Apple of my Eyes
Friday, February 29, 2008
A Perfect place for a WeddingWhat is virtual relationship? I had no idea about this until I met someone from New Zealand in an internet forum. We became friends, had a regular chat, exchanged ideas and emails. After few months he visited me in my country and offered a very touching marriage proposal. Wow! Is this real? In just a very short time everything happened that fast. I accepted the proposal and we plan for a simple wedding. But my fiance wants a grand wedding in New Zealand. According to him, New Zealand is the perfect place for a wedding. We can hire a wedding coordinator who will take care of everything to make it a perfect wedding.
My fiance gave me money to buy plane tickets for my immediate relatives who will come with us to witness the ceremony. I also searched on net for cheaper hotels where they can temporarily stay. I like the special offer from New Zealand Hotels and Auckland Hotels but all rooms are reserved on the date of our arrival. I tried also Christchurch Hotels and Wellington Hotels but they are a little bit far from our wedding place. So I finally make an early booking in Queenstown Hotels, aside from giving us a special discount for advance booking the place is just minutes away from our wedding place.
My husband and I got married just recently and as part of our parents' gifts to us are tours in Paris, the well known city of love with all expenses paid for 5 days. They made an early booking with the travel agency. So it's really a happy trip to Paris for both of us. Our parents decided to include a tour guide in the package trip because we're both first timers in the city. They are just making sure that we will not lost in Europe.
I've been dreaming of this place since I was in high school. I was really fascinated with the beautiful sceneries surrounding the place. I heard from friends that it's really worth traveling in this place.
The big day comes...we are now in Europe.....
Paris is a fabulous city at night, there are lights everywhere. A dinner at Altitude 95 of Eiffel Tower was overwhelming. It is the most romantic place we’ve ever seen... the magic of love is in the air. One can’t simply take a trip to Paris and miss it. What a magnificent sight.
We enjoyed the famous Palace at Versailles. This is one of France's most interesting and historic sites, residence of the kings of France. Behold the palace's famous Hall of Mirrors. We took time to stroll around the magnificent serene gardens.
Lastly, we didn’t miss the most important leg of our trip, a visit to the Basilica of Lourdes to pray and experience the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We felt that the signal graces she promised were outpouring. It was an indescribable and incredible experience.
We were invited to a house warming by a close relative. I admired the interior design of the house. It's simply elegant, from the paintings to the furniture displayed inside the house. The floor tiles matches with the design of the ceiling. Even the rooms upstairs have the touch of elegance. The warm color of the paint used was really eye catching. What catches my attention were the bar stools in the bar section. The fabric used matches with the table mats on the bar. I want to ask my cousin where she bought those bar stools but she was very busy that time entertaining guests.
I just called her the next day. She gave me the contact number of her interior designer because he's the one who ordered all those furniture inside the house. I eagerly called the interior designer and asked about the bar stools I've seen in my cousin's house. I learned from him that those bar stools were bought and designed personally by him. He chose the fabric that used on the stools that's why they matched with the table mats. The buyer has the option of choosing her own choice of color and finishing with the bar stools.
Everytime I remember my experienced with the credit cards I had last year. I always tell myself it won't happen again. I was tempted to use my credit cards without consulting my financial status. I did not foresee the things that might happen in the future. As far as I know I have a regular income that will compensate all my amortizations and credit cards payments.
It all started when our company president died and his son took over the company. He said the company was experiencing great loss and they need to lay off some employees. And I was one of the laid-off employees. As expected my credit cards balance accumulated because of non-payment. But just in time before everything became worse. I’ve known about these site for credit cards for bad credit They help me resolve my financial difficulties. They help me stabilize my credit status.
With that experience, I am really grateful with badcreditoffers.com for giving me the chance to start a new stress-free life.
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When my son Justin was still a baby. He was always playing with his older sister's "kikay" stuff. His favorites were those barbies’accessories and party set. Together with his ate they will set the small table and arranged all the plates, spoon, fork and tea set for the dolls. They also put some plastic toys on the table. When I fix their room that night I didn't notice some missing Barbie’s accessories. I just put then inside the toy box and vacuum the floor.
The next day I am changing Justin's diaper when I noticed a small pink cookie shaped thing in his poo. I checked it right away and it was part of his sister's tea set for Barbie. From then on I’ve been very careful with what they play particularly with small things that can be swallowed easily.
Three years ago I started a new business. I bought stuff from Hongkong and sold them at a very affordable price on my store. Until I started to act as dealer, small retailers get their stuff on me and pay me back after one month. So I needed an extra capital for that new venture. I took advantage of the easy money loan I saw on ads even though the interest was a little bit higher compared to regular loan. I use my land certificate as collateral for easy approval of my loan. Because if I'll wait for the bank to process my loan application, it will takes time before I can have the money.
Until one inevitable incident happened, the mall where lots of my retailers located was set on fire. All my investments turned into ashes. I can't force them to pay me. They even got nothing.
My loan was already due and I already received demand letter from the lending investor where I took the loan. Because of the high interest rate almost half of my previous payments went only to the interest. I still have other properties but in the form of real estate and I can't sell them instantly to cover up my existing loan.
A good friend of mine said I really need the help of an expert in debt management this time. He told me an Individual Voluntary Arrangement or IVA can help me this time. And he was right. With IVA I was able to settle my obligations at lesser pressure on my part.
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My kids and I have a deal with regards to their studies. I told them if they got perfect score in any subject they are free to choose any toy they want. That will be their reward for their efforts in studying.
But with Joshua, it’s a different policy, as the old saying says “for every rule there is always an exception.” And he’s the exception. If he had a high score in any quiz, he’d get a toy. Cause if we’d wait for him to get a perfect score before buying him one, they’d be all out of toys in the market in the time that it would happen.
Last year was the toughest year for me. I lost my investment due to mismanagement. I had no choice but to sell my newly acquired car just to pay all my debts. I don't want to have a bad credit cards reputation. After I settled all my obligations I had only few bucks left, not merely enough to start a new business.
If only someone will lend me or extend me a loan I'll be grateful and thankful for the chance of a new beginning.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Domino (Tag by Meldita)Rule:Copy the entire list and add your name at the bottom. And tag at least 5 friends. (But you can tag as many as you like)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Circle of FriendsIf someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He, who loses money, loses much;
He, who loses a friend, loses much more;
He, who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others
You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.
Friends, you and me…You brought another friend…
And then there were 3…We started our group…
Our circle of friends…And like that circle…
There is no beginning or end…Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.Today is a gift.
So now, let’s see how many circle of friends we can make by simply adding your link on this Friendship Meme!
So now, let’s see how many circle of friends we can make by simply adding your link on this Friendship Meme!
10- Abby of Mom and the City 11 - Soulful Thoughts
We always say the word “what a small world” everytime we unexpectedly meet an old friend from a place we think is the least place we can find people we knew. But internet proved this saying is true. Internet really makes the world small. Just because of internet surfing we were able to trace our childhood friends or boyfriends, classmates in highschool and even long lost relatives. Alumni Homecomings were held, egroups were formed and friendships renewed.
While surfing on the net I was able to stumble http://www.recognizeanyone.com/ and saw the picture posted. It’s a picture in Milan Italy. This picture also proved that we really have a small world. Take a look at the picture. It’s a very small place but check the different faces you can see. Can you recognize some asians like chinese, filipino and malaysians. Also americans, british, mexicans and many more. Different nationalities, colors, belief and culture but they were captured in a very small place.
Our yearly stockholders meeting with the employee was just finished a while ago. Ten of our salesmen still can’t believe on what they heard from our sales manager. Well, it’s really a dream come true for all of them. The company will send them to Europe for a free trip as an additional incentive for the sales they made for the past year. They will stay in France for 3 days and in Greece for 2 days , free tickets, hotels, food and allowances. They can take their spouses if they want but at their expense of course.
Sad to say, I was not included in the trip I was only assigned to arrange the trip. I look for cheaper hotels in Europe. I choose to book them in Malta Hotels or Cyprus Hotels for 3 days and then another booking in Crete Hotels or Corfu Hotels in Greece. I choose a package with tour guides because they are all first timers .With the special discount on package tours given by these hotels I’m sure our company will be happy for the amount of money saved , who knows our boss might ask me to join the tour.
Sad to say, I was not included in the trip I was only assigned to arrange the trip. I look for cheaper hotels in Europe. I choose to book them in Malta Hotels or Cyprus Hotels for 3 days and then another booking in Crete Hotels or Corfu Hotels in Greece. I choose a package with tour guides because they are all first timers .With the special discount on package tours given by these hotels I’m sure our company will be happy for the amount of money saved , who knows our boss might ask me to join the tour.
We had our company meeting last week and everybody was happy with the company manager's announcement. Because we reached the sales quota for the quarter, the company is giving us all incentives plus a one night stay in Lasvegas. The city that never sleeps. What comes in your mind when someone mentioned Las Vegas? Night life? Casino ? We were all excited for the coming event. We had our hotel booking the other day.
Here comes the big day for all of us but the big boss announced that our trip was cancelled. Everybody was disppointed but we can't do anything because the reason was inevitable. All roads going to our destination were all closed and not passable because of heavy snowstorm.
We decided to stay in one of our officemates flat and had some drink. Our boss suggested why not try playing online casino instead. Everybody agreed, but where and how? Our boss said he knew a review site for online casino because he once played to the most voted casino online he got from that site. We checked the site and saw there some reviews, comments, tips and guidelines. With the new and modern technology nowadays you don't need to be in Las Vegas to experience the life in the city that never sleeps.
Why do you think you need to check first some casino reviews before you start playing? Even when we buy our stuff in the supermarket, we tend to choose the best quality product as much as possible. We value our hard earned money and we want to maximize our budget.
Same when we play games particulary online casino. We need to verify the reviewer’s feedback and players’ testimonies first. Is that particular casino giving maximum bonus just like other casinos? Were gamblers satisfied enough the last time they played on that particular online casino? If a particular casino got a higher votes among the gamblers then you can try your luck on that casino.If you are a first timer, bettert to read the website reviews first. Tips and guidelines are given specially for newbies. So, reading reviews, list, comments, suggestions, tips and guidelines will surely lead you to the best online casino in town. Why not try your luck now?
There are several times that I’d just turn on the computer and stare at the screen for five whole minutes deciding what to do. If I’d just play a game, I’m not contented with those built-in games in my computer. If I could, I’d really download a free game or just load in a cd.
Diner Dash is easy for me to be able to play because I can download it online. It can give me an hour of free trial so I can think about my decision if I want the game using my credit card online. I really like the way it has easy parts and challenging parts, that way, if you consider yourself somewhat of an expert, you can choose the challenging levels.
Now, instead of lying around and staring at the ceiling, I just go to my laptop and wait for Diner Dash to finish loading so I can have the time to enjoy playing. I even invite friends to visit http://www.dinerdash.com/ so they will also experience the joy and challenge Diner Dash brings.
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Here's another mouth watering salad recipe of south beach diet. A combination of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, olives, low fat turkey ham and low fat feta cheese. I used light thousand island for dressing.
Vegetables need to be fresh daily, meat should be baked or broiled instead of frying.
South beach diet recipe needs a lot of patience in preparation. That's why others find it more convenient to have it catered than prepare it for themselves.
It's been three long years since the last time I visited my hometown. This year whether rain or shine I'll go on vacation. I've been planning for it months from now. I made a list of my loved ones and the gifts I am going to buy for them. I want them to be happy on the date of my arrival. The problem is how can I find time to shop all those stuffs. I go to work early in the morning to avoid the heavy traffic and it's already dawn when I come home.
I think it's practical to shop online in situation like this. I saw the black friday ads on the internet and I tell myself, this is what I am looking for. I registered on their mailing list so i'll be updated on their bfads sale. Shopping online is better specially to busy people like me because I don't have to fall in line for a couple of hours just for simple stuff I need. With online shopping I have more time to relax after the tiring day at work.
Besides,black friday ads has a complete variety of products to choose from. Leading brands of toys from Toy's r Us (my kids favorite), clothing, tools from ACE Hardware, office and school supplies, baby products and many more are available here at a very affordable price.
Thanks to bfads for giving me this very convenient way of shopping.
Monday, February 25, 2008
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Everytime we eat to our favorite restaurant nearby, I always adimre the way they cook the brocolli. I used to boil or steam the brocolli but theirs is differet because you can really see the freshness in it. I want to ask the cook but he's always busy in the kitchen. But one time while buying some vegetables in the supermarket I happened to see the cook of the said restaurant. I immediately approached him and asked how they do their brocolli. Good that he's kind enough to reveal me their secret. He said, he stir fry the brocolli for a few seconds with a small amount of cooking oil. I tried it a home and it's really yummy.
I was always frustrated that my kids always kept their toys where they last used them. They’d only listen if someone would trip on their toys. But the next day, they’d always forget the warnings given to them. We also have this slide we bought that we keep in our backyard. My kids take out their toys sometimes and when they’re done, our yard’s a mess. We really can’t rely on my kids to clean up after they do something. I haven’t even mentioned the garden tools we have that always go missing. ‘Cause we really don’t have a permanent place to put them altogether.
My husband happened to come across garden sheds on the internet through an advertisement he saw. He found it convenient for us especially with toys and garden tools. Once we had our garden concrete shed built, it became sort of a storage area for us. My kids now know where to put and to return their toys after using. My husband also keep his tools in there. It really has increased the cleanliness level of our humble abode. The toys don’t get kicked under the sofas anymore. We know this since when we once cleaned out the sofa, we found several of our long-gone toys. It also lessens the chance of sitting in those shears you use in trimming bushes. Though it is kind of messy in there, at least we know where to find them, right?
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I always prepare buko pandan desserts here. The only problem is the availability of the fresh buko which is the main ingredient in the preparation of this yummy dessert. I found this buko in can as a perfect alternative for fresh buko.It is just a little bit expensive compared to the usual fresh buko we usually buy in the market backhome because the product is imported from Thailand.But the taste and quality is almost the same.So even though fresh buko is not available here we can still eat the food we used to eat backhome.
I had a friend who played the role of an ugly flabby witch in a stage play. Actually she was really fat that’s why people tagged her as the flabby witch for all seasons. Sad thing was even after the play, many rude students kept on addressing her as the ugly flabby witch. She promised to herself that someday she will also portray the role of a very beautiful princess. We took nursing course in college. After graduation I worked in the province and she worked in the Middle east. I just heard from some friends that she’s already in UK and working there as a nurse in a big hospital.
Last summer, we had our Alumni Homecoming and we were all excited to see each other again after ten long years. The speaker called our attention to announce the sponsors of our homecoming. We were all surprised to see this very beautiful lady who was once tagged as the flabby witch. According to her it’s really a blessing that she knew about this liposuction cosmetic surgery from the resident doctor of their hospital. She is very grateful that there are doctors perporming this surgery to help people like her to get back the self confidence in herself.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Things I'll Never Do AgainNever ask my son Joshua to tell a lie again
I told Josh to tell whoever would call that I am sleeping. After a while, the phone rang and Josh answered it. I heard him say, “Mama is sleeping. OK, I will just tell her. What is your name again?” He even gave me a thumbs-up and I smiled in return. He then told me , “ Mama, I told Tita that you are sleeping.” After a few seconds, the phone rang again. I answered it, it was her again, She told me that she heard what Joshua told me a while ago because she didn’t hang up the phone yet. I was embarrassed but I just explained.
Never mix bowl disinfectant with bleach (Clorox)
I never want to repeat that experience ever again. I even thought that I would never get out of that bathroom alive. I assumed that when I mixed the two, my cleaning would be a lot easier. I began to feel dizzy and my sight became blurry. I was alone in the house at that time.
I managed a financing business for three years. I am used to see people crying and begging to the sheriff not to take their properties. I am exposed to court hearings, property litigations and other related transaction regarding mortgage and debt. I knew when a Certificate of Title is genuine or fake. I knew if a creditor is an expert or newbies. I got all these through my working experience. I was exposed to different types of creditors. I still remember my superior’s tip when evaluating a creditor, “Just listen to what he/she says, pertaining that you believed everything but in yourself, everything is a lie until you finished with the credit investigation.”
Through this experience I learned a lesson in life. I told myself I won’t go into this kind of trouble someday. I must have a good debt management to avoid bankruptcy. I will not do what our creditors did during that time. One way that led to their bankruptcy was the reconstruction of the loan that was only half paid and use the proceeds to pay another existing loan . Actually this is good for our company because we earn easy money out of the interest of their loan. But seeing people going to bankruptcy is really alarming. What if it happens to you?
I received a lot of calls, emails and YM messages yesterday from our friends here asking If I already read the newspaper. I checked the newspaper's website and read what they were talking about. It's an announcement from the company where my husband is presently employed. It's a good news actually but it's so good to be true and at the same time there's no announcement coming from the company itself. Here's the news ;
January 23
Riyadh
The XXXX announced it would give all of its employees, foreign and domestic, a bonus equivalent to six months salary. The state-owned utility company would also increase housing allowances from 20 percent of their total monthly salary to 25 percent.
According to the daily Al-Watan newspaper, the XXXX board also decided to raise the minimum allowance for housing to SR15,000 annually to ensure their lower paid workers can cover rent.
The utility company will also institute an incentive for workers by giving bonuses to exceptional performance. The XXXX employs about 28,000 workers, of which 84 percent are Saudis, according to statistics from 2006. The raises take effect next month.
If this is true, well that's a lot of money..hehehe. But the increase in housing allowance is true and they already received a memo from the office about it.
My parents were having a small discusssion yesterday on whether or not to help our eldest brother in the payment of his mortgage . I told them, my brother is old enough to stand by himself, he’s now a family man and he should be responsible for his mortgage. My mom said , with my brother’s present income, having 3 children , a jobless wife and a mortgage, it’s impossible to have a decent way of living.
I did not interfere anymore with my parents decision. Sometimes I hardly understand them . Well, who knows maybe i’ll do the same to my kids in the future.
I became used to leaving the washing machine and I’d go back to the room and sleep or watch TV. I told myself that it was automatic anyway. It was a pretty long time before it stops. After 30 minutes, however, I thought I smelled a wire that had short-circuited. When I emerged from my room, the house was full of smoke. Justin was still a baby then and I panicked. I opened the door of our flat and I saw those Indian maintenances in our building. I asked for help and they immediately turned off the general switch.
When I examined our bathroom, the wall was burnt, some tiles on the wall fell and some black dust was flying all over the place. Justin was wearing a white shirt then, but when I saw him, it was gray. It took us 2 days to clean the house. I even dream about it at night. Since Then, I never left the washing machine running and I’d sleep.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Personal LoansWhat will you do if the money you hardly earned was sent to another person’s bank account ? This happened to me just recently. I am scheduled to go on vacation in two weeks time so I went to the bank, sent money to my savings account and expecting it to appear on my balance the next day. To days passed, three, four…no money sent to my account. I went to the bank and make some inquiry, the officer in charge said the money was sent to another savings account and it will takes 5-7 working days before they can clear the transaction. It’s not my fault actually, it’s the error of the teller in entering the account number. I don’t know what to do now, I can’t postpone my scheduled flight, all airlines were fully booked.
I told my mom about the incident and he advice me to go on my scheduled flight because she knows someone who can help me in this kind of emergencies. She applied for a personal loan and it was easily approved. I don’t know that there are companies who process loans as fast as this one. They also offer other forms of loans aside from personal loans.
After 5 days, my account was settled. I received the money from the bank and gave money to my mom for the payment of her loan.
When I bloghopped I always see the word smorty but I have no idea what it is all about. Until a blogger friend told me that she's now into blog advertising and really earning easy money for just a simple write-up about a certain topic. Actually I thought of a spam because it's so good to be true. Months had passed but I keep on seeing these bloggers giving testimonies about blog for money.
I decided to give it a try, anyway no one will know except me if my blog will get rejected. After about 4-5 days I received an email confirmation that my blog was approved. That was the time I started this advertise on blogs. Compare to other company offering blog reviews I consider smorty as one of best because after your post approval they pay in two weeks time. Now, not I only enjoy blogging and meeting new friends I also earn while blogging.
After almost 10 years I met again a long lost friend, not in person but on the net. I am surfing for something when I stumbled upon her website. I am looking for a perfect gift for valentines when I came to her site. I ordered some stuff to be delivered to my hometown for my sick relative. When I gave the necessary information like my name, credit card, my address backhome that was the time I received an email from the owner of the website confirming if I was really the same person she knew . It’s really a small world in the world of internet.
She narrated that she started her business online with the help of ashopcommerce with their shopping cart software. A website who can help you build your own online store, just give and tell them what you want and they will do the rest. She said , she never expected a good return of investment in just a shortwhile, with no much effort and less expenses you will surely have a stable source of income.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Hotels in SpainWhen I was still in elementary, Spaniards occupation in the Philippines for more than 300 years was a part of our lesson . It keeps me thinking how Spaniards look like nowadays. Now that I am already married and have kids , I happen to see again the same lesson about history when i’m helping my kids do their homeworks. Until today I still have the passion of seeing Spain someday.
I heard about the Spain attractions like Tappas and bullfighting. I only see bullfighting on television. I wish to witness this event in person. La Sagrada Familia and Zoo in Parc Ciutadella are just some of Barcelona attractions. Who won’t forget the greatest works of Picasso? This great painter was a native of Barcelona.
Since it’s our wedding anniversary this coming month, I asked hubby to spend our vacation in Paris. I didn’t know that he also wants to see Spain. So we decided to look for a good place to stay in while we are on short vacation there. We both agreed to make an early booking in Paris. I want to see the famous Eiffel tower. Good that we found a hotel with a very good offer for tourists. Seeing forward to our grand vacation in Spain.
Got tagged by Meldita . Thanks sis.
Rule #1: Copy all the links below and replace a single link under the appropriate letter of the alphabet. If your domain name, or even the title of your blog, starts with an “A,” you’d replace the link under that letter and put the replaced link at the bottom. Also, don’t forget to credit the tagger, or where you got the list from, at the end of the list with a full URL of the post so that a pingback gets generated.
A. apple of my eyes
B. Beautifulandhappy.com
C. caffeine-overload.com
D. Different Faces of Me
E. everythingandanythingblog.com
F. forumfinder.net
G. GeekMomMashup.com
H. happykeg.com
I. ipentimento.com
J. joanjoyce.com/blog
K. keyboardmonologues.blogspot.com
L. lifeinlenses.blogspot.com
M. myuntamedworld.com
N. notjustmama.net
O. originalmx5.net
P. peapodsquadstuff.com
Q. qweddings.com
R. rhyan.net
S. shirleysdelight.com
T. TenaciousCreations.com
U. utada-online.net
V. valmg.com
W. working it
X. xaviermedia.com
Y. yimto.com
Z. zbudapest.com
Replaced link: acowboyswife.com
Previous tagger: Meldita
Rule #2: You now have to “tag” at least five people and encourage them to participate. Remember, though, that not everyone is into these kinds of things, so don’t be upset if they don’t participate. Just simply replace your tag. Remember to tag blogs only and no pornographic ones as we do want to keep the integrity as a blogging community.
I still remember when I was still a kid, we lived in a remote area in our province. We had a neighbor who’s three children were very much dependent on them. Until the time two of them got married and have children of their own. I asked my meignbor why she’s still assisting them with their financial needs? She just replied, “you won’t understand parents until you become one.” Of course at young age how could I understand that phrase.
Now that I am also a parent, I understand my neighbor’s gesture towards her children. That’s why I was not surprised when my flatmate applied for a housing loan, not for him but for her newly wed son. Imagine that! He sent his son to college until he finished a masteral degree. The son has already a stable job and married just recently.
When his second son got married. He did the same but the problem arises. His financial status becomes unstable. As much as possible he wants to be fair to his children but his present financial capabilty won’t allow him to do so. He’s now struggling with his amortization. Until he learned about this homeowner loan who offers financial help to those who already have the property but having struggle in payment.
Sometimes, it’s hard to explain the unconditional love of parents. They will do everything or anything just to give us a good life.
A friend of mine asked if I can do her a favor. She's a career woman and has no time to prepare her daily meals . She wants low carbohydrates food and as much as possible or rather strictly "no rice." She gave me a south beach diet menu to follow but it's the pinoy version.
Here's the sample pinoy south beach diet meal for the day.
Breakfast
Fried bangus w/salted egg, tomatoes and cucumber
Lunch
Beef w/bell pepper, cauliflower and brocolli
Dinner
Grilled chicken breast w/ mayonnaise , parsley, celery sticks and cucumber
Vegetable Salad
Thursday, February 21, 2008
shopping cart softwareI made bracelets, necklace, and earrings out of the different colors of beads I bought in the nearby store. They were just for my personal use at first. But my friends want me to make some more because they also like the designs of the accessories. I was hesistant at first because I might not come up with their expectations. Until lots of friends, acquantainces, neighbors were placing their orders and asking for sample pictures. That was the time I decided to sell my products online. But how? I don't have any knowledge about html codes . How can I make my own website?
A good friend of mine introduces ecommerce software. Selling online becomes possible because of shopping cart software. . Friends working abroad can see my products online and they even ask me to make some shipment of the accessories. I made some inquiry about sending products abroad and negotiate with the cost that might cause the shipment. Now, I am enjoying making business online .
When Joshua was still in Kindergarten, I was able to speak with the husband of his teacher because I heard he was fond of Josh. So before he goes to work, he talks with Joshua. Josh told him that his father shouts at him when he teaches him.My husband told Josh never to do it again because it’s not good.
One time, we were about to go home when Joshua said, “Dada, let’s go to McDo.” My husband answered, “Josh, we’ll go in the weekend. You still have to do your homeworks.” Josh answered, “If we will not go to McDo, I will tell my teacher you shout at me again.” We were all laughing. Who knew he had the guts to blackmail his father.But of course we explained to him that it's not a good attitude and let him promised not to do it again.
Few years ago, I worked in a lending investor company. I met different kinds of people. Some were honest on their financial situations and some were still on denial stage. We only approved loans with collateral, it could be certificate of title, car registration or even rights. Before the loan was granted, there were so many procedures to be done. One was the credit investigation process, wherein one of our employees will check the financial status of the costumer, the source of income, family background, existing credits to other financial institutions and other related matters that will lead to the approval of the loan.
Some creditors were really leading to bankruptcy. We wanted to help but some were helpless. They should have debt management plan at the very beginning. One of their mistakes was the restructuring of their loan. Just because they wanted to have another cash on hand they were not thinking of the bigger interest being added to the loan. When their loan was already due, they will make another loan to other lending investor to cover up the interest due of their existing loan. Which for me is not a wise decision as far as debt matters are concern.
Justin had a project in school, they would make a piggy bank. They were told to bring a large empty bottle of mineral water, gift wrapper, colored pencils, paste and an egg tray. They needed it the next day. Of course, who keeps the egg trays when the eggs are already in the fridge? So I called my husband and told him to buy eggs even if we still have a lot at home. There was one parent who called and asked if I had an extra egg tray so that our kids could just share. I told Justin to share with his classmate whose parent called me. Unfortunately, Justin left the egg tray at the compartment of the car . So, they both had no project. The teacher agreed that they could do it at home.
The next day, my friend called me again. I apologized that also her child had no materials for the project. She was a little mad. Not at me, but at the teacher. Her daughter told her that there was a classmate who was willign to share but the teacher won’t let them. I told her that Justin didn’t get a chance to do the project either. I suggested that she call the teacher because that statement Justin gave me was different from her daughter’s.
After 30 min., she called again:
Mom: Sis, I was embarrassed when I called the teacher.
Me: Why?
Mom: The teacher told me that the reason why she didn’t allow my chikd to do the project at school was because I had too many complaints.
Me: What? What kind of complaints?
Mom: Cause I just knew about the project when I got home from work at 8pm. She told me they needed the tray. But where are you going to find that in such short notice. Unlike in the Philippines , you can just buy from the nearby store.
Me: But, I was supposed to give you some, my son just forgot.
Mom: Yeah. But because I was so angry, I was able to say things about her teacher. And they were not good either.
Me: What? Your daughter told the teacher what you said?
Mom: Yes! So, it turns out it’s me who have to say sorry.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Thanks to PayPerPostAbout three months ago I received an email from a co-blogger asking if she can buy my old blog for $50. I asked my husband what’s so special with my blog and someone is willing to spend 50 bucks for my old blog. But hubby was also clueless about it. I decided to ask a blogger friend of mine and even sent her a copy of that email. That was the time I learned about payperpost . She told me that blogging now is not just for personal enjoyment but also a fast and easy way of earning money by just posting some entries about some products. She gave me the payperpost website to have some idea about blog reviews.
The only problem then was how am I going to be paid for every post I am going to make. Payperpost pay only via paypal and paypal was not available in our country. Until late last year when I read from a certain blog that paypal is now in our territory. What a relief for all of us who want to join the payperpost community. That was the time I decided to apply my blog to payperpost. I’m so happy when I received an email stating that my blog was approved. I am now a certified member of payperpost team.
Monday, February 18, 2008
AchievementsMy daughter Tin-tin was still young when we realized that she was really smart. At 10 months, she could call us mama and papa. That’s why when she was just more than one year old, she could already tell stories. At the age of three, we enrolled her in Nursery. Kind of a sit-in, as you may call it. Believe it or not, she was the gold medalist in their batch. At the age of 5, she was already in grade 1. As parents, we’re proud to see our children on stage receiving multiple awards. She has joined innumerable quiz bees.
At 6, she told me she wanted to play the piano. We didn’t think she’d like it because maybe she’d be troubled in reading the notes. After a few months, she was the youngest recitalist in their batch.
Last summer, she wanted to join an acting workshop. I didn’t approve at first cause it could affect her studies. But, we gave it a try. After 5 months, her first stage play was shown. Four episodes composed the show and she was included in one of them. The title was, “Gamu-gamo sa Kanto ng East Avenue ”. It’s a story about street children, members of a syndicate. They all wanted to break free and have a good life of their own. I didn’t like her role as “ Myra ” who lived in the streets so the language she used was the so-called street language. She’s a beggar who has a dream of becoming a GRO because her character thinks that it is the fastest way to earn money. As they say, it’s just acting. it’s just a role and it’s not them. They just play their characters.
Friday, February 15, 2008
On DietingAdmit it, when you see a chubby baby, you just can’t stop telling yourself on how cute that kid is. When my kids were still little, cute babies, I let them watch the television show Barney the Dinosaur so they’d watch and watch while I give them spoonful after spoonful of their food. It gives you a warm feeling to see your baby happily fed.
I started feeding them solid food at the age of 4 months. I boiled chicken meat, carrots, potato, squash, lettuce and rice. I would be able to cook the baby’s food for one whole week at once. Once the vegetables are soft enough, I would transfer them to a blender so it would be smooth. Then I’d put it in a small tupperware and put it in the freezer.
They took their chubby features up until the age of seven, so I told myself that they should start to slim down before they enter highschool. So, I started dieting them in 2005. They all agreed that they would start to lessen their food intake...except for Joshua, my youngest. He would cry and plead just to get me to add more rice to his plate. When it’s time to eat, I’d be the one to put rice on their plates so they’d have a limit. But their intake on vegetables and fruits is unlimited. They could eat as much as they can. I forbade them chips and soda. They could still eat chocolates but not on a daily basis. But I still think their dieting isn’t working.
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Look at Tin-tin’s pictures now. She’s only 13 yrs old, stands 5’3. She’s taller than me now.
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Justin, on the other hand, in just a little time, his weight lessened a bit because he follows what I tell him. Though there was a time I couldn’t forget, when he was still young, he said, “Mama, I need to eat three plates of rice because I’m already three years old.”
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Ironically, Joshua was the lightest when I gave birth to him (5.5 lbs.) He was already one year old but I had a hard time feeding him then. I even thought he had a throat problem because he didn’t like to eat rice. Some people would even comment on how he didn’t look like his two older siblings. When he was two years old, that’s when he started to eat a lot more . His weight increased at an alarming rate that I didn’t notice he surpassed the weight of the other two.
Nowadays, I am having a hard time getting him to eat less. He would plead, “Please, Mama, only one , promise.” If I wasn’t thinking of their health someday, whose mom would stop her children from eating? Some of my friends would complain that they would have a hard time getting their children to eat. I would say that my children are the exact opposite.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
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It's winter here but not with my kids. They love Baskin Robbins even at this time of the year. A small scoop of Baskin here costs sr5/Php55(a little bit expensive.)
It has the world's famous 31 flavours of speciality and premium grade ice creams! There is an ice cream and a flavour to suit everybody's taste. Joshua's favorite is cookies and cream.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
What is Rugby?I was about to sleep yesterday for my afternoon nap when I heard some noise outside. We live in a condominium apartment where almost half of the occupants are Indians. Actually, I don’t understand what they were talking about because they spoke on their native language. I just overheard it was something about rugby podcast. Since I already lost my interest in sleeping, I just surf the net and check what rugby is all about. I found out that it is a kind of sports both for men and women.
Rugby tournaments are held and participants come from different countries like England, France, Wales, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. People are getting crazy about this sport. There are also rugby games available on line for you to play. Tickets for the 2009 Championship are given away as prizes. Once you play the game, submit your score and you will have the chance to win. With the kind of technology we have now, podcast about rugby games can now dowload from your computers.
Can’t blame my neighbors for their rugby addiction.
Monday, February 11, 2008
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The Family Fun fair was held on December 28, 2007. and definitely it was an exciting one. The organizing committee was spearheaded by the PTA President and all the council officers and members. The parents with their kids enjoyed the parlor games such as, tug of war, make-up contest, apple eating, palosebo, pasabit and many more.
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The aim of the program wasn’t only for the fulfillment of being joyful and happy but also for the business minded parents . The whole day gave them the sufficient time and interest to sell and trade their specialties.
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The peacefullness and enjoyment wouldn’t be that prosperous without the full help and cooperation of the faculty, teachers and parents. So let us applaud ourselves for a job well done.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
South Beach DietEverytime I check my site meter, I always see the word “pinoy south beach diet “ on the searched word in google. Once they search "south beach diet" they are redirected to my blog. Since I only have images posted on my SBD/Food blog I decided to post a sample menu of south beach diet and its pinoy version. I’ll try to post the complete phase 1 of the pinoy version. For the meantime check this sample menu of SBD.
BREAKFAST
Artichokes Benedict
Mock Hollandaise Sauce
Decaffeinated Coffee or Tea with Nonfat Milk and Sugar Substitute
MORNING SNACK
TurkeyRoll-Ups
Cilantro Mayonnaise
LUNCH
Cottage Cheese and Vegetables in Red Pepper Cup
SNACK
Hummus with Raw Vegetables
DINNER
Grilled Chicken Breast with Grilled Vegetables
PINOY SOUTH BEACH DIET
BREAKFAST
1 cup fresh fruit salad (choice of cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, kiwis, oranges, apples and mangoes)½ cup old fashioned oatmeal, cooked1 cup non-fat milk1 tbsp. walnuts, toasted
1 egg
LUNCH
roast chickenRomaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, parsley1 wedge of low-fat Laughing Cow cheese2 tbsp. vinaigrette
DINNER
Salmon Sinigang made with sour tamarinds (sampaloc), kangkong, tomatoes and radishchopped red pepper, cucumber with 2 tbsp. vinaigrette
pear or mango
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Plan for the FutureMy friend worked hard for his family. He promised to his mother that he will fulfill her dream of having a house of her own someday.My friend worked abroad and earned enough to buy some investments back home. He named almost all his real estate properties to his mother. When the mother died, other siblings were all greedy to take part of the properties left. The siblings are now fighting who should own the inheritance.
I’ve told him before to secure a real estate planning. All things must be put in a clear contract with the guidance and assistance of a professional lawyer. Now, it’s too late for him because their family feud became worse. They even sued each other in court.
Planning for the future is just practical. To avoid misunderstanding and complication among the heirs, things should be done legally with the experts and proper authorities. These experts will help you plan your estate. Death is inevitable, it’s the reality of life. Be prepared.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
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This is how a mall looks like during Ramadan here in KSA. It's 11 o'clock in the morning when I took this picture.
Ramadan is the Holy month of Muslims.They fast during this month from the moment when it first starts to get light until sunset. So don't expect anyone to go out malling in the morning.Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of the religion of Islam and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship. Abstinence from earthly pleasures and curbing evil intentions and desires is regarded as an act of obedience and submission to God as well as an atonement for sins, errors, and mistakes.
Ramadan brings out a special feeling of emotional excitement and religious zeal among Muslims of all ages. Though fasting is mandatory only for adults, children as young as eight willingly observe fasting with their elders. Children look forward to the excitement of sighting the moon and eating special meals with their families. Adults appreciate the opportunity to double their rewards from God and seek forgiveness for past sins.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
My new HelperWe decided to change our old carpet and bought a new one .I want a light color this time. But lately I think I made a mistake in choosing light color carpet. It easily get stained. I even tell my visitors to take off their shoes when entering our house. But having three kids who loves to eat , munch and drink juice while watching television , taking care of my new carpet against stain, dust and dirt is really impossible.
A good friend of mine said I don’t have to be upset with that dirty carpet. She told me about her new vacuum cleaner. I think I found an answer to my problem. I called my husband and we immediately look for this super vacuum cleaner at the nearest store in our place.
With the help of my ever dependable “new helper” I already removed the “shoes off please” memo at my door.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
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My kids are pet lovers. Though I am allergic to fur I allowed them to have a puppy in the house. They were very happy when I said they can have it while we were inside the pet house. They promised that they will take care of the puppy and they even named it Patrick. Seeing them happy playing with the dog makes me feel happy too.
Until one day, my husband excitedly came and told us the good news. Their office will conduct an out of town seminar for 2 weeks and they allow the family to come with them, with free hotel accomodation. But strictly no pets allowed.
Who will look after Patrick for two weeks while we are away? My closest neighbor goes to work everyday. I have no relatives nearby. I’m almost hopeless until my daughter told me she knew a place where Patrick can stay while we are on vacation. Her classmates told her that their cat was in the pet care for a month. It’s a place where people take care of your pet, they feed, groom and play with them.
Friday, February 01, 2008
I'm Gaining WeightI am working abroad for almost five years now. I didn’t visit my hometown since then, until I met a collegue on line. She told me I have to go home this summer because my former classmates in college are organizing an alumni homecoming for our batch. I am very excited to meet again my old friends backhome.
As I watched myself in the mirror, I noticed my big tummy. After I gave birth to my second child I can’t control my appetite anymore that results into gaining more than 15 kls. While surfing the net that night I found an interesting site where a cosmetic procedure is used to achieve a flatter stomach by tightening stretched abdominal muscles. It’s the tummy tuck or mostly known as abdominoplasty. It’s done by removing excess fat and skin and restores weakened or separated muscles.
After reading the before and after effects of this surgery. I am very sure and confident that I will attend our homecoming this summer.
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