Christmas Shopping Budget

This blog post is for my Christmas shopping budget! It's just simply too hard to resist christmas bazaars, especially the yearly WorldBex Christmas Bazaar that happens at The World Trade Center. This year, because I am trying to save - I want to come prepared with a list and a specified budget for shopping.

Usually (read: when I was still single), I don't care if I splurge all my money buying items and clothes that I wouldn't even wear. Now I want to be a budget planner and thought that I should earn my shopping money online. This week, I am dedicating my online work for it. I am even thinking of making a budget worksheet and a list of things that I want to buy. That should keep me on track whilst making my shopping guilt-free.

I am allotting just $100 for my budget and that should include gifts for everyone including some bazaar finds for my own closet. This is the first year I am trying out this "technique" which should make my Christmas a happy budget-friendly one.

Most people would spend so much during the holidays and start the new year with very few savings. I have a friend who even uses a free budget software and so far, she has kept her finances on the right course.

Merry Christmas Anya!

I can't be with Anya this Christmas and God knows when I will see her next. She is fond of Pokemon, everything Pokemon that is. When I spotted this doll at a toy fair, I knew I had to get it for her.



Hugging Pikachu before sending it off to Australia.


And now Anya shared the hug this Christmas!

I love you Anya :D

Baked Ziti and Roasted Garlic Chicken

My Christmas babies from the kitchen. The kids (nephews and niece) loved the Japanese Crispy Fry Chicken so much that it was gone before I could take a photo.



Baked Ziti ala Sbarro. Most important ingredients are the Romano and Mozarella cheese. Thank you to SM supermarket for making these and other types of cheeses available.

For the chicken, I spent a lot of time rubbing garlic all over it. I also dropped thinly sliced garlic onto the marinade. When I roasted this, some garlic also sticked to the Chicken. Then I used parsley, rose mary and thyme.

Merry Christmas from Lace

I am gonna pretend that am doing an editorial for a magazine.

Christmas for me is all about thanksgiving. I attended a party and an old fellow said that surely this year, there is at least one thing that you are thankful for. Surely, there was one moment in the year even if it was just a minute that you laughed, smiled, and felt happy. Everyone has something to be thankful for.

This year was amazing and one of the most colorful years in my life. I learned a lot from many challenges, mistakes, good and bad persons, and travel! We have to be thankful for the good and bad things that happened this year, all of them make us wiser that prepares us for the next year ahead.

Surely, there was at least one problem in your life that you resolved this year. My biggest problem and hindrance from doing what I love was gone just before 2008 is about to end. When I started pursuing my dreams and believing in myself, taking the risks - I got to know myself more, my talents and what I am capable of. I realized why God placed certain persons beside me and with me, somehow they are connected to what I want to achieve and they can help me get it.

Christmas also means hope that the next year will be better. This means that we all should believe in ourselves and never stop dreaming. At the end of every depressing moment, remember that on Christmas day, God gave us Jesus to save us. And when you think there is no way out, the answer is always God.

On TV, I overheard someone said that God is inside all of us. So all we have to do is to listen to our hearts, follow our conscience and that little voice within. Next year, let's all believe in ourselves and follow our hearts. Let's not make our hearts suffer, if you are not ready to do something or are confused then wait. Maybe there is a reason for us to endure some pains here and there. Our hearts will point us to the right direction where our personal legend can be achieved (thanks Alchemist). This year, it was my first time to experience letting my heart and soul take control. Seriously, I was like speaking in tongues and suddenly I have the strength to decide and say what I have to say. I felt almost like a puppet and maybe it was divine intervention, I am not kidding. It was unplanned yet it happened, problem solved.

Now I know there is truth in Jose Mari Chan's "Christmas in our Hearts". Let us not stop believing.

Merry Christmas to ANYA, ate Joni, Vincent, and every good heart on the planet!

Stay beautiful, style and relax!

Mama's Christmas Photos

This post is for Mama's friends and my sister Joni.


Mama is very proud of her Christmas decors. She made everything all by herself and now our house is filled with streaks of Christmas colors.



This afternoon, she was in the mood to have a photo shoot around the house.

Mama for Style and Relax


More photos here