New Year Goals for 2008

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New Year 2008Happy New Year 2008! I greeted the New Year by taking a slice of this evil Dairy Queen Peppermint Ice Cream cake. Let’s all greet the new year on a positive note by setting goals for ourselves. It’s a good thing that my sister reminded me of my New Year goals last year. Yesterday, she read the Review of New Year Goals for 2007 and it reminded her to set her goals. Butch loved the idea of writing down my goals when I told him that I achieved 8 out of my 11 goals for the New Year.

I realize that goals need to be written down. It serves as an affirmation of myself, my life, and my ability to choose. Then I let it go. New Year goals are something we need to dig within and discover what we would like to happen in our life this year. It is an affirmation that we are interested in living life in the year to come.

So the questions evolved. What would I like to attain? Where would I like to go? What would I like to happen in my marriage and family life? I have to remember that I am not out to control others with my goals but rather giving direction to my life. So I continue on pondering. What problems would I like to be solved? What decisions would I like to make? What would I like to happen in my business?

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Recap of The Year 2007 as a Blogger

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bloggerI’m preparing for the New Year celebration tonight. While preparing for our noche buena, Butch and I reflected on this year and the 2007 goals we achieved or did not achieve. I’ve learned to be grateful for the positive and negative experiences. They made me a better blogger and person. For everything that happened to me as a blogger this year, there is a reason for which I am grateful. I will list them all but will not mention the specifics of the negative experience.

1. I received three awards for my blog this year.

The truth is I believe other blogs are more deserving than mine. Despite that nagging thought, I accept the judges’ perception and decision with heartfelt gratitude.

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Review of 2007 Goals

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planner for 2008
The Year 2007 has been good to me and I attribute it to the setting of goals. I am grateful that I laid down my New Year Goals in this blog and even listed them in my Starbucks Planner. I normally don’t use a Planner since my smart phone is adequate enough to store appointments and other plans. But 2007 brought about a multitude of plans that needed careful organization and planning. Not that I am superstitious or anything, the Starbucks Planner (actually any planner will do) brought me on track. I was able to renovate and move in our new home within two months from contract signing.

This was my New Year’s Goal for 2007 which I wrote on January 2, 2007. Let me show you how much of these goals were actually met.

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Best and Popular Blog Posts of 2007

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If this is your first time to visit my blog, you’d naturally be curious about the blog owner and this blog. To get straight to the point, read this interview by Mao Hermitanio , Her Life as a Blogger. Next question is “which entry should I read first?”. For first time visitors, it’s a great idea to list down interesting blog entries. In any blog, posts with the most comments, trackbacks or technorati and other links are said to be the popular ones but what about search engine queries? Let me list down all the interesting posts which others found entertaining, titillating or gave some sort of value and knowledge.

Most Number of Queries from Search Engines

  • Sex Education in the Philippines
  • When Kids Hear Their Parents Having Sex
  • boybastos.com:Everything is Political and It all Begins with Sex

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    Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo, The Movie

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    sakal-sakali-saklolo.jpg

    My husband and I watched the sequel to the hit movie Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo called Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo which stars Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo. It is also the official entry of Star Cinema for [tag]Metro Manila Film Festival[/tag] (2007). I wanted to watch it for the simple pleasure of having a good laugh. I particularly enjoyed the character played by Gina Pareño, mother of Angie (Judy Ann). Gina is just so adorable and funny whenever she spews out her no-nonsense philosophy of life and other wisecracks.

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    Christmas in Our Hearts

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    christmas_kitty1.jpgEven the kitties at our home feel the Christmas Spirit. It’s as if they know it’s Christmas and play “cutesy” poses to blend with our Christmas decors. Like the song goes in “Christmas in Our Hearts” by Jose Mari Chan, I believe Christmas lies in our hearts. Everyone at home feels the Christmas spirit in their hearts.

    So let me share Christmas in Our Hearts (as sang by my two girls and the 1999 Manila Children’s Choir) so the message rings all throughout the year:

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    Paskong Pinoy- Christmas Dinner Date Tradition

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    Warning: Not for the Grinch or those suffering the Holiday Blues. This is dedicated to Aileen’s Paskong Pinoy compilation.

    my husband and meIf you have read our love story, you would know that this is our 30th Christmas together of which seven years were spent physically apart from each other. Those seven Christmases were spent with my dad and siblings in Cebu. You can imagine what it was like for a lovestruck couple like us who had no means of communication during the two week break. Sure, there was the expensive long distance calls which needed an operator to get a connection. Suffice it to say that all he could manage to blurt out was Merry Christmas…how are you?…sige, expensive na. Love you. bye. which reminds me of that Smart commercial over the radio. No lovers’ conversation. No time to swoon or babble sweet nothings. Nada.

    Lucky for most couples these days, there is email, text messaging, cellphone calls, video chat and what not. I yearned to be with my boyfriend during Christmas day but I knew that my family of origin was my number one priority. The meaning of Christmas is about God’s love that He brought Jesus Christ to this world. Christmas is about love , the love and joy of family. I understood that well.

    To make up for the physical separation, the 18 year old Butch started this brillant idea of having an annual Christmas dinner date tradition where we celebrated the Christmas message of love. Our love. On our first Christmas date together by the Manila Bay, the hopelessly romantic Butch held my hand and pointed our hands towards the moon as if we were holding the moon together. In the most seductive voice, he whispered to my ears:

    don’t worry, my love. Even if we are not together on Christmas day, just stare at the moon. Hold it and know that I am holding it too. We are together in spirit. The moon sees us.

    christmas dinnerDeeply touched and giddy all over, the equally hopelessly romantic me almost cried at his sappiness. He assured me that this separation was only temporary and that we would be spending Christmas for the rest of our lives. Every Christmas day in Cebu for the next 7 years, I strolled outside my home standing there by the garden, blanketed by the twinkling stars trying to hold the moon and knowing that Butch would do the same. (of course, I cannot vouch that he was doing the same.)

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    On Lauren’s 11th Blog Anniversary

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    A few days ago, Lauren announced that her interview appeared in the December 2007 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine, Philippine Edition.

    I cringed Ugh. Don’t tell me it’s about dating escapades? My voice raised a notch higher than usual. Most of Cosmo articles I read in the beauty salon revolve around dating and sex lives with a mishmash of fashion makeovers and token articles. Not that I am a prude, but uh please, sex escapades on cheating boyfriends/girlfriends or one-night stands are best kept private. Is that something to be proud of? Anyway, I digress.

    “No mom, it’s about my blog”.

    I heaved a sigh of relief. Not that I was doubting Lauren’s integrity but I didn’t have much faith in Cosmopolitan’s ability to churn out relevant self-help articles for young adult women.

    The feature article, Why More Women Blog, is perfect timing for Lauren’s 11th year in blogging. I believe it is one of Cosmo’s token feature article to tone down the sex-life-themed magazine.

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    Holiday Gift Giving Tradition

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    Why are there so many pillows on our bed? , my husband asks as he slips himself into our satin bedcovers.

    I don’t understand. He shakes his head.

    I started to count the pillows. one …two…three…THIRTEEN!

    Oops, I didn’t realize there were so many pillows strewn on our beds , I thought. Um, I teased, so we never ran out of pillows when we have a fight?

    Butch throws one small pillow at me. Okay, I think our bed designer over did the execution., as I told him about Timmy.

    giftA few weeks ago, Timmy, our bed/window designer begged for work, “Ma’am, I really need money this coming Christmas”. With his talent, he should be earning more than the 6,000 pesos that his current employer pays him every month. I couldn’t believe he earns just slightly more than our household helper. He suggested a new set of custom-made quilted bedcovers. I thought it was a splendid idea to add another set in my room and the two girls’ room. At the same time, I am helping someone without giving dole outs. I normally don’t give cash gifts just like that. I’d rather they offer services and then give a bonus if the work turned out quite exceptional.

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