The 2009 Highlights of My Life

January 1st, 2010

2009 had been a year of many ups and downs for me… nonetheless, I feel blessed. Being with the family I love and seeing them healthy and happy are reasons enough for me to feel enormous gratitude. Before I close this chapter of my life I thought of doing a flashback of the significant happenings I’ve has this past year… In a sense, this activity gave closure to the aches that I’ve had- urging me to move forward and pursue better and greater endeavors. It has also brought forth a sense of inspiration and optimism. Yes, I believe that 2010 is going to be heaven sent for me and my family… So, here it is, in no particular order, my simple rundown of 2009.

My Resignation from BWS
It was not easy for me to quit the job I’ve had for 7 years.  It was painful and scary.  However, I have learned that God is good for he did not leave me destitute.  For whatever amount I lost, it has been compensated with more time spent with my kids.  That alone is priceless.

I lost my Aveo
This may appear trivial to some but for us, this brought monumental agony.  We lost the car by the time it was fully paid… Just as we are enjoying freedom from monthly amortizations, the car succumbed to a lethal crash.  However, I am still glad because the car did not take my husband’s life with it.  We are still complete and ready to re-build what we have lost.

My Bag Collection
This year, I was finally able to save enough money to afford a Louis Vuitton.  I now have in my possession a simple collection of a newbie baghag… Though not financially wise, it gives me a feeling of insane contentment.  I am now eying to buy my 3rd LV…

My Ebay Addiction
Coining it as an addiction is based on the perspective of other people.  My intention was for me to get the best at an affordable cost.  I am now learning to be wiser… bidding only on items that I really need.

Singapore Trip
Singapore has been a glorious place!  More so, having to go on this trip with my husband even made it more special.  Would love to visit this place again…

Unleashing the Blogger in Me
2009 has been the height of my blogging career.  At one point, I even considered giving everything up and focusing all my energy into blogging.  Due to financial and rational considerations, I decided to maintain my day job and continue writing for pleasure.

Paulo’s Car Accident
Incidents such as this can bring about profound realizations in us.  It makes us more spiritual and grateful.  It makes us appreciate life as a whole.  Life is a gift that was lent to us.  In return, we should accord it with the care and nurturing that it deserves.

For now, this is a partial list of some unforgettable events of my 2009 existence.  I plan to add more in the coming days…

Ciao and Happy New Year to everybody!


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Another Day at Marquee Mall

December 28th, 2009

Marquee Mall is now, undoubtedly, the favorite hang out of Angeles City mall rats such marqas yours truly. Being closer to the town proper, a lot of Kapampangans are now opting to go here, hence, giving SM City Clark and SM Pampanga one hell of a competition. I mean, seriously, it is so hard to find a decent parking area nowadays… today alone, I had to circle the area 2 times just to find a spot for my car. This leaves me feeling annoyed. I think Marquee’s parking lot is poorly designed. However, I have no right to complain. What they lack in motorists’ convenience they made up for their huge and beautifully built grounds.
I have been a certified SM loyalist for quite a long time… not because I love Henry Sy but probably because I abhor traffic. Yep, it is more convenient and comfortable for me to drive a longer but traffic free route. However, these past few weeks, I find myself frequenting Marquee. I am kinda enjoying the atmosphere there… I don’t know but I am starting to realize that this place was designed not only for die hard shopaholics but also for the family. Indeed, you cannot overlook the hordes of people pouring in the mall- usually, coming in big groups, tagging along their children, their yaya’s, lolas, lolos, etc..etc… Some families would even go there just to bum around their wonderfully designed park- with its manicured lawns and colorful fountains… My daughter for example, would run tirelessly around the park, carefree and utterly happy… while I enjoy a cup of Starbucks on a bench nearby (oohh my idea of short term happiness…). Maybe, this familial atmosphere is what entices people to come and visit the place… plus, of course, the novelty of the whole thing… Let’s see what happens in a year or two, when people have started to memorize every nook and cranny of the building and can practically walk blind without getting lost. Will people be shifting loyalties again and run back to the comfort and familiarity that SM brings? Well, for me, I will go where my feet brings me… anywhere is fine for as long as I get to spend some QT with the loves of my life…:-D


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Preschool Worksheets/Activity Sheets/Table Activities: Shapes and Colors

December 26th, 2009

One of the perks of my current job is that I get to design my own worksheets in class. I love tinkering with my computer and conceptualizing my own activity sheets that are in sync with our current theme… And for all teachers out there, I have decided to post some of these in my blog page, feel free to use them in your classrooms… I will be attaching some for starters… and maybe as we go along, I will be putting in more…
I have made initial categorizations for some of the worksheets. For this entry, I am attaching activity sheets related to Colors and Shapes.



Shapes and Colors
Worksheet 1: Color the Pictures Red

Worksheet 2: Color the Pictures Yellow

Worksheet 3: Color the Pictures Blue

Worksheet 4: Color the Pictures Violet

Worksheet 5: Color the Pictures Orange

Worksheet 6: Color the Pictures Green

Worksheet 7: Color the Pictures Brown

Worksheet 8: Color the Balloons (Color words)

Worksheet 9: Match the Same Shapes and Same Colors

Worksheet 10: Color the Shapes:Heart, Cross, Crescent, Drop, Half-Circle, Star

Worksheet 11: Find and Color the Shapes

Watch out for more soon!


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The Tinokla Effect

December 21st, 2009

I find the name of this new lay-out funny… Well, I would not expect anything less from the man who named and created it- my super uber talented and hilarious husband- Paulo…. Thank you so much!

I guess, the Tinokla Effect was just something that popped out of nowhere…  I told him to modify the information behind this new theme and there it was- the Tinokla Effect… just reading it makes me LMAO… har har har… well just for documentation, this will do..

For the longest time, I have been bugging Pao to design me a new one. Finally, after squeezing this task many times in his loaded work schedule, he finally managed to finish it.   The first lay-out of this page was inspired by my true love- preschool teaching.  As time went by, my write-ups became as crazy as I was- touching topics that range from fashion to spirituality.  That’s why I feel that this current theme is so much more fitting to the kind of person that I am- twisted, eccentric, impulsive, reflective, introvert, girly, etc… etc… Now, I feel that I am liberated from my own invented perception of writing something thoroughly researched and scholarly… I want to be me and that is what this page will be!


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Looking Back to the Year that Was

December 20th, 2009

Goodbye 2009. In my reflective mode, I could not help but ask myself this question- Was 2009 my year? I have had a series of heartbreaks and heartaches… sad and scary experiences… But in the midst of my personal tragedies, a new and better me emerges. Overall, I feel blessed in many respects… my kids are healthy, my husband has a nice and stable job, I have good friends to lean on… Work wise, quitting from BWS also did good for me… I was able to experience developing our own curriculum, designing an assessment tool, and best of all, I was able to do all these while spending more time with my family… So, overall, I thank God for 2009…


God has and always been good to me…
God has a way of teaching us to be better people. He taught me how to be strong amidst overwhelming attacks. He taught me how to be a better mother by giving me a less stressful job… And when my husband almost died in a car accident… he taught me how to be a better wife. God spared his life so he can live long with me and our children. So what if I lost my green Aveo… I feel that something better is in store for me…
I am openly embracing 2010. My heart is fluttering with the excitement and challenges that it will bring. It is a fresh start and I plan to start a new… build my career over again… Plan for the distant future ahead. Pray fervently and quit smoking… Live a healthier and a more fulfilling life…
So, to all my readers… Thank you for stopping by…
A Merry Christmas and a Happy and Bountiful New Year to all of you!!! God Bless!

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Chanel Earrings

December 19th, 2009

chanel-723958I gotta admit, I was among the hordes of women who were dazzled by Kris Aquino’s glittery crystal studded Chanel logo earrings with dangling pearls. My materialistic persona could not help but scout for this beautiful pair, hoping to adorn myself with its enchanting beauty… and of course… when these insane and shallow cravings of mine continue to nag me, i turn to my dearest friend- ebay… my search brought me to the realm of the modest and the majestic…to the hypocritical and the genuine…. to the affordable and the insanely overpriced. ..



Like a young girl’s “when I grow up” ambition, I vowed to get myself a pair. I had a lot of considerations to make, the most pressing amongst them is financial in nature. I sought to narrow down my options to three:
1) Get the genuine Chanel- described to be silver-plated, studded with Swarovski crystals, and embellished with a nice (and probably cultured) pearl. This set costs roughly around 700$, or something like 30,000 pesos. In my opinion, buying this item is definitely ludicrous. Oh… don’t get me wrong…. I practically worship designer brands. If I were Kris Aquino, why shouldn’t I buy? But the fact remains that I am just a mere preschool teacher with a measly salary… I would definitely not buy something that has no lifetime guarantee. So, I tried to explore other possibilities and found option no.2…
2) Get a Chanel inspired set- I loved this alternative! For the same price of 30,000, I can get something made of white gold with diamonds, plus a real south sea pearl! However, having just bought a Louis Vuitton bag for myself, is it wise for me to splurge in yet another expensive endeavour? Well, after beating myself hard to wake up from my fantasy trip, I shouted, no! Not this time… I was pretty much depressed for a couple of days… even if my will was strong I could not shake the craving off… It’s like a shadow that moves as I do, a disease that is incurable, an infatuation that bugs me in my slumber. I am in love… and I want it, regardless… After many hours scouting for something to quench my abnormal yearning, I came across option no.3…
3) Option no.3 is so much like no.2, with the only differences being composition and price. Option number 3 is a Chanel inspired CC earring made of fine silver and lab created diamonds. Fine silver is purer than sterling silver, and promises to be more lustrous and elegant for practically a lifetime! The lab created diamonds also have a genuine quality… that it is difficult to tell if they are fake or not. It has also a dangling freshwater cultured pearl…overall, i think this is a good deal, especially for someone like me who doesn’t need anything fancy… just something to satisfy a pesky and irrational want. And of course, I got it and honestly, I loved it!

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