December 24, 2010
The week before Christmas just passes so fast because everyone is hyper about buying gifts, wrapping gifts, thinking of menus, buying ingredients and actually preparing and cooking the Christmas dishes. It's even harder to juggle everything when your kids are underfoot because their Christmas vacation has already started. Still, you persevere and hope that you don't catch a cold to bog you down.
It's very much the same for me. I hardly knew the day, much less the date, until I hear news anchors on TV announcing, "It's only X days away from Christmas!" We've gone to different malls in search of groceries and ingredients for our Christmas meal. Can you believe that fresh basil was nowhere to be found?!! It's like everyone decided to use fresh basil for Christmas! LOL I have had to change the menu several times because I couldn't find the necessary ingredients. I also had to experiment with some of my menu, like making sago and gulaman because I haven't tried that one yet :) The first try was a failure because the gulaman got too mushy! LOL Funny, but I never got to do it again hahaha Then we all helped make banana bread to test Ate Mel's practical knowledge with baking seeing as she took some classes in Dana's school for it :) It turned out okay :)
Patrick was also having a hectic time at work. He had to deal with fixing the documents needed for his trip to China in addition to his actual writing. It was funny because when he told me that he was invited to participate in an event there, I was writing China Visa articles for a website hahaha It was like serendipity hahaha Anyway, with all of the things that he needed to accomplish, he hasn't found the time to buy me a gift since we were always together when we went out.
Finally, on the 24th, we went to Cubao for some last minute shopping. We went to
Gateway and after having lunch at
Teriyaki Boy, he casually strolled into the
Rustan's store. I was wondering why because we hardly went there. But it gave Dana a chance to buy her Dad his Christmas gift (a Batman face towel to leave in Stanley so that when Patrick perspired, he would have something to wipe himself off with). He did mention that he was looking for a gift for me then and he found it but he and Dana will just have to return to buy it hahaha So he took us, Dylan and I, to Shopwise so we can buy what we needed while he and Dana went back to Rustan's to buy the gift. To cut a long story short, they ended up buying the gift but failed to have it gift wrapped due to time constraints.
Once at the house, I was stuck in the 2nd Floor while Patrick went about his business of wrapping the gift. When he was done, he presented it to me with a flourish, giftwrapped with a bow! :) It was wonderful!! Then it was my turn to finish wrapping the presents so I went back to our room where he left the Rustan's shopping bag. It was calling out to me and I was really tempted to check it out hehehe So I did!! Curiosity killed the cat and all that!! My bad!! I saw the receipt and I knew what was in the box !! hahaha I went back down to tell him hehehe I told him I knew but I was already practicing my surprised look for the pictures the next day hahaha
The funny part was when we were all in the bedroom and I started tickling Dana to reveal to me what was in the box (even though I already knew). She was laughing so hard but she was really trying hard not to say it. I tried a different tactic - I asked her, "If I gave you P100, will you tell me what's in the box?" I wasn't really expecting her to answer but then - she blurted out, "It's a coffeemaker, Mama!" LOL Patrick did that face-palm thingy LOLWhat's even funnier was that, later on, everyone was downstairs and Dylan was near the Christmas tree checking out his gifts, he was murmuring - "That's mine, That's Ate Dana's, That's Mama's coffeemaker!" LOL
Patrick said, "this is the last time I take you with me when I go shopping!" :)
It's always nice to discover new shopping haunts, particularly if they're entrepreneurial boutiques that offer unique and interesting products. Today, we found one when we went to The Reading Room, Shop #39 in Cubao X (formerly the Marikina Shoe Expo). I saw their 1-day sale announcement on Facebook yesterday and as Dana and I browsed their products, we squealed when we stumbled on their Totoro Luminous stickers and then and there we decided to visit their shop :) This was also the first time for the kids to visit the former Marikina Shoe Expo. 
Last April 28, Dana and her friends made plans to hang out in Greenhills. Seeing as Patrick was out of town, Dylan and I decided to go with her although of course, I told her that when we got there Dylan and I will separate from her and her group. It turned out that Dylan and I went ahead of them because some of her friends weren't there yet at their meeting place. I told her to text me when they arrive in Greenhills.
In my previous post, we were already in Cubao and we needed to eat fast if we didn't want to be late for the 3PM showing of Rak of Aegis. So we decided to eat at Taco Bell since we passed it on the way from the Gateway Parking to the Fukuda Outlet Center. 
So you can imagine my fear when Dylan was showing the same signs. Patrick missed work for this on the off-chance that Dylan had dengue, someone had to go home and arrange for his stuff to be brought to the hospital. His doctor, Dra. Violeta Mendoza of the World City Medical Center, advised that he have blood tests and a dengue test done just to be sure. It was a good thing that Dylan was covered under Patrick's health plan at work and we didn't have to pay for anything.
For starters, we went to Cubao where I knew there were a lot of shoe stores aside from the usual stuff they sell in the department stores. So, we went to Farmer's Plaza, where I was fortunate to find a pair that was just right for me. And it only cost P250!! I also bought Dana her own pair :) Love shopping with her :)
Next, we went to Shopwise to buy some necessary groceries. What we didn't know was that they had an ongoing promo in line with Chinese New Year! People who are wearing red will automatically get a fortune cookie! Imagine that! And Dana was wearing an all-red outfit courtesy of her Tita Shawie LOL
We first had lunch at the Gateway Food Express where Den and I ordered a big bowl of Mongolian barbecue while Patrick and the rest of the gang had steaks at House of Mini's. We then went to check out Shopwise first because they usually have a great selection of houseware and furniture at a very affordable price. Unfortunately, we didn't find what we needed this time. What we did find was a Body Slender exercise machine which I've been eyeing since I saw it on an infommercial LOL It was on sale for P2700 (which I bargained down to P2600 and that also included pink 0.5kg dumbells, a CD and a special floor mat). We then went to SM where we found a cabinet that's just the right size and the right price.