another paid blogging service

Didn't I say that it's the new craze in bloggertown? It seems that paid blogging is now a full-blown enterprise and it looks like its here to stay for quite some time. If you would like to get paid to blog, read on.

I've discovered another blog advertising service, Smorty. Again, it is similar to some paid blogging services I've already been using. What's good about it is you can reserve a task or opportunity for 48 hours while some paid blogging services would require you to write a post immediately. It gives you more freedom and of course, more time to think and come up with a good post incorporating the links a certain task requires. Hopefully, the opportunities will not be scarce as more bloggers sign up. The site looks good and easy to navigate. I've signed up and eager to make more dollars with their help ;)

company search

Have you ever googled a company name before? Was there ever a time when you felt the need to know details of a certain company? Or would like to know the names of companies in a certain field?

What used to be a tiring search is now made easier with masterseek. It is a global search engine that provides access to almost anything you want to know about a company - profiles, contact details, and descriptions of products and services. They have a listing from more than 45 million companies in 75 countries. If you're thinking of looking for business partners this might be a good place to start. You could even have your business listed to increase its visibility with other businesses.

writing letters

I miss writing. Writing little notes and letters with my hands and giving them to people or mailing them to people. Before the internet and email, I used to do a lot of writing even when I was very small. My papa being a seaman, mama would always tell us to write letters to him. I enjoyed telling him about what's been happening to me and it's even more enjoyable when I receive a reply after a few weeks.

Back in highschool and college, my friends and I loved writing small notes or sometimes long letters to each other. Up to now, I have boxes of letters I've received over the years. Before the advent of mailing lists, I would even write several letters, one for each of my friends. These letters would be slightly different from each other but their general content would more or less be the same. Now that we have cellphones and text messaging, we only have to forward a generic message to several friends to let them know we remember them.

Technology has so far made things easier for us but I think it has made things a bit impersonal too. Sometimes, during days when I feel that I've had enough of our laptop and my cellphone, I wish that things would go back to how they were. It would be nice to be able to read a note or a letter in somebody's handwriting for a change. I guess that's something I could do. I'm going back to writing letters to my friends, Ramil, and as early as now, Mateo. And when my hands get tired, it's also a nice thought that our laptop is just here waiting for me.

organized chaos

When I was still single and living with my parents, my mama would often scold me for being disorganized. Nope, I'm not a messy person. Disorganized by my mama's standards is very organized for some. My former officemates would sometimes even comment on my tendency to be OC with my things. I guess this is brought about by my mama's constant nagging, er, reminder. Still, I have to admit that I can be forgetful at times. If I haven't used an item for a long time, chances are I would forget where I put it. Just the other day, after cleaning out my closet in school, I made several 'discoveries'. Apart from the random bic pens and spiral notebooks, I rediscovered some books, cds, even a small packet of Nesvita.

When Ramil and I got married, I would always find myself nagging, er, reminding him to put back his shoes in the cabinet after wearing them, to put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket, etc. I had this crazy preoccupation with being clean and neat. I guess I was turning into my mother! Still, whenever my mama visits, she always have something to notice - the dusty electricfan, the dirty counters in the kitchen, etc. At first, Ramil would be a bit offended but I would tell him that I am almost like her. That's just how my mama is and honestly, I've always loved how clean and refreshing my parents' house is. Maybe in the future I will also find myself constantly reminding Mateo to fix his things, clean his room, etc. but I don't mind. If it means turning out a guy who knows how to clean and organize things, I would happily do a lot of reminding.

moving

Yes, I do have another blog but this time I'm talking about moving houses. Our lease will be up for renewal this coming June and Ramil and I are undecided on whether we will stay here or not. We love the place we're renting now. Although the house is small with only one bedroom and a garage, it sits on a spacious lot complete with fruit-bearing trees in the backyard. The reason for a move is the need for a bigger indoor space since we will be getting a helper/yaya this coming May. Despite all the space outside, what we need is another bedroom and not a grassy front lawn.

I am dreading the move if we do decide to do it. I imagine that it will be nerve-wracking especially with Mateo. Since I wouldn't want him amidst the hustle and bustle of moving, Ramil would have to supervise and look out for the home furniture. Just thinking of packing our stuff and then arranging them again gives me a headache. Oh well, I guess we have to look for a house first and we have to look fast! So if anyone knows of a house we can rent in Antipolo-Taytay area, give me a holler will you? :)

wanted CRM

Some of my former colleagues are thinking of putting up their own call center company. They plan to start one that has their agents working from home. In other words, they are targeting stay-at-home moms or dads out there. I told them I know of a lot of people who would be interested in working for them and would be happy to do some recruiting.

They are slowly trying to implement their plans and part of it is looking for a good crm software. Since their agents would be working from home, it is imperative that they get an excellent CRM package. They've been researching for one and they've stumbled upon AIMpromote. From what they've gathered, the software is very user-friendly which is vital to them. They don't want their people wasting time training on the CRM. They want it to be easily manageable even by people who are not well-versed with a lot of computer lingo. The software offers a 14-day Free Trial and they are planning on testing the trial software using some of our friends who have worked in call centers. The site claims to have the CRM that can be understood easily, without the hassle of unnecessary features some CRM softwares have. Hopefully, the software will not be much of a hassle because they plan to have their new business take off in the next few months. They are envisioning that with this CRM, making a sale would never be as easy.

money for soaps

A very entrepeneurial friend of mine started her own handmade soap business when she was still in college. The business was a success. It started in making soaps in her own kitchen and later on, she was able to set-up her own shop in Libis. Unfortunately, she has had to give it up because of other opportunities though she'd still make them as wedding favors. Last I heard, she's now showcasing her products in a wedding shop. I remember looking at a particular handmade soap online when Ramil and I were planning our wedding. We considered giving it out as wedding favors and though of our friend when we couldn't order what we saw online. In the end, we weren't able to talk to her because we didn't push through with the idea. Whatever the case, we hope her new business venture becomes as equally successful as her previous one.

Jewish dating

When I first met a Jewish friend of mine, I was very curious. She was the first Jewish person I met so naturally, I kept on asking her about their religious practice. Rigth now, she is looking for some jewish dating. Having come from a Jewish family, she prefers not to date non-Jewish guys. Aside from the practical reason that they would get along better if they have the same beliefs, their family doesn't really support marriage to a non-Jewish.

During her teen years, she rebelled against this idea. According to her, she felt strapped in and wanted to be free to love anyone. She's also had her share of forbidden relationships because of this. Based on her experiences, she said that her relationships with Jewish guys had more chances of working out because she didn't have to keep on explaining her religious affiliation. Right now, she's having a hard time looking for other Jewish singles. Most of the Jewish people she knows are family friends. Her parents have set her up on numerous dates already. Mostly with sons of friends. Unfortunately, she hasn't found the one that would make her heartbeat faster. Still, she is looking for Mr. Right and one of these days she just might find a suitable Jewish young man that would make her fall head over heels in love.

communion

Mateo is yet to be baptized. We plan to have it done before schoolyear starts so we only have until May for it. Ramil and I are very eager to have him baptized especially now that he's quite big enough to handle some attention from other people. My sister, who we plan on getting as Mateo's godmother, has been asking me about what she could give Mateo as a gift. I've been looking at baptismal and first communion gifts online. I told her that although I have a list on my mind of things Mateo would need, if she'd like to give something like the religious items I saw it would still be appreciated. She plans on giving two gifts, one that would symbolize the event and another for Mateo's pleasure. I knew it was a good idea to get her as godmother! :)

bloggable news

I've been doing a lot of bloghopping lately and I enjoy reading niche blogs. It's more fun searching for blogs that tackle only one topic. Which makes it a challenge to come up with a blog that is one of a kind. I've stumbled upon several kinds, photo blogs, food blogs, mommy blogs, etc. Another kind of blog I like to visit are News Blogs. I don't usually get to follow the news on tv and we don't really buy newspapers so I use these kinds of blogs to keep myself updated. I came across a great site that lets you make your own News Blog. If you're a user, you actually get to choose the topics or kinds of news you would like your blog to show. It's like having your own news feed and you can share it with whomever you want. If you don't want a separate blog, you can choose to simply put a widget on their sites. Great for keeping yourself updated on the news and for sharing it too!

lowest bid wins

My brother has been telling me about winning online. He has been visiting a lot of sites that claims that you can get free gifts. According to him, he has been receiving invitations to try such sites through email. He was particularly amused with a game where the lowest unique bid wins a prize. He hasn't won yet but he's having fun trying to come up with the lowest unique bid. They offer a wide variety of prizes, from I-Phones, HDTV's, Designer bags, and cash prizes. The game is very easy to play and to understand. I find the concept very interesting and I even found myself thinking of the amount I would bid if ever I join. After some thinking, I decided that winning is not as easy as it looks. It would take some guile as well as some luck.

Aside from these, he has also been dabbling in online sweepstakes. My brother seems dead-set on winning some prizes online. He's been pestering me to tell him about my online earnings but upon learning of what he needs to do, he told me he'll stick with his strategies for now - playing games online for prizes.

the end of the line

Now that my mama is getting older, she would often tell us about arrangements for when she dies. It may be a morbid topic to some people but we never see anything wrong with discussing it. She has recently finished payinf off the memorial lots she bought for herself and papa. Lately, she's been talking about getting a funeral insurance. According to her, she doesn't want us to have difficulty when the time comes. As early as now, she's the one choosing how she wants the funeral service to be and where she wants to be buried.

Hopefully, it will still be quite some time before we would have to put the arrangements she herself has made. When Ramil and I gets older, we plan to do the same thing. We want ourselves and the people around us to be ready and not be taken by surprise. It's the least we can do before we die.

changing careers

My friend Jeng has recently changed careers. She has gotten herself into wedding coordination, a very flexible job. Of course, this is not the only job she plans to do. Most of the things that she's looking into are related to weddings. Since she loves arranging flowers, she's also thought of doing wedding floral arrangements. She's the one who did the wedding favors and it's also something she can do for some cash. Right now, she's almost deep into the wedding business. It's a business that she's happy to be in and I think she will be successful in it. I really hope she has finally found what she wants to do. She just has to set her mind to it and I'm sure she will find herself happy and fulfilled in whatever career she would choose.

mac poker

A friend of mine is addicted to Texas Holdem Poker. Even when I was still pregnant, he would try to persuade Ramil and me to stay really late just to play poker. It became a running joke that Mateo would learn to play poker really early. Knowing that he would appreciate being able to play poker even when he's alone, we introduced him to online poker. His eyes twinkled when he learned that it's he could even play with Poker Stars!

He saw a problem though because his laptop is a Mac. So the search for a site that would let him play poker on his laptop began. He saw some Mac Poker sites and these made him very happy. One of his most visited site is Mac Poker Online. The site a list of other sites that lets Mac users play poker online. Aside from listing the sites down, there's also a quick background on each site they recommend so that one knows that they can trust the sites. There are also online poker news, something my friend needs to look out for if he plans to make playing poker online a regular thing. There are also poker tutorials and poker forums, everything an online poker player would need.

a costume party

Despite the fact that Mateo is yet to be baptized, my sister is already excited over his first birthday party. She is ready to plan the whole thing and kept on talking about several ideas of hers. She was telling me that the party should have a theme. We talked about having a costume party instead of a themed birthday party. We had a blast thinking of costumes for Mateo and for us.

Based on our funny discussion, Ramil, Mateo, and I should go in matching costumes as much as possible. Something like dressing up as a king and queen, Peter Pan and Wendy, Luke Skywalker and Princess Lea. It would be nice to look for Star Wars costumes. Mateo could dress up as a Jedi knight! It seems that we are more excited than the birthday boy. To think that it won't be until January 2007! Well, it's always nice to plan early.

dreams

Ramil and I have been getting our own place in the next few years. Right now, we are renting a one-bedroom house which sits on a very spacious lot. We’ve actually thought of just buying it since it is also for sale. However, we have a different idea of how we want our house to look like. Dreaming about our ideas for our house can be both exciting and frustrating at the same time. We have so many ideas, if only we could put them to use right now. We even discuss the kinds of furniture we will buy. We saw pictures of some Powell furniture and it only made us dream more. It would be so much nicer to go home to our own house, a house whose interior and exterior details match both our tastes. At the end of our daydreaming sessions we always end up saying to ourselves that someday, hopefully soon, we will get this dream for our family.

secured data

Our work as a teacher requires handling of sensitive information. It has always been a dilemma for us how to secure important data. The computers in school are all shared computers so it's really difficult to store confidential files like grades and students' records. Not to mention my personal files like bank records, budget worksheets, and other stuff I wouldn't want to share with other people. The solution might be a ZIP software. SecureZip - the next generation of Zip targets desktop data security, just what I need. Good thing that they are offering a limited time free download promotion. This is the best time to try out the software before a new schoolyear starts this June. I guess I better go visit www.securezip.com to download my free software.

online vacation

We've been wanting to go on vacation for the longest time. Now, with Mateo barely four months old, it looks like it's going to take some time before we would be able to. The next best thing that we could do for the moment is do some 'vacationing' over the internet. It can also be quite relaxing to look at possible vacation spots if we indeed get the chance to go on one. There are so many options out there, like an all inclusive resort we saw. Once Mateo gets a bit older, we would like to bring him along to one of these vacation spots or maybe, Ramil and I could go on a second honeymoon.

tabs galore

Back in high school, I used to play in a band. And although, my band mates and I would often practice for hours, we only got to perform in one major concert event in school - the retro valentine concert. But even though we only got to play once, I still consider it as one of my most unforgettable accomplishments in high school.

That's becaause I used to love playing the guitar. I enjoyed figuring out the notes and chords of popular songs and strumming along with the radio. I remember buying lots of local music magazines just to learn the tabs for this song and that. I actually spent a lot on that. Good thing I don't have to anymore. It's not because I've stopped playing but because there's already an available site in the web that provides guitar-lovers like me a way to learn tabs for free.

tTabs: guitar tabs is a site that showcases the tabs for the latest music available. It offers guitar tabs, drum tabs, bass tabs, and even a tutorial on how to learn tabs. Finally, I can go back to learning and playing the guitar - that is if Mateo allows me some time to.

packing stuff

My papa left again for another 10-month contract. Because he was always travelling, he would always replace his luggage whenever they seem to be getting worn already. Just recently, he bought a new Samsonite luggage for this new contract. Despite having new luggage constantly, he's always very excited to use them. He would savor packing his stuff, trying to be as efficient as possible. He always prided himself to be a good packer. Most of the time he could find the correct arrangement that could fit all his things in a single luggage. It helps of course that he also knows how to choose his luggages well.

a phone call away

A friend of mine had a drug problem before. It became really bad that he had to stop school and his parents didn't know what else to do. They considered entering him into a drug rehabilitation center. It would have helped somewhat if he knew of some hotline he could call for whatever problem he has. I knew that he was willing to change his ways but finds it difficult to do so. It might not be too late, I plan to tell him about 4rehabilitation.com when I get the chance. I'm sure he would be happy to know that somebody will always be just a phone call away.

for a good cause

The school where I work for has always been an advocate for our environment. Just recently, we started what we call an Earth Fund. This fund will sponsor all the activities that the school initiates for the rehabilitation of the environment. The first project of the school was a Sports Fundraising. The school held a marathon whose proceeds go to the Earth Fund. T-shirts were printed for the participants and are included in their registration fees. We had an easy time having the shirts printed. A lot of printers could easily print out a number of shirts if provided a color and design. I've been looking at Bagus Custom and it might be a good idea to get sandals for the next activity, could be a concert in a small river near the school. The sandals would be nice to sell to people attending the concert. We could provide the color and logo, Bagus Custom could easily print the sandals. It's always exciting to plan an event, so much nicer if it's for a good cause.

backup

Just a few months ago, we experienced having our laptop harddrive crash. We lost a lot of very important files, including tests, grades, and pictures. We used to back up our files regularly however, when the laptop crashed it has been months when we had our last back up. This taught us a very important lesson. We are now looking into some Online Backup we could do. This way, we could schedule regular backups and we don't even have to remind ourselves to do it. Maybe we should implement this also in the school where we work. Backing up is definitely an important habit one should develop.

getting consolidated

I'm sure everyone has had the need for consolidation, whatever the purpose may be. One of the most complicated kinds of consolidation, I think, is financial consolidation. Especially if it's for a big organization. I've experienced several consolidations of small processes while I was still working as an actuarial specialist and it can be very stressful and time-consuming. It would have helped a lot if we had a consolidation software then. I'm pretty sure it would have made things more manageable for us then.

a new ebay

I have been an eBay lurker for the longest time. Though I've made several bids already, I always end up losing to a higher bidder. Not to mention that I am quite scared of getting a lemon. Though I've seen a few sellers in eBay listing services, I found an eBay-like site that lists services for bidding, http://www.AzizzleAuctions.com. The site is completely free for both buyers and sellers. Just like other auction-type sites, this one saves you a lot of time. It has a lot of potential considering that a lot of people would like to compare prices of service providers without leaving the comforts of their home.

oh no, not again!

Being hard-headed people that we are, we took Mateo off his antibiotics for two weeks. However, he is back on it again since Sunday because of our fear that he might have UTI again. We've noticed his infrequent urination and his urine is dark yellow in color. I'm hoping it's just because of the weather, making him sweat more and urinate less. I really, really pray that it's not an infection again. We should be able to get the urinalysis result tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers...

a Mediterranean get-away

I've always Mediterranean countries fascinating. Most of them has this rural charm that projects an idyllic life. A Mediterranean kind of living has always been one of my many far-out dreams. Still, it's good to dream. There are a lot of North Cyprus Property that I would love to own. A place where our small family can grow. If a life there is not possible, I'd settle for a get-away.

time to travel

April and May are always the best time to travel for a teacher like me. No students and a lot of free time spells vacations and travels. Looking at United Vacation Network, I turned wishful. How I wish I could travel to anywhere in the world during these months. How I wish I could travel in style. I wish I could afford first-class airfares, staying at the best hotels, and eating at the best restaurants. I wish I could afford the easiest and most luxurious way to travel. But then, if I have the means for that, I might not be able to appreciate it as much. So sometimes it's better to just be wishful, it keeps you grounded. I'd still want a vacation though, whatever kind it may be.

virtual office is in

Before leaning toward doing part-time teaching, I've been looking for some work-at-home opportunities. I was mildly surprised that there are a lot of them out there. There were a lot of work-at-home call center positions but since I don't really feel like talking on my headphones to a lot of people in a few hours, I decided to look elsewhere. There were a lot of virtual office opportunities. Some businesses don't really have an office and they use an answering service for clients to contact. Instead of incurring the costs of keeping an office, these businesses opted to just use a virtual office. This usually works for small businesses, where maintaining their own office can sometimes be more of a disadvantage. With an answering service, they have somebody else taking calls and doing other administrative tasks for them. Great innovation, don't you agree?

helper/yaya - check!

It seems that God is telling me to get off my butt and do part-time work this June. The first of our requirements is almost 100% done! My mama was able to get us a helper from a friend of hers. The girl will be joining us maybe around May 7. I was so happy upon learning about it. Finally, having someone else do the household chores! I can't wait... :)

addicted to loans

If you are one of those people who keeps on getting loans to get out of a financial difficulty, what you need is rehabilitation. Ironically, one way of doing this is to get another one. What you need is bad credit debt consolidation. Simply put, consolidate all your debts, then swear off getting another one. Hopefully, the result would be being able to pay off all your loans and being debt-free. It really is easier said than done. Because once situation forces you into a tight corner, it's so much easier to just take out another loan.

doing part-time

I just might go back to work after all. Everything depends on several things though. Ramil and I have talked things through and we have two requirements for me to be able to do part-time teaching. First would be a helper/yaya so somebody can give me a hand with housework and with Mateo. Second would be a place nearer to the school so we would feel more confident leaving Mateo with the helper/yaya we would get. We are praying that we will be guided on this. I guess things will fall into place if this is for me.

cancer cure

Cancer is something nobody would wish to have, whatever kind of cancer it might be. It remains to be a traitor disease for some, sneaking into your body and eating away at it without your knowledge. I remember being very paranoid when I was a kid, I would always imagine some lump in my body and I would be very scared that I might have cancer. A lot of people, women in particular including me, were ecstatic when the vaccine for cervical cancer was developed. Imagine being able to protect yourself from a disease that has no definite cure.

There are a lot of procedures being developed to cure different types of cancer. One of these is the Gamma Knife, a breakthrough brain tumor treatment. This equipment allows brain surgeons to perform brain surgery without cutting up the patient. A non-invasive surgery using the gamma knife can be effective even for those cases where other treatments have been tried already. The procedure is very accurate, a must if someone who needs to undergo brain radiosurgery. Aside from this, the surgery reduces the radiation to the rest of the body by limiting it to the brain. This treatment could definitely save a lot of lives. Learn more about it here.

voice host

I've been looking for some work-at-home opportunities. There seems to be a lot of those kinds of work nowadays. Most of them are work-at-home call center opportunities. The requirements are usually a high-end reliable computer, a fast internet connection, a headset, and a VoIP software. Well, I got everything except for the last one so I've decided to browse the net for some possible options.

Using a corner of your home as your very own call center cubicle, I figured you should have a good VoIP software. One of the VoIP softwares I saw is Ventrilo. A lot of people use it for online game competitions. The software has two components, the client program and the server program. Which means I'm going to need to get the services of a voice hosting company if I want to use this program. The whole thing is turning out to be a big move if I decide to do this kind of work. I figured I better research on it and explore it more. If things work out well, I'm going to need a good voice host.

flipbooks

Were you ever one of those kids who loves drawing stick figures on a corner of the pages of their books? I remember drawing these funny stick figures and flipping the pages so that it appears that the figure is moving. It was very cool for anyone, from a 7-year-old kid to a 15-year-old teener. My classmates and I would compete on who could make the coolest story and the prettiest drawings.

I was nicely surprised that they've pushed this idea into a more commercial aspect. Flip books are in again and they are in the form of videos. Commercials, animated product demos, You Tube videos can now come in print in the form of Flippies Custom Flip Books. What was a childhood pasttime is now an advertising tool. Leave it to the advertising world to come up with fascinating ways to attract a customer's attention.

tagged!

I've been tagged by Ann! So here goes...

Four jobs I've had
1. actuarial specialist
2. math teacher
3. mama to Mateo (?!)
4. housewife (?!)

Four movies I have watched over and over
1. Jerry Maguire
2. My Bestfriend's Wedding
3. Braveheart
4. Pretty Woman

Four places I have lived in
1. Banawe St., Quezon City
2. Roxas District, Quezon City
3. Novaliches, Quezon City
4. Taytay, Rizal

Four TV shows I like to watch
1. Smallville
2. CSI
3. Gilmore Girls
4. Wowowee (Hehe...)

Four places I have been on vacation
1. Puerto Galera
2. Baguio
3. Batangas
4. Davao

Four of my favorite foods
1. Halo-halo at Razon's
2. Cheesecake at Uno
3. Chicken ala King at French Baker
4. Kahit anong ice cream/kahit anong chocolate

Four places I would rather be right now
1. a room at a 5-star hotel (with my boys)
2. Palawan (with my boys)
3. Europe (with my boys)
4. Davao ulit (with my boys)

Four people who will answer this meme
1. Mai
2. Litzie
3. Jeng
4. Blessing

living in LV

I've always been fascinated with the city of Las Vegas. The big hotels and casinos seem like such interesting places to visit. I would like to try going to some of the casinos there at least once in my life, or watch some of the great shows that big hotels put on almost every night, or maybe Ramil and I could get married again in one of the wedding place there. Not very romantic for me but definitely interesting.

One of the reasons why I love the show CSI is the location of this TV series. Not only do they use the high-rolling locations of these big hotels, you also get to see the other side of Las Vegas. The side that has houses and the desert of course. I even looked up some Las Vegas real estate and was surprised to find out that the place really does go beyond what I've pictured. Some parts of it could be very suburban and rural. It doesn't lose its appeal for me, it only got me more curious and interested. Some day soon, I'll be going to all the places I've wanted to visit and Las Vegas will be one of these.

keeps going...

I desperately need an energy boost! Taking care of Mateo now is very tiring especially with the summer heat making us both sweat a lot. Whenever he's awake, he wants to be held upright most of the time or he wants me to carry him while standing up. He would also grumble if he's not being talked to. There will be few precious minutes when he would be content to lie in his playpen, look at his toys, and try to reach them. Ramil and I are seriously considering buying an airconditioner to help the three of us get through the day and night easier. Summer is really, really turning out to be such a discomfort. I can't wait for the rainy season. No big storms I hope but just enough rain to make the weather cool.

spiffy talk

I've been looking for other ways to use my online earnings online. Having racked up a few dollars from my blog posts, I am now on a shopping mode. Of course, what else would I look at? Not just things for myself but Upscale Baby Gifts & Unique Toys. Modern Crib Bedding, Designer Clothes, Jewelry & Natural Skin Care. I've been wanting to buy Mateo some more toys so I can, hopefully, help him be more coordinated. He's been trying to reach out for the toys I would show him and I would like him to have more choices. Still waiting for him to roll over any day now and I would like to find the right toy that would make him reach a bit farther to be able to roll over. He's also been growing up really fast. Some of his clothes don't fit him anymore. So I guess it's time to do some shopping for clothes for him. I can't wait to look and buy cool outfits for him to wear. I would have a blast taking pictures of him in cute clothes.

It's really amazing how I could get excited shopping for Mateo. Although I would still love to be able to shop for myself, I think what little extra we have should go to Mateo's things first. I would still fit in my clothes anyway, whether some of them are a little bit old already, but Mateo won't be able to fit himself into clothes he has already outgrown. And of course, he's a baby for only a short time so might as well buy him some toys too ;)

a small patch of land

The house we're renting right now is sitting on a spacious lot. The house barely takes up half of the it. In other words, we have a very spacious backyard that has kaimito trees, atis trees, guava trees, and a lot of other kinds of trees. Ever since we moved here, I've been thinking that if only we own the place I would love to have that small space landscaped. My mother, who has this thing for landscape design, agrees with me. That small area of land needs grass and a more organized look. Right now, it looks as if the person who planted the trees didn't think twice where to put them. It would be great to design that small patch of land so that it would be more pleasing to look at and yet more functional too. My mother knows of several groups of people who do landscaping. I guess I better introduce them to our landlady.

vacation time

It's summertime once again and I can't help but dream sandy beaches. We haven't been to the beach this summer and I've been aching to be able to bask in the sun. Our only chance of going to the beach would be if we hitch a vacation with our parents. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have any plans of going to the beach either. My aunt has plans and how I hope we could go with her family. She's looking at Florida rental vacation though and even if we just pay for our airfare, we wouldn't be able to afford it. They're planning to go there at least once a year so maybe in the future, if budget permits, we'll go on a vacation with them.

being pretty does not come easy

My tita visited us recently from Australia. The last time I saw her was five years ago, not to mention a nose ago. She now has a new nose which I must say, was beautifully done. She had a rhinoplasty, or simply a nose job, the last time she visited us but we weren't able to see the 'product' then.

When I saw her what came to my mind was the face of Lani Misalucha. They now have very similar-looking noses. A lot of Filipinos are not gifted naturally with high noses. I guess it is for this reason that rhinoplasty is one of the most performed cosmetic surgeries here. I even had a classmate in college who had a nose job! In Los Angeles, they even have cosmetic centers specifically for rhinoplasty, where the facilites are really classy and comfortable.

Having a nose job done can be for a variety of reasons. Most of them because of aesthetics, people want their noses to look better. It didn't occur to me that some people actually get a nose job to be able to breath easily. Some people have noses that gives them breathing difficulties. Well, my tita surely has no breathing difficulties but she sure is prettier now. As for me, no breathing difficulties also and I'm pretty happy with my nose right now.

adventures of the red car (part ewan)

Last Thursday morning, i was surprised when ramil came back to the house after spending close to 15 minutes in the garage. He was supposed to be on his way to work already, but instead of hearing a loud roar from the noisy engine there was complete silence. There were no sounds coming from the garage whatsoever, not even a click. Ramil came back frustrated. I knew at once what had happened. The red car conked on us again.

Just a few weeks ago, the car's alternator gave out. Fortunately, for Ramil, he was already in front of the house when the car just suddenly lost power. He ended up pushing just to position it properly on the side of the road.

This time, however, it didn't even get to move out of the garage. Battery is my first guess because when the car technician took a look under the hood last time, he suspected that it would be the next to give out. I guess he was right. Huhu!

Just when budget is starting to get really tight, the red car decides to make it tighter.

rags to riches designer

I've heard of a lot of inspiring rags to riches stories. I didn't think that the founder and designer behind Belisi Fashions is one of them. Peter Belisi used to be an ordinary bartender and used to just serve people he is now designing for. Just like everyone who has a less than comfortable life, Peter dreamed of starting his own company. He started his own tie collection and before long, people around him were looking to him for inspiration. Hence, ties are something the Belisi brand is known for. The company has also expanded to producing other accessories that could enhance and finish a certain look, among them are scarves and handbags. Aside from this, Belisi hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings. He is now using his company to share the good fortune he's having. Every Belisi product bought now translates to fighting poverty, protecting the environment, seeking justice, and funding medical research. Truly an admirable style and dedication.

lease is up

Our lease will be up for renewal this June. Ramil and I are seriously thinking whether to renew it or not. We love the house we are renting now. Although the house is not big, the whole lot it is on is very spacious at 180 square meters. We have a garage that could fit two cars, trees at the back, and a quiet neighborhood. The house only has one bedroom but we think we might be needing another bedroom in the next few months if we decide to get a helper or if the grandparents or my sister would like to sleep over. What we would like the most of course, is to get our own house but with our financial state, that might not be possible. Still, we might be looking up some agencies like Cary NC Real Estate. Who knows, we just might suddenly have the means to buy a house. Hehe!