Photohunt: Framed

This is one of the many pictures that I took when we got the chance to visit the Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Marilao, Bulacan for my son's school field trip this year.

My entry for Photohunt.

Hide those love handles

Except for the sightly love handles, my husband maintains his lanky figure after all these years. The bulges in his midsection is caused by lack of exercise. But it doesn't make him conscious since he doesn’t wear tight-fitting shirts. He is into semi loose tops.

However, if someday he wants to get the excess fats off his flabby area there are available means to get of rid of it, painless and amazingly fast. I don’t mean fancy diets or cosmetic surgery here. It's not part of my husband's vocabulary to undergo crash diets or go through liposuction to lose excess fat. He can get into sport that would tone his muscles or wear this magic shirt called Insta Slim. I say magic because once you wear it you will appear slim in an instant. You can wear it casually or as undershirt.

The shirt has three styles to suit you needs. My husband will surely look good on all three - muscle tank, crew neck, v-neck. These shirts are guaranteed to keep 3 inches off your midsection making you look toned and slim. If you are interested you can purcase them online. I think they are not available in stores for now so check out their site or call 800-891-6147 to talk to a representative. By the way, they offer a buy one-get one promo for customers or save at least $30 to $40 when you avail one Insta Slim shirt. I'm checking on my PayPal fund now to see if I can avail an Insta Slim shirt for hubby.

Doing school project then and now

Kids these days don’t settle for school projects printed on simple bond paper. Sometimes they request for quality paper for photo printing. In my time, we don’t have computer or even typwriter at home. All our projects are done manually without the help of gadgets or computer program to enhance pictures. So when we need to submit a book report or an album of pictures, I wrote the book review by hand and then for pictures I cut out images from magazines and newspapers that I collected from neighbors. By the way, the books that I used for my book report were borrowed from my godmother who also owned a set of encyclopedia and Reader's Digest. During those days owning a set of encyclopedia are like status symbol or economic or social status of a family. 

Going back to my thoughts on doing school project, good thing about my kids even if they require costly brand of papers for printing, they are the ones who research and complete their own project. No mommy or daddy assistance there. And we are proud that they can do their own school project now and even study on their own during examination period.

My kids love these

If my kids are not watching TV or doing anything related to school they are planted in front of the computer. One kid using the laptop while the other one uses the desktop.

These are the gadgets my kids can't live without. One glued to Facebook while chatting with friends, the other one playing online games.

This is how a 13-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy spend an ordinary day at home. Wonder where mommy is when both computers are occupied? Well I could be lying in our version of rustic furniture taking a snooze. The sofa looks very inviting during the afternoon. :D

(Pardon the messy background)

This is my entry for Mommy Moments this week. Have a safe and long weekend everyone!

Just want to play golf

Puerto Azul Golf and Country Club

My husband used to play golf. It’s one of his favorite sports after lawn tennis. He could still be playing golf until now had the company he is working for did not cut off the quarterly bonuses that he and his co-workers were enjoying then. He could use the extra fund to support his hobby. Golf is an expensive sport and so is lawn tennis. You need to buy golf club and tennis racket and other accessories. In my husband’s case, his friends and playing buddies from work lend golf club set to him he just have to pay minimal fee for entrance and golf cart use. However, his friends are no longer working in the same company so hubby had to gradually stop his hobby. He has four golf buddies and one constant partner in lawn tennis, his immediate boss. Their group would schedule a game on weekends. Sometimes the moneyed one (I think its one of the two lawyers) would treat all four of them to a famous golf and country club whose golf courses is comparable to the golf courses found in Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.

If we are residing in South Carolina, it would be easy for my husband to come around Myrtle Beach to play golf. And planning a cheap Myrtle Beach vacation for the whole family would double the fun.

Time for Health

If you have been working in front of your computer for long hours then this exercise video is for you. The simple exercise routine is actually intended for office workers, but mommies like you and me can also do this at home while we are at rest from our daily chores. For bloggers, you can allot a minute or two to do this exercise so you'll improve your energy level before you get really busy with your online activity. Health experts say it's best to start your day with an exercise.

I got this video from one of the health conferences I attended years ago. I have not watched the entirety of this video, but now that I post it here it will be convenient for me to play this video anytime I want while in front of my computer. You can exercise whichever way you want. You can do it sitting down or standing like the man and lady demonstrators in the video.

This is my entry for Nostalgia this week.

This video entitled "Time for Health" A Healthy WPRO Activity is developed by the College of Human Kinetics (CHK), University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), Quezon City Philippines for the 51st Session of the World Health Organization, Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Sept. 2000.

Single Mommy Blog: Finding the Best DailyDeals.com

A lot of single mothers and fathers have turned to the Internet to blog about their life as a single parent and discuss the struggles they encounter. Starting a single mommy or a single daddy blog is a great way to chat with other single parents about the issues you face on a daily basis.

One of the biggest challenges single parents confront is financial. Since single mothers and fathers do not have the financial support of a partner, it is difficult to afford everything their child needs. Many bloggers chat with other single parents about the deals they find on DailyDeals.com. This site features the very best deals on everything you need for your child including baby seats, diaper bags, toys, shoes, clothing, diapers, and formula.

Other issues that single parents are blogging about include the following: how to tell their children why the other parent is not around, how to save for the children’s education, the best discipline methods, how to find a great babysitter, how to balance work and children at the same time, how to find single parent support groups, how to deal with hectic schedules, custody issues, divorce issues, where to find the best daycare that is affordable, household chores, spending quality time with children, fun activities to do with your children, and the child’s school and curriculum.

Parenting is hard enough with two parents present, but single parents face many more tough challenges. Blogging can be a therapeutic process that gives single parents the chance to vent, talk about all the challenges they face, describe their dating struggles or financial problems, look for advice on proper discipline without another parent involved, and many other issues.

Jackie Chan tweets soften hate fear

I read a news brief that will surely uplift the spirit of our countrymen working in Hong Kong. International actor Jackie Chan has send out the following tweets assuaging the fear of many Filipinos that Hong Kong would retaliate after the bus siege Monday. The hostage crisis left eight Hong Kong residents killed and seven others badly wounded.

http://twitter.com/EyeOfJackieChan:

“HK is a nation built by a lot of different people...don’t worry! We do not hate!”


“This kind of things always happens around the world. It happens to HK’s people. The whole HK is talking about it. It’s really sad.”


“If they killed the guy sooner, they will say why not negotiate first? If they negotiate first, they ask why not kill the guy sooner? So sad.”

The messages reportedly came from a verified account. I'm following Jackie Chan now.

Goodluck Venus Raj!

Here's wishing the best and success for Maria Venus Raj to the Miss Universe 2010 Pageant! Bring home the crown, girl!

The pageant will be aired by ABS-CBN Corp. this morning at 9:30 on Channel 2.

Amazing Sea Monkey comes to life!

My son really got frustrated over the unhatched eggs of the Sea Monkeys which I purchased last month on ebay. It is supposed to be Khalil's birthday gift. But since there is no hope that the eggs will hatch after they were placed inside the tank last week, we are already contemplating of disposing the purified water along with the unhatched eggs  this morning.

But lo and behold! We saw this tiny creature about the size of a sesame seed swimming inside the plastic tank! The Sea Monkey is alive! My son has yet to learn from the good news. I'm pretty exited for my son so I took this video right here using my Kodak EasyShare C713. It's the tiny white speck moving in between two magnifying windows of the tank. I hope you'll see it clearly towards the end of the video. Enjoy the wonder of nature through this "Science toy(s)".

Just ignore the background sound or turn off the volume to appreciate the sea monkey.



If taken care of properly with enough food and clean water, this water pet will stay alive for two years! Isn't it amazing?!

 This is how a sea monkey looks like up close.

Movies and kids

I don’t have many pictures taken at the cinema. Most pictures that we have are saved in my husband’s old cellphone camera. This is the only picture I can share for Mommy Moments this week. This was taken when the kids and their dad watched Michael Jackson’s “This is it!” movie last November. I think I was busy with a project then so I was not able to join them.

We also watched New Moon last year and then Toy Story 3 this year. Watching movie is not so budget-friendly. But we take exception when kids did something good at school. We treat them to movies, pizza or burger house and bookstore as a reward. Before their examination period this week, I promised to bring them to the mall if they get good marks in the test. So far, I've seen some test papers with high scores; will have to wait for the rest of the papers to be released next week. Mall time will have to wait then.

My entry for Mommy Moments this week. Happy weekend everyone! 

Untold stories

Transcript files

If ever I get a chance to write a book or a script someday I think it should begin from the content of this box. These are the accumulated transcript of recorded interviews that I kept all these years.

 One of the early interviews I had with a person living with HIV/AIDS

I know these documents will be useful one day...But if ever I'm going to give life to the character in each transcript, it will be to appreciate the lives of those who share their stories with me... I don't know when to start writing but I hope there will be individuals or group who will be interested to sponsor the book.

This is my take for Nostalgia this week.

Doing our share

to plant more trees. Although we are guilty of cutting down an old Mango tree due to the following reasons I cite in my previous post, we were able to raise another Mango tree and grow Talisay saplings beside our house.

Here are the shots of our young Mango tree:

Taken last May 2009

Taken last week

Our Talisay sapling planted by hubby:

A full grown Talisay tree looks like the picture below. Source:  Internet

See you in December

I received a call from my sister a while ago. She said she might be coming home for Christmas or New Year's Day. She misses her four children so much and she wants to spend the special occasion with them. She warns me though not to tell our mother for its going to be a surprise for her. My sister is doing well in her job in Macau. She is working at the clinic spa. I wish everything is okay with her although she's having a little problem with some of her Filipino co-workers there. She thinks that her co-workers are partly jealous of her little accomplishment when she was designated to lead one of the activities at the spa. My sister is generous with her co-workers up to a point of allowing them to use her personal stuff. I think there was an occasion when she shared a portion of the tip that she received from a client who won a Casino on line game. My sister never harbors any ill-feeling towards her co-workers and she still prays for them. I think that’s the best way to address any situation you are in, sis. Anyway, I'll see you in December or January next year.

My kids love books!

My kids developed the habit of reading at an early age. I’m glad that we’re able to instill in them the love for books as preschoolers. When we bring them to the office or a relatives' house, I always carry one or two of their favorite books. I also bring crayons and coloring books instead of toys. Now that they are older they still enjoy reading books and magazines. They also check on some sites on the Internet for good reading stuff. With the accessibility of Internet at home, I just hope their interest with books will never fade as they grow older. 

Here’s a good note about the importance of reading:

It is observed that children and teenagers who love reading have comparatively higher IQs. They are more creative and do better in school and college. It is recommended that parents to inculcate the importance of reading to their children in the early years. Reading is said to significantly help in developing vocabulary, and reading aloud helps to build a strong emotional bond between parents and children. The children who start reading from an early age are observed to have good language skills, and they grasp the variances in phonics much better. Source: Internet

How about you, does your child have the same fascination for books? You may share your story here.

Happy weekend everyone!

Used cars for sale

Are you looking for one? A friend of mine recommends a new site for repo or repossessed cars just in case I finally decide to get one for my family.The site called www.cars-central.com is still under construction so you won't be able to see any pictures of available cars. But my friend told me that the company who owns the site has over 3,000 repo cars on stock and as soon as their website is ready they will begin a highly aggressive campaign about the site and their cars for sale. Now, the purpose of this post is to inform everyone about the existence of cars-central.com. My niece who just bought a new car was interested about the site and she might recommend it to her friends and officemates who are planning to buy their own car as well. There are 3,000 cars to choose from so it’s highly possible that you can pick the vehicle that you like. But before buying a pre-owned car it is best to take someone with you who knows about cars so you will be able to detect possible problems that may arise. You may check out your local dealer if you are interested or wait for the website to post pictures of branded cars for sale.

Trinkets

When I was still working I used to receive souvenirs from friends who went on official assignments here and abroad. I may have forgotten the name of persons who gave these items to me, but what is important is that I keep and value these mementos after all these years. I also have Tubao and Malong and native sling bag, but they were hidden somewhere inside our cabinet.

The necklaces and bracelet were given by friends who visited Davao or Cotabato areas. The sun-shaped pendant (far right) is believed to improve fertility.

Keychains from Bangkok

Hand-carved jewelry box (I'm not sure if this is locally-made) 

This is my share for Nostalgia this week. I hope you can join too.

Colorful

Halo-halo (from Tagalog word halò, "mix" - wikipedia) is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which various boiled sweet beans and fruits are added. Halo-halo is one of the most popular refreshments in the Philippines during summer time.

This is my colorful entry for Photohunt this week.

Camera shy

My kids used to enjoy having their pictures taken, but as they grow older I can only count the occasions wherein they allow me to take their pictures. They shy away each time they see me holding a camera and point it to their direction. 

This is their recent photo. They were seated beside their grand-uncle that's why they allow the photoshoot. 

 

 

Taken shortly after she arrived from school.

Taken during his school field trip last year.

This is my entry for Mommy Moments. MM is hosted by Marce Chris. You can join too by clicking on the badge above and the link on my post.

Saving up for her kids

Remember my post about my sister who works in Macau? She will be celebrating her first year in the former Portuguese colony soon. How time flies. It was only last year when we were discussing about the possibility of her working abroad. She said she needs to work overseas to support her four children. I was hesitant at first because our mother is too old to take care of her grandchildren. Anyway, my sister finally landed a good-paying job in Macau and now she’s already sending two older kids to school. My sister said her job in Macau is not permanent so she has to look for prospective employer just in case unexpected things arise. She is spending her money wisely and save a portion of her salary including the tips given to her by generous clients. She said she hopes another client of hers will win a USA online casino just like the foreign guy who handed her a $1,000 HK as tip early this year. The gentleman won a considerable amount while playing casino game at the Wynn Hotel. The guy is generous to share his blessings to my sister and her co-workers.

Term life insurance

I know how it feels when a family member was admitted to a hospital and we don't have health insurance to cover the cost of hospital and medical expenses. Like health insurance, life insurance is important in protecting the financial well-being of your family and loved ones in the event that the family bread winner dies. It pays a lump sum to your beneficiaries or to your estate. If you would like to compare life insurance quotes then looking online may be your best option. You can look at term life insurance policies and see which one best suits your needs. xLife offers up to 20 percent off on all life insurance policies and you can compare life insurance for free.

Start building your dream!

Mountaineers Pastour Emata and Leo Oracion gave an inspirational note to my kids when I request for their autograph.

Fresh from their successful climb to the world's highest mountain in 2006, summiteer Emata and Oracion and other members of the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition (FPMEE) team were invited as panelists in a Health Forum at Annabel's Resto in Tomas Morato (July 5, 2006).

I had my notebook signed right after the presscon. I requested the two gentlemen to dedicate their messages to my kids. They advised my kids to study hard and to start building their own dream...

The mountaineers with some health reporters

This is my share for Nostalgia this week.

The State of Science and Technology in the Philippines

The State of Science and Technology in the Philippines. A documentary about the situation of Filipino scientists, engineers, science educators, and technologists. Released in 2006 by AGHAM (Advocates of Science and Technology for the People).  

I got this from a friend's FB link.

Los Angeles through Robert A's lens

I’ve always like photography since I was young. I was lucky to own a secondhand Yashica SLR in College and still remember the excitement I feel whenever I had the chance to use it.  The result was not that bad, but I wish I could be better with taking pictures. I realized I could never be a real pro like Rob Alexander, a professional Los Angeles Photographer whose portfolio includes performances of legendary bands such as Metallica, Kid Rock, Eminem, Limp Bizkit, Blink 182, to name a few; "The Solution to Benefit Heal the Bay" and Goldfingers "Darren's coconut ass" albums.

Rob began his career as a hobby. He was with friends when he started to shoot local bands with legendary skateboarding friends throughout the Los Angeles area. Shortly after that stint, he worked in the Art Department for several Music Videos. It was his first professional job as a photographer. Rob also find his way to the fashion world by working with upcoming fashion designers for several clothing lines such as Paris Blues and Pornstar clothing. In 1999, Rob was part of one of the largest Skateboarding/ Punk Rock tours in the US. Some of his works are for sale online. You can visit his website provided in the link above.
 

Convenience of pre-book airport transfer

During an out-of-town coverage there are few things I look forward to – a nice hotel or lodging house, a good place to eat, an internet shop, a convenient store and a souvenir shop. But most importantly, someone has to pick me up at the airport first to bring me to my place of destination or I might be lost.:P I have a share of good experience with guides. Actually they are not really tour guides but my officemates who are assigned in the area. With their assistance and a company-provided car, I can move freely without having to worry where the next place of interview will take place. They also drive me around town during my free time or after my job for the day is done.

I never had an opportunity to travel abroad for coverage. If I had one I'm not sure if I would experience the same assistance from familiar people. But locating my place of destination would be easy if I will reserve a pre-book airport transfer via shuttledirect.com. From what I understand a pre-book airport transfer is the most efficient and the fastest method of arriving to your destination. Once you exit the baggage hall you are met by a representative or driver who will be waiting for you with a clearly marked sign. After presenting your transfer voucher you are assisted with your luggage and swiftly escorted to your awaiting vehicle avoiding any queues or waiting. If you’re travelling with a group you will be assigned a shuttle buss exclusively for your group. If you have an immediate travel plan, you may visit shuttledirect.com and search for information related to your queries. Your question(s) could be one of those provided an answer to at their Most Popular or Latest Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. They also have a contact page if you need someone to speak to regarding the services they offer.

Top entrecard droppers and buzzers for July 2010

Droppers

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Mobile home living

I have not experienced living in one maybe not in the near future. ;)  But I heard that sale of mobile homes has increased particularly in the US. Recession left thousands of workers laid off from work leaving them no other choice but to sell their properties and opt to settle in simple house like the Mobile Homes in Indiana. Basically, mobile homes are less expensive than buying a large house because they are easy to build and maintain. You may think mobile homes are small, but its living space is comparable to a small two-bedroom house or relatively large apartment. Mobile homes are also cheaper than a regular house to maintain in so many ways. For one, fixing a mobile home roof costs less than fixing a traditional shingled roof. Adding a furnace is also cheaper because it heats a single floor and smaller living space only. Small space means less heating consumption and less electric bill during winter season.

Mobile home  

Purchasing Mobile Homes Indiana is a good decision if you own a land in the area that you are planning to build a bigger house in the future. So while you are still saving up for your dream house or while building it, you can keep your mobile home and maybe sell it after the structure is completed. Another thing is that property tax and insurance are a lot cheaper for mobile homes. For the business minded or planning long term, they opted to buy a mobile home to purchase a more expensive land. They consider it a good investment especially if they are living in an area where property is expected to continue to increase because of economic factors including job stability. Many people buy a mobile home for recreational purposes or vacation spots, some for retirement.

Modular home 

If you are living somewhere in Indiana you can avail of Manufactured Homes Indiana because they build mobile homes right there at the factory in Garrett, Indiana. Their builder offers range of attractive floor plans for the customers' satisfaction.Considering the many benefits of mobile homes, maybe our government can look into the possibility of building mobile homes to address homelessness or squatting problem in the country, especially in Metro Manila.

Share and Win Johnsons Baby Bedtime Products!

Share with us your bedtime routine and win JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime products!!! (click to join)

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