His 30th Year

Hello Gorgeous Reader!

Here I go popping up in the blog-o-sphere again! LOL~ I honestly tried to blog so many times. I wanted to pick up where I left off but trying to remember past events while currently being in a totally different situation and preparing for upcoming big moments just disorients me so much that I end up failing to blog altogether.

Anyway, I’ll slowly work my way back into blogging. This time with more current blogs. But don’t worry I’ll eventually write about all the stuff I’ve missed out.

My husband just turned 30. I wanted it to be special; after all, it’s not always that you start another decade of your life. I’ve been asking him about his plans and he hadn’t decided yet. A few days before his birthday we found out that his parents weren’t coming to visit. One of his sisters will be out of town too. I figured his other sisters would be busy because his birthday falls on a school day. I guessed he was pretty sad.

I spared some cash for his birthday but all I really wished was that he would be happy for the entire day of his 30th birthday. So I browsed the internet for cheap sea-side hotels that would fit my budget. I found a nice one, only that it’s quite far from the city.

The day before his birthday I told him about it and sure enough, he did not agree with my choice (LOL). Well, 6 months pregnant women and buses don’t really go well together. But he liked the idea of being elsewhere rather than home so we both searched the internet for another place. We finally found one close to the city. It was much pricier than my budget but he said it was okay.

Stargate Dream Vacation Resort

 

We then rushed to pack for the over-night because we still needed to pay some bills and go to my prenatal appointment before checking-in. Amazingly, we were able to do all that and be able to check in the resort by 5pm. It was actually just a 10-minute-drive away from the city. We enjoyed the site tour and snapped a few photos. We had diner while enjoying the view of the city lights and the stars. He went to sleep ahead of me. I had a comforting bath and prepared the birthday card I got him while he was asleep.

 

HIS DAY started with me noisily blowing my nose because I wasn’t used to the air-conditioning. (LOL) Then I snuggled close to him and greeted him a happy birthday. It was still dawn and we started talking about our dream of having a bigger nicer house someday while our little fetus bounced about in my tummy.

 

 

 

 

 

We freshened up (he found my card ^_^ ) and went for an early stroll. Fresh air, cool breeze and a beautiful view of the river. I loved the way he smiled. While our complimentary breakfast was being prepared, we went to their gym. We were literally the only guest that day so we had all the facilities to ourselves. We had a fun time playing ping-pong “fetch” because neither of us knew how to play.

 

 

 

 

 

We had breakfast and later headed to the pool; where we enjoyed a relaxing jacuzzi. I tried to swim with my big belly. He liked the infinity pool. He invited his friend and his wife to the resort. They got there and they too said that it is indeed a nice place.

 

 

 

 

We checked out at noon and went to the city for lunch with  his sisters, brother-in-law, niece and another friend of his . We ate at one of our favorite place “Chicken Ati-Atihan”. The prices are reasonable and the flavor is great. We ordered so much. It’s a shame we forgot to take pictures.

After lunch we went to church for thanks giving and lit some candles. Then we went to the mall to see a movie that he’s been wanting to see for weeks. But before the movie, we went to the arcade and started his “mid-life crisis celebration”.

 

We watched “’Man of Steel”, and although it was a good movie; I felt so guilty leaving the cinema. The loud and prolonged sound effects had startled our baby so much. She would kick and squirm non-stop in my tummy while the sound effects played. Of course I couldn’t turn the volume down.

We had a light diner at a fastfood and went home… finally! Before we went to bed he hugged me and thanked me. I’ve always wondered what that was for. I asked him if he was happy that day. He said yes and fell asleep smiling. I think my wish for him was granted.

Starting Over

Hello Gorgeous Reader!

 

Have you ever felt “information overload” before? Well I’m pretty much experiencing “life overload”. That’s when life unfolds too fast and all you can do is watch.

I feel like my life has spun 360 in the past year. Home is not what it used to be. My family is bigger that it was. My job is less challenging than what I used to do. Priorities change. And I have changed a lot.

(I got a new haircut ^_^)

I never imagined I’d be who I am now. A “desperate housewife” (LOL) living in a quite (too quiet) suburban neighborhood, doing chores, cooking (seriously?!) and counting the days ‘till I deliver this baby (yup, I’m pregnant) and finally get to have some company in this miniature of a house.

It’s totally different from being surrounded by people all the time at work, reaching quotas, and passing quality audits. Crashing into my bed after work and not having to think about what too cook for breakfast the next day because my mom will have breakfast served by the time I rush back to work and forgo breakfast altogether.

I miss the past and I’m too excited for the future; which kind of makes the “here and now” such a blur.

Sure, my life right now is killing me with boredom but there are perks too; like enough time to sleep, watching TV (I haven’t done that for ages), kitchen experiments, and feeling tickled pink whenever I welcome my husband home from work.

That being said, tons of things happened since my last blog and I’m hoping that I could start over; that I could overcome laziness and get myself into writing blogs again. But where to start?  

Movie Themed Pre-Nuptial Photos: A ‘happy’ take on our favorite movies.

Hello Gorgeous Reader!

 

As you know, I have just tied the knot. And like many other couples, my husband and I have taken part of the new fad in nuptial culture called the “Pre-Nup Photos”.

If you Google searched that phrase, you’ll probably be splashed with hundreds of photos with a variety of theme, fashion and artistic ideas.

We’ve agreed  in prior to have “movies” as our wedding theme. After all, watching movies is one of our best bonding moments. ^_^

The first challenge was finding the right photographer. My husband has been a huge fan of One Happy Story Photography. Their photos are simple but had a certain happy light to it. We also decided to have the pictorial at our then under construction house. I figured it had just the view needed for the shoot, it won’t cost us much and it would make the photos more personal for us.

He was super excited to meet their lead photographer Bon Aserios. I was nervous about our “movie themed” idea since the  group already has a distinct “casual themed” “storyline” style photography which worked so well with other couples.

 

Ultimately, we had a great time shooting the pre-nup photos. And the output photos were exactly as I hoped they would be. A ‘happy’ and refreshing set of photos inspired by our favorite movies. ^___^

 

To see the rest of our Pre-Nup Photos; check out the link below:

http://www.bonaserios.com/michael-jobelle-engagement-cagayan-de-oro-city/

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Hello Gorgeous Reader!

 

I hope your holidays was a blast. Mine was great ^_^ Well it was kind of awkward being that it’s the first holiday season I spent as a wife. I miss home, my family, the scruffy corner where I used to sleep. I’ve never been away before being married. In fact, I cried myself to sleep when I was the only one left home when my siblings went off to work elsewhere. But that’s embarrassing and I don’t know why I just told you that.

But it’s not all that bad. I got to be in two family parties! TWO! Yeah, and my husband and I got to have our own little family celebration as well.

How was your holiday season?

I’m too lousy to write about all the details, so I’ll just leave you with our Christmas and New Year photos. (They’re quite cheesy. LOL)

 

So for the hundredth time…. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All! ^_^

I’m Back?

Hello Gorgeous Reader!

 

I am the indistinctive writer. I figured that I should introduce myself again since it has been a long, LONG time since I last wrote a blog.

You might recall me dropping comments on your blog, or writing about my random day to day life, and I also did a blog series.

Today, I woke up a completely different person. Actually, someone reminded me about this blog and felt compelled to write.

Honestly, I don’t want to… I’ve neglected this blog for the longest time. I probably lost most of my followers and blogger friends. I don’t even know how or where to start again.

I suppose explaining why I haven’t blogged would be the most I can do.

It all started last February when my boyfriend of 7 years proposed to me.

He opted for the traditional way of asking for my hand in marriage by April .

I also went through work issues and finally quit my employment and bid my crew/staff goodbye for a home-based job by May.

July of this year, my fiancé and I were offered a house (a big wreck actually) for sale.

 

We had the thing fixed and the construction wore us down physically, financially, emotionally throughout the months that followed. We were also slowly preparing for our wedding.

 

September came and we needed to get our act together because our wedding was just weeks away.

October was the busiest of months with overlapping concerns on the house papers and construction as well as wedding preparations.

Pre-Nup Photo

By November, I dropped all worries over the house and focused my attention on the wedding.

We were wed on the 10th.

We flew to Palawan the day after and vacationed for a week.

When we got back, it was again crazy busy as we finally opened our wedding gifts and moved into this little matchbox of a house.

And here I am, this 1st of December, dumbfounded at how I lost track of my blog. Still busy but coping with my new life, new name, new home…

I’ll try to tell you more about the things I’ve mentioned in this blog… But this is all I can offer you as of now.

See you on my next blog! ^_^

How to Get Married: Legal Requirements

Hello Gorgeous Reader!

 

NOTE: Please be informed that this blog is based on Cagayan de Oro City requirements. The process for other places may vary and is beyond my jurisdiction. @_@

For a marriage to be called valid or legally binding; it must be registered/recorded at the government branch called Civil Registrar. It is basically the logbook of our government. The legality of a marriage has many purposes such as civil, financial,  health benefits, and many more.

Below are the steps to get your “Marriage License”.

STEP 1

Find someone who is willing to marry you. This someone must not be currently within a marriage or ‘free to marry’. Note that there is no divorce in the Phils. Even if that person has been living separately from his/her spouse for longer than 10 years he/she is still considered married by law unless his/her wife/husband is already dead. This person must also be of legal age (18 years old and above). If either of you are within 18-21 years old; you are required to present an “Affidavit of Parental Consent”. Other additional requirements will be necessary for non Filipino nationals.

STEP 2

Go to the City Hall’s “Civil Registrar’s Office” located at the 2nd level of the ‘new building’. You will see flow chart for marriage license application on the window. Go inside the office and find the the table for “marriage registration”. Ask for the application for marriage form. (you will be required to present both your cedula) Fill up the form accordingly.

STEP 3

Return the form to the person in-charge and present your cedula. The person in charge will then give you a list of requirements to comply enable to claim your marriage license 2-3 weeks after application.

Requirements:

2 Photo Copies each of your NSO Birth Certificate

2 Photo Copies each of your CENOMAR (bring original copy)

Certificate of attendance to Family Planning Seminar to be attended at the City Health Office.

Note: You can get your NSO Birth Certificate and CENOMAR (within 1 day) at the NSO office at Pride Rock, Gusa. You can also opt for a more convenient way by getting it at SM CDO. You can go to the ‘SM Business Service Center’ booth at the 2nd level of the mall. Fill out the form and you will be able to claim the documents after 7-14 working days. There is only a 20 peso difference between the payment at NSO office and SM.

(white form for B.C. and green for CENOMAR)

STEP 4

Family Planning Seminar are held every Wednesday at the City Health Office located near Xavier University campus or Hall of Justice. It is a whole-day seminar so it would be best to bring snacks or water. It is a must that both of the couple will attend the seminar. You will be sent home if you come without your partner. This is a free seminar; all you need to do is register your names. The certificate will be given at the end of the seminar.

STEP 5

Once you have complied all your requirements you may now claim your Marriage License. Payment will be made to claim the license for documentation purposes. Remember that this license is valid for 6 months only. You can now opt for a “Civil Wedding”. For “Church Wedding” another set of requirements will be necessary.

Best Wishes! ^_^

How to Get Married: Step 1

How to Get Married: Step 1

Hello Gorgeous Reader!

Wow! It has been a century since I’ve last posted a blog. My wedding is coming really soon and preparation has been a crazy roller-coaster! @_@
But I really am taking this time to write about the topic at the title because I’ve been getting inquiries from a number of my friends who recently got engaged! (Yey!) ^_^

So, he popped the question, she said “yes” and you are both in this giggling, smiling, in-love state. But what comes next? It is the gruesome, exhausting, frustrating, debate worthy, and financially depleting… wedding plan.

It may sound terrible but like the saying “to make a blade sharp, it must first go through fire” this is one of the best ways to test your relationship.

For this blog, I’ll be taking about the “First Things” that you (as a couple) need to consider.  But don’t worry, I’ll be writing a separate blog for other details about the wedding planning.

The “B”

Wedding planning revolves around a capital B, and it’s not the bride! It is the “BUDGET”.

 ₱₱₱    $$$    ₱₱₱

It is the most important thing to consider because you don’t want to be buried in debt or sleeping on the streets after your wedding.

It is the first thing the wedding organizer/planner will ask you; should you decide to hire one. It will be your basis when you canvas wedding packages; if you opt for one. And if you decide to go hands-on; it will be your best guide.

There are two major factors in your wedding budget one is  “Venue” and the other is “Guests”
Venue means the type of wedding that you’d like to have. It can either be Church (for Roman Catholics) or Civil wedding. Church wedding requires you to comply two sets of requirements (church and civil requirements) and it is important to consider that as well. It also means the actual place of the wedding. Your budget will depend on the venue of the ceremony and reception. Churches, like hotel establishments, have different basic charge amounts ranging from Php 3,000.00 to Php 25,000.00. Your choice will definitely affect your budget.

Guests means the number of expected people attending your wedding day. Don’t be lazy. “Make a list”. This is very important because other expenses will be based on your expected guests.

Here are some information that you might find useful:
1.) Entourage rental gowns usually come in 4 to 6 sets bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen wear and 4 set of flower-girls dress. Extra dresses/suits will have a different additional charge.
2.) Food is around Php 300.00 and up per pax (that means per head) on the average. That is exclusive of corkage charges.
3.) Wedding favors or giveaways cost around Php 20.00 or more per piece.
Now multiply those with the number of your expected guests and you’ll have a rough budget estimate.

And this is just the beginning….  I hope that you’ll find these information helpful.

More blogs on this soon… And congratulations once again! ^_^