Sophie’s 1st Photo Session at Pic A Boo

We celebrated Sophie’s birthday on a Saturday (September 4) but her real birthday is Sept. 5. This is because I have allotted the day of her birthday for her 1^st photo session. We woke up late that day (actually I woke up early) but everyone at home slept as much as they want probably because they are too tired the day before.) We had a late breakfast too.

I then arranged all of Sophie’s gifts in the living room and the cake from Red Ribbon and took pictures before we started eating the cake and opening the gifts. After that we hurriedly get ready for Sunday mass and it was hilarious because aside from Sophie I have three pamangkins to take care of that day.

We arrived at church just when the mass is about to be finished so we decided to wait for the next mass schedule. After that we went to Megamall in a hurry because our photo shoot session schedule was at 10:30 am and we arrived at 11am. I was surprised that Pic a Boo pala has many customers so they gave our slot to walk ins and we have to wait for 12:30. We just went to the Food court for a while.

Anyway, prior to choosing Pic a Boo, I did a little research on the net so I can avail the service of the best but affordable photo studio for babies. Well there are many excellent photo studios out there but I find almost all of them expensive.

My fist choice was Picture Company but their cheapest cost for printing is Php850  for an A4 size so that is equivalent to just 4 pictures. And I am not even sure if the 4 pictures will be four different poses. For non-members their photo session fee is 750. I find it so expensive so I tried Child’s Play.

The rates in Child’s Play are a bit cheaper than Picture Company but I am hoping I can get a photo studio that doesn’t charge for the photo session fee (parang sayang kasi). I was about to give in to Child’s Play when I saw Pic a Boo. Their shop in the 5^th floor of Megamall is very nice and child-friendly.  They actually look expensive but to my surprise, they offer free photo session and their packages for printing starts as low as Php550.

Plus I think their people there are friendlier and it’s also a plus factor that babies can have up to three costume changes. The photo shoot session was a nice experience for the whole family. Sophie was not in the mood at first but then started to smile and pose after a while. After the shoot, I had a hard time choosing just 12 pictures (I chose the package for 12 pics) because I like almost all of them.

Overall, I would recommend Pic a Boo to all parents who are looking for a good photo studio for babies. I am satisfied with the quality of the pictures and I am very happy because I felt choosing them was a wise decision. Here are some of the pictures from Sophie’s 1^st photo session.

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Help War Veterans by Purple Heart Car Donations Project

My grandfather is a war veteran. He was a member of the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East). Growing up, it was a source of pride for me to know that one of my ancestors is a hero. Too bad, my grandfather died during the war so I never got to know him. Even my father did not know him because he was still a baby when my grandpa died. But you know what; my grandfather was able to support his family through the pensions that he got as a benefit from being a soldier. So he remains to be a hero even after he died.

I think because of that I always seem to have a fondness for soldiers. I just look up to them because I know that their job is not easy. They are always ready to sacrifice their lives and leave for the sake of the government and the greater society.

So it is a must that veterans get the benefits they deserve. In USA, there is a project called Purple Heart Car Donations that aims to help war veterans through car donations . Though car donations, one will be able to help a better soldier because it will provide for their food, clothing and shelter.

 I wish  there would be programs like these in the Philippines. For those who want to help, do a great deed now and know how to donate your car.

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New Glee Fan

I was not able to watch any episode of the Glee’s 1^st season so I am actually clueless about the show. I just know that is somewhat like the High School Musical based from what I read in the news or heard from the conversations at the office. I got curious about it and really wanted to watch it but I didn’t find the time.

When it was revealed that Charice Pempengco is going to be part of the 2nd season, I said to myself that I need to watch Glee for me to understand what others are so excited about.  I bough a pirated DVD of the 1^st season but guess what-I still have not watched it up to now (lol).

So last Sept. 22, I just waited for the 9pm telecast of Glee at ETC cable channel and watched it for the first time. It was a fun show, got interested with the storyline and the characters right away and I was entertained further with awesome songs and dance numbers. It was nice to see talented kids there including Charice. Seeing her there makes me feel proud as a Filipino and I love her version of the song Telephone by Lady Gaga.  I think part of the reason for the show’s success is the fact that they provide better and fresher versions of popular songs.

I also think I have a crush on Chord Overstreet or Sam Evans, the other newbie in the show. His version of the song Billionaire is way better than the original Travis Mc Coy version and I just hope speculations that he will turn out to be Kurt’s boyfriend on the show is not true. I am really looking forward to the next episode.

Here are my two favorite scenes on the show:

 

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Sophie Turns 1

My daughter, Sophie is now 1 year old. To be exact, she is now one year and 19 days old (yes this is another overdue post). Can’t believe how time flies. The day when I gave birth via C-section in VRPMC in Mandaluyong is still fresh in my mind, like it just happened yesterday.

Well since that day, so many memorable things have happened. The first year of a child is really amazing. You will marvel at how a baby slowly grows up and develop under your care. Realizing that I have been a mother and a parent for a year now, I guess I can say that I have learned a lot, but there are still many more things I need to know. Sophie is growing up so fast! She is an active baby with a ready smile for almost everyone. I am so proud to have a daughter like her and I want her to grow up knowing that.

Well we celebrated Sophie’s 1^st birthday with family and friends at Jollibee Starmall. It was fun and I think the guests enjoyed it although I find it a little noisy and a bit disorganized. I think I want a simpler and more intimate celebration on her next birthday.

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Win A Free Blog Hosting and Domain

For some time now, I have been thinking of starting a new blog with my own domain name. Part of the reason is because I want to blog seriously this time. I want to challenge myself and start a new site where I can put all my creative juices. I want a useful and high ranking site that would be useful to my visitors and would also be a source of extra income for me.  

But you know what, I can be so stingy sometimes that even though blog hosting and domain does not really cost a fortune, I kept putting the idea on hold. I kept setting it aside because I have other priorities at the moment.

But you know what, I think fate wants me to pursue my plans now. That is because out of nowhere, I stumble upon this blog hosting and domain giveaway. I am so happy to have found it because it is exactly what I have in mind.

It is also very easy to win. Just create a blog post about the contest, get 7 comments, and then send the url of the blog posts to win. All of it should be done before September 30. For bloggers out there who also want to win this great freebie, click here.

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Great Opportunity For Deserving Teachers

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

In my opinion and I guess many people would agree with me, excellent teachers are a gem. They are society’s treasure because in shaping young minds to be responsible and good citizens, they are doing a noble deed.

So it is not surprising that there would be educational institutions or private companies that would be willing to give scholarship to college graduates who have great potential to be an effective instructor. One of that is the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship. They are doing this because they want to hire and retain great teachers. Ultimately, the real beneficiaries of this program are the students and the schools.

I hope there would be also be a program such as the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship here in the Philippines that willingly grants USD30,000 stipend to qualified professionals so they can earn an intensive masteral degree at one of the fourteen participating universities. They are specifically looking for fresh college graduates and career changers whose specialization is in the field of science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM).

What are the requirements for the Teaching Fellowship?

College graduate in a STEM field by June 2011

With a GPA of 3.0 or higher upon graduation

Shows a commitment to the program and its goals

What is expected?

Complete a field-based master’s degree in teacher education.

Commit to teach for at least three years in a high-need school.

Receive intensive support and mentoring in the classroom.

To submit an application to the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship, just visit www.wwteachingfellowship.org

Spread the word to all who you think are interested.

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Movie Review: Salt

I am not so excited to see this movie because I thought it would be too violent for me. You see I want to relax while watching a movie so I tend to choose feel-good movies. I watch it because I got curios about it. Have heard some rave reviews and an officemate said that it was indeed very good. It reminded me of another Angelina Jolie movie that I have seen and like which is “Wanted”.

So I went to watch Salt in my laptop (yeah another officemate was able to download it in the net lol). My expectations are low but I find it interesting the instant it starts. There is no dull moment in the film and the story is clear, simple and compelling. I think it would be good for people who want a break from a movie like Inception which is mind-boggling.

In the movie, Jolie plays the character of Evelyn Salt who is a Russian spy but is working for the CIA. She was raised to be a terrorist and she would be hunted by the authorities all throughout the movie. The movie is action-packed but it has a heart. The scene when Jolie jumped from a bridge and landed on a running truck shocked me while I was moved by the scene where Angelina looked down at her dead husband. This movie is highly recommended. And in the end, all I can say is that Angelina Jolie is drop-dead gorgeous and is a very good actress

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