The Aspacio's

Healing

2010-02-28T23:27:00.001+08:00

My husband and I encounter host of different personal and relationship issues in the ministry. This is but natural. The dynamics of man and how his character is formed right from he was a child can be a very fragile and complex matter.

It is always our heart to be able to minister to the people who come to us for help. But in any event that the issue is more than our scope, we refer them to individuals or institutions like what Michigan Drug Rehab offers, if the case is about drug dependency. If it will be a relational case in marriage that is extra complicated, we refer them to a more seasoned professional to help them better.

These are the two cases that we found to be the most complex – drug addiction and marital issues. Now we are updating our records and we hope to find a facility just like this Drug Rehab in Michigan. This MI Drug Rehab has the facilities that a drug dependent will need to get back to his normal self again. Another important factor is to restore the whole person and this also includes the counseling of the whole family, who also, to a good extent has suffered the effects of drug addiction. Healing should be the ultimate goal.

Updating

2009-11-13T13:58:00.002+08:00

I just got a warning from Entrecard that I need to get this blog updated or else they're going to have to sack this one out. I wouldn't want that. I know I have been quite negligent when it comes to updating this blog. I am hoping to get this blog shifted to wordpress and have its own hosting.

Aside from that I am also looking into claiming another domain with homeschooling as its niche. Now the challenge is to get hold of that perfect domain name. Suggestions, anyone? :-)

Wood Burning Stove is Eco-Friendly

2009-07-22T10:41:00.001+08:00

As someone who prides herself to doing her share for an environment, I am more than glad to invalidate the misconception that a wood burning stove is not environment friendly. It is in fact, eco-friendly. Wood burning is environment friendly, basically because wood in itself is a carbon neutral fuel. It means that whatever carbon it releases as it is burnt, it also absorbs.

This is one very important aspect of wood burning to me, being an advocate of environmental preservation. I have practiced it from the time my son was newborn, by using leakproof cloth diapers instead of disposables and making my own wipes too, among other different things. It is just best to be able to give back to the environment what we could do from our end. Getting ourselves a wood burning stove is one of them. Written in association with Wood stove suppliers.

Thinking of a name for my next domain

2009-07-21T22:22:00.002+08:00

We really appreciate our friend Neil of NeilMaranan.com of all the help he has given us right from the time I first claimed my very first domain, MarriageandBeyond.com. He has patiently led us through the ins and outs of being webmasters and as of late, with the domain disaster the former owner of eznet-hosting.com has done to its clients, he was still there to lend a helping hand.

As we move towards our two years in the blogosphere (business wise), I am now thinking of another name for a domain. Most of my sites are niched ones, which I am thankful for. This way, I could categorize each subject and for each post I could zero in on what is within its niche.

Now that we are seriously into homeschooling, I am hoping to claim a domain that is niched around homeschooling. Although I could easily have the subject squeezed in my primary site, MarriageandBeyond.com, I wouldn't want to bombard it with everything about homeschooling. Now I need to think of that good domain name for a homeschooling site...

What to look for in a woodburning stove

2009-07-20T10:15:00.000+08:00

As my family and I are looking into getting ourselves a wood burning stove, I have been investigating on how to wisely choose such kind of stove. A serious wood burning stove buyer should choose one that is made of cast iron or steel. This is the most tolerant of extreme heat that almost always equals to durability.

While we are aware that wood burning stoves do not come cheap, especially the good quality ones, it will actually prove to be cheaper for us in the long run. Plus the fact that this site will even save me 50% off from the regular price. Written in association with Woodburning stove suppliers.

My son aced his first unit test

2009-07-19T22:05:00.001+08:00

After a month of officially homeschooling our son, I am glad to report to you that he has aced his first unit test. While it is true that most of the lessons we have been going through are more of reviews of previous things I have taught him right from when he was still very young, it is still such a joy to watch him progress before my very eyes. Especially when it comes to the things that he is still not very good at, like his fine motor skills and paying attention.

The curriculum that School of Tomorrow provides us homeschoolers are just so neat that it makes it so easy for teachers to homeschool our children with the best quality of education a parent could give their child. I will always be grateful for the privilege of being able to homeschool our son.

Switching to Wood Burning Stove

2009-07-19T21:14:00.000+08:00

It was a couple of years ago when I first thought of getting our family a wood burning stove. During that time, cooking gas has hiked up and doubled its cost from the regular amount. It was a great deal back then because I was not yet into freelancing and our budget then is really hurt by the prices of practically all consumables of which prices hike up by the day. I did not find a good brand of such kind of stove then.

It was just timely that I saw this site selling just the very thing that I needed, now that the price of cooking gas is once again going up. It is just the most practical way to go, especially now that we are paying for our son’s preschool education. Written in association with wood burning stove suppliers.

Meet and Greet DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr.

2009-03-20T10:32:00.006+08:00

Yehey! invited us over to meet and greet DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr., yesterday, March 19. It was a fun afternoon conversation. He and his staff were accommodating and answered every possible question anybody from the roundtable threw at him.

There sure were a lot of things Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. shared with us, right from his experiences during his service in the military, to the most recent reappointment as the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

A profile of the secretary from the DPWH webpage:

HON. HERMOGENES EDEJER EBDANE, JR.

February 15, 2005 – February 5, 2007, July 4, 2007 to present

Prior to his reappointment as the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Secretary Hermogenes Edejer Ebdane, Jr. served as Secretary of the Department of National Defense, National Security Adviser and Director General of the National Security Council, Vice-Chairman of the Anti-Terrorism Task Force and National Anti-Terrorism Coordinator, and the 13th Chief of the Philippine National Police. He is a veteran, of 34-years, in law enforcement, intelligence operations and public safety administration.

Secretary Ebdane, has background in the field of engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the Philippine Military Academy in 1970. He earned a master’s degree in Criminology, and a doctorate in Peace and Security Administration.

The retired Four Star General has enhanced his civilian and military education by undergoing several senior-level courses and trainings which include the Command and General Staff Course at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; Incident Management Training under the U.S. Counter-Terrorist Training Group; Senior Crisis Management Course sponsored by the U.S. State Department; Senior Police Officers course at the Singapore Police Academy; Senior Police Executive Course at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Thailand; and Basic and Advance Intelligence Courses from the National Intelligence Training Center and the Special Intelligence Training School.

He has posted significant accomplishments in the following top-level positions and assignments: Provincial Commander of the Nueva Ecija Constabulary Command; Commander of the Presidential Guard Battalion; Commanding Officer of the PC Special Action Force; Director of the Western Police District; Regional Director of the National Capital Region Police Office; and Chief of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force or NAKTAF. He was also the PNP Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development, Deputy Chief for Administration before being appointed as the Chief of the Philippine National Police from July 2002 to August 2004.

In recognition of his outstanding service and achievements, he received highly coveted awards and distinctions including the Distinguished Conduct Star; the Philippine Legion of Honor; Two Distinguished Service Stars; the PNP Distinguished Service Medal; Medalya ng Katangi-tanging Gawa; Bronze Cross Medal; Military Merit Medals; the PMA Cavalier Award for Leadership and Command Administration; Master Parachutist Badge; and numerous other citations.

He was born on December 30, 1948 in Candelaria, Zambales. He is happily married to former Alma Cabanayan with whom he was blessed with three children.

Indescribable by Louie Giglio

2009-03-03T11:42:00.002+08:00

The hubby and I watched these clips last night and were blessed. I just had to get this embedded so I could watch them in the future again. I hope you take time to watch.

We Made It!

2009-03-01T11:55:00.002+08:00

We finally able to go out and have that most coveted Valentine date, before the love month ended! There were a couple of bloggers events we went to and we really enjoyed the Jazz fest at Eastwood. We were actually out from noon till late night.

We hope to be able to go out on dates, even once a month. :D

FDA Warns About the Psoriasis Drug, Raptiva

2009-02-28T22:21:00.005+08:00

Health is wealth. This saying remains true to this day. The hubby and I know at least a couple of loved ones who suffer from Psoriasis and we see that it can really be a serious disease if it is not managed and treated well. Psoriasis is an auto immune-system disease that is characterized by red patches around the skin and Raptiva has been a popular drug taken by people who has Psoriasis and has been found to be related to a deadly brain infection that is named Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalophathy or PML.

Warnings have been sent out about this medicine, people have been told about the possible effects. It will be best to have your doctor’s opinion about this issue. Investigation was initiated by the United States Food and Drug Administration on deaths that are possibly related to PML.

If you happen to know of someone who has been using the aforementioned drug and have suffered damages, you might want to check with http://socialspark.com/metrics/click/post?slot_id=33089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.raptivapml.com. Mark & Associates, P.C. provides services that is in direct connection to this drug. Know your right to claim if damages have occurred because of this drug. It is always best to be in the know than suffer the consequences when it is too late.

No V Date Yet and Some Events Coming

2009-02-24T22:09:00.000+08:00

The month is almost over and the hubby and I haven't had a decent V date yet! We are both hoping that this coming weekend will be "it" day for us. I have already talked to my folks to take over taking care of my son for half of the day this coming Saturday as the hubby and I will attend a couple events.

We are excited to be meeting 198 other bloggers this coming Saturday in SM Marikina for the WiFi testing. My friend Mhel will be coming over with Rizza and I am hoping to be able to meet other bloggers as well. The hubby and I have met a handful of new online buddies via Plurk. Thanks to Earth of Earlingorgeous. I have created a Plurk account middle of last year but never got the hang of using it! Earth was the one who encouraged me to get active once again. I then deleted my old account and created a new one. :D And now I cannot stop plurking.

You can add me up plurk.com/Jennie_A/invite if you have a plurk account. :D

Elegant Spectacles that Fit the Budget

2009-02-14T11:05:00.003+08:00

I spend so many hours in front of the computer every single day, which is why I know I should not be surprised why eye strain has been almost like a permanent thing these past few weeks. Now I know there are prescription eyeglasses for only $8.

I’m sure you have read about Zenni Optical in the New York Times. Now seeing straight without breaking bank is possible because of Zenni. And I wouldn’t really mind if I sport this pretty pair in the future. It is guaranteed durable and looks hip enough for me.

Busy Everyday

2009-02-05T23:48:00.002+08:00

I have long accepted the fact that with the choice that I made of being a work from home mom, comes the pressure from all corners of the home and more from the internet. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. I wouldn't have it any other way. I tried getting a nanny, but our experience wasn't the most pleasant to say the least.

True, it can get crazy. Especially when the pressure would come from every corner. Which makes it necessary for me to keep a balance and resolve to have a sort of "me" time every chance I get - to keep my sanity.

A devotion to prayer each day is important. I miss one and I go silly with decisions I make, big or small. But so far, in our more than seven years of being married and caring for the little guy for almost four years, practically single handedly. I know this is something that I am not going to regret until my dying days. :D

Restoration

2009-02-03T19:51:00.000+08:00

One of the major issues that we know exists in the community where our church is located is drug abuse. It has been ongoing even in the urban area and is the number one cause of crime in our society. As a church we can only counsel and advise private drug rehab to those who are willing to listen. It is part of the restoration process of an individual who has given himself to drugs for some and who would like to get back to his feet.

24's Season 7

2009-01-28T19:23:00.000+08:00

The hubby and I have been doing marathons of the first few episodes of 24, Season 7. After a year of delay, 24 is finally back. First I thought Tony Almeida has gone totally crazy and got into the enemy's boat, but things are more than what they seem. As predictable as things are in the plot, every episode is still heart stopping as ever. :-)

On Home Troubles and Loan Modification

2009-01-21T11:45:00.001+08:00

Oh the troubles of keeping house! Now the issue is in the bath. For some reason that we cannot figure out just yet. The hubby cannot yet get down to it. Water just keeps on collecting around the bath tub, which keeps us mopping in a regular basis. My ever reliable handyman/hubby thinks it is the recently installed bath faucet. His theory is because he did not use the right tool size, the faucet was not properly sealed, that is now what’s causing the water leakage. I know he will soon take care of the problem when he gets the chance. He is really busy right now.

As troublesome as issues around the home can get, it is still a real blessing to be able to have our own home. If it were not for the loan modification that was granted to us when the loan was still new, it would be really hard for us to pay off the amortization. It is really important to be able to adjust the kind of loan that you have to better fit your ability to pay. Otherwise the interest rate and package have the potential to bury you in deep debt. Incidentally, you can check out Arizona Loan Modification to have your existing loans checked. Sometimes the easiest way to manage your finances is start with paying off your debts and if at all needed, get a loan modification.

I'm Finally Kicking Out Smartbro Off Our House!

2009-01-16T15:05:00.002+08:00

I cannot be happier! For almost two years I have put up with SmartBro's disservice. The DSL setup guy finally came today and got my DSL connection installed. I am currently immersing myself to a whooping 1.7mbps connection speed. But it won't be long until it stabilizes to the speed that I subscribed to, which is 512kbps. Which is not bad considering I have been putting up with smartbro's average of 100kbps in my normal days.

As if SmartBro knows I'm kicking them out very soon, these past days I have been experiencing a speed connection as low as 50kbps! Yes, that 's worse than having a dial up for an internet connection. I wonder why SmartBro every called themselves broadband connection. I have gotten tired to calling them with their agents sounding like automoted robots. They say the same things but never getting to a resolve to my main problem which is my turtle speed connection.

Made Me Glad

2008-12-11T11:42:00.001+08:00

I keep singing this song over and over for some days now. Made Me Glad by Hillsong. I thought I'd paste this here instead of having to look for it over and over again via YouTube. :-)

I will bless the Lord forever
I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear
He has set my feet upon a rock
I will not be moved
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Whom have I in heaven but You
There's none I desire beside You
You have made me glad
And I'll say of the Lord

You are my shield, my strength
My portion, deliverer
My shelter, strong tower
My very present help in time of need

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Book Cover

2008-12-05T19:05:00.004+08:00

I am so hooked! After having finished Stephenie Meyer's book, Twilight, in no time. I am now almost done with the second book, New Moon. I just can't stop. Now, during the times that I get up from my bed resting (doc's order), I just go around browsing reading some more from the author's website.

A very interesting trivia on Twilight's book cover.

The apple on the cover of Twilight represents "forbidden fruit." I used the
scripture from Genesis (located just after the table of contents) because I
loved the phrase "the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil." Isn't this
exactly what Bella ends up with? A working knowledge of what good is, and what
evil is. The nice thing about the apple is it has so many symbolic roots. You've
got the apple in Snow White, one bite and you're frozen forever in a state of
not-quite-death... Then you have Paris and the golden apple in Greek
mythology—look how much trouble that started. Apples are quite the versatile
fruit. In the end, I love the beautiful simplicity of the picture. To me it
says: choice.

The Worm and Open Sports

2008-12-05T07:29:00.003+08:00

During the 90’s my husband loved the team Chicago Bulls. Among the players he loved that contributed to the great reign of the Bulls, aside from Michael Jordan of course, is Dennis “The Worm” rodman. He was great at offensive and defensive rebounding and added extra factor to the Bulls defensively. His attitude, fashion and hair style on and off court made him stand out and become known as the bad boy of basketball.

Now, with all these experience, popularity and credentials, an online sports destination known as OpenSports.com has signed “The Worm” a.k.a. “Dennis the Menace”. Now, OpenSports.com was started by Mike Levy, a former CEO of CBS Sportsline.com. The Press Release, which can be read at prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1630124.htm, mentioned how great the partnership is because of Dennis Rodman’s expertise and the kind of entertainment he can provide through “self-written blog entries, video logs and participation in interviews with various sports personalities on and off-line.” I personally think that this will be something to look forward to.

How about you? What can you say about this partnership? Do you think this will be a great combination? Do you think that Rodman will create the desired effect among sports fans with his expertise and experience?

Done with the First Book!

2008-12-05T06:56:00.007+08:00

Can you actually call it bedrest when all I do in bed is read an e-book from my mobile? I finished the first book of Stephenie Meyer's Series on Twilight in no time. I literally cannot put my mobile down. I have already started the second book -- New Moon! And I cannot wait until Edward and Bella reunite again! :-)

Okay now, let me go back to resting in bed.

Engage With Grace

2008-12-01T17:19:00.000+08:00

In Alexandra Drane's words, we need to "start talking. Engage With Grace: The One Slide Project was designed with one simple goal: to help get the conversation about end of life experience started. The idea is simple: Create a tool to help get people talking. One Slide, with just five questions on it. Five questions designed to help get us talking with each other, with our loved ones, about our preferences."

Holiday Glasses from Zenni

2008-11-27T00:48:00.000+08:00

The holidays are here again. For those who have less than perfect vision, I bring you good news. Holiday glass frames from Zenni Optical are now made available for you online. The popular online eyeglasses shop has presented its collection. Where else can you find $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses that are as durable and well crafted as Zenni’s?

Whatever Happened to Our "Monday Detox Day"?

2008-11-24T13:33:00.000+08:00

It was two weeks ago when the hubby announced that Mondays are going to be our detox day. Only veggies and fruits for us throughout the day. For some reason, because of our little guy and me getting sick, there was really no way I could go pick out veggies and fruits for us to consume for the day.

It would have been a great plan, except that we only did it only a single Monday. That was a couple of weeks back. I really would like for that to resume. If it can't be Monday, then we have to offset one day from the week.

My Sweet Sister

2008-11-23T10:58:00.000+08:00

As expected, I had to pre arrange some baby sitting task to someone for the hubby and I to have been able to attend the 2nd Homeschool Conference yesterday at CCF. My dear sister was the default, as usual. Having no nanny, it is not really easy for us to just leave our son to a stranger. It has to be someone who loves him. That is undoubtedly my one and only sister, Rose.

We left the house at past seven in the morning! I swore we were going to be so late! The convention was at eight. I just had to check everything around the house. Making sure the cooking gas is turned off, among other things. We have been seeing a whole lot of gas fires and electric fires in the news lately and we should really be cautious. It is good that in this tropical country we don’t need any of those hole in the wall fires, although it should be a great aesthetics in the home.

I really appreciate my sis. She had to sacrifice yesterday her visit to the gym just to care for my little one. She would diligently SMS me how my son is doing and thank God he did not get any fever the whole day yesterday.

The Homeschool Convention was a Blast!

2008-11-23T10:54:00.001+08:00

I was never more convinced to homeschool my child than today! The convention that the hubby and I attended yesterday was a blast! I was not feeling well still, but the effort that we gave to attend that convention was well worth it.

Remember the post I did a few days back, reporting that my son was now fever free. Apparently, yesterday at 2 A.M. I woke up and felt his skin hotter than usual. He had a slight fever. The cold virus hasn't left our abode just yet. So as expected we lost sleep again over making sure his temparature doesn't shot up again. Ergo, we went to the conference lacking sleep.

We are happy to announce that we are considering not to homeschool our kid for just one year but for several years! :-)

Writing, Chicago-Style Course

2008-11-21T14:11:00.000+08:00

I am so thrilled! I just got this free online course from Brightstorm and the title of the course is Writing Chicago Style. It is a great online education site that is basically designed for high schoolers. Being a licensed professional teacher, I am so inclined to looking into these kinds of teaching modules and online courses basically because I am concerned about the quality of education students get from their regular school.

Going back to the course that I just availed of, I vouch for it as very effective and its value for money is outstanding. What could be more fun that learning like this. If more courses are given like this then I will not be the least surprised if we get outstanding students in no time. The content is no question very professional.

I love how Katie Aquino was able to get her message across and told her listeners why being able to communicate effectively in life is very important. It is just like getting inside a classroom and really learning not just the basics but advance stuff in the most interesting and fun way there is! I love how she classified the kinds of essay and its essential components. How many years have students are expected to write essays without having been told first about these basics, the foundation! I am so sure you are going to love Brightstorm like I do. Head out to the site and Sign up for a free brightstorm acocunt!

Finally Fever Free!

2008-11-21T14:08:00.000+08:00

I am so happy that our little guy is finally free of fever since yesterday afternoon. I'm sure you will understand if you are a parent and your son just caught the virus that you just got out from.

I have lost sleep for days since he first had the flu. I am so going to have him get his flu shot as soon as he recovers. The flu virus has mutated like never before and it is really crazy how it could get to your system without warning.

The Plug In Profit Site that Works!

2008-11-20T18:10:00.000+08:00

I am sure that like me, you must have heard about a handful of make money online schemes. I wasn’t the least interested until I met for myself someone who has actually made money online. When I met this person for myself and few others more, I knew I was in for the ride. I recently just stumbled upon this Plug-In Profit Site and I got hooked as I was introduced to the benefits and feasibility of earning from affiliate marketing.

As a work from home mom like myself, anyone would understand why I would always been in a look out for that lucrative home business. For me it was the testimonial that they have in their page how simple restaurant worker made a fortune by just giving this kind of thing a try. This worker is currently earning over $10,000 and it has been so from the twenty fourth month that he has tried it. If I would be given that same chance, who am I to refuse it, right?

There will be three very easy steps to follow and you will given this brand new site that is fully loaded absolutely free, at your very disposal. There really is nothing that you can lose but everything to gain.

The 2nd Philippine Homeschool Conference

2008-11-20T18:07:00.000+08:00

The hubby and I are excited! We will be attending the 2nd Philippine Homeschool Conference this coming Saturday. I have pre arranged with my sister and she agreed to baby sit for me for that day.

It will be a whole day event and we are hopeful about the different things that we will be learning about homeschooling. I will definitely keep you posted. :-)

Operation Mojo

2008-11-20T11:37:00.000+08:00

Who has not heard about Nat and Alex! Do you know that this coming Saturday, that is November 22 you can tune in to do a live chat with Nat and Alex Wolff themselves. Yes the same cutie pies from The Naked Brother Band. This will be done as a apart of their new premiere, “Operation Mojo.” The thing is Nat has lost his Mojo and the Band going into doing some Dudification of sorts.

Having said this, do you know that there are three ways that you can help Nat get his mojo back? The first one is you can watch and share Nat’s YouTube videos to at least five friends. Second, is subscribe to their YouTube channel and lastly is make it your homepage? Pretty easy, right?

Nat and Alex Wolff’s website is where children get to have clean fun and get to enjoy video and audio entertainment, interactive games and activities and even chatting sessions with other kids. For a parent like myself, it is a great relief to know that all of these are done within a safe and closely monitored by adults. One thing for sure, this site does not just put a smile of the kids’ faces but to their respective parents as well.

Health Update

2008-11-20T09:56:00.000+08:00

Two days after my son caught the flu, we are still managing his fever. The hubby and I have been losing sleep over alternately giving him his sponge bath. Being still sick myself, my not getting enough sleep is causing my getting well a major delay. I still have bad cough and colds.

I am still regularly giving our son Prpopolis Gold every waking hour. He does not need to take in Ibuprofen when I do, although he still gets momentarily hot. We just give him paracetamol when that happens and it responds quickly. I hope he gets better really soon.

The Golf Shop

2008-11-17T11:44:00.000+08:00

I am glad to report that I am way better now than the previous days. The Probiotic Propolis that I took these last two days really did wonders on me. Now it should be done. I have to get myself trim. I no longer need to wait for the Fit game console that has been my reason for months to delay my getting down to a regular exercise.

If truth be told, I could very much involve myself in a handful of sports. There are a lot of sports one can seriously get involve in. This time around my reason will not be to pass time because I honestly do not have the luxury of time, but for health reasons I will gladly involve myself in a brand new sports.

The one sport that intrigues me is golf. Although playing this sport is more costly than other sports, I still would like to think that I would be able to try this out in the future. There are a few necessary gadgets and equipment that one needs to be able to play. The right Golf shop should be as accessible as GolfKurs.com. If you are anywhere near Europe, you might want to check out this German golf portal that will be at your service. They have the best golf clubs and every other golf gadget you can think of. Those who are into the sport will be thrilled to know that this site provides all the information you need about different golf locations and their features, even golf club fitting info. We all know that a lot of people perceive this hobby as a luxury sport. A lifestyle. But then again, we have to give it to them that they deserve the fun they get from the sport, even as they can very well afford it.

Bad Bug

2008-11-16T23:25:00.000+08:00

Whatever bug that was, it sure made my week horrible! I have been down with the flu since Tuesday last week. As much as I would like to keep my distance from my little guy, he just refuses to not kiss me. I have praying since that he does not get whatever virus that got me so miserably sick this past week. The hubby has colds already. I hope the buck stops right here.

The Flat Belly Diet

2008-11-16T13:52:00.000+08:00

After having been bombarded with diet pills here and there, I’m sure all those who have been dieting for so long will take this good news to heart. I know I did! I was never on the heavy side but for some reason I have had this nagging belly fat for years and learning about this new diet that everyone is talking about – The Flat Belly Diet, gives me a newfound hope of finally getting rid of these unwanted body fats.

The best thing about it is there is no exercise required! I admit to being too lazy and with all the things I do on an everyday basis, you have to give that inch of slack. This is why this diet is totally an answered prayer for me.

The Fat Belly Diet was developed by the editor of Prevention Magazine and it is based on a scientific program which is based on consuming mono-unsaturated fats every single meal. By following this regimen, the potential belly fats that you can lose is up to fifteen pounds in just thirty two days. Now, that really is something. A diet that finally works!

The team that came up with this diet is looking for recruits to try the Fat Belly Diet free of charge and write about their experiences on their websites. All accepted participants get to receive a Fat Belly Diet book, free one year website subscription and membership to the exclusive Success Story Club.

From 29,000,000 to 2,574,701 in 3 Days

2008-11-16T13:24:00.000+08:00

It's Alexa rank, my dear readers. The blog that I am referring to is my newly claimed one www.ReviewsCorner.org. If that wasn't surprising, then I don't know what is! Although I expected an improvement to my stats, I never thought it would only take three days of Entrecard dropping.

Now can you blame me if I continue to rave on my love for Entrecard? Incidentally, please know that my ReviewsCorner site is currently open for link exchanges. Just leave a message to any of my entries on that page, link me up and I will surely link back to yours. Hope to see you there! :-)

Emotional Intelligence Assessment

2008-11-09T20:31:00.000+08:00

More than just the Intelligence Quotient, what the hubby and I happen to believe that is more important is our son's Emotional Intelligence. We know that this will determine his success more than his I.Q. It has been proven time and again that it is the biggest factor that will spell out the quality of life that he will have in the future.

In line with this, one great tool for assessment of a person's emotional intelligence is the 360 defree feedback. Swing by their site and learn more how to avail of their services.

Press Release:

The rules for work are changing. People are being judged differently: not just by how intelligent they are or by their training and expertise, but also by how well they handle themselves and each other.

The new rules predict who is most likely to become a star performer in their field of work and are crucial to their marketability for future jobs.

These rules have little to do with what we were told was important in school: academic abilities are largely irrelevant to this new standard. The new measure: Emotional Intelligence (EQ) takes for granted having enough intellectual ability to do our jobs. Emotional Intelligence focuses instead on personal qualities or emotional competencies based on

Self Awareness - Managing Emotions - Self Motivation - Managing Relationships - Emotion Coaching.
One of the most effective ways to develop Emotional Intelligence is to use the Appraisal360 Emotional Intelligence tool monitor real life behaviour. Appraisal360 specialise in providing online 360 degree feedback (multi-rater feedback) tools to support companies with the development of their staff.

Appraisal360 Emotional Intelligence uses a structured competency based questionnaire focussed around the definitions of Emotional Intelligence. Firstly, the user fills in the questionnaire with their self -perceptions. Then six people who know that person, boss, colleagues etc, are asked to fill in the same questionnaire with their perceptions of that person. The system compiles an easy to understand report which highlights strengths and weaknesses and areas where the user's self perception differs from other people's perception of them. It also comes with a set of learning materials to help turn the report into action. A matching support and mentoring service is also available. By using this tool you can help your staff develop their Emotional Intelligence in the workplace.

Introducing ReviewCorner.Org

2008-11-09T20:19:00.000+08:00

I am thrilled to announce my brand new domain, Reviews Corner. An inspiration came to me two days ago and I knew I had to choose between claiming a domain for this blog that I used to have hosted via Blogger or just leave it to be dominated by paid posts. I want more than just the latter.

I knew I could do better than just do paid posts on the said blog. I have so much to say about a lot of things that I encounter on a daily basis. From baby things, to financial investments, even movies and books. Talk about Reviews Galore, and that's what that site is going to have. Swing by the site and it is now officially open for link exchanges. Just leave a comment to any of the blog posts.

I'm Driving One

2008-11-05T14:14:00.000+08:00

One of the things I love is speed up on the highway like a race car driver. In a crowded city like where we live in, I could possibly do that an hour before dawn. I don’t race cars, but I dream of doing that. My husband drives like a mad man and always looks like he is on a race track. I guess that makes two of us. And you shouldn’t be the least surprised to learn that our little guy is mad about cars too. He has the thrill of his life when the hubs would fly through all those other newer model cars on the road. We will just be surprised as the little guy says bye-bye to the rest of the other cars we practically have flown by. When the hubby stops on an intersection to get ready, the little guy would cheer his papa on with, “You can do it, pops!”

For all those race car fanatics, you only have one week remaining to visit www.fordracingevents.com and sign up for the “I’m Driving One” campaign sweepstakes. The seven week campaign culminates very soon with three grand prize winners. The winnings at stake? An all expense paid trip to Ford Championship Weekend in Homestead, Fla. For the NASCAR season finale. All expense paid trip to the NHRA drag racing finale in Pomona, Calif or a Full day Mustang driving school at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

All you have to do is complete the refer a friend section to enter for a chance to win. Here’s more, for every week, a person gets to win a personalized autographed helmet from a Ford Racing driver. There are two more helmets to be given away to date. You get that chance to win that as well. This are all brought to you by innovative digital marketing.

Embed the Drive One! widget in your blog site now!

And History Unfolds

2008-11-05T13:22:00.000+08:00

I would not like to go political in this blog, but even as I have read yesterday about a preacher's vision upon this upcoming election, I cannot also help but feel unsettled. Today, as my father announced to me and my sister as we were in a conference via YM, that McCain has conceded, I felt sad for America and for the rest of the world.

But then again, as I read through the complete text of the Senator's concession speech, I was encouraged to keep on praying for United States. It is God who places authorities to their seats. His grace will be sufficient.

Movies Stuff

2008-11-03T23:15:00.000+08:00

Movies touch a cord in most of us ... drama, comedy, suspense, romance, sports, documentary ... you name it ... the following questions just keep the conversation going!

Fake Eggs from China!

2008-11-03T10:03:00.000+08:00

It is heartbreaking. Just when we are still not over this Melamine scare and now this. China milk poisoning incidents make everyone afraid to look at the daily news report. Every day, the reports are changing. No one can clearly tell us what to eat and not to eat.

During a recent raid on a wholesale centre in Guangzhou city, the capital of China 'sGuangdong province, a large quantity of fake eggs was seized. Their wholesale price is 0.15 yuan (S$0.03) each - half the price of a real egg. Consumers have a hard time telling a genuine egg from a fake one. This is good news for unscrupulous entrepreneurs, who are even conducting three-day courses in the production of artificial eggs for less than S$150.

A reporter with Hong Kong-based Chinese magazine East Week enrolled in one such course. To create egg white, the instructor - a woman in her 20s - used assorted ingredients such as gelatin, an unknown powder, benzoic acid, coagulating material and even alum, which is normally used for industrial processes. For egg yolk, some lemon-yellow colouring powder is mixed to a liquid and the concoction stirred. The liquid is then poured into a round-shaped plastic mould and mixed with so-called 'magic water', which contains calcium chloride.

This gives the 'yolk' a thin outer membrane, firming it up. The egg is then shaped with a mould. The shell is not forgotten. Paraffin wax and an unidentified white liquid are poured onto the fake egg, which is then left to dry.

The artificial egg can be fried sunny-side up or steamed. Although bubbles appear on the white of the egg, those who have tasted it say the fake stuff tastes very much like the real thing.
But experts warn of the danger of eating fake eggs. Not only do they not contain any nutrients, a Hong Kong Chinese University professor warned that long-term consumption of alum could cause dementia.

Zenni on Fox

2008-11-02T22:28:00.000+08:00

Did you know that Zenni Optical was on FOX news! Great Eyeglasses For Less are actually being sold over at ZenniOptical.com. They are able to afford selling at such affordable prices because of the absence of middlemen. Variable Dimension Frames From Zenni do not cost as much as those other brands. See for yourself as you swing around their site and watch the most talked about Zenni on Fox while you’re there.

Our Whirlpool Washer Technician Stood Me Up

2008-10-29T00:39:00.000+08:00

It has been a couple of weeks of washing clothes that I have to manually fetch water from the faucet in the kitchen to the washer. Which is just a meter away from each other, so it isn't really that bad. We have contacted our accredited technician, but he did not show up on the agreed date. Talk about manual labor on a supposedly fully automatic washer! What an irony! :D

An Event for Church Leaders

2008-10-22T09:11:00.000+08:00

As a pastor who pioneered a mission church in Makati I look forward to events that help me Find out more about how to expand God’s Kingdom through the ministry that God has given us. Events like leadership seminars, church strengthening conferences and the like are what I am talking about.

An event that I hoped was available here in our country is the first annual Theatre Church Conference to be held in Silver Spring, Maryland on October 22-23, 2008. You can Find out more about this through this url: guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=260896a3-e9bf-4f96-899b-a7aa00d2e6ac, just copy and paste it in your browser’s address bar to Find out more about the said event.

I am pretty sure that this will be attended by leaders and pastors of innovative and growing churches as they discuss the future of theatre worship. And it is good to hear that church leaders are willing to participate in this kind of event as they make every effort to make their ministry more effective.

And this is also one of my goals as a pastor – to make our church more effective in fulfilling its purpose. And we are willing to make every possible effort to do this. As I live by this thought provoking verse in Mark 8:36, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

Preppin' Up for the Holidays

2008-10-22T01:19:00.000+08:00

Christmas in October? Why not. That will have to apply for our household, carry it on to November until early January. Talk about maximizing the holiday season. I posted an entry on how our family decorated our home for Christmas last night. And as bare as this tree still is, it sure have jump started the holiday air in our home.

I also made my very own potpourri jar that is just right for the season - Cinnamon Holiday scent. Love it, especially the scent it covers our home.

The Everything Techie Site

2008-10-13T10:49:00.000+08:00

I am one techie momma. One of the things that I make sure before we purchase anything techie, is to browse through websites that contains reviews of gadgets. I have always believed that there is no other way to know how an item delivers better than those coming from the users themselves. For items from universal remote control to network media player, even online back up services reviews, there is one site you can bookmark – GadgetAdvisor. Com.

Fall 2008 TV: dNeero-ites want to know

2008-10-11T22:26:00.000+08:00

Many, many good questions from dNeero-ites about TV shows and viewing habits ... '24', House, genre, time, hi-def ... we'll do more in future convos.

100% Free People Search Engine

2008-10-08T11:21:00.000+08:00

I have been thinking of tracking some old high school buddies and I know from the technology we now have, that task to locate someone is made possible. I am not sure if you heard about LookupWho.com. It is a free people search engine and all you really need to do is type in the name of the person you are looking for and the state.

I have also encountered sites that claim to be free but would later on charge you for the information. This site is completely free. If you are from the United States and Canada, you might want to take advantage of this great site and actually be reunited with an old friend, albeit via the internet.

Chores Done

2008-10-03T16:31:00.000+08:00

Four loads of laundry. Met my online quota for the day. Cooked Jasmine rice for the hubby and me and currently cooking my son's organic red rice and also Viand for supper, Sauteed Veggies. But I still have a lot of things to do!!! I want to take a cat nap, but I can't. Am I one burnt out girl?

Hardly. I really just need to get my rest that's all. Oh and I am just reminded, I have not even sat down yet with my boy to study. I am in trouble. But then again, I am just overwhelmed. Just allow me this time to contradict myself. I am tired after all.

Seafood Cook Off

2008-09-12T10:37:00.000+08:00

It is almost like a given when the hubby defines a special dinner then it has to do something with seafood. By that, it also means that shrimp must be present. It is almost my frustration that this is the one thing that I hardly prepare for the hubby in our almost seven years of being married. I only tried one special shrimp dish and that is “Gambas,” and I hope to learn more shrimp and crab dishes. We all know how pricey all those dishes are when served in our favorite restaurants. I might as well do it myself.

This is why when I browsed through the Great American Seafood cook off, I really had to spot one recipe that could be the first for me to try out. The recipe Louisiana Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet by Brian Landry of Louisiana. I also saw one crab recipe that the same chef has presented and I also hope to try them out. The recipe ingredients look kind of easy to get a hold of. I know there is no more better time for me to try these recipes out but very soon. It’s I and the hubby’s birth month and I hope to be successful as I try them out.

It is always best to prepare your very own domestic seafood. You are assured of freshness and it suits your taste. You have to check out www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com and I am sure you will love the recipes by those incredible chefs who joined in. And while you’re at it make sure you vote for your favorite recipe to win a trip to New Orleans!

One Month and Four Days

2008-09-12T10:17:00.000+08:00

Here are snapshots of the car before it underwent major body repair and during the repair when the hubby went to visit the project. Today the hubby leaves to retrieve it from Malabon. It took the hubby's long lost uncle exactly one month and four days to finish the project. I know it's more of a vintage car project and we don't really mind, this is the best that we can do for now. Maybe in time the Lord might entrust us with a brand new one. :D

Our car before the California Project

Shot from the rear left

At Tito Adolfo's house when repairs began

Body repairs almost done

With the primer

On the way to its first coating (this is not yet the final body color)

Major Car Repair

2008-08-08T17:33:00.000+08:00

The car was finally taken by the hubby’s uncle early this morning. It is a blessing that things got delayed or else we could have settled for someone who will not do a good job in fixing the old car. It probably rained the whole month of July and if you are from the same part of the planet that we are you would know how bad the rains were. It was a pity to have the hubby’s beach towel get soaked inside the car every time it rained. We prayed about having this car fixed and later have its car insurance cover. We had no choice. If only the Lord will provide a down payment for a brand new one then that will be sweet, but for now, we have a great deal in having the car fixed.

You would not believe all those rust eating up the car. The engine is good all right, but of course we could help feeling pity over the car. We always have to take care not to get nicked and bruised by those wayward rusty steels all over. Yes, we are more than thankful that we can finally get the car fixed. But more than a luxury, it has become more of a necessity to get it fixed because it is almost raining as hard inside as it is in the outside when it does. We are all thrilled how the new face lifted car will look after a month and a half. Yes, that’s how much work it needs! You could just imagine!

He is Able

2008-08-07T11:48:00.000+08:00

If there is anything that can be pretty obvious in family to create chaos and conflict it is this – financial matters. It is one of the major reasons why most families are double income. Meaning both the husband and the wife are working, leaving the children in the care of their grandparents or even nannies. Although this is not the ideal set up, for so many decades after the baby boomers era, this has practically been the norm.

It is not easy to go against the flow. This is what I did when I left the corporate world some six years ago to be a full time help meet to my husband who is a pastor. You will be surprised how different local pastors are compensated compared to those from different regions. It is understandable. We live in a very poor country. So despite the intelligence and abilities my husband has, he has put in his heart to do what God has called Him to do – against all odds and for me to embrace this reality and struggle with him in the ministry and otherwise.

It goes without saying that the majority of our struggle was that of the finances especially when our little guy arrived. But the Lord has been truly great to have allowed me to use my gifts in coordinating weddings and even the little that I know of writing to help in the family income. As much as availing of a cash advance payday loan gets into our mind sometimes, we go back to the things that the Lord has shown us in the past and see that He will be faithful in the concerns we go through everyday.

The Caifornia Project

2008-08-05T21:57:00.000+08:00

In a couple of days the old beat up car that we have been using since 2002 will be subjected to a month long of major body repair. This is long overdue and we are thrilled that the Lord has allowed for us to afford this project. :D

Our Seafood Jig

2008-08-04T12:22:00.000+08:00

The hubby especially likes seafoods. This is the primary reason I had to get myself to learn different seafood recipes. I used to not like seafood so much, especially because I don’t like having to debone fish. But I later loved them all especially, mussels, crabs and oysters! As a part of our family’s quest to live healthy, we have tried to add seafood in to our regular meals. It is healthy to eat seafoods, they are rich in iodine. You just have to make sure that you know the source and the seafood is fresh.

We hope for the most deserving to win that Great American Seafood Cook Off.

What if Cartoons Got Saved

2008-07-24T10:24:00.000+08:00

Sharing a fun old video of Chris Rice's Cartoon Song. I just had to post this one when I see it in youtube. It brought me to the days when the hubby would play the drums to the song back when he was still the youth pastor of our mother church. :-)

My Victory Hair

2008-07-18T12:49:00.001+08:00

Pick up lines never became a hit to me. I always thought they were downright trashy, maybe because those I heard them from were not subtle enough and probably did not fit their personalities. Lol! I guess some guys resort to using these nasty pick up lines because they are just not confident enough to show their true selves. More like a façade of some sort. But truth to tell, I have heard some pick up lines that are really sweet. The hubby still uses some lines on me from time to time. ;-) If you’ve heard about the new Ultimate Flirting Championship game by Extreme Style by VO5, you know just what I am talking about. Go grab the widget below, paste in on your blog and have some fun entertainment. I just found this stuff interesting even as it brings me back to the dating games of my single days.

This game is obviously sponsored by VO5, the leading expert in hair care. I have always patronized VO5. The first step for that Victory Hair is the right hair formula. I love being able to walk around with the confidence of having my hair flow the way I want it. It’s really either that or I have a bad hair day and when I have a bad hair day, things just seem to fall apart. This first and ultimate step will lead the hubby giving me that second look all over again.

Toxic!

2008-07-18T12:28:00.000+08:00

First, I am more than glad that I am over with the two loads (thank goodness it's just two!) of laundry for the week. It's probably because of the cool weather lately that the hubby and our son didn't change clothes as much. They both change clothes twice a day during more humid days. The sun shone today and I found it best to do the laundry. Before I finished the laundry I have finished an $8.50 job, which was not so much, but is still something. I did it in less than 10 minutes. I just thought it really is a blessing to be able to stay home and get my juggling skills honed. :-)

I originally planned to get the beddings and curtains washed as well. But I figured I have got to prioritize the things that I have yet to do. Clean up my closet and pack away things to be given away. Okay so that's still in the list of my backlogs! This can really get me pressured. And now another assignment is due. This one is worth almost $11. Lots of things in my shoulder now, but I am okay and good. These are a few of the reasons why I begged off from going with the hubby as he officiated a wedding this morning. I was just too tired and still have lots of backlogs to work on. See you around later! ;-)

Beating Deadlines

2008-07-17T09:44:00.000+08:00

These last couple of weeks have been really tiring and hectic for me. I find myself cramming to beat deadlines. This is something new for me. If the hubby rises when in pressure, my tendency is to get rattled but still focused. Because so far, I have just a two more assignments left to do. With the load that I currently have, I sometimes feel that I’m working on a Doctoral thesis of some sort. Two days ago, I had eleven. Can you imagine! I really felt everything piling up on me by the day. At one point, I had to ask the hubby help in writing an essay. But he then declined and I understand because there are things he is occupied with.

Aside from my assignments, I also have been really busy turning the house around. Sorting closets full of clothes, which I honestly believe I have to give out half of it. Most of them I have not used in so long a time. It can be hard though. Because I don’t really go shopping for clothes and my weight seriously jumps from 95lbs to 105lbs in a snap of a finger. That’s normal for me. It has always been that way. So my point is, my stock of clothes are for the thin me and the heavier me. Like last Sunday for instance, I had to change four times, because I end up looking like a sausage with my ultra fit clothes. Because I gave away most of my bigger clothes, I am now having a hard time getting the right clothes for my current size.

Oh well, I will have to figure something out soon. For now excuse me as I go back to doing some coursework essay that is soon due.

Get Paid to Try

2008-07-15T10:04:00.000+08:00

One of the prevailing interests that keeps me up in most days as a work from home mom is look into more options to learn online. Aside from writing for advertisers, I recently just found out that I could also venture into the likes of GetPaidToTry.com. This platform pays opinions and surveys. If there’s anything, their quick sign up bonus is something, unlike most I have seen that only offers $5 for a sign up bonus, they actually give out $20 straight to your account, with no obligations that you should purchase. You do not get asked for your credit card information and what’s sweet is payment is done via PayPal.

Internet is now accessible to just about anyone in this generation and for sometime now it has been the advertisers channel to get their products and services get that needed buzz. Last year alone advertisers shelled out $259 million for online advertising. I’m sure bloggers would not mind to get that piece of that pie. I have only been around doing this for more than half a year and I am making decent money from it. This came as a totally unexpected blessing, which we are really grateful for. So, if you’d love to try it out… Click here to begin your journey towards making money online.

Yard Sale in the House

2008-07-14T10:08:00.000+08:00

We have launched our garage sale last week, but we decided to get it relaunched last Saturday. We will open our garage again this coming Saturday and will add on some more stuff that I dug out from our house, that have been in hiding for the longest time. Several ceramic decoratives that are just gathering dust, no matter how pretty they are to look at they just have to go. I want more space and I don't want to stick on clutters anymore.

One of the major stuff I am had the hubby carry outside is the black entertainment rack. It used to house amplifiers, VCR player and recorder and an old DVD player that fails to play anymore. Agh! I don't know why we kept it for so long. It should have been junked a long time ago! Now our CRT TV sits pretty on what used to be our little guy's baby closet. Nope, I don't think it's an eye sore. We had to take the baby closet out of his room to make way for his brand new study table that his father is painstakingly working on. :-)

I am getting busy today to do some more house clean up. I will just finish some online jobs then I'm off to getting rid of half of the clothes that are just in the closet.

Great Eyewear

2008-07-11T02:03:00.000+08:00

With the recent eye strain I have been experiencing, one good news I could use is that of those incredible stylish new frames from Zenni, primarily because they are ultra affordable. Imagine, Zenni Optical $8 Rx Eyeglasses, now that's a real steal. No wonder Zenni Optical was on FOX news!

Look Alikes

2008-07-11T02:00:00.000+08:00

I have received this a number of times from random people in my mailbox. I recently just viewed this and it gave me quite a laugh. I especially like the Joe de Venecia look alike! It's hilarious! Check out the doggy and the baby with lotsa folds... and Gollum, too! :-)

Quality At A Low Cost

2008-07-09T23:54:00.000+08:00

Are you looking for non-expensive but high quality eyeglasses? The variable dimension frames from zennioptical.com is probably what you are looking for. They are completely UV protected, with thin and light 1.57 index lenses and includes a quality hard eyeglass casing. Visit their web site and choose from a wide variety of designs.

WW: Stone Fish

2008-07-09T00:05:00.000+08:00

This is one of those interesting fish specie we have seen in those great aquarium in Ocean Adventure we went to October of last year. I wouldn't have had thought this was anything more than a stone. The label on its glass said it was a stone fish and we really had to have a closer look to see for ourselves. It's really a fish! Now, I wonder, does this fish ever move.

July 17 Show

2008-07-06T23:01:00.000+08:00

Say what? Are you asking who Glenn Beck is? Well this man is an entertainer that enlightens people with his funny approach to current issues. In his website there are many featured videos about different topics ranging from presidential elections to energy independence. Although I may not agree with all of his views, I like the way he approaches issues because it educates or makes people aware of things we sometimes lose interest in when discussed. His Dallas show on July 17 will be broadcasted nationally to select movie theaters. Visit his site and secure your tickets now and look forward to an enjoyable show.

And Pacquiao Rewrites History

2008-06-30T09:42:00.000+08:00

This is Pacquiao at his best yet! Pacquiao took his fourth world title in four different weight divisions. Now, that's history! We also have to give it to Diaz who has such big heart for an opponent. This is the one fight that I did not get to see. We were in church the whole day so it was only today that I got to read the papers. I know I should have seen it all, I cannot imagine how it would be like if I got to watch the fight for myself. You see I only got to read today's spreadsheets and I got goosebumps already.

It was interesting to learn how the fight has brought peace to the country. Imagine, in this crime-crazed country we are in, practically zero crime rate from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. That alone says how passionate Filipinos are. I can only pray that we all would be as passionate for the Lord and maybe then we will all do our share for God to finally redeem us from the miry place we are in.

I'm sure that even as I have not watched the fight, that must be Pacquiao at his best. He said that this is the weight division he is most comfortable in and he sure made that manifest. It's just great that YouTube is around, now we get to see the full versions of each round of yesterdays fight.

It is such a great break for all the Filipinos the world over after the tragedies that befell our country the past week. I really pray that Manny receives Christ as his personal Lord and Savior if he still hasn't yet. May he find in his heart to give glory to the Lord despite the fame and fortune he is currently experiencing. Here's to you, Manny! God bless you more!

Traveling the Hensley Arrow Way

2008-06-26T23:06:00.000+08:00

Almost a month ago, the hubby and I took the core members of our church to a day of planning, recreation and retreat to The Highlands in Boso-Boso. It was a real treat for all of us. The place we went to was a cool, breeze place in the Eastern part of Metro Manila.

We pray that the Lord would allow us to make this a yearly event. Our church is already five years old and this is really something that is necessary for the core group to share one vision and have one heart towards the ministry. It would be fun if we could all do a long drive to Laguna, Subic or even far North to Banawe on a neat RV or even a Hensley Arrow trailer and have every one enjoy the ride to our destination. It’s pretty much a given that with this kind of trailer, its Hensley Arrow Advanced Towing System totally eliminates what they call trailer sway. We will easily travel around with another smaller vehicle in tow.

Feel free to visit their web page to watch their video and maybe subscribe to their newsletter that promote economizing fuel and safety measures to keep in mind during long distance travels.

Oysters!

2008-06-26T10:14:00.001+08:00

How I love oysters! This has been one of my favorites. A fresh, spanking plate can really make my day or even week, if I'd be given two plates. :-) It has been a while since I had my share. I believe it was some two wedding anniversaries ago. It's really been a while now. I can so relate with Ernest Hemingway when he said:

“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.” — Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

And how about a top notch oyster recipe from a top notch chef, Ernest Reynoso Gala:

Oysters Rockefeller

1. 24 large oysters; wash, scrub, remove upper shells.

2. One oven-proof serving tray; sprinkle 2 cups rock salt on a tray. Put oysters on top (the rock salt will keep the oysters in place).

3. For the topping: 1/2 cup finely chopped bacon

4. Sauce: 1/2 cup Magnolia Gold butter, 2 tbsps. each of finely chopped white onion and chopped parsley, 1 cup blanched and drained spinach or kangkong leaves, 1/2 tsp. each of rock salt and pepper, 1/2 cup fresh milk and 1/2 cup grated Quickmelt Cheese.

5. Procedure: Put butter, onions, parsley in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for two minutes. Turn off fire and mix in spinach/kangkong, salt, pepper, milk, cheese.

6. Spoon spinach mixture on oysters. Top each with a teaspoon of bacon. Bake at 400°F or 200°C for 12 minutes. Serve one with cocktail forks. Serve 6 to 8.

7. Note: To blanch spinach or kangkong leaves, boil one cup water in a pan. Add two cups spinach leaves. Cook for two minutes until wilted. Drain.

And if you just can't afford to run the risk of failing as you you try the above recipe yourself, then you might just want to go to any of the restaurants below and gobble up those spanking great oysters without fussing over ingredients and worrying about failing.

Here are the aforementioned chef's best oyster restos:

1) Via Mare Oyster Bar, Rockwell: Top-quality oysters, some of the best in the country!

2) Heat, Edsa Shagri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong: I always line up at the buffet line to taste some of the sweetest, mouthwatering, fresh oysters you can find.

3) Mr. Rockefeller, 2nd level, Greenbelt 3, Makati City: The cheese oozes and definite value for money!

4) Restaurant Red, Makati, Shangri-La: The lemongrass-steamed New Zealand oysters with cauliflower, panna cotta, and Osetra caviar are a masterpiece!

5) Harbor View Restaurant: Oysters are topnotch and great quality. Great View of Manila Bay! Located at South Gate A, Rizal Park (between Manila Hotel and the US Embassy).

Good News for Minimum Wage Earners!

2008-06-18T09:19:00.000+08:00

This is the first good news I have read in many years! I practically just read the entertainment section whenever I grab the morning spreadsheets. The news today has it also that Ces Drilon was finally released by her captives. Whether ransom was paid, it is not yet confirmed. Oh well, I hope she and her team learns from this ordeal. What I am afraid of is that if ransom was paid, then this will further encourage terrorists to do their thing.

Anyway, here is todays top news:

By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:23:00 06/17/2008

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATE) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed into law a bill that would exempt minimum wage earners from paying income tax and increasing personal exemptions for other employees.

Arroyo signed in Malacañang Tuesday Republic Act 9504 or an act amending Sections 22, 24, 34, 35, 51, and 79 of RA 8424 or the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.

Senators Manuel Roxas, Francis Escudero, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and Speaker Prospero Nograles were present during the signing.

The law aims "to provide financial relief to taxpayers in cognizance by the government of the hard times brought by multiple factors, including the current rice crisis, oil price hikes and the heightening inflationary pressure on commodities of all kinds and to help reduce the wide tax gap in the taxation of self-employed and professionals," according to the five-page document released to media.

Senator Manuel Roxas, principal author of the measure, said the new law would "provide relief to our workers by increasing their take home pay."

He added that the law would allow minimum wage earners to take home as much as P750 a month or from P33 to P35 a day.

"A worker in Metro Manila earning P7,900 a month will now have an additional P750 of take-home pay per month, or P34 per day. He can now spend this additional money for his needs or for his family's needs, such as food, medicine, and the tuition fee of his children, among other uses," Roxas said.

But apart from tax exemption for minimum wage earners, the law will also provide for an increase in the personal exemption of all taxpayers.

From the current P20,000 personal exemption for single taxpayers, P25,000 for head of family, and P32,000 for married individual, the tax exemption will be fixed at P50,000, Roxas said.

The additional exemption for dependents will increase from P8,000 to P25,000, he said.

The senator added that all holiday, night differential, hazard, and overtime pay would also be tax-exempt.

He added that the aim of both the House of Representatives and Senate was not only to increase tax exemption for workers but also to provide relief for minimum wage earners.

"The House focuses on increasing the exemption while I focus on minimum wage," he said.

"We have fought for this for a long time. Many Labor Days have come and gone wherein we fought for this for our workers, and at last, income tax exemption of minimum wage earners is now a law," said Roxas in an interview Monday.

For other salaried workers, the measure would allow an employee earning P455 per day or P10,010 per month to have an additional take-home pay of P472.59 per month or P5,671.02 per year if unmarried; P678.50 per month or P8,142.04 per year as head of the family; and P580.92 per month or P6,971.02 per year for those married with four children.

An employee earning P683 per day or P15,026 per month would have an additional take-home pay of P545.26 per month or P6,543.10 per year if unmarried; P1,307.18 per month or P15,686.20 per year as head of the family; and P1,190.52 per month or P14,286.20 per year for those married with four children.

Although the government is expected to lose around P14 billion a year with the new law, the government hopes to recover this through the optional standard deductions (OSD), which will "simplify the filing of income tax returns and benefits, in particular, professionals and medium, small, and micro entrepreneurs," according to the law.

The OSD will rake in P15.03 billion tax revenues annually.

The law is said to take effect 15 days after its publication in a national newspaper.

Toronto Condos and Lofts

2008-06-13T13:38:00.000+08:00

My parents recently just got their Canadian Visas and their off to fly in the next few months. Mama still has an active American Visa and they are still waiting for Papa to be able to get a hold of his very soon. We have an aunt residing in Canada and she has been inviting relatives over to go visit the place. Ever since I got my professional license, I have been toying with the idea of applying for a job there.

This country particularly attracts me for its low crime rate and for the effortlessly beautiful place it is. If ever I will be given the privilege to stay there one site that could be useful to look into is http://www.toronto-condominiums.ca/. Their site is extremely useful and has a wide scope of info about real estate and condominiums to live in. If toronto condos are what you are looking into, then you need to go check this site out and even read through their toronto condo reviews so you are sure you land on the piece of property that you want to stay in.

I have not found a more comprehensive website for Condo and Loft that covers the vicinity of Toronto area. Their site is ultra user friendly, navigation is a breeze and you actually read testimonials from real clients. Honest to goodness testimonials that backs up their very reputation of being number one in their field. Their thousands of listings guarantees a loft or condominium that will suit your need.

Really Inconsiderate

2008-06-13T13:20:00.000+08:00

Remember this post? As I cannot think of a better title for this entry, I will just have it sound as a reinforcing post to the above link.

The hubby and one of the mothers around the block went to talk to the person who was doing the painting of the car, he promised to finish by that weekend. Which was not good enough to start with and I believe was a total insult when he handed the hubby and our neighbor one of those cheap gas masks. As if there was anything that a gas mask can do. A week after, he was still at it and we figured this shouldn't be tolerated anymore at all. First, it was a violation of the clean and green act of the city. Second, it is just not human for this Concepcion household. Yes I have got no fear in naming them. They are one bunch of idiots, if you ask me. Whoever in their right mind would do such a thing. Selfishly doing their own thing, despite the fact that some of their neighbors have practically begged them to put a stop to it.

Inconsiderate monsters! Yes that's what they are. And three weeks after the day that their neighbors pleaded with them to stop spray painting their car, they are at it again! Tuesday this week, I felt my chest tighten from the ever familiar smell of the pain fumes. And this time around it was a different car that he was painting. It goes without saying that they are doing this deliberately and selfishly and he never meant a thing he said about not doing it again after two Saturdays ago. We have emphasized already that three of the neighbor's kids have asthma and have been having a hard time breathing because of what they are doing.

The president of our village's association said that this brood of irresponsible neighbors that we have are notorious for their attitude problems. I can only wonder from what planet they are from and if they ever practically applied what they learned from school, at all. The clean and green team came by and warned the bastards. And the staff of the city office gave us their contact numbers just in case they are at it again.

I just cannot fathom how people like these can live with themselves!

My Religious Philosphy Quiz by Blogthings

2008-06-04T11:33:00.000+08:00

Another one of those online quizzes. It can be relaxing sometimes do all these quizzes, silly or not. Here's one of the results of the quizzes that I took today:

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion.

Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu..

Your convictions are strong and unwavering.

You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

My Emotional Quotient

2008-05-26T16:46:00.000+08:00

Your EQ is 127

You usually have it going on emotionally, but roadblocks tend to land you on your butt.

On an average day, you're quite happy, together, and content. You live your life well.

Your emotions aren't always stable, but you can go along with the ups and downs pretty well.

You tend to be motivated, energetic, focused, and level headed.

You see the world pretty rationally, and you don't tend to over dramatize things. When things are bad, you know they eventually have to get better.

What's Your EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)?

This is How I Pray

2008-05-26T14:13:00.000+08:00

I have heard this praying tip from either the hubby in one of his preachings or from another preacher. It gives us management in how we pray and not forget people that are represented in each finger. This helps me a great deal in how I pray for the people around me, I hope this will benefit you as well.

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3 The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

Inconsiderate Neighbors

2008-05-22T11:30:00.000+08:00

Our neighbor has been busy painting one of their cars and have been causing all these bad fumes for almost a week now. We could not have cared less if they would wash their cars and remodel or fix their cars all day and night. But paint fumes is just another story I cannot tolerate. For Pete's sake, we have the right to air without those toxic fumes. We are in a residential place and we have this right. They don't even half consider that there are kids all over the neighborhood and even an adult such as myself can feel the tightness of my chest brought about by such irresponsible actions! If they are the rich people they are projecting that they are, then they should go rent a place where they can do all the painting they want without harming other people. The nerve of such people!

Whether through employment, home remodeling, or huffing fumes to get high, a large majority of the population has been exposed to hazardous paint fumes throughout their lifetime. Both short and long term exposure to these fumes can and will most likely affect you in a variety of ways, which are more serious than often expected. This is not just a headache or a little nausea. Some studies have suggested that excessive exposure to paint fumes may increase the rate of miscarriage, as well as increasing the risk of childhood asthma. Those who get high huffing would do well to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics says that huffing can lead to instant cardiac arrhythmia or sudden sniffing death syndrome.
So why is it that paint fumes are so bad for you? As you can probably guess, it is all related to what is in the paint itself. Paint contains a large number of VOC’s or volatile organic compounds, which are the chemicals that we as humans are allergic to. The amount of VOC’s in paint rise as the paint gets more vibrant in color. There are also more VOC’s in oil-based paint than there is in latex or water based paint. Lead based paint, which was popular in the 1950’s, has the most VOC’s of any paint.

The VOC’s in paint can affect you in a number of ways. Immediately after inhaling them, an individual may experience headaches, breathing problems, nausea, dizziness, and a burning of the eyes. Direct contact with them, especially in paint thinner may cause burning and cracking of the skin. If you start to have these symptoms and you are around paint or paint thinner, get out into the fresh air, wash up and try to avoid the area until a bit drier and safer, as VOC’s do dissipate as they dry.
The long-term effects of exposure to and inhalation of harmful paint fumes can be extremely severe. You may experience permanent brain damage, including loss of memory, confusion, seizures, and a general decrease in general mental faculties. Chronic exposure to paint, especially when huffing or through prolonged and most likely direct contact with the VOC’s in paint and paint thinner can lead to sever kidney and liver damage. These are the main organs responsible foe detoxification and elimination of toxic chemicals from the body. You may also experience major respiratory problems, as the chemicals can damage the fragile lining of the lungs.
This does not mean that you can never paint another room again; it simply means that you should take the proper precautions when painting. As previously mentioned, the VOC’s in paint lessen as paint dries because they evaporate, so make sure that you paint in a well ventilated area. If you are in an area where this is not possible, use a respirator. Remember to always store paint away from your living space in a well-sealed container. Whenever possible, use water soluble paint so you can avoid using paint thinner, which has a higher amount of VOC’s than just paint. And of course, never huff.

http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/paintfumesdang_scse.htm

A Boo-boo and A Baked Chicken

2008-05-20T21:29:00.000+08:00

I got so clumsy last night as I rummaged through our file cabinet for something and I got so impatient that I couldn't care less what I was digging through. I scraped the side of my pinky finger and it bled non-stop. One thing for sure, that file cabinet needs to get sorted. The scrape was so bad I have wet a whole lot of tissue, plus the blood trace on the floor and the wall (I had to turn on the light). I was shocked that my hand was already bleeding. Don't worry I will get to the baked chicken part, promise. The skin on the side of my left pinky is now in its crooked state. I'm changing the dressing in a while. The hubby and I dressed it and and have it soak around propolis ointment from Ilogmaria last night. It works wonders for wounds.

Anyway, that just about gave me the reason to bake these pieces of chicken. Baked chicken requires a lot less time and effort. Just throw in all the ingredients and Voila! All in its succulent, yummy glory! It was yummy. I haven't done baked chicken in a while. It's just sad that it had to take my pinky finger to get badly bruised for me to get back to baking chicken.

I Passed the Board!!!!!

2008-05-02T11:13:00.000+08:00

Praise God!!!! He alone deserves all the glory and worthy of all praise! Click here to read the full story.

WW, Thursday Edition: Mama and Son

2008-05-02T08:47:00.000+08:00

Get Me There

2008-05-01T21:25:00.000+08:00

We move around a lot to get from one place to another -- walk, car, bus, cab, bike, motorcycle, plane, train ... let's talk about your commute.

Sluggish and Out

2008-04-29T11:25:00.000+08:00

I have been extra sluggish these past few days. I have been sick pretty long already that it's practically draining me inside out. Okay, I said this isn't gonna be an all too negative post. It has been months and I pray that I will be over this health issue of mine. It feels bad when there are things that I need to do but I just cannot get my whole being to do it. I am defeated by the sluggish effect my medications have on me.

We will be leaving in a while and will be back late next week. We're off to Baguio and I pray this will do me good. It will be a welcome break from the heatwave that would chronically heat the city. It's really bad because people are actually getting sick because of this. I just read from the news today that a four year old boy just died of the dreadful Meninggococcemia. And the bad news is, the barangay where he lives is just a few kilometers from where we live.

May the Lord's hand be upon our city and our family and protect us from these diseases. My being sick lately has allowed me to see the things that really matter. And even as I titled this post with a rather lowly one, I am not stopping at being sluggish -- I will keep on and strive towards health again. :-)

Weekend Snapshot: My Iced Men

2008-04-28T20:04:00.000+08:00

Of course, you would have to excuse the lady at the right. We were in the park full of people, so as much as we want to have those ice letters all to ourselves, we can't and besides, it wouldn't be as much fun. :-)

The ESP Test

2008-04-25T06:46:00.000+08:00

The ESP Test

My Result: Precognition

If you have precognition, you have an uncanny ability to look into the future and know ahead of time what is going to happen. You might, for instance, simply know that you're going to get that job before the interview even happens with a certainty that exceeds what you would expect to have simply knowing the facts of the situation. You might have a sense of dread before going out for the evening only to later have a flat tire on your way home. These little hunches are easy to ignore but for you especially, quite often lead to a true prediction of what is going to happen. These predictions can be used to generate positive outcomes, and the more you know about how to use your talent, the more you will be able to distinguish between fantasy of the future and an actual reality you are seeing happen, before it has actually happened.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=espogt&c=50652

Breakup and Learn Survey

2008-04-23T08:46:00.000+08:00

Having a breakup in our lives seems to be the norm. Do we all learn the same things? What happens after the breakup recovery period?

Unprofitable Anger

2008-04-21T15:53:00.000+08:00

Unprofitable Anger
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Sunday, April 20 2008

"Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools." - Ecclesiastes 7:9

Every day of our lives we are placed in situations that engage us with other people, whether it is in the office, our homes, or in public places. Do you recall the last time someone cut you off in traffic, or you were forced to wait in line because someone up front got held up? Perhaps your employer did something that was downright unfair. Anger can result from many circumstances.

A friend once told me that anger is like warning lights on the front of your car dashboard. They signal that there is something going on under the hood, and we should take a look to examine the source of the problem. Anger can be traced to a few sources. First, when we lose control of a circumstance that we have placed certain expectations on and those expectations do not result in our desired outcome, we are tempted to get angry. The source of this type of anger is both fear and protection of personal rights. You see, when we believe we have a right to something, we have not given the Lord permission to allow an outcome different from what we want. If an outcome is different from our expectations, this may stimulate fear.

For instance, if a vendor failed to deliver an important job on time due to something out of his control, you may respond out of anger. Please know that the source of your anger is the fear of what might happen to you or what this might say about your abilities to manage a project. You no longer are in control of the circumstance and this creates fear in you.

The next time you get angry ask the Lord what is the source of that anger? Did the Lord allow that failure to let you see what is "under your hood"? God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (see 2 Tim. 1:7). Give up your rights to expectations that God never gave you. You will find a new freedom in Christ you never knew you could have.

Wordless Wednesday: My Men at the Zoo

2008-04-16T06:26:00.000+08:00

On Paid Blogging and Its Perks

2008-04-15T17:52:00.000+08:00

I have a host of other sites, five others to be exact and a total of five out of the six that I maintain, I am able to get paid to blog from. Is it not the neatest? I continue to reign queen as the domestic goddess that I am while at the same time helping the hubby rake in the income this household needs. We really could use this extra income even as our family is in health crisis plus the nationwide hike of basic commodities, especially of our staple, rice, which is becoming scarce and scarce by the day.

We were able to settle the full amount of our credit card that we used to buy our laptop from the proceeds of paid blogging. I remember for the longest time having to put up with a bad running Pentium 3 that shuts down on me every time. It was frustrating. Now I am working with this full powered Core Duo lappy and I am getting really efficient in doing my online tasks.

Smorty connects bloggers like me with advertisers to write opinion posts. What I love most about this team is they do not require bloggers to do a full review of the products and services, rather, we can freely write our opinion on them. Because of services like this, I am able to do what I love doing and get paid for it. Can anything be neater? I honestly consider this as a blessing to me and my family.

Shopping Cart Software

2008-04-15T17:35:00.000+08:00

As I earlier mentioned about Ashop being the better choice for online merchants’ shopping cart software, I found it necessary to emphasize this even as an online consumer. I recently had a not so good experience with an online shopping site using another software. It turned out that it was one of those free carts that are offered. I had to google it and see for myself. It was such a headache! Anyway, that company just lost one patron of their site. I just find it such a sacrifice when the ideal is to get shoppers double if not triple by the day.

Ashop is just about the most user friendly shopping cart I have ever come across. It is an all in deal if online merchants would just think about it. No wonder it Ashop is the leader in shopping cart software all across the US. The ease of use, no installation required unlike other softwares and definitely very affordable.

Online Shopping

2008-04-15T17:22:00.000+08:00

One of the things I enjoy doing in the internet aside from blogging is online shopping. There were the handful of times I window shopped through all those neat things available in the online shops that I frequent.

If there were a few times I would have to purchase these are for those necessary items and which I could buy on bargain as opposed to buying it from another merchant whether online or otherwise.

One of the things that stand out from those sites is the kind of shopping cart that they use. One of the better ones are that of Ashop. There were times I would have to sign out without doing the purchase because their carts are so not user friendly. If a merchant does not care enough to provide a better cart, then it’s not me to persist and figure their cart out, I’m sure I will find another merchant carrying that item that I need.

My Almost 35 Month Old Toddler

2008-04-12T10:30:00.000+08:00

How my toddler's growing: His third birthday is almost here! Your preschooler is becoming more independent. He can probably prepare a bowl of cereal for himself and even get dressed without your help — though his color coordination and fashion sense may be different from yours. He can also walk, stand, run, and jump with ease. However, it may take a little extra concentration to stand on his tiptoes or balance on one foot for a second or more.

By now your child probably needs only a short nap in the afternoon, if any at all. You might find, however, that scheduling a quiet, restful time in the afternoon — whether he sleeps or not — can be a calming part of her day and yours. At this age, he has a need for privacy, and time to relax alone during a busy day can help him feel settled and at ease.

Being interested in the differences between girls and boys is a normal part of growing up. Try not to react with shock or horror if you find your child in the midst of an anatomy check with another child. Just let both children know that penises and vaginas are kept private and steer them toward another activity. They'll probably be relieved, since they may already have some sense that the game they were playing is taboo.

How your life's changing: Your little one is able to focus well on one activity and is developing more sophisticated social skills. He may soon start playing more structured games with others, like tag or go fish. And meals with the entire family are very important now. Sitting down together teaches your child table manners and encourages listening, sharing, and communication skills. If you don't all sit together for a meal every day, try to rearrange schedules so you can — even if your child has to have a light afternoon snack to make it to a later dinner.

Parent Tip: The Perfect-Sized Party "Our son's third birthday was a nightmare. We invited too many kids to his party and he spent the afternoon anxiously guarding his toys. Our friend later told us that a good rule of thumb is to make the guest list match the child's age — invite three kids to a third birthday party, and so on." —Traci

Milestones and Article Tidbits by ParentCenter.BabyCenter.com

TV Shows are Back!

2008-04-12T05:41:00.000+08:00

The writers strike had many effects ... one of which was a dirth of TV entertainment ... which prime time shows are your favorites from network TV: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC

Multi Tasking Momma

2008-04-10T09:47:00.000+08:00

It's 9:45 A.M. I have done 2 loads of laundry @ 7kilos a pop. I have loaded one more (curtains) and the next to go are the beddings. It is papa's birthday today and I am just taking advantage of my folks taking my son to the mall to eat out.

It's so fun to do this and while I'm doing these chores simultaneously blogging both for pleasure and for money. I just posted away a total of 6 entries since 7A.M. today, three of which are paid ones. I still have one assignment on queue, but it's good I can do that later. It has no six hour deadline like the ones I do for PPP.

6 entries, 2 loads of laundry and more to go. Made $20 for the day and still counting and I am actually enjoying juggling my chores and keeping my crown as the reigning domestic goddess of my household! What more can I ask for?

Women

2008-04-09T08:00:00.000+08:00

WIFE VS. HUSBAND
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.

An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position.

As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, 'Relatives of yours?'

'Yep,' the wife replied , 'in-laws '

WOMEN'S REVENGE

'Cash, check or charge?' I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase.

As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.
'So, do you always carry your TV remote?' I asked.
'No,' she replied, ' but my husband refused to come shopping with me, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally.'

W O R D S

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000.

The wife replied, 'The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men... The husband then turned to his wife and asked, 'What?'

WHO DOES WHAT

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, 'You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.'

The husband said, ' You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee.'

Wife replies, 'No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee.'

Husband replies, 'I can't believe that, show me.' So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says........ ..'HEBREWS'

Coming Soon: Our Son via BlogTV

2008-04-08T12:30:00.000+08:00

Doing live tv via blog is now made possible by BlogTV.com. I know everybody will agree with me that it is yet the neatest thing that has come to web blogging. I love the prospect of my finally being able to do a live show of my son doing all those cute antics and the like. Live broadcast was such a far fetched idea awhile back, but with the technology we now how, everything is practically made possible.

Big Boy's First X-ray

2008-04-03T11:40:00.001+08:00

It was our son's first time to have a chest x-ray. The x-ray technician sure was apprehensive about me being alone with him. She said a two year old almost always fusses and throw tantrums when subjected to stand still to have that shot. It usually takes at least two companions to get a good x-ray shot. This photo which was taken from my cam phone (which explains the haziness), is the proof that he was the easiest boy ever.

I have myself encountered atleast two x-ray technicians this last two months, the lastest was when I was confined. All the x-ray technicians I have come across with are all nice people unlike the nurses who assisted me when I recently got confined. The hubby also got his last x-ray done last week and was cleared of any disease. For which we are thankful for.

The x-ray result of the son was that he had bilateral PPTB (a.k.a. Primary Complex). He is now almost done with his first month of medication. Five months to go and we will be done. Even with taking his medications, we never had a hard time with. He even calls all three of his medicines names according to flavor. Catsup medicine for that thick bloody red one, the other one he calls banana medicine because of its flavor and the last one he calls orange medicine for its color. It's flavor is actually peach. Boy are we blessed to have such an easy child. Our prayer is that he stays healthy and strong, inside out. :-)

Donation in Ministry

2008-04-03T11:20:00.000+08:00

I believe our being in the ministry for sometime now has enabled us to understand the value of having people partner with us as they volunteer their time, efforts and overall support. This is one of the reasons we believe in the cause of what carangel.com is doing. One gets to donate boats and use them for ministry and rehabilitation. There are people who have boats and cars and they no longer use and it will actually cost them more to dispose of them than to have them donated. Carangel.com accepts boat donations and use them to support their ministry in creating anti-drug documentaries and children's animations. If I were blessed with boats and I no longer use one, I will surely donate my boat for charity.

My Frequent Drugstore Visits

2008-04-02T10:57:00.000+08:00

I tell you I have not frequented drugstores in the past as much as I have been doing now. Dear son have maintenance medication and will continue for the next five months. I have encountered a number of pharmacy technicians from regularly visiting different drugstores. Each one has personality of his own and makes me wonder if the way they treat clients depends on their pharmacy technician salary or some just don't really like their job. There are those who are just snobbish and some who do not seem to know what they are expected to do – giving me that “clueless” stance. I guess it all boils down to where they got their pharmacy tech certificate to begin with. That should spell the difference.

Weekend Snapshot

2008-03-31T11:55:00.000+08:00

My two year old boy pretending to drive the van. :-)