Birthdays remembered and forgotten

Happy birthday cookies for all you celebrators out there!

I'm having terrible MG (memory gap) that I seem to lose track of time. Classic example, I almost forgot about my wedding anniversary and  my baby's 3rd bday.  I totally forgot about my friend's son's bday and realized that it had already passed about three weeks after the date and when I noticed that my friend wasn't talking to me.

To my friends and family:

You see, I know you will be celebrating your birthdays on a particular day and month.  But the thing is, I don't really keep track of the days that go by.  Like for now, I realized this morning that it was already September 28 and I have two friends whose birthday is September 27.  I reminded myself countless times, since September came, to greet those friends on their birthday but it seemed as if the days were fast-forwarded and whhhooooosh, their birthdays came and went without me noticing the dates. 

So if I greet you a week or so early, it means that you are in my thoughts and I know that your special day is coming up. But due to my unreliable memory, I might not be able to keep track of my calendar, so I greet you at that moment that I am thinking of you.  But if in case, you are one of the few that I didn't get to greet on their special day, please don't be mad at me, I love you, and you are always in my thoughts, even if my thoughts tend to be jumbled  most of the time.

Note note note:   

Belated happy, happy birthday to Papa Jun, Kythn, Weng, Myra, Vhince, Glenn, Rhuda, Z, Mafz and Ate Ghing!  (If you're name is missing here, let me know so I can edit this!)

Advance happy birthday to Atty. Babes and Chasen!

To my bestest friend, Caru, happy happy birthday! You're the best!  

Here are some PVZ/ Angry birds (at the back) cupcakes for all of you! :P

photo courtesy of a friend's friend in Facebook

Free Movie Tickets

Sometime earlier this month, I won free movie tickets for four (4) from Fotoloco's Fun O'clock Promo.  I previously blogged about it in another blog (see here: http://jcajote.blogspot.com/2011/08/free-tickets.html).

When I attempted to use the tickets at Ayala Town Center, I was told by the cashier that I cannot use the tickets since complimentary tickets may only be availed of for movies showing in their cinemas for at least seven days.  At that time, all their movies were being shown for only three days.  I even asked if the tickets can be used to watch a 3-D movie (at that time, Smurfs was showing in 3-D) and I was willing to pay a fee on top of the value of the complimentary tickets because  I didn't want to go back to ATC all the way from Cavite. Unfortunately, the lady said, it cannot be done.  

So, sadly, after having some snacks, we went home, and I later informed Fotoloco about it.  I told them I wasn't blaming them, but it might be good to talk to their sponsors about it so that the lucky winners wouldn't be going home, wasting money for their fare, only to find out that they couldn't use their free tickets.  And you know what, Fotoloco replied within minutes from my email and apologized about the incident.  They even sent me eight (8) free bowling tickets to somehow make up for the sad incident! So how's that for real customer service!!!  If only other companies would have this kind of customer service...

A few weeks later, I won again in their promo and they didn't let me pick up the tickets in their offices anymore. Instead, they sent me this through courier:

Going to the movies is really expensive nowadays
so free tickets like these really make  my day!

Wahooooo!!!!!!!!!!


Join the contest now!

(Fotoloco, offers its fun photo booth for rent during any occasion. Check out its website at http://www.fotoloco.com.ph for more info.)

Liliw Aliw

The Church of Liliw, Laguna

One Saturday, several months ago, my friends and I went to Liliw, Laguna, to check out their products -SHOES and SLIPPERS!   On our way there, we were chatting a lot and did not notice that the sign that pointed the way to Liliw.  We  have gone straight for about 3 kilometers, before realizing that we were already lost!  Now, that's an experience!

After going through the products of each of the stores there, we decided to have lunch at Arabela's. A friend googled it in the net and found good reviews about the restaurant.

My ever ready husband, brought "baon" with us - rice with scrambled eggs, tomatoes and adobo and a big jug of iced tea!  But as soon as he saw the others' orders, he, too, ordered steak for himself.

My baby ordered fish fillet in cream sauce or whatever with a side salad.  He enjoyed it so much, and the baby corn, that he begged his ninangs for some spare baby corn.

So pardon me for posting pics of the food we ate, instead of the shoes and bags and slippers and other stuff that the town of Liliw offered. 

Parmesan crusted fish fillet in white cream sauce - my baby's order
(too bad the picture didn't do it justice)

Grilled Chicken in white sauce

Sirloin Steak

Mess of a sirloin

The verdict on the food--- will definitely go back there one of these days. 

So, the ending of our trip was that- I was able to buy only a pair of slippers for myself (that is one of the 3 pairs for 100 being sold).  I was able to buy the rest of my family slippers as pasalubong.  Funny, I spent a whole lot more on the food that we had and only a few hundred pesos for the slippers (I didn't even buy a pair of shoes!).  It was a food trip and not a shoe trip.

But what I enjoyed the most was the food, the laughter and the special moment I shared with my family and with my friends. 

Oreo cheesecake for dessert

Chocolate mousse

Strawberry cheesecake

The Many Faces of Me

I was browsing through one of my friends' pictures online and saw a really old-looking photo of hers. I checked out the source of the photo and discovered www.yearbookyourself.com.  It allows the user to view his/her face on different hair-dos of different eras (with matching skin color).  

It is really amusing and allows the user to imagine how he/she must have looked in the old and not-so old days, especially when one is not so daring as to follow whatever the trend is/was.

It allows the user to take a picture of himself/herself and use that for the hair-types, or use any pic available from one's computer.  Cool huh!

So, at the risk of being laughed (anyway, it's better to make you laugh than to make you cry), here are my jurassic (and not-so-jurassic) looks.

the librarian look

friend of scooby doo's friends?

the discoverer of penicillin 

   

    

   

    

   

   

this is supposed to be the 2000 look

but this is my favorite!!

The one thing I hate about it, though, is that my nose look soooo big! Well, that's the photo that was best for all the "do's".  I can't really complain.

Webcam Pics

I taught my baby how to use the webcam on my laptop.  He enjoyed it a lot and his friends even joined him in the picture-taking.

   

   

  

It's funny how technology has changed the way of life for us mortals.  When cameras were not yet digital, we could not "click our hearts out".  Now, the only way to stop us from clicking away is either the battery is dead, there's not enough memory, or you're tired of smiling or posing.  

Cheers to digital age!!!

Milky Milky

This is my baby's milk!  He can consume about two 10-ounce baby bottles in one sitting (or in his case, lying down while feeling his dad's eyebrow).  

A 1.2 kilo package is only good for five days for my baby.  How's that for a three year-old!

What I like about Lactum is that it almost has the same vitamins and nutrients as my baby's former milk brand, yet it's not as expensive as the other brands.  Now, it has these free tumblers for every 1.2 kilo box.  I heard that there is also a free bag in the same box size, but I have yet to catch one of those.  

Maybe in a couple of days, I would. 

Trip to Heaven and Beyond

One starry evening last February, my friends from my previous work invaded our house and bunked in my room. Since not everyone could fit in our house, as they also bought their babies along, the hubbies of my girl friends made do with whichever space was available - the couch, the floor, and inside the car.

It was a crazy, laughter-filled night, and at 3 am, our eyes were starting to close by themselves.  Our plan the next morning was to go to Pink Sisters and eat bulalo in Tagaytay.

Bulalo, Inihaw na Liempo at Pritong Tilapia for Breakfast

The next morning, we went to Tagaytay and passed by the Pink Sisters (Holy Adoration Sisters) for quick, solemn and much-needed reunion with Him.  It was like a trip to Heaven.  After our spiritual bonding moment, we checked out the items for sale in Pink Sisters' store and my friends, every crazy about "friendship items" bought a friendship ring.  It is silver and gold (though plated only) with three crosses etched on it.  Joy bought me one as a gift (thanks Juyjuy).

Friendship Ring bought from the Pink Sisters in Tagaytay

We then had breakfast in one of those restaurants with Bahay Kubos near the Mahogany Market and without Abby's consent, proceeded to her home in Lemery, Batangas.  We then went to the Leisure Farm to check out the place.  

Wacky at Lemery 

After lunch, some friends had their own appointments and though they wish they had more time, they had to go back to the "city".  So off they went with a promise that they will soon come back in complete attendance, and including the kids who weren't brought along so that our kids would be friends too.

It was a tiring weekend, but it was a blast!  When's the next?

The Magic Stays with Us

My best friend Cel, gave me these free tickets.  She got this from Enchanted Kingdom's Rainy Day Treat - if during your visit to the Park, it rained continuously for 20 minutes, you get free a free return ticket!

So off we went to the magical land of the Great Purple Wizard!  Little Bach had a blast! If he were only allowed to ride the Space Shuttle, I think he would have done it.    His dad tried the extreme ride - where you ride on a seat and it goes straight up the tower and plummets down in just a few seconds, leaving all your innards up there in the tower (Though I forgot what its name is.)

Our all-time favorite is the Rio Grande Rapids.  Even Kuys and Mommy G had fun and wanted to ride again except that the line was too long!

It rained for a long time during our visit. Sadly, we were not eligible for return tickets anymore.

Till the next free ride, EK!