My sister’s home in Vegas is yet to be completed.  She has a walk-through (of her home) scheduled for February 21.  Because my parents are going to fly over there to accompany her, my mom has asked me to look up hotels in Vegas.  Fun, fun, fun.  I love playing travel agent, honestly I do.  I derive so much pleasure from it, I should just work at a darn travel agency, no kidding.  Who knows, maybe I was a travel agent back in my past life.  Hehe.

No, that’s not how much I’ve lost this week, are you kidding? This is my total weight loss to date (as of last night’s weigh-in). Pretty cool, ha? If you remember, I lost 4.8 lbs last week. I told myself I’d be happy with losing 2 lbs. this week but I would have loved a 3 lb. loss too. But I’m not going to complain; I think I’ve done pretty good for 2 weeks.

But I won’t lie — I’ve been struggling these past few days. I’ve slacked on my water intake, I’ve started to eat more rice than I really should be eating, I’m constantly thinking of enjoying a nice whole, oily, drippy cheese and pepperoni pizza to myself and I’m not eating every two hours as I should be. And to think it’s only been 2 weeks. This “lifestyle change” thing is pretty hard. Old habits are definitely hard to break but God knows I’m trying. I may not be working out rigorously at the gym (yet) but at least I’m there 4x a week these past 2 weeks.

Struggle, struggle, struggle. And today’s no different.

We can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

E and I celebrated our 4^th (civil) wedding anniversary a few weeks ago, January 12. No, I didn’t get Diamond Earrings. Not that I wanted any but hey, Valentine’s Day is coming up. Maybe I can start dropping some hints as early as now about this Discount Jewelry site I found online. They offer free Fedex shipping for orders over $99, free gift packaging, 30 day return policy and shipping is secure. The 30 day return policy really appeals to me because I remember buying a piece of jewelry from one store and returns were absolutely not allowed – you could only exchange an item for something else. I thought that was absurd, not to mention wrong.

For those who are on a budget, MyJewelryBox.com even has a Liquidation Center where they feature discounts as high as 77% off original prices. In fact, I found these on sale for 69% off its original price:

I’m not surprised there are only 7 in stock the last time I checked their website – at 69% off, that’s huge savings! Yep, I’m definitely bookmarking this site. Check them out yourself for more Diamond Rings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner ladies!

Tagged by both Toni and Joy.

Here’s the rule: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all.

1. At what age do you wish to marry? I wanted to get married at 24 and have all 3-4 of my kids before I hit 29. Then 24 came and I realized I was still a kid. I finally married at 28 (but I think 32 would have been perfectly fine as well!).
2. What color do you like most? Same as Toni — green.
3. Have you ever shoplifted? Yes.
4. Where is the place that you want to go the most? Anywhere with clear blue, gorgeous waters and fantastic accomodations and food!
5. Which part of you that you hate the most? My stomach (DH likes to call it “my pooch”, LMAO!).
6. When you encounter a sad moment, what would you do? Most probably cry — but I’d make sure no one but my husband sees me. If people are sad around me, someone has to look strong, right?
7. What are you afraid to lose the most? Losing my life at an early age. Second would be losing my family.
8. If you win $1 million, what would you do? Get rid of it and donate to charity. If I kept some, it’d be very little. I’ve always believed in balances — you get something THAT big, surely something bad comes right after. So I’d be happier knowing it was out of my hands.
9. What do you loved the most last year (2007)? Erynne growing healthy and strong and lasting another year in marriage.
10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you. They both love their family, have great kids, and they’re both devoted moms.
11. What is your new yrs resolution for your behalf? Better his communication skills.
12. Till now, what is the moment that you regret the most? That I’ve let myself go with my weight and as a result, I’m not the best mom/wife that I can be. And maybe purchasing our timeshare.
13. Which type of person do you hate the most? The ones that think they can bullsh!t a bullsh!tter.
14. What is your ambition? To one day be a writer and a fabulous hair stylist. I want my children to grow up to be excellent people.
15. If you had one wish what would you wish for? One isn’t even enough.
16. How did you celebrate new year? I don’t remember. We came home from a party and I ate another serving of kare kare, vowing to start my weight-loss program the next day — didn’t happen til 14 days later hahaha.
17 Name one of your body part your hubby or boyfriend tells you he adores. My butt! The boy just can’t keep his hands off, LOL!
18. It is already 2008, do you have a new year’s resolution? Hell yeah — lose weight.
19. What do you look forward to in 2008? Celebrating Erynne’s 3rd bday (her first party!) and treating Erynne and her little cousins to Hong Kong Disneyland in May. And being 50 pounds skinnier by then!
20. What were your accomplishments last year?  Mentally preparing myself for my weight-loss.  Realizing that I’m throwing away my life (Erynne’s and DH’s) by not living to the best of my ability (not to mention all those fabulous clothes I can’t wear!).  It’s a big thing to get to that point where you tell yourself, “enough is enough.  I didn’t want this before, but I really want this NOW.”  Raising Erynne in itself is an accomplishment, albeit she’s a bit naughty hahaha.

Tagging Liv, Ruy, Cheche, Nell, Amore and anyone else who hasn’t answered this.

Happy . I actually did better than I thought, considering the amount of food I was able to consume. I managed to work out 4x a week last week but didn’t incorporate any weight-training — I just did your basic 30-minute walk on the treadmill all four days. But my water intake? Now that was unbelievable. My first day of Weight Watchers, I chugged down close to 12 glasses of water. And it was effortless, really. I think, above all, my water intake was what made all this possible. Second would be eating in moderation. I’m not “dieting” guys. To prove this, I’ll let you know that I’ve eaten pork sinigang practically every other day up to my weigh-in tonight. Oh, and add in a few bites of pusit adobo. And don’t let me forget about that buffet we killed last Friday night. Plus, you know my obsession with rice. I don’t care what anyone says, I.will.not.give.up.my.rice. Never mind that I can’t drink sodas or that I can only taste the sauce of pork adobo, I will make sure I get to eat my white rice — albeit only a cup for lunch and/or dinner. So see guys, I’m simply changing my eating habits and knowing the better food choices I have out there (i.e., egg beaters!).

But don’t think I’m talking lightly. Or acting lightly. Everyday is a battle for me. There are so many times I want to overeat and have 2.5 cups of rice or 3 fatty pieces of pork–it takes a lot more willpower than I’m letting anyone see but gad, how I want to overeat on some days! When I’m walking on the treadmill, it’s oftentimes a battle just to get to a 10-minute mark. What do I do then? I do 3 10-minute walks after less than a minute of chugging down water. I tell you, every day is a battle.

But I got to my one week mark, didn’t I? One week down, many more to go.

We can do this.

This is my year, I’m telling you.

I always thought gold bars were something of the past – something that you would only find in some hidden secret treasure out in the deep ocean. But then again, I’m probably thinking like that because of that movie with Kate Hudson, “Fool’s Gold.” Did you know that back in Egyptian, Green and Roman times, gold bars had the power to change men’s lives? And it continues today— gold diversifies investments, protects one’s wealth and preserves one’s purchasing power. All the reason to go out and invest in gold bars, right? If you’re interested in purchasing gold, contact Monex Deposit Company (MDC). You’re in good hands with them as they’ve been in business for over 30 years, taking pride in the fact that they are America’s gold, silver and precious metals investment leader.

What Jen Means

You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you. You never give up, and you will succeed… even if it takes you a hundred tries. You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What’s Your Name’s Hidden Meaning?

DH and I have been going back and forth on dates we may be able to travel back to Manila for a short trip. So far, end of May and December are our choices. However, we aren’t able to confirm anything or buy tickets yet due to the fact my friend O hasn’t given me a definite wedding date. She’s thinking of a May or December wedding—the same months we’re considering for a trip to Manila! We spoke briefly last week and when I tried hounding her for a definite date—again—she promised me she’d give me an answer within two weeks’ time. Supposedly, everyone else and their mamas have been bugging her and her fiancée about a date that it’s starting to really stress them out. Welcome to wedding planning!

So two weeks’ it is and we’ll finally be able to lay out our Manila plans too. I just hope it won’t be too late to grab some of the nice cheap tickets I’m seeing online. One of the sites I’ve been frequenting is Cfares.com. They search the top travel consolidators, major airline sites, and online travel agencies to get you the best fare possible. If you’re familiar with Costco (a big warehouse full of goodies that you can buy in bulk at super low prices), Cfares has similar rules – you must be a member to take advantage of the low airline rates. But don’t be worried about having to pay a membership fee because, as told in MONEY magazine, you get that money back in one trip if you were to take a family trip overseas. The savings are worth it! I did some comparison shopping at priceline.com and surprisingly enough, I was still able to get a lower price at Cfares.com for a round-trip ticket from San Francisco to Manila—and that was just for a free Gold membership (there are two types: Gold and Platinum). Imagine my savings if I had a Platinum membership? Not only do Platinum members get the lowest rates in the industry direct from wholesalers and consolidators, they get below market airfares created in real time just for them—and these rates aren’t available anywhere else on the web! Best of all, Platinum members have purchasing power through cAgent—an exclusive service where you know your airline, travel times, and set your own price in advance. You’d be able to see everything before you buy.

I’m so ready to purchase. This is going to be a long two weeks.

I think that’s how his song goes.

O……….k, laugh at the Filipino guy why don’t we. Renaldo Lapuz, anyone catch him on American Idol? DH and I were laughing so hard yet I realized that he might actually be making some Pinoys proud. A little bit of fame, why not? And his own composition at that, hey. Simon’s right, I’d bet his song becomes popular. Yes, even if it is to laugh at him.

And the sad part? Renaldo was crying at the end because he was so thankful that he could sing in front of them. HOW HUMBLING IS THAT? I actually felt so bad for him–although I know he had nothing but good things to say about his experience. He had absolutely no clue.

It was definitely something else. Catch it on youtube tomorrow Meeya’s blog.

Everybody, say hello to the new William Hung.

I was out and about last week–window shopping, if you will–and I couldn’t get over how many sales were going on.  In fact, I was on the phone with my friend O when I told her, “America is on sale!  Every store I walk into, there are clearance items after clearance items…”  I’m not so business-minded but the thought of buying a few items and possibly selling it online came to mind.  Why not?  Take, for instance, Steve & Barry’s.  I walked into their store to find absolutely everything in their store $8.98.  Yes, folks — we’re talking even Sarah Jessica Parker’s Bitten line, all for $8.98.  Apparently, S&B was having a “winter liquidation sale.”  I should have bought some Bitten items and set up shop online.  It would have been so easy with Ashop commerce, an award winning shopping cart software that would enable me to have my own online store.  This ecommerce software is perfect for dummies like me–no need to program anything, no templates involved at all.  All I’d have to do is install the software, contact technical support for any problems and I could be up and running.  There’s a 10-day free trial; I’m real tempted to try it.  Ashop’s shopping cart software is integrated with all major banks, gateways and third party processors (Paypal!).  What have I got to lose?