Welcome 2012!

We celebrated our Media Noche last December 31, 2011 my place and my mom bought this cake from Goldilocks:

It was our first time to celebrate New Year at home for we usually go to my mom's place and stay there overnight. But because of some untoward circumstances and for everyone's accessibility, we decided to have a simple party at home.

Happy 2012 everyone!

Hello 2011

Happy New Year Everybody!!! Do you have a great time in welcoming 2011? We were once again at my mom's place coz it's always been our tradition to spend it with her together with my siblings. However, my 2nd elder brother and his family was not with us because he was assigned in Manila already. But we still have a visitor, my aunt who just arrived from the US together with her grandchildren (my 3 nephews). We had our usual Media Noche (New Year's Eve get together) then we waited for 12 midnight to see the fireworks display outside the house. My eldest daughter already enjoyed celebrating Christmas and New Year and she has overcome her fears of fireworks this time. While my baby Zoe is still a baby to comprehend the event, I carried and held her in my arms when the fireworks started. She went to sleep comfortably as I cradled her my chest and put her down when the noise started to died down. She woke up at around 8 am and I was very glad about it! I sure would love to hear your story about your New Year celebration. Hope we all have a good year this 2011.

My New Year's Resolution & You Make My Day

At the start of the year, we always love to make a long list of New Year's resolution. A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project that is generally interpreted as advantageous. I don't know if I could keep up with the things I listed below but at least I will try to do it. Anyways, I got this tag from these 3 pretty ladies: Donabel, Maria, Demcy and Amy (and I guess there's more to come, hehe).

The rules: Once you’ve been tagged by someone, share your 12 top list New Year's Resolutions and then tag other people to post their own lists, too. Ok, here's my list:

1. Practice self-confidence
2. Be patient
3. Be optimistic
4. Sleep early at night
5. Wake up early in the morning
6. Control temper, hehe
7. Always look at the bright side
8. Be more understanding
9. Face the challenge
10. Learn to accept mistakes
11. Read knowledgeable books, haha
12. Don't procrastinate

And how would you feel if somebody would tell you that 'You Make My Day'? Cool, isn't it? Cecile included me in her tag and she sure made my day every time she visited my blog! Thank you, Ces, for being so thoughtful!

I am sharing these awards to Ane, Kringle, Dharlz, Bogie and all the people in my bloglist and other bloggers out there, too. Your visits always make my day!!!

Hello 2009!

I would like to greet each and everyone a prosperous and a wonderful New Year! Time flies so fast but we have to move forward and face another year with a beautiful beginning.

2008 was a fruitful and meaningful year for me. A lot of things happened, a lot of struggles and challenges I was able to face, a lot of joys and happiness were experienced and a lot of wonderful friends were met and cherished, especially in blogging :)

These bittersweet memories of yesterday will always remain in my heart!

Happy 2009!!!

Noche Buena & Media Noche

2009 is already fast approaching.. And people will be busy preparing again for the celebration of the New Year. Here in the Philippines, during Christmas eve, we had the much-anticipated Noche Buena – the traditional Christmas Eve feast. Usually, family members dine together around 12 midnight on traditional Noche Buena fare, which includes: queso de bola (ball of cheese), Tsokolate (a hot chocolate drink) and jamon (ham). Some would also open presents at this time.

But ours was quite different. We had lechon, cake, spaghetti, fruit salad, grilled fish and some goodies :) We dined earlier, of course, but opened the gifts at 12 midnight, with my daughter (the little helper) distributing the gifts because Santa (my mom) was quite exhausted.

December 25, Christmas Day, is considered a Family Affair. We stayed overnight at my mom's house on the 24th, together with my siblings and their wives, and on the 25th, we had dinner at my in-laws house but went home afterward.

On December 31, New Year's Eve, Filipino families gather again for the Media Noche or midnight meal – a feast that is also supposed to symbolize hopes for a prosperous New Year. And yeah, we are going to my mom's place again on the 31st and at my in-laws place on January 1st.

In spite of the yearly ban on firecrackers, some people here still see these as the traditional means to greet the New Year. The loud noises and sounds of merrymaking are not only meant to celebrate the coming of the New Year but are also supposed to drive away bad spirits. But boy, oh boy! We are so hating it! I hate the loud noise (my daughter is scared of it!), I hate the smell and to think this would create danger, too! Fireworks are okay, though, because it's nice to see and it's quite harmless, too...

Anyways, this is what usually happens here in our place. I would love to know what takes place during the New Year at your end, too..