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Shopping Bargains and Disasters

Visit my shopping blog, Shopping Finds.

The last week of May and the first week of June are major shopping sprees because of school opening. Some of my shopping turned into useless expenses or “things that could have waited”.

Let me start with shopping bargains:

1. Shopping at 168 Mall at Sta. Elena, Divisoria

Imelda marcosThe last time I was in 168 Mall was last December 29, 2005 where I saw the former first Lady, Imelda Marcos with her bodyguards. I took a cellphone photo of her surrounded by avid onlookers. Hmm, she used to close down Tiffany’s in New York during her reigning days. She didn’t close 168 Mall just for her this time. Apparently, she toured the place, waved her hands as admirers called out her name . Charming as ever.

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The Grief Interview with Cheche Lazaro

Update on Cheche Lazaro: (May 8, 2009) Cheche Lazaro and the Wire Tapping Case filed by GSIS

cheche lazaroTo be interviewd by Cheche Lazaro in “Straight Talk” is an honor. Her interview style is excellent. You know, I usually get a pre-interview by production assistants days before a show. This is normal procedure since hosts are usually busy. It surprised me that no one from ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel) called me up. Hmm, I thought that maybe Cheche can handle it herself. The only call I received was from the production assistant of the executive producer. He was so touched after reading Luijoe’s memorial website and wanted to borrow Luijoe’s photos for a clear graphic shot. They went all the way to the house just to get the photo albums.

Before the live interview, I caught up with Cheche at the dressing room and we had a little chat as the makeup artists retouched our shiny faces. I am amazed at her preparation for this episode. She printed out research materials on grief and highlighted sentences in my story of the Fallen Cradle. She told me that this is a fairly new topic rarely discussed on TV. I know. I told her that grief education is quite new in our country and we’re just taking off with the introduction of grief pyschologists and grief support groups.

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My husband, my co-homemaker

My husband is quite a character. I thought I knew him so well. After all, we were steadies for 7 years. Living together revealed an unknown facet of his personality. He likes to market in the palengke (wet market) and do the grocery. Not only that, he is very nurturing and more motherly than me. A fussy father er mother. He loves washing the dishes and even doing the laundry (when the laundrywoman is not available). This was quite a surprise revelation and a minor irritant at first. He can even iron clothes. I can cook, bake, organize and clean the house but I don’t relish the idea of laundry or ironing chores. When the kids were sick with asthma, he stays up all night and monitors their breathing, and give their medication. I grew up in a family where dad was the sole breadwinner and left household chores with the females. My 3 brothers were spoiled by their sisters and my mom.

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Condominium Shopping

porch.jpgThis beautiful ancestral house is inhabited by ghosts. No kidding! I’ve been ignoring the footsteps, the weird sounds, odors and the cat getting spooked for the past 8 years. We moved to Makati in 1998 and thought it was the best decision we ever made. Sure, it took only 15 minutes to my husband’s office. Luijoe was only 4 years old. He cried every night the first few weeks because he wanted to go back to our cute bungalow in Pasig City. He often said that “This house is not beautiful. Let’s go back“. He’d stare forlornly by the window sill.

In early 2000 we already knew that this house didn’t bring in good vibes. This led us to purchase a house and lot somewhere in Sta. Rosa , Laguna and thought of moving the whole family to the south. That meant looking for a new school for the girls and Luijoe. Unfortunately, Luijoe died May 27, 2000 and our plans got shelved aside. Moving out took a backseat because we were too stressed out in our bereavement. The house is being rented out to a Japanese family who want to hold on to the house because it gave them “good luck”. We can’t move in there yet. So I don’t know. Can a house affect good or bad vibes? I think so.

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Before and After : Weight Loss Photos

It’s inspiring to see before and after photos of people who have lost weight. Take for instance Five stars who went to fat and back like Janet Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Anna Nicole Smith, Nicole Richie and Jared Leto. Janet lost a whopping 70 pounds:

Janet’s secret is not lipo, not starvation, not gastric bypass. A few months back, Janet signed up for a healthy gourmet delivery service called Fresh Dining, a company that is becoming Hollywood’s new thing.

janet_jackson_weight_400x40.jpg

There’s a similar service in Makati that prepares the [tag]Southbeach diet[/tag] and delivers it to your house. I know of a couple who ordered this diet plan. It cost them 20,000 pesos (roughly $400) every 15 days. God, it’s way too expensive. The result. They didn’t lose weight and I think even gained some poundage. So much for Southbeach diet.

My weight management plan was based on South Beach diet which I prepared by myself. Nothing fancy or expensive. It worked combined with daily exercise at the gym. At the age of 48 years old and afflicted with diabetes, I ‘ve achieved a [tag]weight loss[/tag] of of 30 pounds over a period of 4 to 5 months. I have 10 more pounds to lose.

So here’s my before and after pic:

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a mom blogger who advocates constructive engagement in issues on family & society.
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