St. Pio of Pietrelcina

 

Do you believe in miracles??? Well, I do and I am hoping to receive one.

Finally my hubby and I together with my Mom were able to visit, for the first time, the Philippine Center for St. Pio of Pietrelcina Inc. Since we went on a Tuesday and it was 10:00am, I was thinking that we will be the only people visiting the Chapel. But contrary to what I expected, people from all walks of life never stopped coming in  to pray, write their petitions and ask St. Pio to intercede for them. People were really flocking in with the hope of receiving a miracle through the intercession of St. Pio. In fact, on one side of the Chapel, the wall was full of written testimonials about the miracle that they have received through the intercession of St. Pio.

The place was so solemn that we forgot we were in Metro Manila. While my husband and I were praying for our intentions, I got teary eyed...perhaps because we were really desperate for a miracle...or perhaps it was due to the solemnity of the place...or perhaps both. We kind of "enjoyed" the peace and quiet  of the Chapel that we lost track of time and stayed there until around 1:00pm.

For my readers who are not familiar with St. Pio of Pietrelcina, allow me to briefly introduce him to you... Francesco Forgione, popularly known to the world as St. Pio, was born on May 25, 1887 in the province of Benevento in Pietrelcina. The five wounds of our Lord’s Passion appeared on his body on September 20, 1918, making him the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church. On September 23, 1968 St. Pio died in holiness with the names of “Jesus, Mary” on his lips. Padre Pio was declared saint by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002. And it was on March 3, 2008, 40 years after his death, that St. Pio's body was exhumed and found his body incorrupt.

Hopefully, we will be able to visit this Chapel again soon.

Having Fun at Morachat

Just recently I joined this forum called Morachat. It's a forum where you get paid for every post you make. For each quality post started that does not encourage a one-word answer you get paid 0.02c. For posts that contain quality and quatity, you get 0.02c, shorter posts on the other hand, gets 0.01c. However, they do not allow a one-liner post and short replies are automatically deleted. At present, the current cash out is set at $9.00.

I leaned about this Paid to Post forum in one of the threads in Cosmo. Since I've joined forums such as Cosmo and Girl Talk, I found out that these forums could be very informative. Given the fact that I really enjoy joining and posting in these forums, I thought that I might as well try to earn a few dollars while doing the things that I enjoy. So there, I joined Morachat and I have no regrets!

As soon as I registered, introduced myself to everyone and read a few threads I found out how friendly everyone is in that community and everyone loves to kid around, including the moderators. It's as if everyone knows each other personally. I am definite that I will enjoy my stay in that forum the same way I enjoy Cosmo and Girl Talk.

Labor of Love Christmas Giveaway!

First and foremost, me and my family wishes everyone who has been visiting and supporting my blog a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

For tomorrow's very special occasion, I thought of giving my friends something that I personally made and I thought of making a cologne for them.

 

I don't want my finish product to have that strong smell so I decided to use this formulation:

            Fragrance        - 3%

            Fixative           - 0.06%

            Ethyl Alcohol   - 70%

           Distilled Water  - 26.94%

And for the packaging, I used 10ml and 60ml spray bottles. 

Again, MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! 

Slimming Pills? Never Again!

Since I got married in 2007, I really gained so much weight and shedding off those pounds has been a real challenge for me. I have tried going to the gym, but not a single inch was lost.

Last week while I was at my Hubby's office, one of his female colleagues informed me that she lost 5 inches off her waistline in just one month! She said she took slimming pills resulting to her loss of appetite. When she has achieved her desired weight and figure, she decided to quit taking those pills and maintain her figure through regular diet.

With the amount of weight that she lost convinced me to try those slimming pills that she took. On the morning of Wednesday, I decided to take these slimming capsules 30 minutes before I had my breakfast.

 (Happy Slim with Chinese characters written on it)

 

(Pearl Beauty Capsules)

After a few minutes of taking those slimming capsules I had a really weird feeling, as if I wanted to throw up. I thought that perhaps my system was just trying to adjust and I was thinking that it would soon wear off. I was also thinking that those slimming pills were indeed effective because I lost my appetite the whole day and I didn't feel hungry at all. 

Throughout that day, I noticed that I really felt so sick...I felt like vomiting, my knees were so weak and I had palpitation, to the point that I was gasping for air. My weird feeling really gave me a hard time which lasted until the following day.

I knew then that slimming pills are not really for me and I will never ever take slimming pills again!

Another lessons learned.

Not Your Ordinary Doctor

I ordered this cute headband for my niece who lives in the U.S. and it was made by our Ninang's daughter.

 

...Another officemate ordered these for her grandchild

These lovely "bejeweled headbands" were made by Dr. Sara Dorosan-Arzadon, a registered nurse and a licensed physician. Evidently, she's not only good at her profession but she's also very skilled. When she's not on duty as a doctor, she makes gorgeous handcrafted accessories during her free time, from beaded ones to polymer clays. Her passion for the arts and crafts caused her to set up an online store and her lovely creations of handcrafted pieces of accessories can be found at  Jewels4fun.

Make Family Meal Time More Pleasant

As a parent, your days are probably pretty stressful. You get the older kids off to school, run errands, keep the household running smoothly, and maintain your career. At the end of a hard day, you just want to relax and spend some quality time with your family.

But if you’re like most busy parents, relaxation time is nothing more than wishful thinking. As the house fills up again at night, there’s noise, tantrums, and disorganization, which seem to last until everyone falls asleep.

Mealtime, whether it’s breakfast together or a family dinner, doesn’t have to be as stressful as the rest of your day. Here are some tips to handle picky eaters, set an example of healthy eating (which children learn from their parents), and make your meals together a more positive experience:

The Singer in the Family

I think these videos are worth sharing...Meet my hubby's niece, Justin Doreen Valencia...

This was during her recital in 2008




She's the young lady on the right wearing a denim skirt and boots. :)

"Kikay" Monday Morning

At 7:00 a.m. last Monday I was wondering where I will go to kill time before my 10 a.m. appointment. Then I remembered that Metro Salon opens as early as 7 a.m. So off I go to their West Avenue branch to have some "kikay" moment and I decided to have my nails painted RED in time for the holiday season!

Top 5 Reasons to Love A.M. Exercise

Here's another very informative e-letter that I got from Spark People and I find it worth sharing:

1. Exercising early in the morning "jump starts" your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours, sometimes for up to 24 hours! As a result, you'll be burning more calories all day long--just because you exercised in the morning.
   
   
2. Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day--not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you've done something disciplined and good for you. (Much better than a worm!)
   
   
3. Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity--a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you're snoozing.
   
   
4. Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn't be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier--especially since regular exercise generally means a higher quality of sleep, which in turn means you'll probably require less sleep. (If getting up 30 to 60 minutes earlier each day seems too daunting, you can ease into it with 10 to 20 minutes at first.)
   
   
5. When you exercise at about the same time every morning--especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time--you're regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes.

Exercise Extra: More than 90% of those who exercise consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the a.m.

Keep the Flame Burning - Part II

Hi! Here's the 2nd part of my post on how to nurture our relationship with our special someone according to authors Richard and Kristine Carlson:

December Great Finds

Last week I found out that there was some sort of warehouse sale in Pasong Tamo Extension in Makati City, near hubby's office. According to his officemates, authentic signature items were on sale. I bacame curious so I decided to check it out last Friday. Soon enough I found out that the prices were really really low. Prices were so low that I had doubts if the items were indeed authentic. Anyways, here are some of the items that I bought:

 Timex sporty watch for Hubby. Price: Php1,100.00

Dunlop sporty watch for me. Price: Php500.00

 

 Killer Loop prescription eyeglass. Price: Php990.00

 

 

Gucci sunglasses. Price: Php1,500.00

 

Salvatore Ferragamo prescription eyeglass. Price: Php1,990.00

I also bought a VanHeusen leather belt for hubby for only Php300.00 and a Ray-Ban sunglasses also for my one & only  for only Php1,900. The price of his Ray-Ban in SM is around Php7,000 so I know that it's authentic. 

Since I came to this warehouse sale one day before the last day of sale, I have learned that a lot of really good items were already sold during the first few days, meaning I got the left-overs. :(    I was also informed that they have this kind of sale every December, so I told hubby to watch out for their sale next year and inform me ASAP. 

As for the authenticity of the above items, I really am not sure. 

Will I Say Goodbye?

After 3 years of not seeing my dermatologist, I finally decided to pay him a visit this afternoon. And when he saw how oily my skin is he  said that I shouldn't be using moisturizer since it will tend to make my skin more oily. He further asked what make up am I using and I told him that I've been using mineral make ups for more than a year now. He then recommended that I should use only water-based make ups and brands such as Clinique and Almay have those. Since I still have lots of  mineral make ups, I asked him if I could still continue using those and he said that I should just stick with water based make ups. That got me so confused because  as far as I know, mineral make ups are actually skin-friendly since they are non-comodegenic. But who am I to contradict the expert???

I am currently using mineral concealer, mineral foundation and mineral finishing powder from Ellana and mineral blush from Loreal. And I am actually loving the coverage that Ellana Minerals give. I really wouldn't want to throw my mineral make ups away and I feel like I'll be throwing away the money spent in buying them....(yeah, the kuripot in me!!!) 

So what I'm thinking is that I'll do some sort of an experiment...I'll stop using my moisturizer, will continue to use my derma-prescribed creams and will continue to use my mineral make ups on hand until my supply runs out (the hard-headed me wouldn't really want to waste my make ups by throwing them away). After I have consumed all my mineral make ups and my skin is still this oily then that's the time I'll try those water-based products that he was suggesting. However, if ever I get some zits or pimples due to this little experiment of mine, then I have no other choice but to abide the expert's advice.

Keep the Flame Burning - Part 1

Of course all of us wants to always have a healthy and loving relationship with our special someone, so I want to share with you this book entitled "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love" which I think is very helpful, especially if you're going through difficult times. I got this book I think sometime in 2003 when my hubby and I were still dating and every time we had a conflict I read this book and I find myself calming down. (Yeah, I tend to nag hubby just a bit...)  :)

So according to authors Richard Carlson and Kristine Carlson there are 100 strategies to strengthen our relationships, and here's the first 25 strategies:

4 Keys To A Smart Nutrition Plan

Think of the word "diet," and what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Visions of joyless eating, piles of pale lettuce, bored taste buds, more pale lettuce, meals that would starve a mouse, and mounds of food labeled "Off Limits" and locked away, never to be tasted again. Oh, and lettuce. In other words:

Don’t

Imagine
Eating
This

Boooring! Deprivation diets, fad diets and taboo-food diets send the wrong message. Your body is not an enemy that needs to be beaten and starved into submission. Building healthy habits can – and should – be fun! This is a positive thing you’re doing, making yourself healthy and happy at the same time.

The Need For Yoga

I've been meaning to do Yoga since last year, but I just couldn't find the time. My cousin who has been practicing this ancient exercise even sent me a video of Dahn Yoga so I could do it at home.

Anyways according to an e-letter that I received, women who practice yoga have better body images and less disordered eating patterns that women who take part in tradition aerobic exercises. Since Yoga is a mind-body exercise, it allows practitioners to tune into their bodies, thereby, emphasizing their strengths and abilities, not their size and appearance.

This focused practice is also a great stress reliever by encouraging deep, rhythmic breathing. It also promotes relaxation by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to each part of the body. Yoga may include meditation or the repetition of a soothing sound or phrase. Yoga could also help individuals focus on the positives of their bodies, thus improving how you feel about your body, while helping improve flexibility, strength  and mental focus.

Because Yoga also strengthens muscles,  strengthens joints and ligaments, the exercise may help reverse some physical effects of aging like arthritis, stiff joints and general aches and pains.

NeoBux Adventure

It was only last October 22 that I joined this Pay-To-Click site called NeoBux. At first I was a little frustrated with the earnings since you are only limited to four (4) ads a day and you only get $0.01 per ad. Of course there were mini exposures but those were kind'a seldom. But when I finally reached my first $, I started to rent 3 referrals and after a week or two I rented 3 more referrals. Now I am happy with how my earnings has increased. It really isn't much but at least I'm earning something. 

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Here's a copy of the e-mail I received from my sister this morning. Amazing how accurate it is! :) Have a nice day everyone!

There are eight desserts listed below- If they were ALL sitting in front of you, which would you choose (sorry, you can only pick one)!  Trust me....this is very accurate.  Pick your dessert, and then look to see what psychiatrists think about you.

REMEMBER - No Cheating. Make your choice before you check the meaning. 

Here are your choices:  

1. Angel Food Cake
2. Brownies
3. Lemon Meringue Pie
4. Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Icing
5. Strawberry Short Cake
6. Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Icing
7. Ice Cream
8. Carrot Cake
 

Before and After 2010

"2010 The Change Starts Now. Choose Wisely."

This was the ad that I saw yesterday at the MRT Santolan-Annapolis Station. Come to think of it, troubles of 2010 has indeed started as evidenced by the historical Maguindanao Massacre. Days after the brutal killing, investigations are still on going and fingers were being pointed to some police/military officials.

Prior to this incident, some of our uniformed officials were already being associated with graft and a few kidnapping cases. Now, things got worst and some were being linked with heinous crimes. How can we build our trust with the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines when those people who were supposed to protect us were the ones causing trouble and threatening our security? Things have really gone worst in our beloved country. With what is happening, who can we really trust?

With the 2010 election just a few months away, we are being called to be diligent in choosing our leaders. What will become of our country after the election is for us to wait and see. I just hope that people will come to realize that life is not just about wealth, fame and power.

Crispy Pata Ham for Noche Buena

This morning was unlike any other as I woke to a cold weather. It made me realize the Christmas is just around the corner and I need to start thinking what I'll be preparing for our Noche Buena. I dig into my pile so recipes and I found a recipe for Crispy Pata Ham. I might give this recipe a try for Christmas. If your're interested, here' the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of pork (pata), near the breast 
• 4 cups sugar 
• 2 cups salt 
• 1 tsp. powdered pepper 
• 1/2 cup brandy or strong rice wine 
• 2 bottles of cerveza negra 
• 1 cup vinegar 
• 4 cups water 
• seasonings: garlic, anis, pepper, oregano, cinnamon bark, clove and laurel leaves

Getting Over My Credit Cards

Yes, I am one of those impulsive people who easily gets tempted to buy things that are not really necessary regardless if I have the budget for those things or not. As a result, my credit card has ballooned into a 6-digit balance! Whew! Now I so hate having a credit card! Well, truth of the matter is, I should blame myself for not being responsible in handling my finances.

As a result of my lack of control, all my bonuses goes to the bank, not for personal savings but to pay those credit card debts! Huhuhuhu... While most people are now doing their Christmas shopping, I have to resist going to the mall and prioritize my credit cards.

Well, my aim is to pay my credit card debts hopefully by the end of  the second quarter of next year. But if I'm lucky to receive up to 15th month pay, I'll be able to settle everything before the year is over...I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I really have to sacrifice my desire to shop, shop, shop and shop to get over my credit card blues. Haiz! Lessons learned...

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