Cleaning Up.

It's summer and I have a gazillion things to do in my list.  I do not feel that I have finished even half of it considering that it will be May soon.  May means summer is half done already.


I am, however, proud of one thing.  I cleaned up the house last Holy Week.  I must admit, though, that this is not really a big feat.  We just moved in September last year so the clutter has not accumulated in an alarming level yet.


First major target was my dresser.  It was a dresser, a filing cabinet, a laundry basket and a toy cabinet.  After an hour and a half of whisking away everything, see what's left...
It still looks the same after 3 weeks.  Hooray!


Next was the computer table / my nightside table.  It was a receiving tray, a toy cabinet, sometimes a laundry basket, other times a cellphone charging station.  After an hour of organizing and removing stuff, the table looked pristine.
At this moment (as I am writing this entry), the table is turning into a toy cabinet but the little boy now understands that the air-conditioning will be turned off if he will not  endeavor to keep his toys before sleeping.


Last clean up project was the family area.  This is where my two boys (hubby and the little one) break lose so imagine how "clean" it gets.  The major hurdle is how to control and keep the many, many toys that my little boy has collected.  For that, I searched for the best toy storage and found this at the True Value in the Powerplant.
I find it pricey at Php3,995 but it looks sturdy.  It would probably last several years.  Apart from that, the storage is very convenient for kids... it encourages fixing time after playing time.


Here's the storage complete with my son's toys.
So now, our house is cleaner than it used to be.  It has been 3 weeks and still no dramatic change.  I am giving myself a pat in the back for a job well done... so far.

My Talented Draw Something Friend.

Once in a while, I join bandwagons.  They would have to be worth my while though... in short, fun and not so time-consuming.


The 'it' App now is Draw Something.


Draw Something allows you to play pictionary-ish games with friends even if you are far away from each other... even if you are in the opposite ends of the world.


My Draw Something friends are normal folks... some have a knack for the arts and this would be evident in the strokes of their drawings, the curves and the lines they draw.  Others are just drawing for the heck of it.


Me... I think this is my best so far.
Quite accurate for 'BARSTOOL', right?


There is an exception.  A not-so-normal Draw Something friend... in fact, the most talented in my list.  JR, my super sporty friend, is super artsy, too.  See his amazing drawings.


HIKING...
CARPET...
Guess...
I get inspired sometimes and try to copy the way he draws.  But, heck, I am just a normal Draw Something addict.  I am happy with my BARSTOOL drawing already.

Apple Is Indeed Love.

Another dream just came true this afternoon.  Look!

I am writing my first iMac entry.  Loving the moment.

I remain loyal to my lovely pink netbook though.  Now, my blogging life is complete.

Happy Easter!

Pork Sinigang.

It's Holy Thursday but I am going to write about a pork recipe... the Sinigang na Baboy.  This, according to hubby, is one of my specialties.


Here are the ingredients.


Pork.  I usually use the cubed ones.
Gabi, cubed.
Pechay.  Other veggies would be okay, too, like the string beans and eggplant.
Tomatoes, onion, garlic.
Knorr Sinigang Mix.
Salt / patis to add flavor.


How to cook:


1) Saute garlic, onion and tomato in cooking oil.


2) Put in the pork and saute until color of the meat becomes less pink/red.  Put around a quarter of a teaspoon of salt.
3) Add water to a desired level.  Wait until it boils then lower the fire to simmer.
4) When the meat becomes tender, add the gabi cubes.
5) Continue boiling.  Add the Knorr Sinigang mix and patis.  Balance out the sour and salty taste.
6) When the gabi cubes are very soft, add the pechay.  Cook for 3-5 minutes more.
7) Serve and enjoy.

New Playground.

There's a new landmark in town.  It's called High Street South.

We all know High Street by now, the open air mall at the heart of the Global City.  They added a new block that will let you walk further south.  The shops, they say, would be more high end.

As of now, only restaurants are opened... shops not yet.  But the open area is now available to the public... especially to the the kids.  They have a new playground that could get them very wet.

Amusing for the kids.

Not too fun for the yayas, unfortunately.

My little boy was too wet for a picture.  I did not even attempt to take a shot.  Good thing, his nanny was a girl scout... ever so ready for splash fun times like this.

Another Year.

March 22 went by again.  Of course, this is a special day for me and my little boy because it's the Daddy's birthday.


On the eve of hubby's day, the little boy and I surprised him with this...
And this...
But really... nothing else screams HAPPY BIRTHDAY other than this.
I must point out, though, that I never got any gift from the hubby during my birthday... so this screams "Happy Birthday to ME", too!


Happy birthday, love.

Blind Side.

I was channel surfing last Saturday night when I came across a movie in HBO.  A guy dressed drearily just entered a classroom filled with normal American teenagers.  Some minutes later, I saw Sandra Bullock sporting a blond hair and driving a luxury car.


I later learned that the movie was called The Blind Side.  Sandra won her first Best Actress trophy in the Oscars here.
Since this is an Oscar-worthy movie, I thought I was off to watching a tear-jerker dramafest or a suspense-filled highly political movie.  As it went on, however, I was pleasantly suprised that it was inspiring, the story was simple yet powerful.


The movie was about Big Mike, an African-American teenager who was headed towards the rots because (1) his mother was a drug addict who had several kids with different fathers, (2) he lived at the bad side of town, and (3) he did not get a chance to get good education.  Jumping from one foster home to another, he ended up sleeping in the couch of one his father's friends.  This person helped him get accepted in a nice school where he met a little boy whose family was rich.  He eventually became part of this rich family.  They legally adopted him, hired a tutor for him, and made sure he lives a comfortable life until he graduated from college.  


This is a true story.  Big Mike or Michael Oher is now one of the more famous NFL players, a first-round draftee of the 2009 NFL Draft.


See the real Big Mike with the Tuohy family.
I was most affected by Big Mike's pure heart... how he showed his appreciation to the help he was given and did not abuse the support of his adoptive family.  Instead, he returned the favor by doing his best all the time.  The Lord saw that Big Mike deserves a better chance in life so He led this boy to the Tuohys.


And because this is a movie, one would think that the story is extraordinary (to which I agree).  But goodness exists everywhere.  I find it all the time in my family and friends.  In their own little way, they have made things a bit easier and happier for me.  I hope I am doing the same thing for them.


I wish more movies like this would win Oscar awards.  I bet there are a lot of stories to tell.  It's about time that we hype the good.