A Matter of Perspective Chronicles of my married life down under Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 49 5250

Articles from A Matter of Perspective

Updates 2007-09-12 18:27:00 I'm back! Well, I haven't really gone anywhere far. I've just been terribly busy lately that I have in a way neglected posting on our personal blogs.So what, pray tell, am I focusing my attention on these past few weeks? I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I have been mentioning the phrase 'the project' occasionally in my earlier entries. Alright, the project is this. Both J and I (yes, it's a partnership!) have been setting it up in between chores, work and caring for Erin. It's barely a month old so it's still pretty much a work in progress. And speaking of work, you could say that this is my 'job' for the moment and that now, I am officially a working stay-at-home mom. :)Want to help me out with this project? If you know of anyone who will benefit from it, please do tell them about it. Also, I am very open to any comments or suggestions that you may have about the site. Don't be shy to let me know of your thoughts. :)Alright, I'm off to work. (naks!) You all have a gre ...

Dial away! 2007-09-09 22:59:00 Not all people realize how lonely it can get for us Filipinos living abroad. Yes, life is good here in the land down under but it would be even better if we can constantly keep in touch with family and friends back home. J and I are always "hungry" for the latest news back in the Philippines so we make it a point to call our loved ones regularly through chat or with the use of a long distance card. Prepaid calling cards are a good way to save on your phone bills because it allows you to set a specific budget for overseas calls, which we all know can turn out to be very expensive. These are global phone cards which allow you to contact any of your loved ones whether via domestic or international calls. Discount long distance cards are truly a godsend as you get more value for your money. If plane tickets were inexpensive, we'd probably be seeing ourselves jumping on the next flight every chance that we get. But that is nowhere near the truth. For now, we'll just have to settle with ph ...

Our Needs 2007-09-05 04:33:00 I saw this meme over at Gloria's blog. I thought it was fun so I decided to give it a spin myself.Here's what you need to do:Go to www.google.com, write your name and the word “needs” in the text box and click the Goggle Search button. Just for fun, see what comes out of your search. Leah needs to shed the pounds and the sooner the better. (Uh, I don't think so!) Leah needs healing. (I desperately need to go to a spa!) Leah needs a job topic. (Actually, I need lots for my project.) Leah needs more training before she becomes the big star that she is GOING TO BE. (Pang-showbiz pala ako! :D ) Leah needs to raise more than $4000 to cover the cost of her trip. (Yeah, and we need it soon!) Leah needs to change her lifestyle by incorporating regular involvement in physical activity. (I really do need a change of lifestyle. *sigh* ) Leah needs to watch herself on TV after she makes the rounds of the talk shows. (See, pang-showbiz nga ako! :D ) Leah needs to apply herself more. (Err, I ...

First Father's Day 2007-09-02 20:18:00 It was Father's Day yesterday here in Australia. I have been googling why it is celebrated every first Sunday of the month of September (instead of the usual which is held in June) but have come up with nothing.Anyway, it was pretty special because it was J's first, even though we didn't have the chance to go out (yes, Erin's still keeping us awake at night with her teething discomfort!).I just love this picture. This was taken when Erin was only a week old.Happy Father's Day to the best dad in the entire universe (at least, in our books)! :) ...

The Director in You 2007-08-29 23:40:00 We've heard gazillions of advice from self-help books about taking hold of your life and other similar matters. Quotes like "life is what you make it" and Invictus' "I am the captain of my soul" are all too familiar stuff.Want more? Here's one from Coke zero: Life as it should be. They even got this cool do-it-yourself movie feature on their website where you can put your creative skills to the test. Make one now and show off the director in you by sharing it with your friends and with the rest of the world.I don't know about you but I've always been a Coke fan. Coke zero is even better -- real taste, zero sugar! What more can you ask? :) ...

Gifts to go 2007-08-29 20:17:00 There are lots of special occasions in the coming months for this family of ours and it is customary to give the celebrant a gift as a token, no matter how small it is. After all, as the saying goes, it is the thought that counts.As the designated person in the family to think of gifts to give, I sometimes do run out of ideas, especially when you've known the celebrant for so long. But, on the other hand, it helps as well that you do have an inkling of their interests in life.Let's take my friend V, for example, who loves Italian food. An option is to give her one of those italian food gift baskets. The ones at Gourmet Gift Baskets are quite popular with their customers so I might just pick that one for my friend. Not only that, they've also got gift baskets for other occasions and themes which they can ship to any country via FedEx. Knowing about this eases my mind, which makes it whole lot easier now for me to shop for gifts for friends and family. ...

Balancing Act 2007-08-29 19:30:00 Gah! So many things to do but so little time! My life right now is one massive balancing act. I've got so many projects that are in the works right now, plus I'm trying to cram in as many articles for those occasional paying opportunities. Oh, and yes, I am still a full-time mother and wife. That's a whole lot to juggle especially when you've got chores to do as well.I wish I could say I was Wonder Woman or some heroine of that sort so that I can accomplish more in a day. But frankly, I do feel there really isn't enough time to do all these things. :(Alright, got to get back to work. Precious time is wasted with these ramblings! :P ...

Come fly with me! 2007-08-29 03:06:00 Remember that trip back home to Manila I was raving about in an earlier post? Well, I took a peek at our countdown ticker (see footer) and discovered that as of today we have exactly nine months to go before that much-awaited trip. It's getting nearer by the minute!Any time soon, J and I must start booking flights to Manila and flights to Australia as well. As I have mentioned before, J will be heading back home to Oz a month earlier than Erin and I will. I am hoping to convince my mom to come along with us on our flight back to Sydney because I know Erin will be quite a handful and it will be very difficult to travel with just the two of us in the airplane. Besides, she might want to visit her friend up in Queensland and avail one of those cheap Cairns flights. She might be able to enjoy her holidays in Australia this time around because Erin's all grown up now. :)And since we always book our flights online, maybe we can do it on DialAFlight this time as they offer cheap flights and ...

What the?!? 2007-08-28 23:44:00 I haven't been a fan of beauty pageants of late but this one got my attention when they featured it on Rove last Sunday. You have got to watch this.Ano daw? I couldn't get her point. Can you? She was going around in circles the whole time.Alright, let's give her the benefit of the doubt. I suppose she must have been terribly nervous at the time, hence, the fumble. I mean I, for one, personally hate speaking in front of a huge crowd. I know lots of people do. But candidates in this type of competition surely must have had enough practice to have that presence of mind. Then again, in Miss South Carolina's case, maybe not. :PI guess the kicker here is that inspite of making that boo-boo on international TV, she still managed to bag third place in the pageant. Imagine that! Now I reckon it's the judges who do not have the 'presence of mind.' Pun definitely intended. :D ...

Shop Until You Drop 2007-08-28 18:30:00 I have been dying to do some personal shopping for quite some time now. Ever since Erin came into our lives, I haven't had the chance to buy things for myself in the leisurely pace that I would want to. Not only that, I also need to take into consideration our budget since we are now a family of three. Online vouchers such as those found on WebbyPlanet can come handy when I want to save up on my purchases and still get the best deal from it. They offer a lot of coupons from various merchants, which is great because it gives me loads of choices. :) ...

Happy 2 years! 2007-08-25 20:43:00 Lots of happy stuff for this month, eh? Well, exactly two years ago on this day, J and I said our I-do's in front of a judge at Parañaque City Hall. At that time, I remember we were still in the thick of things, preparing for our church wedding later that year.Erin-less daysWe decided just to stay home because Erin was feeling restless (she really must be teething now). J and I were supposed to go out for lunch and leave Erin with my sister-in-law. Instead, we're buying take-away food at one of our favorite restaurants and invited J's sister and her family over.Not at all romantic I know. But I guess those dates may have to wait, at least until Erin's a bit bigger and easier to handle when left with others. Ah yes, such is life. :) ...

Happy 5 months! 2007-08-19 20:06:00 The little girl turned five months last Saturday. Has it really been five months now since she was born into this world?She's grown up a lot in that short span of time. She can roll over on to her tummy very easily, with little or no help from us. Getting back to lie on her back is still a bit more difficult for her. She is more vocal than ever. By this I mean, she loves to shout and scream and make all kinds of noise. I suppose she is into exploring sounds these days. Aside from sound, Erin is very much into exploring through touch. She will grab anything placed near her and bring them to her mouth. I think this is because she may also be teething. Her hair is getting pretty long, and therefore, unruly. Those Goody barrettes are the greatest! :D Erin is more sociable as well. By just throwing her a big smile, she will also do the same. Sometimes, we are rewarded with giggles. She's starting to sleep better too, especially at night. Thank God! No need to explain this one. :) Erin' ...

Rant All You Want 2007-08-17 19:14:00 Would you believe I haven't been to the cinemas ever since Erin was born? Yes, these days I do not have the slightest idea which of the latest movies rock and which do not. I'm glad though that I can check on a whim sites online that give out honest movie reviews of the latest flicks. There is actually a site that delivers the freshest rants on movies, tv shows and DVDs to your inbox if you register to be a member for no charge at all. Critics Rant is the place to go for all of that.Then if you're feeling lazy to go out to see a movie, you can just rent them from your neighborhood video store, chill out on your couch and watch away in the comforts of your home. ...

Know What Counts 2007-08-16 23:10:00 A couple of posts ago, I was rambling about my massive weight loss after having Erin five months ago. But unfortunately, for some, losing weight may not be as easy as it was for me.A good and healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the real key to successful weight loss for the general population. When I talk about a 'good and healthy diet,' this not only means choosing the right food to eat but also taking into account the calories in food. A calorie counter and a calorie chart are handy tools in keeping track of your food intake. It's never easy to watch what you eat but using these implements will definitely make shedding all those excess kilos less difficult. These and a whole lot more can be found at MyFitnessPal.com, a free online diet and exercise journal site specially designed to help you reach your ideal weight in a healthy way. ...

Scrappy me? 2007-08-16 02:04:00 Well, well, well... Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd give digiscrapping a go. I suppose the creative bug bit me this morning and I soon found myself buried in tons of paper, embellishments and alpha's. This online tutorial also made it sound pretty easy so I finally gave in. While Erin was napping away, I took the golden opportunity and by late afternoon, I came up with this...Credits: Urban Kiwi Kit; felt ribbon from 2006 Seasonal Sampler. All from ShabbyPrincess.com.Okay, it ain't much, being a novice and all. But do tell me what you think. :) ...