August 29, 2007

long days off!!!

Credits: paper by The Bistro by Cafe Digi; main frame by designs by krista ; scallop frames by sunscrap frames; paper flowers by sandeKrieger; brown doodle flower by gina marie huff of weeds and wildflower designs; doodles by "Soft Memories" par Amélie Scrap; staples by ValGouveia Designs; ribbon by Diana of Scraps Up; stiches by woodland magic kit of kj conners; alpha by: brittney of british designs

****

my newest layouts are still some of our pics from manila. na miss ko tuloy yung favorite fruit ko..sinegwelas (with rock salt)!!! hay...bakit kasi hindi puwedeng i-export yung fruit na yun dito sa states eh... kailan ko kaya ulit makakain ulit yun? sana next year!!!

anyways, i have a long day off from work. i don't have another juty until tuesday morning...that leaves me a total of 5 days off!!! ang sarap...well during these days i need to clean our house, go grocery shopping, finish few scrapbooking layouts, and mostly sleep and more sleep!!!

August 27, 2007

kapatids

Credits: flea market kit of Susan Darter from Raspberry Road Designer

This picture was taken during my dad's birthday last May 15, 2007. His birthday served as our little family reunion. Since we live all across the world, it was really fun to see all my sisters again. We rarely see each other and we only talk through emails. We grew up very close and even though we all have our own family and priorities, we know that if ever we ended up needing something we are always there for each other!!! (kahit na nagkakaasaran kami most of the time!!...love ko sila!!)

August 22, 2007

i need more money!!

i was browsing the internet when this article from yahoo caught my attention. The article was entitled:Top 10 Money Drains.

1. Coffee -- According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year. (eric and i are really not a coffee person, but once in awhile i do enduldge myself with a cup of starbucks frappuccino!! so we are not really losing so much money on this one!!)

2. Cigarettes -- The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,660 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236. (thank God i did not developed any interest in smoking..and i have no plans of starting this hobby..!! eric on the other hand is a social smoker..so binibigyan or nanghihingi lang sya ng "yo" ng mga friends nya pag nasa party kami!! so lost zero dollar here!!)

3. Alcohol -- Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That's not chump change. (one more thing we are both proud to say...we don't buy any alcoholic beverages!!)

4. Bottled water from convenience stores -- A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too. (this one we are really guilty, we buy bottled water all the time..hindi na yata kasi safe inumin yung tap water..so i feel like this is a necessity!! but to help the environment i try to buy our water in gallons instead of the 20-ounce bottle!!)

5. Manicures -- The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year. (this one is a must for me...well not really manicures, but more pedicures and eyebrow waxing!!! i do it ever 2-3 weeks and it normally cost me $35...but sabi nga nila, it's expensive and painful to be beautiful!! tsaka naman having a manicure and pedicure once in awhile reduces the stress that your having, and this is a proven thing!! kaya kung gaganda ka at may health benefits pa ang magbayad ng ganitong halaga ok lang!!)

6. Car washes -- The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year. (guilty!!! we have 2 cars so time 2 ang bill namin for carwash..but you gotta do what you gotta do to maintain your cars diba? anyways this is one of the most expensive possession {or sabihin mo utang} you have kaya dapat palaging clean!!

7. Weekday lunches out -- $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,350 a year. (super guilty ako dito!! since i am still working mornign shift right now...super tamad akong mag pack ng lunch ko..so i just buy food from take-outs sa restaurant or i just go to the hospital cafeteria...who's to blame?..hirap kasing gumising ng umaga eh!! palaging late akong gumising so no time to fix lunch..plus hindi ko lang talaga feel na magbaon!! another confession that is really bad, minsan i buy pa breakfast...kaya minsan $20 ang nagagastos ko sa food lang!!)

8. Vending machines snacks -- The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year. (i don't do this all the time..minsan lang pag-nag-crave ako ng potato chips or chocolate bar!!!)

9. Interest charges on credit card bills -- According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch! (this one i could say that it is really heart breaking to see na alot of our money goes to the interest of our credit card debt!! but glad to say that slowly we are paying off all our debt, and for years now..we are in a cash basis system..we try to make sure that we don't use our credit cards!!)

10. Unused memberships -- Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year. (not so much now...we don't really have any membership that we are paying for that are not being used!!)

****hay...i found out just by reading this article that there is so much money that we could have saved if only we did not spend it on things that are not really necessary!!! but since i know now..i will try my best to stay conscious on how i will be using my money, mostly now that i can proudly say that i worked hard for every penny that i'm earning!!****

August 20, 2007

Eggs Benedict

super init yesterday afternon, kaya sabi ko sa aking asawa, kumain ka nalang sa hospital kasi tinatamad akong mag-luto ng dinner. pero kawawang pobre, tumawag sa akin para sabihin na full house daw ang census ng patients nila kaya hindi na sya nakabili ng dinner. super na guilty ako na nagtra-trabaho ng gutom asawa ko, balak ko ngang dalhan ng food sa hospital nya, but he didn't let me kasi daw gabi na at baka may mangyari pa sa akin!! so to compensate the hunger he suffered the whole night, i woke up early and made him his favorite breakfast!!!



EGGS BENEDICT
slices of english muffin
slices of ham

poached eggs
eggs
1 T vinegar (for poaching the eggs)
2 cups water

sauce
4 egg yolks
3 1/2 T lemon juice
1 pinch of white pepper
1 T water
1 cup melted butter
1/4 t salt

Steps

  • fry the slices of ham (i know that ham are cooked but i grew up always having our ham fried, kaya personal choice ko lang ito!!)
  • toast the slices of english muffin
  • in a shallow pan boil water and vinegar, when hot, lower the fire to medium and slowly put eggs one by one in the pan. cook the eggs until the yolk is half way done

  • for the sauce, i use a double boiler system, i boil water in a sauce pan and then put a heat proof bowl over the sauce pan.
  • i whisk in the egg yolks, lemon juice, pepper, water, and salt. when mixed add the melted butter and mix constantly until the mixture thickens

  • then assemble: english muffin, ham, egg, and sauce all over!!



side kuwento: while doing the sauce, tumawag akng akin mommy para mangamusta, kaya yan medyo nasobrahan ang thickness nya!!well anyways, eric still enjoyed his breakfast and right after eating tulog agad sya!! super pagod siguro and he still has work for 2 more nights, ako naman juty ako bukas and wednesday!! kaya hindi kami magkikita magasawa until wednesday night, kasi by the time i come home tomorrow night, nakaalis na sya for work and by the time he comes home, i am already at work...hay ang buhay nga naman...!! but you gotta do what you gotta do to earn money!!!

i'm not sleepy

Credits: Brittney at britt-ish designs; doodles and paper flowers and butterfly byNana's Attic; ribbons and hearts by Maria Designs (MS Scraps)

it's 1am and i am still awake... and what else better to do than scrapbooking!! here, i finished a layout and i am pretty happy with the outcome!!

p.s. i just got an email from dino lara and our wedding album layout is done, all we need is to approve it so that they can start printing the album!! on top of the 40-page Handmade Album and 1 Artist's Choice 20-page 8 X 8 softbound album if we approve the layout within a month they will give us a 6"x6" 40-page album mini version of our album!! oh diba ang saya!!

it was a weird feeling seeing those pictures again!

all of a sudden i felt the same anxiety i felt when i came down my bridal car and i heard "ikaw" being played by our quartet!! i still vividly remember the voice of my coordinators reminding me to relax and smile!!! during that quick 2 minute walk of my life, i could not hear anything, i could not recognize the faces smiling at me, all i could remember is when i saw eric's face in front of the alter, looking straight at me with a big smile on his face!!! hay naku... sarap balikan ng mga moment na iyon!! kaya naman talagang hangga ako kay dino..he is really one of the best photographer in manila....he captured every single emotions of our wedding day!! i will post the layout once i get the approval from eric...nasa work kasi sya ngayon eh!!!

August 19, 2007

myself and I

Credits: "Sea" par Amélie Scrap; brown ribbon by Diana of Scraps Up

started working at the floor already... and this is the only thing i can say "grabe ang busy namin..super pagod ako after working 12 hours shift" this is really a shock for me!! The hospital that i used to work for only average 150-200 deliveries per month, and the one i'm working with right now...(humawak kayo!!) more than 500 deliveries!! grabe nga as in we were admitting left and right...kaya super walang time para umupo at mag-relax!!!


some of the freebies that the hospital gave us as a welcome gift

due to this i decided to buy new shoes kasi almost everyday my feet would hurt so bad from walking so much. i told eric to buy me a nike walking shoes para lightweight and would give me the arch support i need. we went to big five sporting store to see what kind of shoes they have. And i came across this dr. scholls walking shoes. i tried it and i fell inlove with it. i has a gel stuff sa may heel part of the shoes kaya super lambot sya!! and it is lightweight and ok yung arch support nya..well is dr. scholls so you would expect good quality since they specialized with foot care!! and guess what's the best part...it's on sale!!! from $69.99 to 25.99!! oh diba panalo!! kaya lang the fist store that we went to wala na yung size ko, kaya drive kami sa ibang branch ng store and good thing may size na sila!!! oh sya, dito nalang... till' the next one

August 14, 2007

Biyahe Tayo

when saw this video and i can't help but feel very homesick!! I've been living here in the US since 1999 and with almost all my immediate family here in the US, I should not be feeling homesick diba? But pinas is so different!! kahit konti lang money mo, tambay ka lang sa labas ng bahay mo or a trip to the mall parang mawawala ang mga problems mo!!

when i just got here, i would cry almost everyday beggin my parents to let me go back home in manila. eto ang mga words na palagi kong naririnig sa kanila "hay naku trinity, kung alam mo lang, people back home will die to have what you have right now" it is true, almost everybody in the philippines dreams of having the oppurtunity to migrate in the US. and when i met my husband, nawala yung lungkot ko and i accepted my new american life.

but to tell you the truth, my husband and i are still planning a way where we can live in manila and still have the same amount of income as nurses here in the US. sabi nga naming dalawa sana parehas na nalang ang suweldo ng mga nurses everywhere, anyways we do the same level of care to our patients naman eh!! kaya dapat magka-business kami..para 6 months sa pinas 6 months dito sa states..diba..super ideal life yun!!

hay..hopefully makauwi kami ulit next year!!

August 10, 2007

busy bees





it's that time of year again..!


the cactus in front of our house blooms this beautiful flowers, which attracts bees.
i decided to take a pictures of them while their at work


cute huh?

August 7, 2007

questions of the week

weekly questions from yen...

1. Favorite breakfast treat? anything with "silog" at the end
2. What is the closest thing to you that is yellow? yellow highligher.. need to review my drugs for our hospital pharmacology exams tomorrow
3. Worst restaurant meal? i can't think of any right now..pass itong question na ito
4. Where would you like to go right now? gusto kong mag mall para bumili ng bagong outfits
5. Favorite brand of peanut butter? jiffy
6. What is your natural hair color? black
7. What kind of shoes are you wearing right now? barefoot...just got home from work..and my feet needs rest
8. Pet Peeve of the moment? people who don't turn off their cellphones even though they are reminded to do so at the beginning of the class!!
9. I wish _____________ had no calories? i wish fried foods had no calories
10. First thought upon waking up in the morning? "hay, i hate having a morning shift schedule..hirap gumising ng umaga!!"

August 5, 2007

working wifey

Credits: Pralines & Cream mega kit

today is my last day of freedom!! i start working tomorrow. i will surely miss my "nothing to do" days. i am somewhat nervous but surely excited to start! I am now a member of the valley presbyterian hospital staff. it's far from where we live pero i had to way in that they pay better than the hospital in our town. well it's a good thing that eric's hospital is in the same vicinity, so if ever (hopefully) we have the same schedule we can just carpool.

this is the sad thing...i will start in the morning shift for a couple of weeks for training...hay...and i hate working morning shifts..kasi everybody is there..i mean the doctors, administrative staff, relatives, at kung sino-sino pa plus add that the patients are awake so they have more demands! unlike in the night shift...tahimik..tulog sila plus there is not much medication to give during that time!!

well, i might not have as much time for myself, but the good thing with working a 12 hours shift is that i only need to work 3 days or nights per weeks..so i'm sure my scrapbooking and photography stuff will not be totally neglected!!!

okei then..wish me luck..excited for my first paycheck...shopping tayo!!! heheheeh

August 4, 2007

bakit?

i had a beauty day today. i had my eyebrows waxed and a pedicure. and guess what? my total bill came up to $35 that's including the tip. hay naku...i'm being very kuripot right now. i went home and told my husband..."ano ba naman yan..ang mahal naman mag-pa-ganda!!" imagine that's not even with a manicure (desided not to get one kasi i'll be starting work on monday, and with handwashing every few minutes, a manicure is useless!!). well i'm being like this kasi fresh pa sa memories ko kung magkano mag-pa-spa sa manila. 2,000 pesos lang complete works na yun.. and this is a for sure thing...mas masarap at mas magaling mag manicure, pedicure at mag-massage ang mga pilipino!!! hay..how i wish i am in manila, tipong once a week spa treatment ako!!

August 2, 2007

ang mga nagmana sa akin...

Credits: blue paper and flowers by Sande Krieger; blue beads and tag by tangerine truffles it of diana of scraps up; ribbons and yellow stiches by boy zone kit of jeann g; stiched alpha by pamela McNicols; frames and round stitch by ValGouveia; black doodles by maryann wise; brown and green doodles by Gina marie huff of weeds and wildflower designs

Credits: page kit by tracy collins; red doodles by "Soft Memories" par Amélie Scrap; tags byDiana of Scraps Up

these are few of my pamangkins.. time goes by so fast..i used to take care of thise girls when they were young and now..naku may mga honey bunny narin sila. i am so proud of them since they grew up to be not only beautiful ladies but smart and responsible women!!! i love all of them and they know that i am always here for them!!!

August 1, 2007

patients vs nurses

10 reason to become a nurse

10. Pays better than McDonald’s (though the hours aren’t as good.)
9. Fashionable shoes and sexy uniforms.
8. Needles: ’tis better to give than to receive.
7. Confidence in reassuring patients that all bleeding stops … eventually.
6. Opportunity to expose yourself to rare, exotic, and exciting new diseases.
5. Interesting aromas.
4. Courteous and infallible doctors who always leave clear orders in perfectly clear handwriting.
3. Do enough charting to navigate around the world.
2. Celebration of holidays with all your friends … at work.
1. Comfort in the knowledge that most of your patients survive no matter what you do to them.

i got my annual physical examination today. inspite being the first patient in the doctors office, it still took me 3 hours before i finished everything. and when it's time to have my blood drawn..hay naku..i need to be poked twice kasi hindi successful yung unang try...actually i just told the phlebotomist to just take out the needle and just try my other arm. paano ba naman hindi na nga nya na-hit yung vein ko, tuloy parin sya sa pag-galaw ng needle sa loob ng skin ko...hello..hindi nya ba alam na mas masakit yung ginagalaw yung needle kesa sa i-insert nalang!!! but i still maintained my composure that time..kasi nga as a nurse i does happen when you cant get it the first time and press your luck na sana ok yung second time around!!! totoo nga yung #8 saying (listed above)..needles are better to give than to receive..!!!

experiment

when we were looking for a korean restaurant few days ago, we came across this stand that sells sweet korean pancakes. out of curiousity and because it is only $1 dollar each, eric and i decided to give it a try. the stall has a sign that states "brown sugar, cinnamon, & peanuts" so for few minutes we debated to what flavor we're going to get. i wanted peanuts but eric said that he wants to get that one too so i just decided to get brown sugar. and while ordering the lady who is barely speaking english told us that all three ingredients are included in the pancake!! so "oh...ok" kaming dalawang mag-asawa!!! sayang wala yung camera ko that time...i should have captured that moment!! well tasting it....we're giving it a two thumbs up...it was so good!! mixture of turon, cinnabon roll, and mochi flavors...and all of these are our favorites!!! kaya panalo!! while driving home, i told eric that i can make this..parang easy naman kasi konti lang ang ingredients...

while driving, i am brain storming what could constitute the pancake batter...since it has that mochi or butchi texture..i thought it's made out of sweet rice flour batter parang karioka balls!! so the following day, i went to the nearest filipino store and bought the ingredients and made it at home...hay palpak..major palpakation yung gawa ko!!!

well my fault i should have just researched it online. and out of frustration..i opened our computer and typed "sweet korean pancake" in google and i found this website http://mykoreankitchen.com/2007/01/29/korean-sweet-pancakes-hoddeok-fully-home-made-version/.

and it has the right recipe of the pancake...so i went to the grocery again ang bought all the things needed to make it..and wallla....i made it...and eric said..."babe kuhang-kuha!!"

if you guys want to try it, here's the recipe:

Ingredients for 6 Hoddeok pancakes

All purpose white flour - 1¼ cups
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Milk - 90 ml (6 tbsp)
Fermented yeast water (mix these well in bowl 1)
Warm water (40℃) - 45 ml (3 tbsp)
White sugar - 1/4 tsp
Dry yeast- 1/4 tsp
Stuffing (mix these well in bowl 2)
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
Crushed walnuts- 2 tbsp (you can use peanuts instead, but I prefer walnuts)
Dark brown sugar - 90 ml (6 tbsp)

*step by step instructions in the the website, just clink the link!!

the dough before frying it





here's the finish product and the ingredients. forgot to put salt and milk in the picture