Travelling to the Philippines

Last August, me, hubby, and the kids took our much awaited Philippine vacation. The cost, the planning and the actual long-hour of travel it took is all worth it when we all get to embrace my family in the PI. It took us years to save for this trip, yet the time we get to spend with my family is so short. No matter how short it is though, the time we spent with them are memories that will forever be treasured.

At New Orleans Airport... Excited to leave...

Fifi scribbling while ate is dozing off

Waiting to embark the plane for Korea

Fifi entertaining herself while on flight

Ate has no problem killing the time with her DS games

Daddy is in his elements while watching the free movies in the plane



Watching my Favorite Show

I like all kinds of television shows but my most favorite is the home renovation show at HGTV channel. They show real people renovating their own houses and turning it from a 70's style house into a modern beautiful one. I especially love to watch the bathroom renovations since me and hubby have plans of updating our bathroom.

Bathroom renovation is not a small feat. It is a small part of the house yet, it cost a lot to renovate. Second to the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the things that most home-owners spend so much money on. Through their shows, I learned a lot about different shower heads. I also saw a lot of ideas on what kind of shower head I would like to use in our own bathroom. I like the low pressure shower heads since it saves water but hubby likes handheld shower heads so he could reach the areas he needs to reach easier.

It's amazing how much you learn just from watching a show on the television. I already have a lot of ideas on what to do with our bathroom once we have the money to start the renovation.

Get Your Business Known Through WebVisible

Starting a business is hard. Starting it in this economy is harder, but like all other businesses that made it big, advertising is the key. Getting people to learn and know that you exist is way easier though through the internet and the best company to do the job is WebVisible. They are the expert in making sure that your business gets as many customers as possible through advertising in the internet.

WebVisible also makes sure that when people searches for the kind of service you provide, your business name pops up first, thus making your business thrive. It is an added thing to consider, but it will benefit your business in the long run. It is a way of putting out the word in the street about you, but instead of going out yourself and handling print-outs, they do all the work for you.

So if you have a business, whether it be a salon, a coffee shop or a construction business, make sure you advertise. It's the best way to keep the establishment floating in this economy.

Feel Secure with Total Protect Home Warranty

I could not count how many times I have to call my husband while he's at work, because some stuff in the house broke. Good thing I have in-laws nearby who are more than willing to help me out when things likw that happen. Since my husband sometimes is at work for days at a time, he got the Total Protect Home Warranty so if anything happens, everything is taken-cared even if he's not at home.

Total Protect Home Warranty covers the following repairs regardless of age, make or model. They would come repair the following household items 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Here the covered items:

• Heating
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Stove/Range
• Air Conditioner
• Built-in Microwave
• Refrigerator
• Water Heater
• Ceiling Fan
• Garbage Disposal
• Dishwasher
• Washer/Dryer

I have to admit that now that we have the Total Protect Home Warranty, I feel more secure even if my husband is at work. I don't need to bother him while he's on meetings and that alone is worth everything.

I Love Dancing with the Stars

The Author of this post is Herman Barry

I love to watch my favorite reality TV show on satellite TV from www.tvbydirect.com/dvr-powered-by-tivo.html. My number one reality show is Dancing with the Stars. This show has brought back some television and music favorites. The show also has stars from the sports world. The choreographers are amazing and very stylish. They really are very patient with the stars as they come up with dance routines for their time on stage. The judges are very knowledgeable and sometimes have a kind word. Other times the judges can be quite harsh.

The current season is by far my absolute favorite. Seeing Brandy and Rick Fox is a real treat. I also like the season that Cloris Leachman graced the stage that was an absolute treat. She was funny and dazzling. The judges were not that fair with her because she gave it her all. She moved quite well to be her age. I could watch her every season over and over again. There has also been some contestants that have taken the stage that should have stayed home. This is a show that I watch every season and will continue to watch.

My Favorite Pass Time

It is very rare that I would have time by myself these days. As a wife and a mom of two, my hands are full most of the time, but there are rare occasions when I do have time to mess with and the first thing I do aside from blogging is playing online. I used to play a lot of online games back then when Fifi is still a couple of months old and all she mostly does is eat and sleep. My most favorite games are the hidden object games. It is ver addictive and in fact, entertains me until I forget that an hour or two has passed already.

I wish I still have all the time in the world to play online and take a nap. But sadly, I don't. Instead, I have a rowdy 21-month-old toddler who would not let me do anything except play with her. As soon as she sees me sitting in front of the computer or the laptop, she would get in my lap and start typing in the keyboard. At first I tried to tell no, but that does not work, and if she starts crying, I am engulfed in a sense of motherly guilt that I am not giving my baby enough attention.

Maybe one day, perhaps when she starts going to school, I would have the time again to play online. I could not wait for that time, but right now, I am enjoying the time I have with my daughters while they're growing up.

A Nice Study Break

Guest post written by Whitney Bryant

Making the adjustment to college has been pretty tough for me this semseter. For one thing, I made easy A's in high school by barely studying. But now I'm learning how to study the hard way. After midterms a couple of weeks ago I knew that I needed a break so I decided that I would go to the state fair.

When I was looking up all the info and deciding just how much that going to the fair was going to cost, I came across http://www.clearwirelessinternet4g.com/clear-deals.html and decided to switch over my internet service to it to help save a little cash for some fun.

Once I had finally convinced my suitemates to go with me to the fair we set out and had a whole lot of fun. It reminded me how much fun we had at hte beginning at the semester before we al got busy and caught up in all of our activities. Plus, we had a lot of fun wolfing down fried fair food and riding a bunch of rides.

Would You Still Eat a McDonald's Meal?

I was shocked to read this information online. A New York artist named Sally Davies bought a McDonald's Happy Meal, took a picture of it almost everyday for 180 days, and found out that after six months, the meal didn't rot at all. It looks the same as it did the first time she brought it home, the only difference is that is got as hard as rock.

She said the food did not attract insects, did not grow molds and did not change in appearance whatsoever except for a little shrinkage. As soon as I saw it, I made a decision not to eat any McDonald's Meal anymore. Here are the before and after pictures of the meal.

Fantasy Football and "The League"

Thanks for the post from Margie Kline.

If it's one TV premiere I could not wait for, it was season two of "The League." Sure, I do not understand fantasy football at all, but I can appreciate when five comedians unite to make the best comedy of 2010.

I prepared to watch my favorite fall TV premiere on the tv we got from http://www.directstartv.com/directv_programming/directv_interactive_channels.html with water and deep breaths to avoid a stomach ache after watching "The League" partake in their draft in Las Vegas.

The season premier was an event itself as the guy traveled on a man-only weekend to Vegas where they meet up with Ochocinco (of the Cincinnati Bengals) and pick their players for the season. The introduction of Kevin's brother-in-law (Rafi), who is now the sixth member of their league, is nearly the highlight. Rafi is ignorant, selfish and an essential part of the cast. He plays well off the other characters who, aside from Kevin, think he is a horrible choice for their league.

Planning on Buying a New Home?

If you're planning to buy a new home, this is the best time to do it. A lot of beautiful properties are now for sale for half the price it used to. The secret to finding the best deals is by finding Free Foreclosures online. Sad to say but other people's demise of not being able to pay their mortgage is a home-buyer's blessing. There are also Free REO Foreclosures available online so it's a great help to broaden up your choices.

I have seen a lot of foreclosed houses online, I just don't have the funds to get it. As of the moment we are paying for our mortgage and it is not wise to have a second mortgage no matter how cheap it is. We do have plans to sell our current house, and then get a new one after it's sold. I am just hoping that the house we get is also a foreclosed property that would fit our budget.

If you are more comfortable in dealing with Real Estate companies, there are also Real Estate Owned Foreclosures that are available no matter what state you live. The best price around are the foreclosed properties, no doubt about that. Just make sure you could pay for the monthly bill or else you would end up being foreclosed in the future as well.

The Case of the Pink Eye

I know, some of my friends here have been wondering where I have been these past couple of days. Well, you guessed it right, I had pink eyes! Fifi caught it first from her cousin when we spent the weekend with them, and later on gave it to me. I don't mind having it, but it breaks my heart to see my baby suffer. She would always tell me "Mama, eye!" while pointing to her irritated eyes. It is viral so, there's no medicines for it, all I got to do is watch her suffer and let it run its course. She's better now, and I am too. I am really careful not to infect Andrea and made sure she stays away from us for now so she won't get sick and miss her classes. It's in times like these that Mommy's are needed the most.

Fifi with her irritated eyes... It's all red and swollen...

she won't sleep anywhere but in my chest (this is before I caught it)

doctor's visit with daddy (still smiling with the camera despite the pain)

Finally Fair Season

Guest post written by Ann Bentley

The annual fair is in town and my husband promised to take me tonight. I'm so excited! This fair's one of the reasons I really love the month of October. I've gone to a fair of some sort since I was little, and I made sure to keep up the tradition up until now. I'm not sure what I love more--the amazing food, the people, the buzz or the exhibits they put together showcasing arts and crafts from people in the community.

Either way, I think it's a great way to support the arts, have a little fun and raise a buck or two for the town's economy. I think I'm looking most forward to having a big funnel cake to bring to the rodeo show they have. I always get it with chocolate sauce an extra powdered sugar--it's not the best for you, but it's good to treat yourself every now and then!

The only thing standing in my way for leaving now is that Miracle Ear hearing test, which I've had scheduled for a few weeks. Afterward, Bob and I are hitting the road. I love this month!

Beautiful Vacation Villas or a Simple Home?

I love watching the reality show from Bravo T.V. network titled The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It just started last Thursday and despite having a sick baby, I made sure that I recorded the episode and watched it. The glamour, the fashion, the wealth and of course, the drama are the main ingredients of the said show. Most of the housewives have some kind of cosmetic surgery done in their faces and they even admit that because of it, they can't make any kinds of facial expressions at all. Most of them also owns or have rented villas in Spain and villas in Lanzarote.

If they don't have such fortune, they wont be cast in the show. It's just ironic that women like them who are already rich and does not need any material things would be paid a big amount of money to be on a show. They get to write books and make their own single just because they are in the show, not because they have the talent to do so. The last real housewives have marketed their businesses and even got all kinds of exposure because of it. But on the downside, I also noticed that in every group of housewives, there's always somebody who gets divorced in the end.

I am not saying it is because of the show, but I think the show has become the catalyst of the divorce. So it led me to a conclusion that sometimes, it's better to be just living a simple life and not be in the spotlight. At least you have more chances of keeping your family together. A house they say is never a home without a family in it. So I guess I'll choose a simple home over a fancy Mansion.

Teen Addiction is a Big Problem

One thing I am scared so much of, is that one day, I would wake up, finding out that one of my daughters is addicted to drugs or alcohol. It's not that I am wishing it on them, but everytime I change the channel on the television, I see good straight A kids getting involved in the wrong crowd and doing the wrong thing. As a mother, I could not help but be worried.

As a result of this so-called teenage addiction phenomenon, a lot of teen drug rehab centers popped up in the country. Same thing with teen alcohol rehab centers. I do support the idea that instead of just neglecting the kids with addiction problems, we should try to help them by putting them into rehab. I have heard about a good rehabilitation center that specializes in teenagers called the California teen drug rehab. It has helped a lot of teens get their life back together and that is a good thing.

If you want to learn more about how big this teen addiction really is just try to look at the teen drug statistics and you will see that it's a serious problem that needs to be addressed right away. Our children are the future of the country and if we can't help them lead back to the right path, this country's future would turn out bleak.

I am Blessed!

Sometimes we think that life is unfair. That nothing goes our way and our life sucks but we don't realize that the mere fact that we exist here on Earth, able to walk and type on a keyboard, even the simple thing as being able to breath without the help of a machine is a blessing enough.

If you want to feel how blessed you are, then please watch this video...

Maintaining a Good Credit Score

Maintaining a good credit score in this economy is twice as hard as it was back when the economy is at its highest point. Credit card companies have raised their minimum payments to make sure that they get paid as soon as possible. There are even other creditors who made it harder by raising their Annual Percentage Rate by a couple of points.

My husband and I have been very watchful of what we do, so we maintained the good credit score that we've been had. Good thing we were careful back then and didn't spend beyond our means, or else, we would end up just like the others who have to file for bankruptcy in order to survive. I admit it is hard to maintain it, but we believe that if we owe something, we should pay it and not just throw in the towel. It will be a sacrifice but in the end, it will be worth it.

The following are our proven and tested way of maintaining a good credit score;

• paying our bills on time
• paying more than the minimum payment
• paying the bills off when there's a big amount we have available
• making sure our balance is half of the credit limit they give us
• keeping our relationships with our creditors good
• not having more than 3 credit cards at a time
• keeping track of our credit through Freescore.com

In this country, the only way to make it without having a good credit score is by having a lot of cash in hand. And that's nearly impossible, so maintaining a good credit score is as important as having food in the pantry.

Family Camping Trip

We love to do things as a family. Hubby and I are both outgoing, and we both want the kids to grow up someday, reminiscing how much fun they had while growing up. I also want to instill in them the value of being together as a family. One of the things that we did was tent camping at Pensacola, Florida. It was one of the most fun things we did as a family. We will definitely do it again.

our humble campsite (red tent for me, hubby and Fifi. Green tent for Andrea)

it's a walking distance from the beach so we're all dark from spending all day there

dinner time



Moving Guide

Moving is not an easy feat. A lot of things should be considered before moving. My friend learned that lesson when she just decided out of the blue to move to a different apartment. She went ahead and packed her stuff and drove to the new place without even planning anything. She bumped into lots of troubles and the supposed to be one day worth of moving, took her three days.

Now she recommends going reading the moving guide before doing anything. It will teach you all kinds of things that you probably wouldn't even think about. It will give you tips about packing, parking and storage. It also has a unique thread where you could ask an expert on certain issues about moving.

Nothing prepares you better than having the right knowledge in stuff. Whether it be moving or other issues, it will always end up better if you read first about it before jumping into it.

Something Beautiful to Look at when it Rains

My mother-in-law is so fond of beautifying her garden. She is retired now so she spends most of her free time in her garden. She mentioned the last time we went to visit her, that she's going to purchase some rain chains. She is one of those who loves to put statues and fountains in their garden. I am not so fond of it but the kids love playing in her garden. There are elves in it, different fountains in every corner, and plenty of plants. Now she's adding up garden rain chains to her collection.

Yesterday we went drop off the kids so she could baby-sit them and we saw the rain chain. It didn't rain that time but she demonstrated how it works by pouring water on it as if it's raining and the kids squealed in delight. I knew that when the real rain comes, it would be beautiful to look at. I am so sold to the idea of it that I might get some myself so the kids would have something to occupy them when it rains and they can't play outside. I am thinking of getting the one below.



When it Feels Good to be a Mother

The message above is a Mother's Day card I received from my daughter Andrea. The cover is in french and it just warms my heart while I read the message. It's in moments like this that all the sacrifices I did to raise her is all worth it. Nothing beats being a mom, especially when your kids learn to appreciate you.

My Aunt is Moving Back to the Philippines

My Aunt, who have been living in the UK for twenty plus years, has finally decided to move back to the Philippines. She has worked there as a nurse since the 80's and now that she's retiring, she and her husband decided to enjoy the tropical weather of her native country. I talked to her recently and asked her if she's going to start over with furnishing her new home in the PI. She said that she will bring back most of her prized possessions from the UK home. I thought it was impossible since just the Removal Costs alone would probably be a lot. But she did it and she even said it didn't cost her that much.

I hope someday we will be able to do the same thing. My husband is set on retiring in the Philippines someday and even wants to be buried there when the time comes. I find that wonderful because even if I am living here in the US for a while now, I am still not used to the lifestyle here. I still miss the way life goes in the PI. I find it easier to survive there than here. Maybe it's just because I have my family around to support me, but I don't know.

Someday, when everything works out as planned, we will be able to move back there just like my aunt did. I also know that if we do, it would make my family very happy.

Sharing Pictures to my Family in the Philippines

Since we moved here in the U.S., we have been sharing our pictures to my family to the Philippines by sending them picture Cd's using our DVD duplicator. I think it's one of the best things we ever owned since it could transfer our personal pictures and videos to a video disk that could be viewed through a DVD player.

The first time we did it was for our wedding pictures. My husband already has the duplicator, so all he did was purchase a CD printer so the video we make would look professional. I read the read the DVD duplication guide thoroughly to make sure that we make the right copy, and we tested it first in our own DVD player before sending it off. The picture CD we created has our personalized cover for it and it looks like it was ordered from a photography shop.

My family enjoyed viewing the pictures in a big screen TV and they also were able to view it in  the personal computer at home. I made two copies so I could keep the other one and until now, when I feel like watching it, all I need to do is stick it in my DVD player. Technology really makes life easier.

Swimming Time!

Last year, I didn't allow my little Fifi to get in the big pool because she is still too young to be splashing around. I was scared that she would drown or gulp a lot of water. Now that she is big enough, I let introduced her to the pool and right away, she loved it!

Here are some of her pics in the pool last summer.

getting ready to swim

daddy is her swimming buddy

with big sister Andrea

Buy Gold Now!

As the US dollar fluctuates in value, it is not very practical to keep saving it. Instead, spend it to purchase something that would be worth more in the future. Gold has continuously gained value over the last decade and a lot of "we buy gold" ads have been popping up everywhere. I know a lot of us don't have much left in our savings since the start of the recession but if I have the extra money, I would definitely buy gold. It is a good investment and I could always count on its raising value.

There are different kinds of gold that you could invest in. You could purchase buy a Gold Bullion. It is 100% gold and it will not lose value no matter how bad the economy goes. There's bullion that could be purchased at recognized sellers. Just make sure that you choose the right business to get your gold from.

While there are plenty of opportunities to invest in gold, jump into the wagon. Instead of having regular IRA, it would be wise to have Gold IRA, since it will surely be rising in value. One day you might have to regret not doing it when you should have.

Hello Pinguin!

My little Fifi has her first close encounter with the penguins when we went visit the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. She was so giddy and excited to watch them all swim and waddle around. She let out a very loud squeal when one of the penguins decided to come near her.



Replacement Cartridges for Printers

We are so spoiled nowadays that when something breaks, we just throw it away and replace it with a brand new one. Now that the economy is not as good as it was before, we need to do everything we could to save whatever that breaks. Instead of throwing away broken chairs, it's better to fix it with a nail and a hammer and re-use it.

In the last couple of months, two of our printers broke and my husband threw them both away instead of trying to fix it. This time when the cartridges broke in our new printers I convinced him to find a replacement one versus getting a whole new printer. We found a lot of  Xerox phaser 6130 printer cartridges online to replace our broken one and that saved us a lot of money.

It is very practical to fix our printer by getting a new cartridge than throwing a perfectly-working one just because the cartridge is messed-up. If you have encountered the same problem, try to do the same and I assure you it will be worth it.

Invest in Gold

As the US dollar fluctuates in value, it is not very practical to keep saving it. Instead, spend it to purchase something that would be worth more in the future. Gold has continuously gained value over the last decade and a lot of "we buy gold" ads have been popping up everywhere. I know a lot of us don't have much left in our savings since the start of the recession but if I have the extra money, I would definitely buy gold coins. It is a good investment and I could always count on its raising value.

There are different kinds of gold that you could invest in. You could purchase gold krugerrands or buy a bar of gold. Either way, it is still gold and it will not lose value no matter how bad the economy goes. There are also swiss gold that could be purchased at recognized sellers. Just make sure that you choose the right business to get your gold from.

While there are plenty of opportunities to invest in gold, jump into the wagon. One day you might have to regret not doing it when you should have.

Date Night

Every month, hubby and I make sure that we have a night together. Just the two of us, with no kids. Last Friday was our date night for this month. We went to a big fair at Gretna, Louisiana. It is called the Heritage Festival. It is so big that they have to close roads and bring the people around the venue through a bus.

We parked at the nearby mall and rode the bus to the venue. It was full of people, and full of booths that sells different stuff. There are hundreds of food booths belonging of the different heritage. There's the Italian village, the Asian Boomtown and the Cajun town, all selling products from that particular heritage. I went to one booth and checked out the different address plaques and address signs they sell. It is made with intricacy and I liked it. Hubby ordered an  address plaque for our house which we will get a day after. We walked all over and looked at the different displays.

At around 6 pm, we went to to the main stage of the fair and waited until the concert started. They have the Little River Band playing and after that would be the REO Speedwagon. I had a blast and I danced with hubby while the band is playing my favorite song.