The Simple Life

All my life I have been dreaming big.

Dreaming..

I will be this, I will be that.
I will have this, I will have that.
I will do this, I will do that.

Everything changed when I married the love of my life. Everything that was "I" became "We". Decisions are not made for only myself, but for my husband and I - for our family.

Although we have not yet thought of how things will be like when we start a family, we have discussed about earning enough income so that we can provide all the essential needs of our family.

I am adjusting my spending habit (slowly but surely), and consulting my husband before I make any decisions. It is a big adjustment for me as I am normally quick in making decisions. However, I value my husband's views. He is a lot more optimistic than I am and he tends to think twice about things and doesn't rush on making decisions. (That is one thing that I love about our relationship, we are two different people with different ideas, but unite in decisions and have the same beliefs.)

Things are not easy for us at the moment. We are still in the adjusting stage as my husband just joined me a few months ago. We are still trying to settle ourselves and our new life with each other.

One day I know we will reach our goals and dreams. At the right time. In His time.

Right now, I am very much content with having my husband as the first person I see when I wake up.

Everything else, we believe, will follow..

New Favourite Snack

My current favourite snack - Green Mango dipped in Rock Salt and Sugar.

This is a favourite of many Filipinos around the globe, and I am glad that the Mango season in Australia is around the corner.

I've been having my share of the Green Mangoes for a few weeks now. Yummy! :)

Leap of Faith

Bring on New Moon

The final poster of New Moon has been released, and it has made me even more eager to watch the second book/movie in the saga.

I got this poster from a fellow blogger who has all the information on New Moon.

Hubby and I are planning on watching this at Directors Suite so that I get to have the complete experience. Heehee. :P

The only sad thing about this movie (as with the book), is that Edward has minimal appearances. The focus is more on Bella and Jacob (although Jacob looks pretty good in the movie).

Still.. Gooo Team Edward! :)

Birthday Celebration at Palookaville

On Saturday evening, we celebrated Jana's (my High School friend) 26th birthday at Palookaville in Fitzroy.

My brother Jon dropped of Hubby and I at the venue. We were the first ones there, just a few minutes before the reservation time.

It was great catching up with High School friends. As you probably already have noticed, I rarely go out except for my shopping centre visits. It was definitely great to see my old friends again, even though some of our other friends couldn't make it due to sickness and prior arrangements.

One thing that was good about Palookaville was their price. Very decent indeed. They had mains going for only $12.00 (maximum $16.00 I think). So I was very happy to order a Chicken Parmigiana (with hand cut chips) for a good price. Not only was the price good, but the meal tasted good too!

For drinks, I had a couple of lemon, lime and bitters for only $3.50 each and hubby had a few beers (Little Creatures and Pure Blonde). It was our first time to try Little Creatures. My friend Anh recommended it. It has a unique taste to it, and it was quite smooth.

It was a lovely night of eating, drinking, chatting and laughing - reminiscing about the good old High School days. Hope to see them again some time in the near future.

Kiddie Party

On Saturday, Dash celebrated his 3rd birthday by having a screening of UP in 3D. Hubby and I attended the kids party. It was also our first time to watch a movie in 3D.

It was a great experience watching the movie in 3D, it adds a bit more life to the film. Plus, Up is a great movie for both adults and kids. All adults and kids at the party enjoyed.

After the movie we moved upstairs for some snacks. I helped the birthday boy go up the stairs, step by step. :)

We had snacks in the Hogwarts room, which looked like a smaller scale of the Hogwarts hall. On the long table were sausage rolls, chips, and fairy bread with matching paper cups and party hats. Dash had a magnificent Mickey Mouse cake baked and decorated by my talented brother Paolo - it tasted awsome as always!

Kids parties are always fun. It allows the adults to switch on the kids in themselves. :)

Meeting with Chocolate

At work, we have a fortnightly sales meeting. Every meeting there is a "presenter and snack man", who will present any sales-related information to the group. Also, he/she will need to bring snacks worth (upto) $40.00 for the group.

It was Marc's turn to present and bring in some snacks for us. Marc decided to make a theme for his snacks - chocolate. Well thought I must say!

All sorts of chocolate products were on our table including a box of Krispy Kremes - I had the boston creme!

Mimco for Me

While searching for a birthday present for my friend Jana, I came across this gorgeous bag from Mimco.

The good thing about me nowadays, is that I don't buy for the sake of buying anymore. I think twice (or even thrice) before purchasing. The bad thing about me on the other hand, is that when I fall in love with a product, I simply must have it. *Guilty*

When I saw the Turnlock Bag in black leather from Mimco, it was love at first sight (it was also at 50% off). Hubby couldn't keep me away. I asked permission if I could purchase it (because Hubby is a more sensible shopper), and he declined. So we walked out of the store momentarily.

A few steps outside the door, I told hubby that my heart was racing with excitement about the bag - he then said yes. :D

Super happy like a child getting her favourite toy, I went back in the store to purchase my love at first sight bag. :)

[please excuse the photo as I used my phone, and there was also nothing inside the bag]

Tilkah for Jana

Hubby and I will be attending Jana's 26th Birthday Party this weekend. Jana is a close friend from High School - we were in the same group of friends (barkada).

Hubby and I made a quick trip to our shopping centre to buy her a present as we won't have any other time to buy one between now and the party.

We opted for the Diablo Studded Coin Purse in black from Tilkah. Something simple and something she will most likely use. The purse is leather decorated with antique gold, silver, and diamante studs.

Tilkah is one of my favourite stores, and some time during my crazy shopaholic days I became a VIP. Being a VIP, I receive 10% off any non-sale items. Thanks to my crazy hobby before, we received a discount for this one. :)

Lucky Me

When hubby and I crave, it's dangerous and fun at the same time. We go overboard, eating until our bellies are bloated.

Today, we craved for Lucky Me Pancit Canton, our favourite brand of instant noodles from the Philippines. So hubby and I went to our nearest Philippine Grocery Store to purchase some pancit canton in Chili-Mansi flavour.

We left the store with smiles on our faces. :)

Holy Kettle Corn (Philippines)

I want Holy Kettle Corn!!!

This is one of our favourite snacks. Hubby and I especially love Holy Kettle Corn during our movie nights at home, together with a jug full of mango juice. I can just about finish a large pack on my own, hence we need to buy at least three large packs each time.

The sad thing is, this product is available only in the Philippines. At the moment, I have no way of satisfying my craving for Holy Kettle Corn. I may just have to settle for normal buttered popcorn for the time being.

The taste of this popcorn is unique - a sweet and salty flavour - so difficult to resist! This awesome snack is available at leading shopping centres in the Philippines.

To my friends in the Philippines, please eat a pack of Holy Kettle Corn (in original flavour) for me. :)

The WotWots!

My favourite baby cousin, Dashiell, will be turning 3 years old this coming 30th of September. He will be celebrating by having a private screening of Pixar's movie "Up". This will be a children's party, but Hubby and I were invited. :)

We went to the shopping centre yesterday to find a present for Dash. A little clueless as to what Dash really likes (kids taste changes so often), we rang Dash's Mum, my Aunt. :)

My Aunt advised that Dash likes Playhouse Disney and The WotWots. We were aware of what Playhouse Disney was, but we were curious on what the WotWots were. So we headed towards the toy section and hunted for the WotWots.

We were able to spot the WotWots - the somewhat strange (but cute) looking pastel pink and blue creatures. Instead of buying Dash a WotWots or Playhouse DVD, Hubby and I bought him a WotWots toy. The WotWots toy speaks and sings. Hubby and I were quite amused and played with the toy ourselves. :P

Can't wait to attend the kiddie party and see Dash's expression when he opens our pressie. :)

Please pray for the Philippines

The Philippines is currently experiencing extreme flooding in many parts of the country, brought about by tropical storm "Ondoy".

I first learned about the heavy rain through Facebook statuses from friends in the Philippines. I didn't know how severe the floods were until I saw News Patrol via TFC.

Floods chest-deep, people (especially commuters) stranded, people sitting on top of the roofs of their houses trying to stay above

water-level. I felt instant sadness and concern for those greatly affected by Ondoy.

Please help us to pray for the Philippines and for the Filipino people. Let us pray for the safety of the Filipinos, especially for our loved ones.

The Diary of Art's Wife - First Blog Award

I received this Blog Award from my fellow blogger Riza of Crayons n' Pencils. Thank you Mommy Riza!

Blog Awards is a fun way of connecting with other bloggers and building friendships/community.

Here’s the rules: before you put the link, you must remove the participant number 1 from the list. So that all participants up 1 level. Who was number 2 become number 1, number 3 was 2, and so on. Then insert your own links at the bottom (number 10).

1. Juragan Jengkol Menuntut Balas

2. Cilpilicious

3. Enno

4. boodee

5. Woel

6. Lyla

7. Mr. D

8. Jenny

9. Riza

10. Thea

I’m sharing this blog award to the following lovely people:

1. Jigi

2. Leah

3. Era

4. Peachy

5. Eds

6. Jan

7. Joanne

8. Anney

9. Jenjen

Blogs ng Pinoy

I am a proud member of Blogs ng Pinoy. :)

Blogs ng Pinoy is a directory of blogs made by Filipinos.

I was invited by Blogs ng Pinoy to become a member of the directory.

Why not, right? I joined without hesitation.

Vote for my blog please. Thank you. :)

Stephenie Meyer: The Host

I am a MASSIVE fan of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. Since she released the saga, I have been her fan.

The only book I don't have is The Host, which is a somewhat sci-fi book. I definitely enjoy sci-fi movies, but I'm not sure if a sci-fi book will catch my attention.

After much consideration, I have decided to purchase this book. I have in fact, enjoyed her books so far. Plus, reviews say that even the non-sci-fi lovers will love this book.

So, I'm off to buy this book on my next trip to the bookstore.

Click here to read an excerpt from The Host.

Blogger Templates

Yipee! My template has now been updated. :)

Awesome (and cute) blogger templates can be purchased at minimal cost from Acornglue.com. I was able to spot my template from Acornglue.

I will not hesitate in recommending this site to you, as I had a simple and hassle-free experience with Sharnee (the maker of Acornglue).

Check out her work - I am sure you will fall in love with her templates! :)

Thanks Sharnee for my template. I love it!

Sophie Kinsella: Twenties Girl

One of my favourite authors is Sophie Kinsella. I have all of her books and I always watch out for her latest releases.

Of course, I have purchased her latest book - Twenties Girl.

Normally I bury my head in the book and finish the book in a day or two. However for the Twenties Girl, I have not lifted a page. I have reserved this book for our trip to Sydney.

You can read the summary of this book on Sophie Kinsella's Official Website.

I can't wait to start reading!

Loving Tigerlily from SurfStitch

Hubby thinks I have been a good girl (not making too many purchases), so he allowed me to spoil myself with swimwear from my favourite online surf store, SurfStitch.

I headed to one of my favourite swimwear brands, Tigerlily. I wanted something simple, something that will not go out of fashion. I opted for the Tigerlily Nueva Bikini.

Ordering from SurfSitch is easy and hassle-free. I especially love their inexpensive shipping charges. Not like other online stores which cost AUD25.00 to ship an item domestically!

Watch out for sales at SurfStitch, because they have some very good deals during their sales.

New URL and Signature

I have altered my URL and signature to coincide with my profile. Hopefully I will be able to change my header soon. :)

The new home of my blog is:

http://artswife.blogspot.com


And meet my new signature..

Goodies from Nuffnang

This morning my Dad sent me an SMS saying that I received a package. I was very curious to find out who it was from because I hadn't placed any orders online, and I normally get deliveries at my work address. Dad replied with "We love bloggers. Nuffnang." - YIPEE!

I kept thinking all day on what the contents were. When I got home, Dad gave me the package and I opened with much enthusiasm, as if it were Christmas.

I really love getting surprises. Through all means - mail, post, email, etc. It makes me feel special. :)

Look what Nuffnang sent me:

Some Redken hair products, Leggo's Italian Beef Casserole sauce, John West tuna and beans, Spring Valley Juicy Tea (Apple and Pomegranate), and a $10 Coles Group and Myer gift card!

Thank you so much Nuffnang for the wonderful goodies! xoxo

New Mimco Acquisition

Since I have been good lately (decreasing my impulsive buying habit), I decided to reward myself with a new Mimco acquisition. Of course, I seeked approval from my Hubby first. :)

Here is my purchase.

I love that it is a good size and is simple as well.

I was able to purchase this leather wallet at an excellent sale price (because of Mimco's mid-season sale). Check out Mimco's website, you still might be able to grab a bargain! :)

GMA in Australia

Hubby and I took a short stroll at a shopping centre the other week. It's one of our ways of unwinding, especially during hectic weeks. While sitting at the food court, look what we saw on the computerised Directory.

GMA Cable TV being advertised!

It was really strange seeing it being advertised in an Aussie shopping centre, but it was definitely great to see!

I'd love to see TFC (The Filipino Channel) being advertised too! :)

Japanese Goodies

Machiko, my former Colleague (my current Colleague's [Mark] girlfriend) came down to Melbourne from Japan for a one week visit. I didn't get to see Machiko much, except for a 5-minute hi and goodbye at Max Brenner. During the week she was here in Melbourne, Mark took the week of to spend time with her.

When Mark returned to work the following week, he asked mt to check my drawer. Look what I found!














Yipee! My favourite lollies from Japan! [Take a look at the cutely-shaped lollies]

It became my favourite Japanese lollies earlier this year when Mark brought some to work from his Japan trip.
Thanks Machiko for the yummy (and dearly missed) lollies from Japan! :)

Nuffnang Australia

I have been converted. I saw a post from my friend, Ate Jigi's blog about Nuffnang.

Nuffnang is a blog advertising community. Their ads are seen on 100,000 blogs by 3 million people daily. For more information please visit the Nuffnang site.

Glad to be part of this growing blogger community! :)