28 January 2010: DAY 28 (WEEK 5)

the day before my big day...

my kids are also excited about tomorrow... and that makes me feel 'special'. right after we got home, i requested for us to have a little photo shoot of my last day of being 34(!!!) and they happily participated.




they are my blessings, they are my life-long gift... they are my life.

too bad my husband wasn't in the picture because he worked a bit late. i will have more photos of all of us tomorrow.

to those who sent their greetings early...THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

27 January 2010: DAY 27 (WEEK 5)

2 days to go...

nowadays we are enjoying freshly squeezed oranges! i make the kids some as soon as we get home from school.

26 January 2010: DAY 26 (WEEK 5)

3 days to go...

there is a construction going on across the street. they are putting a public toilette there. i will take another picture when they finished it.

25 January 2010: DAY 25 (WEEK 5)

4 days to go...
we went out to have my dress changed. last saturday, i bought 2 dresses from bcbgmaxazria (80% off!!!!). i tried on the first dress and it was a perfect fit. after i paid for it, i saw this other dress. it was really difficult to go back to the dressing room and try it on again...so i just got the same size and assumed they fit the same. when i got home i found out that style is bigger in that size. had to change it.
after we changed the dress, we dropped by nitz' office since it is close by. i took a picture of sofia seated at the reception area.

24 January 2010: DAY 24 (WEEK 4)

5 days to go...

another sunday and another 'household' (prayer meeting)! we are really happy to finally have everyone present! this is the very first time that we are complete.

23 January 2010: DAY 23 (WEEK 4)

6 days to go...

we went to the vaccination center again. isabelle and sofia needed to get their second shots. it was really quick!

22 January 2010: DAY 22 (WEEK 4)

7 days to go...

today we went to the police station to report my stolen residency card. we will request for a new one.

as requested by the kids -- burger-night tonight!!

21 January 2010: DAY 21 (WEEK 4)

8 more days...

someone stole my wallet today. i was going to this store to buy my sister-in-law the jacket she requested, and when i was at the counter to pay, i discovered my wallet was missing. i was hoping i forgot it at home (though i remember i put it in my bag before i left...). so i asked the salesclerk to reserve the item for me and i will just get it the next day. when i got home, i looked everywhere but my wallet was not there. so...it was indeed stolen. there wasn't any money there, i only have a credit card and some discount cards... oh... and i have my residency card there!! but what really upsets me is losing 'the' wallet!! it was my husbands birthday gift to me last year.... too bad.

here is sofia trying to help in squeezing the oranges. an after-school drink for the kids. really healthy!!

20 January 2010: DAY 20 (WEEK 4)

9 more days...

so today it has been raining. im glad kids have no classes on wednesdays, today we can just stay inside the house and be warm.

19 January 2010: DAY 19 (WEEK 4)

10 days before my big day!!! my birthday is something i really look forward even if i am i am getting old..! right after new year i already do a countdown in my mind. yup..i am that excited about it!! but i usually keep it to myself, some may think i am too old for this 'excitement'. well, i love surprise and the works...but of course i cannot surprise myself... and i cannot tell somebody to surprise me!! (gosh!!) so i hope someone will...
anyway, today i gave my breadmaker another try!! sofia loves watching it turn and turn. this is my third try -- the first one was toooooo salty (but i did follow the recipe...i don't know if it was suppose to be that salty!), the second one was too heavy and the flour seemed uncooked!!! (but it tasted good!) and this one....we will see. wish me luck!!

18 January 2010: DAY 18 (WEEK 4)

i am just so excited!!! my PROJECT 365 finally arrived!! i ordered it from photoways (...and just so you know and if anyone is interested, they have a buy 1 - take 1 offer for this til january 20!!). i am so happy with how they turned out.
it is a 20cm x 20cm book so they are not that big.

and i divided them in 3 albums...so friends can look at them separately at the same time...

the base color i chose for the pages is black..and this is the first page -

the this is the back of the first page. i want each week to be one page spread so i made a layout for the first spread so the left side of the spread doesn't have to be blank space.

and this is a sample of the page! i reduced the layouts a bit so they have black borders around. i wanted to make sure layouts are all in the page.

i love is so much and i can't wait to share it with friends and guests who will visit!!!
here is the link to photoways:
http://www.photoways.com/
let me know if you need help. i have ordered a lot of stuff from them and they are great!!

17 January 2010: DAY 17 (WEEK 3)

aside from nitz, sofia is the next iphone user in the family. she knows how to navigate and go to the games she likes or the videos she wants to watch. it does help her be still during long bus rides...

16 January 2010: DAY 16 (WEEK 3)

here is another thing i love about my husband -- he knows when i feel lazy cooking. (hahaha!!) saturday night he prepared our dinner. nothing fancy but it was really special. thank you!!!

15 January 2010: DAY 15 (WEEK 3)

ok...here is one revelation -- i love agenda books. i use to use the starbucks planner (back in the philippines, when december starts, starbucks would give out small booklets that you stamp whenever you drink coffee and the promotional drinks and once you have completed the booklet, you get a planner!! and the planner is really nice! i don't know if they do that in other countries), but since i moved here, i have to buy from the bookstore. this year i discovered from photoways (on-line photo developing site)that you can order a personalized agenda book. i ordered mine last monday and it arrived today!!

you can put a photo for every week of the year, and a cover and a back photo. i love my agenda book this year...and it is like carrying a family album everywhere. how i wish i can show you each page... every page gives me good memories.

14 January 2010: DAY 14 (WEEK 3)

i know january is almost done...but i still make this desktop for my computer. just happy to share it with you. i couldn't get the right size of the layout to fit my screen perfectly so i put it on a white paper, centered the whole layout in it...and there it is!!

13 January 2010: DAY 13 (WEEK 3)

i was really surprised to receive anothe card today!! this one is from my mother-in-law. thank you, ma, for this lovely card!! this is really a nice surprise! salamat po!!

12 January 2010: DAY 12 (WEEK 3)

today, my husband had to to bring 4 kids to school!! yup!! my friend needed to go somewhere realy early and she couldn't bring the kids to school. she dropped off her 2 boys in our house and my husband took them with our kids to school. i was smiling to myself when i saw them out the window... just imagine if they are all our kids...hahaha.

then when i saw my friend in school when we picked up the kids, she gave me this lovely cake!! it was really sweet of her to give me this and a 'thank you' card.

11 January 2010: DAY 11 (WEEK 3)

nothing extra special today, i am still complaining about the cold weather (i am not really a big fan of that). no more snow but is it really cold.
i took a photo of what we had for dinner -- baked chicken and potatoes, and green salad (with smoked salmon, pickles and walnut) on the side.

i used my new bread machine and here is the bread i made!
i followed the recipe in the manual. while i was putting in all the ingredients, i had a feeling the recipe asks for too much salt...but i still followed it. and you know what...? i was right! i tasted the bread and it was a bit salty!!! gosh..i guess i have to put jam when i eat it.
just to give you an idea how big is it.. it is approximatemy 500grams.

LAYOUT: week 52 and 53!!

i know it took me some time to post these, but here are my last few pages of PROJECT 365. i am finally done and i had them printed online last night (actually early in the morning...hahaha). the whole 2009 has been extra special because of this project and i am just glad i didn't give up. as i flip the pages of my project, i feel i have achieved something! and i have preserved all the wonderful memories of the past year.




i hope you will support me this year as i continue PROJECT 365 - 2010!!

10 January 2010: DAY 10 (WEEK 2)

we have lived here in paris for almost 5 years now but this is the first time we got close to this 'la grande arch' in la defense!

9 January 2010: DAY 9 (WEEK 2)

more snow...

my kids enjoying the view from their bedroom window.

8 January 2010: DAY 8 (WEEK 2)

sale!! soldes!!!saldi!! need i say more...?!!
bought a some stuff today.... i love shopping!!
i just realized how much i love pjs!!!! i bought 2 sets today (early birthday gift from my husband!) you know what is nice about them..? it doesn't really matter if they are a bit loose or tight, odd colored or too bright... as long as i like how it feels and it is comfortable, i would go for it!!
i also bought the kids some new clothes and when i got home and showed, they loved all the designs and style i chose.

7 January 2010: DAY 7 (WEEK 2)

more snow today..
the first picture is the same spot i photographed yesterday....

and a view of our neighborhood... covered in snow!

6 January 2010: DAY 6 (WEEK 2)

it's a wednesday ang that means no school for the kids. i was happy to stay inside the house because it snowed a bit. i am not a big fan of the 'cold' but i love to see the snow. as long as im inside the house (with some good heating...hahaha), i'm good in this cold winter.


just a note... today is the start of the 'winter sale'!!! shops are on sale!! yipeee!!! but i'd rather stay home today.... some other time....

5 January 2010: DAY 5 (WEEK 2)

it is the second day of school but the first time that i picked up the kids from school. on my way there i noticed lots of tree on the side of the road.i get this sad feeling seeing them like that but i guess there is no use for the tree anymore.

isabelle earned this crown! their class celebrated the 'feast of the three kings' (and i suppose they had some gallette too!). she said she didn't get any figurine but she got the crown. well, she was happy to walk home wearing the crown.

4 January 2010: DAY 4 (WEEK 2)

the kids went to school. the house was a bit quiet. my husband was still on leave and he help me clean up in the house.
i received another card today...from DONNA!! thank you very much for your wonderful card!

when my husband picked up the kids from school, they bought a galette de rois to celebrate '3 kings'! the cake comes with a crown!!

so the cake is divided amongst the family members (or your guests if you are celebrating with friends and relatives). and whoever gets this tiny figurine (which is hidden inside the cake/pie) gets to wear the crown...and buys the galette for the following year!

apparently, my husband almost sliced the figurine, so we immediately found it....hahaha. and here is sofia trying on the crown!

and isabelle wanted to be the princess too so she wore the crown too!! so much for the tradition...we just wanted to enjoy the cake.

3 January 2010: DAY 3 (WEEK 1)

i went to church again to sing for the 9:30 mass. i went by myself since my family already heard mass the yesterday. it was still a bit dark when i left the house. but when i went home, it was sunny and the sun was out. on my way to the bus stop, i took a picture of the arc de triomphe....

2 January 2010: DAY 2 (WEEK 1)

another lazy day for us. we woke up late...
attended mass that evening then my dear husband took us out for dinner! it was our family new year celebration...

sofia enjoyed the parmesan cheese... hahaha

1 January 2010: DAY 1 (WEEK 1)

when the clock striked 12, we were all out by the bridge to see the eiffel tower. there was a light display and some fireworks.
i slept around 2am.

we all woke up late. we had breakfast at 11am. lunch was at 3pm. we had crispy pata and mixed veggies for lunch!!!

and here is our first 'family' photo for the year!! we were joined again by our friends and we had a wonderful celebration to welcome the new year.

our friends left late that afternoon. and after they left, i got the chance to check some mails and post some stuff in my blog. and as i relax a bit, i drank hot wine (vin chaud) that my husband made. it is a wonderful drink in this cold season.

well, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! i hope we keep in touch in 2010. i am looking forward to another wonderful year...and i am continuing my project 365-2010.
bonne année!!