Building Up a House

Hubby arrived home over a month ago and since then we were busy starting the construction of our house.

We got the house plan from an engineer. He already finished the plan last year. At that time, we asked him to create a house plan as we prepared the requirements for a housing loan in Pag-Ibig. We were supposed to get a loan at that time but didn't push through with it since we don't have yet the land title.

I told the engineer that the house has two storeys with one room on the first floor and three upstairs. When we got the house plan, it has a room on the 1/F and four on the 2/F. Too many rooms! But, the plan is done and paid for, so we might as well use it. We'll just tweak some features to fit our taste and style.

We hired the services of Hubby's uncle as contractor. With the budget we had, we would only be able to start with the construction of the first floor. (Our lot title is not yet done, don't know what's taking so long.)

After three weeks of construction, our house is starting to look like a house. We decided to leave the foundation of the first floor as is, with provisions for electricity and plumbing. We'll not be able to live in it now. By next year, hopefully, with God's graces, we would be able to bring in paint and tiles, etc. to make it a comfortable living space.

Feast of Our Lady of La Leche

The feast of Our Lady of La Leche is celebrated every October 11. This year, the Our Lady of La Leche Movement will hold the special day by having a mass on October 12 (Saturday), 8:30 am, at the Chapel of St. Martha in Harrison Plaza. According to the Inquirer report, Fr. Nick Blanquisco will give a special blessing of pregnant and childless women. Learn more about this event here. To get to Harrison Plaza, I saw directions from this website.

I'm planning to attend that Mass. I believe the OLLL Movement displays various images of Our Lady during this day and I want to see them.

Book Haul - September 2013

I've discovered a Book Sale branch that offers second-hand books cheaply; I saw books worth P5! Instead of going to the mall's Book Sale, I went to this branch to get my monthly book haul. 

It was a Sunday when I went there so the store closes earlier than during the weekdays. I spent an hour browsing through the titles, holding in my hand the books which I would like to purchase.

 

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The first book that caught my eye was "Heat" by Bill Buford. It tells about the adventures of the author as he worked in superstar chef Mario Batali's Italian restaurant. I know Batali from Iron Chef and I was intrigued as to what goes behind the scenes of a famous restaurant owned by him.

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I have two novels by Alice Hoffman which I haven't read yet but I can't stop myself from getting another one. I don't know why. Maybe I just trusted that Hoffman's a good author and her stories such as the "Blue Diary" would be worth reading.

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"A Recipe for Bees" by Gail Anderson-Dargatz had a cute cover. Novels about bees interest me, after reading Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees." The story is about Augusta who learns about beekeeping which helps her reconnect to the world and strengthen her marriage.

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"Basket Case" by Carl Hiaasen is about a former investigative journalist turned obit writer, Jack Tagger, who tries to resurrect his name by solving a murder case of an infamous rock band vocalist. Praises written on the book's back cover said it was a fun and hilarious read, so I bought it. It wouldn't hurt to have something comical in my book haul.

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I've read a Mary Higgins Clark mystery novel before from a former roommate and I bought one which seemed intriguing. The plot of "Where are the Children?" is about a woman who changed her identity to get away from a hurtful and disturbing past only to realize that the same nightmare is happening to her and her children again.

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"The Bridges of Madison County" is a best-selling novel of all time and became a major motion picture. I hope it is a good read as what most reviews say.










I can't say enough about my love of Book Sale. The total of my purchase, P95 only! I have to double-time reading since unread books keep on piling on my shelves.

Human Heart Nature Membership

I'm an avid consumer of products from Human Heart Nature and after months of contemplation, I've decided to finally apply to become a Member. An HHN Member is the lowest in terms of membership ranking and cheapest membership available (P799). 

I went to the nearest HHN store and I informed them that I would like to become a Member. A friendly staff accommodated me. She let me fill out a form and she photocopied my ID as proof. She gave a small orientation for me, explaining the history of HHN and the vision of the company. She also informed me of the harmful chemicals such as SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), mineral oil, and petroleum by-products, commonly used in toiletries, cosmetics, and household cleaning supplies. Petroleum-based ingredients (found in petroleum jelly, isopropyl alcohol, etc.) pose risks of infertility. Oh my! 

Our skin is the largest organ of the body and it absorbs most of the chemicals in whatever we applied onto our skin. That's why we must be conscious and we must read the labels of what we use and apply on our skin on a daily basis. When I went home, I immediately checked the label of a baby oil I'm using and its ingredient is Mineral Oil, the #2 cause of skin-ageing (#1 is the sun).

The Starter Kit of an HHN Member includes the following:

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As an HHN Member, I need to have a minimum monthly purchase of P800. With my personal purchases, I can probably reach that amount for the first 2 months, but I asked my sister to order HHN products from me, if I'm not able to reach P800/month.

Human Heart Nature

www.humanheartnature.com

Novenas I Inherited

My cousin's wife, T, recently visited our home after the baptismal of their son. Since it took them many years to conceive, our aunts hoped that I would be the next to get pregnant. They told me to carry the baby and spend time with him so I could get the "baby energy" and hopefully, get pregnant soon. I was touched when my aunts gave me positive affirmations and revealed that they were praying for me because they were excited to have babies around. For a TTC wife like me, I thirst hearing other people tell me that everything will be alright, that I'll get pregnant soon, and that they're praying for me.

T gave me the novenas she used for all those years, and a rosary. She told me to pray with my heart everyday. As I pray the rosary, I should think about offering a rose to Mama Mary for each Hail Mary. She also said I shouldn't be hesitant about asking people for prayers.

I was happy as she gave me those novenas. I heard that a prayer book is more powerful if someone gives it to you. I wanted someone to give a novena book to me, without me asking for it. Inay gave me a Padre Pio novena in 2011, but that was after I asked for it. :) So, T giving me her personal novenas touched me. The novenas have a rich history from a strong woman who battled all odds just to have a baby. As you will notice, they show signs of frequent use and age.

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The Our Lady of La Leche novena is new for me. I've never heard about her and I was instantly drawn to the breastfeeding Mary. 

Years ago when I was still single, I've vowed that when I get to be blessed with a baby, I would breastfeed him/her. A former officemate, who was also a lactation consultant, told me that mothers should breastfeed since God gave women breasts for a reason. Every woman has milk in her breasts to nourish a little one. Breast milk is pure, nutritious, and perfect for a baby.

At the end of the novena book, is a list of churches where an image of Our Lady is located. I plan to visit one of those sites soon. The feast day of Our Lady of La Leche is October 11.

I was introduced to the novena to St. Raymund Nonato by my cousin. She advised me to get one since St. Raymund is the patron saint of pregnant women, children, childbirth, and midwives. I've bought one but only prayed the novena for a few days. I'll start praying this novena again.

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God always answers prayers. Sometimes, He answers "YES" and sometimes, "NO." There are moments when I feel discouraged when my prayer for a baby isn't answered with a YES. Sometimes, I need someone to remind me that prayers are always answered at the right time, in His own beautiful and magical way.

Celebration of Life and Faith

Over the weekend, my cousin (K), and his wife (T) went to the Shrine of Padre Pio for the baptismal of their 4-month old son.

Their TTC journey is an inspiring one, and makes you believe that there are indeed miracles in life. I know I'm not the one to tell about their story since many details may be missed and I couldn't relay the same depth of emotions which they've been through, but I just want to inspire other women like me who's finding it hard to start a family, and for those who want a boost of positive energy.

K and T were trying to have a baby for more than 7 years. T was able to conceive three times, but after several months, she always miscarried. The hardest was when one pregnancy reached 5 months but when she went for an ultrasound, there was no heartbeat and she had to have a C-section and a D&C (dilation and curettage or "raspa"). So heartbreaking!

At first, we thought that they were having a fertility workup to conceive. Our aunts advised K to forgo the treatments that were emotionally and financially draining but he clarified that they had no problem conceiving. It was easy for T to get pregnant, she even got pregnant twice in a year, but the problem was carrying it to full term.

They consulted with an OB/Perinatologist, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies, Dr. Valerie Guinto, MD. After several tests, the OB found that T has Antiphospholipid syndrome (or usually called "APAS"). Aside from the OB, she had to consult with an immunologist, as well. T was supposed to start treatments for her APAS when she discovered that she was already pregnant. From what I understood in her story, the APAS treatment should be done before you get pregnant, but since she was already having a baby, they had to take another approach in treatment to keep the baby. And, as we in the TTC community know, treatments don't come cheap. She needed daily injections of medicine costing P1,200 for several weeks plus other expensive medicines. She also needed to take complete bed rest. My cousin said T's belly looked like a beaten eggplant due to the numerous injections she had to endure for several months. Everything -- from injections, eating, to taking a bath-- was done while she was lying on the bed. Such sacrifice!

Since T was in bed all day long, she prayed several novenas, specially to Padre Pio. She prayed the rosary and asked Mama Mary to give them their baby. Whenever there was some problem, she would have a text brigade asking for prayers from family and friends. Since many people knew about their situation, the couple would be surprised to see money in their bank account. Whenever there was medical payment to be made, amazingly, money would be available. Many deposited money to their account to aid them in their journey, while praying that this baby would be healthy.

At 36 weeks, T had some bleeding which alarmed and saddened the couple; they have reached that far in the pregnancy and they didn't want it to end with another possible miscarriage. They went to the hospital and T was admitted for an emergency C-section. The OB advised them that T had to give birth right then since the baby's heartbeat was getting slower.

K started praying Padre Pio's novena as he waited. He told me, right after finishing the novena, the nurse asked him to come to the delivery room. Just after 15 or 20 minutes in the waiting room. That quick. He was scared that something horrible happened to his family.

The funny thing was, because of his heightened emotions, he didn't see his baby immediately. He asked the nurse how was his baby and the latter pointed in front of my cousin. He wasn't able to grasp what the nurse was telling him until he realized that his baby was right in front of him.

They named him John Pio, and uses Pio as a monicker.

Bonitos Bar & Restaurant

Last Saturday, my bestfriend since high school and I went to our alma mater, UP Los Banos, to catch up and walk/stroll around the campus. Since we're chained to our desks on weekdays, we decided that it's time to be active even only once a week. And UP is the perfect place for this since trees are all over the campus grounds, assuring us of fresh, mountain air. And reminiscing about our college years is another plus.

After our "walk," we were famished and decided to try one of the restaurants outside the campus. The street outside the campus was called "Grove." We walked and checked out the shops along the Grove and discovered much has changed years after we graduated from college. There were many coffee shops, little memorabilia stores, and there was even a newly-built mall! When we were studying there, the norm was cheap finds, budget meals, affordable dining establishments, and definitely, no shopping malls. Now, it was different. Maybe the students were living better financially compared to our batch? I don't know.

We saw a poster of a pizza-pasta place called Bonitos Bar & Restaurant and decided to try it. We ordered Ravioli Lasagna (P170) and Everything On It Pizza (P270). As we waited for our order, we took pictures of the dining area. The restaurant used recycled materials in the decoration which was smart and neat. 

This chandelier looked lovely, mimicking a crystal chandelier but upon closer look, it was made of clear plastic spoons. Clever, huh!

This round floor decor was made of ice cream plastic cups stapled together. It looked like a coral of some sorts.

The tables were made of crazy-cut tiles that gave a colorful and playful design. The black trim was made of old bike tires.

The cover of this light fixture was made by putting strings with glue around a balloon. Once the glue dried, the balloon was popped, leaving this web-like decor.

The restaurant had a nice ambience, which I thought was a good date place. The lights were soft and the decors had interesting stories behind them.

Our food arrived about 20 minutes after our order, and the long waiting time made us hungrier. The smell of the Ravioli Lasagna was heavenly. I could smell the pesto sauce, tomatoes, and cheese. The taste was great, as well. The pasta was al dente and the meat inside the ravioli was lightly seasoned. The cheesy lasagna was good for two people.

I only ate a slice of the pizza since I was full after eating half the lasagna. The pizza had lots of toppings including eggplant, green bell pepper, pepperoni, mushrooms, and ground meat. I thought I could eat a pizza with veggies, but my palate is not yet used to them. Sorry (sad face).

Overall, Bonitos did not fail us. We loved the food, the ambience, even the restroom (which was clean and smelled clean).

Bonitos Bar & Restaurant
Oregano St. cor. Lopez Ave.,
Demarses Subd., UPLB

Book Bucket List

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I love reading books. Ever since I was a child, I preferred receiving books as gifts. In the past few years, every January, aside from creating my resolutions, I make a list of which 12 books I will read for that year. One book in each month. When I've finished reading one, I proudly check it in my list. Sometimes I read books not in the list, sometimes I'm not able to read all those in the list. But that's alright. The important thing is that I make a conscious effort to read. It pains my heart for those who know how to read but don't do it.

My college friend and I were chatting and we thought of creating a list of books to read before we die. Like a bucket list but this one will be all about books. I searched the Internet and Goodreads, a website for readers, has its Bucket List Books. It consists of more than a hundred books! Gasp! I browsed through the list and saw that I've read a few of them. (pat on the back)

Back in college, we had a subject on World Literature where we were required to read novels such as The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (most chapters, not the whole book, though), and Inferno by Dante Alighieri, not Dan Brown. I've been reading contemporary novels for years now and this inspired me to create my 2014 book list on classics. Sometimes, when I'm on my book haunts, I usually buy classic books, thinking I would be reading them soon, but these books stay on the shelves, collecting dust.

Can I do this? Prioritize reading the classics next year? I have some hesitations. Most classics are too wordy which could make me lose interest. I should be determined. I should embrace this Classic book list. AJA!

Another SSS Salary Loan Problem

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I went to an SSS branch near my home to pay my monthly contribution and salary loan. I also was determined to finally shed light on another loan conundrum. I had a payment posting problem which I wrote about here. 

Here was my salary loan problem (please bear with me): Last 2009, I had my first salary loan and it was fully paid in 2011. I have a printout of the Statement of Account from the SSS website showing that I have 0 balance in the salary loan. Since I have no more loan to pay, I applied for another salary loan in 2011 which I'm still paying today. When I checked the SSS website a few weeks ago, behold, my 2009 salary loan still had a pending due of about P10.33 and yesterday, P10.38. What's up with that?

I waited in line for the SSS' "Public Assistance" to know how I can finally close the 2009 loan and be assured that this doesn't happen again in the future. The personnel was curious as to why it happened. She checked my printout, computed the total, saw that the salary loan was indeed fully paid, and wondered why I still had a balance. She advised me to just pay P11 and write in the loan payment form: FULL PAYMENT and the date of the salary loan which was June 16, 2009. She told me that she would call her contact at the Main branch in Diliman about this. I hope she does.

Since there were many payers today, I waited 2 hours (!) to pay P11. When it was my turn to pay, the cashier was surprised that I was even asked to pay that small amount. She asked me if I'm never getting a loan again. Maybe she thought that loan paying is like paying for a credit card wherein the previous debts are paid first before recent debts. Sadly, it is not.

The problem with the SSS system regarding salary loans is that if you have a balance in your previous loan, it remains there in your record, accumulating penalty and interest charges. And, surprisingly, in my case, I didn't have a loan balance, but magically, it incurs charges. If you don't have an online access, you would never know about the status of your loans. If you're paying for a current loan, the system doesn't credit your payment to the previous loan. You would think, or so I thought for this matter, that since I have a second salary loan, my first loan was already closed.

I'll be checking my SSS records online regularly and see if my "full payment" for the 2009 loan was posted and the loan would be hopefully, finally closed once and for all.

An Enchanted Birthday

My nephew from Hubby's side of the family celebrated his 4th birthday last August 4. His parents organized a day of bonding and fun at Enchanted Kingdom (EK). I've been to EK twice -- once during college as a class celebration for a big production we did and the last one was in 2007. I was excited to come back and have fun at EK.

We started our excursion after lunch and my in-laws immediately rode the Disco Magic Ride, a new ride featuring a giant disk-shaped ride which can accommodate 24 people. The disc would spin and rock to an upbeat music while riders scream either for fun or fear. It was hilarious seeing Hubby's siblings shut their eyes and scream as they hold on to dear life. As for me, I'm not fond of riding those kind of rides since I get dizzy easily and I didn't want to spoil my day being sick.

My best friend since high school who was married to Hubby's brother urged me to ride the hot air balloon ride. I joined her, her husband, and son for the ride. I was a bit scared of getting dizzy, but I didn't.

I entered the Rialto 3D Theatre with the pack. The movie was Journey to Mysterious Island 2. The clip shown was the part where the movie's main characters were riding giant bees and being chased by colorful birds. At the end of the show, I was a bit disappointed since I didn't experience the same thrill when I went there in 2007. 

The ride which I've been wanting to ride ever since was the Jungle Log Jam. Together with Hubby's youngest sister, we bravely rode the log. As we were moving, I was surprised to learn that the ride included an uphill climb and a downward splash! I totally forgot about that. My best friend was surprised too when she saw me riding the Log Jam. Good thing, I was alive after the ride to tell the tale.

It was a very long and tiring day at Enchanted Kingdom but boy, did we had fun! Also, I get to learn more about the family dynamics of my in-laws. It was difficult to adjust with another family if your Hubby was away. During this kind of activity do I miss Hubby terribly. Seeing his family made me wished he was there with me, enjoying the day.

The Author Turns 3_

Last August 2 was my birthday. When I tell people my age, I get compliments as they say I look younger than my actual age. Or, maybe they're just being too kind for the birthday girl.

I had a small "party" with neighborhood kids as my guests. I invited Inay's tutees for merienda that weekend. I always had a small celebration on my birthday but since my friends were too busy with their own families and unable to attend, I just invited my neighbors this year. Surely, children would be eager to come and enjoy good food.

I cooked Baked Mac, Filipino-style spaghetti and fried chicken lollipop. I also had ice cream and grilled hotdogs (which was a hit with the kids!). It was a rainy day that Saturday and I was happy the kids weren't discouraged by the weather.

After my guests left, my sister lighted a special cake she bought for me straight from the city. The cake was from a Korean-owned cake shop called Tous les Jours. Yes, it was quite ironic to learn that the French-named bakery was owned by a Korean.The cute strawberry cake tasted like strawberries, not cloyingly sweet and had a hint of tartness from the berries. The "leaf" part of the cake was made of green tea powder and tasted bitter by itself.

My birthday may be a rainy day but I just think that the raindrops were blessings from Heaven. And I guess you know what I wished for. 

At Your Lowest is Where You are Blessed

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I heard mass with Inay last Sunday in our humble chapel. I wasn't able to do so in a couple of weeks because of tardiness (yeah, so baaad). I was so glad I came to church that Sunday.


Our priest gave his homily about the gospel of Luke 11:1-13. He said, when we are at our lowest points, that's when we receive the most blessings. He told a story when he was a high school student. Their class at the seminary took the NCEE and they were 24 students in all. 23 of them got grades of 90% and higher and 1 got 63%. Obviously it was embarrassing for that 1 classmate, I'll name him John, to get a failing grade among all of them. The priest admitted that John was not very good in school. John was not endorsed to go to college because he failed the NCEE. The class wondered what would happen to John since he would not be able to pursue his education.

Years passed, our priest was assigned in a rural community and as he was driving, his car broke down. He was directed to a local car repair shop where most priests have their vehicles fixed. He went to the car shop and alas, John was there. John owned the car shop. He may have failed in English, Math, Science, and all the other academic subjects but he was an expert in mechanical stuff. Not passing a crucial examination led him to explore other aspects where he can excel. 

When we are at our lowest is where we get the most blessings... 

I thought about it and I recalled that it is definitely true and I have experienced it. Years ago, I was at my lowest point in life. I had a job which I hate but spent very long hours, my supervisors doubt my competency of holding the position, I didn't go to church (ever), and I rarely went home to the province to visit my parents. I was so busy at work that I get surprised when pay day comes; not having spent the previous pay, yet. That was how busy I was at that time! And for a job that I hate. After crying tons of tears for so many reasons, but mainly for being so sad all the time, I had a change of heart. I decided that that destructive lifestyle must change. I didn't know where to start. I went to a church near where I lived and attended mass. I cannot remember the homily at that time but I do remember crying during mass. I was ashamed of myself for only remembering Him when I was at my lowest.

A few months after that enlightening experience, I resigned from work. I had some savings and no job to go to. I rested and went back to the province to "build" myself again. I was then accepted to a company where the working environment was great. And at that time, I met my future husband. (Awww!)

As I was intently listening to the priest, I can relate on what he said that there are times when we question Him why we don't get our prayers answered. I've been praying for years to have a baby of our own but it's not yet happening. Sometimes, I doubt if Hubby and I'll be able to get our own family. Not everything is rosy in our TTC journey. The homily renewed my faith that things will come in due time. In God's perfect time. Not in ours, not when it's convenient to us, but in God's.

Everyone of us have experienced low points in life, some may even be experiencing it right now. But, as they say, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

A Nice Fertility Article

I was browsing through daily tweets when I saw Mind Body Green's tweet about natural fertility. I read the article "Why I'm Choosing To Treat My Fertility Problems Naturally" and I'm so happy the author's experience and decision resonate mine. 

Before I was diagnosed with PCOS, I rarely take medicines. I believed that if I'm sick, my body was telling me that something was wrong and I have to take a rest and be mindful of what I intake. Taking drugs was my last resort. But after the diagnosis, I had no choice but to follow the doctors' prescriptions of fertility drugs and more to ensure that my body is doing what it's supposed to do. At times, I don't like it since I feel that the drugs were not fixing the problem in a holistic way. And the risk of having ovarian cancer because of the drugs looms in my mind every now and then. Read our TTC journey here.

The author is brave in telling the world of her decision which is uncommon in the TTC world. I do similar things she's doing to help nurture the body and be ready for conception. I eat healthy, use organic products, have no vice, and I try to become active. I have yet to become a vegetarian, though I think it would become unlikely since I love eating meat products.

Sophie's Choice

After many, many weeks, I was finally able to finish reading Sophie's Choice. At first, I was intrigued with the novel's title and luckily, I saw a copy (second-hand, of course) for P25 only. I was wondering what was Sophie's choice. Another thing that made me curious was why the book was banned for sometime in many US libraries.

The novels has 16 chapters and the book I got has 626 pages (!). It was a bit too wordy for my taste with lots of minute descriptions of people, outfits, and environments. At the latter chapters, I skipped paragraphs to get into the dialogue parts.

The novel is about Sophie, a Polish immigrant who survived the Nazi concentration camps. There are flashbacks on what happened to her during those years, the multiple tragedies that she endured, and finally, the heart-wrenching decision that she had to make.

Halfway through the book, I was wondering why this "choice" hasn't appeared yet, or anything that suggests about it. It reminded me of Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" wherein the protagonist wasn't even mentioned until a few chapters into the book. I can't say what the Sophie's choice was since I don't want spoil it for those who would want to read the book.

In the future, I may read again Sophie's Choice to see details which I have missed and to understand it more. It's a lengthy read, I tell you, but worth it. It's a novel that makes you think, lets you learn about that horrible part of human history, and makes you hope that that war never happens again to your country, or to any other country.

Another Second-hand Book Haul

Since working from home, going out is now limited, and I don't mind. I only go out when paying bills and banking errands and during this day, I try to get the most out of my so-called "day-off." I list all my errands so I can do them in one go. After paying the bills and stuff, I go to the mall and second-hand book shops. I still have lots of unread books but I can't help buying low-priced good books whenever I'm in the book shop. I have more second-hand books than brand new ones and these new ones were mostly given to me as gifts.

I discovered another Booksale branch and that's where I went for my book shopping trip. The books were priced way lower than the mall branch and the titles were kinda older than those at the mall. I was able to snag these wonderful books for a total of P70.

I don't mind if a book is not in pristine condition, as long as the content is readable, it's alright with me.

SSS Loan Predicament

Last 2011, I got my second salary loan from SSS, I was employed at that time. The loan was payable in two years. After a year, I resigned from the company so it was now my responsibility to pay for my loan at SSS. 

After a several months of paying my loan, I decided to get a statement of account. I wanted to make sure that all my loan payments (from my previous employer and mine) were properly credited to my record. I tried using the SSS website but it only showed the loan status, not the loan payments. After two hours of waiting in an SSS branch, my number was called and I was able to get a printout of my statement of account.

Notice the "Post Date" and the "SBR/TR Date" columns. From the statement, it seemed like SSS was only able to credit my loan payments in 2011 and 2012 last January 2013! Another thing I learned, I have "Past Dues." I was a diligent payer, paying my loan monthly since I left the company, so why did I have unpaid dues? I learned that there were two payments during my employment which were not credited (yet?). The SSS employee said it should've been credited by this time since all of the latest payments I did were already credited. He advised me to ask my previous employer the photocopies of the loan payment forms and bring them to the SSS Main Office in Quezon City for verification and update. Such a hassle!

Instead of going back to the city to fix this, I decided to just pay my past dues to avoid future penalty fees. It sucks, but the time, effort, money, and sanity that I would spend are not worth it for fixing this. Some of you may disagree, but this is me. I informed my friends and colleagues about this so they could check their SSS records while they're still employed and update their records if necessary.

Once I finish paying my loan, I'll get another statement of account to make sure that I'm fully paid and avoid problems in the future. Thirty years from now, I don't want to have problems in getting my pension because of an "unpaid" loan.

(Update: I checked the SSS website and the Statement of Account for loans can be accessed there.)

Peacock Cross stitch

As a Christmas gift, I asked Hubby to buy me the materials of a peacock cross stitch pattern I had. I was into peacocks and luckily, I was able to buy a pattern entitled "Peacock's Courtship" at the mall. The pattern was big, measuring 15" x 21.9" (210 x 307 stitches). We went to Quiapo and bought the threads, needles, and Aida fabric.

I thought I would be able to finish this project before Hubby arrives. I timed myself and realized that I could only do 100 stitches in 1 hour because of the complexity of the pattern and multiple colors needed. Half a year after we bought the materials, I was only able to do about 1/8 of the project. Waah!

Here's the progress of this project.

After 30 hours

After 50 hours

I planned to display this project in our future house. Guess our house would be finished before I'd be able to finish this one.

No Excuses

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It's July 1st, the first day when I must start on my Fertility Plan. Maybe it sounds absurd to have such a plan but I'm a worrier type of person and unless I have a plan which I can follow, it's hard for me to remain calm. My mind races on things to do, things to avoid, etc. I'm planning for things which I have control over -- such as diet and exercise. This plan may work (hopefully!) this time.

Now is the time to get serious. I've given myself several months binging on junk food and preserved goods, staying up and waking up late, and being sedentary. I told myself July 1 is the day when these unhealthy habits have to end. It's now time to get moving, keep fit and healthy, stay sane in preparing myself for conception. No more excuses. No more bargaining.

For women with PCOS, doing exercise such as walking for 30 minutes a day is ideal in preparing the body for conception. I planned on waking up early and start on my morning walk today. I envisioned myself having walking as a daily exercise wherein I cannot begin the day without walking first. I wanted it to become a daily habit. But, I wasn't able to get out of bed on my target waking time today. Boo. Not to start the first day of my Plan with an epic fail, I turned on the TV and watched an exercise program. I followed the woman's cardio exercises for 30 minutes before preparing for work. Yes!

The day has not yet ended and I was able to do 6 out of the 10 items in my Plan. I hope I can have the determination and discipline to keep this up.

Using Natural Products

As part of my Fertility Plan, I'm now switching to natural cosmetics. I use many products on my body. I think I have an elaborate ritual of cleaning and moisturizing my skin, especially at night. Whenever I think about all the chemicals in those beauty products that I slather on my skin, I can't help but shudder. The pains of beauty. 

One shop that sells natural products is Human Heart Nature. Human Heart Nature is a company in the Philippines that produces and sells products which are pro-Philippines, pro-poor, and pro-environment. I've used its products years ago and I believe in using natural products and supporting Pinoy companies. When I was still working in the city, I've been ordering online for HHN products since I didn't know any dealers and there was no shop near my place or office. 

Image from the HHN Facebook Page

After procrastinating for several months, I finally went  to the HHN shop to buy my first batch of products. The shop was a 15-minute jeepney ride away from home. The shop was quaint and all of their products were neatly displayed on the shelves with their prices written on a small slip of paper. Most products have their testers so I was able to smell them. Since their products were pricey compared to commercial ones, I decided to first buy products which stay longer on my body. I bought the Natural Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner (Lush Vanilla), 100% Natural Healthy Lotion (Vanilla Delight), and the Day & Night Moisturizer Bundle. 

The HHN staff encouraged me to become a dealer so I could get great discounts and have extra income. Since I'm a user of their products, I could save a lot if I become a dealer. I'm thinking about it but if I become a dealer, it would be just for my benefit. I work from home so it limits my capacity to sell their products to other people.

My Plan to Help My Fertility

Image here

In just a few months, Hubby will be arriving to the country. Yes! After nine months, we'll be finally together again. In this contract, we're only able to text frequently, sometimes on a daily basis, call and Skype for a couple of hours twice a month. Imagine not seeing your spouse daily and communicating only at limited times? It's tough but it will be over soon. Wee!

I promised myself that three months before his arrival, I will prepare myself physically. I want to have my body at its optimum health and to be fertile, hopefully, by the time Hubby comes home.

Here's the plan I've devised:

• Be active. I can do walking early in the morning before I go to work or yoga after work. Most probably I'll do yoga since I can't seem to get out of bed early in the morning now that I'm working from home. But, I'll try walking to get fresh, probinsya air.
• Eat healthy foods, especially those which are called fertility foods.
• Drink green tea daily. Green tea is said to be an antioxidant and helps get rid of free radicals in the body.
• Take supplements that promote fertility (Royal Jelly and Usana Essentials).
• Ban these foods from my diet: canned goods, junk foods, soft drinks, sweet juice, candies, and chocolates (*fingers-crossed*). This one, I may have to be firm and determined to see this through. When Hubby arrives, he brings lots of chocolates since they're my favorite. How can I not eat something I love when it's just there within my reach? Can I have a cheat day? Haha.
• Use natural, organic toiletries.
• Buy organic food whenever possible, even if its more expensive.
• Do a self-fertility massage.
• Meditate before going to bed.
• Sleep early and wake up early.

I really hope that this plan would be successful in helping me conceive. For all those trying to conceive, you can also create a plan which suits your situation. Whatever you think will help you increase your fertility, do it.

Royal Jelly from Manuka Health

Part of my Fertility Plan this year is taking fertility supplements. Since I've done Clomid, acupuncture, Chinese herbal tea, eating brown rice and muesli, and using organic toiletries, I think it's time I try these supplements. Trying to conceive seems like a trial and error project for me. I can't do the same thing and expect a different result.

First on my fertility supplement list is Royal Jelly. It is said that royal jelly is the superfood for fertility. Many women claimed its effectiveness in getting pregnant so I have to try it. Royal Jelly is available in different forms: fresh, capsules/tablets, or powdered. They say fresh royal jelly is the best form. The nearest seller of fresh royal jelly to my home is Ilog Maria in Tagaytay. I may have to visit the honeybee farm and buy some.

I searched online and ordered a bottle of Royal Jelly Capsules at Manuka Health. A bottle has 180 capsules, good for 6 months, and costs P1,700. A cap costs about P9.44. My order arrived after three days.

The cap is a bit large but good thing I can easily ingest medicines. I have no difficulty swallowing the capsule. Hope this royal jelly improves my health and hormonal balance in the near future.