Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

....On our way to Tagaytay.

WORD of the day

surmise/ser-MIZE/; transitive verb
: To form a notion from doubtful or thin evidence

Example Sentences: Lynn surmised that the ticket could be closed after a janitor at the site told her the equipment was up and running fine.

It was tempting to surmise that Rick and Lisa’s relationship was over; they had not been seen together all week, and she was smiling all the time.

Other ways to say it: assume, believe, conclude, deduce, guess, imagine, judge, opine, suppose, suspect.

Merry Chrismas!

Merry Christmas!

WORD of the day

implicit/im-pli-set/; adjective
: Understood though not put clearly into words
: Without doubt, absolute, complete

Example Sentence: “Do you trust me?” the lady asked, staring seductively over her glass of wine. The man smiled and replied: “implicitly”.

Other ways to say it: absolutely, completely, fully, unconditionally, unhesitatingly, unquestionably, unreservedly, wholeheartedly

dental care

I've been trying to catch an appointment with the pedia dentist from the nearby mall here but every time the pedia doctor is available, we are not. The last time we visited the dentist was few months back and we plan to go back because the little kiddo's teeth needs more work. We plan to remove the two front teeth and pasta-repair two more on the right side and that's it. I hope I can catch an appointment soon. I wonder if the other dental clinics are available, like for some who are famous because of their expertise like the Orange NJ dental implants.

Happy Wedding Anniv

~ We had a nice quiet dinner out and had coffee at Starbucks. ~
Happy 33rd Wedding Anniversary Papsie and Mamsie.

WORD of the day

Immoderate/im-MAH-duh-rut/; adjective
: exceeding just, usual, or suitable bounds

Example Sentence: The agent was able to maintain a level head during the call in spite of the customer’s immoderate comments.

Did you know?

"Immoderate," "excessive," "inordinate, "extravagant," "exorbitant” and "extreme" are all words for going beyond the normal limit.

Immoderate suggests a lack of desirable restraint.

Excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable (excessive punishment).

Inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by morality or good judgment (inordinate pride).

Extravagant implies an indifference to restraints dictated by truth (extravagant claims for a product or service).

Exorbitant leans more toward a departure from accepted standards (exorbitant prices).

Extreme suggests a pressing or extending to the farthest limit possible (extreme prejudice).

Eat out

Band rehearsal last Saturday minus one because Randel was sick. Since we don't have any commitments after, Joey and I joined AC in Trinoma and accompanied her while she waited for her sister to arrived. We ate at Bigoli. Yup! Pizza and pasta - my fave. It's obvious that we all haven't slept yet. Look at our eyebugs - sooo big.

~ eat out. ~

Health talk

Our family's health is the priority here in the house so when in comes to food we cook, it should all be clean, fresh and healthy. We buy our meat every week so we don't stock them in the fridge and the vegetables should be fresh. Ever since the typhoon Ondoy, it's scary to drink tap water now. So we started buying our drinking water. I know it'll add up to our expenses to the hubby thought of getting the furnace filters so we can install directly and get water from there. We still haven't decided yet, so for now we'll buy our water.

The box

Every Christmas, the MIL always sends a box of goodies. Ans she said, the box will arrive some time this week. The little kiddo and I are both excited. She's expecting new toys, clothes and of course, chocolates. But what I love to get are the little things like moisturizers, lotions, lipsticks, wrinkle cream and many more. Like I said, the box might arrive this week, good thing I'm on leave this weekend. Can't wait.

exercise

I've been trying my very hard to slim down these days. But with so many occasions to attend, can't help but eat more than I should. That's why I still need a fat burner to help loose some more weight. I eat less when I need to and spend time doing my everyday exercise. I know exercise is still the best that's why I always make sure to give it at least 15 to 20 minutes everyday, for that I feel great.

Christmas gifts

Me and my sisters talked about that we would not buy presents for each other this year. Everybody agreed because we need to save more money for our Singapore trip next year. All of us will go to Singapore to meet our to other sisters there. I know it's sounds exciting because we haven't been to a trip abroad in a long time. But the hubby is considering a xbox 360 this year because the little kiddo's room is finish. Now we'll have more room to play.

WORD of the day

bevy/BEV-ee/; noun
: A large group or collection

Example Sentence: Bad weather in the Midwestern part of the United States triggered a whole bevy of tickets for MIS, and workforce operators went home the next day with hoarse voices from shouting “Queue! Queue!” all night long.

Did You Know?

What do you call a group of crows? Or swine? Or leopards? Well-educated members of the medieval gentry seem to have been expected to know the answers: a murder of crows, a sounder of swine, and a leap of leopards. They would also have been expected to know that "bevy" referred specifically to a group of deer, quail, larks, or young ladies.

Scholars aren't certain why "bevy" was chosen for those groups (though they have theories). What is known for sure is that "bevy" first appeared in the 15th century and was used as a highly specific collective for many years. Today, however, bevies can include anything from football players to toaster ovens.

Source: www.merriam-webster.com

Bazaar

We finished setting up the booth the other day and the world bazaar festival is now open. We're all excited about it because we got new and imported merchandise to sell. I can't wait to go there and check out other booths as well. Maybe I could do some shopping as well. But I don't want to over do it because I need to save more for next year. I guess we need merchant services for the booth just in case some customer carry credit cards with them.

Wabshaq @ Booth 103 - World Bazaar Festival

Visit us:
Wabshaq @ Booth 103 - World Bazaar Festival
World Trade Center Metro Manila
December 4-16, 2009
See you.

WORD of the day

Plausible/PLAW-zuh-bul/; adjective
: Appearing worthy of belief

Example sentence: Her reasons for missing work were plausible at first, but soon became ridiculous.

Did you know?

Today the word "plausible" usually means "reasonable" or "believable," but it once held the meanings "worthy of being applauded" and "approving." It comes to us from the Latin adjective "plausibilis" ("worthy of applause"), which in turn derives from the verb "plaudere," meaning "to applaud or clap."

Team Zitros

We had a wonderful family day last Sunday in Tagaytay. Hope we can do this more often. See more pictures *here*

~ Team Zitros in Tagaytay ~

Say NO

I've been watching the news lately and noticed that people still transact with people who sell drugs. I feel bad on people who use them because they have no future with it and they should know and realize that. Good thing, gov.ph offers a wide range of drug rehab center in the country. We need to let the people know about it especially the teenagers. They have a good future and they need to stay away from drugs.

appetite suppressants

I think I haven't met the goal weight that I wanted. I was on the right track until a week ago, I stopped taking appetite suppressants just because I ran out. Stupid of me, I didn't buy some more. So here I am back to zero and starting over. I wish I could have continued it and didn't waste those seven days because I might be half way from my goal weight by now.

car accesories

I love to buy stuff like car accessories when I still had my car. I usually ask help from my friends but good thing, the hubby who was my boyfriend back then, knows a lot about cars. Sometimes we would switch places when driving to give each other a break. Even though I don't have my car now, I still kept the store information because they have affordable prices. I wonder if they also sell truck accessories there.

Cars

We've been talking about cars lately, like how convenient they are especially when you have kids. Of course, I want a car for us but still it's not practical. We have to double or even triple check the budget before we get one. Sometimes, I envy those celebrities who have luxury cars and kick ass race cars in their garage. I wonder where they shop for Ferrari parts.

WORD of the day

induce/in-doos/; verb
: To bring about, produce, or cause

Example sentences: Jan’s fever was no doubt induced by fatigue; she had been without sleep for almost two days.

Believe it or not, the network failure was induced by wasps building a nest on the smart jack.

Synonyms: effectuate, set off, stir, touch off, trigger.

WORD of the day

chagrin \shuh-GRIN\, noun:
:: Acute vexation, annoyance, or embarrassment, arising from disappointment or failure.

transitive verb:
To unsettle or vex by disappointment or humiliation.

Example sentence (as a noun): Much to our chagrin, the cab driver could not make change for one hundred pesos, and we wound up paying double for what the ride was worth.

Notice that today’s word can be used as a transitive verb as well. Great. But some of you may be wondering: What exactly is a transitive verb?

First of all, it’s an action verb. Second of all, it requires a direct object to complete its meaning in the sentence. The action of the verb is transferred to the object directly.

The cab driver chagrined us.
The subject (the cab driver) applied a direct action (chagrined) to the object of the sentence (us).

oh yeah... it's FRIDAY the 13th today...

Marry Me Amy Updates!

We are still busy with the band's MTV Emerge. And recently we had a little photo shoot at home. Thanks to my sister for lending her CANON EOS 40D. Even though we had no photographer to help us out, the 50mm lens really served it's purpose. Here are some pictures edited by Aimz. More pictures *here*
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WORD of the day

cognizant/COG-ni-zent/; adjective

: Knowledgeable of something, especially through personal experience
: To be mindful

Example Sentence: Jeremy was very cognizant about speaking to the vice president, not wishing to say or do anything disrespectful. (2nd definition)

Synonyms: alive, awake, aware, conscious, sensible, sentient.

Need band pictures

I've been busy (again as always) work and the band. We just finished the band profile but we still need more group pictures. And speaking of pictures, we need to set a photo shoot probably our next meet up. I might borrow my sister's dslr and use the tripod because she can't make it to the photo shoot for sure because she has work. I still take phentermine diet pills because I need to look thinner. Argh.

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

~ Happy Birthday Sarpotz and Chabby! ~

Slim down

I'm still using slimming pills to this day and I know it's working. I just used my old carpenter pants the other day and I was so very excited. Because the last time I used the pants was before I had a kid and that was 4 years ago. When I have time, I made sure that I'd work out too, although it's tiring at times but I know it's worth it.

Vote for MARRY ME AMY at the MTV Emerge

Hi folks! Vote for MARRY ME AMY at the MTV Emerge.
You can cast multiple votes every 5-minutes.

Click HERE. Thanks!

quick update

~ Argh! Spending too much time with work and no time for blogs. I hate it.
~ Marry Me Amy played at the Mega Masquerade ball last Saturday and it went well.
~ Need to record demo songs again.
~ Thinking of getting a new acoustic guitar, or another bass guitar or an fx. Ok ok I want all.
~ Trying to get some sleep despite the issues.
~ Trying to built a good foundation of myself. I hope it's strong enough.
~ Need to get my head straight. Focus on what I need to do.

WORD of the day

efficacious/ef-fi-KAY-shuhs/; adjective
: capable of having the desired result or effect; effective

Example Sentences: A tone of sincerity can be most efficacious in placating an irate customer.

The way John asked Kat out on a date was not efficacious at all; she found “Hey baby, wanna party with me,” to be both crude and offensive.

Synonyms: efficient, potent, productive, useful.

work out

I've been working out these past few weeks and sometimes it's hard to keep up especially when I have a busy schedule, tired from work and a deadline to meet. When I was in the graveyard shift, I always use the treadmill because I had time spare time in the afternoon. And now on morning shift, I always come home late and tired that I don't use the treadmill anymore. But I still do crunches every morning when I wake up. I saw on the Internet that Kettlebell would be a excellent partner with this exercise. It'll help me tone my body faster.

WORD of the day

expatiate/ek-SPAY-shee-ayt/; verb
: To speak or write at length or in great detail

Example Sentences: After the customer had expatiated on the problem, the agent was able to deduce what needed to be done.

The astronomy students grew nervous as their instructor expatiated on what would happen if our sun ever went supernova.

Synonyms: elaborate, enhance, expound, particularize.

Marry Me Amy at the Mega Masquerade

Come and watch - MARRY ME AMY - Oct. 31, 2009 at the Mega Masquerade, Mega trade hall 2 at exactly 1:00 PM.

Source: Cosplay.ph

Marry Me Amy in Davao [day3]

Second day at Paradise Island was a blast. Woke up at exactly 5am to catch the morning sun.

~ Paradise Island beach at 5:30 in the morning. ~

So we did more swimming and more picture taking until cam's battery went dead.

~ More swimming. AC, Ardey and Liz. ~

~ Yeah Singit si joey sa likod hehehehe.~

We went back to Joey's pad after lunch so we can prepare for the open jam that evening. But AC, Wabs and I wanted to go out... and so we did.

~ Quibol residence. ~

So we went mall hopping, San Pedro Church etc. Sometimes I feel I'm going to travel more next year, so maybe it's time for me to check on life insurance policy just to be sure.

~ AC and Liz :: Streets of Davao. ~

We went back late afternoon. Just in time to prepare -- dinner and open jam. Fiesta.

~ Marry Me Amy ~

I was drunk, tired and happy that night. And I slept super late, like I didn't care that we had an early flight the next day. Thanks to Joey's family for the warm accommodation.

Thanks Davao. Next year uli!

quickie

~ MMA rehearsal went well!
~ MMA jammed new song. Coolness.
~ Feelin fine today because I slept.
~ Have work tomorrow morning. Tsk.
~ Will attend meeting in the afternoon. Nervous.
~ SOS gimick at night. oh yeah.
~ Kiddie party on Sunday. Fun.
~ Still need to check and finish online tasks like term life insurance quotes and many more.
~ Woah weekend.
~ Will probably spend my Monday sleeping.

Real update

Been busy managing my time for work and at home. Not to mention the weekend meet ups with friends. I had a great time last weekend. Met with good oldies friends and gimik last Saturday night. I'm still not finish upload the pictures and the videos! Argh. Need more time. Anyway, MMA will have band rehearsal tomorrow. Need to recall and finalize the remaining songs we need to record to complete the demo. We also plan to do photo shoot this weekend with my sister. Really need the band's profile ASAP by next week. That's all for now

Now

Soo TRUE...

Now is all I know
Now is all I got
And I don't know
If there will be tomorrow for us.

Now is all I care about
Now that you are here
Now that you're the contents of my heart.

Now you're all I know
Now is all I promise
And I don't know
If there will be a future for us.

Now is all I live for
Now that you are near
And it was best that from the start it was clear.

Refrain:
Loving is not owning
We can let it go
We can let it go.

Loving is not owning
You can let me go
You can let me go.

Chorus:
There's a reason
Why we love each other now
And we don't know if this is forever.

There's a reason
Why we are together now
And we don't care if it's not forever now.

Now is all I think about
Now that I am happy
And I'm not sure
If there will be a future for us.

Now is all I offer
It's everything I got
And I still wish
That there will be a tomorrow for us.

(Repeat Refrain)
(Repeat Chorus)
Ad Lib

(Repeat Refrain)
(Repeat Chorus except last word)
(Repeat Chorus)

Coda:
We love each other now..

This is it

I've been striving for months on my diet routine. Cutting down on the carbs, 100 sit-ups a day, more fiber intake and recently I've started to take xenical again. I used to take this before but stopped because it's too expensive for me during that time. But since I'm cutting down carbs, xenical would be a great help. I still need to do the exercise routine - how to lose belly fat program I saw on the Internet. My goal is reach 120lbs by December. Crossing my fingers.

Protect yourself

I'm aware of identity theft only in the movies, and I never thought how serious it was until I read true stories about it on the Internet. I can't imagine my identity being taken away from me. That's why I don't give away real names to people I don't know and especially publish them on the Internet. Something tells me, we all need identity theft protection because we'll never know right. It's better to be safe than sorry.

WORD of the day

Sniglets

A “sniglet” is any word that does not appear in the dictionary, but should. Shown below are but a few.

Expressholes: Expressholes are people who try to sneak more than 8 items into the “8 Items Or Less” checkout lane at the grocery store.

Unfare: This is the 30 pesos you have to pay the cab drivers in Manila before they’ve even taken you anywhere!

Fonfuzzyflop: This is when one of the fuzzy earphone covers on your headset falls off just as you’re putting them over your ears.

Cridons: Cridons are the people you meet up with on your way to the CR, who are also going to the CR.

Slurm: The slime that accumulates at the bottom of a soap bar that’s been left in the dish for too long.

Wondracide: The act of murdering a piece of bread while trying to spread cold butter over it.

Eastroturf: The artificial grass in Easter baskets.

Cabnicreep: This happens when the closing of one kitchen cabinet mysteriously causes another to open.

WORD of the day

acquire/ack-WIRE/; verb
: To gain for oneself through one’s actions or efforts

Example Sentence: Over time the agent was able to acquire the needed proficiency in order to answer calls with confidence

Synonyms: achieve, amass, attain, bring in, collect, corral, gain, gather, get, glean, procure, secure.

Emptiness

Can't believe I finished the whole plate... Burp! Takaw!

Marry Me Amy in Davao [day2]

I was drunk and tired from the gig the night before that's why I had a slight headache when I woke up the next day. Joey's mom prepare a light breakfast for us. Coffee! Coffee! and then we hit the road.

First, we went to The Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos. Joey, Papsie and me waited outside while others made their way inside. We already went there last year, so we just chatted in the cafe' area. How can I forget? The smell of Durian was irritating because a group of people were eating lunch and had durian for dessert. Tsk.

~ MMA at The Philippine Eagle Center, Davao ~

Everybody's already hungry after that but we decided that we eat at Paradise Island. Tiis gutom muna. But before that, we bought fresh milk and fruits for pasalubong. More pictures *here*

~ At last! We're going to the beach! ~

~ We're here! Paradise Island. ~

We paid Php250 for an overnight stay at the beach. We hurried and changed to our swim wears, ordered food, took more pictures with the beautiful sunset.

~ Liz and AC at Paradise Island. Time: Sunset. ~

Ac and I wore the same swimming top! We were both surprised and laughed it off. I can't deny the fact that we think the same sometimes. Maybe that's why we're friends --share the same passion for Music, loves cake, chocolates, movies, boys?! hahahaha!

I had 3 long island ice tea that night because I didn't want a big tummy from beer when I sleep. Besides, the air was cold and I need the heat from my drink. I crashed around 2am and got up at 5am because I didn't want to miss the sunrise the next day...

Acne problems - solved.

I went to my parent's house last week and spend the night there. Me and my mo had a little chat that night, when I noticed my sister. Her face was finally clearing up. I went to the derma few month back because I had the same acne problems. I recommend her to go also when I saw great results. She undergo the same acne treatment as I did. Now it's good to see the same results on her face. Now our acne problems are solved.

MIL's house

I got good news from the MIL and we are happy to know that they already bought a house in the US. So no more rental pays every month for them. They send us a video of the house and it looks great! More space than the previous one, cozy porch in front and nice tree house at the back. I wonder if they could get a outdoor fireplace to compliment the spacious backyard. We plan to go there someday so it's time to process that visa asap.

Marry Me Amy in Davai [day1]

I got up early, took a bath and gathered my things for our Davao trip. Excited? YES!

We took the 7:55am flight to Davao via Cebu Pacific, but unfortunately the flight was delayed one hour. It's was okay because we're still on schedule.

~ Waiting at the airport. ~

We arrived in Davao around noon time and our stomach's already complaining. Joey had a little car trouble but it was fixed after an hour. We went to ate Olga's place to eat. That was already around 2pm.

~ Late lunch was worth it. Food was great! ~

We went to back Joey's place after that. We bought fruits from the local fruit stall as requested by Papsie. Then bought last minute Things-To-buy in the supermarket before we head home again. Joey, moi and Papsie went to the airport to fetch AC around 7:30pm.

Gig started late because of technical problems but everything went well except for our set hahaha. See more pictures *here*

~ One more shot before the gig.
Joey was obviously excited in the background. ~

I don't have gig shots here with me because my sister used her cam that night. Hopefully, I get the pictures this week. More to come.

WORD of the day

ineffectual/in-ih-FEK-choo-uhl/, adjective
: Not producing the proper effect; without effect; weak; useless; futile; unavailing

Example sentence: The team was utterly ineffectual at reaching their goals, which in turn led to their break-up after only six months.

Synonyms: fruitless, futile, inefficient, inept, unproductive, unsuccessful.

Back

Woah! I'm back from Davao early Sunday and slept all day. Just finished uploading pictures from my camera but still more to go from my sister's dslr. Vacation gig was a great! We're already planning our next vacation gig - Palawan hehe.

MMA conquers Davao

On my way to the airport now. Marry Me Amy will conquer Davao. Be back next week for more updates, pictures and videos. Time to hit the beach!

Travel

My sister had a little talk yesterday. We are both excited about our vacation trip to Davao. I've been there two time already and now I'm going back. The place really took my breath away and people are very very nice, that's why I'm going back. I'm more excited now because the whole band will join, as well as my sister and her husband. We both agree that we should do that every year. I mean, travel every year. For that, I think I need to check Blue Cross Blue Shield NC insurance so I will have no worries when I travel.

WORD of the day

inclement/in- KLEM-uhnt/, adjective
: Rough, harsh, or extreme – usually referring to weather

Example sentence: Inclement weather was to blame for the major outage in Ohio that generated so many tickets.

Synonyms: brutal, damaging, foul, hard, harsh, nasty, ruthless, severe, stormy, unmerciful.

Felicidades

Felicidades Avuelito +Papang. You're always in our hearts.

Bad habit

I admit that I was a chain smoker before. Especially at work, I seldom eat anything because of stress and I usually had coffee and a cigar on hand. I stopped smoking when I learned that I was pregnant and obviously went back to this habit after my baby was born. I'm trying this bad habit but sometimes it's difficult especially now that I can get cigars online. I think I'd need to try a little harder to avoid this bad habit of mine.

WORD of the day

speculate\SPEK-yuh-layt\verb

1 : to meditate on or ponder a subject : reflect
2 : to assume a business risk in hope of gain; especially : to buy or sell in expectation of profiting from market fluctuations

Example Sentences: Mia's abrupt firing caused her coworkers to speculate endlessly about what she might have done wrong.

Johnny did not want to speculate too soon about what may have been wrong with the router.

Synonyms: consider, contemplate, deliberate, meditate, muse, review, ruminate.

WWW

I have two friends who recently joined the world of blogging. One of which I helped get a site sponsorship and get a domain name for his site. Setting up the site is one of the hardest part but once we have the finish product, I feeling is amazing. I've read their entries and both of them have extremely high potential writing skills. One reason why they wanted to blog is also earn from it, like me. I suggested them to check seo expert services. I know Seo services would greatly increase their traffic and so to attract more advertisers. Good luck friends.

On Shoes

Two Christmases ago, I bought myself an Adidas running shoes which was on factory sale. I got a tip from a friend that Adidas factory was on sale, so there - I got it slashed 50% off. Good deal. Last Christmas, I planned to buy a pink converse for my everyday use. Luckily, my wish was granted when my sister gave it me as a gift. Wow I know. This year, I plan to get a branded one, Vans or Dansko shoes maybe? I am yet to decide about that and I'm excited of course.

WORD of the day

circumspect/’sir-kem-spekt/; adjective
: careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences

Example sentence: “We prefer to be circumspect with these matters,” the agent said, “rather than just close the ticket on our end without checking with the customer.”

Annette was circumspect about her approach to the blind date, especially when her friend told her he had just gotten out of prison.

Synonyms: attentive, cautious, deliberate, reserved, thoughtful, wary, watchful.

NEW MOON - Meet Jacob

Wow! I can't wait for this movie to come out!

Felicidades

Felicidades Avuelita +Mamang. You're always in our hearts.

Insurance

I brought the little angel to the doctor yesterday for her follow-up check. She had cold and cough last week and good thing, she's much better now. She still needs to take minor medicines just to prevent the cough again. The doctor said to check her shots because she needs to take immunization again to prevent colds this coming December. Immunization shots are usually expensive so we might go back to the doctor after our concert in Davao. I'm thinking of checking insurance quotes online, and might browse some insurance packages.

Three more songs!

We just finished 3 more MMA songs this morning. The pressure was up when we can't do the first song right. Maybe it's Dimsum HongKong noodles? Yeah I blamed it on the snack we had before recording. Joey said, we should have took shots (alcohol) instead and I agree! hahaha! next time! next time! LOL. We still have 4 more songs to record and 2 of which is A-OK for recording and the last 2 still needs some attention. We plan to record again next week -- excitement! Anyway, I already uploaded the songs on the MMA playlist in multiply and I hope you can take time and listen--and drop us a comment too.

http://MARRYMEAMY.multiply.com

Tour

The SIL and her husband went to the States last week and they'll be back this Friday. They said that they're been to Las Vegas, Oregon and San Francisco. I'm not sure where are right now, but I'm sure they're update us here. I already saw few of the pictures from their tour and it's really nice there. It would be more fun if they could go to Mexico and stay at one of the hotels here. I heard Riviera Maya hotels serve great traditional foods and the service are excellent. I hope I could go on a tour as well. How about Europe?

Gift ideas

My sister confirmed her participation is the up coming bazaar event this Christmas and we plan to sell more this year. I've asked my MIL to buy me some baby clothes from where she works and we plan to add more like toys and school supplies. I thought of getting insulated lunch tote, toddler backpack, nap mats and other item for kids because I know it would a hit for gift ideas. But I'm still considering to get more toys and baby clothes or I might get adult clothes too. Think think.

09.09.09

Waw! It's 09.09.09 today! Swerte daw.....

Word FaQ

Today let’s look at some commonly misused English words and phrases. It’s a funny language, and its quirks can be confusing sometimes…

Informations
There is actually no such word as “informations”. The word information is, in and of itself, plural. There is no need to at the s at the end. This same rule applies to words like furniture, data, feedback, luggage, and equipment.

“Taken cared of”
Always use the present tense of care when that word is preceded by taken or took. Some examples: I took care of the issue. We have taken care not to upset any of the clients. John was ill last week, but was well cared for by his family.

“I have colds.”
No you don’t—you have a cold. J You would purchase medicine for treatment of colds and cough.

“This ticket is hard to cope up with.”
Never use the word up in front of cope. You keep up with something, or you cope with something.

“I don’t have any, too.”
Use either when conjoining with things negative, use too when doing so in the positive. I don’t have any money, either. I’m going to Baguio this weekend, too. I can’t drive this week, either—my car broke down.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Papsie!

Marry Me Amy demo

What a day! MMA recorded 3 demo songs this morning and we plan to do more songs next week. I can't help but smile while listening our songs. I also fixed MMA's multiply site few minutes ago and I hope to upload more songs there next week. Anyway, I invite you to listen to our songs....

http://MARRYMEAMY.multiply.com

Quick update

I was surprised when I pass by the calendar posted by the door -- it's already SEPTEMBER! Yes, it's the start of the "BER" month and that means-- Halloween and Christmas is just around the corner. But I'm concern first this coming Halloween because I plan to dress up too! Exciting right? I already browsed for adult halloween costumes and I plan to be a with this year. Good thing I got the corset two months ago. Now I only need a hat and a wig.

Anyway... MMA will record couple of demo song tomorrow and I'm soo excited! FINALLY!!!

Word FaQ

How can I improve my intonation and stress?

Pitch is very important in the English language. It is used to convey ideas, or even to change a statement to a question. Here are some simple things you can try to strengthen your skills in this field.

Listen to songs and film dialogues—and then mimic what you hear on your own.

Yes, this means practicing out loud. Talk to yourself in English, and remember to reflect what you mean through your pitch. Will your friends think you’re crazy? Maybe. But don’t worry, I’ve been talking to myself for 38 years and haven’t been committed yet.

Learn the stress of a new word.

Every English word has its own stress. For example, the word believe has two syllables, but only the second syllable is stressed. We say: beLIEVE. Dictionaries will usually show which syllable in a word is stressed by using an apostrophe before that syllable.

Work out which sounds give you the most trouble, and then practice them.

Sometimes it’s the “b” and “v” sound, other times it’s “p” and “f”. For help with this, try what is commonly known as the “minimal pair exercise”. In other words, practice with words that sound alike, except for the pronunciation of these letters, such as: Pill and fill. Or robe and rove.

If you’re not certain, there’s no harm in asking.

When you don’t understand certain expressions or slang in conversation, whether it be due to intonation or not, don’t be shy about asking. You can say something like: “I didn’t catch that, what does it mean?” People will be happy to explain it to you.

Eat out

My sister and I went to a movie the other day with our hubbies and kids in Trinoma. I was really fun. We watched "UP" - which is a good movie by the way, we also bought pig-out snack like Jamaican patties, cheese hotdog sandwich and of course Tater's popcorn. We really love popcorn! That means, I need to burn the calories I gained on that day. I've been using the treadmill and something tells me I need those weight loss pills for me to achieve the 20 pounds off. Oh well, I think it's okay to eat once in a while, so enjoy it.

Word FaQ

IN/AT/ON Prepositions

For time:
In an older FAQ, we talked about the usage of in, at, and on pertaining to places. Now let’s look at the proper usage for them when referring to time.

IN:
Use “in” for months, years, and periods of time....
In January
In 1978
In the twenties

Use “in” for a period of time in the future...

In a few weeks
In a couple of days

AT:
Use “at” with precise time.
At 10:30PM
At six o’clock

ON:
Use “on” with days of the week.
On Thursday
On Wednesdays

Use “on” with specific calendar days.
On Christmas day
On Halloween
On July 22nd

ALSO…

We say “in the morning”, “in the afternoon”, “in the evening”, BUT... we say “at night”.

Trip

One thing I'm super excited about these days is that we are definitely going to Davao this coming October. I already booked the flight last week and my sister paid it already so there's no turning back now hahaha. I'm starting to prepare what I want to wear. I plan to bring less clothes since I'm sure our Samsonite luggage will be packed with pasalubong when we get back. Now I need to check out this new swim wear I saw on the Internet. Panic!

House re-decor

I'm thinking of replacing the main lighting in our room because it's getting more and more difficult to turn it on. The lamp itself is pretty old and needs an upgrade. Besides the lamp, I was also thinking of getting another television set for the guest room so the little kiddo could watch her cartoons there while the house help is cleaning the other rooms. There's so much things I want to do here in the house and sometimes I don't know where to start.

Medicare

The hubby has been complaining about his cough lately. I repeated instructed him to discontinue his bad habits and go to the doctor. He did went to the doctor but he needs to go back for follow up check ups. Good thing we had free family Medicare supplement insurance in the office which is a great help for us. Now we can go in and out of the clinic, free of charge, as long as it's covered. I hope he can visit the doctor anytime soon.

More birthdays coming up

I've been looking for a great place, something like a venue for birthdays and small gatherings because our dad's birthday is coming up. My mom suggested that we go else where, like a private lunch trip in Tagaytay but my dad insist that he invite his friends and jam and make some noise in the house hahaha. I hope mom would approve. Good thing all the party needs are listed in the directory list. So everything we need is just a phone call away. And oh! It's hubby's birthday also.

New pet

Mom and dad visited grandma last weekend and my dad called me asking if I want a Labrador puppy. Because my aunt's pet gave birth to a couple of cute puppies and they are trying to distribute them to the family. My dad was thinking of getting one so they can have a cute dog at my parent's house and I planning to get one myself because hubby's birthday is approaching and he loves pets especially dogs. I might as well order pet supplements for our new pet in the house.

Beach trip at last

I just booked us a flight to Davao this coming October and I'm very excited. At last, I'll be going to the beach soon. We'll be staying at my friend's house again, just like last year. So beach means swim suit, and swim suit means diet. Panic again! My sister was asking me to join her at the gym but I insist that I'd use the treadmill in the house for the mean time. Because going out for me is time consumable. So I'll be sticking with the house treadmill and a diet pill that works on the side. So I have 4 more weeks to go. I can do this!

Word FaQ

Is there a difference between “difficult” and “complicated”?

Difficulty is usually a measure of your endurance, your will, your fortitude and generally your commitment to following through on the task. These things are difficult, but simple:

Ø Run a marathon. Just put one foot in front of the other, for 26 miles straight.

Ø Lose weight. Eat less and exercise more than your base metabolism needs.

Difficult tasks have us fighting our impulses, our emotional needs, our desires and our limits.

Complication is a measure of the number of steps, components and elements involved in the problem. These things are complicated, but easy.

Ø Assembling a bicycle. Lots of little parts, but anyone who follows the instructions is fine…usually.

Ø Getting a Linux system running. Lots of steps, eh? But the instructions are well-documented online.

There are things that are *both*, but it's obvious that when something is one or the other, the reasons for why it will take a long time or be expensive are entirely different.

Special gift

Our youngest sister will be having her Birthday this coming Saturday. I promised her some booze for her small birthday get together this weekend but unfortunately, I can't make it because my vacation leave was denied on that day. But of course, the booze c/o myself will still be there. And besides the booze, I want to give her something special, like heart pendant jewelry or something she could use at work. I know I've been an annoying sister to her but it's just my way of showing love to my sister. Hmm.. I'm still thinking of another special gift option though.

WORD of the day

forgo/for-GO/; transitive verb

: to abstain from; to do without

Example sentences: As much as Liza wanted to forgo checking the modem and go straight to the line, she knew that it would be best to take the troubleshooting one step at a time.

“One song we will NOT forgo,” the singer promised, “is ‘Wild Horses’ by The Rolling Stones.”

Synonyms: forfeit, forsake, neglect, put aside, refrain from, sacrifice, waive.

Word FaQ

What is redundancy in writing (and speech)?

Redundancy refers to the use of language that can be eliminated without incurring a loss of meaning. Redundancy is the adding of words or phrases that add nothing to the overall meaning because their senses have already been expressed.

Redundancy in writing and speech usually comes from these sources:

1) Wordy phrases, for example: "in view of the fact that" instead of "since" or "because".

2) Employing obvious qualifiers when a word is implicit in the word it is modifying, such as "completely finish," e.g., If you have incompletely finished something, you haven't finished it at all.

3) Using two or more synonyms together, as in “We’re the greatest and best!"

We hear many phrases spoken each day that are redundant: same exact, advance planning, mix together, actual fact.

Word FaQ

When to assume and when to presume?

These two words are—ahem—assumed to be interchangeable in most contexts. There is, however, a subtle difference between them.

To presume is to hold your belief on the basis of external evidence.

Leanne presumed the network was down, as the fire had destroyed most of the building.

When you assume, you are supposing something to be the case, without the slightest bit of evidence or proof.

Someone told Leanne that there had been a fire; she assumed, then, that the network was down.

WORD of the day

repertroire/REP-er-twar/; noun

: a supply of skills or devices possessed by a person

Example usage: Imagine an English trainer getting a tech call; most of the issues discussed would be far behind his or her repertoire.

Other ways to say it: ability, capability, experience, range, repository, reserve, scope.

Best treatment

We finally convinced my other sister to go to the dermatologist two weeks ago. We were glad she did decide to go. I know her first was quite shocking because of the pain but I advised her that no pain no gain. That's what I thought when I underwent the same procedure few months back but seeing the results now makes me realize that I had the right choice. I wish my sister the same because the best acne treatment is just waiting for her in the clinic.

one week diet

I think I gain a few pounds back when the house help left us two weeks ago. I felt bad because all the hard work was wasted. But it was somewhat my fault because I was always eating out at canteens and resto since we don't have any house help to cook for us. Please don't call me lazy for not cooking. I'm a working mom and time has been my constant frustrations. Anyway, since we got house help now, I plan to start my treadmill routine tomorrow and take the best weight loss supplement I snagged from a friend. I hope I can loose the pounds I again with just one week left.

Mid week

It's mid week already and I'm adjusting to our house help these past few days. Thank God we found a new house help because one week of dragging the little kiddo at the parent's house after her class every morning is not advisable, especially if the weather is not good. The little kiddo even caught a cough and cold because of constant traveling. Been busy also lately because of work and I'm thinking a lot these days. I can't help but worry about my health and if it will affect my future. Oh well, I'll just keep on praying.

WORD of the day

cavalcade/kav-ul-KAYD/; noun

: Any dramatic sequence or procession; a series

Example Sentences: There was a cavalcade of errors throughout the network, which confused the entire team for awhile.

The cavalcade of motor vehicles up and down Quezon Avenue can sometimes be physically painful to see.

Did you know?

When "cavalcade" was first used in English, it meant "a horseback ride" or "a march or raid made on horseback.” From there came the "procession of riders" meaning and eventual applications to processions in a broader sense.

Work FaQ

Comparative Forms in English

Comparative and superlative forms are used to compare and contrast different objects in English.

Use the comparative forms to show the difference between two objects: New York is more dangerous than Seattle.

Use the superlative form when speaking about three or more objects to show which object is the most of anything: New York is the most dangerous city I’ve been to!

Here are a few little things to remember when constructing sentences using the comparative form.

For one syllable adjectives

Add er to the end of the adjective, like this:

Hot=hotter/cheap=cheaper/high=higher

For two syllable adjectives ending in “y”

Remove the “y” and add “ier”.

Happy=happier/funny=funnier

For Two, three, or more syllable adjectives

Place the word “more” before these adjectives.

Manila is more crowded than Baguio

This test will be more difficult than the previous one.

Now there are some exceptions to these rules. Aren’t there always? Have a look.

Do not use “gooder” or “more good” when using the comparative form of this word. Simply change it to “better”.

The same thing goes with the word “bad”. Use “worse” for the comparative form.

Wordless Wednesday

~ Rock on mommy! ~

Bazaar

Few months to go and we'll be hitting the World Trade Center for the biggest sale this coming Holiday season. My sister is planning to continue her Bazaar booth this year, I thinking of selling some items myself. I've contacted my MIL in the States so she can buy me wholesale clothing from where she's working right now. Then we'll have it shipped come November in preparation for the said event. I better file a leave on that week because I want to be there the whole time. This might be the business I wanted to pursue. We'll see.

New Cam

I finally bought a digital camera last Sunday and I started to shoot again this afternoon at the little angel's Mother Earth parade. I'm so loving the new features it has. It's a bit pricey compare from my old one, but it's all worth it. I super love the panorama option and I can't stop bragging about it haha. With the cam at hand, I'm so ready for our Caramoan trip this coming August. Which reminds to double my work out and not forget to take my fat burner pills so I'll look smashing on our trip.

WORD of the day

augment/og-ment/; verb

: To make greater, more numerous, larger, or more intense

Example sentence: So as not to see the issue augmented further, the TL took his rookie agent off the call and spoke with the customer himself.

“Increase the volume!” Captain Kirk ordered, staring heatedly at the communication screen. “And augment video!”

Synonyms: add to, aggravate, amplify, deepen, develop, enhance, enlarge, expand, increase, inflate, magnify, swell

Acne no more

I remembered two months ago, I was very frustration with the way my skin looked. I had so many breakouts that I don't want to see my face in the mirror. I tried practically everything they sell in the market but nothing worked. So I gather all my courage and walk-in in the local derm house near our place. I under went acne treatment for 5 sessions and bought medicines for maintenance. And the dermatologist was right, my frustrations went away when my face cleared up. Now, my confidence is back and on high level. I'm glad I listened to my instincts.

Diet-away

We re-scheduled out Bicol in August because some of us will not be able to join on July 25 and 26. And I was the one who requested to re-schedule the said trip because we have a team outing on that same date and I don't want to miss that too. I already got the underwater digicam I wanted for the trip but there's still things we need and I haven't purchase them yet. But the good part is that I have more time to diet-away and exercise. That reminds me, I need to get diet pill from my friend. She said, it's the best fat burner in the market.

You're the 1, Goldilocks!

Being blessed with a baby girl is the most wonderful gift we received. That's why we always make sure that we give only the best. That's why when we prepared for our daughter's first birthday, we made sure it'll be worth remembering. My mom and I both prepared the giveaways, prizes and loot bags. My sisters help too by making the banner, invitations print outs and guest books. But a birthday is not complete with a birthday cake so we decided to go to Goldilocks because we know it'll be perfect with the Princess themed party and they did a great job. You're the 1 Goldilocks because, our cake was the cream of the crop and the most admired by everybody. I was thankful we made the right decision. Now we plan to get another character party themed cake on her birthday, I can't wait!

Gym @ home

Every Saturday morning, my mom and dad would jog a couple of kilometers at Quezon City circle. They've been doing this ever we were small because they want to stay fit and strong. But as the time pass, sometimes it's a hassle to go out already. That's why my sister thought of getting home gyms for our parents. We already got the mini gym and the treadmill and we still plan to buy the stationary bike. We plant to stay fit and healthy. It's our biggest investment.

Interior

I received a call from my sister yesterday saying that she and her husband is on their way Pampanga for field inspection. Both of them are Architects and is also accepting Interior services. And their recent project is a multi purpose building with a nice swimming pool. I heard my dad went to the site too and helped with the Interior. I told them to take pictures so we can also see it from here. I'm thrilled to see the outdoor pillows my sister was talking about the other day. She said, it really matches the color of the wall.

Greeting cards

Every year, I always make sure to send out Christmas cards to our family and friends here and abroad. I would ask my sister to make me a card like print out with our family picture on it. And I've been sending out greeting cards for the last 4 years but last year, I was so busy with work and family that I missed doing this tradition. I felt bad because I want our family and friends abroad to know that we miss them and that we've thinking about them during the Holiday season. But the preparation is time consuming. So this year, I plan to send out greeting cards online. Thank God for the Internet, I can now send out our thoughts with just one click of a mouse.