The hubby and I were invited to Delish Restaurant last August 25.  If there is one thing I love about blogging, it is the chance to discover and get invited to places where the hubby and I could spend quality time at. Delish is one of those great finds!

Delish’s location is perfect for us. Just a few kilometers from where we live. I wouldn’t have known a place so conveniently close with such great food offerings, if it was not for the invite. Thanks, Mrs. Martinez!

We were the earliest to come, so we figured we could do a photo op while waiting. We tend to forget having our pictures taken when the table is sprawled with foods galore.

Ever the root beer junkie that the husband is, he ordered  a Float (P110) and Carrot Shake (P95) for moi. We also got to taste their House Iced Tea (P45) which is superb. I finished the whole glass in one sipping! But I still could not make of what the special flavor is. It is their secret recipe, apparently, that they would not dare divulge.

Crispy Bicol Express Special, P185 and Crab Relleno in Banana Leaves, P98

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These are two of my current bedside books. Reading books is something I’m glad I am able to go back to doing again after a while of hiatus. I recently just published the post review of Captured by Grace. I loved it so much that I asked the hubby to read it for my birthday present.

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Captured by Grace, No One is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God by Dr. David Jeremiah is another book that is hard to put down. Dr. Jeremiah could not have done a better intro when he shared about the Turkey Throwing Case that made it to the New York Times in 2005. I would not have known that it was so talked about until I googled it.

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“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23)

The verse above is what we encourage other married couples to hold on to. It is so easy to get distracted by things around us. More often than not, that one time leads to mistake that your family will have to pay consequence for the rest of your life. In our culture where we see marriages break apart, left and right,  it is easy to just settle on the thought that it is never gonna get better.

While I know my being married to my husband for 9 years will not exactly give us that strong authority to talk about marriage, we firmly believe we have what, or should I say, “Who” it takes to have a marriage that only gets better through the years. This is not because we are great individuals. On the contrary, we are broken individuals bound to be unselfish but choose to have the Lord mend and mold us to the husband and wife He has designed us to be.

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My husband and I share the same birth month. He is exactly a year and 15 days older than me and he will soon turn 3-5! Two weeks until then! I’m not sure why I always get more excited about his birthday than mine. Celebrating the day of his birth has always been meaningful to me.

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The husband shared about Receiving Gifts as one of the Five Love Languages in 2008. I totally agree that “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” Receiving Gifts is my secondary love language. The first being, Quality Time. I cannot feel emptier than having my husband not spend quality time with me. Indicators will just about envelope the house that it will be so hard not to notice.

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Last August 7 was a busy day for the little guy and me. Jed has been looking forward to this weekend full of kiddie events. Our first stop was the launch of Bisolvon’s Alagang SuperMom Kid Photo Contest. We headed to Bubba Gump right after to attend a Pirate-themed children’s party. The Bisolvon event was held at probably the most colorful corner in Serendra, Marta’s Cakes!

It is always a delight to get together with mommies and their kids. There is just never a dull moment. This brings me to applaud the event organizer for pulling off a fun launch. I can only imagine the challenge it can be. Here are some of proof snapshots of how fun it was. Kids were given colorful icing goodies to decorate their own cookies and cupcakes. They went busy and had the time of their lives. Seeing them enjoy the activity makes for a lovely quality bonding time with them. Priceless!

Jed registers on the list. We were early birds again. Read the rest of this entry »

My husband has always been a sports buff who has been actively playing all sorts of activities, from soccer to basketball and even martial arts. He has a regular exercise regimen, which I have always admired in him. I continually reinforce this with healthier food choices. He can get very picky with food sometimes. But with a little nudging and giving him materials I have studied about the health benefits of incorporating a particular food in our diet, he is almost always agreeable.

But this very agreeable man of mine just recently rebuked me of my health choices – about my now non-existent exercise regimen otherwise known as sedentary lifestyle, that is. This actually made me stop and think as I later agreed with him. Now that he is looking for a Dojo place where he can resume his Aikido program in, I can’t believe I actually asked him if he thinks I can join him. And he got pretty thrilled as he answers as a matter of fact, that there are women who are Aikido black-belters. Yikes! I honestly cannot see myself going on a rolling spree and getting my joints wrestled. I wasn’t too serious when I asked him that and he was taking me on a mini-orientation drill already. Just what did I get myself into!

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As a mom, I have always considered myself vigilant especially when it comes to my family’s health. My husband even jokingly labeled me once or twice to be a witch doctor of sorts – for I always come up with a seemingly, self-concocted, non-traditional solution to random health issues.   They take my prescription nonetheless, basically because they always work. In my defense, everything I serve my family, I always make sure I looked into beforehand. From the sweet potato juice that I make to boost the immune system, the lemongrass juice that takes care of colds and respiratory issues, the probiotic kefir shake, the propolis ointment for burns, cuts and skin issues and just recently wheatgrass juice, et. al. And in all fairness, they do wonders to the things I needed taken cared of.

For some reason, I also find myself picking up Halal certified food items from the supermarket whenever I do grocery shopping. It gives me a sense of confidence that I’m not giving my family second rate food stuff specifically because from what I’ve learned, Read the rest of this entry »

This is how our 9 year old non-digital wedding album looks like.  I have been putting off getting the photos scanned because I knew it was not going to be an easy task. I was kidding the hubby, this is what we get for getting married during the stone age.  Well, digital photography coverages for weddings were already available back in 2001 but because of their being so few and scarce, the price was steep.  Digital photos back then weren’t as good as they are now anyway.

No. These pictures aren’t part of the wedding album, with that not so little guy in the photos, it’s not even our honeymoon album.  It’s Our Boracay Getaway 2009 Read the rest of this entry »

I have read a few Proverbs-inspired book but nothing as entertaining and as fun as “Kaleidoscope, Seeing God’s Wit and Wisdom in a Whole New Light” – the first book I have read of the best selling author and Women of Faith speaker, Patsy Clairmont. Imagine a book that is lighthearted (nothing hard-core theology here) but deep nonetheless, without compromising the enlightening wisdom Proverbs is designed to give. Just reading through each chapter makes me want to befriend Patsy and maybe pick her mind straight out by just listening.

I read through Kaleidoscope as I would my regular Bible reading through Proverbs. Each chapter is provided with more than just insights about a chapter of Proverbs. The “Bits and Pieces” portion at the end of each chapter makes for great follow up questions and then further reinforced by “Held to the Light” which provides other supporting verses to the particular chapter.

The book can be used as a personal devotion tool and ideal for short Bible study too. I suggest to keep a journal as you go along. It will bless you through and through. As entertaining as it is, it is never shallow. I love how Patsy used random pieces of her life as springboard to such wonderful insights, which all women (even men) can surely relate to. I have yet to put the book aside for next day’s reading without a smile on my face. A smile filled with hope and prayer to be constantly transformed into the person God has designed for me to be.

About the Book:

Acclaimed author and Women of Faith speaker Patsy Clairmont causes womens’ hearts to leap and their hopes to lift in this quirky, straight-to-the point look at the Proverbs.

Understanding the Christian life and the Bible can be a daunting task. But maybe God didn’t mean it to be so hard. In Kaleidoscope of Proverbs, Patsy Clairmont pieces together some powerful messages from God and reveals new facets of beauty, inspiration, and instruction. Written for busy women, Patsy offers brief, powerful chapters that address the key aspects of their lives, hearts, and relationships.

In the Proverbs, God gives us small gems of hope and truth, and in Kaleidoscope of Proverbs, Patsy Clairmont unveils them for readers with her trademark humor and insightful teaching.

About the Author:

Patsy Clairmont’s quick wit and depth of biblical knowledge combine in a powerful pint-size package. She helps you to laugh God’s truths right into your heart. Her mission to provide humor and hope for healing comes from her own struggles. God pulled together the emotionally fragmented pieces of her life, not only to free her but also to serve as a reminder that imperfect, cracked Christians are God’s specialty.

A recovering agoraphobic, Patsy speaks at Women of Faith conferences, addressing tens of thousands of women, and has written more than twenty-four books, including Catching Fireflies, All Cracked Up, and I Grew Up Little. She loves a rainy day, a good book, and a deep cushioned chair. Given a day off, she shops, solves the world’s problems with a friend over lunch, and hugs the stuffing out of her two grandsons, Justin and Noah. Patsy and her husband of forty-seven years, Les, live in Tennessee.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Today I woke up and got thrilled over an email from Thomas Nelson that they’re soon to release a book written by the bestselling author Andy Andrews- “The Boy Who Changed the World.”

Everything You Do Matters

Who would dream that a boy playing in Iowa cornfields would save the lives of more than two billion people? This is the incredible story of Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, a simple boy with a desire to feed the hungry – but Borlaug couldn’t have accomplished this without the help of Vice President Henry Wallace, who was influenced by inventor George Washington Carver, who in turn was rescued by farmer Moses Carver.

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Last Friday, July 20, 2010, I attended  “Trek Around Europa,” a culminating event of the Linggo de Lingua Europa 3. It was a collaboration of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University. The marathon activity ala Amazing Race was held at the Manny V. Pangilinan Building inside the Ateneo University campus in Katipunan.

Students from participating schools all over Manila: Ateneo, Miriam College, UP Diliman, De La Salle College of St. Benilde, Instituto Cervantes Manila, et.al. were first given the floor as they were randomly asked why they think it’s important to learn a foreign language. A handful of students gave their take, including a Chinese exchange student who shared her thoughts about the beauty of exploring different cultures through learning a second tongue. Bloggers and language enthusiasts also graced the event.

Foreign ambassadors and culture representatives of European Union who were present gave short talks as each shared their thoughts about their respective country’s culture and history as they encourage the audience to learn a second language.

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A dinner at Ibayo by Barrio Fiesta was what we had a couple of weeks ago. I have a busy man for a husband and we have to make sure we take time out to go out once in a while and just leave the grind for just a few hours.  This time the invite came from Ibayo by Barrio Fiesta.  And as the name suggests, it was a feast through and through. Another addition to our growing list of favorite hangout places where we can spend some quality time together.

For the most part, I love the whole concept of Ibayo.  A contemporary take of the more classic Barrio Fiesta as we know it.

Jeff and I enjoying our hearty dinner at Ibayo.

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It was early last June when I tried my hand on cultivating my own wheatgrass. Dubbed as possibly one of today’s Power foods, wheatgrass has a lot of nutritial benefits. Some of which are: detoxification, helps digestion, blood flow, can substantially lower the rate of one having colon cancer. So I ordered a bunch of wheatberries from the Wheatgrass King from Baguio. I got the package after a few days and got my cake trays and spray bottle ready.

I have always known that green thumb I had none but I was still secretly hoping that I will successfully grow my own supply of wheatgrass.  Besides, I thought, it was just grass. So it should thrive without my having to give it extra care, right? Wrong. My first attempt and I killed the berries. Yes, that soon. But never say die, so I headed on to my second and third attempts.

Day 3 and Day 5

wheatgrass in full bloom

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