Blog Anniversary Giveaway!

I started blogging about five years ago.  I just wanted to write about anything under the sun.  I started with jcajote.blogspot.com.  Then, I decided I would like to use that blog for legal updates, or anything to do with politics.  So I started this blog, Jakie and the Beadstalk. 

Just for your info, this is the name I use whenever I'd sell my "kalakal" - my beaded creations.  It's a play of the title "Jack and the Beanstalk".  Since my sister calls me Jakie, and I do beaded stuff, I changed it to Jakie and the Beadstalk.  I make bracelets, earrings, bookmarks, necklaces, rings, rosaries - all beaded stuff...

When I started this blog, I wanted a blog to showcase me work, but the "feeling writer" in me felt that needed to be put on the sidelines and instead feature my writing skills or the lack of it.  So now, like what I have been doing when I first started blogging, I just write on whatever I think I'd want to write about - anything about being a working mom, my kid's activities, commuting, promos, etc, etc. 

There are times when I seem to have a writer's block for weeks.  There are times that I make lots of drafts, only to delete them as I think they're trash. So anyhow, I thank you all for reading this blog, even if it may sometimes sound like I'm just talking to myself.

So to celebrate two (jcajote.blogspot.com) plus three years (with jakieandthebeadstalk.blogspot.com), I'm holding a giveaway for my readers. I know, it's not much, but it's just to show my appreciation for all of you.  (Oh, this isn't sponsored by the products I'm giving away. It's all from me... heheheh)

You have two weeks to join the giveaway. It's a raffle, by the way. What's required is that you put your name on the comment with your email address.  Additional entries if you follow me on twitter,  tweet about the giveaway, and follow my FB page.  Please log in to the Rafflecopter so that your entry will be valid.

Two winners will get two (2) items from Tupperware's colour collection (either the foundation and blush on, or the eyeshadow and lipstick) and a couple of surprise items from Jakie and the Beadstalk's collection! Will post other pics soon.

Oh, only those with Philippine addresses can join.  You have until October 13, 2013, midnight, to join. For the two winners, please reply within five days from the time I contact you, or I would have to choose another winner.

Btw, prizes for the two winners will be shipped and I shall shoulder the expenses.  Caveat for those in the Mindanao area, I don't know if shipping there would be hassle-free nowadays...


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you!

Busy Weekend

It was Midterm Exams last week in school so I had two full weekends in my hands.  Hubby and I declared that Saturday was Market Day and it follows that the kitchen will be busy with lots of cooking from us.

 

I started by "juicing" carrots, cucumber, apples and pineapples. I extracted the juice and separated the pulp. I made a separate extraction for the carrots and pineapples. The pulp from the carrots, I made into carrot cake, while I made pineapple jam from the pulp from pineapples. Yum Yum! The house was oozing with various fruity aroma the whole day!

 

Then I cooked Ginataang Tahong - steamed them first as I was going to bake the other half. Then I started baking my carrot cake.   As soon as it was done, I put the some Tahong in the oven to bake. Wow, parang may party at parang may bisita!!!

Ginataang Tahong

Baked Tahong

Waiting for the pineapple jam to cool

Carrot Cake

 And we ate them all!!!!

New Hobby/Interest- Polymer Clay

I already blogged about a new hobby.  I said "hobby" in my post here, but what I actually meant was "interest or soon-to-be-new-hobby". Sorry, my fingers usually get ahead of my mind at times.

Anyway, I told my good CPA-Lawyer friend Yheng (my friend since Grade 1, err, mor elike Grade 2 since when we were in Grade 1, she called me "may toyo sa ulo" which didn't sit well with me, but you know how kids are, they don't really mean what they say, or maybe she meant it because of I'm kinda weird anyways)  about this new interest.  She's my partner in crime when it comes to arts and crafts - beading, balloon arrangement and baking, you name it.

When she learned about this, before she went home this year, she bought me lots of stuff for polymer clay, and bought me some polymer clay too, at my request. I never imagined there were even things like those she bought for me! 

So I'm sharing with you what she gave me for pasalubong:

Gold and Silver Clay since I told her I don't have these colors yet

Clay Extruder - to make uniform sized strips (for hair, etc),
like an icing syringe for cakes and Clay glue to bind parts

Two silicone alphabet molders - I mentioned to her this
is so expensive here in the Philippines. 
I bought one like this and after three uses (3 times I used the mold),
the mold was already broken

Mold to make people - this a Family set

She bought this first. She told me that she saw
the blue mold from Marthe Stweart after,
and found it cute, so she bought it too!

For texture on bare clay creations

Texture wheel, also to put on bare clay works

Mold to make a sleeping baby!!!!

Putty to make my own molds,
so I won't buy next time!

This is not really for "yabang purposes".  I posted this, because you might be into the same stuff, and have family members/ friends in the US and you can ask them to by these for you since these items are a lot cheaper in the US as compared to here in the Philippines.  Wala kasi akong kamag-anak na mahihingan nito sa US so I'm lucky that Yheng is there.  She mentioned that some were on sale already (like the mold for the family, kasi nakaopen na yung pack), plus she got coupons in the internet and was able to use them, ON TOP of the SALE PRICE! Sulit diba? Unlike here in the Philippines, sale promos cannot be used in conjunction with discounted items.  Yun lang.

Thank you Yheng!!!

Now, if I can only find a way not to burn the clay products I made... grrr...



 

World Carless Day – September 20, 2013

On September 20, the world will celebrate World Carless Day.  It is to remind people from all over the planet that we don't have to accept a world-dominated society. It seeks to remind people how it feels like to have a world without cars. 

I believe that the main point here is to lessen the carbon footprint brought about by vehicles and the noise pollution caused by them.  It seeks to encourage city planners and politicians to give priority to cycling, walking and public transport, instead of the automobile.

 

In the Philippines,  this will be celeberated by a Friday Night Critical Mass Ride in Metro Manila, kicking off to celebrate the International World Carfree Day on SEPTEMBER 20, 2013, 6PM, with pick up points in Makati, Ortigas, and Cubao.

Photo credit: http://www.pinoyfitness.com

According to Pinoy Fitness, they are calling on the participation of cycling groups from Visayas, Mindanao, and other parts of Luzon.

 

"Everyone is encouraged to coordinate with your local cycling groups, let’s ride and celebrate with the nation and the world the World Carfree Day no matter where we are. Should you wish to participate in this night ride in your area, let us know so that we can promote your poster and other details on the Night Ride Fridays page and official event page."

For more details on this program, please go to
World Carfree Network's website 

 

For more details, please see their FB events page.

 

Just my two cents here: I believe in the cause and I think this is laudable.  One day of mass ride would make a great change in the world's carbon footprint. But I do not think that biking as a main mode of transportation is sustainable - I mean cycling to work? I can't even ride my bike more than 7 miles or my butt and knees would fail to work the next day.  Imagine, I live 25 - 30 kilometers from the office and I have to take the expressway, where bikes aren't welcome.  I think a lot of commuters now come from the suburbs and these places are not exactly perfect for biking, distance-wise.

 

Consider also the very bike-unfriendly roads that we have: if I try biking to work, there might be less carbon footprint from me because I might be dead in a week, either from an accident or lung cancer. 

 

Another thing, aside from the fact that there aren't any proper bike lanes in Metro Manila, even if there were, there's a great chance that my bike is no longer there when I get back after work.   I also have to make sure that my bike is really of quality since I have to pedal about 50-60 kilometers everyday (to and from work).   A bike that is bought from a Japanese surplus shop for P1500.00 (which is the usual price of a mountain bike in a surplus store) may break down after about two trips, so my bike must be really sturdy. Sturdy= Quality. Quality = Expensive.

You know what I believe in? Car pooling among neighbors (or people who live in the same area).  I think this is a better alternative than driving a car (worse, a big one) and you're the only one inside.  At least a vehicle is maximized, people are able to know their neighbors while travelling, and people learn the value of being on time, lest they earn the wrath of the others for making them wait, and the owner of the vehicle gets a "subsidy" for his/her maintenance expenses for the vehicle because of course, the ride is not for free.  Another good thing about car pooling? The driver doesn't get sleepy easily because he/she has his/her neighbors chatting around with him/her.  



Photo credit: "My Pinoy Humor Blog"

But you know, one time, I was in a car pool with some neighbors and one passenger alighted in Baclaran. The LTO stopped my neighbor's vehicle and claimed that she (take note, the driver is my ninang) was a colorum vehicle. We all claimed that it was car-pooling and we reasoned that we were all neighbors. We wanted to shove all our IDs to that LTO personnel's face. He was adamant and claimed that, "Car pool nga, naniningil ka naman!" May neighbor said, "Of course may pamasahe. How else would I maintain my vehicle? Ang bigat ng pasahero ko. San ko kukunin ang pang-maintain pag nalaspag ito?"

 

All of us wanted to tie up the LTO personnel and stash him on the roof because we were pretty pissed. Good thing he sensed what we wanted to do with him so he backed off and let us go. But imagine that, we were already car pooling and he still wanted to give a ticket to the driver for colorum. If that's how enforcers view car pooling then we are never going to fully reach the potential of car pooling as a means to decrease our carbon footprint.

 

So, I'll just do my part in spreading the word about saving energy, like participating in the Worlld Carless Day on September 20, 2013, in car pooling, and in blogging about unreasonable traffic enforcers who view car pooling as a colorum activity.

 

 

Firmoo Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to:

lanibabyus@yahoo.com
jz.zamoras@yahoo.com

for winning my Firmoo giveaway!!!!

I'll email you the details of the e-voucher in a few days. Firmoo is generating the e-code voucher for the pair of glasses that you chose.

To everyone, thank you for joining!

Please stay tuned for my September Anniversary giveway!