Happy Chinese New Year (2014)

Gong Hey Fat Choy

from WIKIPEDIA 

Chinese New Year is an important traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the first day of the year of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of theChinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often referred to as the "Lunar New Year".

I'm not Chinese but I'm among those individual who looks forward in celebrating the Chinese New Year. 

During this special holiday, I always take advantage of buying "tikoy" (Nian gao) (Chinese New Year cake) because I really love eating it. Sadly, it's only made available here at our place during the last week of December until the 1st week of February. After those months, I find it hard looking for a store where to buy it.

My tikoy recipe? 

1. I cut the tikoy into strips, dip it in a bowl with beaten egg, and fry it.

2. I cut the tikoy into strips, wrap it in lumpia wrapper, and fry it.

I've already bought a box of Tikoy and now I'm excited to prepare it for snacks. 

Happy Chinese New Year everyone..

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Blog Signature with Image

One important element I prioritized for my blog is having my own blog signature which appears after every blog post I published. I wanted a very simple signature and choose to create one at Online Signature and here's what I got.

It was very easy creating this customized blog signature with the many different font and style available at Online Signature to choose from. 

And just today while browsing other blogs, I saw a blog signature with an image and really liked it. That is why I decided to edit my current blog signature and added a hello kitty image on both sides. With the help of Paint and ImageShack I was able to create this personalized blog signature. See below..

Bible Cutting

Last Sunday, January 26, 2014 I decided to attend the Holy Mass at 6:30 in the morning. I sat at the third row bench from the front because I wanna listen eagerly to the priest's homily. (Also, for me not to feel sleepy during the mass.)
I was so happy to see that the priest who will celebrate the Holy Mass is the priest whom I admire for sometime because he is indeed "handsome". and always wear a smiling face. I have attended his Holy Mass several times and I guess he already knows me by my face as he smiled at me often, well, he does to everybody else who attends mass. 
Read, Pray, and Live the Bible

Reading, Praying, and Living the Holy Bible is the main topic of the priest's homily for the Holy Mass today. To make it easy for everybody else to understand, the priest shared a really good story which is in some sense funny. It is about a man who does Bible Cutting. Bible cutting means reading Bible scriptures whichever verse your finger lands and points at. 
So one day this man tried Bible cutting and said to himself that whatever verse he points and read for that day is what the Lord God wants him to do. So he closed his eyes, open the Bible and point at the part he wanted.
Matthew 27:5 - Judas hanged himself.
The man was surprised about the verse he read and said to himself "I don't think the Lord God wants me to do the same as Judas did."
and so the man tried bible cutting again..
Luke 10:37 - “Go and do likewise” 
He can't believe what the second verse told him and so he said to himself "No, this is not what the Lord God wants me to do."
and so he tried bible cutting for the last time..
John 13:27 - "What you are about to do, do quickly." the man was totally startled and can't believe what he just read. 
The moral lesson of the story: Read between the lines. Do not read and understand the verses in the Holy Bible out of context because “A text, out of context, is a pretext.” One should always look closely and discover the real meaning that is hidden or implied in a certain verse rather than sticking with what is explicitly stated.
So that's the story shared by the priest during his homily last Sunday. It was a bit funny but has a real moral lesson.
Next Sunday I plan to attend the Holy Mass again at the same time 6:30 in the morning and hopefully the same priest will celebrate the mass.

Red or Orange Color Lipstick Is Perfect for Me

I wanted to know the perfect lipstick color that will suit me best that's why I tried taking a color personality quiz about "What color should I wear?" 
The result:

Certificate: Test results What color should you wear?

For 30 % you are: Your color is red or orange, and it fits your appearance and personality very well! It offers sincerity to your picture-perfect body that can sometimes give itself off as eternally not serious. You can shop for this color in stores such as American Eagle! I hope you enjoyed this quiz, and try out red or orange sometime!
24.6303 % of 37397 Quiz participants had this profile! Profile A
 
Take this quiz: What color should you wear?

Red color lipstick is super fine with me because I really like the kind of glow it gives me when I wear one. Orange is kinda weird because I never tried wearing one and I don't really know if it will suit me best. Well, there's nothing wrong about trying it. 

Dry Lips Issues

For the past days, I noticed that my lips is getting drier and drier each day to the point that it's peeling some skin already. I'm a little bit irritated about it because of the discomfort feeling it causes me each day. To simply sooth my peeling lips, I apply petroleum jelly to my whole lips each night before going to bed. Pretty good enough it helps me feel a little better and my lips actually becomes soft enough when I wake up in the morning. 

Well, at the last minute I have noticed that one of the things that is causing my lips to peel is because of the weather for the past weeks. And I barely realized that another reason for my chapped lips is because of the lipstick I'm using which is most probably already expired and should be replaced immediately. 

Admit it if you look into your make up bag, there are probably items (probably your favorite cosmetics) which have been there for many months or years already. Based on the research I made, lipstick is made to last for 18 months up to 2 years. However, once you notice an off smell and bad taste then it's time to throw them away and replace with a new one. 

I've checked on my favorite lipstick which is a lip and cheek tint and as far as I remember I bought it last year and have been using it for more than 8 months now. When I check on how it smells, it's not that very fragrant as compared to the day I bought it. Also, it doesn't taste foul but I can feel that it's a little bit sticky. Because of these, I've decided to throw my lip and cheek tint to the trash and will just buy a new one. I'm still going to buy the same brand of lip and cheek tint because I really like it but I'm also going to buy and try a new brand of lipstick with a different shade. 

Heart Touching Story

I was browsing through Facebook posts today and found this shared post from one of my FB friends. I was so touched and felt a little teary after reading this short story.

Heart Touching Story
On the first day of their marriage, wife and husband decided and agreed not to open the door for anyone! On that day first, husband’s parents came to see them, they were behind the door. Husband and the wife looked at each other, husband wanted to open the door, but since they had an agreement he did not open the door, so his parents left. After a while the same day, wife’s parents came, wife and the husband looked at each other and even though they had an agreement, wife with tears on her eyes whispered, I can’t do this to my parents, and she opened the door. Husband did not say anything, years passed and they had 4 boys and the fifth child was a girl. The father, planned a very big party for the new born baby girl, and he invited everyone over. Later that night his wife asked him what was the reason for such a big celebration for this baby while we did not do it for the others! The Husband simply replied, because she is the one who will open the door for me! Daughters are always so special !! 
Share this on your wall if you agree..

Happy 1st Birthday Mio

To our wonder dog Mio whom we already considered as a member of our family, a baby who brings so much joy and happiness to our lives, happy happy birthday to you. We actually don't know what exact day you were born, all we know is that you were 4 months old when you arrived at our house last April 9, 2013. So most probably you were born December 2012. However, we decided January 26 to be your birthday, the day Baby Mia was born and went to heaven. 
If you can only speak a word like humans do, I'm so sure you can feel the kind of unconditional love we're giving you. We treat you like our own kid and somehow replace the daughter we lost. Just like what Daddy said, you Mio is our stress reliever. 

To our furry buddy, there's nothing more soothing than the look in your eye, your cute wagging tale, your fond sounding woof, and your super duper mischievous ways when showing your affection to us. Happy Happy Birthday Mio! We love you so much! 

Happy 1st Birthday Baby Mia

I don't know how will I go on with this blog post of mine for today. I really can't help but cry thinking about the baby girl I lost exactly a year ago. Baby Mia happy happy birthday to you. You could have been one year old today. If you were alive today, we're probably busy right now preparing for your 1st birthday party. I miss you so much my dear. We all miss you our baby love. 

I know you are happy up there in heaven. Daddy, Mommy, and Ate Chantal just wanna dedicate this message for you.

2014 Personalized Calendar

It's already the last week of January 2014 and until now we still don't have a calendar here at home. I still can't find the perfect calendar to hang on the wall at our dining area. That is why I've researched online for a 2014 printable calendar and found a nice one which I edited. Here's how it looks like now. I've replaced the picture design with our family picture. 

Next week if I have enough free time I will be going out to check on printing shops regarding how much it will cost to have this personalized calendar printed. I guess the size like that of a one whole cartolina is good enough. 

Friday Bonding

My Babies

TGIF - Thank God It's Friday!

Ate Chantal has no school today because their teachers have a meeting to attend. She's very happy to be able to sleep late last night, watch her favorite cartoon shows and woke up late this morning. Likewise, Mio is so happy that his Ate Chantal is around because he has a playmate the whole day. He wasn't able to take his nap this morning because he goes wherever her Ate Chantal goes. And just a few minutes ago, I saw them bonding together watching a show on YouTube, and I was able to take a photo of the two. It's just so sweet! 

Interesting and Fun Facts - Part 1

I've been browsing through the internet today about interesting and fun facts and found these really cool facts from WTF Fun fact. I found these facts indeed interesting to know. 
Have fun reading them too.

(I'll try observing my friends regarding this.)

(TRUE!! - do you agree?)

(really?!)

(I'm one of them! Well, it helps me sleep faster especially at night.)

(Well, it can be both the person and the memories that you'll miss.)

(Well, you should always have with you a good joke to share, Lol!)

(Well, not for me because I've been wanting to get fat and even though I eat a lot it just don't work for me.)

(You've probably just tried it! I did too and it's true you can't really hum properly while holding your nose closed.) 

These are just few of the interesting and fun facts I will share with you. I will search more of these amazing facts at WTF Fun Facts.

My Daughter's First Holy Communion

Last Saturday, January 18, 2014 was a special day for my daughter Chantal because she had her First Holy Communion. 

Oh, my lovely baby is so big now. She's like a little bride.

Now that she has received her second sacrament, she is now more united in a special way to God the Father. 

My message to you my dear Ate Chantal:

May you always remember the real importance of the day you received your First Holy Communion as it is the day you have accepted Christ into your life. I love you always and forever.

My Healthy Dessert - Papaya with Milk and Sugar

Papaya is among my favorite fruits and lately I've been craving to eat one. Good thing I was able to buy a medium size papaya at the fruit market today and decided to turn it into a healthy dessert. So, I ended up making my own very easy version of Papaya with Milk and Sugar Dessert.

The Papaya Fruit

If you are not that aware, papaya fruit basically has lots of amazing nutritional benefits. It is actually referred to as "fruits of angels". Among the nutritional benefits you can get from the papaya fruit are:

- it helps in proper digestion

- it helps increase your appetite

- it helps control bowel movements

- it helps in protecting your heart by regulating your cell body fluids

- and many more..

So now here's how I made my healthy papaya dessert.

1. Washed and peeled the papaya.

2. Remove the seeds.

3. Cut the papaya into small portions.

4. Blend with milk and sugar.

5. Refrigerate it for 15 to 30 minutes. 

* You can add ice cubes and blend it using the blender and turn it to a tasty papaya shake. 

Welcome To My Paradise

Hello everyone and welcome to my __th blog! 
(I really have no idea how many blogs I have made already.)

Sadly I wasn't able to continue updating my previous blogs because I've been to a lot of things in my life.

Anyway, I'm really hoping to spend enough of my precious time blogging here, sharing interesting stories to everyone who will be visiting this blog and reading my posts. 

Right now, I will spend the next hours designing my blog to make it more attractive. 

Below is the banner I will be using for this blog of mine.