I wasn't treated special, I even had argument with my husband. My day was totally gloomy. Had a wonderful dinner with my family on the next day.. Maybe I was just expecting too much from people around me on the exact day. Gifts, gifts, for the longest time that he promised that he has a gift for me, eto after almost 1 month of my birthday wala pa rin ung gift...nasa factory pa ata. Take note that he promised a gift since christmas 2009 but barely get anything..wait, when was the last time he gave me a gift??? HMP...

workaholic...

This word keeps ringing in my mind last night. How good is this word meant? It gives our superiors a good impression of ourself. It may also mean better pay at the end of the month or finishing our backlog maybe and the list goes on but does it mean putting your family behind too? My logic reminds me that we work for our loved ones- our family, but putting them at the back seat because we're working hard for them doesn't make any sense. Is it really for our family or for our own pride and convenience. Do they have to make an appointment just to spend some good times with us. They're not asking most of our time but it seems that everytime they will come for small chats, we feel bothered. Did it ever cross our minds that we spend more time in our workplace than at home. If we know what's happening around the office like why our colleague broke up with her boyfriend or why is our lunch buddy not coming to work or who is pregnant or when our department head isn't feeling well, we are much updated with the latest gossip but did we ever ask the people in our house how they are? If they're feeling alright or maybe ask how their day was. We need our "MYSELF" time and we can have this during our off days from work. We actually spend it by reading alone, going out with our friends, visiting the parlor, playing computer games, or updating our blogs maybe then at the end of the day here we are checking our office email when it's suppose to be our rest day. We forgot that we have children who is longing to play with us, a wife or husband who needs our attention, parents who are waiting for our visit. Workdays are 5 or 6 days in a week, our time for our family is the least that we have and yet we don't make the most out of it. When was the last time we played with our children? When was the last time we give a tender hug and kiss to your wife/husband? When was the last time you called your parents to ask how they are? When was the last time you went out with your bro/sis and catching things up? When was the last time you said "I Love You" to them and you truly meant it? They need us as much we need them but do we find time to make them feel it at least. Before we know it, we're running out of time to show them how we care, don't you think so? ...Is having a husband your colleague will make any difference?? This feeling of neglected is still eating me little by little, seeing him talking to his workmates and having a good laugh is killing me. I can't help but cry and feel sorry for my son if his dad will stay on like this forever.

I'm back - the whole new me!!!

I have not use this blog for the past 2 years but now I'm back. I love this blog since this has became my guinea pig in learning the whole and different world of technology. I remember before I've been posting a lot in here of my travels, wedding preps, experiences and I must say it has been a stress-reliever for me. This time it will be another chapter of me- being a wife and being a mom.

Not many of my friends and relatives know that I have this especially my husband who have no intentions of reading it even if I give him the link. This will be my pacifier and shock absorber for my heartaches, pains, anger, happiness, etc.

You will also find me on my other blog: http://alynn217.multiply.com