Happy thoughts, happy tot

Dangers Associated with Payday Loans

2010-09-06T15:15:00.000+08:00

It’s generally agreed that payday loans are extremely helpful, especially when you are in a financial fix. This may include cash to clear your bills, buy food or help your friend. Indeed many have benefited from such cash advances but at the same time others experienced problems instead of solutions. This is because of failure to study the implications involved before signing up for the money.
To benefit from payday loans you need to plan properly. If you fail to plan then you will fail to payback and this will create more financial problems instead of solutions. How much salary are you getting? How much money are you going to borrow and at what interest rate? How much will you pay back per month and how much will you remain with from your pay check? Such questions will help you in planning such that you avoid getting more than what you can pay back. Many customers have ended up in deep financial ditches due to failure to plan well ahead of time.
The most common of the dangers of payday loans is the over-billing. This is at times cause by the customer’s failure to meet his monthly obligation of paying back the necessary installments. If such happens, the financial institution will incur a penalty on the customer and will pay more than what is necessary. On the other hand, customers do not normally take time to read and internalize all the conditions before signing. So at times they are shocked when they are caught up by the regulations they agreed to abide by unknowingly.
Over-billing, penalties, and failure to pay back on time are some of the dangers associated with payday loans and these can be avoided if the customers take the necessary precautions in advance. If you fail to plan then you are planning to fail.

5th Place

2010-09-03T22:05:00.001+08:00

Just got Z's report card and he's at 5th place again. I'm so glad my little boy is working so hard and enduring the study sessions with me. I'm so thankful that we have all the time in the world to be with each other and to talk and be together. Thank you so much to my husband for allowing me to stay-at-home so I can be with our kid 24/7. Thank you to Z for being such a good boy and not giving his mom headaches. I love you so much, Z. Keep up the good work at school but remember, Mommy loves you even without the honors.

NMEDA Helping the Disabled Choose the Right Equipment

2010-09-03T21:05:00.003+08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Being a caregiver is tough. It's actually one of the toughest jobs, I believe. That is why caregivers need all the help they can get. Good thing there are some associations that can help them do their job better.

NMEDA is a non-profit association that does just that. The most important role of a caregiver aside from assisting his patients with his needs is helping the patient get back to his feet and eventually do tasks on his own. NMEDA could help the caregivers and their patients choose the best equipment for their needs. Since no two disabilities are the same, the patients would need an equipment specially adapted to their needs. Like a wheelchair, for example. You can buy any adapted wheelchair online but only NMEDA can assist with choosing the right one for you. They would personally evaluate your needs to see what type of wheelchair fits best for your driving needs.

NMEDA, as an association, does not sell the equipments to you but they have members and dealers who sell handicap vans and vehicle modifications to the disabled. They are the only association that promotes safe driving and equipment to the disabled. Aside from their Dealers, they also have Quality Assurance Program or QAP Dealers. QAP is the only nationally recognize accreditation program for the Adaptive mobility equipment industry. Their systematic and documented approach to quality makes them successful in their endeavor.

Agua Bendita Ending

2010-08-19T20:37:00.002+08:00

Oh no, Bendita is sick and dying. We had just started watching it again when we heard the ending is near and I was shocked to see that Bendita turned to mud and worse, she is already sick and dying. Every bad thing she did came back to haunt her but even though she deserves all of it I still feel sad. I hope she gets well soon so this teleserye will have a happy ending so all the people who watched it from beginning to end will have the happy ending they deserve.

Philips Livable Cities Award

2010-08-19T20:11:00.004+08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of goviral. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you live in a city? I do. Living in the city has its perks but let's admit it it's healthier to live in the countryside where there are less people, more fresh air, less pollution, and lots of open spaces to exercise and play. The fast and hectic lifestyle in the city makes it ideal for economic growth but as the people who lives there becomes older and can't work anymore there is a need for their overall well being to be taken care of.

That is why Philips launched the Philips Livable Cities Award last May 2010. It aims to look for individuals, community groups and businesses who have ideas on how to improve people's lives and well being in the city. Philips is offering a total of 125,000 Euros to three different grants which will help make the ideas a reality.

Here are the three awards categories:

1. Well-Being Outdoors - entries in this category should propose ideas on how to help people feel more secure in the outdoors as well as encourage sense of identity in their communities.

2. Independent Living - entries in this category should be about ideas on how the elderly people can feel more secure while living in the city and also enable them to live a longer and more comfortable life.

3. Healthy Lifestyle at Work and at Home - entries in this category should be about ideas on how to improve the lifestyle of the general population while at work or at home.

If you want to learn more on how to join The Philips Livable Cities Award just head over their website at www.philips.com/because.

Pizza Hut's Pair Deal Supreme Promo is Extended

2010-08-11T11:43:00.003+08:00

Good news to all pizza lovers! Pizza Hut's Pair Deal Supreme where you can buy your favorite supreme pizzas for only P499 and you get one free is extended.

Due to insistent public demand, the Pair Deal SUPREME P499 promo is EXTENDED! Two Family Pan Pizzas for only P499 all you pay (save P299)! Exclusive for delivery. Flavors available are Supreme, Bacon Supreme, Hawaiian Supreme, Bacon Cheeseburger Supreme and Veggie Lovers Supreme. Call us now (911-11-11 for Metro Manila area or order online pizzahut.com.ph)

Parent's Choice New Design, Same Value

2010-08-11T11:22:00.005+08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Parent's Choice has finally come out with its new and refreshing look. I was mesmerized with its purple color. You rarely see a milk in that color, right? Now I won't have a difficult finding Parent's Choice in the rows and rows of milk cans. Its unique design makes my shopping so much easier.
Aside from its much cleaner look and easy-to-read product type Parent's Choice has exactly the same formulation. It looks different outside but has the same value inside.
One advantage that Parent's Choice has over other milk products is its price. At only $11.88 a can it is so affordable. Parent's Choice as well as other
PBM Products are available at Walmart and will soon be available online with free shipping.
Like all other premium milk brands, Parent's Choice meets all strict FDA guidelines so it offers complete nutrition for your baby. It also has DHA & ARA to help support brain & eye development.
Visit them at ParentsChoiceFormula.com for more information and to access their ‘Savings Calculator’ or add them in Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parents-Choice-Infant-Formula/31916575476

Now PR 2

2010-07-11T11:50:00.001+08:00

Hurray! This blog is now PR 2. I'm so happy when I checked this blog and noticed that it has a PR already. This is my oldest blog and I'm glad Google has finally noticed it. I hope someday it will become PR 3. hehehe

So far, I have been lucky with PR for this year with seven of my blogs having their own PR. I hope that Google won't take away my PRs and that there will be many more to come in the remainder of this year and the years to come. I have quit my job and as a stay-at-home mom I get my income from blogging alone. So the PRs will really help me a lot. Thanks, Google!

PBM Products are Makers of Quality Milk

2009-12-22T06:43:00.002+08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am not a believer that branded milk are better than store brands and I'm glad I was proven right.
PBM Products, LCC, the supplier of store brand milk products has recently won a lawsuit against Mead Johnson, makers of Enfamil for false advertisement. They accused Mead Johnson of proliferating false media campaign that store brand milk products have less nutrients than their more expensive counterparts. LCC's milk product are 50% less than Enfamil.

Lucky Seven

2009-11-03T21:57:00.002+08:00

I had a feeling our seventh year together would be a lucky year and I was right! You want to know why? It's because we were given a car as a gift! Isn't that the coolest? It's not brand new but it's good enough for us. Thanks for my dad for giving me his old car. His new Honda City is way cooler but I certainly don't mind that we're driving a Mazda 323. It will still last us a couple of years and hopefully, (we're really keeping our fingers crossed on this one) by the time it's too old to run we can afford a new car. That's not all. I don't know why but I have a feeling next year is going to be so much better. Hurray for a wonderful year for us!

New School Service

2009-10-14T14:56:00.003+08:00

Z is starting with his new school service today. We had problems with the last one because he doesn't have permit to drive in our area. This morning, Z agreed to ride the service but I had to go with him. He said I don't have to fetch him after school and will ride the service on his own but he needs me to accompany him still going to school. I don't know the reason for that but I'm confident in no time he would love riding the service on his own. This will also give me time to focus on my online activities to help augment our family's income.

After the Storm

2009-10-14T14:25:00.002+08:00

Everything is now back to normal. We have survived the two typhoons that rocked the Philippines without a single damage. I don't know why we were spared while I think 99% of our neighbors have suffered unthinkable damage in their property. It really opened our eyes that in the end whatever properties we have won't matter. But despite the massive damage the storms Ondoy and Pepeng brought our poor country I guess we're still very lucky that we're still alive. Properties can be replaced but not a lost life. I wish we would never experience this again in our entire lives but with the way the earth is deteriorating and nature fighting back I guess it's just wishful thinking to say that it will never happen again sometime in the future.

Star City Adventure

2009-01-18T09:06:00.003+08:00

Last Thursday was hubby's day-off and just as planned we went to Star City for Z's birthday. We went out at 3pm but we have so many errands on the way that we didn't arrive there until 7pm. Before going there, we took care of our grumbling stomach and went to Wendy's. S tried the newest on their menu which is the Baconator which costs P210. I was worried about the extra calories but ordered it anyway because I was afraid S wouldn't be able to sleep that night thinking about it. LOL

The actual burger doesn't look as thick as that though. S liked it but when I tasted it I only tasted meat so it was too much for me.

Next stop was to get a memory card for my Powershot A590. So we went all the way to CD-R king and bought a 4gig SD card for P380. I am amazed at it's price because I know this can cost from P500 to P1,500 so I wish it will last unlike the headset I bought at the same store which broke after dropping it on the floor once! Here's our first shot.

So off we go to Star City. Oops, not yet. We still passed by Shangri-la to take care about the wedding gift we bought at their Weddings and Beyond Bridal registry. They were supposed to gift wrap it and send me a text message to pick it up but the wedding was long over and I still didn't receive one. I thought they'll just deliver it with to the bride's house along with other gifts but my friend texted me it's not there yet. So we were prepared to give them an earful about the bad service, but good thing they said they can deliver it so I went away happy.
We rode the MRT and LRT and got off at Vito Cruz station. S wanted us to ride a taxi from there but I wanted Z to see the orange jeepneys because I knew he likes to see different kinds of vehicles. We call it "baby jeep" although it's not exactly small it still is smaller than the normal jeep he sees. We were so near yet so far because the roads were being fixed so we endured about half an hour of traffic.
We finally arrived. Here's getting stamped at the entrance. One thing though, I was surprised to see their prizes have increased. I asked the lady behind the counter about it and she said they didn't. They just don't sell the rides in a bundle anymore. The Ride-all-you-can + Snow World + Dino Island which costs P475 before you can now get at Ride-All-You-Can - P300, Snow World - P100 and Dino Island - P100 for a total of P500.

A year ago, Z was too afraid to ride the simplest rides but he showed us how big he's getting by bravely riding a lot of the rides there.

S and I didn't ride any adult rides at all. If you want to know why, look at the picture above. S is already afraid riding the Teleconverter (I'm not sure if this is the name).
Z wanted to ride the ferris wheel for a long time, he can see it at SLEX whenever we go to Sta. Rosa. Upon seeing it up close, he was almost sure it reached the sky. Still, that didn't discourage him.

The famous Dino Island and Snow World we didn't like at all. We were bored at Dino Island and Z was scared. I reminded him how he wasn't afraid at all watching Jurassic Park all by himself but he still didn't want to go too near.

At Snow World, I thought we were prepared with the extra jackets we brought along but it was still too cold. S is sick and I was beginning to show symptoms of cold myself so we lasted for - I'm not sure we even lasted a minute there! It was a totally waste of money for us. Anyway, we had fun overall and Z was really happy. Didn't want to take off the ride-all-you-can tag he was wearing till the next day.

Massage for My Husband

2009-01-18T08:43:00.004+08:00

One thing that my husband really loves is getting massages. Every time he comes home and before he sleeps, he'll ask me to massage his hands and feet. I, on the other hand, knows nothing about giving a massage. I'm sure he would really love it if I learn something about hand reflexology and foot reflexology. Aesthetic Video Source offers instructional massage dvds so people like me can learn it at the comfort of my home. If I'll learn the right technique from the expert then I will no longer hear him complain about my massage. What's more, maybe he can learn it so he can give me one too. I never thought I needed to learn something like this but I'm glad there are videos out there that can make it easier for me to learn it. The DVDs an be ordered by calling 1-800-414-2434 or visiting www.VideoShelf.com.
Deep Tissue Massage

Massage Techniques | Massage Supplies

Happy Birthday, Z!

2009-01-15T07:30:00.003+08:00

All the balloon blowing I made the night before was worth it because when Z woke up and saw the simple decoration I prepared, he was grinning from ear-to-ear. I knew all he wanted was to get all the balloons but I told him he had to wait a little bit.

It was almost lunchtime when his cake arrived courtesy of Dad. We were expecting a regular cake because we weren't able to order something in advance but his Dad was holding a Car-inspired cake and Z was ecstatic.

Pretty soon all the balloons were in Z's hand and our mini-party was over. Z confided to me before he went to sleep that night that he was surprised when he woke up and saw the balloons and the "sulat" ( Happy Birthday banner) in place.
To my birthday boy, daddy and mommy love you so much! How I wish you'll stay four forever and remain our cute little boy!

More About Debt Consolidation

2009-01-14T22:33:00.004+08:00

If you thought debt consolidation is only good for credit card debt, then you're wrong. Sometimes people are struck with an illness but they have no insurance or is underinsured. So aside from worrying about the loved one who is sick, the relatives also worry about the debt they will incur. If you can not pay your medical bills then bargaining for a payment plan or medical debt consolidation may be your only option. You can ask for lower rates if you meet their requirements. It's still not easy but it will lessen the burden you have on your shoulder.

People should always be responsible with their debt. Whether it be their medical debt or rental debt it's better to face it squarely now than run away and suffer the consequences in the future

It's his Birthday Tomorrow!

2009-01-13T07:48:00.002+08:00

It's Z's much awaited birthday tomorrow! We're not having a party just a simple celebration here in our apartment with the three of us. Our original plan was to go to Star City which is a carnival, so Z can have the time of his life having rides but I'm still not sure if it will push through. I certainly hope so but aside from the fact that his dad has work tomorrow night, his dad is also recovering from the cold he has been suffering for a week now. Z and I almost got it too but thanks to our vitamins we managed to keep it at bay.
Z is beyond excited to get his very own birthday cake. He has been asking me about his birthday all year and he has patiently waited for it. We don't have a gift for him tomorrow because he has received it a week before. It's the most expensive gift we got for him but I know it's worth it because it'll be his companion for a long time.
Last weekend, we went to the mall as usual and Z saw a toy car - the big one where you can actually ride and drive. He already has one but his is not battery operated he has to pedal it to run. We bought it for him when he was only 1 1/2 years old and it's a toy that's really worth our money because until now that he's turning four he still drives it. Well, that day Z specifically asked us to buy that battery-operated car that we saw. Z doesn't usually ask us to buy something we just give him toys at our own initiative. In fact, recently he would tell his dad not to buy him toys anymore because he has so many. But this all changed when he was able to ride that car. He begged me to buy it for him, not by having a tantrum, thank goodness he's not like that. He would tell me he wants it and I know how badly he likes to have it because he will do so every 5 minutes or so saying somehting like, "Gusto ko yung car, mommy." I want that car, mommy. I kept silent but S and I looked at each other. No words were spoken but we both know we're so tempted to buy it because knowing Z - well, that's really his passion. I know we made a right choice by buying him a puppy rather than a toy but until now it tugs to my heart when I think about how he wanted that one. It's almost as expensive as the puppy so we will definitely not buy it.

Credit and debt consolidation

2009-01-13T06:48:00.003+08:00

It's a new year and the bad way to start one is if you still have bad credit left from the previous year. If you still do, you better start debt consolidation. This will really help you lower your bills and manage your debt better. With debt consolidation you can be charged for a lower and fixed interest rate for all your loans.

Changing your attitude about money is the secret to better management in your finances. In this commercial world where everybody seems to be buying themselves something everyday and every occasion it's hard to resist and not join the flow. I'm sure a lot of us spent a lot of money last Christmas and New Year but I hope we didn't spend beyond our means because it will surely result in debt. I chanced upon Suze Orman Tips on money and managing your finances. In case you don't know, Suze Orman is a financial guru, the host of the Suze Orman show, and author of several financial books. She is well-known for her no-nonsense advice on money.

Cosmetic Surgery at MYA

2009-01-09T09:59:00.002+08:00

Cosmetic surgery has now become a trend among women and to some extent, even men. Gone are the days when you're stuck with a body part that you were born with but hated. At MYA, they have a great offer for breast surgery UK. They have three types of breast surgery: breast enlargement or breast augmentation, breast reduction, and breast uplift. Breast enlargement is one of the most common procedures done on women. It is a simple procedure because only a small incision is made where an implant will be inserted. The patient only needs to stay overnight in the hospital and then the she can be discharged. On the other hand, women with large breasts may be suffering from discomfort and bad posture. This can be corrected by removing fat and excess skin through breast reduction surgery. Breast uplift can be done in combination with breast enlargement.
At MYA you can have this procedure at a very competitive price. It's an all around care package which includes free pre-surgery consultation and a suite for overnight stay after the procedure. At MYA they will provide you with cosmetic surgeons that are really experienced in their field and is done at one of UK's best surgical hospitals. So if you are contemplating of getting this procedure, make sure you do it under a trusted doctor and in a hospital.

Say Hello to Chewie!

2009-01-04T23:09:00.004+08:00

A few weeks short of Z's 4th birthday and we already got him a wonderful present. Isn't he the cutest thing ever!

Z thought so too and so did S and me. It may be too early for Z to take full responsibility of taking care of a dog but we could not resist this shih tzu that was being sold on the way to our apartment. We were hesitant but we thought he would be a perfect addition to our small family. A small dog will be perfect for our lifestyle too because we live in an apartment way up in the third floor. We already knew of the countless benefits of having a dog but we're also well aware of the huge responsibility that goes along owning one. We asked a lot of questions to the owner because both S and I have no prior experience on taking care of one - at least being fully responsible for one - so we grilled the owner, went away to contemplate, came back, and grilled him some more. It might looked like we haven't decided yet but I knew all along we didn't have a chance and we'll surely go home with one.

There were two puppies out of the five left. One was a bouncing ball of wavy fur while the other was noticeably smaller but with dominantly white, straight fur. The bouncing ball of fur was clearly taking advantage of it's size and pinning his little brother. Both Z and I wanted the small white one because for me, the smaller the dog the better but S wanted the bigger one. So we asked the owner for his opinion and he advised us to take the bigger one because he thinks it's healthier - I don't know if it's a sign of a health problem but one eye of the smaller one looks weird. So off we went with the bigger pup. When we got home, we quickly browsed the web for more information on taking care of our new pet. We let him romp around our living room which was the biggest mistake because he started peeing and pooing all around. But the problem didn't end there, night time came and we put him back in his crate. It was already in the dead of the night and he was sleeping soundly when practically all the dogs in the neighborhood started barking. The commotion woke him up and pretty soon he was giving his fair share of barking. 20 minutes later the other dogs were all silent but Chewie was still barking his heart out. I was at a loss on what to do and was becoming anxious that our neighbor might wake up because of his barking. When I let him out he stops so I played with him and put him back after 15 minutes but once he's inside he starts barking again. I tried playing with him while inside but it was almost 2am so I had to go to sleep. He wouldn't let me and would start barking again as soon as I was out of his sight. I was already at my wit's end and out of desperation I put his crate inside the toilet, locked the door so that his barking won't be heard by the neighbors and hoped and prayed that he would tire from barking and go to sleep. That didn't happen though. After what seemed like an eternity, S woke up and went to find Chewie. He reprimanded him and commanded him to lie down and sleep. Miracle of all miracles Chewie did as he was told. I could barely believe what happened! S explained to me the concept of how the owners should be the alpha male so the dog will follow their commands. I have already read about it but failed miserably to implement it. On the other hand, S was brilliant and up to now he still chuckles and chides me on being the third in the pack, with S as the leader and Chewie coming second. I'm learning though, it's only the second night he's with us and I have successfully commanded Chewie to sleep.
Meanwhile S is delighted to have a pet but is still hesitant to touch him. What he does best is to run around the house with Chewie following at his heels. Z would jump onto the sofa away from Chewie's reach. We tried to take a photo of both of them together but with two "kids" it was nearly impossible. That's why it's a miracle we were able to capture this photo.

The Safest Way to Share Emails

2009-01-03T09:56:00.004+08:00

As soon as I open my browser in the morning, the first thing I do is check my yahoo and gmail email. This has become my daily habit and I'm sure so do most people. Email is very important to me because here is where I get notified of job assignments that I need to finish for the day. So I don't like receiving unwanted emails with huge attachments that can take away my precious time and email space or emails with accidental viruses. Those emails can bring headache that's why when I heard about forwardOn.com I knew my email problems will be soon over. This website can host the fun emails that you want to forward to your friends. What's more they will scan your email first therefore preventing email viruses, hoaxes, scams, clogged inboxes and storage space wasted by traditional email forwards. They also have fun rewards like itunes, amazon gift cards, Shell gift card, and even a $10 donation to your favorite charity to encourage people to use their service. It's so easy to use just send the email of your choice to share@forwardOn.com. You will then receive a link through your email from forwardOn.com after they scan it. You can now share it with your friends and families. I checked their website and I was instantly hooked with their collection of fun emails. I would like to share with you a video I got from them that might give us hope for this brand new year.

Vitamin C for Good Health

2009-01-03T09:02:00.005+08:00

Last New Year, we noticed Z was burning with fever. I immediately bought him some paracetamol and vitamin C. We used to give him a separate dose of vitamin C daily aside from his usual multivitamins but recently I was not able to give him his vitamins. True enough, the next day Z he had his last fever at 3 am and as soon as the sun rose up he was fever-free. I know it's our fault because on New Year's eve we went out amidst the light rain to buy some food for our media noche. Z was wearing a jacket with a cover on his head for protection aside the umbrella but it was still was not enough to spare him from sickness. This was not the first time it happened, a few weeks ago we went to Bonifacio High Street and stayed there till 8pm. Z was happily playing with his cousin on the grass. That night after we went home, Z was burning with a slight fever. I gave him one dose of paracetamol and he was okay the next day. If there's something I pride Z about, it's his not getting sick when I'm the one taking care of him. I made a mistake in not breastfeeding him but thankfully, Z was not the sickly kind despite of this. We had a breeze taking care of him because he didn't get sick at all. When I started working and he was with his yaya, that was the only time he got sick with pneumonia. He even had to stay at the hospital for five days because of that. But ever since I stopped working and took care of him again, we encountered no more problems until recently. If I have a secret weapon it's his daily dose of Vitamin C. If he shows some signs of sickness I increase his dose of the vitamin C. I learned about this years ago when I was still in college. I read a book about home remedies and found out how this vitamin improves the immune system which helps us recover faster from illnesses. It hasn't failed me ever since. My husband was adamant at first but now he shares my belief. Before it was only our son who has his daily vitamins but now both of us take multivitamins and vitamin c tablets daily. Well, until a month ago when our stock was used up and I wasn't able to replenish it. Because of this, even my husband showed some signs of slight fever after we went out. So today I will again buy Vitamin C for our entire family. We don't even buy the expensive kind, just the generic ones that costs P1.00 to P2.00 per tablet.

Here's Z sickness free and as active as ever playing with his basketball set that we gave him a year ago for his birthday.

Games for my Husband

2009-01-02T16:31:00.003+08:00

I already bought a watch for my husband as a gift for three events: Christmas, New Year, and his birthday. I know that doesn't sound fair but I'm sure he's used to it because his birthday is falls on New Year. I'm still thinking of other gifts for him and the only thing that I know he's passionate about are adventure games. If we have a mac, I'm sure he'll be into mac games and I stumbled on this site where the best mac games could be found. Luckily, they also have a PC version so my hubby can try it out.

I would especially recommend for him to play Magic Stones. We both love playing RPG and this game is an RPG and a card game in one. Magic Stones lets you choose from twenty different characters that fit your personality. There are three modes in which you can play in: Gathering Artifacts, Challenge Druid, and Quest Mode. Like other RPG games, you have to make your character strong so in the Gathering Artifacts mode you can freely roam the kingdom and look for hidden treasures. In this stage, fighting monsters is a breeze because they don't have special spells. This will help you gain skills and level up. In the Challenge Druid mode, 16 differnet Druids are going to challenge you in the tournament. In this mode, your opponent are tougher so they will definitely test your playing ability. The last mode is the Quest mode you'll have a new purpose in playing the game. In the Quest mode you'll be able to play new creature and characters. If you're a registered user, you'll never run out of quests to play because a new quest is released every 3-4 months for free.
There are more games to choose from at Winter Wolves. I know he'll be delighted trying our the other games like Supernova 2: Spacewar, Universal Boxing Manager, The Goalkeeper, and TV Station Manager that he wouldn't feel bad he just received one gift!

Double Celebration!

2009-01-02T14:09:00.003+08:00

Happy New Year and most importantly, Happy Birthday to my Husband!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-29T23:09:00.011+08:00

A few hours before Christmas Eve, here's the scene at our house.

S was asleep because he needed to go to work that night. Meanwhile, Z was also eager to go to bed so that when he wakes up it's already Christmas and he can open his gift.
I was busy preparing our noche buena and putting the chocolates inside Z's stockings.

Z woke up around 9 pm and promptly proclaimed it was already Christmas and it's time to open his gift. I couldn't say no so off the gift wrapper went.

A few hours later it was S's turn to open his gift.

The truth is they already knew what their gifts were because a couple of hours earlier we went shopping together so it was no surprise at all!

Learn Clipper Cutting Technique

2008-12-29T23:09:00.008+08:00

If there's one useful skill I would like to learn that will surely benefit my whole family that would be clipper cutting. Imagine learning stylish cuts for my hubby and my little boy. Aesthetic video source offers Clipper Cutting Techniques I and II, a two part DVD tutorial featuring veteran stylist Gary Rallison. This video is great for professional hair cutters and will teach not only different cutting techniques such as the fade haircut, taper fade, and even female clipper cuts for women like myself, but also give tips on the business aspect of hair cutting. The two-part video series features different models with varying hair textures so to demonstrate the hair cutting techniques more effectively. Each video in the Professional Clipper Cutting Techniques DVD series (Vol. I: 1 Hr. 27 Mins.; Vol. II: 1 Hr. 26 Mins.) can be ordered for $49.95 plus shipping, by calling 1-800-414-2434 or visiting www.VideoShelf.com. The complete set can be purchased for $80.00, at a savings of 20%.

Hair Cutting Techniques

Fade Haircut | Buzz Cuts

Benefits of Debt Consolidation

2008-12-25T20:03:00.003+08:00

Credit cards and debt are definitely linked together. The efficiency in which a consumer can use his or her credit card has led to increase in "unnecessary" spending. Money through credit card is easily spent but unfortunately the debt that results from using it it may linger in our lives for quite a while. If this happens to you and you already have a history of missed payments it will be hard for you to apply for an important loan without cosigners.
Debt consolidation can actually help you achieve a debt-free life. Here are some of the benefits of debt consolidation.

1. Debt counselors can actually help you lower down some interests and reduce penalties so you can have a more lower debt to pay than you previously have.

2. All your debts from different credit card companies are consolidated which means you only have one monthly payment to make each month. You'll definitely be able to budget your finances more with this system and will only have one goal to keep track off.

3. Debt counselors can help you get rid of embarrassing and harassing experiences from collection agencies because they know the low and can negotiate with them on your behalf.

Don't worry if you have made foolish choices in the past because you can still make it right. Don't hesitate to seek for professional help if it will make your life easier in the end.

A Wedding Experience

2008-12-20T10:38:00.005+08:00

We went to the wedding of my friend Nix, and it turned out to be not the usual wedding experience we anticipated. First, traffic was really bad and with no taxi cab available our one hour allowance for traveling time turned out to be a really bad idea. We completely missed the wedding ceremony because we also got lost on the way so we had no choice but to proceed directly to the reception. We had no idea where Plaza Moriones was and the taxi driver didn't either but it was inside Intramuros so we knew we'll be able to find it no matter what. We were expecting a restaurant but how wrong we were! Plaza Moriones was aptly named because it is, of course, a Plaza! There was a tent set up in the middle for the reception and the place was gorgeous not to mention rich in Philippine History. We had time to walk around and we discovered that Rizal Shrine is just a few steps away. I immediately grasp the opportunity to teach Z about our national hero and about Intramuros. Here are a couple of shots:

The reception started around 6:00 PM and by that time S had to go back to his office so Z and I were left behind. Z played around this giant Christmas tree. I let him run around it so he'll not get bored.

About 6:30 the bridal car pulled up and it was a gorgeous Rolls Royce. I can't resist but take a shot because I haven't seen one up close.

Unfortunately, I was not able to get our picture taken with the bride and groom. Immediately after eating we have to go because Z is getting restless and was already begging me to go. I was also afraid to go home too late because the place was not familiar with me.
Outside the plaza, I can't resist taking pictures of these beautiful Christmas lights.

Intramuros is really a nice place to visit and I'm sure we'll come back when Z is a little older.
Congratulations to the newlyweds Chuck and Nix!

Shopping for Clothes to Wear at a Wedding

2008-12-19T22:53:00.000+08:00

We went shopping today for some clothes to wear for the wedding of my college friend and Z's ninang, Nix. I already bought mine last month but Z has nothing to wear from head to foot because we thought we wouldn't be able to bring him. So with only a day away I was already panicking on what clothes he would wear for the first formal event he'll be able to attend. His dad thinks it's not a problem saying we'll just drop by at any mall on the wedding day itself but I decided it's better to look for clothes today even if it's already night time rather than do it tomorrow. So we proceeded to Ever, the nearest mall in our area. S wanted to eat dinner first before he goes to the office so we dropped by at Greenwich first. After eating, S said goodbye to Z and told him he's going to the office already. Z was quiet as S went to the opposite direction but I knew he was sad and was taken aback by his father leaving all of a sudden. It was entirely our fault because I forgot to remind S to tell Z in advance that he's heading right to work after eating. I always tell him in advance if someone is leaving that way he'll be prepared and won't get too affected by it and it works. But this time I forgot and it was evident that he was affected because he told me a couple of times how sad he was his dad left for work early. Good thing that shopping therapy also works for toddlers! He was sad while I was in the bookstore looking for books to buy but when it was time for us to shop for his black shoes, all traces of sadness were gone. The first pair he tried on he complained was too small, the second one his eyes lit up, and the third he kicked in disgust. So off we went with the second pair of shoes. Next stop was downstairs, the children's clothes area to shop for slacks and polo. I was about to undress Z in the middle of the store to try on the clothes but he wanted to use the dressing room. We didn't waste a lot of time there because the clothes we got fit perfectly. Our next mission was to shop for his black belt. We saw one right away but it needed an extra hole punched because it was too big. The saleslady went around asking where it was but it seems nobody knew where it could be done. I was about to get upset and request for a supervisor but fortunately my gut instinct directed me to where it should be - upstairs in the men's accessories section where adult belts are sold. We also got a white under shirt for S but the salesman convinced me to buy a set of children's brief that was 50% off and which Z badly needed. We also got a wallet for free.

We went home tired but not tired enough to try on the clothes. Z didn't want to at first because he wanted to play but when he saw his shoes he agreed. So I dressed him in full costume with a wallet to boot. I also can't resist trying my own dress on.
I took pictures of Z:

He took a picture of me:

And I took pictures of us together:

He even wanted to strike a pose:

Z definitely enjoyed his maporma clothes. Long after I was back in my everyday clothes, he still refuses to take off his. He keeps on taking his wallet out and putting it back inside his pocket. I think he feels grown up with his new attire. I hope he behaves during the entire ceremony.

Picture Taking!

2008-12-18T21:13:00.003+08:00

It was an uneventful night so I started taking pictures of Z playing with his cars and blocks. Soon it turned out to be a picture taking event for the whole family.

We started in the bedroom:

Z, Bear Brand, and Me

Next stop is the living room:

Z was not cooperating, though.

Finally, the perfect shot!

Then we proceeded to the terrace:

Couldn't resist taking a shot of the gorgeous moon! It's not evident in this picture though.

We had a grand time shooting those pictures. We really need to buy a camera with a tripod so we can finally get a shot of the three of us together!

Household Chores for My Toddler

2008-12-16T00:39:00.001+08:00

It is never too early to teach my toddler to help me with household chores. Not only will doing household chores teach him responsibility, it will also give him pride for doing something himself and will make him realize that being part of a family means a share in the work load. Because toddlers naturally love to help their parents, this is really the perfect opportunity to let him help me around the house.
Here are the chores Z does at age 3. We fix the bed every morning, I fold the blanket while he arranges the pillows. I encourage him to eat neatly, that means no spilled rice or food on the floor. If he does spill something, I ask him to get his small broom and dust pan and he sweeps it and throws it to the trash can by himself. Z can also wash our cups on his own. Using a chair so he so he can reach the faucet, I sometimes let him wash our plastic cups. I only give him this chore once is a while though because S thinks he's too young for this one although in my mind I disagree. hehe When his friends come over, I let him play to their hearts content, even to the point of them bringing out all of Z's toys. At the end of the playing session, I'll remind my son to clean it up and he'll start putting all this toys in the right place all by himself. I don't even supervise him doing this, before I had to when I noticed he misplaced some of his toys, but now he remembers by heart where to put each toy. When he's done he'll come to me and proudly say he's room is as tidy as ever. I'll inspect it and sure enough, there are no more misplaced toys. I'll then congratulate him for a job well done.

This is one of the reasons why I changed my mind in getting a helper around the house. I realized that having a helper would limit Z's exposure to household chores. If I wanted to train Z to become a responsible person then we just have to make this sacrifice so we have no choice but do chores together. It may be hard at first but when you see the end result, it will be all worth it.

Z's Favorite Ride

2008-12-14T03:28:00.012+08:00

Last weekend, after going to church at CCF-ST. Francis we again passed by Z's favorite mall - Megamall! As usual, he wanted to ride "his 4x4" as he calls it. Since he has rode it at least ten times already, I encouraged him to try out the other rides but to no avail. So we paid P20 for the ticket and off he went to wait for the previous batch of riders to finish. He then handed his ticket to the person-in-charge and excitedly climbed into the jeep. S went to play Tekken in a nearby arcade so I was left with nothing to do but take pictures. Well, I don't mind taking his pictures, I'm just happy he's one healthy fellow!

D for Dade

2008-12-11T19:08:00.002+08:00

This afternoon, Z was getting frustrated trying to learn how to write the letter "Y." He kept on insisting he can't do it while I kept on telling him that was what he said for the letter "Z" yesterday and now he can do it with ease. I left him on his own for a few minutes because his dad and I were looking at something online. I thought he was practicing to write the letter "Y" like I told him so when he suddenly looked at his dad and said, "Dad, look! I wrote your name," while pointing at a crudely written letter D. His Dad's face lit up and said, "You're right, son! D as in Dad!" Then his Dad proceeded to spell his name, "D-A-D." To which Z blurted, "...and E! Dade!" Nyee! We couldn't argue anymore because we were laughing so hard.

Playing with Blocks

2008-12-10T20:59:00.005+08:00

One of the educational toys we bought for Z at the 2nd Homeschooling Conference were two sets of small wooden blocks. It costs only a dollar each and I'd say it was really worth it. It was using his block toys that he is able to recreate the buildings he see when we go out. He put up different buildings and would declare it's his dad's office. He even has his own office building put up. Aside from the different buildings, he would also recreate the traffic situation he sees around Metro Manila. It's not an unusual situation that our floor is lined up with a long line of cars, busses, and trucks. He would tell me to look how long the traffic is and would show me which car he's supposed to be in. Together we made bridges, tunnels, and even the expressway using his blocks. Here are a few pictures that I took.

2008-12-10T20:27:00.004+08:00

I bought our Christmas tree last Halloween at Greenhills but it was only a few weeks ago that we finished decorating it. I wasn't really planning on buying a Christmas tree this year because we'll probably be celebrating Christmas with our relatives in Laguna but I couldn't resist buying the Christmas tree I saw on sale at Greenhills. I got a great deal because the price I paid for the 6 feet tree is comparable to a 3 feet Christmas tree. It was Z who put all the Christmas balls and he enjoyed doing it because he finished putting all the balls up without even a whine. It's simply decorated for now but I don't plan on spending much on our tree because it's only up once a year and stored away the rest of the year. My plan is just to add a more decorations to it every year.

Laser Hair Removal

2008-12-09T06:17:00.005+08:00

Women have endured painful hair removal for as long as we can remember but with the advancement of technology, this is becoming a thing of the past. I'm sure every woman, no matter what age or background, would be ecstatic to receive a permanent hair removal treatment. Laser treatment is a non-surgical procedure to remove unwanted hair in the face, underarms, back, bikini area, and legs. It is fast and painless that's why it's now one of the to five non-surgical procedures for men and women. Aesthetic Video Source offers a complete guide to laser removal which is perfect for doctors and medical practitioners who are thinking of offering this service and expanding their business. Two physicians, who are already expert in laser hair removal, will demonstrate how they perform the procedure and share tips as well. You can order the Complete Guide to Laser Removal DVD ($175.00) by calling 1-800-414-2434 or visiting www.VideoShelf.com.

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Z's Christmas Present

2008-12-09T06:08:00.005+08:00

Z with his new bear, Bear Brand

Z was supposed to open his stuffed toy on Christmas day but it was his mom and dad who couldn't wait. I saw him playing with his really old stuff dog, talking with it, and saw him hugging it so I told S maybe we should open his new toy. My husband didn't miss a beat and proceeded to take the toy and asked Z if he wants to open it. Of course Z was really excited. He has absolutely no clue what it is and when he opened it we were not disappointed with his reaction. He really loved it! Today, it's been a couple of days later but he treats "Bear Brand" as his constant companion. Our one regret is our bed became smaller because Bear Brand even has his own space complete with a pillow.

The Best Time to Eliminate Debt is Christmas

2008-12-05T05:40:00.006+08:00

Christmas is just around the corner and it just occurred to me that this is the perfect opportunity to start eliminating debts, if you have one. One of the perks of being an employee is receiving the 13th month pay and Christmas bonus. My husband said he will receive his 13th month pay this soon and we are surely excited. It may be tempting to reward yourself for all the hard work that you're doing and take that plunge and buy that laptop or digital camera you've been eyeing for a long time but if you've got debt and it would be better to use your extra money to eliminate debt. It makes perfect sense, since you have to pay for it anyway and it will keep on increasing if you don't pay it costing you even more money in the future then why not buy yourself some piece of mind this Christmas and use that money to get rid of that irritating debt. This is my simple advice on how to eliminate debt.
We're fortunate we don't have any debts to pay but we're still thinking long and hard before we use that extra money. Our wishlist includes a digital camera, a vacation, an oven, and a new guitar but we hope we'll end up making some practical purchases instead and keep the remaining money in a bank which we can use as a capital for our business in the future. Too bad I don't have any bonus because I'm working at home but that's the only thing I'm missing from my previous work. Anyway, I wish all of us to have the best Christmas we'll ever have but not at the expense of our finances!

Reading, Writing, and Toys

2008-12-02T15:33:00.008+08:00

We are a little delayed with our reading, the deadline I set is on March next year and it's just a few months away but I'm still happy to say that we've made some progress at last. He has already mastered the sounds of all the letters in the alphabet for quite some time now, thanks to starfall.com but I was at loss on how to actually teach him how to blend those sounds together. When I tried teaching him to read "ba be bi bo bu" he got it in just a few minutes but I knew he wouldn't be able to read it if I scramble it so I made flash cards to make sure he got it. In a few days he got was able to read it. After that I just add a third letter so now he can read the words hat, van, dad, cat, fat, bed, red, and so on. His dad's quite impressed and would plant him a kiss right after successfully reading a word I'm hoping that by March he'll be able to read more complicated words like Tactical Pants!
Last weekend, after going to church we passed by Megamall. As usual, we passed by Toy Kingdom to check the latest toys. We were only planning on buying one educational toy, Z understood that he already have so many toy cars so we wouldn' t be buying any of that. I finally settled for a Philippine map jigsaw puzzle because Z is interested in places and I thought it would be a good idea to educate him about our country without boring him. The jigsaw puzzle costs only P199 ($4) but as we were going to the cashier when we saw this big teddy bear which Z really loves and which he instantly hugged. We were about to pay for the two items but we found out that the stuff toy was on a promo and you can buy it for P230 ($4.70) if your total purchase adds up to P500 ($10). We couldn't resist Z's yearning for the toy so I decided to buy another educational toy, Word Factory, which we can use for his reading. The 3 minute timer that comes with it would be useful too. We got an idea that the stuff toy would be a great Christmas gift to Z so we convinced him to let go of it and we'll just buy it next time. Being the good boy that he is, he obeyed. Unknown to Z, we told the cashier to ring it up without being too obvious but Z caught the cashier putting the bear inside the plastic bag and asked, "Is that for me, mom?" I almost burst out laughing at being caught but held my composure and told him it's not. I know I told a lie but I didn't want to ruin the surprise. We were able to have it gift wrapped without him suspecting anything further and now it's sitting under our Christmas tree and he still has no idea what it is. I can't wait to see the expression on his face when he opens it at Christmas.

Z's First Letter

2008-12-02T15:21:00.005+08:00

I know I said I would teach him to write after he has learned how to read but his progress in our reading lessons for the last few days made me think we have the time to learn both reading and writing. I bought a writing book and asked him to trace the different letters and he did trace them but can't write it on his own. So for the last two days I decided to forego the writing book and really start with the basics, asking him to write vertical lines first instead of tracing the letters. He obeyed and produced some horizontal and diagonal lines. I was quite busy working beside him when he suddenly told me, "Look, mom, it's a letter A." I immediately glanced at his paper and sure enough there was a crudely written but unmistakable letter A. I was really proud of his effort to go beyond what was expected of him and actually write a letter instead of the lines I told him to. His dad was sleeping but I woke him up just to show it to him.

More Eyeglasses from Zenni

2008-12-01T07:03:00.007+08:00

The popular online eyeglasses shop has something in store for the holiday. Check out the Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical and you'll see lots and lots of designs to choose from. I personally like this metal half-rim frame with polarized magnetic snap-on sunlens so I can have both eyeglasses and shades for the bright sunny days in the summer. If you're in a budget you can also find $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses.

Invaluable Lessons at the Homeschooling Conference

2008-11-28T21:53:00.008+08:00

One of the reasons I decided to quit my job and stay at home was because I came from a broken family. I didn't want Z to experience growing up without a mother like I did and I felt guilty working away and being too tired to take care of him when I got home. It may be different with other mothers but I felt I was missing a huge part of his life by being away half of the time. I thought in order to have a strong relationship with my son I had to be a hands-on mom and be available 24/7. That was also the reason why I was convinced it was best to homeschool him especially in his early schooling years. My husband was not so convinced with the idea and so were the people we knew. I felt pressured to enroll him in school at age three. I seriously thought it was a waste of money, I believe mothers are still the best teachers of their kids. Our national hero himself was taught by no less than his mother during his early years and he didn't grow up that bad. But I felt alone in wanting to homeschool him without S's support. While attending church at CCF at St. Francis Square, I heard about the Homeschooling Convention which would feature talks about parenting and homeschooling your children. I decided to register right away and pay the P350 fee. My husband was hesitant to go because he has work the night before. But I was determined to go even if I was alone. Fortunately, S was really supportive because without my knowledge he decided to go on leave from his work the night before the convention so he can accompany me. We brought Z along even though the convention was from 8AM to 5PM because his would be baby sitter didn't come. The money we paid was really worth it because the talks by the different speakers inspired us and gave us insights to become better parents to Z. S became convinced too that homeschooling will be good for Z upon hearing personal accounts by parents who homeschooled their children and the children (now adults) themselves. Z was not too happy listening to different people speak for eight hours but he endured it all and was able to entertain himself at the end. I swear at one point he was even listening especially at the part when Pastor Tan-Chi was demonstrating the correct way of spanking children. His eyes grew big when the Pastor pointed at his belt! That event was really memorable for S and me, it was a day of learning together, planning for the future together, and just being in sync and having the same vision for our child and our family.

My Work at Home Experience

2008-11-28T20:39:00.006+08:00

A year ago, it was just my dream to earn money at home. We have heard stories about people working at home through internet and how I wished I could do that too. The problem was those stories seem like a myth because we didn't know anybody personally who was actually earning online. We were also hesitant to have internet installed because of the extra cost but I was bored at my wits end staying at home so I finally took the plunge and had internet installed last February of this year. My immediate goal was to find an online job and everyday I literally searched online for any homebased job I could find. The first thing I tried were PTCs but didn't have the patience to click numerous ads everyday. My first real online job was encoding, the pay was a pittance but I accepted it just so that I can pay our monthly internet bill. Finally, after a month of searching I discovered Craigslist and found a transcribing job through that site. The pay is good, the job tedious but I was happy because finally I was officially a work-at-home mom. I was enjoying both worlds, earning and seeing my son grow up by my side every single day. In addition to that, I have my blogging which earns me some money too.
However, I don't want to stop there. My ultimate goal is to have my very own Home Business. My husband and I are constantly racking our brains for Home Business Ideas but we haven't thought of any. I have heard about affiliate marketing but I don't know anything about marketing and internet marketing at that. Good thing I chanced upon a Plug-In Profit Site which will teach you all about affiliate marketing and which includes a "30 Days to Success" training program for people like me who have no experience in internet marketing. I have read about people making money through affiliate marketing but I don't know anyone personally - well, that didn't stop me before. I'm sure it will not be easy and will require a lot of hard work but I would do anything just to be able to work at home and be with my family.

Opening a Savings Account to help in Debt Elimination

2008-11-25T22:28:00.008+08:00

Image via WikipediaOur family's goal is to really save money. In line with our goal, I opened three bank accounts this month alone: one for my online salary, one for Z, and the third one an automatic savings account connected to S's payroll. Even if I've been earning online, it seems that we end up wasting the money on things I don't even remember because it's deposited to our current atm which we use when we go out, shop for our grocery, etc. Now that my online salary is deposited on it's own account, I'm confident that the extra money will remain untouched and it will be easier to save it.
Z didn't understand what it meant to open a bank account but he sure was excited to see his name on his passbook. It's timely because Christmas is coming and so is his birthday this January. All the money gifts he will receive will be deposited directly there. I'm already excited to see his money grow slowly but surely. I'm sure he'll be able to appreciate having money in the bank when he's old enough. I also hope this will instill to him the value of saving so that in the future he won't have a problem with debt elimination.
While at BDO, my husband tried applying for a credit card. As of the moment we don't have a single credit card but we tried to apply for one just in case. We thought the application was going smoothly and we had submitted all the requirements but someone from the bank called S and told him he hasn't submitted a photocopy of his IDs. That was impossible because we couldn't open a savings account without IDs so I'm sure they were the ones who forgot to attach it or something. When we went back to BDO to claim our ATM card, we mentioned it and they said we need to submit our IDs again, unfortunately we only brought one ID this time so I told S it's better that way, maybe it's really not meant for us to have a credit card. It doesn't matter if we have a poor credit score, but the reason why we're saving is to avoid incurring any kind of debt in the future.
I opened our third bank account because one of our perennial problems was saving a portion of S's income and not touching it. While reading the newspaper, I chanced upon an advertisement of BPI's Direct Save UP which automatically deducts whatever amount you set from your payroll atm to its very own account. You won' be able to spend that money because the account doesn't come with ATM. What's more, you will be insured 5X of your saved amount.
Now that everything is in place, it's up to us whether we will be successful in our goal or not. As the moment, I'm just thankful we're worrying about saving money and not about debt elimination.

Halloween Party at S's Office

2008-11-23T19:05:00.006+08:00

I know it's way too late to talk about Halloween but I still want to post about the third and last Halloween party Z attended which was held at his dad's office. It was early in the morning of Oct. 31st that Z wore his cowboy costume for the third time. We rode a jeep to Libis which was just one ride away. When we stepped inside the office we were impressed to see that it was transformed into a ship which was inspired by the movie Pirates of the Carribean. Z's dad and his officemates were all dressed in pirates. Z saw our former neighbor and his friend, Gia and they were unseparable after that. The children were given balloons and off they went trick or treating. We went from the executives' offices then to the different accounts and we gathered quite a lot of candy which took us two weeks to eat. Next year I'll remember to not get as much candy! A program came next which includes games for the parents and the kids. We were not able to finish it because we went out to eat.
Z really enjoyed the party and afterwards he is already looking forward to next year's Halloween. He even has a costume in mind, he said he wants a ninja costume for next year.

Importance of Family Time

2008-11-20T06:12:00.006+08:00

Our family really needs a vacation! We're always at home or at the mall and when we go out we just go visit our relatives. I was just reading a book with the title "What Parents Do to Mess Up their Kids" and it is truly one inspiring read. First of all, it affirms my decision that I'm on the right track that I decided to be a stay-at-home mother and second it opened my eyes that I'm still not giving him the attention that he needs. Sometimes I'm too preoccupied with my housework, my online job, or with other things. Sometimes we just buy our kids expensive toys to make up for the "guilt" that we have when we all know that our attention is more precious to them. The book talks importance of family activities playing together, doing household chores together, or just enjoying each others company and having meaningful conversation. It also said that the we should schedule family vacations together which led me to search for ideal vacation spots. If we have the resources to go overseas I would really like to to stay in Hotel Paris and experience the way the french live. I would want to taste authentic french food with their Bed and breakfast bordeaux. You can even enjoy as much as 20% discount in your reservation at Hotel paris. I'm sure Z would want such a vacation too because just yesterday he said he wanted to experience riding an airplane like the many airplanes that we see from our terrace. In the meantime we would just enjoy a boat ride at the nearby La Mesa Ecopark. I just checked their website and it sure has a lot of activities our family would enjoy like bike riding, fishing, swimming, and just enjoying nature. It will also be an educational experience for Z to see the dam where our actual tap water is coming from since he always asks me when he takes a bath where the water from our faucet comes from. I'm sure this vacation will be one of the most memorable moments that we have as a family.

Halloween Party at Greenhills

2008-11-14T23:06:00.013+08:00

To maximize's Z's costume, we decided to brave the hot afternoon and commute to Greenhills shopping center which was only a short bus ride away. We found out upon arriving there that they started on time so we we're late for the trick or treat part. Fortunately, they have a program right after which featured a magician who was well, adept at magic tricks. Our only problem was we were way at the back and couldn't see a thing. I was determined not to waste our effort of going all the way there, we even left his dad sleeping alone at the house which was rare because we always go out together, so I carried Z and inched our way closer to the stage. It was difficult mind you, because apparently the adults enjoyed the magic show too and don't want to give way for me and Z. I was determined, however, because of the strain of Z's weight on my arms so I still pushed my way. I headed to the first empty seat I found but before I could sit down, and rest my aching arms, the mother quickly pulled her daughter back to the empty chair. Not to be disheartened, I carried Z over another empty chair at the front row and told him to sit down before it gets occupied again. That's how we finally got to see the magic show. It was Z's first time to see one but he understood and laughed at some of the tricks. Even I was amazed although I already know that those were just tricks and not magic.

Zenni was Featured on Fox

2008-11-14T23:06:00.012+08:00

If you have been postponing buying your own glasses from Zenni because you might be wondering about its quality, check Zenni on Fox because Zenni Optical was on FOX news! Check out their review on Zenni's quality eyewear. At Zenni, you can have Great Eyeglasses For Less. I bought my previous eyeglasses for $20 but Zenni offers glasses for as low as $8. You can also choose Variable Dimension Frames From Zenni, they have so many frames to choose from I'm sure you'll find the right one for you.

My New Eyeglasses

2008-11-04T13:38:00.008+08:00

Eventhough I have poor eyesight, I didn't wear glasses for almost two years. After becoming a mother, my priority has been my son and as a result I put my needs have been put in second place. When we go to the mall, we always think of buying toys for Z but never for the things we need for ourselves. That's why it took me two years to buy my pair of glasses after I accidentally sat down on my previous pair. Wanna know what finally prompted me to buy a new pair of glasses? Well, I saw an offer online that I simply could not refuse - quality, stylish eyeglasses for the low price $8.00. I couldn't believe it at first because it has all the things I want in my glass: thin lens, UV protection, scratch resistant, and so many frames and colors to choose from and yet it was still so affordable. I had a hard time choosing the right one for me because there were so many styles to choose from but with the help of my husband, we finally chose a stylish silver-framed glasses. I have been wearing it for a month now and I certainly have no regrets.

Trick or Treating at ATC

2008-11-04T13:15:00.004+08:00

It has been a whirlwind Halloween for Z and me. A month ago, we bought Z his first halloween costume and a cowboy costume at that. Since the concept of trick and treating has not been fully adapted in the Philippines, you won't see children knocking on doors and asking for treats, however, the malls have fully adapted the US tradition and so we decided to put his costume into full use by attending every Trick or Treat celebration in the malls we frequent. First stop was in Alabang Town Center. ATC is really far away from our place but my FIL invited us in the vicinity so we crashed the event. Upon seeing the other kids in their costume, Z promptly wore his cowboy costume and proceeded to watch the ongoing program. The venue was outside and since it was at noon, it was terribly hot. The orgranizers gave us a slip of paper which we were to be signed by the representatives of the event sponsors after which we were entitled to a plastic bag full of goodies. Z was delighted when he received it and I told him he got it as a reward for wearing his costume. We wanted to stay for the costume contest but we still have to go to Sta. Rosa.

Mortgage Loans

2008-11-04T07:58:00.007+08:00

We are living in a rented apartment so we're not paying any mortgage loans at the present. Still, nothing beats owning your own house so I have been browsing the internet for more information on how to get a loan. It's a sad reality that the only way most people achieve their goal of owning their own house is through applying for mortgage loans but with the tough times, who can really afford to pay their house in full nowadays? Add the fact that they say recession is looming so even paying mortgage loans are proving to be more and more difficult these days. That's why it's getting harder and harder to get a loan especially for people with bad credit financing and those who have loans with bad credit. But there's a solution to every problem and as I said before, if you have no expertise in that area it will do you more good than harm to get professional help. It's always good to know all your options before making that big purchase and expert help is just a click away.

Where to Find the Best Gadgets

2008-10-31T08:15:00.007+08:00

All the different gadgets coming out left and right make my head spin! It came to a point I don't know what to choose anymore. Good thing I found this extremely helpful website GadgetAdvisor.com. The review of the best extensions for Firefox and the best Windows software made my choosing definitely easier and my computer life a little less difficult. And because of their Blaze Media Pro review, I know now what to use in converting my audio files for my transcription job.

Top Entrecard Droppers for September

2008-10-03T15:02:00.002+08:00

1. Picture to People

2. Your Parenting Info

3. Random Ramblings

4. impNERD

5. Curiously Awesome

6. Turnip of Power

7. Online Games

8. Football: Just Love the Game

A Typhoon is Coming

2008-09-27T01:00:00.009+08:00

It has been a really long week of putting away our things in boxes and waiting for moving day to come but at last one more day to go and we'll be saying goodbye to our apartment for almost two years. After finally deciding that September 28 is going to be our moving day, we have confirmed that a typhoon is on its way to the Philippines. According to the weather forecast websites I have been frequenting lately, the typhoon will not hit land but will be somewhere close by on our moving day. As if to drive down its point across, it did not stop raining for the last two days which increased my nervousness tenfold. Just this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see the sun shining despite reading somewhere that there was supposed to be 100% chance of precipitation today. Well, it didn't rain all day and because of that, I am keeping my faith that when I wake up this Sunday, the sun will shine despite the 50% chance of rain forecast. If worst comes to worst we'll just wait out the rain before actually moving.

Business Loans

2008-09-23T10:48:00.007+08:00

One of my our future goals is to set up our own business. One of the criteria to make a business successful is of course, capital. If you are full of business ideas but is lacking in capital and collateral, worry no more. I found the fastest way to get a Business Loan. With Ezunsecured.com, applying for Business Loans is easy and guaranteed fast funding.

Apartment Hunting part 2

2008-09-18T20:03:00.021+08:00

This is a continuation of our apartment hunting.
As soon as S arrived home from work, around 8am, we immediately went to the two-storey apartment I inquired about last night. The tricycle ride was short and only lasted a minute. We arrived at the place and immediately saw three apartment buildings. Two buildings (one still in the process of being constructed) face each other on the right side and one building on the left side of the road. We looked for the person who was in charge of the keys, he directed us to the lone apartment building on the left and showed us two vacant apartment units side by side.
The apartments are bigger than our current and these two have almost identical design.

Downstairs is the living room and the kitchen and upstairs are two bedrooms. The rent is $11 higher than what we are paying but we were not satisfied because the place is kinda hot. There are two small windows upstairs and one downstairs but it is not wide enough for the air to circulate in the apartment. Our guide told us these were newly-constructed so we will be the first owners if we take it. I instantly remembered that the owner told me last night that the apartment was previously occupied and was not new. I pointed this out to our guide and it turned out he showed us the wrong apartment. So we crossed the road and went to the two apartments facing each other. Construction was in full swing on one apartment so there was a lot of noise going on, the other building look a few years old. There were four apartment doors and we were directed second to the last door. It was slightly larger than the first two.

What I liked were the tiles and the cabinets in the kitchen. We looked for the bathroom and found it underneath the stairs which was weird! We went upstairs and I was disappointed because the rooms didn't have tiled floors - only polished cement. The color, I hated - one room was red while the other blue. It made the room even hotter than the apartments we just saw. There was no view from the windows, except for the still being constructed apartment building facing it. There was definitely no air coming in on this one. Eventhough S likes having two floors for an apartment, he was disappointed with the three we just saw. We concluded that the first one we found was way better because it is the largest but cheapest, has two extra cabinets for our clothes, floors are tiled all over, good air circulation, natural light and wide windows plus a landlord who said the reason why his tenants stay there a long time is because he doesn't increase the rent. After looking at the three apartments, we immediately went home to get the deposit and pay for the first one we found. So by this time we have already sealed the deal but we won't be able to move till the end of this month to maximize the rent we paid for our current place and to give us enough time to look for a new internet provider. Silly me, I forgot to take pictures of our soon-to-be apartment so just stay tuned for my next update!

Apartment Hunting part 1

2008-09-17T23:26:00.008+08:00

Image via Wikipedia I know I mentioned we were not planning to move until the next scheduled raise in our rent on February next year but when Z's friend and his mom, who were our former neighbor and who just moved out a couple of weeks ago, visited us and mentioned there is a vacant apartment upstairs of their new apartment, I couldn't resist but check it out. What I saw definitely shocked me because the vacant apartment is the same price as ours but almost twice as large and looks much better. It also has two bedrooms and with built in closet that will definitely solve our never ending problem with closet space. The bathroom is larger and the living room is long and spacious. There are disadvantages like the fact that it's on the third floor and to get to it you have to pass a narrow alley and climb a rickety stairs and there is also a creek at the right side. But what I so so love is the view from the terrace, I can see the hills of Antipolo from afar. I went home to fetch S so that he can take a look too and he likes it too but also noted the disadvantages. He likes the apartment downstairs where our friend lives because it's two storey and has a small garage but of course it's already occupied. I admit for two days I was not able to sleep weighing in my mind if we should move or not and I finally decided that I really wanted to move because it's the same rent amount, anyway. S is more practical, he told me we should take our time and look around first which we did yesterday but with no luck. Today, we went to Megamall to check if there is Globe broadband in that area but unfortunately they don't have service there. Fortunately, we will be able to have it disconnected without paying any penalty and we'll just look for another provider that has service in that area. We also withdrew the amount for the deposit but on our way home we saw an "Apartment For Rent" sign and noted the phone number. I called it tonight and the owner said it's two storey, just like what S wanted. The rent though is a little higher but still affordable. The two apartments are just a couple of blocks from our current apartment so it won't significantly affect S's travel time to and from the office. Another advantage if we move is our future landlord will not increase the rent by 10% every year unlike what our current landlord is doing. I am really excited see it, I hope it will meet our expectations. If it does not then we will be paying the downpayment for the first one. Just tonight, our landlord came by to collect our rent and I already informed him we have plans on moving. This move might be sudden and unplanned but I have a feeling what we are doing is for the best.

How to Change the Look of your Home

2008-09-14T22:59:00.013+08:00

Are you tired of the design of your home and want something new? They said repainting the walls is the cheapest way to change the look of your home, but painting sounds like back breaking labor especially to a stay-at-home mom like me whose only exercise is carrying the grocery and Z's bike up and down the stairs. I am done with curtains too, I have bought three different kinds of curtains for the past year and that's enough for me. What about the floors? Aren't you tired of looking at the same floor everyday? No, I am not suggesting that you change your tiles - that is certainly the expensive way to do it. If you have run out of ideas then why not add a rug? Adding Rugs is the fastest way to change the look and mood of your room. I chanced upon a beautiful collection of Cheap Rugs that are up to 80% off so maybe painting is not the cheapest way to change the look of your house, after all. There are so many rugs to choose from. They got Accent Rugs, Area Rug, Area Rugs, Bathroom Rugs, Braided Rugs, Area Rugs, Contemporary Rugs, Discount Rugs, Flokati Rugs, Floor Rugs, Hooked Rugs, Kids Rugs, Modern Rugs, Oriental Rugs, Persian Rugs, Round Rugs, Rugs, Shag Rugs, Shaw Rugs, Sisal Rugs, Wool Rugs - you name it, they got it. If you have no idea which rug is for which just click on the rug type and it will direct you to a nice description of what it is and where it is for. In no time, I am sure you will be well-versed with rugs and can find a rug perfect for every room in your house like this beautiful rug in the picture. If you are still having second thoughts their free shipping will guarantee you more savings. I am sure most families are feeling the economic crunch but if you are creative and resourceful enough there are still cheap ways to add beauty in your home.

Laundry - check!

2008-09-14T21:22:00.007+08:00

Image via Wikipedia Finally, I have caught up with my laundry and am proud to say that I have three empty laundry baskets starting today. Whew! I didn't know where I got the energy today but I think I just did five loads of laundry. I woke up thinking what a great day to have the sun shining like that so I quickly pulled out my washing machine originally planning to do just one load. After hanging out the first set of clothes to dry I immediately thought with the sun shining like that I'm sure by the time I finish a second load of clothes then the first set would be dry. So that's what I did all day, after I finished washing one load I quickly folded it to give way to a fresh set of clothes to dry. I like it when I have a productive day like this, it feels good to accomplish something even if its just a small thing.

On Renting and Moving Out

2008-09-09T22:51:00.009+08:00

Just last week, Z and his friend Jave had a blast playing together at our apartment. But as they say, all good things must come to an end because last Sunday, Jave and his family moved to another apartment. We were surprised but in a way we were already expecting this because a few months ago, his mom and I were talking about wanting to move and find a bigger place. As it turned out, they found a bigger one but with the same rental price as their old apartment. It is just a walking distance from us but located in a different town. They said the place that they found was two-storey and with much bigger rooms. I wish we could also find a good place when it's our time to move, we are planning to move this coming February because by that time another rent increase is scheduled and we know we can already find a bigger place at that price. We would love to move to our own house, after all, the price we are paying for an apartment is enough for monthly mortgage payment for a house far from the city but we just don't want that sacrifice. I love it that I just have to wait 30 minutes and S will be home from the office. We lived in my grandma's house two years before and we had everything for free but S's travel time was 2 hours in good days and would last up to 3 hours when the traffic was bad. When he arrives home, all he does is sleep and when he wakes up he just say hello to us and he has to get ready for work again. In short, his life was really exhausting and looking back we do not know how he survived that. Because of that experience, S and I agree that our life is better here even if the rent takes a chunk of our budget. Z and his dad have all the time in the world to spend together, and I do not spend my hours worrying where he is and why isn't he home yet. Yes, renting is our option for now but someday we hope to save enough to afford the more expensive houses located in the city where work is available. It may take some time but I'm sure we'll eventually get there.
Going back to Z and his friend, they tried to spend as much time together during the last days of their stay here - up to the time when they were loading their furniture in the vehicle. Years from now, I don't know if Z will still remember Jave so I snapped some more photos to remind Z of his childhood friend.

Shopping for Books

2008-09-06T16:18:00.008+08:00

I really love books and I hope I can pass my love for it to my son, Z. So every time we go to the mall I make sure I buy lots of books for him from my favorite bookstore which sells second hand books. I really love that place because it gives more value to our hard earned money. Imagine, I am able to buy hard bound books for $1 or even less. They have a vast collection of chidren's books - from Z's favorite cars and trucks books, to books with flaps that he loves to flip and open, and even colorful sticker books - you name it, it's there. That's why when I'm there I spend at least 30 minutes of our mall time rummaging through their rich collection of children's books and end up buying 5 or more books for Z.
However there are some books that are really hard to find like the this book that I blogged about here. I have looked at different local bookstores but unfortunately it's unavailable here in the Philippines. I finally found it at Amazon.com only to realize that they won't ship the item here. Fortunately, I found MyUS.com website which helps international buyers like me overcome this hurdle by providing a US address - they receive the package on our behalf and then ship it to their international customers. This is internet shopping made really easy. I am so glad I found their service.

Three "Kids" Playing

2008-09-05T20:23:00.010+08:00

Z and his friend, Jave, who lives in the apartment downstairs were playing together two days ago. They decided to play here in our living room with Z's assortment of toys while S and I were both in the bedroom, with him sleeping because he works at night, and me on the laptop. Minutes later, Z decided he wanted to play inside our bedroom, we had the aircon on and it was almost noon so the heat was unbearable outside. I told him not to go inside because his dad was sleeping but he kept coming back because maybe he can't take the heat anymore. He also prodded his friend to come in and play there. Upon seeing our room was being invaded by two kids, S graciously gave up his sleep and entertained the two kids instead. Our room was filled with screaming and laughter while they play hide-and-seek inside the sheets and jumped all over the place. They had a really grand time playing together that it seemed like I had three kids in there instead of two. Their playing session lasted until 2pm! Our neighbor, Jave's mom, came to pick him up but you could see in his face that he didn't want to go.

The very next day, at around 10 am, I heard Z's friend calling from outside our door. S entertained them again and made them laugh till their stomachs hurt. This time around, it took Jave's mom 3 times coming back and forth before she finally convinced her son to come home. When S asked him why he doesn't want to go home, he replied he doesn't want to go because his own dad would not be home till later. These little boys really adore their dads, don't they?

My Top Entrecard Droppers for August

2008-09-02T23:43:00.004+08:00

I would like to extend my gratitude to my Top Entrecard Droppers for the Month of August. This is the first month I have taken dropping seriously and I know how hard it is to drop everyday. Hope you will continue to drop by my site for the months to come.

1. Unpredictable Life
2. Memories Frozen in Time
3. The Daily Matters
4. The Wise Young Mommy
5. Wishing on a Falling Star
6. Our Journey to Forever
7. The Ad Master
8. Marriage and Beyond
9. Your Fun Family
10. REENASHWINA

How to Live a Debt-Free Life

2008-08-29T15:06:00.002+08:00

Living a debt-free life is the advisable thing. However, with the way the economy is going, the rapid increase in basic commodity prices, and the availability of credit cards, it's not at all surprising that most people are living in debt. If you are already in debt, there's no use getting depressed over it. Now is the absolute time to take control of your life and plan to get that debt out in your life. Here are some steps to help you eliminate that nasty debt.

1. Start paying in cash. Do not add more to your debts by using your credit cards. There's a reason why credit cards are always available to us, and it's because credit card companies want us to spend more so they can charge at a higher interest rate if we can't pay for it. If you completely do away with credit cards, then you are on the right track. Remember, if you can not pay for it in cash, it means you simply can't afford it.

2. If you haven't made a budget of your expenses, maybe that's the reason you are in debt. You do not have to start from scratch in budgeting your expenses, there are a lot of free software online that will help you jump start your budgeting. It's not at all time consuming, a few minutes every night to list down your expenses is enough.Remember, what's more time consuming is worrying about your debts. Having your own budget will save you a few wrinkles along the way.

3. Deal with your credit card debt. Talk to your creditors and lay down your cards. If you think this may be too overwhelming for you, you can ask for professional help. I know of a company called NetDebt who help can you completely eliminate your debt. If you don't like the embarrassing and time consuming "counseling" sessions that other debt programs have, then NetDebt is for you because the offer online enrollment and with live reps available to answer all your questions.

If you do not deal with it now, it will never go away. Now is always the perfect time to start your way to a debt-free life.

Guess What Song is Z singing

2008-08-28T18:01:00.000+08:00

This is Z singing, or rather attempting to sing his favorite song from his favorite movie. Can you guess which song it is? There is a clue in the background you just have to prick your ears.

Can't Find the Perfect Wine? Join CA Wine Club

2008-08-28T16:55:00.000+08:00

Are you on the quest for the perfect wine? Do you find and buy wine yourself and constantly gets disappointed with the price and quality of wine that you find?If yes, the CA Wine Club is for you. It is a wine adventure club that scours every bit of California for the just the perfect wine. Their aim is to discover small, award-winning wineries whose wines don't end up in your local store. The CA Wine Club has three clubs to choose depending on your taste and budget Aside from that,the benefits of becoming a member include getting a monthly, full-color newsletter for you to learn more about the California wine scene,door-to-door delivery, convenience on your part because you won't waste time finding that perfect wine - they go through all that for you, flexible choices in your wine delivery - you can have it delivered every month, every two months, or every quarter, no bulk, closeout or private label wine,up to 50% discount on reorders, and wine experts available just to assist you on your wine choices. What's more, if you sign up now, the you can have your first month free, just pay $13 for the shipping, and save $34.95. Grab their once-in-a lifetime offer and I'm sure you'll have thew wine experience you'll never forget.

While They are Sleeping

2008-08-28T16:49:00.000+08:00

The house is quiet, both my husband and my toddler are sleeping. This is rare indeed, normally, Z won't take his nap and my husband has insomia so he gets little sleep during the day. I am typing away as quietly as possible in order not to wake them up. At least, I'll have time to drop my ECs for the day. Gotta go,still have to visit your blogs!

Z's First Pictures

2008-08-28T11:20:00.001+08:00

The happiest moment in our lives was when our son was born. We were both young, confused, and didn't know a single thing about a baby. We only stuck by the fact that we love each other and we were going to have this family, no matter what. It was a tough labor for me, I almost gave up pushing him out but when he came out all the pain went away. As a matter of fact, I asked the doctor if I can already stand up after. She laughed at me saying she still have to stitch me up.
I wanted to share Z's first pictures, just minutes after he came out. Good thing I found Roxio online where I created a slideshow of Z's first moments. Up to know, I still can remember that day as if it was just yesterday. It was fun reminiscing seeing him for the first time. The slideshow was so easy to make and is complete with animation, caption, and music. This application is free and you can use it to share your pictures on your blog or you can also burn it in dvd and share with your family and friends.

Mother at 14

2008-08-28T07:32:00.001+08:00

I am nearly finished watching Mother at 14, which deals with teen pregnancy. Miki, was a typical 14-year, who accidentally got pregnant and refused to abort her baby. The setting of the story is in Japan and it seems that in their culture, abortion is legal especially if the parent has no means to support the bay, just like Miki's case. Her parents scheduled her pregnancy to be terminated and much to everyone's surprise she decided to push through with her pregnancy. The people surrounding her were outraged by her decision and thought she was a fool, maybe she was but little did they know that Miki has transformed and even as young as she is, she already has what we call a "mother's instinct" to protect her baby. She managed to convinced them in the end that she is serious in raising a child of her own. You may ask, what happened to the father of the baby? Well, he has his own interesting story and if you want to find out, watch it for yourself. This is not sponsored but I really enjoyed the movie that's why I wanted to share. And by the way, be prepared for watching it with English subtitle because the movie is in Japanese. Here is the first episode.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

iLASIK gets the Approval of NASA and Military

2008-08-26T21:22:00.002+08:00

LASIK technology is used to treat eye conditions such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism. This procedure has been considered as revolutionary and has already corrected the vision of millions of people. But there is a new procedure that even surpassed the LASIK's performance. Modern LASIK or iLASIK is the ultimate procedure in vision correction. It's success rate is amazing that even NASA and the US militar are depending on it to further enhance the performance of military personnel - especially those that hold critical missions. Both NASA and Department of National Defense has given their seal of approval for the iLASIK. The iLASIK procedure uses state-of the-art technology from 3-D mapping of the unique imperfections of the eye, to the use of two lasers - the first laser creates the corneal flap which is folded back allowing a second laser to corrects your vision by reshaping your cornea. The result is a quick and virtually painless procedure with more probability of 20/20 vision. Among 100 military personnel who underwent the iLASIK procedure, 95% achieved 20/20 vision or better and 100% would even recommend this procedure to their colleagues.
Our vision is really important, so with the advancements in laser eye correction technology, there's no more reason why people like me should suffer from poor vision.
You can ask your opthalmologist for more LASIK information.

Hectic Day

2008-08-26T21:22:00.001+08:00

S and I stayed up really late last night. He was playing with his PSP while I was watching Mother at 14 online. It is a drama about a junior high student who got pregnant and opted to keep the baby despite her family's disapproval. It was really touching, especially the scene when the father found out his "baby" girl got pregnant. I didn't want to stop watching but my eyes surrendering from exhaustion, so reluctantly I had to stop. S finally slept around 4am and I followed an hour later. When I woke up it was already past 10. I immediately checked my email to check for transcription assignments and there is one waiting. In an instant I regretted staying up so late. I still have to go to the market to buy meat and rice because our fridge is already empty. Good thing, S doesn't have to go to work till night so he was able to look after Z while I did my errands. Before I left, I asked Z what he wants from the market and he immediately told me he wanted some mangoes. At the market, I was dismayed when I found out that the price of the mango was P100/kilo and I can see it is still not that ripe. Anyway, I still decided to buy it because Z is such a poor eater. When I got home, Z immediately asked for his mangoes. I didn't realize how he missed eating mangoes because he ate all that one kilo of mangoes in a day. He didn't care that it's still sour he just ate it all. Well, after lunch, I started doing my transcription. I think I am finally improving because instead of doing a transcription project in 10 hours or more, I was able to do it in 6 hours. After that I still have to prepare dinner and do one paid opportunity. Such is a typical day when I have work. Sometimes, I even have do my transcription while doing the laundry. How I wish I have more hands and more time.

The Great American Seafood Cook-off

2008-08-25T17:04:00.000+08:00

The Great American Seafood cook off has finally announced the winning recipe for the Fifth Annual Great American Seafood Cook-off. Chef John Currence, from Mississippi, wowed the judges with his Mississippi Redfish Courtbouillion with Seafood Dirty Rice. He bested 14 other chefs coming from 14 different states all over the US. Because of his winning recipe, he now has the prestigious title, King of American Seafood.
Among the top 5 recipes, I was really intrigued by this Mississippi Redfish Courtbouillion with Seafood Dirty Rice. Rice is the staple food in our country, we eat it everyday, with every meal but in all the years I have been eating rice, this is the first time I have heard of Seafood with dirty rice. I would certainly love to try it and when I found out that the recipe won, my mouth watered even more.
The Great American Seafood Cook-off is indeed a great idea in promoting domestic seafood in every state. Where else can you get the freshest seafood but right there in your local market? Mothers like me should always get the freshest seafood in the market because the fresher it is, the more nutrients your family will get. Aside from that, it will be easier on the family budget if you patronize your local products because it is definitely cheaper than imported ones. Last but not the least, the taste of freshly caught seafood is incomparable to those, well, not so fresh anymore.
If you are hesitant to buy your local seafood because you are out of recipe ideas, just check out www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com. It features a wealth of seafood recipes that you and your family will surely love. While you are there, be sure to vote for your favorite recipe and you will have a chance to win a trip to New Orleans prize package.

Winning Friends - Why do we Need Them?

2008-08-24T20:10:00.000+08:00

Thanks Maricel for sharing with this nice poem!

We need friends for many reasons,
all throughout the season.
We need friends to comfort us
when we are sad,
and to have fun with us when we are glad.

We need friends to give us good advice,
We need someone we can count on,
and treat us nice.

We need friends to remember us
one we have passed
sharing memories that will always last.

Spread the poem of friendship.

1. Everyday Life 2. Words of Love 3. Sheng's Simple Thoughts 4. My Life's Rollercoaster Ride 5. Madz Life's Diary 6. Madz Wedding in Mauritius 7. Marga - Blog Ko Toh 8.Life's All About... 9. Momhood Moments 10. Happy Thoughts, Happy Tot 11. You're next!

I am extending this Poem of Friendship to these kind people who I have the pleasure to know through blogging:

Pinay Mommy
Phoebe
Irish
Z'riz
Jade
Maybel

Opportunity Grabbing and Entrecard

2008-08-23T16:47:00.001+08:00

Last night, I taught S how to grab opportunities in Socialspark and PPP. He works at night and is always in front of the computer so it's a perfect task for him. I told him to constantly refresh the page and grab the task as quickly as it becomes available and he was completely game with it. I said goodnight to him at about 1am (I taught him through YM) then went to sleep. At about 7:30am, I was still sleepy but dragged myself out of bed because I was excited to find out how his opportunity hunting went. When I opened my email, I was delighted that there was one opportunity waiting for me that he has reserved. I quickly opened my YM to congratulate him on his success but I heard a knock on the door instead. I was surprised that it was him and he was home early. I told him he did a great job in grabbing an opportunity. He acted surprised and told me he wasn't even aware he grabbed one, he just refreshed the page constantly and that it was all a blur to him. I chuckled when I heard this. This noon, he was using the laptop and accidentally clicked on the tab where the PPP opportunities' page is displayed. He quickly caught my attention saying, "There's an opportunity available for you, it's white! Look!" I was surprised because I was just behind him and I can see clearly that there was no white, only grays and oranges. I pointed this out to him but he insisted it's white. It turned out that the lcd of the laptop was angled in such a way that the gray looked white! I can't help but laugh at his mistake. I am so glad he's into this too. He even mentioned he'll update his blog soon. I hope he really does it this time. Up to now, there's only one post in it. I even submitted his blog under entrecard and dropped on it for two days but on the third day I received an email that it was deleted by entrecard. I was sad because my 600 drops were totally wasted. I didn't even know it violated the rules of entrecard. Well, no harm done, just lesson learned. :)

Invest in Your Health with C'elle

2008-08-23T08:40:00.000+08:00

With the rising costs and inflation, I know a lot of people worry about getting sick. Even I, who is still fairly young, can not help but worry about getting sick in the future. We have insurance but we all know it there are limitations in what it covers.
Yesterday, I heard from one doctor that in his practice he is treating 14,000 patients suffering from diabetes - that is just from one doctor, talking about one disease, in one small town. I don't even know how many people are suffering diabetes from all over the world. And if you add up the other diseases like heart diseases, stroke, MS, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's - the numbers, I believe, are staggering.
That is why when I heard About the Science of C'elle's revolutionary stem research, I can't help but wonder, is this the solution to our problems? We have heard the miracle that are the stem cells and how it can differentiate any kind of tissue in the body, whether the heart, nerve, or even bone. Imagine having a spare part for your body organs - that is how useful the stem cells are. And imagine getting these precious stem cells from something us women just discard monthly. Yes, research has proven that menstrual stem cells can differentiate into other types of cells so there is a great potential for it to treat diseases in the future. In these tough times, it will definitely wise to take that extra step and invest on our future well-being and health. If you watch C'elle Client Testimonial you can see that others have taken that extra step. There is no more reason to hesitate doing it for yourself and your family since C'elle is giving a limited promotion and allowing you to save $200. You can purchase C'elle online for $499 but the peace of mind you can get by doing it is priceless.

Bike Ride

2008-08-23T08:03:00.001+08:00

Yesterday afternoon, Z and I went on a quest to find the nearest car wash station to have his bike's wheels filled with air. The last time he used his bike, his dad told me that he heard a hissing sound coming from the wheel and sure enough when he checked it, it's already flat. So we went out and took a walk, I was walking and Z was on his bike. Because his wheels are flat I was half dragging his bike along. I was not comfortable with the route we took because more cars and tricycles were passing by that way.

I have no choice because they said the nearest car wash is over there. After walking 15 minutes and still no car wash, I was starting to have second doubts. It didn't help that vehicles were passing by. I always tell Z to move right whenever we hear a vehicle coming but sometimes he gets distracted and almost collided with me. There was even a second that I was fearful for my life because I was trapped, Z was in my right and a vehicle passing by in my left. So, I decided to ask a passerby if he knew where I can get the wheels filled with air. He told me that he didn't know if there was something like that anywhere in the area. I was frustrated when I heard that so I abandoned that route and decided to go back home using another road with less vehicles passing. On the way home, I ask the village security guard about what we were looking for and he pointed me back from where we came from. I was torn between just going home and wanting to have his bike fixed. With a heavy heart I decided to go back again and after a few minutes we finally reached it safely. It took just a second to have it filled with air and all our efforts paid off. We went to the nearby playground and I was delighted there were kids with bikes there too. Another mother was there teaching her kids to bike without training wheels. She must have 4 kids with her from age 3 to 8. Z was hesitant to ride with the other kids but warmed up to the idea after a few minutes. He is really shy, I think he got it from me. We were there until 6:30 at night. He didn't want to go home at first but when I said something about mosquitoes he agreed to go home.

My Most Hilarious Vacation Experience

2008-08-22T10:48:00.006+08:00

I remember when I was still working and we had this outing at a beach called Puerto Galera. The beach was in an island and we have to ride a boat to go there. On the way, we noticed some dolphins swimming after our boat. We immediately started shouting with glee because we only see dolphins on TV. It was such an amazing sight. But the fun didn't stop there. When we arrived, we immediately rode a banana boat just to experience the thrill of it. There were six of us on the banana boat and we had such a great time while the ski boat pulled us at an amazing speed. I was so engrossed enjoying my banana boat experience when suddenly one of my companions blurted, "Isn't that **** in the water out there?" We looked back and sure enough there was a dot in the ocean. It looked like a dot because it was so far away but we had no doubt it was one of our companions because she was waving like crazy. She was the last one in the banana boat and apparently because of our excitement we didn't even notice that she has lost her grip and dropped into the ocean. We went back to get her and she was okay but of course, all wet. We couldn't help but laugh hysterically upon seeing her. That was the most hilarious vacation experience I ever had.
Since, it was such a long time that I had a vacation, I couldn't help but browse some of the online travel guides offered by Trusted Tours and Attractions. I want to have some sightseeing and I am delighted that they offer this Kennedy space center discount. If you don't know yet, I wanted to become an astronaut when I was a child (don't we all?) and at the Kennedy space center I can meet an astronaut, check out the spaceflight simulator, and even witness a launch. For more interesting places near the area, check out their Orlando tours
I also signed up with their Trusted Travel eNewsletter because they are giving away a $150 Magellan's Gift Certificate. So, if you are planning your next vacation and don't know where to go, be sure to check this out.

Transcribing Again

2008-08-22T10:36:00.000+08:00

While we were in Laguna last weekend, my transcription editor texted me to help her with some of the transcriptions on queue. We were at the mall at that time, my husband immediately told me to go to the nearest internet cafe to download the audio but I told him I can't do that because the transcription audio she needed help with are only 3 to 5 minutes long, it would have been easy for me to do but that also means I have to finish it as soon as I can and I wouldn't be able to do that while at the mall, duh. I really like working at home but the only minor detail is you have to be on call anytime. I have no problem with that, I was just a little sad for missing the work. But the day after, I got another transcription project and also the day after that. Usually, the audio is almost 60 minutes long but this time it's only half an hour long. Still, I was happy with the audio I received because it's just right for me and my schedule. When I receive a particularly long audio, I work the whole day with almost no time to eat and can't take care of Z but when it's that short, at least, I have time to breathe.

Playing with Clay

2008-08-22T08:49:00.000+08:00

We were able to go by SM Santa Rosa last weekend. As usual, Z's father and my FIL couldn't refuse to buy Z a gift. Not that Z insisted on buying anything but whenever we are at malls, we would automatically go to toy stores and check out the toys. There are times we don't buy anything for Z but most of the time we end up buying something. I sure hope he doesn't get spoiled. For now, he wouldn't make a fuss until he has actually held the toy in his hand and he wouldn't hold anything unless me or his dad give it to him. That is why our house is overflowing with Z's toys. I'm actually organizationally-challenged, if there is such a word, but I don't know how to organize Z's toys anymore. Right now, it is in 3 boxes and we definitely need more boxes but we don't have enough space anymore. Well, anyway, for that weekend I was quite happy with the toy we bought. Usually, we would just buy him a toy car but I insisted we get a small Playdoh set for him. His lolo was even generous enough to pay for it. It's actually his second set of Playdoh but the first one doesn't have the easy tools for Z to play with. This new one has the extruder thing and Z could easily put the clay in it and a shaped clay will come out. We actually pretend it's the trash so when it's already quite messy I'll just say, "Let's put the clay in the trash," and Z would play along. Here are some pictures of Z playing with his clay.

As usual, Z refuses to pose for the camera.

IP Address Tracker

2008-08-21T22:42:00.002+08:00

My blog is like a second home to me. This is where I jot down our family's memories so that when we are old we can look back and have a hearty old laugh. But like any home, my blog has visitors and while some visitors I already know from my online blog visits, most of the visitors I would never know. I would feel more comfortable if I know a little bit more about the IP Address of my visitors since this is their online identity. With the help of IP2Location, I can do just that. Just put the IP address that you want more information on and the information will be translated to the country, state, city, latitude, longitude, zip code, time zone, net speed, isp, and domain name. They also launch new product packages, DB-15-DB18 , that gives you more information like IDD code, area code, weather station name, and weather code. For a free demo of their services just go here. You can also put their IP location search box in your blog or website just like I have here in my sidebar. Knowing the IP address can be helpful not just for a blog but for emails too. Have you ever received an anonymous email maybe from a friend (or former friend) playing a practical joke on you? You can now have an idea of who they may be by looking up their IP address. I know this may have an odd chance of happening but in case it does, we would be glad that we have this tool that we can depend on.

The Perfect Smile

2008-08-21T09:05:00.000+08:00

When Z's dad came home today, he decided that it was time for them to have their haircut. Just before they left, I decided to take a before picture of Z but what he gave me was more than that. Want to know what he gave me? Well, he just gave me this sweetest smile that I have ever recorded on camera.

Isn't that smile just amazing? He sure looked like an angel to me. I was so happy when I took that, and I couldn't stop laughing. My husband was puzzled over my happiness, I couldn't quite make him understand that I just took the perfect picture of Z. You see, anyone who has a kid knows that it is quite difficult to get the perfect picture. We tried teaching Z how to smile for the camera but instead of giving us the sweet, natural smile, he learned to fake it and give us this instead.

So you can imagine that 99% of the pictures that we have of Z smiling look like that. So I was extremely happy when I was able to take this wonderful picture of Z and his dad together. When they arrived home from the barber shop, I showed Z this picture and told him to smile for the camera the way he smiled for that picture. The pictures I took made me laugh too.

Well, he sure did his best to try, no doubt about that. I'm sure with a little practice he can master his perfect smile.

Disney Time!

2008-08-20T08:57:00.000+08:00

It's like I am going on a trip back to memory lane. Since Z is old enough and have enough attention span to watch a movie, I am introducing him more and more to Disney stories,movies, and songs that I love. Here is the list of stories/movies that Z knows so far:
1. Cinderella - I first read the book to him, it was a hit! He felt sorry when the wicked stepsisters tore away her dress. He loved saying the fairy godmother's magic words, "Bi-bi-dee-bo-bi-dee-boo!" When we were able to watch it accidentally on Disney channel he was thrilled that he saw the characters come alive.
2. Bambi - This was an unexpected hit. I only read this story as a child and completely forgot about it. I let Z watch it because I read a nice review and it was indeed a heart-warming movie. It's about Bambi's relationship with his father and Z can definitely relate because he and his Dad has this amazing relationship. We never took our eyes off the screen the entire movie.
3. Pinocchio - I read this book to Z and he was interested with the growing nose. But I think I still need to wait until he's a little bit older because I don't think he understood some of the concepts like lying and Pinocchio not being a real boy.
4. Lion King - Z definitely liked watching the scenes with Simba and his dad. It was a little too long though, because towards the end Z lost interest so I was alone watching the last part of the movie.
5. Alice in Wonderland - I just bought a copy of this last weekend and we were able to watch the first part of it. He was mesmerized by Alice growing bigger and smaller and was thrilled with the rabbit who was always late.
6. Lilo and Stitch - Z got scared the first part when he first saw Stitch, he wanted me to turn it off right away. I had to explain that Stitch is a good monster so he agreed to watch it.

I will also introduce Z to other Disney classics such Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Tarzan, and the Emperor's New Groove. It will take some time because I still don't know where to find a copy of those movies but I'm sure I will eventually get it. Fortunately, Disney has created a DVD Bingo game that I'm sure Z will love. The Disney Bingo game is a sure hit for kids because it will feature Disney characters on the Bingo cards and will even show some clips of Disney movies throughout the game. This will be a perfect opportunity to enhance Z's memory skills and at the same time introduce the classic Disney characters. I'm sure your kids will love it too.

Weekend Trip

2008-08-20T08:52:00.000+08:00

We were away for the weekend, we went to my MIL's house and then to my FIL's house. We spent the night at the latter. My FIL showed us his brand new motorcycle and S practiced driving it. Z was adamant and doesn't want to do anything with it. We prodded and prodded him just to sit on it but he kept on refusing. He only agreed when I didn't give him his favorite C2 drink, so he braved riding the motorcycle just to have a sip of C2! After he got his drink, he didn't want to do anything again with the motorcycle. He really knows how to get what he wants, huh?

First Dentist Visit

2008-08-16T13:28:00.001+08:00

Z had his first visit to the dentist today. He was really brave, he allowed the dentist to check his teeth but he didn't want to lie down, so the dentist checked his teeth sitting up. The dentist said he needed some of his teeth filled so that it wouldn't decay. I don't know if Z would allow his teeth to be filled at this age. Maybe we'll just brush more often and have it filled when he turns four next January.

What is Victory Hair?

2008-08-14T21:04:00.001+08:00

Have you ever been in a situation where you are so conscious with your hair and yourself and that's all you think about all night? Didn't your night end up miserably when that happened? On the other hand, have you experienced being with someone, completely forgetting yourself and just having the time of your life? At first, you had your hair completely styled but because you and the other guy clicked you had such good time and totally forgot about your appearance. In the middle of the night, you might have caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, your hair was not in perfect place, in fact, it is messed up but it doesn't matter because you are as beautiful as ever - your cheeks are glowing and your eyes are lit up. If that happened, then congratulations, you have achieved what they call Victory Hair. This is the Extreme Style by VO5 that has everyone buzzing about. I know having Victory Hair is not that easy especially for the clueless, but if you just stop thinking about things you can not control and just focus on things you can - like smiling, focusing on him and not on yourself, and just having fun then Victory Hair will follow. So loosen up a bit and play the Ultimate Flirting Championship game, I promise, after this game you are one step closer to getting your own Victory Hair.

Z and his Toys

2008-08-14T20:01:00.001+08:00

Here is another set of Z's pictures while he is playing with his beloved cars collection. His dad was the one who took this one and wanted me to post it online. S was quite proud on the pictures he took and wanted Z to remember their time playing together on top of our bed.

My "Look"

2008-08-13T21:55:00.001+08:00

When my husband and I were in our courtship stage, I don't remember giving him a flirtatious look just like you see in the movies. I remember my eyes lighting up and giving him a wide smile. It must have worked because until now he still reminds me of the time when he used to fetch me at work and I would just give him my all-out-smile.
In flirting, I think nobody can resist a simple, disarming smile. It is the universal language, wherever corner in the world you go a smile is always perceived as a positive thing. It is more than positive, actually, it can do wonders - brighten your day, melt away insecurities, and make others feel welcome and appreciated. That is why you have never heard of a fight starting out with a smile.
Now that you know the value of a simple smile when it comes to getting the attention of the opposite sex, I will tell you one more thing that will make you smile. Extreme Style by VO5 made flirting easy to practice on online by launching Ultimate Flirting Championship. This is a simple Q & A game, just give the best answer that you got and see if you can beat your opponent. Have fun and try the game now!

Something New

2008-08-13T15:58:00.001+08:00

There is a new addition in Z's face. We noticed it about a month ago and at first, I thought it was just dirt and would be washed away with soap and water. I didn't even give it a second thought until one day, Z's dad told me he just scrubbed Z's face in the bathroom and this dirt wouldn't come off. So we looked at it closely and realized Z got himself a mole! Actually, this is not his first mole, the first one grew in his right temple but this one really got our attention because it's in the middle of his face, right beside his nose. This just shows how ignorant hubby and I were on things, we thought people were born with their moles but now we realized of they're not, that's why babies' skin are so flawless. Here's a picture of Z's new moles, I encircled it because you can barely see it in the picture.

Excuse Me?

2008-08-10T22:23:00.001+08:00

"Was your father a thief?..Well someone in your family must have been to steal the stars out of the skies and put them in your eyes!" This is not necessarily the worst pick up line out there but when I heard this, I was so startled I didn't know how to react. He kind of jumped it on me and I was caught completely by surprise so his pick up line became an instant conversation killer. The sure fire way to know if your pick up line will work is by not blurting it out right away. Make sure the girl/guy know that you are interested first through nonverbal communication like making eye contact, smiling, mirroring his actions. If the other person reciprocates then go on and say that pick up line.
But if you really want to brush up on your flirting skills before making your move, then do it online.Yes, you heard it right, you can practice flirting online. Thanks to Extreme Style by VO5 you can play an online game and actually test your flirting skills on other people without the sting of rejection. Try it now and be sure to invite your friends too.

A Glimpse in the Future

2008-08-10T21:28:00.001+08:00

Lookee, mommy, I am at the office!

I'm a big boy now, you see?

Don't be sad I'll bring home something yummy for you!

No, anak, you will always be my baby.

Are you Flirt Champion? Find out here!

2008-08-10T20:18:00.001+08:00

Hollywood has given us some very romantic lines that absolutely melted our hearts. Can you guess from what movie this line came from? “I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it.” If you guessed from the movie, City of Angels, then you got it right. If I were single and a guy used that line on me I would say it would be very hard for me to resist.
Do you want to know that you still have the flirting skills? There is a game where you can actually play with real people to test your flirting skills without the hurt of being rejected or the guilt being caught by your husband. This cool game called Ultimate Flirting Championship and which is sponsored by Extreme Style by VO5 is really fun and worth trying. Just click the widget at the bottom and you are good to go. I tried it not only once but three times and I got quite a laugh reading the answers of the guys "flirting" with me. Share it with all your friends and find out who among you is the Flirt Champion.

My Toddler went to Work

2008-08-10T08:47:00.001+08:00

Yes, you read it right! I am home alone for today and Z has gone and went to work - well, his dad brought him to work that is. I have been hinting to S that bringing Z to his office will be a good bonding time for dad and son and would give me my much needed time alone . Z refused to go at first but, finally, changed his mind a few minutes after his dad left our apartment. Hoping that S is still somewhere near, I quickly jumped to the phone and dialed his cellphone number. Good thing he came right back so, I quickly dressed Z. My son hasn't even taken his breakfast, just a sip of milk and his vitamins, but his dad promised they will eat breakfast at Jollibee. Z was all smiles when he heard that. He was out of the door faster than his dad. I even had to remind him to kiss me first before he go which he obliged.
A few minutes ago, while I was typing this blog entry, hubby called and let Z talked to me on the phone. For the first time, I heard his voice through the phone and it threw me offguard for a few seconds. His voice sounded different, more matured on the phone. I have to remind myself that it's still my 3 year old toddler talking and not some older kid. He told me he was playing with his toy car which he brought along. I hope both father and son enjoy their time together. It's not that bad having the house all by myself from time to time.

Playtime in the Playground

2008-08-10T04:00:00.002+08:00

After weeks of constant rain, I am so glad this week, it has stopped raining and we are back to sunny days again. So, yesterday, Z and I went for a walk - I was the only one walking while Z was on his bike. We went to the playground that was a few blocks from us but no children were there so we headed back and stayed at the playground near our apartment. Around 5pm two little girls arrived, also riding their bikes followed by Z's friend, Jave. Jave was the first one who got a bike now, all the children have their own respective bikes.While the children were playing, the parents were catching up too. Jave's mom pointed out that Z's bike is flat, and sure enough, it was. I didn't notice it because I was near-sighted, no wonder Z was having a hard time pedaling his bike! We will have it fixed this afternoon before we go to the playground.
I remember a year ago, we would go to the playground as often as twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, but we had gone there less and less as the months pass, partly because less and less children were going there. I promise I will try to make this an afternoon habit again because part of the reason why we rented this place is because it is located inside a village and it has three different playgrounds within walking distance. If it were up to me, I want Z to experience playing patintero barefoot in the sand, catching dragonflies with nets, climbing mango trees, and finding beetles just like I did growing up but Z just have to settle for the cemented playground here. It's not that bad really, back where we came from the children have to play in the streets because there were no playgrounds at all.

Z's Study Table

2008-08-08T21:14:00.001+08:00

We bought a new study table for Z. It is not that expensive but what I liked about it are the letters and the drawings on the table surface. It is pretty small, I would have preferred the bigger one made of wood and with a book shelf attached, but our apartment is already too crowded. I just hope Z will be able to use this for a few more years before it becomes too small for him.

Another Birthday Party

2008-08-07T15:15:00.001+08:00

We attended a birthday party at McDonald's Eastwood branch. It was for S's co-worker's son, Nico, who turned a year old. It was fun and as usual we enjoyed the games. Z was shy at first and didn't want to participate in the "Bring Me Game" so S has to carry him to bring the peso bill to the party host. He won some notebooks and papers for that and he was smiling after receiving the prize. Later, he participated in the "Pass the balloon" game, I had to assist him at first but he got the hang of it and played along in the end. There were lots of food because I think some of the guests didn't make it, however, Z was full and only ate some chicken. Later, Z played with the balloons with his friend, Gia.
Here are some souvenir photos:

Z was in no mood to smile

Z with birthday celebrant, Nico

Our small family

Z with Kid McDo

Operation Immortality

2008-08-05T16:04:00.001+08:00

After watching the documentary, The Inconvenient Truth, I had chills down my spine and was really scared that our beloved earth may one day be gone. This is the scenario that Operation Immortality has envisioned. If this ever happens and we would have to relocate to a new earth I will surely bring my contact lenses with me. Well, this is a new place we are going to and with my 300/250 vision, I would surely get lost in this unfamiliar place.
This coming October 2008, Richard Garriot, the creator of the video game Tabula Rasa will be the sixth private citizen to go to space. With this, they have launched Operation Immortality that will save human's greatest achievement in an International Space Station. Even ordinary folks like us can be a part of it by leaving a personal message to the universe, submitting suggestions of man's greatest achievement, and even having the chance to have our own DNA sent into space. This is certainly a once in a lifetime chance and I encourage you to join the Operation Immortality: Leave your mark. Save Humanity. project and have a chance to be immortal.

My New Blog

2008-08-05T09:43:00.001+08:00

I made a new personal blog called Mine All Mine which is of course all about me and what I like to write about. It has only one welcome post at the moment but I hope you will have the time to visit it too.

Stem Cells can Save Lives

2008-08-04T10:42:00.000+08:00

If you are a mother like me and you have a family depending on you, getting sick is not an option, right? And if your child gets sick, wouldn't you give your all so that he can be healthy again? What if there is something that you can do that can one day save the lives of you and your family?

I am sure all of you have heard stem cells and if you still have no idea what these are. Well, these are the cells that has the ability to transform or differentiate into another cell type which can then be a renewable source to treat a variety of diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and possibly others. It has been controversial in the past because of the ethical issues that involved in harvesting it because they come from human embryos that are only a few days old. But what if you can get these precious stem cells from your own menstrual blood? I have heard about a C'elle study that mentrual blood indeed has the property to differentiate into other types which can be a life-saver in the future.

This is a non-invasive procedure, they will just give you a kit that has simple, easy-to-follow instructions to collect your menstrual blood. Then they make sure that it retains its potency and viability by a process called cryo-preservation. This could be one of the best things we mothers could do so why not find out more About the Science? And if you want to hear what others who have done it think then just watch their C'elle Client Testimonial. To further give you more reason to go ahead and do it, C'elle has launched the "Caring is Sharing" promotion where you can give a free C'elle service as a gift to your friend. So start saving lives in the future by doing something today.

Mugen and Adsense

2008-08-03T08:34:00.001+08:00

We were ecstatic yesterday because for the first time S received his earnings from Adsense from his website which he put up 7 years ago. Would you believe it? According to him he spent hours and hours building that site and the characters that go along with it because he enjoyed it and he hoped that someday he will earn something from it but it never did happen. If you are wondering what the site it is all about, well, it is about Mugen. If you are like me then I know what your reaction is, "What? I have never heard of such a thing!" That's why to be able to explain it to you I looked at Wikipedia and according to it M.U.G.E.N. is a freeware 2D fighting engine that allows anyone to create characters, background stages, and other game objects through interpreted text files, graphics, and sound compilation. I hope that helps but in my own words from what I see him doing, he programs the characters from KOF (King of Fighters) game to make it do moves that are hard to beat in a game. Well, it's really complicated for me so just see it for yourself and visit his website. Anyway, not until I started blogging did I realize the value of that old website of his. It was then that I learned about page ranks, alexa ranks, etc. So when I noticed that his website has a page rank 2, an alexa rank of 24,947, and has already reached more than half a million visitors (650,000), I was really impressed. If only it were a blog, huh?! lol Anyway, I was convinced there is no reason why he shouldn't be making any money there when other websites that have a much less number of visitors are already cashing out. The problem was convincing him, I even told him to add a blog to his website but he just refused to believe there's money there, but thank goodness he heeded my advice and put adsense on, at least. So, yesterday we went to the nearest Western Union and cashed out and he was really happy he has received some compensation from all his years of hard work. And would you believe, my once skeptical husband even started his own blog! I am so happy S is finally sharing my interest in blogging.

Globe Broadband - again!

2008-08-01T19:44:00.001+08:00

After a more than a week of having no internet connection, no thanks to you Globe broadband, I feel totally disconnected with my blog thus the reason why I do not have any posts for the longest time. I refused to get depressed because of something I do not have any control over so I totally forgot about my blog and focused my attention on different offline activities. Unfortunately, I have lost my momentum so when the internet connection was finally restored well I still could not do the things I used to do. Which was a nice thing really because after only a few hours of having our connection back it again went dead. We called customer support and they said we have to wait another 5 days. Good thing the next day it was restored for no reason at all. So if any of you out there is planning to subscribe to Globe broadband this might be what you will experience in the future. But if you are already a Globe broadband subscriber and is experiencing the same problem, do not be a victim. Call or email their customer support, ask for a supervisor if you have to, then request for a rebate for every single day that you do not have connection. We did just that and they have given us a rebate for a total of P1,300 which is worth more than a month of our internet. That is still not fair to me because I have lost one week worth of earnings from my online job but it is better than nothing. Also if you really have it that bad and could not get out of Globe broadband because of the horrendous fee you have to pay if you do not complete one year with them, then you can also have it waived by a supervisor from customer support. We already talked to two supervisors and they have confirmed our termination fee will be waived once we go to their business center and have the service disconnected. Haven't gone there yet so I hope they are true to their word. We are planning on switching to PLDT because we still want a phone with the internet but we are also considering myDestiny. We are still not sure though because what if their service is worst than Globe? So if you live in Pasig area near Cainta and you have awesome internet connection please do not keep it to yourself and share it with me. :)