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I was required to write an article for the Taxwise or Otherwise column in Business World and got published this week. Here's a link to my article entitled No Trespassing Please which tackles the Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 65-2012 issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue nearly a year ago, “Clarifying the Taxability of Association Dues, Membership Fees, and Other Assessments/Charges Collected by Condominium Corporations". Here are husband's posts which I would like to save here for posterity. :) Hopefully, by the time we move in to our condo, the VAT on association dues will already be lifted for good. ;) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I woke up today with a splitting headache, aching muscles and whopping cough. Definitely not better than yesterday. I'm envious of how our TL#1 bounced back to his usual active self after his bout with high fever last night. I wish I was still young. He keeps saying, Mommy why are you not feeling better? Me, i'm okay now! And he's off playing ball with his daddy. I kept having bad and weird dreams last night. I dreamt I was being wheeled into the operating room and I was protesting loudly because I just had surgery the past week and the week before that and the week before that. The doctor was arguing with me and I was pleading and crying with all my might. Today, my cough takes a turn for the worst. The rain won't stop pouring. But nothing worst comes after worst, right? :) A blessed Sunday to everyone. Please pray for us sickly ones, including all my colleagues who were afflicted with the same virus. Kailangan mahanap at masingil natin kung sino ang salarin. Charge n...

I cannot sleep. I have a very stuffy nose, I couldn't breathe properly. And each time I try to close my eyes, my brain keeps conjuring up different images. And since I'm still awake to think about them, the sissy in me tries to shake away the images lest they suddenly turn into scary things like ghosts or monsters. This is the reason why I shun away from horror movies. I think my subconscious has photographic memory. That or I have been born with a wild imagination. Or it may be because of the medications I have been on since Thursday. I have not had proper sleep since I got sick. Thursday night was a torture. I kept waking up feeling physically sick and also mentally exhausted because I kept having the same dream of counting down until the pain is gone. Friday night was better. There was lesser pain. But I had a fitful sleep because of the comfort room breaks from the water therapy. Tonight, the clogged nose attacks even though the fever is gone. I hope to feel better tomorrow...

I am in a bad mood. I am sad, close to depressed. Drama queen is reporting for duty. Eh kasi naman , I accounted for my assets, liabilities, income and expenses last night to put all those preaching about personal finance into action. And I was not happy with the result.  visit Real Living magazine website It did not help that we went to the  RL Space exhibit  today and learned how much like this and like this and like this will  cost . The pressure to cut down on expenses is on.  I need to be more prudent in my spending. I should avoid going to the mall (I almost bought a camera today despite of the current state of my financial health).  I should also cut down on my food costs.  Kain kasi ng kain ng kain ng kain. Walang katapusan. :) I should continue to pray for good health for myself and my family. We have had financial setbacks from the previous years due to sickness in the family - from my laparascopic surgery to TL#1's bout with the kawasaki ...

Ang traffic sa Pinas parang instant noodles, just add water! I heard that joke some time ago from my husband and tonight (like any other rainy night), it proved to be true. When it rains, it pours and when it pours, brace yourself for traffic and long commute home. I am on Kuripot Mode and it was difficult to hail a taxicab so I walked from Paseo de Roxas to SM Makati in my heels. I covered approximately 2 kms. in about 15 minutes. Good thing I was wearing my relatively new Naturalizer sandals from Egandeula's Sari-Sari. I got it for P2,500 only. Best buy! :) Check out the authentic imported merchandise on the facebook account. May patalastas pa :) Anyway, my walk tonight reminded me of the long cold walks I used to take 5 years ago in gloomy Dublin. (I lived in Dublin, Ireland as an auditor for less than a year). I used to cover around 3.5 kms. on most days going to and from the office. It was soooo expensive to ride a taxi so most people opt to walk. The Irish advocate walking ...

I am obsessing! It's already 8 in the evening! Saan na napunta ang weekend ko? Ang dami ko pang kailangang gawin! And I find the need to write them down here before I go insane. Believe me I love my sons, but our eldest won't give me peace of mind. Laging nakabuntot at laging gusto kasama ako sa lahat ng gagawin nya . It is endearing and annoying at the same time! Ewan ko ba, hinde ko rin alam bakit bigla na lang ang dami kong gustong gawin sa buhay ko. Tumatanda na kasi?!? Thank God for our kasambahays ! I am really grateful to have them at home. They take a big load off me. I know the next three hours (before I go to sleep won't be enough) for all the things that I want to accomplish today so I will just make a list as my guide for next weekend. I won't probably be able to do much other done concentrate on work these weekdays. I have to eat some serious frog* and I anticipate some stress coming in, realistically speaking. *eat a frog - accomplish a not-so-desirable t...

Keep trying 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 The Bible says there is more than meets the eye! That means there is more to life than what we can see with our eyes. We need to remember this when things don't go well or we're having a difficult time. Believing that God is always at work for good, in ways we can't see with our eyes, helps us never give up or lose heart. - VeggieTales Bible Have you ever had moments when you suddenly realize how deeply flawed you are? When somehow that cloud of blissful ignorance is lifted and you are left bare and vulnerable? You want to change and start fixing things but you don't know where to start or you feel it's too late? Well, today, I was slapped hard on the face. It hit me that I am 32 and still struggling to find my true calling. I am a wife and mother who has yet to fully embrace her roles and responsibilities. And if I am going to be honest to myself, I am disappointed with my current financial standing. And then, of course, at the bac...

I went to the dentist today. It is a big accomplishment for me because I don't fancy going to the dentist. I did not enjoy having my impacted wisdom tooth extracted about 3 years ago. But I just turned a year older so I decided to face my fear and get it over with. What was I to lose? A lot of bucks! Indeed. While I was lying down on the dental chair, cringing from the sound of the dental equipment hitting my teeth, I decided to put the experience into context. Come to think of it, the pricking during a facial hurts more than the cavity filling and oral prophylaxis (dental cleaning) but I endure that every other month. Why not do the same for the sake of my oral health! I liked the way the dentist handled my session so I listened to her advice and finally decided to fix my issue on teeth sensitivity due to exposed roots. Dental appliance anyone? I was really proud after and was bragging about my accomplishment to my son. It felt good to have squeaky clean mouth and a major (always ...

I would not let this day pass without blogging about how my family at work brought a big smile on my face and made me feel so loved today. With matching song number by our own mini-celebrity (she starred in Showtime last Wednesday), I was surprised by my colleagues with their advance happy birthday greetings complete with flowers, balloons, cake and of course, J Co donuts. It is becoming a tradition at work and we are loving it. Oh yes, bring on the love! Let me just say the one MAIN reason I keep coming back to the first Company I worked in is the people I work with. That makes more than one. I feel privileged to have had and continue to have the opportunity to work with the brightest and most hardworking people with BIG hearts. May I strive to continue to be better at what I do and to contribute to my colleagues' job satisfaction and professional well-being. Happy birthday to me, indeed! Thank you Lord for the blessings, most especially for the gift of loved-o...

Tonight is the eve of my 32nd birthday and I am enjoying some precious and hard-to-get-by quiet time. *sigh of contentment here* How I miss to say, "I'm bored!" or " Wala bang magawa ?". Those times are few and far between. Maybe because as we grow older, we are burdened with more responsibilities and we want to accomplish more each day? OVERWHELMED - that's me these days or maybe for most of my adult life. And I try to squash that feeling by doing as much as I could each day. I put in long hours whenever needed, which is almost everyday. Then I get sick or someone in the family gets sick or there's an emergency. I take a leave and the tasks pile up. Then I go back and put in the long hours again to address the backlog. Vicious cycle. I can only handle so much so I become apathetic to some aspects of my life like keeping in touch with family and friends and addressing our housekeeping matters. If you would note from my posts, I am mostly just rambling ab...

Hinde naman siguro masyadong obvious na mahilig akong mag-blog. Kulang na lang bahain ko ang newsfeed ko ng links sa posts ko eh . :) And despite my busyness, I try to make time for it. Please bear with me. I'm trying to pursue my passion. And since I Iove doing this, I decided to make over my blog! Slight lang naman para hinde mahal - a birthday gift to myself. Didn't you notice the new look?!? I love it. Kahit simple, mahalin ang sariling atin. :) Happy ako, hinde ba obvious? :) I have always been fascinated with words and pretty images. If I were to make over myself, I would like to be a magazine editor-in-chief. Why not? Well, right now, I am the editor-in-chief of this blog. Walang kokontra! I wanted a more professional looking blog so I googled and googled and googled. I also looked at some of the more popular mom blogs out there for reference. I noticed a few using premium wordpress themes. Most are using customized templates by Fancy Girl Designs but I feel I am not rea...

I am turning 32 in a few days. Wow, i'm getting older. I want to think I am still young but my mind and body are showing signs of aging.  I celebrated the year I turned 30 with a blog post countdown . In the span of two years, I gave birth to our second son and I achieved a milestone in my career.  I am now a mother to a hyper soon-to-be pre-schooler and an adorable one-year old. I have grown 2 sizes bigger. I have become short-tempered and I suffer from constant memory lapses. I am still in denial but I know I have to fully embrace my role as a parent - searching for that big school, attending school activities, be actively involved in assignments and exams. I have to be more present at home so I need to manage my 24 hours wisely.  As I turn 32, I decided to tackle the following resolutions: 1.  de-clutter and unclutter I need to be more organized so that I can think more clearly. I've been feeling heavy lately and I need to let go of all physical, emotional and psy...

Thankful for today - an ordinary, almost boring, rejuvenating Saturday. Just what I badly needed. About three weeks ago, I snapped big time. Something in me has gone pretty mad and I waged a silent war - me against the world. I feel so stretched yet it seems I should give room for more. Hinde ko na alam kung saan ko huhugutin ang kailangan ko pang ibigay! I lost control of myself. I wallowed in victim mode. I threw major tantrums. I turned against my easiest targets - my hubby and the kids - shouting at the slightest provocation. Maybe, it has got something to do too with the fact that I am soon turning 32. Getting old? And fat? Hehehehe . Frustrations? Baggage? Masarap din minsan to give in to your emotions . To acknowledge that you are human. To give yourself time to process what you are going through. I am good at feigning indifference. How else could I get through each long workday without thinking much of the safety of my kids who are left under the care of strangers?! How else c...

Am I thinking too small? In a meeting with our bosses and fellow managers, I found myself a bit out of place. My colleagues seem to be talking a foreign language. They were into initiatives, growth, marketing. In my mind, I can only see myself on my desk busy reviewing deliverables, answering queries, making proposals. But to go beyond that, I feel some reluctance and a lot of pain. This grown up has some serious growing up to do! But how?  Should I spend less time reading my magazine subscriptions (Yes!, Star, OK) and browsing pep.ph? Aside from spending time with my hubby and kids, updating my blog and watching the Voice! Philippines, I do nothing else but sleep and eat. My hands are full as it is.  And yet there is still some growing up to do? I'm clueless where to start and I'm a bit inflexible because of my age. But am I at least asking the right questions?  Is it time to grow up? 

A week ago, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. It has not gotten any better since. My behavior today before I left home for work was inexcusable. Matinding matandang tantrums! My patience has run out. I am at my boiling point. I snap at anything and anyone, most of all at my husband and TL#1. What's frustrating me? Well, among others, TL#2's ever-reliable yaya is leaving and we have not found a replacement, even an unsuitable one. My denim pants won't fit. Daym! Oh I forgot, I have a client meeting, can't dress down. I can't find my ID! TL#1 won't stop whining and he's late for school. Shut up please! I have not even combed my hair yet. Nasaan ba ang mga suklay dito?!? Hay naku, pudpod na ang sapatos ko! My husband is still in bed playing Clash of Titans and I am envious. Sabay lang naman kami uuwi! I did not have a good night's sleep. I kept dreaming about the giveaways. What's up with that! And TL#2 woke me up twice to ask for milk. Have I pr...

The hubby and I had a wonderful time clubbing last Friday night! It could just as well be our first time to be in a bar together, drinking and dancing the night away. I'm glad I decided to come with hubby to that fancy birthday party. Really nice way to celebrate. Kudos to the celebrant! It was not just any bar. We were at 7th High in Bonifacio Global City. Bongga ! If interested to host your own private party, manila clubbing has more details. The food was yummy, the celebrant showcased his talents, playlist by the DJ was great and best of all, drinks were free. Ang saya-saya ! There was also surprise entertainment, when some had a few drinks too many. Reminded me of the younger, carefree days when it felt rightful to go out and drink with friends once in a short while. So two vodka cruiser + 1 tequila shot later, I found myself grinning from ear to ear as hubby and I hit the dance floor. It was one good night. Married couples should go out, drink and dance like singles or new...

So I am a frustrated blogger! In my mind, I have already blogged a lot, if only I had more time and energy. Kung kinakaya lang sana ng katawang lupa ko ang gising ng 24 oras. Finally, after planning to, starting a new blog, abandoning it, starting another, deleting it, I have decided to settle on my new blog - head over heels. And because I wanted this to work, I spent the last two Saturdays obsessing over the design of my blog. Feeling magaling lang sa design . To come up with my site background, I browsed through my magazine subscriptions for pretty images and edited and edited and edited yet again using paint program until finally I decided to settle on the simpler format that it is now. Naka-15 edits ata ako. I would like to give photo credits for the images I grabbed from Smart Parenting, Oprah, OK and Star magazines. It is a work in progress but I hope I learn more of the technicalities as I go on blogging. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Surprised that hubby was free to go home by 8:00 pm but by the time he reached the office to fetch me, it was raining cats and dogs. Ang lakas ! So rather than be stuck in traffic, I asked if we could go watch a movie instead. Instant date night! I needed to relax a bit. My head was aching from the number of issues I had to address. I would rather be busy than stressed anytime. But then, issues and queries put me on my toes, make me think beyond the box and force me to stretch a bit, get out of my comfort zone, reach out, consult, learn. Daming sinabi. Haha! I'm trying to look at the positive side. The proper mindset helps me a lot at work. Worrying and being anxious is useless, I know. The moment I have learned to let go (a bit) of my fears of failure and confrontations, the nature of my work became more manageable (on most days, at least). It also helps that i'm trying to focus on the here and now. Mindfulness. That's the goal! I am trying to subscribe to these wise words...

I realized for a while now that I am living head over heels aka in disorderly haste every day, mostly because I'm very busy at work. I hardly have time to be a good housekeeper, wife and mom. I am grateful, therefore, to have the weekends to myself and for my family. I am a wife and a mom to two young kids but most of my hours are spent working, which makes me a hardworking (albeit sometimes reluctant) working girl, aiming for self-fulfillment and financial freedom. I love reading and writing and sleeping (not a morning person - not me)! I have taken up driving lessons but can't find the guts to actually drive. I have a love-hate relationship with commuting. I hate the traffic and the queue and the drivers who hate traffic too. But I love that I get to read and write during commute, my precious ME time during workdays. I am an Ilokana but thrifty is not in my vocabulary, to save and spend wisely are my flitting goals. Despite of my lack of time, I find myself perpetually wantin...

I barely have free time. And during those rare times that I do have free time, I don't get anything done. I want to do so much that I end up... browsing and reading celebrity tsismis at pep.ph or reading Star and OK magazines. :) Entertaining but hardly productive. It's been months since I finished reading The Happiness Project and vowed to start a project of my own. I had the best intentions but no time. But finally, April is almost over and work should taper off a bit. The remaining days of April should be about tying up loose ends at work and gearing myself up for more intentional living starting May. I'll be needing lots of discipline, structure, good habits and resources. Most importantly, I hope that by some good fate, no major issue will crop up at work that will keep me pre-occupied. The month of May will be about: Clarity and Positive Energy 1 - Toss, Restore and Organize 2 - Tackle nagging tasks (ie. dental and OB check up, LTO drivers license renewal) - warts re...