Barefoot Mestiza

2011-01-04T17:00:00.003+08:00

Okay, for some reason my blog layout looks like $h!t o_O I definitely need to revamp. I have some other blogs waiting, just need a huge block of time so I can revamp, design, and post :P

And yes, my 2011 is off to a crappy start. Yay.

Here we go again... ^^::

2010-03-25T15:03:00.003+08:00

Yeah I know, in my last entry I said I'd start updating my blog again...and from the date posted that was around 2 years ago LOL.

This time totoo na ito :P Need to update the template as I'm not even sure all the links in the sidebar still work...haven't blog-hopped since, erm, eons ago o_O

Also I need to get rid of some of the blinkies. As much as I love 'em blinking doodads, they're a bit...distracting?

Just snuck this entry in while working, so I gotta get back to my database before my boss walks by and sees me goofing off :P

P.S. Was playing around with the AKA Blog widget but it wouldn't insert into my eBay About Me page because of the javascript. Grrrrrr. Maybe I'll just insert it here :)

I'm back! :)

2008-12-16T18:35:00.002+08:00

Yes, I know I haven't posted in eons. Blame it on eBay hehehe.

I was thinking of changing the layout, but I guess I haven't seen it in so long, I actually like it again hahaha. Will probably fix the links sometime soon...I think some of them are dead already o_O

In the meantime, you can check out all my goodies for sale at http://stores.ebay.ph/PinkSushi-Shop.

My store will be closed from Dec. 19-Jan. 4 for the holidays though...I didn't want a repeat of last Christmas when I was so toxic from processing last-minute purchases I forgot to put up a Christmas tree o_O

Happy holidays, everyone! :D

Am I turning into a Bridezilla?

2006-06-17T17:12:00.000+08:00

Took this quiz just for kicks, hehe. I got the link from http://www.weddingsatwork.com/. I was half-thinking I'd get a result something like, "Yes, you're a full-blown Bridezilla! Everyone beware!" XD After all, I have been known for my OC-ness. I even wash dishes the textbook way (my Home Ec textbook, that is): glasses/glassware, cutlery, plates, plasticware, then greasy pots and pans.

So I took the quiz, and got this...

Desktop goodies!

2006-06-12T11:13:00.000+08:00

I've been busy making stuff for my deviantArt page. I don't know when I'll be starting my MT course, but once they call with the schedule I'll have to enroll and start classes immediately, so I'm using the free time I have left for my artwork. I also need to finish a couple of layouts I've put aside. One of them is 50% done, graphics and overall design finished, just needs to be coded.

Anyway, here are some desktop wallpapers for you to use on your desktops, originally posted on my dA page. Some of my digital art can also be used as wallpaper, depending on their dimensions. Remember, these are for personal use only, so please don't distribute, re-post or alter them in any form. Thank you! =)

Recipe #6: Hotdogs & Beans

2006-06-07T15:26:00.000+08:00

I know, this isn't exactly gourmet fare, but hey, it beats eating the beans straight out of the can, or pouring soy sauce on rice (yes, I actually know someone who does this fairly frequently. I feel so dang sorry for her grandchildren.). I read a recipe somewhere of a dish using sliced hotdogs and ketchup, with nothing more than some sliced onions, I think. Sounds yummy, but I just couldn't bring myself to "waste" the hotdogs by cooking them with nothing but ketchup =(

I tried to make it a bit healthier by adding mixed veggies and using chicken hotdogs instead of the usual kind. If you have time, make this with chicken/turkey sausages and fresh chopped veggies. If you're in a hurry though, this version will do in a pinch =)

Ingredients:
6-8 large chicken hotdogs, sliced diagonally
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots and corn)
1 large can baked beans, chili beans or pork and beans
1 can condensed tomato soup (or 1 pack tomato sauce)
1/2 cup sweet ketchup
1 onion, chopped
1 bulb garlic, minced (optional)
chili powder (optional)

Saute the onion, garlic and hotdogs until hotdogs are cooked but still firm. Add veggies and mix thoroughly. Stir in tomato soup/sauce, ketchup and beans. Stir continuously until it starts to bubble. Season to taste. If you like it spicy, add about 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or 2 small minced chilies (the small red ones, not siling haba). If you like it sweet, add about 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Serve with hot steamed rice or garlic fried rice. Yum!

DIY #3: Recycling old spiral notebooks

2006-05-24T19:40:00.000+08:00

During my grade school and high school days, I remember some of my classmates using spiral notebooks with the wire removed and the notebook "sewn" back together with either yarn or DMC thread. I assumed it was a way to have the coveted celebrity notebook covers (with teased hair and really laughable outfits, now that I think about it) without the headaches associated with spiral notebooks, primarily the ratty, "chewed" look these acquired halfway through the school year. Having had boring taste in notebooks (plain blue Coronas, cutesy Merits) I never tried it.

Until now. Last school year, Nikki's school specified 90-page spiral notebooks. Much as I hate spiral notebooks because of the aforementioned "chewed" effect, I meekly complied. Can you believe I actually plowed through the piles of notebooks at NBS just to find ones with 90 pages? Sheesh. I shouldn't have bothered. The only notebook Nikki filled (and then some) was her test notebook. The others had lots of blank pages left. The covers were shot to hell, of course. I didn't want to throw them away, though. So, what could I do?

I did what any hot-blooded, penny-pinching mother would do. I patiently took out the wire binding (not as easy as it looks when the notebook is REALLY scrunched and deformed), threw away the used pages and ratty covers, and ended up with a pile of clean white notebook paper. A BIG pile.

Then I got some pretty paper (card stock thickness) left over from various card-making and crafts activities. I cut out two pieces for the covers (front and back), then put a piece of notebook paper over it and lightly marked each hole with a pencil. I poked out the holes cleanly (right side going in) with the largest needle in my sewing kit, then double-threaded a smaller needle with clear nylon thread from my mom's beading supplies.

I sewed the covers together with about 150 pages between (her new test notebook, I learne from last year's experience), using a running stitch, double-stitched at each end for strength. You can just knot it at the end, but I added a little beaded charm just for kicks =)

I covered the notebook with plastic for added protection. Since I still have a big pile of paper left (and TONS of various papers and card stock) I might do 3 or 4 more notebooks just for fun =)

Recipe #5: Baked Veggie Frittata

2006-05-18T12:20:00.000+08:00

A frittata is a type of Italian omelette featuring hearty fillings, such as meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Rather than being folded like normal omelettes, it is open-faced.
[www.wikipedia.org]

Since I don't have a non-stick skillet, I bake my frittatas in the microwave =) I usually make these from whatever odds and ends I have in the fridge--it's a great dish for using up all those little bits and pieces. Plus, you can sneak in a lot of veggies and your vege-phobic kids won't even mind XD

Basic Veggie Frittata Recipe:

1-2 onions, chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2-4 tomatoes, chopped or sliced
1-2 carrots, chopped or grated
2-4 potatoes, chopped or grated
2-4 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon basil (dried; if fresh, double the amount)
salt and pepper to taste
other vegetables like radishes (chopped/grated), peas, corn kernels, and even leafy veggies like cabbage or lettuce (shredded/chopped)

What I do is, I saute all the veggies together, beginning with root vegetables and ending with leafy ones. Then I put it in the freezer for fast frittatas. I just add 2-4 eggs depending on the amount of veggie mix, and season with a bit of iodized salt, pepper and lots of basil. You can also add grated cheese or raisins. Serve with ketchup, sweet chili sauce or a soy sauce/onion/garlic dip =)

Note: Photo is from wikipedia. I wasn't able to take a photo of my latest frittata before it was demolished XD

Carebears, G.I. Joe, and why I love them

2006-05-05T16:56:00.000+08:00

As a true child of the '80s, the Carebears were a staple of my TV fare. Not only did my sister and I watch every episode from every story arc (from Professor Coldheart to No-Heart), my mom even brought home several movies she had taped during her US trip: Carebears The Movie (I & II), and Carebears in Wonderland.

Which is not to say that we were a couple of girly-girls, either. Along with Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Lady Lovelylocks, Rainbow Brite, and classics like Swan Lake and The Little Mermaid, we also loved G.I. Joe, Transformers, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, Thundercats, Tiger Sharks, M.A.S.K., and of course, Voltes V and Voltron.

Back then, even cartoons shown on TV were in English, ie in their original form. Except of course for Voltes V. which was dubbed in English by Pinoy dubbers. We never noticed how bad their accents were until GMA7 brought it back a couple of years back, but hey, it wasn't that bad, I suppose =)

I know they were mostly marketing tools, but what show isn't? Even Sesame Street is selling merchandise, and at least the shows were entertaining, and showed positive values. I abhor cheesy "feel-good" shows and movies, so I don't think the Carebears series is overly sweet and saccharine.

Besides, I don't remember being overcome with a sudden, insane longing to buy all the toys, coloring books, etc after watching it. It was actually my mom who went gaga and brought home a whole balikbayan box of stuffed Carebears, Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake toys, among other things.

I recall a huge My Little Pony Paradise Estate as well...it was as big as the living room when fully laid out, including the swimming pool. There were several ponies as well. I think my mom gave it away when we moved. I remember my sis and I also had the Carebears and Rainbow Brite sticker books from Panini, and we completed them, except for a few stickers that were out of stock already. Yes, we had one each of both series =)

We really didn't like Barbies very much, though we did like dressing them up and decorating their house.

And no, I haven't seen the "new"Carebears show that is currently the craze in the US. I refuse to see it on grounds that they changed some of the character designs. Share Bear now has two lollipops (?) on her tummy instead of the milkshake with two straws (modern hygienic practices?). And there's some bear with a star on the tummy. They made Champ Bear BLUE!! And Secret Bear is now hot pink...gross. Nice to know they didn't mess with the original cast of bears though, especially my fave, Cheer Bear =D

So what brought on this sudden nostalgia trip, you ask? Well, my hubby brought this home from KFC last night:

I squealed and oohed and aahed over it. Then we took pictures.

If you want your own Carebears bucket and tumblers, run to the nearest KFC outlet before they start running out of designs (speaking from experience, most of the novelty designs start running out of stock with the tumblers first, because they usually give these away with other meals as well).

Now if only they would bring back G.I. Joe XD

[Image of Cheer Bear is from www.care-bears.com]

Next project: House renovation?

2006-05-04T09:36:00.000+08:00

"...tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down..."

Our house is falling apart. Just like in the lyrics of my fave-song-of-the-moment, it's tumbling down bit by bit.

This isn't exactly our fault. The house actually belongs to my in-laws. It was rented out to Chris' uncle, who lived here with his daughter for about four years. In that space of time, absolutely ZERO repairs were done. I mean NADA.

Dripping faucet? Pshaw. When the faucet finally blew, they tied it down with rubber bands. When the plumbing in the upstairs bathroom conked out, they simply shut the door and used the downstairs T&B. When we got here ALL the faucets were tied down by rubber bands...those that worked, anyway. The kitchen faucet didn't work, and the sink leaked like Niagara Falls.

Now, for me, indoor plumbing is not a luxury--it's a NECESSITY. So the first thing we did was to replace the faucets and fix whatever plumbing we could. The upstairs T&B was totally shot though...we need a plumber.

When we moved in, there were TONS of trash in the house, even in the closets! And dust thick enough to plant potatoes in! The curtain rods were gone, the window screen hinges (more on those later), about half of the cabinet handles, all the lights, and--get this--the front doorknob jams frequently because they tried to remove it and the deadbolt, failed, and didn't (or couldn't) put it back properly.

You'd think, considering the damage they did to the house in the amount of time they lived here, they would be kind enough to leave the basic hardware. No dice. They moved into the house when it was brand-new, and when we got here...well, it wasn't a pretty sight.

In the "dirty" kitchen where we do the laundry and wash the dishes, the roof drips when it rains. When it's raining outside, it's also raining in the kitchen. It appears that when a minor leak sprung, it was never fixed (big surprise) and it got bigger, and now a big honking portion of the ceiling is gone--it came crashing down during a particularly heavy rain. I'm particularly worried about the electrical wiring up there...when it's raining I usually don't switch on the light for fear of blowing a fuse or electrocuting myself.

*sigh* And the window screens are driving me crazy. I grew up with aluminum-framed, steel mesh screens, with little panels you could reach through to close the windows (we had the casement type). I thought that was basically the standard. The screens HERE, however, are wood-framed (frighteningly large frames) with chicken-wire and nasty green plastic mesh with quarter-inch holes. Seeing as I now provide a 24-hour eat-all-you-can buffet for mosquitoes, gnats and other nasty biting things, I really don't understand what they were meant to screen out. Cats? Chickens? The neighbor's pet goat?

There's a lot more. I don't even know where to start. But since we have to start somewhere (besides forever replacing the faucets and swearing at the red ants swarming all over the place), I decided to start in Nikki's room. My mom already sent the money for it. Basically, we'll be repainting the walls and cabinets (which are in a pukey shade of light blue), replacing the window screens and building a loft bed to make more room for her stuff.

Hopefully this weekend we'll start canvassing for the materials for the bed and the screens. I already found building plans for the bed (I'll make a post about it after we build it). All I need now is how-tos for the window screens.

Actually what I'd really like to do is knock the whole thing down and rebuild everything over, with a SANE layout (did I mention we can't get our Ac installed because the only provision for an AC is in a hole in our bedroom wall IN FRONT of the upstairs bathroom? Yes, boys and girls, INSIDE the house).

*sigh* I know they say money can't buy happiness, but it sure would help a lot =P

Anime: Violence vs. Nudity

2006-04-20T18:48:00.000+08:00

I'm an admin at an anime-themed community, and one of the topics raised recently was this: "What anime series will never be shown here in the Philippines because of censorship of violence or nudity?"

What followed was more of a "recommended viewing" list of mostly ecchi (soft-porn in anime-speak) series. However, it did pique my interest, and when someone complained about the local TV networks "heartless" butchering (ie censorship by cutting violent/ecchi scenes), it prompted me to post this reply:

"It's not a matter of heartlessness. It's purely a business and legal precaution. You will remember there was quite a brouhaha over the frequent airing of 'violent' anime by concerned parents. and those were already censored for really violent scenes.

Personally i don't care, because to me, parents should be responsible for monitoring their children's viewing (our daughter watches almost all the same anime we do, even shows like CSI). However, most parents do not have the luxury of doing so, and they complained to the TV stations. Hence the need to butcher the series in order for them to be accepted for public viewing.

Ecchi/hentai anime is different. I think it should really be restricted to being available on video, and sold only to those 18 and above. It has no redeeming social/educational values at all and is purely for viewing pleasure.

Why the bias against hentai, you ask? I know some hentai/porn collectors complain that violence is just as, or even more, deplorable than nudity.

However, i would like to point out that it is easier to explain why the hero just stabbed a bad guy in the eye, than it is to explain why the hero is pronging the heroine with his sword while the heroine's best friend is gobbling on his weenie."

I'm not saying that violence is justified. I am merely pointing out that most ecchi and hentai feature shocking and humiliating debasement of women, in addition to extreme violence against women. I know. I've been there, seen that.

Of course there is nothing "dirty" about nudity and the human body per se, but the acts being portrayed in these flicks are not about love and respect and the beauty of the union between male and female. These movies and series are about the debasement of women, kicking them down "where they belong", beneath the grimy bootheels of smarmily grinning men.

What kind of values will my daughter absorb from this trash? That women are inferior to men and exist only to satisfy men's carnal pleasures, no matter how humiliating or disgusting?

Let the pantyshot fans and rape aficionados buy their guilty pleasures and enjoy them in private. Just keep them away from the general public. We should have the choice of NOT being subjected to sexist, brainless TV.

Then again, with local programming the way it is, I guess it might be too late already.

Getting the blues...

2006-04-12T15:52:00.000+08:00

Forgive the rant, but...I'm so depressed. Why am I depressed? Let me count the ways:

The heat is killing me. Ever since they cut down the banana trees across the street the temperature has risen sharply. Plus, the malunggay tree at the back which used to shade the kitchen window and the upstairs stairwell window has practically been denuded by over-zealous pickers. For the life of me, I can't imagine why anyone would want to break off whole branches of the leaves. (Note to self: Must get started on gardening project right away, if only to avoid dying of heatstroke). Our airconditioner is still back at my in-laws' house (long story why), and anyway, with what Meralco's charging these days, I probably couldn't even use it. Grrrrrrr.

I feel like I am depriving my child. This is not a random feeling. Mostly I get this feeling when She Who Must Not Be Named brings up some item that I consider frivolous yet she considers essential for the upbringing of little girls. Items like meat (which my daughter hates but she keeps trying to make her eat); useless trinkets (usually in hideous shades of red or orange); and now voice lessons. I said there are no voice lessons available here. She said there are lessons available near HER house. Implying that I should let my poor underprivileged child stay with her longer, so as to make up for the privations endured the rest of the year.

I put my foot down and said no. I've decided to give Nikki lessons in Math and English since those were her weak points last school year. Still, it makes me feel so...so...POOR. Gawd. For someone who grew up with a yaya, and only had to deal without a maid when she got married...I never felt poor, really. Just...different, I guess. Gee. There's nothing like a mad tug-of-war for your child to make you realize how some people think money can compensate for everything.

My house is full of stuff that isn't even mine. Oh yeah. I get to spend Holy Week wading through sacks and boxes of musty old books and magazines, toys, clothes that seem to have jumped out shrieking from some '70s granny's baul...*sigh* And it isn't even mine! I know I agreed to take all the stuff I could from my mom's house, but still...wading through someone else's stuff and wondering where my stuff is (when I used to have so much kikay stuff too...). It adds to the depression factor of #2.

People are just evil, sometimes. Got spammed by some b*tch in the w@w egroup, siya pa ang galit, eh breach of ethics naman talaga. G*ga pala siya. Invasion of privacy and breach of trust (not to mention basic ethics itinapon niya out the window), tapos siya pa indignant. Then someone I know was jilted by her fiance, saying he needed space...turns out he was cheating on her. *sigh* I like to believe that people will eventually get what they deserve. Sometimes lang it seems so unfair kasi bad things happen to good people, and all these scumbags seem to be so fortunate (take politicians, for example).

The heat is killing me.

*sigh* I need a drink. A nice cold glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice, maybe.

Sadly, I only have Tang. *sigh* This heat is terrible...

Great summer spots

2006-04-10T15:04:00.000+08:00

As early as March, I was already shortlisting places to go to for Holy Week. Boracay never even crossed my mind, because of the island's reputed sky-high e.coli count during the summer season. Due to unforeseen expenses, however, hubby and I are spending Holy Week at home, sorting through my mom's lifetime accumulation of *cough* junk *cough* personal belongings and sacks of magazines. Nikki is staying with a family friend who has a couple of visiting nieces for her to play with =)

I just thought I'd share my diligently-scouted places to go for the summer with all of you. These are all easily accessible from Metro Manila, whether you're driving or taking public transpo =)

Ocean Adventure, Subic Bay
http://www.oceanadventure.com.ph

This is where I really wanted to go for Holy Week. It has false killer whales, dolphins and sea lions, a nearby beach resort, and a gift shop where you can buy paintings by their sea lions! You can even catch a sea lion painting session if you're lucky. Make it a two-day vacation and try the Zoobic Safari as well, where you can pet baby tigers and ride in a jeep running among full-grown tigers =)

Banio Kreek Farms, Cavite
http://www.baniokreekfarms.com

This place is great! I think it's already in Tagaytay because the air is quite cool already. It's a bit hard to get to, but it's totally worth it! It's a private resort, so whether you just rent the poolhouse (P6,000 overnight; P4,500 for day use only; good for 15pax) or the whole place (poolhouse + creekhouse is P 12,000 overnight; P 8,000 for day trip; good for 35pax), you have the whole place to yourselves. You can swim in the pool, play darts or billiards, videoke to your heart's content, or just lounge around and enjoy the view =) The whole resort is situated on a mountainside so the view is totally incredible. I'd go here just to take pictures of everything and pretend that I'm traipsing through my very own mountain villa XD

Pahiyas De Lucban, Lucban, Quezon
http://www.bridgestravel.com/days/pahiyasdelucban.htm

If you're tired of the typical beach/pool vacation, then why not try this for a change? According to their website, it's a "lush mountain resort set at the foot of the mystical Mt. Banahaw. It is a superb nature getaway with several springs and waterfalls, to delight nature lovers and adventure seekers." The prices are quite reasonable, even at Holy Week rates, and the quaint hotel architecture is a refreshing change in itself from the usual beach cabana style typical of most summer getaways. Plus, you get to witness the colorful Pahiyas Festival, and, if you're lucky, a session on the making of the famous kiping =)

Villa Escudero, San Pablo City, Laguna
http://www.villaescudero.com

A bit pricey, but unarguably one of the most beautiful places to go in Laguna. This is an actual working coconut plantation, and since their emphasis is on Philippine culture and that authentic Filipiniana "feel", this is great for visiting balikbayans who would like to expose their kids to a peek into Pinoy culture sans the excruciating museum tours and the inevitable Nayong Pilipino visit (something I highly recommend, by the way =D) Take in a cultural show, go rafting at Lake Labasin, or just relax and soak up the rays by the pool while the kiddies take a ride in an actual kalesa.

Caylabne Bay, Cavite
http://www.caylabne.com.ph

Also on the high side, but man! Indulge your inner mermaid and swim, dive, kayak, jetski and sail to your heart's content. Or just lie on the beach and work on your tan while you enjoy the amazing views. Enjoy the fresh seafood cooked to perfection (that's the advantage of Cavite resorts...the seafood is always fresh). Rumor has it that high-rollers like Lucio Tan are privilege club members, with their own luxury villas.

I'll add more if I find any other good spots =) Please feel free to send in your fave summer places, and I'll feature them in the next installment on this topic!

MEME: Random school stuff

2006-04-09T12:42:00.000+08:00

Tagged by Roman

How many schools did I go to?
FIVE. Nepumoceno Children's Montessori for nursery and kindergarten; Casa del Nino Montessori & Science High School from preschool to high school; UP Diliman for freshman year and 2 sems; UPHS-L for one traumatic freshman year; CAP College for one sem.

Was I the class "taiko" or the teacher's pet?
Depends on the teacher. Mostly I was a teacher's pet because I was really shy and had to be coaxed to stand up and recite. In English I was mostly the teacher's pet because I was the best, bar none (yabang! lol), except for my junior year in HS when my English teacher hated me because my English was better than hers (her grammar was horrible) and I had to edit her "adviser's column" in the school newspaper because I didn't want her to look ridiculous, and she hated me even more for it =)

What was the biggest rule I broke in school?
That would probably be the dorm curfew at Kalayaan RH (UP-d). My roomie and I got in after curfew because we were at an org meeting. We were scolded by the guard, by the RAs at the desk AND our RA. I was also once accused of wearing shorts above the prescribed length.

Three subjects I enjoyed:
English, Asian History and Penmanship XD

Three teachers that inspired me:
Mr. Peter Aquino, my 4th year English/Journ teacher. I didn't care that everyone kept saying he was a fag. So what? He was a great teacher, and he was kind, and he was funny. He was the only English teacher I ever had who wasn't either awed/jealous/rather scared of me. He treated me like an equal, not like some pint-sized freak of nature. It's just tragic that his sexual orientation somehow demeaned him as a teacher in the eyes of everyone else.

Mrs. Orchid Fernandez, my Grade 5 Math teacher. She was the first Math teacher to show me Math was fun, and that even a numbers-impaired moron like me could learn to enjoy it. Sadly, when she left I reverted to being a math-impaired nerd.

Mr. Nelson Quintong, my HS math teacher and 4th year adviser. He was a terror, unforgiving, with slicing wit that could turn any imbecile into a quivering blob of jelly. But I loved him for his brilliance, his uncompromising integrity as a teacher, and his ability to make even the most complicated math concepts accessible by showing us shortcuts. As with Sir Peter, he was stigmatized by his questionable sexuality, but since he was ferocious where Sir Peter was gentle, he chose to ignore them and focused instead on expanding his kingdom. Now he's our HS principal, I think =)

Tagging: Faith, Jero, Kat & Neil

Bride on a budget

2006-04-03T19:28:00.000+08:00

Just like everything else in these hard times, putting on a wedding is a costly endeavor. It's not unheard-of to spend up to P3 million on a typical church-hotel reception-type wedding. I kid you not O_O

I mean, gee, you could buy a decent house for that amount. Brand-new. For me, the choice would be obvious, but apparently most brides nowadays think that a church wedding is not a REAL wedding without all the bells and whistles.

At the email group I joined, I think I'm mostly the odd one out as most of the other bride-to-be's draft up wedding budgets that can run up to P1M+ (and they count themselves lucky at that).

I suppose it's just me, but do I REALLY need a string quartet? A fog/bubble machine? Designer gowns for me and my entourage? A designer wedding cake?

Individual tastes vary, and if you can afford it, sure go ahead and splurge on your dream wedding. But if, like me, you have to keep an eye on the budget, here are a few tips to help you plan your dream wedding without going bankrupt:

Trim your guestlist. It's an undeniable fact: More guests = higher head count = higher costs. This applies to catering fees, invitations, favors and entourage gowns, if you're paying for everything. How many times have you attended one of those big splashy weddings where the bride and groom didn't even know half the people stuffing themselves at THEIR expense? Your wedding is supposed to be a celebration symbolic of the union between your spouse-to-be and your respective families, not a gastronomic free-for-all. Invite only those people who actually matter to you. If your parents insist on inviting so-and-so just because he/she is socially prominent, tell them gently but firmly that you want your wedding to be an intimate family-and-friends-only affair. However, if your parents are paying for the wedding then just smile and hope that you can remember all their names when you greet them at the reception =)

Forego the usual hotel reception. Forgive me, but to me this is just the most unimaginative yet most expensive type of reception you can have. If you love grand banquets, then I suppose this would really be your thing, but there is no denying that short of flying your guests to the reception venue, this is the costliest reception option. Having your reception dinner at a posh clubhouse is usually nicer and cheaper (exception would be The Palms...man, that place is EXPENSIVE O_O). Even better is having a garden reception, though during rainy season it would probably be wiser to have an indoor reception. A beach barbecue/grill party would be perfect for a summer wedding, and it will only be a fraction of the cost of a hotel reception. Explore unusual reception venues and ideas. The main thing is to have fun =)

Explore the wonderful world of DIY. Do-it-yourself for the uninitiated. Unless you want thermoprinted (embossed) invitations, you can do your invitations yourself. All you need is a printer, ink and your creativity. Special paper can easily be bought at bookstores, Star Paper in QC and in Divisoria. Ditto with favors and entourage gifts. Almost everything you need can be bought at Divisoria, Quiapo or Dapitan Arcade. Not only will you spend much less, but you can gloat over the fact that your creations are totally original and no one else will have something just like it. (Of course, I'm biased because I love DIY, but really, it's fun and really easy...I just can't bring myself to pay for someone else to do it when I know it's so simple to make in the first place, hehehe...)

Shop around. Compare prices. Suppliers' rates vary widely, and cheap doesn't necessarily mean shoddy in the same way that the most expensive doesn't always mean they're the best. However, be wary if the price seems to be too good to be true. Check quality carefully, and try to get feedback from former clients. You should start researching suppliers as early as a year ahead of your wedding date, so you have lots of time to shop around. When the date is just a few months away and you feel the pressure mounting, it's easy to just book the first supplier that comes along just so you can check it off your list. DON'T. Make a shortlist, then list all the pros and cons of each, THEN decide. Remember, downpayments are usually non-refundable in case you change your mind later, so don't rush things.

Get rid of the "brand" mentality. Yes, there are certain advantages to getting a gown designer. One, you get to have a gown made exclusively for you (an ego trip if there ever was one, hehehe). Two, you get to have someone fawn over you and fuss and twitter over how GORGEOUS you look in your gown (another ego boost). Three, you get to have someone tell you that, no, your apple-shaped body will not look good in a slinky mermaid-type gown. Four, you can tell your friends and guests when they admire your stunning gown "Yes, it's by *insert name of fabulously expensive and well-known designer here*" and bask in their gasps of envy and admiration. BUT...if you (a) already have a design in mind; (b) know what looks good on you and what doesn't; (c) don't have any problems saying proudly, "I had this made by Aling Bebang!", then you DON'T need a designer. There are several good dress shops in Divisoria and Baclaran. Go around with your design, and talk with the owner/head seamstress to see if they can execute your design. Much better if you can get referrals from friends or relatives who have already had gowns made there. If not, have them make a simple gown for you and see how the workmanship suits you. Also, look for a shop that has a fitting room. It will be very uncomfortable for you and your entourage to be fitting gowns in a cramped stall. You can get your gown made at these places for as low as P2,000+ (and that's a high-quality seamstress my mom knows).

Find creative ways to cut corners. Sit down with your fiance and discuss what areas are really important to you. If you really want that live band or string quartet, try to hire friends/relatives, or inquire at the UP College of Music, where they have excellent musicians willing to perform for a reasonable fee. If it's not high on your priority list, opt for CD compilations instead. If food is a high priority, get a caterer that is known for excellent food, and opt for a simpler (but still elegant) setup. Not big cake people? Ditch the styrofoam tower monstrosity and get a chocolate fountain instead. On the other hand, do you love cake, as well baking them? Then bake your own wedding cake. There's no law that says it has to be 5 layers tall. Bake several cakes in different varieties and arrange them on the cake table.

Ditch the wedding planner. If you're an overseas bride and you have no close family members or friends to help you plan the wedding full-time, then hiring a wedding planner would be a necessity. Otherwise, you can very well do without, as long as you start your preps at least a year in advance. First, get your fiance involved. You two can scout possible church/reception venues; go to Divi for materials (if you're going the DIY route); interview caterers, photographers, florists, dressmakers, tailors, jewelers, etc. You can also ask your maid of honor (sister, cousin or close friend), your mom or your friends to go with you. Enlist the help of friends and family members to help out on the big day, with assigned tasks and responsibilities. Wedding coordinators charge from 6K to 25K, depending on your requirements. If you're on a rapidly ballooning wedding budget that extra cash is better spent on something more important.

No offense meant if you're having an extravagant wedding. If you can afford it, go ahead, enjoy! All I'm saying is, just because someone doesn't live in the tiny upper percentage of the social stratosphere, it doesn't mean they can't have a beautiful wedding. It's all about style, and that's something even tons of money can't buy (^_~)

Summer daze

2006-03-30T13:50:00.000+08:00

I've been searching frantically for summer classes for Nikki ever since school ended this week. I was counting on their having a summer ballet class (from the pics in their brochure). Turns out it wasn't a regular thing (the school is SO disorganized, grrr...). This summer they are only offering summer classes in guitar, keyboards and drums. They don't even have Math or English classes...bleah.

I haven't noticed any dance studios near here, so I will check out Robinson's Imus sometime this weekend. I'm not counting on it though...I mean, I really don't expect much from a mall with a giant Jollibee outlet but NO KFC! None! It's insane! XP

Checked out the Milo Sports Clinic site, and they didn't have any details like venues or fees posted. Just a hotline number for each sport. Now, don't you think it would save them a ton of energy and time if they posted the registration details, venues, fees, etc so they won't have to answer identical queries on these topics that can easily be answered by posting them on the site?

Call me cynical (it's the blistering heat, forgive me) but I suspect it's so they won't pre-empt all the monthly glossies coming out with the usual "summer activities for kids" articles. Think about it. Why spend P90-P120 when you can get the info you want for free on the net?

I WAS able to download the PDF file for LAST year's swimming sports clinic. Judging from the 2004 listings I saw on a cached page, they use mostly the same venues every year, so I'll probably just call those next week.

Yeah, swimming would be a nice change, methinks. Nikki dances all throughout the school year, so it would be a change of scene for her. Plus, it's a great way to beat the summer heat =D

Now if I could only talk the hubby into buying me a plastic wading pool...XD

I've got my groove back!

2006-03-28T10:32:00.000+08:00

Oh yeah! After being stuck in a design rut for MONTHS, I've finally gotten my groove back XD I kept putting off making my own template for this blog because I'm totally at a loss when it comes to Blogger tags. I guess coding sites from scratch kinda spoiled me in that I'm used to just going with whatever design I want, then putting in the content, instead of building the site around the content (the Blogger way).

Then the other day I decided I'd had enough. So I sat down, designed my template as a graphic in Photoshop, then sliced it up and coded it in Notepad. I had a Blogger Help window open to the template tags page so I could see where to put the freakin' tags.

At first I thought I'd go crazy. There is a whole PAGE of tags that I had no idea where or why to use o_O Then I gradually got the hang of it after an hour or so of hair-pulling and teeth-gnashing (hehehe).

And here's the finished product, tadaaaa! It's actually sort of FUN now that I know how to do it XD Now I'm designing my hubby-bubby's Blogger template, and I'm thinking of putting up a premium custom template blog. Maybe I could earn a few bucks to drop into our wedding fund (^.^)

Our Wedding Site

2006-03-27T13:15:00.000+08:00

So I won't have to clutter up my blog with our wedding preps details, I put up a separate wedding site where you can read all about our preps, our love story (heehee), and browse through the photos I've compiled for inspiration. The ideas I picked for my own wedding are in the "wedding concepts" section...the rest is just stuff I thought looked nice =)

Here's the link (^.^)

Please do drop by and sign our guestbook. Thanks!

MEME: 10 Random Facts About Me

2006-03-25T12:07:00.000+08:00

I generally avoid memes like the plague, but since I was tagged for this one by my online soul sister Ces, here you go =)

1. My first language was, literally, Spanish. My dad talked to me in Spanish. My paternal grandmother would only talk to us in Spanish and English. But when I started nursery school, I learned English and Filipino. Then my dad went to the US and there was no one to talk to me in Spanish and I totally forgot it. When I took Spanish as my freshman language elective, I didn't learn anything because I kept cutting classes (it was an after-lunch class on the top floor of the AS building in UPd...I was always hot and sleepy in that class hehehe)

2. My paternal grandfather was Spanish; paternal grandmother was British-Spanish; my maternal grandmother is Japanese-Filipino; paternal grandfather is Filipino. I have no idea what we look like (Filipino, I suppose, hehehe...there IS no typical Filipino "look" after all, since we're such a melting pot of cultures). When we were in Bangkok, the Thais thought my sister and I were Chinese, Hongkong Chinese at that. I have no idea why, since we were speaking in English, not Chinese o_O

3. My sister and I used to fight a lot when we were kids, aso't pusa talaga! My grandma tells a story that once when we were fighting, our mom asked us why we fought so much. Allegedly I replied daw: "Kasi Novales ako, siya Vicente!" (Kasi relatives would always exclaim that I looked like my dad and my sis looked like my mom. See what damage adults can do to fragile young minds?? XD)

4. When we reached college age, we mellowed down and now we're best buds =) People always say how we're not like magkapatid at all, more like barkada. We used to go shopping together a lot before I got married, kasi she's the only one who can relate to me, we have the same cheapskate soul hehehe.

5. Ever since we were little, my sis and I have been drawing floor plans and sketches of our dream house. We planned on this really big Japanese-style compound, with a house for her, a house for our mom, and a house for me, all around this central courtyard with a koi pond and a Japanese garden =)

6. I love plastic-fantastic, especially in yummy bubble-gum colors. Another odd quirk that my sister and I share.

7. I met my hubby online, on an anime mp3 board. I was an mp2 webmaster, he was an mp3 hunter. We started out as friends and ended up where we are now =)

8. My favorite color is black, and all my clothes are black. Recently I've been trying to buy other colors though. I love burgundy and maroon, for instance (UP to the core, hehehe).

9. When I was a kid, I used to douse everything in ketchup. Sometimes I'd even eat ketchup on rice. My mom would buy the gallon size bottles of UFC banana ketchup for me.

10. I don't get tired of eating the same food, meal after meal, day after day. As long as that's the ulam, go ako! Once when my grandmother stayed with us, she filled our freezer with beef lumpia because we loved them so much. I ate that lumpia for almost every meal until they were all gone. My sis only lasted till the first 2 weeks or so, but I gobbled every last one of them, and every one tasted spectacular to me XD

11. My sister and I used to go through our mom's old magazines and mark stuff we wanted for our dream house (and ourselves). Sort of like a virtual shopping spree. I guess that's why we never felt terribly deprived when we wanted something we couldn't really have, hehehe.

12. I am not mainggitin. I can honestly admire someone else's stuff and not be inggit inside. I genuinely admire it, and am happy that you have it =) I generally don't want it for myself though. I usually prefer having stuff that nobody else has (or that not a lot of people have anyway...stuff from out-of-the-way places).

13. I cannot buy fish unless it is filleted and frozen and totally headless, tailless, eyeless and gutless. Like I told my hubby when we were in the supermarket one day, "I can't buy something that's LOOKING at me!"

14. My first cellphone (a 3310) was named Noddy. I had that cellphone for a long time. Then when I needed cash for my daughter's acceleration program, I sold it to my mom. She sold it to my tita, who promptly gave it to her daughter-in-law, who had the phone snatched out of her bag. Huhuhu...

15. I'm a horror freak. I love reading books by Clive Barker, HP Lovecraft, Stephen King, Dan Simmons and sometimes even cheesy horror novels. At the same time I love sci-fi, and Tolkien. But when it comes to movies, horror wins hands down. I hate romantic, chick-flick type movies (with certain exceptions).

Ayan, napahaba pa! Hehe...I'm not tagging anyone though ^^;;

Wedding plans...whee!

2006-03-01T08:36:00.000+08:00

As if I'm not already swamped, I am now planning my 2007 wedding. Mwehehehe.

Took us a while, but we are now officially planning our church wedding =) Chris and I have actually been married almost 3 years now, but we always kept putting off the church rites (to our parents' dismay, hehehe).

Actually I had no plans whatsoever on the horizon, but while helping Jane plan her wedding, I got hooked XD I found the perfect place for the small, intimate wedding I'd always wanted, and the price was right, so...there ya go. Before I knew it, my favorites folder was bulging with sites for photographers, wedding cakes, florists, caterers...you name it XD

As of now, no suppliers booked yet. We've already decided on a date though (Aug. 25, 2007), vanue for both ceremony and reception (Banio Kreek Farms in Silang, Cavite...it has the loveliest garden chapel I've ever seen, and it's close enough to Tagaytay to be cold na), and a caterer (Blue Petals, recommended by Arlene for their yummy food and elegant setup).

I'm still trying to pick a photographer. I'm on a VERY tight budget, but I don't want my one and only wedding day to turn out like crap in the photos either XP

Swimming, billiards, videoke and barkada bonding for the guests remaining after the reception; the chapel can only accommodate 25 people at most (though I suppose I could invite some of the additional guests to just the reception) so it's going to be a strictly family-and-megaclose-friends affair. Sigh.

P.S. Just joined the W@Wie egroup. Saw Bombie's wifey Gazel there posting about their coming wedding. Heh, I didn't even know they were getting married here (^^);;

P.P.S. Ces!!! I promise I will post the meme soon! I will post it as soon as I compose a really good entry =)

Recycling newspapers & magazines

2006-01-13T12:02:00.000+08:00

Aside from saving your old newspapers and magazines for the bote-dyaryo man, here are a few more uses for them:

Newspapers

Use a crumpled sheet of newspaper to line the bottom of your trashcan bag. It catches the drips and absorbs most of the smells. I read somewhere that maggots can't live on newspaper (something about the ink), so you might also try wrapping your trash bags in newspaper before dumping them for trash pickup.

Wrap daing or tuyo, or any smelly food, in newspaper, then wrap in a plastic bag, before storing it in your ref. This eliminates those nasty odors getting into the milk, cheese, etc.

Spread newspapers on the floor and all other surfaces before you start painting a room. When you're done, just throw the paper away, paint spills and all.

Got a child begging to fingerpaint? Just give him/her several sheets of newspaper, plus a thick pad of more newspaper to set the paint jars on.

Use wet newspaper to pick up shards of broken glass.

Make paper mache crafts =)

Magazines

Save them for the countless school projects requiring cut-out pictures. (This also applies to those old calendars featuring plants/animals/places.)

Clip articles of interest and file them in a folder or clearbook. Save the rest for tip#1.

Pages with colorful graphics, photos of celebrities, etc can be used to cover notebooks or textbooks, instead of wrapping paper.

In college, I covered my battered dorm room desk with a collage of photos, words/phrases and colorful ads cut out from magazines. A former dormmate who became RA for my floor later reported that the student who got my desk the following year kept it intact because she liked the collage =) Cover it with plastic to protect your work of art from spills.

Turn a pretty magazine cover into a bag. These are pretty steep when bought on places like eBay, but it's easy enough to make your own.

Recipe #4: Lasagna ala Chamba

2006-01-02T11:39:00.000+08:00

I brought this lasagna dish to the welcome-home potluck held at my buddy Dj's house last December 30th. I initially volunteered veggie lasagna because I had always wanted to try it after seeing it on a Food Network cooking show, but Dj requested a meat sauce, so... =)
At first I thought of making a mushroom sauce instead of the usual tomato. But due to budget and time constraints, I decided to make the usual tomato-based one instead and hope for the best, since I didn't have a recipe, and I have never made this dish before.
Apparently it was a success: the dish got a whole lot of "ang sarap ng lasagna!" comments, and Dj requested I post the recipe here, so here it is =)

Ingredients:
1 8oz pack lasagna noodles
2 onions, chopped
1 bulb garlic, minced
1/4 lb lean ground beef
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 can button mushrooms, chopped
1 pack tomato paste
2 cups water
1 Knorr beef bullion cube
1 pack cream cheese, cubed
2-3 cups grated cheese
black pepper and herbs of your choice

Cook lasagna noodles per package instructions, preferably al dente. Drain and set aside. In a saucepan, saute the garlic, onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, ground beef and mushrooms. Add the tomato paste and water, mix thoroughly, then bring to a boil and add the Knorr cube. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning at the bottom. Season with black pepper and/or other herbs of your choice, and a bit of sugar, depending on how sweet you want it.

To assemble: Spread a thin layer of sauce to coat the bottom of your baking pan evenly. then add a layer of lasagna noodles, followed by another layer of sauce, then a layer of cream cheese and grated cheese. Repeat layers, ending with a final layer of sauce topped with a thick cheese layer. Bake until cheese topping melts.

Notes: I only have an oven toaster, so I don't know at what temperature to use, or for how long, etc, when it comes to baking in a regular oven, so just keep an eye on the lasagna to make sure the topping doesn't scorch. For oven toaster users, I baked each small pan of lasagna for 5 minutes or less, depending on the thickness of the cheese topping.

You can also bake this in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of your ovenproof dish. Microwave baking eliminates the problem of scorched cheese, but overbaking in the microwave will result in a rock-hard topping, so keep an eye on it as well.

If you use beef stock, then use 1 cup water and 1 cup beef stock to dilute the tomato paste, instead of the specified 2 cups of water, and eliminate the Knorr cube.

What to do with holiday leftovers

2005-12-29T12:05:00.000+08:00

Can't face another slice of ham, one more plate of pasta, yet another reheated plate of fried chicken? Does your fridge resemble a deli case? Do your kids turn green at the gills when you appear at the table with another platter of reheated ham or lechon?

Ah, the dilemma of holiday leftovers. Of course, there's nothing you can really do with extra fruitcakes, except give them away to some other poor soul. But for other usual holiday fare, a few 'transformations' will do the trick.

Lechon: The usual way is to make lechon kawali or lechon paksiw. Truth is, I'm not fond of lechon (I just like the sauce, hehe), so I would go with lechon paksiw. Connie has a recipe for lechon kawali with no deep-frying involved. You can also try serving it with applesauce instead of the usual lechon sauce for a nice change.

Ham: Slice, arrange in a baking dish brushed with butter, then top with grated cheese. This is especially nice with leftover honey-glazed or beer/fruit-glazed ham. Chopped ham can be used in pancakes, waffles, omelets, pasta sauce, or mixed with sandwich spread/mayo to make sandwich fillings.

Chicken/Turkey: Chop and use in stirfries, pasta sauce, sandwich fillings, omelets, or to make chicken macaroni salad (assuming you didn't make any for Christmas). If the amount is quite large (say, half a turkey) then use it in a casserole or stew. PinoyCook has a lot of homey recipes for chicken and turkey =)

Pasta: Add broth, vegetables, and leftover ham or chicken to make a nice comforting soup. Add milk to make sopas; I've even used leftover condensed milk--it makes a nice change =) Just add lots of black pepper. Yum!

Pasta sauce: Use in stews or casseroles. Tomato-based sauces can be used to top bread slices or frozen pizza rounds--add leftover chopped ham or chicken, some veggies and cheese, then toast or bake for a yummy homemade pizza with a twist =)

Recipe #3: Cheese & Graham Polvoron

2005-12-28T11:18:00.000+08:00

I originally planned to give away macaroons or yema balls for Christmas, but I ran out of time due to all the hectic preparations for my daughter's school performances, so I decided on polvoron instead =)

The recipe I used is from pinoycook.net. I used the old recipe, but this newer version (choco polvoron) is much more comprehensive (I wish I'd thought of chilling the polvoron before wrapping them...). Photo taken by my sis, above, shows the cheese polvoron wrapped in orange; the graham, in green.

Get polvoron recipe from PinoyCook (opens in new window)

My version: After mixing all the ingredients together (minus the cocoa powder), I divided it into two parts. Then I added 1 cup of grated cheese to one bowl, and 3/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers to the other. I also increased the amount of butter to 1 cup because the graham mixture is quite crumbly.

I think my polvoron molds are smaller than Connie's though, because I ended up with about 134 pieces instead of the 30-50 I was expecting o_O I used 1" diameter molds. I wasn't too good at wrapping them (I should've chilled before wrapping, urgh!), so I unmolded and my husband wrapped ^^;;

My husband likes both the cheese and graham versions, but I'm partial to the graham ones =)

Food styling and pics by my sis =)

Recycling on the home front

2005-12-27T19:27:00.000+08:00

Now that Christmas is over, what do you do with the tons of plastic bags, paper and other holiday junk that piles up every year? Recycle, of course!

Here are a few ideas for those who, like me, don't have access to a community recycling center or program:

Plastic grocery bags: Use as trashcan liners; line the bottom with crumpled newspaper to soak up any drips (and you recycle the newspaper, too!). These can also be used to wrap slippers, clothes, etc when you travel; pack extras for dirty laundry and wet bathing suits. The thicker ones can be used to carry several small, unwieldy packages at once.

Plastic cups/forks/spoons: These can be washed and reused. The forks and spoons can be used for kiddie parties or casual gatherings. Plastic cups with their lids can be used to store sauces (after they've cooled down), condensed milk, small amounts of leftovers, or even non-food items like detergent, dishwashing liquid, etc. Just mark those used for non-food items so you don't accidentally use them for storing food. Cups without their lids can be used for eating ice cream or halo-halo.

Plastic KFC buckets: We have quite a lot of these since we love KFC chicken. We use them for storing practically everything--tools, Christmas decorations, ponytail holders and headbands, and the various knicknacks my daughter accumulates. The holes in the top let the bucket breathe, so nothing gets moldy. You can also use these as a container for laundry supplies--everything from detergent and a small bottle of bleach to clothespins and even a roll of clothesline will fit snugly into the bucket. If you buy the economy size containers, transfer small amounts of each into containers that will fit into the bucket, and you can hide the big bottles safely away from curious little fingers. The bucket itself will fit into a high cupboard, and you won't have to lug everything out during laundry time.

Paper gift bags and tissue: Fold the tissue neatly and tuck away into a shirt box, or even an envelope. You can use these to wrap breakables. Flatten the gift bags and store them inside each other, smallest to biggest. The remaining bag containing all the others can then be hung from a hook inside the closet. The bags can be reused, either as gift bags or to carry packages that are too heavy for plastic grocery bags.

Jam/mayo jars: Wash these thoroughly, then dry. You can then use them to can your own preserves or foodie gifts. If you're not the canning type, you can use them for storage. In my kitchen, I use these for sugar (choose one with a very tight-fitting lid), recycled cooking oil, black pepper, powdered juice, etc. The taller ones can be used as pencil holders, which all little girls love to decorate =) These are also in demand for school projects, like growing sprouts in tissue, nurturing seedlings, and as mixing jars for painting class.

Pringles/Planters/Piknik cans: Wash thoroughly and let dry. The large Planters/Piknik can is the perfect fit for a medium-sized roll of cotton, or for a large bag of cotton balls (I've used it for both). The Pringles cans, wrapped in pretty paper and with a slot punched through the lid, make excellent reusable coin banks. Ces also has a project using a Pringles can to make a zen vase. When we moved, I used our Pringles cans to store my husband's collection of .hack action figures--they survived intact despite being stashed at the bottom of the box =)

Old socks/stockings/fabric scraps: These can ba used to stuff a pillow, either made out of large fabric scraps or out of a t-shirt. I made a pincushion out of fabric scraps, stuffed with old stockings, when my daughter had to bring a sewing kit to school. Why bother buying a generic "tomato" pincushion when you can make your own pincushion with very little effort? =) Old socks can be worn like gloves on the hands, then used to dust figurines or other fragile knicknacks with a lot of nooks and crannies. Fabric scraps can be turned into pretty dresses for a little girl's dolls, or even an actual rag doll =)

Scrap paper: Used wrapping paper can be used for those endless school projects requiring cutout pictures and decorations, if the designs are pretty enough. For paper which you think is rather ugly, use to wrap breakables or to line trashcan bottoms. Bond paper with only one side used can be recycled into a "scratch" pad: Just staple together or collate with a three-ring binder. You can use this for doodling grocery lists, menus, notes, etc. I give it all to my daughter: She uses it for scratch paper for math, making test reviewers, writing lists, drawing, etc. That way, we save the clean bond paper for school projects and papers.

Computer breakdown

2005-12-24T08:58:00.000+08:00

About 3 weeks ago, our computer monitor broke down. Since the other one already conked out months ago, we had no choice but to lug the monitor to the repair shop. We figured we'd be offline for a week or two, at the most.

Wrong.

Since we just moved here this June, my husband is unfamiliar with the area, and so he just went into the first pc repair shop he saw. The guy told him to come back for the monitor in a few days. When my husband did, the guy refused to say what the problem was and how much it would cost, and told him to come back again.

To make a long story short, it turned out the guy knew bupkes, and was just stalling for time. Sadly it took us two weeks to learn this =(

Luckily the second repair shop my husband found was much better, and the monitor was fixed right away. Although it did take a huge chunk out of our dwindling Christmas budget *sigh*

So, anyway, I'm back, with a ton of email to wade through, and about 20 entries to post, so don't be surprised if you see me in a blogging frenzy over the next two weeks =)

DIY #2: 10-minute Christmas wreath

2005-12-05T07:21:00.000+08:00

My in-laws sent over their old tree and a box of unused Christmas decorations which included a ton of tinsel garlands. I don't like using tinsel on the tree because it sticks to the branches, and well, I just never got used to it. We draped pearl garlands and lights on the tree instead.

What to do with a ton of tinsel and unused Christmas baubles? I made a quick wreath for the front door!

[Project posted at p!nkpassion p!nkpalette]

DIY projects galore!

2005-12-04T17:17:00.000+08:00

The wonderful Ces has generously invited me to contribute to her DIY blog p!nkpassion p!nkpalette! So all future DIY-related topics and projects will be posted there =)

Do drop by and tell us what you think. If you find any of the projects or tips helpful, please tell us...we'd love to hear from you!

Recipe #2: Veggie Menudo

2005-12-01T17:52:00.000+08:00

I'm not sure how accurate this recipe is with regards to "authentic" menudo; I basically adapted this from the way my mother-in-law makes menudo, sans the pork and liver (I hate liver). Everyone I've tested this on says it's yummy, though =)

Ingredients:
1-2 blocks firm tofu, cubed and lightly fried
2 bell peppers, diced
8 tomatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
2 onions, chopped
1/2 bulb garlic, minced
1 small pack frozen green peas (about 1 cup)
1 box raisins (about 1/2 cup)
1 sachet tomato paste
2 cups water or beef stock
1 small can liver spread

Saute garlic and onions in 1/2 tablespoon oil. When soft, add bell peppers, then tomatoes, then potatoes, then carrots. When veggies are tender, stir in the tomato paste, liver spread and water/stock. When it starts to bubble, add raisins, tofu and green peas, then stir to mix everything thoroughly. Season to taste (I add a dash of sugar, hot sauce, ketchup and lots of black pepper), then serve over warm rice. Also good with pandesal or toast =)

Variations: You can substitute ground beef or chicken for the tofu (would that make it into afritada?) and add any other veggies that you like in a tomato-based sauce =)

Bargains at the mall!

2005-12-01T16:52:00.000+08:00

Went shopping for Christmas gifts last Monday, at least for my daughter's exchange gift and small gifts for the utility personnel at her school. Since I feel like I've been exiled to the edges of civilization, I rarely venture anywhere except the nearest mall (Robinsons Imus).

Seems everytime we go there, two or three sections have sales; last Monday, the whole department store had stuff on sale, slashed down to as much as 50% off. I'm sure Divi or Quiapo has cheaper stuff, but considering that I could shop in airconditioned, no-B.O. comfort, without being jostled and trampled--I think I found some really good stuff =)

White slogan t-shirts Available in a variety of designs, these are perfect for the smart-aleck male, teens-to-20s, with a sense of humor. I also wanted to buy some for my sister ("I See Dumb People", "Stupidity Isn't A Crime, So You're Free To Go", "Your IQ Test Came Back Negative") but the designs I chose didn't come in an XS size. Also available in black. (PhP99.75 for sizes XS/S/M/L, PhP129.75 for XL)

Company B t-shirts High-quality shirts in a wide range of styles and colors, and each shirt comes with its own gift box! (PhP199.75)

Women's blouses In a whole range of styles and colors, with sizes from S-L. (PhP89.75 to PhP99.75)

Kids' t-shirts White with many different designs, these are packaged in threes. Most of the designs also have matching pajama bottoms or shorts that also come in threes. Thick, good-quality fabric, and the designs are adorable! (PhP179.75 for a set of three)

Men's short sleeved polo shirts Available in solids or prints. Some are a bit dirty though, and usually whatever's hanging on the rack is the only stock left, so don't buy anything with a stain that you're not sure you can remove. Sizes available from S-XL. (PhP200 to PhP350)

Face towels Sold in sets of two, one plain, one printed. I bought three sets for the school's janitors; I figured they'd make a practical, yet "hindi dyahe" gift. (PhP29.75 per set)

Kitchen towel set A dishtowel, pot holder and oven mitt, sold as a set. There are a lot of different designs to choose from, including Christmas motifs. (PhP89.75)

Wind chimes Pretty tinkling wind chimes with different motifs to choose from. When we go back I'm going to get the dolphin chimes for my sister and maybe the violet one with the moon for a friend. The teddy bears are also cute. (PhP50 to PhP150)

I wish I could've taken a photo of everything, but the salespeople were hovering next to us (probably because there weren't a lot of customers). We bought our silver Christmas tree balls at National Bookstore because the ones sold inside the department store--they were exactly the same--were more expensive: PhP54.50/dozen at NBS, PhP100+/16pcs at RDS.

For Nikki's teachers and the school admin personnel, I'm planning on giving foodie gifts, perhaps PinoyCook's macaroons or yema balls. I need to go to SM for cupcake liners and packaging stuff though, because I couldn't find any at Robinsons Supermarket.

DIY #1: Cheap and easy costume jewelry

2005-12-01T16:13:00.000+08:00

My daughter's school held a cultural show about a month ago, and as part of the folk dance troupe she had three numbers: the palayok (clay pot) dance, the pandanggo sa ilaw and the singkil. Costumes were no problem; the first two they had danced before and the same outfits would be used, while they had new costumes sewn for the singkil. Alas, accessories had to be provided by the children, or rather, their parents.

Nikki needed a pearl headdress (a simple drape-y thingy) and a long pearl necklace for the palayok. Apparently she was the "princess" and needed something fancier than the native bead necklaces she wore the first time (they'd altered the dance completely, only retaining the use of the clay pots). Plus, she also needed a pearl choker for her singkil costume.

My husband and I traipsed through the entire mall looking for affordable "pearl" costume jewelry. The nearest we found were a cellphone ornament that, alas, had an ugly big thing hanging from it (I couldn't tell what it was, aside from being bright yellow and ugly), and an exorbitantly-priced small bracelet made with iridescent rose "pearl" beads (PhP125, can you believe it???)

Having neither the time nor the knowledge to go to Divisoria and hunt down materials to make the jewelry myself, we went into National Bookstore to see if they had any bead-making materials. And guess what? At their Christmas ornaments display, I found a meter-long garland of iridescent white pearl beads for PhP25.75. Hmmmm. I figured, it just might work...

When I got home, I measured my daughter for the headdress, the necklace, the choker, two three-strand bracelets and a three-strand anklet. On the performance night, I simply tied the strands together with string elastic (leftovers from my daughter's recent party where they made foil paper crowns).

Under the bright lights, the "pearls" sparkled beautifully, and my little princess danced perfectly without anything falling off =)

Laundry tips 'n tricks

2005-12-01T15:38:00.000+08:00

My washing machine broke down last Monday in the middle of a wash cycle, and I was distraught. It was 8pm and I needed to wash my daughter's school uniform for use the next day. After yelling at the freakin' machine a few times, I hauled out the dripping mess (a week's worth of laundry) and proceeded to handwash everything.

While I was bent over the washing machine tub scrubbing furiously, I realized how much I'd been used to having a washing machine all my life, so I didn't know how freakin' hard it is to handwash. Uuuuugh.

Here are a few tricks I picked up to take at least some of the pain out of it, hehehe.

Soak clothes in a good detergent for at least 30 minutes. I've found Tide w/ Bleach (Nature Fresh) still works best when it comes to white clothes; believe me, I've tried the 'wise' brand and it's okay for regular laundry, but for white clothes that you actually want to look white without making kula (like school uniforms), Tide is my pick. I also like the Tide Eraser Bar, because it does seem to erase stubborn dirt and most stains. My only complaint is that it melts fairly easily.

For impossibly dirty socks, put a sock on each hand, like mittens, and scrub them together, concentrating on the really dirty parts. I've found this works about 50% better than rubbing the detergent bar on the dirt and then making kusot the regular way.

To remove sweaty or musty odors, add a cup of baking soda to the water. I've found a cheap brand, Ferna, at Robinsons Supermarket. It works as well as the leading brand at a mere fraction of the cost.

Hang shirts and blouses on clean plastic hangers inside out. This way you won't get dirt on your nice clean whites. This also prevents marks from the clothespins, and you'll find that most of them won't even need ironing if you insert the hangers properly and smooth out the wet fabric. This works especially well with polyester blends--I don't even iron my husband's pants anymore =)

Wear gloves, of course. This is also true for washing dishes. I don't wear gloves though because my hands feel sweaty and icky and clumsy. So afterwards I wash my hands thoroughly with bath soap to remove all traces of detergent or dishwashing liquid, then slather on petroleum jelly (still the best moisturizer for me, and it's cheap!).

Update: My husband asked his parents for their old single tub washing machine, since they use the bigger automatic machine. They brought it over last night and it works like a dream =) I'm trying to cut down on electricity consumption though, so I will probably limit machine use to heavy stuff like towels, bedsheets and jeans, and wash everything else by hand.

[Clipart is from clipsahoy.com]

A New Look!

2005-11-27T13:39:00.000+08:00

Changed the template; I was having navigation issues with the old one. Tweaked this one a bit by changing the top banner. It's a bit rough though. I'll probably polish the layout over the next few days or so.

I cooked veggie sinigang a few days ago but forgot to take pics and post the recipe *sigh*. Maybe I'll post the recipe later.

Oh, and thank you to Ces for linking to Barefoot Mestiza! I was really surprised to see it in the links list (I'm listed under food blogs, strangely enough, hehehe). Wow.

Going shopping later today for Christmas tree decor and Nikki's Christmas party shoes and exchange gifts. If I see any good buys I'll post 'em here =)

[The rose brush used in the banner is from www.aethereality.net]

Recipe #1: Munggo Guisado...yum!

2005-11-22T12:37:00.000+08:00

Yeah, I know... "yum" is hardly the word that comes to mind when munggo guisado (mung bean stew) is mentioned, at least when it comes to kids. Then say the word malunggay and hear the shrieks of "yuuuuuck" and "gross!". Not so with this recipe. Even the most munggo-phobic child will eat this, trust me. The best part? It cost me only about P15* for 4-6 servings.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup munggo, soaked overnight
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or 1 1/2 cups water w/ 1 Knorr chicken cube
malunggay and alugbati leaves, washed
black pepper or any herbs of your choice

Saute the onion till soft, then add in the malunggay and alugbati. After 1 minute, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Drain munggo and add to pot. Mix well and cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until it reaches your desired consistency. Then season to taste. Mash the beans if you like it creamy (like we do). Spoon over rice and enjoy! =)

Variations: My mom makes her munggo guisado with sauteed chicharon (deep fried pork skin or pork crackling). For someone with a heart condition, this is seriously inadvisable. A better option would be lightly fried tokwa (tofu) sliced into pieces no more than 1/2 inch across or smaller.

Notes: I got the malunggay and alugbati for free from the vacant lot beside our house, but I'm sure they're not that expensive if bought at the market. Alugbati's English name is Malabar spinach. You can chop the vegetables fine if your children don't like knowing what they're eating. If you're worried about the somewhat bitter taste, then chop them fine and mix well into the stew. You may also add garlic (I was out of garlic and didn't have time to buy some.)

Relief for chapped hands

2005-11-21T11:10:00.000+08:00

My friend Jeff, who recently got married and moved to Japan, complained that her hands have been ruined by the constant handwashing of her hubby's socks. Seems he wears them around the house instead of slippers.

First, I told her to get a washing machine. Failing that, she could always wear gloves. I don't like wearing gloves because my hands feel hot and sweaty inside them, so I told her how I treat my soap-chapped hands.

I advised her to slather on petroleum jelly instead of lotion. Why? One, it's cheaper: P10-P20 for a small jar at any drugstore or supermarket for the generic brand. Two, it's richer and works faster than any fancy hand lotion I've tried so far.

I even use it instead of chapsticks or lip balm. If you can live with the fact that it doesn't taste like mint or cherry, you'll love the way your lips feel soft and velvety. I also apply it to the corners of my mouth which tend to get chapped in dry, cold weather (like we're having now).

I've heard that you can make your own colored lip gloss by mixing petroleum jelly with a small amount of lipstick, as well as flavored lip balm. I'll post a recipe when I find one I like =)

Site Review #1: The Party Journal

2005-11-21T10:45:00.000+08:00

Most of the party-themed sites I get when I Google are commercial sites, pushing party favors, invitations, etc, so this party journal from top Pinoy blogger Connie is a welcome arrival on the blogging scene.

The Party Journal dismisses the notion that parties have to be big, expensive affairs to be a success. I'm glad that someone else besides me thinks so. For years I harbored the suspicion that my distaste of the typically bongga parties meant I was either horribly antisocial or just a cultural freak. I'm sorry, but I just never saw the point in actually going into debt just to throw a lavish celebration where you don't even like most of the people you're inviting.

Also, on the topic of the ubiquitous Jollibee/McDo birthday party, Connie writes:

"I have to make it clear as well that I have nothing good to say about parties in fastfood restaurants like Jollibee and McDonald's. I find them too commercialized and simply insulting to human sensibilities."

Ah. I wish my mom could read this. I've always been made to feel like a bad mother just because I refused to EVER have my daughter celebrate a birthday at one of those places. She's attended a lot of them over the years, and though I must say the Dexter's Laboratory or PowerPuff Girls freebies were nicer than my own homemade goody bags, I just never felt comfortable with the idea of spending that much money to have some lame stranger assaulting my senses with a fake cheery tone and bad English.

I picked up a couple of better ideas: one of them is the Bounce party, and the other is a swimming party. Swimming parties are not all that novel, but I found the article helpful in that it actually reviewed a specific place, with details like facilities and prices. The Bounce party seems like a fun idea, though. I'm keeping it in mind for next year.

Though I have a sneaking suspicion my 9-year-old little lady might feel it's too childish, since she requested a slumber party for her recent birthday =)

Dancing down memory lane

2005-11-17T11:12:00.000+08:00

My high school buddies and I keep in touch through our YahooGroup email, since we're scattered all over--Dj and Jeff in Japan, Ethelle in the US, Jane in Dubai, me in far-flung Imus, Cavite (hehe), plus the ones who work in various areas of Metro Manila.

Yesterday was probably a record for most emails flying through our inboxes in a day. Dj fielded this trivia question: Who were our first boyfriends? You can imagine all the guessing that went on XD I got only two right (Ethelle's and Jane's). Ron got most of them, only two wrong. The funny thing was, one of them was who was my first boyfriend, and I'd already mentioned it in one of the first ten emails on the topic. I guess she got confused from all the replies XD

That actually grew out of a discussion on who had crushes on the same guys, which actually branched from a topic on...plane tickets, I think, because Dj is having a hard time booking a flight home for Christmas o_O

Now we're on a 'teacher trivia' thread. Teachers we loved, teachers we hated, teachers we had crushes on. I never had a crush on a teacher though. We didn't have any who were cute enough or young enough ^.^;;

It's fun though, to laugh about our high school days. Life seemed so complicated then, but it actually seems simpler to me now, compared to what came afterwards. I smile when I think of all those major 'crisis' moments we used to have, when everything seemed like a matter of life and death.

I hope my daughter finds friends as precious as mine, friends to last a lifetime, who will stay with you through the tears, the anger and the laughter. I love these guys (^.^)

Going vegetarian

2005-11-16T17:12:00.000+08:00

After flirting with the idea for years, I've finally decided to go for it. Yes, swear off meat forever. Even my beloved longganiza, ayayay...

Actually, it's not going to be that drastic. Aside from the aforementioned Filipino sausage which will be a sorely missed comfort food, and sinigang na baboy (pork in tamarind broth), we're not really big meat eaters. Since my 9-year-old doesn't eat most meat dishes anyway, I don't bother to cook them. Except for the sinigang, which is her favorite. But she still doesn't eat the pork, just veggies and lots of broth.
Aside from being cheaper, of course we all know the benefits of a veggie diet. But what convinced me to finally go veggie was this article I read on FilipinoVegetarianRecipe on pork. Did you know that if you pour Coke on a slab of pork, WORMS will come out? Eeeeeew.

I'm not sure if it's true since I lack the stomach for such an experiment. But the mere vision this painted in my head was enough for me to swear off pork--and meat--forever.

The site is also very useful in that it has, like the site name says, Filipino vegetarian recipes. None of the usual Western-style veggie recipes really attracted me before, hence my reluctance to go herbivore. But the recipes on this site actually look good AND doable. No foreign ingredients to puzzle over.

Plus, it even has a recipe for you to make your own gluten, which is essential if you have a husband like mine who feels that it isn't a meal without some sort of meat in it. Good thing he's also open to new ideas (he has to be, with cooking like mine XD) AND thinks everything I cook is delicious (or at least that's what he tells me. You have to give him credit. The man knows which side his bread is buttered, hehe.)

My favorite is the banana blossom kilawin recipe, which I've been looking for all over, for sooooo long. My mom used to make it, but I never got to see how it was made, just when it appeared on the table. Can't wait to try it the next time we see some at the supermarket =D

Next will be the gluten. I haven't made my famous (in our house) chili-with-carrots in a while, mainly because of the unpredictable quality and prices of bell peppers, and this would be the perfect dish to test whether my husband will accept gluten as a meat substitute =)

Then of course there's fish. But I hate the smell of fish and I can't stand (not to mention don't know how to) scale and gut fish, so I'll have to look for reasonably priced fish fillets =( Till then I'll make do with gluten, tofu, eggs and milk.

Still have some chicken nuggets, longganiza and bacon in the freezer though. Might as well finish those first. Good thing we didn't buy any pork last supermarket day o_O

Magazine Review #1: Star Teacher

2005-11-15T13:12:00.000+08:00

A collaboration between the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation and Summit Media, this is a quarterly glossy magazine originally conceived as a free teaching aid of sorts for public school teachers.

Free PDF copies of previous issues are available at the SASF website, though. I read through the available downloads and found a lot of useful info, even if I'm not a teacher. I think this would be a good companion read for the usual parenting magazines, which mostly focus on overall parenting tips. As a teacher's guide, it focuses on educational tips and resources, some of which can be adapted for home use.

For example, there's an article in the December 2004 issue on how to teach children to study on their own. Anyone who has struggled with getting kids to do homework while they insist on watching TV or playing or talking on the phone will find this article quite useful.

It teaches you that you have to make them see why doing schoolwork is important, and that there are consequences for choosing to watch the latest episode of Encantadia instead of working on a book report due the next day. (For this reason, I strongly advise against the common practice of parents doing their kids' homework. It's hard, I know, but doing the assignment for them begets laziness and irresponsibility, and an indifference to work of any sort.)

I also loved the "Language Booster" section, where Ma. Luz Vilches, Chair of Ateneo de Manila University's English Department, corrects common (and not-so-common) grammatical mistakes. For December 2004 it was the proper use of "adopt" and "adapt". Quite useful, and I wish more people could read this magazine, if only for this section.

Star Teacher is now available for subscription nationwide, starting with the upcoming December 2005 issue. Price is PhP250 for 4 issues. I'm actually considering giving a gift subscription to my daughter's teacher's dorm =) You can get subscription details here.

Spam, spam, spam...

2005-11-15T11:41:00.000+08:00

Minutes after I posted the book review, it was hit by two spammers. They're getting more creative these days, disguising their adverts as comments, but one only has to read them to realize that these jerks are only using your blog to plug their own for-profit sites. Geez.

So I had to turn on comment moderation, sorry. This is not because I don't allow opinions that clash with my own. I welcome criticism and feedback. But I loathe spammers, and I don't relish the idea of reviewing every post to delete spam comments.

Book Review #1: Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty

2005-11-14T12:06:00.000+08:00

By Joy Masoff

Don't be turned off by the book's title. The disgusting facts in this book are supported by scientific and historical data, and it makes for a very fascinating read.

For example, you'll learn exactly why you should NEVER let flies touch your food. After reading it, I would much rather prefer that flies never touch ANY part of me or my surroundings ever again. Ditto with cockroaches.

Speaking of cockroaches, it says under Sickening Seafood that lobster is basically just a two-pound cockroach. I've never eaten lobster, and have no intention of doing so if only because of the prohibitive price tag. Still...it makes me wonder how true this is, and then I think of all those people happily eating this expensive 'delicacy'...

The Philippines is mentioned in Miserable Meats:

"...beware of monkey-brain dinners in the Philippines. The main course comes to the table live, then has the top of its poor head sliced off. Spoons are provided for all the dinner guests..."

Really? Gee, I guess I never got invited to one of those really wild parties. Do people actually DO these things? O_O Or maybe our ancestors, waaaaaay back, actually used to eat monkey brains? Hmmmm. This is pretty much the only questionable fact I found. Though of course, I also have no way of knowing if they really do eat stewed cat in Ghana (which also allegedly includes rats in the national diet).

These questionable food facts aside, it's a pretty fun book. My daughter got it from her ninang in California last year, and it's still her favorite book. Amazon says it's for 8-11 year-olds, but it fascinated at least two 28-year-olds in our house, plus the original 7-year-old recipient.

[Image is from Amazon.com]

The Mestiza has landed!

2005-11-14T08:14:00.000+08:00

Aha! The first ever post of the Barefoot Mestiza XD

What is this blog all about, you ask? What makes it different from all those other blogs out there, when every Aida, Lorna and Fe is running around with one or more journals chronicling their daily lives?

Basically, I created this blog to share the various things I've learned about struggling to maintain a reasonably healthy and happy home in the midst of the worsening economic environment. Already two-income families are struggling with the skyrocketing cost of living. What more for those of us who rely on a single income? Especially since my husband's just barely skims the bottom of the two-figure level.

I also wanted a blog that would address the issues faced by homemakers like me: former professionals who chose to abandon their careers and concentrate on their families. There are a million resources for working moms, but what about those of us who don't work, yet are not content to fill our days with the ubiqutious teleseryes and showbiz (worse, non-showbiz) chismis? When I first resigned, it was like I was expected to fill my days either watching TV, having more babies, or doing stuff like crocheting o_O

After all these years, women are still struggling with the stereotypes, especially stay-at-home moms. Up to now, I still hear some women introduce themselves as "sa bahay lang" (housewife only) when asked what they do for a living. Why should there be that "lang" (only) at the end? Running a household is actually harder than just going to the office and having someone else do the legwork for you.

Think about it: At the office, you come in, sit down at your desk, have your secretary bring you coffee and update you on the day's appointments, etc.

As a stay-at-home mom, you have no one to do this for you, plus, you also have to fix meals for everyone; clean the house; pay the bills; make sure the anay (termites) are not eating your house away; deal with annoying neighbors who belch car exhaust onto your freshly laundered sheets and videoke at full volume till the wee hours of the night; and make sure every member of your household is bathed, fed and clothed properly.

That's why I adopted the M.O.M (Monumental Operations Manager) job description I read somewhere. It IS a monumental operation, and they don't even teach you how to do it in school. For making babies, yes. For bathing them, feeding them, what to do when they eat their poop or shove a quarter up their nose, no.

I will be posting reviews on books, movies, TV shows, toys, crafts, party ideas and websites for kids (and maybe for moms as well). Also included in the lineup will be luscious beauty product recipes you can make at home, fab finds so you can step out in style without breaking the bank, and a few recipes that you can feed to even the most vegephobic child.

Don't let other people put a label on you, to paraphrase the ad. There is nothing shameful about choosing your family over your career. Remember that =)