Shutter life of Jazz

For this blog entry, I'll try to tell you how I indirectly teach my tiny tot about the importance of money. As a mom, I have to always deal with budgeting our finances to survive week by week. It is exhausting and frustrating and no one prepared me to do these adulting stuff. Although, to be honest, I have already learned how to manage my finances since high school but I can't seem to make them last. Because of this dilemma, I see to it that my kids don't make the same mistakes I did when it comes to managing hard-earned money.  My daughter, who is turning 5 next year, requested to have a bicycle for her birthday. Unfortunately, kids' bicycles do not come cheap, especially if you're considering to buy very quality bikes with different famous movie characters design. Unfortunately, she (my daughter) got a bit spoiled by everyone around her since she is the first grandchild in my husband's side and she is the first grand-daughter in my side of the family....

Saying goodbye is the hardest thing to do. This may sound cliche but there's really no other way to say it. A few days ago, I said goodbye to a loyal companion who was also a part of our family, Chippy. Chippy was my hubby's gift for our daughter Yzabella. When Yza was just a few months old, Jeiel decided to surprise me with a dog. Chippy was a half-bred Chihuahua and Dachshund, however, for some unknown reason, Chippy was bigger than her siblings so when he bought Chippy, she was not as expensive as the other pups. Chippy, never experienced living inside our house. She was always tied in her house due to the fact that she was too active to let loose. She was, however, taught to fetch things and has always been super enthusiastic to play. A couple of months ago, she gave birth to 4 pups. Unfortunately, two of them did not survive while the 2 other pups are happily roaming around our compound to this day. After giving birth, an accident happened. Roughly 3 weeks a...

A change of thought and mind; A change of heart and sign. You put me through A wave of emotions. A hint of laughter; A tinge of summer. The brightest yellow, The darkest sorrow. Your beauty is deadly, but satisfying. Your warmth indulging and down-right scorching. A sunflower that follows only the trail of the sun And ignores the moon that only borrows sunlight to make itself known and maybe bright.

It is everybody's responsibility to act and care for Mother Earth regardless of age. The first step in creating impact is awareness. Without awareness, there won't be action, and without action, there won't be change. And change we must so we can pass the gift of nature to the next generation. Make an impact and share your thoughts! #CNE1EarthMonth2018

A tour to Vigan is incomplete if you don't get to watch and try the traditional pottery -making with your own hands. Pagburnayan, is a place where you can enjoy and shop for clay pots that are surely weatherproof. And when I say weatherproof, I really mean that. One vendor even tried to demonstrate how hard their pots by slamming one their mini pots on the wooden table where their other products were displayed. To my surprise, the wooden table suffered a minor dent while the pot remained spotless. Too bad I was not really planning to buy clay pots because my main purpose was to feel like an artist even just for once in my life. Anyway, a short tutorial will be offered by the master to their visitors. If you would like to watch a sample tutorial, click on this link of the video I took while we were there.  Traditional pottery making in Vigan Also, some of my teammates bought pure honey in this place. They sell all kinds of souvenirs here other than clay pots. Some...

Perhaps the easiest and cheapest, in my opinion, way to go around the popular spots in the area is by horse carriage. The friendly coachmen offer tours and/or point to point services. They charge 150 pesos per hour per person. I know that sounds too much but we have to think about the horses. It's not really cheap to take care of one. Moreover, you can try taking a tricycle from one point to another but it is more likely that these tricycle drivers charge more. Somehow, I think they kind of abused the fact that we were not locals and we do not know how much they really charge per trip. Since my friend and my tiny tot were eager to have a look around the city, we rode on a carriage. From Calle Crisologo, we were taken to our first stop - Bantay Church and Tower. Of course, to go there is free but before actually going near the tower, we were asked to register our names first and to donate money. I do not know what they do with the money people donate but I believe it is for the...

After our failed attempt to go to La Union's surfing area due to heavy traffic, we opted to watch the sunset in a resort located in  Bauaung , La Union.  It was a long holiday. I, as a noble mother, planned to stay at home and do motherly chores. My husband, on the other hand, as outgoing as he is, decided to take us to the surfing area in the north, La Union. I was reluctant to support his idea since I was not really in the mood to travel, let alone, leave my laundry behind. But due to my ever-loving hubby's persuasive prowess, I agreed. So, we packed our day bags and hopped in the car. At first, he (hubby) was bragging how easy and fast it would be for us to get to our destination because of the newly opened express highway (TPLEX). Yeah, the first 30 or so minutes were smooth until we arrived at the exit. Lo and Behold! A queue of cars greeted our arrival. Of course, we thought it was normal because it was a holiday. Maybe a lot of people like us wanted to spend t...