Fun Discoveries

i'm not a computer geek. but i'm fond of browsing, reading and discovering. in my generation, everything is "simple": no internet yet, no cell phones, no ipad's, etc. etc. if you want to discover fastly, stuffs that are techie...browse into your kid's, niece', nephew's profiles, or browse more on facebook or twitter-- then you will see cute stuffs.
so, i saw this gifboom at my niece beautiful tumblr page. tadaaaaaaaan! i immediately downloaded the apps and tried it out. i have to admit i just discover the Instagram application last week. dah? i can hear my teenage son "Ma...it's has long been invented..."

well, it's always better late than never. =)

Created with Gifboom

Debloat

Once in a while you have to "tag" yourself for fun:
Shades: Ray-Ban
Tube Top: Zuiki
Shorts: H&M
Necklace: Accessorize
Wristwatch: Swatch

I saw a nice italian ad translated to english:

What is the last thing you did for the first time?

Personally, it was my first time to wear a tube top last week. Forget the curve flaws!

I'm proud to be debloated by 10 kilos!

No pain, no gain.

105 Things You Might Not Know About Me

It's snowing outside and i'm stucked here with my little girl, trying to memorize all her cartoon dvd's, so before my sanity takes me, i might as well write something. Just to unbore myself, while watching my daughter sing and dance.

To break the rule of "101", i'll write 105 random things about me.

The random photos don't have anything to do with all of what i say.

If you got bored, go to N. 75 =) Hey, not now. No cheating. Tell me you didn't look. hahaha!

1. Taurus. That's my zodiac sign. I'm not a horoscope fan though.

2. You'll wonder why i don't write here anything....i'm still thinking okey. =)

3. My official name is spelled "Cristina", but since i learn how to write, i always use "Kristina", so it became my official name now, with affidavits attached to my documents, of course.

4. My "official" nickname is TEENA. But, friends call me a lot of names: Cristine, Kris, Kri, Tina, to name a few. Childhood friends fondly call me "Matu".

5. White is the least color that i like (for clothes). Green is my favorite color in general (all shades of it)

6. I knew i would marry Tom Cruise or Raoul Bova (italian actor) if ever i meet them. I don't think they knew that. :D

7. Anyway, i am married to a wonderful man. Mission: possible! I lost count how many times he says "i love you" each day. Love you always Babes!

8. I have a 17 year old son, biologically, not with my husband. Who cares. In all respects, my husband loves him so much as his own.

9. I got another 10 year old son and a 3 year old daughter. "only daughter", i need to put emphasis on that. It means 3 kids and 3 CS operation is enough. Why would i torture myself again? =)

10. I'm officially married (by the judge) for 11 years now. I was wondering when we reach 25 years we'll have our church wedding. Hmm? Bucket list? =)

11. When i was young, mom & dad used to say i used to climb up the table & sing, then love posing in front of the camera. I have to admit, my daughter got it from me. She's a little model here in Italy! Ok, fine, she's cuter than me, hahaha.

12. I love drawing, sketching and making scrapbooks. Thanks to Facebook, i do these things less now. (sigh)

13. I love the name Alessandra. I could have named my daughter this. Too long. Improvised to Zendra, more unique.

14. I don't have enough sleep, always 5-6 hours sounds a "complete" one.

15. I don't drink coffee.

16. I love ice cream. Panna, Crema or Fior di Latte.

17. I have 992 friends at Facebook! (That many?)

18. I love reading books: thriller, motivational, romance and commedy

19. I finished Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I'm so interested in human minds. Don't freak out, i can't read minds...i read moves. =)

20. I hate messy. Never ever get anything from my things and never putting it back in its place. Ever saw a human volcano errupting? =)

21. My fave nursery rhyme, until now. "twinkle, twinkle little star."

22. I play chess. To those who doesn't heard of it. I'm a chess player during high school. Owss? Never a champion! hahaha! I'm not Garry Kasparov.

23. I can't swim! That's where i got the "fear of travelling by boats".

24. I can speak 3 languages perfectly: Tagalog, English, Italian. I can understand 2 more languages: Ilonggo & Spanish.

25. Did i say i can type 60 wpm (words per minute) with the old typewriter machine?

26. I prefer a margarita drink than champagne.

27. I love scrabble. During college, we "gamble" with it. Loser buys foods!

28. I'm still a Hello Kitty fan.

29. I don't use anything in washing my face. Should i be alarmed now that i am 40?

30. I used to wear eyeglasses when i was 7-8 years old. I'm farsighted.

31. I love sniffing/smelling a fresh painted wall.

32. Earl Klugh's "A Natural Thing" always relax me.

33. I would prefer the boardgame "Cluedo" over "Monopoly".

34. I love my friends -- all of them.

35. I got more than 500 cd and dvd collection.

36. Among crime investigation series, Criminal Minds is my favorite.

37. Digital world won't take me away my old Canon EOS film camera.

38. I hate envious people. I don't have time for their s**ts.

39. I love ironing clothes than cleaning the house.

40. I love writing. Hence, i'm blogging too much.

41. I can eat 50 fishballs in one sitting!

42. I have never tried playing tennis and bowling. Am i that boring?

43. One of my first books "Living, Loving & Learning", by Leo Buscaglia.

44. I love bracelet accessories more than anything.

45. Most expensive gifts my hub gave me: a set of earrings, ring & necklace with bits of diamond, and a 24 carat gold wristwatch.

46. Most expensive gift i bought? My hub's Sector diver's watch.

47. I like Julia Roberts.

48. I feel guilty when typing and having some grammatical and spelling errors unintentionally.

49. I am 4'10" tall. In my italian documents, 150cm. It will not tally if you convert it. Don't tell i "cheat" an inch here.

50. I love listening to people. You tend to learn something from them (genius or not).

51. I can bake cake. I'm just lazy.

52. Some tour on my bucket list: Disneyland Paris, New York, USA, Australia.

53. Fave song: "Love of My Life", Jim Brickman

54. Funny quote: Insanity is hereditary, you get it from your kids.

55. Broken-hearted: I eat a lot & cut my hair so short!

56. I hate boring people, talking non-sense. I would rather watch cartoons on tv.

57. I'm proud to be one of the "finalists" in a thesis writing contest during college. Title of our Thesis: Self-Concept of the Dentistry Students of CEU. (The subjects might have hated us, hahaha)

58. Serendipity movie. Seen it 20 times or more.

59. Take a ride in hot air balloon. No thanks.

60. I don't like beach water. I just like watching the view.

61. Mission Impossible: staying asleep after 8am.

62. I don't memorize my own cellphone number.

63. Cheated once in an exam during first year high school. I copied from my seat mate the wrong answers. D@mn!

64. I hate division in math.

65. I love ketchup mixed with mayonnaise for french fries.

66. I'm a people pleaser. Ironically, we can't.

67. I love cooking hotcakes. My kids love it.

68. I don't complain so much. I just keep it to myself.

69. My husband has more shoes than me.

70. Half of my drawer are colored black underwears.

71. I can't wear lacy undies, i'm allergic.

72. I have been hospitalized 4 times in my 40 years of life: jaundice when i was young, and 3 times caesarian operation giving birth to my kids.

73. I literally had 13 dextrose bottles during my first pregnancy.

74. I hate my thick, curly, natural hair.

75. Bored? Can you speak this 3 times perfectly without stopping : "kris seeks, kicks, clicks, speaks, kris, flicks"..... :D

76. I love iced tea: green, lemon, peach, vanilla.

77. I ate a serpent meat once, without knowing it.

78. I have never seen yet the movie Iron Man 1 and 2.

79. I was baptized in catholic church when i was 13.

80. I am not born as a catholic. (Iglesia ni Cristo)

81. I like Natalie Portman. She's beauty and brains!

82. I love Issey Miyake perfume, as well as Beautiful.

83. Marshmallows! I won't ran out of stock!

84. I'm not a "touch-techie" person. I can't use Ipad perfectly when typing. =)

85. "Oh Captain, my Captain." I can't believe i still memorize this poem ever since high school.

86. "George". That's the name of my crush when i was in first year high school in Maryhill Academy. He's fourth year then. Last time i knew about him, he's a professional photographer now.

87. I was once courted by a lesbian. She's cool. But i guess friendship is the only thing i can offer. A female is for male: my rules.

88. I forged once my dad's signature in high school, for my absence.

89. I love NikNok of Funny comics. too bad it's gone now.

90. I used to sketch/draw/make bookmarks during college and sell them.

91. I make extra money in college by making motivational posters, doing some research and typing term papers/thesis.

92. I have been to a precinct once. Not inside, but my ex-boyfriend! I'm cursing silently, "what am i doing here?" Reply to myself, "break-up with him."

93. I have a dvd of Beastly, Dear John and Source Code, but i haven't watched it. Saving it for the "no-other-dvd-to-watch." days.

94. I have seen Armageddon film for 10 times. Was that normal? :D

95. My hub said i snore a bit now when tired. I said no. Until he recorded it. Yaiks!

96. When i was a child, my greatest pleasure is to buy a Chippy barbeque chips snack. 0.25cents (pesos). It feels like Christmas if i buy one.

97. Now it feels Christmas when i buy Goldilocks butter cookies (polvuron). It costs too much in euros.

98. I only ride the Calesa once in Divisoria (Manila).

99. Manila Zoo. What? Where? Dish me up, but i haven't been there.

100. I have three brothers and 1 sister. I got 1 half-brother (before dad get married), and 1 half-sister (during marriage).I don't blame anyone. My older half-brother, i never met. My half-sister, we have a good relationship.

101. I hate being nervous, my hands sweat.

102. My biggest dream: a house with a wardrobe and entertainment area (cinema/videoke/billiards) and a pool.

103. My biggest frustration: to be an artist or to be a psychiatrist.

104. I can't drive a car. I'm too nervous to handle it.

105. My brain's squeezed as of now. Now where's my fave chocolate Snickers? =)

THANKS for reading or glancing!

Leathery

Honestly i'm not a leather jacket fan, but i guess, once in my life, i need to wear one. =)

P.S. earrings courtesy of VALENTINA.

Sigh, It's Monday!

Monday scene:

Zendra: "Mamma, ayaw school..." (with the sobbing effect) while i'm dressing her up for school.

Me: "Hahanapin ka ni Maestra Cinzia...sige na, jacket na..."

Zendra: "Waaaaaaaahh.." and continues to make an eardrum breaking howl.

Me: "Ay naku..dali na late na tayo...."

Zendra: "ayaw....waaaaaaah...wahhhhhhh..."

Me: Lord, keep me sane!

A "Plankton" Day

Sheldon James Plankton as we all know is Spongebob Squarepants' nemesis. In life, we just can't avoid "anatagonists". one of them is "being sick". My daughter's had been sick last week and she didn't go to pre-school for a week. I even talked to her teachers last wednesday informing them, Zendra might be back this monday (today) in pre-school.

Me: "Do i still need to get a medical certificate for my daughter for a 5-day absence?" i asked Teacher Cinzia.
Cinzia. "no. it's ok, as long as she doesn't have contagious disease (such as chicken pox, measles, etc)"

Me: "Just colds, cough & fever...nothing serious", i replied.

"So, see you on Monday!", said Cinzia.

Me: "See yah." i bid goodbye.

Yesterday, my friend, Winnie, and her daughter Maxim, with her cousin Jona went here to visit Zendra. The two little girls had some fun playing. Zendra's a bit crying and complaining about her right ear. Some liquids are pouring from her ears. OMG! what the....?
I asked my friend Winnie what to do, because Maxim had that experience before. She told me to wash with "acqua ossigenata" (hydrogen peroxide), as what her pediatrician told her to do.

Mine was already expired (it's been a long time i haven't used that), so Winnie suggested, "take mine, i got a new one in the house as well as the anti-biotics that the pedia had prescribed.

"Ok." i answered.

So around 8:45pm i went out with them towards their house. all the pharmacies were almost closed at those hours, so i'm grateful my friend got what i need. i was back home around 9:30pm, ate dinner, washed zendra and watched tv. i would say every hour of the night, i was checking my daughter's ear. it was the first time that happened to her. i was a bit glad she slept.

I was already awaken around 5:58am. i checked zendra..a bit of fluid had dried behind her ears, so i washed it out softly, not to awaken her. poor little girl. it must have been irritating.

I decided not to bring her to pre-school (again) today. If i brought her, for sure the teachers will call me to pick her up again if they noticed something's wrong with zendra. so, it would be a useless decision. I walked my son Jaki to school around 8:15am.

Jaki: "Mamma, you can just leave here at the gate, you don't need to wait for the ring to bell and wait for me to go inside, so you can go back to Kiara", my son told me. He's a good little brother.

Me: "Ok, just don't run ok? Ciao!"

Going back home, i stopped by at the bread store and bought 1 bottle of fresh milk.

Zendra is still sleeping when i open the door. my hub's cousin is watching tv.

Around 9:30am i finally found my pediatrician's fone free. From 8am to 10am, you're lucky to find her fone free. always busy!

So, i talked to her and told her about zendra's situation. She advised me to give her "tacchipirina" syrup (paracetamol for kids) every 8 hrs, even she doesn't have a fever. She wants me to bring my daughter around 8:15pm today at the clinic, but i just can't. i am at work that time. so we reset the schedule for tomorrow around 1:30pm.

I keep on checking zendra. from time to time liquids pour from her ear, but she doesn't complain of pain. she was just irritated everytime i clean her ear. poor baby of mine. with a bit of colds and cough, i guess she had suffered enough last week. and, i suffered more seeing her agitated.

Another thing going on, my cousin who used to babysit for my kids when i go to work was now in the hospital, not really feeling so well. Oh my! I panicked in a second...and called my husband.

Hub: "ask someone there..."

Me: "i guess there will be someone home at 4pm so i can get Jaki in school, leave Zendra at home, then leave them later when i have to go to work."

Hub: "ok..i'll be home around 6:45pm"

...i'm just sighing here.

if only i can be with them until tonight...

i hope tomorrow will be a better day.

i want a SpongeBob lively day...no more plankton's.

Keeping Fit

(don't ask me how i got my fotos. automatic shot is cool!)

i have been jogging for the past weeks every morning (except when it rains). during weekdays, i used to have 15-20 minutes of jogging. i can't run more because i need to prepare breakfast, and my kids for school. so every saturday and sunday, i run for 30 minutes or so. and i feel good. not that i'm thinking i could be slimmer. my goal is to stay fit even i'm "chubby".

i'm slowly eating less and diminish the carbohydrates in my body.

so far, i am enjoying this jog-habit.

true to saying: no pain, no gain!

current status: 53 kilos, waistline 30inches

will update after a month if i lose weight or not. =)

monday thoughts

it's monday again. i was already up around 6:30 am and headed to the bathroom. took a warm shower and get dressed. when i got back, my little Zendra is already awaken, crying...i held her in my arms and she was so warm...a slight fever i can tell. she was well last sunday, no colds nor cough. i guess there's a flu virus roaming around the city now.

i went out to bring my son, Jaki in school around 8:20am. Zendra slept again and asked my brother-in-law to watch out for her for a while. from school, i headed to the post office to pay some bills. i also sent an envelope to an italian friend, a journal and some flyers with her daughter on the advertisement. she's not from milan, so i would love to make her happy, sending those souvenirs. she's a proud mom, just like me. then i bought 2 bottles of milk, 1 box of spahetti (for Jaki's art class), and a little doll for Zendra. might as well make her happy 'coz she's not so well.

back home, she was already awaken and i handed her the little doll. she said "woow". and so she played while eating some biscuits. my friend called me up, she said her baby vomited. she always call me when her kids are sick. asking me some advices and experiences. am i good at it? =) Zendra's not the only one not feeling well today, i thought. Zendra drink her milk and ate some biscuits...but, later on she also vomited. sigh...this is one of the days that moms get to worry more. should i go to work today? should i call my husband?

well, i don't panic in situations like this. after i cleaned her up, got my self cleaned (she vomited at me too), i held her in my arms, while checking out some emails and stuffs at the net. what a multitask! i'm also helping my friend filling-up forms on-line.

while cooking soup, i turn-on the washing machine to wash the clothes that had been vomited. you know how they smell. =(

zendra's crying again---

operation: "call-mom!"

i need to finish some stuffs! i'm glad mom's 1 building away!

hope my baby will be ok tonight.

natural highs

it's not that i have no big ideas right now what to write about. i was just inspired by my friend's blog: ripemango

lots of words are rushing thru my mind and i can't help but follow her theme. call me lack of originality this time, but i'll just pretend she tagged me up. =)

since i can't count every little things that amazes me nor even be precise of the many breath taking moments, i will just state some of my natural highs that can't be bought or sold. there's no particular ranking here. first thought, first written..whatever comes to my mind.

1. laughing so hard 'til my face hurts while playing with my kids. their laughters are enough to make me feel high.

2. listening (and singing along) to old love songs while ironing clothes or doing something. it makes me fall in love over and over again.

3. finding an intact 10 euro bill in my jeans' pocket even after being washed. sometimes i forgot to check pockets before laundry.

4. having friend requests at facebook from distant relatives or friends i never heard for decades.

5. waking up and realizing i'm beside someone who dearly loves me. silently thanking god for giving me my hub who'll hold my hands 'til i grow old.

6. accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about me.

7. hot capuccino, fior de latte ice cream, spaghettini allo pesto and pizza margherita.

8. making hot cakes and eating them. i'm the only hot cake fan at home.

9. running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

10. watching the sunset and be amazed of the sky's colors.

11. knowing that somebody misses me.

12. eating snickers chocolate.

13. blogging and reading blogs.

14. finishing a film or a late tv show. lot of times my hub automatically turn off the tv 'coz i'm already asleep.

15. emptying the bin of clothes to iron.

16. capturing on camera some great moments of my kids. when they grow old, they will thank me for those.

17. finishing an italian book and learning more italian words.

18. having a 6-hour sleep at night. i usually sleep 4-5 hours. zendra's the culprit.

19. smiling (like a crazy one) when i remember something sweet or funny.

20. being proud of my son CJ's shoelace band everytime they win band competitions.

21. inspiring words like these echoing in my ears. "Live simply that others might simply live."~Elizabeth Seaton