I am officially all packed! Honestly, I kept putting it off because I hate packing, but everything is now packed except for last minute items. I even managed to fit everything into one suitcase and I still have a little extra room. I didn't even use the zipper extender. Yay! I love my new suitcase because besides being light weight, the wheels turn 360 degrees, it's awesome!

I stopped at Marshall's & Kohl's on Monday and picked up 2 new pairs of jeans. I also got a few more last minute items, flashlight, travel sewing kit, etc. And snacks for the plane! 2 Rice Krispie Treat Bars (Walmart had individual ones that are a bit bigger than the boxed treats.) and a bag of Snyders Peanut Butter Pretzels, yum!

Thursday evening I'll be going out with my cousins, Chrissy & Jessica. It's kind of sad, because my cousin Chrissy who was just married on November 7th is going to be moving to Georgia with her husband to one of the military bases down there. She'll be moving in early January and I won't be back in the USA until the end of January, so it's the last time we will see each other for awhile. I will have to either take a road trip or fly down to see her later next year. I have a lot of cousins, but I've always been close with Chrissy & Jessica.

Friday is my "Thanksgiving/Christmas" at home. I'm taking the family to a Chinese Buffet for lunch. Later we'll exchange gifts at home for my "Christmas" before I go away. And Sunday I think I will be stopping to see my Nana before I leave. My flight to Chicago leaves from Philadelphia around 6am next Tuesday, so i will probably need to be at the airport by at least 3am, considering it's just a few days before Thanksgiving and the airport might be crowded. Here is my trip itinerary.

I'm a little bit sad to leave my rattie girls, especially Sugar. She is slowly going downhill. She is nearly 2 months past 2 years old. Her two mammary tumors are pretty big and she's losing a lot of weight. She has good & bad days. Sometimes all she wants to do is sleep and other days she is alert & "active" for her age. She is still eating, but she's been getting extra nutrition from baby food, vanilla ensure and she even likes gatorade! Sadly, I don't know if she will still be around when I come back at the end of January. All of the girls will be getting taken care of by my brother Scotty, who is 21.

I ordered two new books for the plane. I got The Queen's Mistake: In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger. I've read 'The Ruby Ring' & 'The Perfect Royal Mistress' by her & I thought they were both good. My Ginger rat, actually nibbled a bit on 'The Perfect Mistress' and I was so embarrassed when I had to take it back to the library & ask if I had to pay for damages. Luckily it was only a very tiny spot & the librarian said she would just tape it!

I also got, The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by, Carolly Erickson I'm not sure how I'll like it. I like her non fiction biography books. But I just read her new book, 'The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots' and it was ridiculous! Mary escapes being a prisoner in England under Elizabeth I, and goes to Rome for awhile to visit with the Pope, then she goes to live with her secret daughter & grandmother with the Earl of Bothwell in a cottage. It was terrible & extremely far fetched. I actually reviewed it on Amazon.com. Her other book 'The Last Wife of Henry VIII' was terrible too I thought, but I did like 'The Tsarina's Daughter'.

I've been reading Anya Seton's books from the library lately. It started with reading Alison Weir's new book 'Mistress of the Monarchy' about Katherine Swynford's life. So I decided to take out 'Katherine' by Anya Seton to read and I really enjoyed it. I read 'Green Darkness' and it was just okay, but right now I'm reading 'The Winthrop Woman' and I'm really enjoying it. I also have 'Avalon' to read still. Most of her books were written in the 40's-50's but the writing seems very modern to me.

Fall Out Boy released a 'Best Of' album that I bought. I think I could have put together a better "Best Of" but I do like the 5 new songs that are included on the album. I especially like "From Now On We Are Enemies" & "Alpha Dog", though their rendition of "Beat It" is pretty good too. Fall Out Boy, is one of my favorite bands, I saw them in concert about 2 years ago.

And I really want Kutless' new worship album 'It Is Well'! It's only $5.00 for the MP3 download of the album. I asked for it for "Christmas". I have all of Kutless' albums. :)

While I was browsing Amazon.com I found out Michelle Branch is coming out with a new solo album in 2010! I am beyond excited! F.B. & I used to listen to her albums a lot early in our relationship. And her last solo album came out in 2003, before she joined 'The Wreckers' but that music was a little too country for me.

P.S. I forgot to mention. Creed has a new album 'Full Circle'. What the heck?! They broke up after their last album in 2001! Then Scott Stapp went and did his own solo album which sucked. And the other 2 guys made the band Alter Bridge, which I LOVE! Well Creed got back together to do a new album and it sucks and sounds WEIRD! I guess that could be because Scott Stapp hasn't sung for like 8 years... but his voice sounds weird and deeper, growl-ey & just plain awful! Not at all like the Creed I used to listen to. I do not like their new album and I used to be obsessed with Creed! I think the reality of it was Scott Stapp was not the talent in that band, it was the other two guys, Mark Tremonti & Brian Marshall because Alter Bridge sounds so much better!

Less than 2 weeks until I leave for the Philippines. So crazy! I have to start packing next week & then I will just have last minute stuff to throw in my suitcase the night before I leave. I already have some stuff that I'm taking already in my suitcases, it's just not organized & I don't have any of my clothes packed yet.

The 20th, I believe I'm going to have my "Thanksgiving/Christmas" with my family. I think we may go out to eat for dinner and then exchange gifts before I go away. This will be the 2nd year I won't be home for Thanksgiving. Last year since I arrived home a week after Thanksgiving, my Mom froze me a plate of Thanksgiving dinner. This year I won't be home until the end of January. (This will also be my 2nd Christmas & New Years in the Philippines.)

I think F.B. & I are going to do what we did last year for my Thanksgiving. (Since it's an American holiday.) We'll have dinner at Gerry's Grill, go to Trinoma Mall, pick out some Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider, get some mashed potatoes from KFC & watch a movie at his house. Hehe.

I think we're also going to get our I.D. Photos taken at the mall when we go out, we will need them when we apply for our marriage license. We'll have to wait until probably November 30th to go to the USA Embassy to get my 'Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage' because the US Embassy in Manila will be closed on Thanksgiving. Unless we go on November 27th. I'm not sure yet. I know the week of the 30th we will be applying for the marriage licence, because there's a 10 day waiting period & we may or may not have to take premarital classes.

NOTE: If you are getting married in the Philippines and you are a US citizen these requirements from the US Embassy in Manila Philippines, will be helpful: Getting Married in The Philippines.

Today I did some baking. I love baking Pumpkin Bread, etc around Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year I tried baking Iced Pumpkin Cookies! I found the original recipe here, but I altered it a bit. I left out the chocolate chips (didn't have any!) and the walnuts (I don't like them.) And since I didn't have Pumpkin Pie spice handy, I put in a 1 tsp of cinnamon & a 1/2 tsp of nutmeg.

Here is the altered recipe that I used:

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp.baking soda
1/2tsp. salt
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S 100% pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1tsp. vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheets.

Mix wet ingredients together and dry ingredients together in separate bowls, before combining & mixing well. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spread or drizzle with vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze:

Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well.

Yum! They turned out well! I put the icing in the fridge to firm up a little while the cookies were still baking.

F.B. & I are getting married December 19, 2009 in the Philippines. I will be coming back to the USA after the wedding & F.B. will be staying in the Philippines while we work with our lawyer. Our immigration process is estimated to take at least 2 years. We are doing a longer immigration process on purpose because in the long run it will save us some money and also because when F.B. finally does come to the USA, he will be a permanent resident as soon as he steps off the plane and be able to apply for a job right away.

We do not have a wedding registry and we are not asking for any household items, gifts, etc like most married couples do, because we won't be living together for at least two years. So this is kind of cheesy, but if any of our friends or family would like to send us a wedding gift, we will be accepting donations through Paypal. Whatever amount you wish to donate is appreciated and will be used towards our lawyer & immigration fees and after that towards household items (appliances, furniture, etc.) once F.B. moves to the USA. Or you can email me & let me know what you would like your "gift" used for.

There will be a button on the sidebar of my blog (below the visitor map) if you would like to donate. It is through Paypal so it will be secure. And I believe overseas donations can be accepted also. You can also click the button below to be taken to Paypal. Thanks so much!

A big thank you to everyone that entered the giveaway! Out of 25 entries, only four people guessed the correct date! Our wedding is going to be on Saturday, December 19, 2009!

Since four people guessed the correct date, I had to use the random number generator to determine the winner!

And the winner of the 'Guess The Wedding Date' giveaway is....

MarvelousMOM from Lucky In Love and Life! I've been reading Stephanie's blog since before she was married & had her sweet baby girl Skylar. She always has positive outlook on life & I really enjoy her blog! Congrats Stephanie!

Please email me at: tunaymahal8279ATyahooDOTcom

And let me know what color pearl you would like on your necklace! (See Swarovski pearl color chart here.) I will also need your address so I can order the necklace & have it shipped directly to you from KYM Jewelry!

We will be having our civil ceremony December 19th at the Manila Hotel, and we will be getting married in the Champagne Salon earlier in the evening before our wedding buffet dinner.

Here is a picture F.B. sent me of the Champagne Salon:

F.B. also sent me several buffet menu choices that his family had narrowed down. There were 4 menus for me to choose from. The one below was my favorite. (Click on the picture to enlarge it.) After I chose, he told me that was the menu his mom liked best too. I think that's the one we are going with. I love all of the salmon dishes on it. Yum! Salmon is my favorite! Can you believe all of those dishes on the menu will be served at the buffet? I couldn't! Wow!

My cousin Chrissy was married to her fiance Matt on November 7th! You can check out the slideshow below of her wedding!

Today I had to go out to run errands for trip items. I had $160 advance cash from my Citibank credit card to get stuff with. (I'm not working right now, sad... I'm on unemployment.) Anyhow, I went to the $1 Tree, Wal-mart & Ross. I got a ton of little items for the trip, batteries, sleeping pills, mini travel toothbrush (with the toothpaste already on it! I got a pack of 4 for $1.49.), tissues, razors, lint roller, face powder, quart size baggies, pepto, vitamin c, a new hair brush, wet wipes, etc. I got more than that because I also picked up some Christmas gifts, Birthday gifts, a card and gift bag for my cousin's wedding on Saturday. And household items, paper towels, etc.

My favorite store of the day was Ross. I always find good deals there. Especially on luggage. A month ago or so I picked up a medium suitcase at Ross from American Flyer for $34.00 (Retailed $70!) It was extremely light weight for a roll away suitcase. After lugging my large purple suitcase out of the closet last week, I decided I was going back to Ross and get one of the newer light weight suitcases. Most of the new luggage is being made lighter now because the airline's luggage rules have changed.

What color luggage do you use when you travel? I always try to get bold patterns or bright colors because it makes finding your luggage easier at the airport. I also always tie a bright colored ribbon onto my suitcases besides luggage tags to help identify mine more quickly! You can't imagine how many people have plain black luggage- my 1st suitcase was black & it makes it really hard to spot in baggage claim!

I found a nice large mauve suitcase at Ross for $54.00 from designer Oleg Cassini that retailed for $140.00 before! Can't beat that! I also got a pair of boot cut Levi's for $14, a cute Bongo tote bag with zipper for $8. And some panties for about $1-2 each. The hoodie, that was a bit of a splurge. It was $19, from BCBG (Retailed $52!) But I like the color of it, with the little rhinestone embellishments on the pockets & the foil logo on the back.

(Shhh... I'll pretend you guys didn't just see my underwear... lol!)
October 30th, was my cousin Chrissy's surprise bachelorette party. Most everyone had a halloween costume on. (Well, I wore my skull hoodie, haha!) There is a slideshow below with pictures from the party.

Happy Halloween! I did a little photo shoot with my girls! (Saffy, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cinnamon & Sugar). Saffy looked like a little "vampire" rat in the picture below!

I thought I would share the music mix I've made for working out. I use it when I'm running on the treadmill or walking at the park. I've linked all the songs to Amazon.com where you can preview them!

1. Move Along- The All American Rejects
2. Unwritten- Natasha Bedingfield
3. Beautiful Day- U2
4. Girlfriend- Avril Lavigne
5. Without A Fight- Hoobastank
6. Break- Three Days Grace
7. Fly Away- Lenny Kravitz
8. Fly On The Wall- Miley Cyrus
9. The Take Over, The Breaks Over- Fall Out Boy
10. Anna Molly- Incubus
11. Boys- Ashlee Simpson
12. Revolution- Jars Of Clay
13. Whyyawannabringmedown- Kelly Clarkson
14. Light Up The Sky- Yellowcard
15. Circus- Brittney Spears
16. I Write Sins Not Tragedies- Panic At The Disco
17. Face Down- The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
18. Take Me Away- Christina Vidal
19. Don't You Know Who I Think I Am- Fall Out Boy
20. Toxic- Brittney Spears
21. It's My Life- Bon Jovi
22. Why Can't I- Liz Phair
23. Come Clean- Hilary Duff

What are your favorite songs to listen to when working out?

Today my Sugar, turns 2 years old. 2 years ago I went into Petco looking for pet rats. I ended up getting Sugar and her sister Spice. My girl is getting older. Sugar has 2 large mammary tumors and another small one starting. She also suffers from abscesses on her front paw. But, she is still enjoying life for now. This morning I had an early birthday party for her. All the girls got to enjoy some peas and applesauce. And of course, yogurt peanuts!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sugar!

Giveaway is now over! Congrats to the winner!

We finally have a date for our wedding! F.B.'s parents were able to book the Manila Hotel for our wedding in December! His parents have booked the Champagne Salon, which is part of the Champagne Room for a buffet style dinner in the evening. We still have to set up an appointment with a judge, but we will probably have our civil ceremony at the hotel as well, earlier in the evening. We will also be staying 2 nights at the Manila Hotel, as a wedding gift from F.B.'s parents. So exciting!

And, because I've mentioned it before, I want to do a "wedding date" blog giveaway!

I just ordered a gorgeous necklace from KYM Jewelry on Etsy to wear at my cousins wedding & my own wedding. It's made with two gorgeous Swarovski pearls & a crystal spacer on a delicate chain. I chose white for my own necklace. I think it will go along nicely with my other wedding accessories & dress purse.

In celebration of our wedding; I would like to order & give away one of these lovely elegant necklaces for one of you. You can customize your necklace with the color pearl of your choice. ( Swarovski Pearl Color Chart Here.) The necklace is perfect for any special occasion.

To enter this giveaway you will need to do 2 things, by leaving a comment on this blog entry:

1. Guess the date of our wedding in December.
2. Leave the color pearl of your choice. (Optional)

Remember anyone can comment, you don't have to be registered on blogger!

Whoever guesses the correct date or guesses the closest will win the giveaway! In the event 2 or more people guess the same date. I will use a random number generator to determine the winner!

This giveaway is not restricted to the United States, so my international readers can enter! And, family & friends are not excluded from this giveaway- as they haven't been told the exact date yet either!

The deadline to enter this giveaway will be: November 7th, 2009

Our wedding date will be revealed, when the winner is announced!

KYM Jewelry also has another website here!

Edited to add: This post gets a ton of hits since it was written 5 years ago. I know it's not current anymore, and I'm sure there are a bunch of new malls in Philippines since I wrote this. 

F.B. and I hang out at alot of malls when I visit the Philippines, so I thought I would share some of the malls I've visited.

The malls are humongous in the Philippines! They stretch for several miles and are usually more than 4 stories. Supermarkets, Movie Theaters, Ice Skating Rinks, Arcades, Gyms, etc; are usually present in most of the malls. Some like Mall of Asia even have IMAX and musuems.

Shopping can generally be inexpensive (Peso to US Dollar) if you stick to Philippines products and not imported items. (USA, etc.) Electronics tend to be more expensive than the USA even though most are made over in Asia. (Which I don't really understand?)

Buying groceries and eating out are also inexpensive. A nice sit down restaurant like Gerry's Grill might cost less than $20 for two. Fast Food places like Chow King, Tokyo Tokyo can even be about $6 or less for two people to eat.

Clothing prices are not bad. I've seen t-shirts for P150 before ($3) and I bought a 'Pepsi' & 'Coke' t-shirt last year for about P400 ($8). Buying a Philippine magazine will usually cost around $2-3. Imported US magazines are much pricer.

Movie theaters are also less expensive. It's about $2 for an adult ticket. (Compared to $10-13 for a movie ticket in the USA!) F.B. & I see alot of movies when I visit!

Here are the top 10 malls I enjoy in the Philippines (Luzon):

1. Mall of Asia














2. Sta. Lucia East Grandmall














3. SM Marikina Mall














4. Market Market














5. Robinson's Place Metro East














6. Trinoma














7. Mega Mall














8. Glorietta Mall














9. Greenbelt














10. Greenhills














11. Robinson's Galleria















I'm really bad at math and not so good with currency conversion. But I find Peso Bills really easy to use. The exchange rate is usually around 46-50 Pesos to $1 USD. It always helps to check the exchange rate before traveling to know how much you will get for your money. Below are approxmiates of how much the Peso Bill is to the US Dollar.

50 Peso Bill = $1

100 Peso Bill = $2

200 Peso Bill = $4

500 Peso Bill = $10

1000 Peso Bill = $20 (Largest Bill)

Picture of some of the Peso Bills I still have in my wallet:















Yes I did put the word 'void' in transparent letters over the bills, silly me haha! Why? Because I didn't know if I should take a picture of real currency, lol!

There's also a 20 Peso Bill but that is like change. I'm really bad at using the coins actually. F.B. has tried to teach me several times but they work a bit different than US coins so I always get confused. I usually let him pay if we need to use the coins!

F.B. wrote me a list before of the coins though it's still confusing to me!

.05 = 5 cents (Little Coin)

.10 = 10 cents (Little Coin)

.25 = 25 cents (Little Coin)

1 Peso = 1 Peso (Big Coin)

5 Pesos = 5 Pesos (Big Coin)

10 Pesos = 10 Pesos (Big Coin)

NOTE: To see blog posts similar to this one check out:

Foreign Food Cravings
My Favorite Philippine Products