Thanksgiving leftovers

We've got a lot to be thankful for this thanksgiving:

- the gift of life (Swe-cha!) and a lot of other babies born this past year

- our family who is always there for us

- friends that we can always depend on

- having Thanksgiving dinner with friends & getting to take home leftovers w/c sustained us for another day *smile* (no need to cook the next day)

- our health

- and even though our wallets are coming up dry, our hearts and lives feel rich

Christmas Shopping

Our Christmas shopping is almost done.

I say almost because we have 1 MOCPLG gift left to order and when that's done, we only have to find gifts for my nephews and hubby's niece and we should be all done for Christmas. I wish we had the budget to get our friends and cousins gifts for Christmas too but I've been jobless for months and while I do enjoy the time I get to spend taking care of my son, we are really feeling the loss of income. I really have got to start working soon (pls pray for me).

The last time we got a bunch of gifts, we were able to score a good China wholesale deal from an online shop. I haven't been able to find a good one this year and with the sudden increase in the MOCPLG kids this year (5 new kids this year alone!) and again, the drastic change in our income, I don't think we'll be able to give out stocking stuffers to the families. Sad, no ?

The past few years, shopping was so enjoyable because I wasn't *this* budget conscious. This year, it's still enjoyable especially when I think about how the kids will look wearing the clothes we got them or how they will enjoy the books and the toys but I am not looking forward to next month's credit card bills.

Oh well! It's not like we do this all year round. Christmas and Swe-cha's birthday only comes once a year after all.

We'll tighten our belts after the holidays.

Coffee date

Hubby and I (and Swe-cha) had a Starbucks date this afternoon.

Okay,.. it was more of a drive-by-and-order kind of thing but I'd call it a date anyway - I'll take anything I can get right now :)

I saw a post on Fatwallet this afternoon about Starbucks' Share Event of Buy 1 Get 1 any holiday coffee and the promo ends today so I really made kulit hubby that we drop by today. Thankfully, Swe-cha (sort of) cooperated and we were able to go.

It's so hard to get Swe-cha to sit facing the rear now and would fight and buck and arch his back and kick and stretch his legs - basically, anything he can do to make it difficult for you to strap him in. He wants to face the front and see where we are going. I can't wait till he turns 1 and we can legally face him forward and position his car seat in the middle where he has a very nice view.

Updates

We got a few more items accomplished this weekend, double yay for us all!

here's an update:

- Christmas gifts for MOCPLG kiddies, only 1 gift left to order

- Christmas gifts for nephews and niece

- order and install new tires for car

- replace weatherstrip on windows

- seal windows w/ silicone
- *new* Buy Buy Life Insurance or Term Life Insurance for hubby, update life insurance information (mine), hopefully, we can get Life Insurance No Exam needed so it'll be faster and we can get a policy in place asap

- replace axle assembly on car

- bring car for inspection (DMV)

- renew AAA membership

- buy caulking / silicone gun

- buy and install baby gate on stairs

- *new* car seat for California

And for Swe-cha's birthday:

- birthday outfit

- book photographer and videographer *new* booked, but need confirmation

- order cake and cupcakes (?) *new* booked, but need confirmation

- finalize decorations, souvenirs, prizes and loot bags *new* booked, but need confirmation

- go over program details w/ host

- finalize headcount and confirm ribbon / tablecloth scheme w/ caterer

I've also talked to a good friend asked for the favor of driving us to the airport for our trip to California in a few weeks and for him to pick us up when we get back. Thankfully, he does not have any activities planned for those days yet and he agreed to pick us up. I'm relieved that we were able to get a friend to drive our car for us to/from the airport so we can use our own car seat for the baby, he's gotten into the habit of eating / licking / chewing the harness and buckles of the car seat and i don't want to rent one for him that's sure to be full of germs.

Pakiusap

S chatted me up last night and this was how our conversation went:

S: Uuwi na kayo diba ?

Me: Yes

S: Sige, mag iisip ako kung anong papabili ko.

Eh ? Na stump ako doon sa sinabi nya, parang ang daming mali sa sinabi nya.

Una, hindi ba dapat tinanong nya muna ako kung pwedeng magpadala o magpabili ?

Pangalawa, wala pa pala siyang kailangan ipabili, so please, hindi naman kami nag ma maka awang magdala ng gamit mo kaya wag mong pilitin ang sarili mo kung wala kang importanteng naiisip. Ok ?

Pangatlo, naisip mo ba na kung saan saan pa mamamasyal yang padala mo ? Ilang beses pang paulit ulit naming bubuhatin ang mga maleta at kahon na kinalalagyan nyan ?

- bahay hanggang sasakyan (nasa 2nd floor ang tinitirhan namin)

- sasakyan hanggang sa check-in sa airport (NJ)

- pagdating sa CA airport, papuntang sasakyan

- galing sa sasakyan papasok sa bahay ng kapatid ko

- mula sa bahay ng kapatid ko papuntang sasakyan

- sasakyan hanggang sa check-in sa airport (CA)

- pagdating sa airport sa Maynila, papuntang sasakyan

- galing sa sasakyan papasok sa bahay namin

Yan e kung maipapasok namin sa bagahe namin na pang-check in. E kung ma overweight pa kami ? Edi bubuhatin na lang namin para hindi kami mag bayad ng additional na fees, tandaan mong pamahal nang pamahal ang bayad sa bawat karagdagang bagahe na ipapadala sa eroplano.

Kung hahawakan namin yan, aba, edi mamamasyal pa yan sa stopover namin sa Atlanta!

Kaya sige, kung importante ang ipapadala mo, walang problema sa akin ang magdala. Gamot ba yan ? Mga bagay na hindi nabibili dyan ? O kaya's sobrang mahal pag sa atin binili ? Pero, kung di naman talaga kailangan, pakiusap lang, wag ka nang magpilit na magisip ng ipapadala para lang merong maipadala. HINDI KAILANGAN, ok ?

Hindi talaga.

Teaser

I've been blogging on and off about that online store that my partner and I are starting. We were able to get a lot of steam built up at the start but things have kind of slowed down this month - my partner is pregnant and is due to give birth soon. She moved nearer to the hospital in early November and lost her internet connection, she'll get it back when she moves back home. Along with her lost internet connectivity, we lost our communication as well.

In the meantime, I'm trying to do as much as I can on my end - I'm the technical person and she's the business & marketing person. Thankfully, she got a lot of the write-ups done and sent them to me before she went on temporary hiatus.

With what limited photoshop skills and imagination I had - and with a lot of help from the husband - we were able to come up with a logo. I can't wait till we officially launch our shop so please watch out for it!

I wish we could've come up with a cuter logo but this really embodies what our shop is all about - savings! We're all about the goodies and all about the savings. So this will have to do in the meantime. Now, I wonder if we'll have to come up with some sort of Mobile Wallpapers to advertise our shop when we launch it (hopefully next month) ?

Updates

Checked the status of my order for tires at Costco and it looks like they've arrived at our local warehouse. All that's left is to set aside some time to get them installed and we should be all set for our inspection at the DMV. We still have not figured out who's bringing the car for tire replacement and inspection.

Stroller-wise, it's still a tie w/ 1 vote pro stroller (Ninang A) and another vote (Meekerz) against bringing it. Mag-ask around pa ako.

Was also about to put in orders to purchase gifts for 2 more kids. 8 kids down, 6 more to go. With 3 more weeks to go before our Christmas party, I'm feeling pretty confident. Yun nga lang, the remaining kids are big kids na and it's so hard to shop for them w/o knowing what they like.