// morsels of life //

Hey, hey, hey!!! Finally! Got the spare time to blog once again. It's been a while since I wrote in this journal so it's time for updates.

Anyway, since I became a working mom, my daily routine really did change. I got used to it already that I tend to be surprised whenever I have idle times.

But I like how things are improving now. More dreams are gradually coming true :)
One of them is owning our first house here in Australia. Yes, we have recently purchased a place to live in!
I will tell the house purchase details soon as I don't want to put a jinx on it.
But so far, things are falling into place and we thank God for it :)

Labels: australia, family, rave

My life as a mom has changed since Tuesday.
I am a working mother now.
The job opportunity that I've been waiting for so long came when I wasn't expecting it! :)

I was hired by a web and graphic design company based in North Altona (20-30 minutes away from our place by public transport). They've been in the business for over 14 years.
My role is web programmer/designer. I will be handling some of their existing projects and hoping to get my hands on new projects as well.
I'm just grateful that they are willing to provide some training. Perhaps, a chance for me to prepare myself for the challenges of being in the IT workforce again.

As for our schedule at home, we just have to manage our time nowadays. I admit that sending Lori to daycare every morning is dreadful for me. Not to mention that separation anxiety attacks me every now and then. God willing, Mama will be here on March to help us out.

I believe in my heart, we'll get through this "big change" eventually.

Labels: career, family, melbourne, rave

An easy recipe everytime we crave for something different, Oysters Kilpatrick.
To make this, all you need is a dozen of shucked fresh oysters, diced bacon, Worcestershire sauce.
Arrange the oysters on a bed of rock salt in a baking pan. Sprinkle the bacon bits and put few drops of Worcestershire sauce. Grill it in the oven for 8-10 mins on medium-high heat.
Serve with lemon wedges and salad or potato chips.

Delish and lovely! :)

Labels: australia, food, rave

Spent the Easter weekend at the Great Ocean Road with my husband and daughter.

We travelled thru the coastal road with several stopovers at the connecting towns such as Torquay, Aireys Inlet, Lorne and Cape Otway.

In Torquay, we stopped by The Esplanade which has a nice view of the long beach. We also visited the "Surf City", the shopping point of surf enthusiasts. Torquay is famous for its surf beaches.

Aireys Inlet features the Split Point Lighthouse and lovely rock formations down the cliff.

Lorne is a popular place for caravan parking and camping near the Erskine River.

The Cape Otway was one of the highlights of our trip. The view of the ocean with the towering iconic lightstation was a beauty.

We stayed the night at Loch Ard Bed & Breakfast. The property is owned and run by the couple Don & Win Mckenzie, which are two of the most warm and kind people I have ever met. Their guest rooms are generously big and so cozy. The bluestone English-style country house is so beautiful and situated in a very relaxed farmland.
We also met Marsha (one of the house guests), a fellow Filipino and her partner Deck, who is an Irish.

The following morning, we headed to the "not to be missed" attractions of the Great Ocean Road - the 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. The picturesque view of the ocean plus the rock formations was truly magnificent. The sound of the sea waves and swish of the shrubs made me feel that i'm so close to nature.

GOR's sights and sounds are beyond words.
Two thumbs up! :)

Bunch of photos here.

Happy Easter everyone!

Labels: family, rave, road trip

Lori is turning 1 1/2 years old on Monday. Here's a summary of the things she can do and loves to do now:

* can walk like a pro...
* run as if she's always in a hurry...
* can say several words such as "mam", "dadi" & "dede"...
* first pair of lower molars appeared already...
* can wave goodbye...
* being clingy at times...
* throw her favorite ball (thankfully, just on the floor) and watch it bounce...
* loves to watch quiz shows, weather news, and anything with dancing kids...
* likes to see us applauding about something good she just did...
* loves to pretend (e.g. stomping like a dinosaur)...
* can recognize the letters "A, B, C"...
* can sip on a straw...
* gradually learning to drink from a cup...
* a veggie-eater now!


I read that most of the stuff on the list are just normal for her age so no need to bother at all. It's truly an accomplishment to know that nearly everything is on the right track. To cherish all the time I have now for my daughter, is certainly, the most right to do.

Labels: Lori, parenting, rave

Picked up our first family car this morning at Subaru Docklands.
It's a Forester 2009 model. Very pleased with it's look and presentation.
After a week of negotiation, we finally got the one we want at our desired price (special thanks to my husband's wit and charm, hehehe).

Strange as it may seem, as Tonton was driving the car out of the display area, the rain began to pour. It's like, heaven is blessing our recent purchase! :)

Anyway, our first stop... shopping centres!
But we only grabbed the essentials.
I think we're just too excited to test drive the car.

Nice to see that the passenger on the back seat, Lori, looked so comfy during our first all-wheel drive trip.

Labels: car, rave

Ballarat is almost 2 hours drive from the city. I find the location very relaxing and perfect for a family getaway.
Stayed at Wyndham Resort with our pinoy friends.
The resort has one of the most grandest mansions in the region.
The place is truly a heritage. I liked the way they preserved the old but elegant structure of the houses. The rooms were cozy and nice.

For the two days, we enjoyed lots of fun activities and road trips.
Visited the Kryal Castle (which is 20-minute drive from Wyndham)...

I had the chance to dress up as a "royal queen" for only 10 bucks, hahaha.

The men played poker at night, while the ladies watched tagalog movies...

Soaked ourselves in the warm pool...

Photo ops at the lake...

Played tennis, basketball and indoor golf.

A fun, chillax weekend! :)

View more photos on myFlickr.

Labels: australia, friends, rave, roadtrip

The actual hunt for our first car begun last weekend. Even before Tonton got his full Victorian driver's licence, we've been scouting for a nice family vehicle already. It started with a bunch of choices and we narrowed it down to a very short list. And now we're choosing between the two popular car brands.

Here's Lori roaming around and helping us to "inspect" this one...

As of the moment, we're still waiting for calls from sales agent and we're hoping to get a great deal, of course. I think this hunt will be quite exhausting and exciting.

Labels: car, rave

It was not a good summer day for Victorians yesterday. In fact, it was the worst ever as temperature reached almost 47C and resulted to bushfires and home blazed. Death toll is also feared to climb. It's such a catastrophe.

As for us, we just spent the hot morning at the Victoria Gardens shopping centre. We don't have airconditioner in our "ancient" apartment and staying at the mall is one of our ways to stay cool. Here's Lori playing in the baby care room...

On the brighter note, we joined our friends and Apiado family to celebrate the 3rd birthday of their dear son, Joshua later in the afternoon. Venue was in Laughs Galore, Deer Park. It's an indoor play centre with facilities for kids to enjoy and have fun like jumping castles, huge slides and ball room.

Lori particularly enjoyed tossing the colorful balls in the ball pool.

As for us adults, we totally enjoyed the abudant meal served that was composed mostly of pinoy favorites such as pancit, sisig, dinuguan and lechon! Yum!

Got home before 12 midnight. Felt thankful to be alive.

Labels: australia, celebrations, rant, rave

I consulted a doctor this evening 'cause i've been suffering from stomach ache/indigestion/slight heartburn since morning.

Headed to the new location of Royal Women's Hospital along Flemington Road, Parkville and I was amazed how their site has improved compared to the old one in Carlton (where I gave birth). The place is bigger and I almost got lost trying to find the emergency section.

Unfortunately, their emergency department doesn't accommodate cases like mine. It is exclusively for patients who are in labor or pregnant. Thank goodness, the RWH building is connected to the Royal Melbourne's Hospital where the triage nurse put me through so quickly.

Anyway, the GP (doctor) just advised me to take antacid and avoid salty & sour food.
Thank heavens for Mylanta, I feel well now.

Labels: melbourne, rant, rave

Labels: melbourne, rave, sports

Guess what's behind those tiny hands?

It's a piece of nectarine as Lori's afternoon snack.

Just one of my baby girl's favorite fruits.

As a mom, it's a delight for me to see how this kid loves, loves fruits.

I remember when she has not started to wean, I was concern on how to encourage her to like fresh produce. Thankfully, she did not refuse to eat some the first time I offered. And now she eats all kinds ~ strawberries, melons, mangoes... to name a few.

Keep it up, my dear :)

Labels: Lori, parenting, rave

Konti na lang! :)
We will finally see her walking around the house and soon at the park!
Hay. Lori was more baby-like for longer. And seeing her now, starting to become a full blown toddler. What a milestone!
Watch her taking more steps now...



I'm more than ready for the chasing game soon!

Labels: Lori, rave

Labels: australia, rave

While everybody else is busy with the Melbourne Cup today, we just stayed home and excited packing our stuff.

We're off to Manila in a few days. First time to fly home together as a family.
I'm so "nawiwindang" how to squeeze in all our activities to a 3-week long holiday.
I reckon this vacation will be full of reunions, errands and shopping.
But hopefully, there will also be some time to relax and unwind.
I badly need some "ME" time!

Ok, counting down...

Labels: holiday, rave

Whenever I get so bored, I normally look for something to customize.
Glad to score this Do It Yourself Calendar from Kikki.K shop.

I like it's black & white concept that would enable you to decorate it with colorful stickers or write notes using a white/colored pen. Each month page is a blank canvas that you could embellish with your own photos and drawings.

Just a nice thing to have for the year 2009.

Labels: abubot, hobby, rave

For the past weeks, i've been aiming to eat as healthy as possible to get rid of my "bulge".

Labels: food, melbourne, rave

We're almost done moving our stuff to our new apartment. The place is just few blocks away from Swanston Street, but it's still in the same suburb, Carlton.

Labels: australia, rave

We've been apartment hunting for quite a while now. Our 10-month contract for our current unit will end soon.

And few days ago (while I was browsing some properties), I discovered something so amazing over the internet. Domain.com.au website now features a Street View (courtesy of Google) of the property alongside the conventional maps and photos.



This one will enable you to check out a street level view of properties and walk down the actual street by panning, rotating and zooming the map. Isn't it cool?!

I find it very useful especially if I want to familiarize myself to a certain place. And since we'll be doing inspections on several apartments this week, I'm really glad to learn about this feature. I can now explore the whole neighbourhood and see the nearest shops and establishments around the place.

Labels: australia, rave

Labels: Lori, parenting, rave