Working It

Nell had two tags for me. What’s Inside my Wallet and What’s Inside my Bag. And then a few days ago, Ris tagged me with the wallet thing, too.

Since the tags are related (i.e. both items can be found under the women’s accessories department), here’s my buy-one-take-one answer. :)

WHAT’S IN MY BAG?

This! Hala, rambulan sila lahat sa loob. Which is why I am partial to big bags, as you can see I have so much stuff!

(In case you are wondering, this bag was my Black Friday snag. It retails for $190, but I got it for less than half. Ang saya di ba?)

Teka, ayusin natin…

Like Nell, my bag is pretty representative of my life - it’s an existence divided into “the mommy” and “the partygirl”.

First, my bag as “the mommy”.

:1: A waterproof pouch that came with a previous diaper bag. I still use it to hold a change of clothes for Ninna, a hand sanitizer, a travel-sized lotion, an itch-relief stick (preventive, just in case may kumagat na naman sa anak kong over-sentitive), small toy-of-the-month (this time it’s an i-dog, free from a burger king happy meal), and a plastic bag of crayons (mostly taken home from restos, hehe). Actually, my Ninna-stuff has already reduced dramatically since Ninna became potty-trained half-a-year ago. Yey!

:2: As every Mom knows, when with a kid, you can’t leave home without a pack of wipes.

:3: This drawstring pouch, a gift from her Ninang Judy, holds the staple food: Mini-Cheetos (her “orange chips”), a pack of cookies, grape juice and milk (ziplocked, of course!). I know, I know, we need something more healthy. Spank me?

Now, my bag as “the partygirl”.

:4: My “temporary” cellphone (more later on #7).

:5: My camera case (not in the pic: my camera, kasi I am using it eh, hehe.)

:6: My kikay kit. Opo, kikay ako in a boring sort of way. Basics lang inside: face powder, lipstick, hand lotion, eye makeup, lip gloss, travel-sized perfume, hair doctor (suklay), mascara, a tweezer, hair ties for ninna and me, and a partridge in a pear tree.

:7: My Treoboy. Right now, it needs to be repaired (or replaced, hi hubby), which is why I am currently stuck with #4. I still carry it around because my phone directory is still in there as well as my virtual library (because it’s my eBook reader, too.)

:8: Our Garmin GPS. Kontra ligaw. When hubby is not using it for work, it’s definitely in my bag.

:9: My sunglasses and lilac coin purse.

:10: My checkbook. My membership/discount cards are tucked in there, too (Borders, Books-A-Million, Costco, Sam’s, CVS, Northwest, AIG, etc.).

:11: My wallet. More on this later. :)

:12: Currently reading Abby’s reco “Love is a Mix Tape”, which I bought off eBay, hehe.

Not in the picture: Keys.

Konti lang di ba? Haay, no wonder I need to see a chiropractor, stat.

WHAT’S IN MY WALLET?

My pink perforated cutie.

Sometime in my adult life, I decided that I definitely prefered pochettes over folding wallets. I love the convenience of just zipping it shut after stuffing something in it. My last two wallets have all been pochettes/wristlets and I used them until their seams gave way. For all my finicky-ness for handbags, I have to say that I am very loyal to a good wallet. And this one, I will probably be keeping for a while. :)

:13: Resibo galore. What did I just tell you about stuffing?

:14: Dolyares non-galore. Total cash I have? $12, hehe. I just put the ten on top para kunyari all my bills are in tens, haha!

:15: My heaven express a.k.a. rosary. It’s my version of an american express - I don’t leave home without it.

:16: My namesake and her child. :) She gives me the strength to deal with mine, hehe.

:17: Cardholder. Was once hubby’s but I adopted it after it got snubbed. Siyempre, it holds the cards (license, credit, check card, health, and insurance).

:18: Tinted lip moisturizer. O di ba, wallet na, kikay kit pa, hehe. I especially adore Stila, kaya super happy ako that this lippy fits in my wallet - easy access to tinted, moisturized lips. :D

:19: Peektyurs of, who else? I used a clear plastic case (libre from some clothing tag) for hubby’s and Ninna’s ID pictures. Panakot sa magnanakaw.

:20: Stamps. Because you’ll never know when you suddenly need to send someone a letter.

:21: Last but not least, Ninna’s South Florida Kids Fun Pass. For only $11, it’s a special pass/discount card to an array of South Florida’s children’s attractions. We already used it at the Miami Seaquarium (free entrance si Ninna, a $25 value, so parang paid na kagad ang aming initial investment, hehe).

Missions Accomplished! :)

~~~

Hmmm, who to tag?

If you scored a bag last Black Friday or have been using the same wallet for two years or more, consider yourself tagged. You can choose to do either or both the tags, it’s up to you. :)

~~~

UPDATE:

Look inside the bags and wallets of…

DPhatGirl
LotusTorch
Meldita
Cynch
LiezlM
Jeanny

Thanks, ladies, for doing this tag and letting us take a peek!

MrsWorkingGirl :: Dec.20.2007 :: MeMeMee :: 19 Comments »

Em’s question:

What was the hardest part in your immigration that (almost) made you want to go back to the Philippines?

Definitely, it’s going out of my comfort zone.

First, even though I belong to a circus of a family back home, being oceans away from them was (and still is) emotionallly difficult. For the past twenty-seven years or so, my family was all I had - I’m used to them, and they’re used to me. Back then, despite everything that happened in my life, I could always come back home, rest my head on the same bed that I slept in since I was eight, eat the same timpla of pochero, or snack on the same macopa fruit that grew outside my bedroom window - and all that separated us was Balintawak and a toll booth. Not so, now. As high-tech as they are, there’s still no way YM or Skype can send and return our hugs.

Second, I love Pinoy-style pampering. As much as people here rave about “better quality of life”, the truth is you can live a simple, easy, and happy life in Pinas if you choose to. The food, the shopping, the cheesy telenovelas, the defensive drivers, the beaches, the customer service, the salons and spas… you pay forty-three times for them here. Too much, I tell you.

Third, education hardly pays. Went to UP, got a good job. Got my MBA, got an even greater job. Here? Will either need to study again, or accept a level of work that I had performed a good 10 years ago. I get it, worth is relative. And the US work force and I are fourth cousins (maybe fifth).

Fourth, tearing myself away from 30 years’ worth of friends. You spend your lifetime bonding, growing, learning, and having fun together and then suddenly, you’re no longer a part of their lives and they in yours. The birthday pic, wedding pic, the baptism pic, the karaoke pic - the ones of them, without me - says it all.

Fifth, my beautiful hands, the ones which never lifted a finger to do housework, are now fully employed. It’s not that we were very rich or anything back then - I was just… busy. Ok fine, tamad. :D Oh, to just lounge around and do nothing but give instructions to the househelp. Oh, to just leave our dirty clothes in the hamper and expect that by tomorrow all of these would already be folded and neatly tucked inside the aparador. Oh, to just leave on a whim expecting Ninna to be bathed, fed, and kept busy when I get back. Oh, the luxury that I could never have here, unless I win the lotto. My crash course on domestication was, honestly, enough to send me packing for Pinas back then. Still is, sometimes.

Last but not least, I’m Filipino. May I delude myself into thinking that my accent, skin color, culture, ethics, and third-world upbringing will make me a first-class citizen here? I hope so. Because seriously, there have been instances when I had wanted to pack my bags and leave - then realized that I’d rather not give America the satisfaction of driving us away. Besides, the fact that we’re here means America needs us Pinoys (whether they wish to admit it or not).

There’s my answer, Em. Of course, things are better now. In the years since we first stepped foot onto American soil, we’ve maximized and coped and learned a lot. And it’s not that I have a new comfort zone to speak of - I’m not replacing my old one, I merely expanded it. :)

~~~

Here’s my question, and I am tagging everyone who, at one point or another, believed in Santa Claus. :)

If you were to receive one and only one gift this Holiday season, what would it be and why?

MrsWorkingGirl :: Dec.19.2007 :: MeMeMee :: 10 Comments »

This week will be a week of tags. Fun no?

I’m sure, all chismosos y chismosas out there would love to read the answers to the upcoming tags. Why? There’s a recurring theme to them: everything about them is so - quote unquote - “pakialamero”, hehe. Hey, admit it! Aren’t we all curious as to what other people have, wish, or are doing at any given point in time? Or is it just me? :D

If you are as chismosa as I am, read on. I’m voluntarily dishing out the goodies, myself.

My buena mano tag is from both Mel and Em.

5 Things Found In My Bag
:: Wallet
:: Cellphone
:: Baby Wipes
:: Lipstick
:: Keys

5 Things Found In My Wallet
:: Cash
:: Cards (License, Credit, and Insurance)
:: Pictures of my Hubby and Ninna
:: Rosary
:: Stamps (yes, stamps)

I will be more “graphic” about what’s inside my bag and wallet soon, thanks to Nell’s “What’s Inside” tags. :)

5 Things Found In My Room
:: Bed
:: Dresser and Mirror
:: Ceiling Fan
:: Side Table and Lamp
:: Beddings

5 Things I’ve Always Wanted To Do
:: Fall deeply in love
:: Become a Stay-At-Home Mom
:: Become a home owner
:: Fly an airplane
:: Meet Ate Shawie in person

5 Things I’m Currently Into
:: Being in love, and loved
:: Being a Mom
:: YouTubing Arnel Pineda
:: Pangarap ng Bituin
:: Giada de Laurentiis

5 People to Tag for This Meme
:: If your birthday falls on May
:: If your name has five letters
:: If you are one of five siblings
:: If you have five pets
:: If you are a Voltes V fan

High five, you are tagged. :) Easy peasy.

~~~

People who didn’t run fast enough and got tagged! :D
:: DPhatGirl. Because her (real) name has 5 letters in ‘em.
:: LotusTorch. Either because she is one out of five siblings or she loves Voltes V, hehe!
:: Kate. Definitely because she is one out of five siblings and she loves Voltes V!
:: Cez. Because she celebrates her birthdays every May.

MrsWorkingGirl :: Dec.17.2007 :: MeMeMee :: 5 Comments »