If you’re the type of grocery shopper who brings a list and a calculator to stay on budget, price tags are your bestfriend. During those days when I was still trying to get a hang of budgeting, I would actually input the prices one by one on the calculator just to make sure we’re spending within our grocery budget.

I’ve been noticing though that groceries don’t put price stickers on their goods anymore. I thought maybe they’re trying to save on sticker paper and opted to put the price tags on the shelves instead. Thing is the price tags are not always correct and there would be times when the price scanned by the cashier would be different from the one on the shelf. No problem if you’ve got a buffer fund (which I now always have) but if you’re a bit tight, that would really be annoying.

If they can’t put price stickers, they can just install ls2208 barcode scanners at the grocery aisles so you could at least double check if the price is right before you reach the counter. I noticed PureGold has price scanners in their stores.

I’m going to the grocery again in a bit and I’m armed with my list. I don’t use a calculator anymore because I’ve somehow mastered my budget. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was in the beginning. As long as I stick to this list, I know I’ll be spending within my means.

One day my lunch mates and I were talking about our weirdest (a.k.a. horrific) experiences on the road. Can’t remember how we ended up talking about it though. Just one of those random conversations that spring from one topic to the other.

Kernan is a responsible and law-abiding driver so we’re always safe on the road. Yes, we do encounter some annoying experiences particularly with jeepney drivers haphazardly driving at night with no headlights or bus drivers who act like they’re kings of EDSA. But hubby always manages to keep his cool and stir us to safety.

I did have a few weird experiences on the road years ago but they’re etched in memory to this day.

I was in highschool and it was my birthday. My friend’s dad picked the two of us from school so we could spend some bonding time in her house. Poised to make a U-turn, our car suddenly came to a halt after another car from the opposite side of the road refused to give way. Both drivers exchanged mean glances and some “hand signs.” After we made a U-turn, both drivers started “competing” with each other for road space as if they were on a race. At one point, they got too close and both cars scratched each other. No biggie for us since the car we were riding was relatively old.

But the other car looked like new, so the driver got so pissed. He overtook us, parked at the sidewalk and got out of his car. He was motioning for us to park too, apparently, so both men could talk and settle the matter. The traffic light showed red so it seemed we had no choice but to stop. My friend’s dad who might have had an inkling that stopping would be a bad choice slowed down the car as we neared the sidewalk then sped off just as the traffic light turned green.

I remember looking through the rear window and seeing the other driver pull out a gun and aim at us. We quickly ducked at the back seat and prayed hard the man won’t shoot. After a few detours and extra turns, we finally got to my friend’s home safe and just a little bit rattled.

Another instance was when Kernan and I were headed home after a date work (this was ages ago when we were still dating), it was raining hard and we didn’t realize that the roads would get flooded so easily. Trying to find a passable road, we miscalculated the depth of the water and ended up getting submerged in the flood. We almost panicked as water started seeping into the car door and onto the floor. We couldn’t call a 24 hour towing service so my dad and his dad had to come and get us. My dad tied a rope to hubby’s car and towed it to higher ground.

That was definitely a defining point in hubby’s car preferences. Ever since, he’d always go for the bigger and taller cars that could brave flood waters. After Ondoy and the rest of the storms that came with it, we realized that big cars are indeed a smart choice.

I commute everyday and I am always safe. But sometimes, when traffic gets heavy, drivers become bullies and the heat turns sweltering, it makes me want to fly or teleport to go wherever I need to go.

Funny because when I was younger, I thought that would be how most people would be traveling in the year 2000 and beyond. Blame it on the Jetsons.

Isn’t this lovely? It’s the Dragonfly Hydrangea yoga mat from Gaiam. I want!

Gaiam mats usually range from 2,000 to 3,000 pesos, so I’ll consider investing in this beauty once I get more serious with my yoga practice.

Since I’ve been working on getting fit, I am becoming more convinced that yoga is the way to do it. I mentioned in my previous post that I bought a Self Fitness DVD. I tried it this morning but I wasn’t too keen on using weights and exercise balls. It does have a pilates and yoga segment so I’ll have to try it a second time to see if it grows on me.

I tried doing MTV Power Yoga but it was not very newbie friendly. It’s too fast – paced and advanced so I may have to save it for later.

I found myself going back to my Yoga Flex workout. It’s actually my favorite among the three. I’ve memorized the poses already because the pacing and instruction are great. It’s only 20 minutes which makes it an easy workout to do and it’s very relaxing too.

I used to do boxing but for some reason I don’t feel like doing rigorous workouts anymore. I’m more inclined to workouts that are kinder and gentler to my body. So even with all it’s high tech treadmills and sophisticated exercise equipment, I still can’t bring myself to consistently go to the gym. I’d still go back to my yoga mat.

So I’ve checked off yoga workout on my to – do list today. I’ve scribbled it again on my to do list for tomorrow. I’ll take this one day at a time.

I was on my way home when this humongous white vehicle crossed the intersection. All the nearby cars and jeeps came to a halt like commoners who would clear the way and bow down to royalty. Woah. Flashback to a week ago when Kernan and I saw the same white Hummer. “Mahal, bili tayo niyan!” “Okay mahal, you may have to wait a bit until I’m earning thousands of dollars. But we’ll buy it after we buy your Harley.”  I love it when we have conversations like that. It makes this whole work and money game so much more fun.

Honestly, I don’t quite get his fascination for such a bulky and boxy vehicle. Not to mention the high cost of maintenance it might carry with it. I can’t imagine driving this down Edsa, I bet this baby can’t survive on cheap car insurance with all the hazards in that traffic jungle. But then again, maybe I’m underestimating it’s power. “Angular, strong, street smart and sexy…” How’s that for a description? Hmm… I still don’t get it but to each his own. As for me, I prefer something that’s both sexy and pretty just like Bella’s after car in Breaking Dawn, the Ferrari F430. In pink.

What’s your dream car?

You made me  a little sad today. That pair of Air Max 90s was my birthday and Christmas gift for my hubby. It was the most expensive gift I’ve ever given him. I spent my well-deserved bonus on those shoes. I stayed late in Gateway with my friends just so I could go home exactly after 12 midnight and surprise him with the gift on the first hour of his birthday.

My heart would soar every time he said they were his favorite shoes. My heart would soar even higher when I see him wearing them everyday.

Yaya just washed them and placed them outside the house so they could dry properly. And for you to take those special shoes just like that makes me sad because they will never be as special to you as they were to us. To me.

Bless you whoever you are who took those shoes. I hope they take you to places where you want or need to go. I hope they make your outfit look good, though I’m sure you’ll never look as good as my hubby. I pray they bring you luck somehow so that one day, you’ll have enough money to buy your own shoes. And another pair for some kid who walks barefoot on the street so you can make up for the ones you took.

Lastly, I want to thank you because you’ve given me the perfect opportunity to give my hubby a cooler, funkier and more expensive pair of Nikes. I will have to save again for it but it’s okay, I know my shoe angel will throw more money my way.

God bless you,

Jayme

“Mommy, let’s buy Baby Jaguar…”

Jamaine was watching Dora the Explorer when she blurted out that she wanted to have Baby Jaguar. I had to explain to her that jaguars are actually animals who live in the wild and they are not for sale. (Unless you become a high rank and/or wealthy politician who can keep wild animals as pets.)

But she insisted we should buy jaguar thinking that if Diego has one then she can have one too. I told her we’ll talk about having pets when she’s a bit older and able to take care of them. She got distracted by another toy and rested her case.

When we were young, my brother and I had a brown puppy for a pet. But as it turned out, we were not that prepared yet to keep one and sadly, the little pup died weeks later.

I am not too keen on letting my girls have dogs or cats as pets. They can bite and scratch. And no matter how careful you are, there’s always the possibility of getting hurt. I imagine that keeping them is quite high maintenance what with dog food, grooming aids and shots. It’s just like having another baby in the house.

I would probably consider letting them have goldfish for starters. That’s the safest pet I can think of and more manageable maintenance too. Just a good fish bowl, fish food, a few bowl accessories and a bowl cleaner or filter and you’re good to go.

I think that would be good practice to learn how to be responsible in taking care of a pet with very minimal risk of mishaps or injuries.

Not to mention, I recently read in feng shui sources that placing a fish bowl in strategic areas of your home can bring in wealth.

When we move in to our dream house, maybe we can integrate a pond in our garden that looks something like this:

The girls would have more fish as pets while I would have a wonderful meditation spot.

Of course, this would mean a bit more maintenance since you’ll now have a mini-ecosystem to maintain. But I read there are pond filters that do an all in one job of cleaning and maintaining a garden pond.

I like the idea of having a slice of nature in my home and peaceful little fishes swimming about in the garden. Definitely better than having a four-legged wild pet walking around your garden. Even if it’s as cute and gentle as Baby Jaguar.

Next time we chance upon a pet store, I’ll show Jamaine some gold fishes.

It’s me again.

I guess you know by now why I’m writing you. But in case you’re wondering if I’ve fallen in love with another pink laptop, I haven’t. Yet.

I know I’ve mentioned I liked this fashionable little netbook and this sleek white Mac, but I’m still pretty loyal to my dream laptop in pink.

My trusty laptop is still working fine. It’s  almost five years old but it’s still running smoothly.

The problem is my old laptop got into a little mishap and, well, it got a bit injured…

It lost a ” tooth,” actually…

I’m pretty sure HP laptops are pretty sturdy and can last for a decade maybe. But I’m afraid it’s not as strong against playful poking and picking little fingers.

I tried putting the tooth back, but it kept falling off. Maybe it’s a sign that it needs to be replaced? (Crossing fingers…)

I know I should be more careful next time and I’ve already got a plan. After I get my new one, I’m passing on this laptop to my babies so they can use their own laptop whenever they want. I’m sure they’ll manage to use it even if its missing the D key.

Well, what do you think? Maybe this time I can get my wish… much faster.

Much love,

Jayme

I’ve been going on some late nights recently and I could see my skin doesn’t like it. I’ve been mostly on an external pop and spot treatment mode but I realized an internal preventive measure may be better.

I mean there’s a lot of exposed acne treatment products that may be effective in ridding my surface breakouts. But they don’t actually treat the root cause which is what goes on and what goes in my body. This only means if I lack sleep and I eat unhealthy, it will most likely show up on my face.

I’m still working on the sleeping part, it’s still a bit of a challenge especially when my girls have sudden night terrors. I haven’t been eating chips at all but I am still heavy on the chocolate. Ack!

My diet’s saving grace which saves my face are the fish, chicken and vegetables that I often eat because I don’t eat pork and beef. Research shows these lean meats and leafies fight breakouts so I’m on the right track.

I really gotta lay off on the chocolates though if I want my skin to clear up completely. Chocolates are my happy food especially when I’m stressed, but I guess I can always resort to fat-free blogging.

Now I’m craving chocolate but there’s a breakout threatening the side of my nose. Off to blog some more.

I’ve never been a fan of TV series but Leverage has got me hooked.

I watched Smallville and Heroes before but I didn’t feel compelled to finish them. Leverage has some mind games involved and I was wowed right from the first episode.

Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman) is so cool. It’s funny how Sophie’s a terrible stage actress but when it comes to con operations, her acting is perfectly seamless. She could do a variety of accents and play almost any role — a horse broker for Chinese nationals, reporter from New Zealand or lead of a Tennessee injury lawyers group — she could pull it off convincingly.

And did I mention she looks so pretty and fabulous?

I’ve just began the first season and I force myself to just watch one episode every night. If another storm hits, I’m gonna stock up on popcorn and do a marathon.

Wow.

The things that money can buy.

I caught this photo of Paris Hilton’s luxurious dog mansion in my feed reader and I thought she must really, really love her pets.

Imagine spending $325,000 on a dog house complete with mini furniture, lush beds, a packed wardrobe and a black chandelier. These dogs are quite lucky.

Luckier than most homeless people I see everyday.

P15, 730,000 can be spent to build mobile homes or fund housing projects for the homeless.

But then again, even if we do have social responsibility to help each other, rich people are entitled to spend their money however they want.

When you’re wealthy, it’s your choice if you want to help others or help yourself.

If you worked hard for your money, you deserve every bit of luxury you can afford.

But if you’re a public servant holding the highest office in the country, you don’t go around spending money for your personal luxury.

You don’t spend $20,000 and $15,000 for dinner in a posh restaurant abroad when you know thousands of your countrymen are suffering starvation back home.

You don’t spend P1.2 billion on a jet for your personal safety when you could allocate that money for better education, efficient health services, safe housing, and stable livelihood for people.

I am usually oblivious of politics and politicians because they’re mostly bad news.

But the string of lavish acts she has done lately is quite hard to ignore.

I don’t care if she wants to be a Paris-like heiress, just as long as she leaves the people’s money alone while she’s at it.

Photo from: People Pets