Camiguin and Pastel

This picture is the White Island in Camiguin which is located in Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Camiguin is a booming tourist destination in the Philippines. Photo courtesy from skyscrapercity.com

If you love crowd, visit Camiguin Island during Lanzones Festival. It is usually done during the middle of October every year. My cousin sent me a postcard showing lanzones in it and I was so delighted. During the Holy Week, thousands of visitors walk around the 64 km-circumferential highway as a form of sacrifice in fulfillment of a vow. It is a religious event which attracts the visitors nationwide and from other countries. The place is a good retreat to be closer with family and appreciate nature. Blue water, fresh sea foods and when you return home, take Pastel with you for snacking. My friend Eleanor sent me this picture and I missed it right away. We are just lucky that the bakery Vjandep is in Cagayan de Oro City too. This delicacy is famous in Camiguin and visitors take advantage of buying it as "pasalubong" for families

photo courtesy:DAVE RYAN

Camiguin is my summer destination since childhood. I have a whole clan living in Mahinog, Camiguin Province, and I love the beach and the fruit crops in this place. I am just having a nostalgic moment over Camiguin which this Pastel came from. I miss this food.

NSVDR Parish Church in Consolacion

This is Nuestra Senora Virgin del Rosario Parish Church in Consolacion, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. During my elementary days, I belong to the choir and I had some fun memories especially during Christmas Season.

Every 16th of December, we are excited to wake up for dawn masses. I miss singing in the church choir and singing the Christmas carols. The Christmas celebration in the Philippines is totally different here in the US. I prefer the religious activity, family get-together and Filipino foods. I miss the "lechon" too.

I hope next year, I will have my Christmas Celebration in the Philippines.

Rantings

Sundays and Mondays are my favorite days of the week during Football Season. Well, one of my favorite teams played so bad yesterday. I was screaming at the top of my lungs during the first half of the game and was burning in anger especially at the last minute of the game. Despite of what happened, I am still having a good time when some of my picks won. I am hoping that the teams Saints and Vikings will be in the finals.

Sweets and Chocolates

Who wants sweets? This is only one tray, wanna see more?

Do you love chocolates, candies, ice cream and all the goodies of sweets? Would you believe that I have not eaten ice cream for couple months now? Weird right? These goodies was sent to us by my brother-in-law who lives in Missouri. Actually, I did not see him yet but, I talk to him on the phone. He and some members of his family will visit us in February to celebrate the 80th birthday of my father-in-law. It will be a big celebration and everyone is excited on that date. On that week too, there will be a Mardi Gras Parade. Expect a lot of Mardi Gras pictures again and beads!

Wedding Accessories

When my brother got married this year, one of the wedding accessories that they had was this unique cake topper. How did they come up with a bride and groom on a motorcycle? The answer is very personal and their love story evolved in this caption. My brother had a motorcycle and it was their means of transportation to anywhere they want to go. He would pick her up from her workplace and off they go for a date. Sounds so sweet right? What was really unique was when they enter into their reception hall as a couple, they surprised everybody! They rode in the same motorcycle and it was really new to most of the invited guests. The wedding ceremony at the church was solemn and the reception was really enjoyable.Wedding accessories that are needed in weddings are glasses, cake server set, napkins, garter and many more

Wedding planning is really important and it needs both individual to meet halfway in regards to decision making. Other accessories that need to talk about might be just a minor but play an important part on the wedding day. If you are planning a wedding soon, do not forget that wedding accessories play vital on that special day. Make sure that both of you choose your wedding glass, cake server sets, napkins, garter and many more. Communication between the bride and groom must be practice at all times.

Happy Birthday Umma Gwapa

If you have been blogging for more than a year now, you must have known her. She is known to us by the name----> UMMA. It's her pen name of course. Today, it is her birthday and though she is so busy outside the blogging world, she missed us all and that is for sure. Please visit her blogs and take time to greet her and wish her good health and more blessings.
 

This woman is the kind of person you want to go out for window shopping with. She loves signature purses, much as I wanted to give her but, can't afford it...hehehe. Despite her glamorous lifestyle, she still an ordinary Filipina who loves to eat with " tuyo and suka" dip on the side. I forgot if she likes it with "sili" though, LOL.

She is so down to earth. She is a friend that you can rely on and will not expect any in return. Umma girl, happy birthday and I wish you an enjoyable celebration with your family and close friends. Merry Christmas too! Have a wonderful holiday my friend.

Club House Gravy Mix

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Club House. All opinions are 100% mine.

Christmas is a perfect occasion to gather your family and friends, and enjoy a good holiday cheer together. It is a time for fun and share a good meal too. When you hit the supermarket this week, make sure you include on your list the Club House Gravy products.

Club House provides great gravy for a hearty meal during Christmas dinner. It is easy to prepare and it will make great tasting gravy that your family will surely love. I recommend that you watch this gravy tips video clip because it is very helpful in making your homemade gravy. You will get an idea that would make your Christmas Turkey Dinner a meal to look forward to.
 

Make an end to that pale looking gravy. Make a habit to include Club House Gravy Mix because this product can help you make delicious gravy with no sweat at all. From the words of expertise of the chef on the video, anyone can make great tasting gravy with a little help from Club House Gravy Mixes. Visit the Website and have a newsletter sign-up and contest entry now.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Few days from now, we will be celebrating Christmas Day! Are you excited? Well, I am! It is always my favorite celebration that I look forward every year. I am done shopping for my 12- member family here and my 4 women colleagues at work. I will be shopping on Tuesday for my husband which I am still confused what to give. I gave him a Satellite Radio in advance and he love it. Of course, I need to find good stuffs too for my 8 co-workers. I know, I do not need to give but, I love giving something. Just a thanksgiving too for all the blessings that I got this year.

For my family in the Philippines, I already told my mom to give cash gifts. I have 20 immediate family and their gifts are ready for Christmas. I only have my mother and the companion of my mom, Tina to think of now.

Let us not forget that it is NICE to give and share your blessings. Expect nothing in return too. Good health is more than a blessing. Do not forget to thank the LORD for a bountiful blessings this year. Have a Merry Christmas everyone.

Who Am I?

I am just an ordinary person who excel in my own unique world. I would say, 98% of my students every year likes me. That was a history now though. Back home, I was a teacher for twelve years. I can't please everybody because of my strict policy. But I would say, my students and the parents appreciate what I did for them. When I choose to follow a different path, they shed tears when I bid them goodbye. That was really sad yet awesome, knowing they love me. I love the music of Josh Groban and I idolize Lea Salonga for her passion of music and sharpness of her ideals. Fascinated with Walt Disneys achievement of having that fortune, a tremendous accomplishment. I giggle with animated films such as Nemo and admire the fantasy story of Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Movies of Jacky Chan and Eddie Murphy makes me laugh and I become a dreamer watching Notting Hill, Maid in Manhattan and Pretty Woman. My family is important to me. I salute my mother for her compassionnate heart. I envy her strength to survive amidst all odds of life. Her being is unequal and her belief of God is very admirable. I love her more than anyone else. My brother is the person I admire for his devotion to his family. He stood by us when me and my mom were dependent on him. I have a normal childhood (me, mother and brother). That is normal to me. Got friends from all ages and all walks of life, hehehe . I am a loner type but not lonely. In college, I was the studious one and a confidant to most of my friends. I am the kind of friend that could listen to all their rantings . I confide to GOD when problems shattered me. Attended in a University and was a self-supporting student. My college life was the most memorable moment of my life. Music fills in all my activities. My experiences made me who I am now. Working is always a need for me to have to survive and live the good life. I have no complains. I am so much blessed in life. My husband is the greatest addition of God's blessings to me. And I am grateful to God for all of me and everyone that surrounds me.

Spending Christmas Vacation at Branson

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Having a hard time in deciding where to spend a relaxing Christmas Vacation? I will suggest that you should visit Branson, Missouri and stay Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. You and your family will not only enjoy the exciting holiday activities surrounding the place but also get the satisfaction of choosing the packages offered by Hiltons of Branson. Starting at $329 per night, you will enjoy the ultimate summer holiday vacation with your family. Women love to shop so; give them the privilege to enjoy a timeless shopping spree and a relaxing treatment at Aspire Medical Spa. It would be a great experience to soothe the mind and body away from the stress of work, right? Your children will also enjoy a "Story Time" with Mrs. Claus in the lobby of the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. Starting at $189 per night, Santa himself will deliver presents, cookies and milk to your children. See how their delightful expression lit up with that experience. Live entertainment is available throughout the day and more than a hundred shops available at Branson. What more can you ask for?

New York Pizza at Singing River Mall

Yes! There is a place called "Singing River" in Mississippi. I was wondering why it was named that way and how it derived its name? I was amazed with the name of the place and guess what? When we drove to that place, I was enchanted with the huge hospital they have. The landscaping is really beautiful. And you know what I remembered well? It was the group of ducks or swan walking in the middle of the traffic junction and all the motorists had to stop to give way of those lovely creatures, LOL. In awe, I forgot to take a snap, hahaha.

Anyway, back to Singing River again which I would like to share with you. Singing River Mall is located in Gautier area nearby Lowe's. I always describe this mall as "SAD MALL". A year ago, I noticed that most of the business establishments were closed. You can count the cars parked in the parking lot really and that was a scary situation if you own a business there. New York Pizza on the other hand is booming! I was thrilled to see people gather in this area and dine in. Some were ordering to go. My husband loves their Pizza. I love their bread sticks.

Lanky bread sticks, huh? The taste is heaven. If I missed Olive Garden's bread sticks, this one passed my taste standard. Eat it hot, so yummy. If you happen to pass by Highway 90 in Gautier, look for Singing River Mall and find New York Pizza, food is AWESOMELY delicious. Yep!Really!

Peter Anderson Festival

What I love about Ocean Springs, Mississippi is that the community has always something to expect every month. Activities in Government Street are always to look forward to. Peter Anderson Festival is an exhibit of arts and crafts from gifted local artists and from other states too.

I saw hand-painting arts, mosaic, wood carving products, local delicacy and many more.

The busy shoppers were coming from everywhere. Some of them came from the other states. Well, I just heard some of them talking where they came from.

Anyway, I took some pictures of this beautiful wood carving products showcasing sea dwellers.

Fish, seahorse, crabs, pelican, seagulls, dolphin and many more. The price is about right because these products are extremely wonderful.

This Festival was really crowded and the people were really buying the products.

Bidazzled

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bidazzled. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you love to shop online? If you like to bid and auction an item then, check out Bidazzled. Bidazzled.com has changed the online auction market by offering savings of up to 90% on name brand merchandise and support a charity. This idea was launched in early November this year. Penny Auctions or Pay-Per-Bid auction Websites are bids which are purchased in advance and later used to bid on merchandise. If an item ends at a lower amount bid, then you will win the item on that amount. The difference of Bidazzled from other company is that it was designed to fund a lung cancer charity which is ruchfoundation.com. Visit Bidazzled today and register for free to start your auction or place your bid. If you win the item, Bidazzled will make an offer to buy the item back for cash either PayPal or check. If you are an auction winner, you will save over 80% off retail. If you are interested, you can use these codes up to January 15th: Blog- BBP1202A and Twitter- BTP1202A. Just enter the code on the registration page with no obligation. For more information about Bidazzled, check the Website today.

Saint Alphonsus Fall Festival

I had a wonderful time watching the kids play and looking at the parents taking care of their children during the Saint Alphonsus Fall Festival. My sister-in-law lives a walking distance in the school so, we passed by and I took some pictures. We are actually heading to downtown and see some display of the Peter Anderson Festival.

Outside of the school campus are the display of wonderful products and art crafts.

On this day, people are just either walk towards the Fall Festival or towards Peter Anderson Festival.

In here, the parents with kids are just roaming from one booth to another. It was really fun seeing the parents taking a day off just to be with their children on their school activities. This is an event of family bonding. But, of course, I saw some grand parents too. Probably, some parents can not just have a break on their demanding workplace.

The booths that I enjoyed watching the most was the Win-A-Cake booth, where you have to choose a number and bet a dollar on it. They have a spinning wheel and it will stop to a specific number. If it stop to your chosen number, you will win a huge cake. Well, most of us were losers anyway, LOL. I bet they raise so much money on that booth. I also love the horseback riding area. Kids love that area because it has a long line of children waiting fr their turn. Saint Alphonsus is a Catholic School in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Master of Arts in Teaching at USC

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am the kind of person who is interested to study further to advance my knowledge in Education. Back home, I already started my Masters Degree Program yet, I could not finish it because of my work schedule. The idea of earning a Masters Degree Online is a possibility that I consider at this point. The USC Rossier School of Education offers educators and aspiring teachers to earn a MAT degree online. The convenience of studying at the comfort of home is just one benefit that you will enjoy once you enroll. The degree is highly interactive using online learning and field-based experiences. Visit the Website and get the program information that they have. The school offers a groundbreaking tuition reimbursement and accelerated programs. The reimbursement program is offered to MAT graduates exclusively. The USC Rossier School of Education is internationally renowned research institution with a 100-year history of educating teachers. With that kind of school background, you would surely like the idea to become part of the elite USC Trojan Family. When you take the degree online, you will have the full USC student status and benefits. You can also participate in commencement ceremonies and free lifetime Alumni Association memberships.