A Walk Through Life

Motherhood celebrated

2012-05-15T23:46:00.001+08:00

Sunday was pretty special because we were celebrating Mother's Day at home with the in-laws. It was actually a double celebration as hubby's aunt also celebrated her birthday. I felt special not because I received flowers from husband. As a matter of fact, he didn't think of giving me any but it is no reason for me to feel disappointed like I once used to. After all, flowers are not practical gifts because I will have to dispose of them when they rot and wither, anyway. See, I am starting to think like him. LOL. I am happy to say, though, that he took care of our laundry that day without asking me to help out. He also ordered 3 trays of leche flan from mother-in-law. That was clever of him to decide on having leche flan served on Mother's Day because it is also his favorite. :-) Overall, my heart is full of happiness because of the many blessings I have received from God. Motherhood is surely one of my biggest blessings. There may also be trials along the way but they didn't
come without solutions. God is good!

I Can't Stop Shopping!

2012-05-12T11:32:00.000+08:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored blog post for Sway Chic by guest blogger Vanessa Reyes

If you find that you can't stop shopping, maybe you should give your wallet to a trusted family member. You probably didn't need those high waisted shorts, or those cute dresses, but you wanted them, right? And that's all that mattered? At least try and buy shorter dresses. Since they are short and have less fabric they tend to cost less (unless designer). Short dresses can be worn technically on any occasion and can really help to flatter your figure. Although you don't want to go too short, mini-dresses can really help to alleviate hot flashes in the summertime and also make you feel sexy at the same time. Mini-dresses are most popular for clubbing and going to parties. Wearing a short dress can help you to attract men and really be the center of attention. If you've been working out in the gym a lot for a killer body, you may want to try for a shorter dress to really show off what you've been working for. There is a pretty wide selection of mini-dresses available online and at different stores worldwide. This is because the mini-dress is a very popular clothing choice for today's teenagers and young adults. You will see shorter dresses coming out in spring, and may even be tied into colder weather since the fashion trend of fishnets came along. I personally love wearing short dresses because it makes me feel attractive, and I just find that there are much more kinds of short dresses to choose from than long ones. Also, I never liked the dresses that reached my calf or anything like that. I never really go to anything formal so there would be no reason for me to have to own a longer dress. They are very hot and although some older women may rock them, I really can't do it. I do like maxi dresses though since they fit a bit better and are also made to have really cool designs like tie-dye and what not.

No matter what kind of dress you may end up wearing, either way you will feel much more feminine and lovely wearing one, I guarantee it. Indie clothing is very trend-setting and can help to really set you apart in the fashion world. I personally love the fashion and have been buying indie any chance I get. I have found a few celebrities that I follow as well doing the whole indie look and it's a really cute fashion statement. I really love the headbands in girls' hair, they are so cute and creative!

hidden beach finally explored

2012-05-12T11:08:00.002+08:00

Thanks to my in-laws who have planned for a summer vacation, we finally had the chance to explore the Hidden Beach in Aloguinsan, Cebu. We have planned to visit this place last year but due to the not-so-pleasant weather (there was a threat of typhoon at that time) where the van we were renting got stuck on the way to that hidden beach, we decided to change our course and headed to another beach in another town.

You can only imagine the anticipation of being able to finally experience the white beach and the long shoreline. So, this summer, we finally made it happen. But, it almost didn't happen when, as we were on our way to where this beach was hidden, the rented van didn't seem to cooperate. Unfortunately, the vehicle's radiator leaked while we were still halfway through our destination. I think we were in Naga at that time, which spoiled our anticipation for a good swim.

I thought we wouldn't push through with the Hidden Beach summer outing. I thought we will again settle for another beach elsewhere just like we did last year, closer to where our vehicle got stranded. Thanks to the initiative of the driver, we transferred to another van after he called a fellow driver for back-up.

You know what it's like to get stuck or stranded, right?

Well, I considered it as a temporary setback. Coincidentally, my in-laws realized we got stranded in front of the house of their friend (a former workmate of father-in-law, I believe). To make the long story short, they ended up asking for "makopa" or "tambis" fruits (I don't know how they call that anywhere else in the world - I'll look that up pretty soon). So, we weren't really super bored at that time.

After the temporary setback, we were able to appreciate Hidden Beach Aloguinsan even more because of what we went through before getting there. To say that it was all worth it is, in fact, an understatement.:-)

So, this is just one of the few favorite beaches added to my list.

Do you have fast fingers?

2012-03-17T19:46:00.000+08:00

Working for a BPO company has definitely taught me more than just delivering quality work. It has also taught me that speed is an equally important factor. After all, swiftness in terms of delivering any kind of service is important. If you have fast fingers, for instance, you will surely do well with delivering encoding and book formatting services; provided, of course, that you also have the required skills that are needed for these tasks.

Do you have fast fingers? I do. Ahem! I also know some of them who do. They can format your e-books and best-selling books at the most reasonable cost. I think I am going to have to try their service as soon as my book is done.

time to get skin tanned this summer

2012-03-11T20:00:00.000+08:00

The temperature is getting hotter and some schools are already done with their commencement exercises this month. Shopping malls and department stores have already displayed their swimming gears and attires for sale. These are indeed obvious signs that summer is here. Most of us are already looking forward to enjoying a summer vacation alone or with family and friends, aren't we? The scorching heat of summer is calling. It's definitely time to get our skin tanned (or burnt, if you skip the sunscreen ritual).

So, how do you plan on enjoying your summer vacation? Where are you headed? Are you going to swim at a beach or at a pool resort? If it were all up to me, I would most likely prefer the beach because I don't know how to swim. I'll probably just stay where the water is not too high. Swimming at the pool is also fine with me; provided that we go to a swimming pool resort that provides excellent service. It is not enough that it has great ambiance. It should also be able to provide their staff with quality pool supplies and equipment that should be used for cleaning and maintenance. It matters to me that I have knowledge that they clean and maintain their swimming pools on a regular basis because that's where our safety lies. My husband (who used to be my boyfriend) once suffered an ear infection because the swimming pool at a resort they went to lacked the resources for cleaning and filtering their pool water. Today, it would be hard to get him to go pool swimming. Thus, we have decided to add this activity to our shared disinterest list.:-)

wives can relate to this

2012-02-25T00:52:00.000+08:00

I would like to share this image that I found online since this is a little bit related to my earlier post. :-) Pretty sure there are some times when we would like our partners to see things our way. However, no eyeglasses can ever provide for this intangible need. Truly, communication is still the best way to address any type of problem or argument you have with your partner. Right!

benefit from buying prescription glasses online

2012-02-24T23:52:00.005+08:00

Having perfect eyesight is important especially for most of us whose jobs would require keen and sharp vision. However, because of a lot of factors such as age, heredity, not to mention our lack of proper eye care, it would be quite hard to maintain that naturally perfect vision throughout the years. Thankfully, there's technology to hopefully help us see more clearly again.

For those who are looking to buy affordable and reasonably priced eyeglasses, you must not make the mistake of buying them at the expense of quality and your looks. Making the wrong choice and buying eyeglasses with the wrong fit will not only provide you discomfort but it will also make you look twice as old. If you are budget-conscious, though, you are likely to appreciate the many choices of affordable eyeglasses that are sold online.

Today, the popularity of Zenni Optical would no longer come as a surprise since they have already maintained their credibility by consistently providing eyeglasses that would fit the wearer well but at a lesser price than most optical shops out there. With their $6.95 prescription eyeglasses, for example, not only would you be able to address the problem with your vision, you would also get complimented for wearing a beautiful piece of eyewear.

So, how can you benefit further from buying prescription glasses online? Well, if you don't have any idea what type or shape of frame would best fit your face, you would definitely appreciate the Zenni frame fit feature they have on their site. You can easily learn how to use it and this will help you make the best purchase of eyewear. Indeed, the frame fit feature and their helpful How To Order guide online are among the reasons why many would recommend buying eyeglasses through Zenni. You might want to head over to their site right now and check out their latest promo where you can have three pairs of glasses for the price of two. Now, you can choose to look different each time by owning three stylish pairs of eyeglasses! Where else can you find a great deal like that?

finally he's arrived

2012-02-23T23:46:00.003+08:00

My elder brother arrived from Abu Dhabi today. I think it has been 3 years since we last saw each other. As a sister, I would have wanted to go with the rest of the family to fetch him at the airport earlier today. The thought of seeing him again (plus the presents that we call "pasalubong" *wink*) is already enough to excite my thoughts. However, since it's a work day and I still didn't have any leave credits yet, I thought I would need to put off seeing him until my working hours are through. I forgot to mention that I also needed to wait for my husband because we are going together to the restaurant where my brother and the rest of the family were waiting. Suffice is to say that my excitement in seeing my brother back again got extended for several hours. Can anybody relate to that?

Anyway, when we get to finally see him at the restaurant, I didn't quite expect to see a reaction that seems to show that he was more than excited to see me. Well, it is probably because he has already drank several bottles of beer with dad, my brother and my sister's boyfriend before me and husband finally turned up. I didn't realize just how much I miss talking to my brother. Sure, there's Facebook and all other types of tools that are meant to provide communication but, somehow, it is really different when you get to talk and physically see the person.

So, there. Finally, brother has gone back home with lots of stories to tell. However, it was already late and he already looked like he could use some sleep, so we already said our goodbyes. We will be seeing him back this weekend at my father's place in the province and it will be a long journey. Of course, we didn't leave empty-handed. Aside from his wonderful presents, I also received something from my classmate way back in the elementary who is also working in the same place as my bro. It's funny how I got her to send me those chocolates. I think it has only been two days ago when I jokingly asked her on Facebook if she would like to send me something through my brother. And she did! Wow, additional blessings. Indeed, it was like "Ask and you shall receive." :-)

I have yet to decide if I would need to add pictures to this post. Good night.

finding a good real estate agent

2012-01-22T11:21:00.004+08:00

Whether you’re buying or selling homes or properties, real estate agents are very important for any profitable and secure real estate transaction. In many cases, property agents are only known through word of mouth. Perhaps you know these agents because they are recommended by your family and friends who are satisfied with their services in past transactions. You can also find real estate professionals through advertisements in classified ads or through the Internet.

From the moment that you advertise your intention to buy or sell a home, it would usually mean that you will be opening your door to property agents. These agents will be very persistent in trying to represent you; after all, they make a living through buying and selling properties. They are also willing to do the extra mile just to help you achieve your dreams and goals.

A good agent is known for his credibility, so don't be shy to ask questions. You can ask and get yourself educated on the many aspects of buying and selling property. Every agent has a responsibility. Expect him to do more than just driving clients to various homes and properties that are for sale. Helping his clients with negotiations, inspections, contracts, and closing processes are the major parts of his job. The best property agent must continue to educate himself in order to keep up with the laws involved in buying and selling property. Moreover, he needs to be knowledgeable about the market trend.

When choosing an agent, you need to choose a licensed one because he is legally required to stand by the Code of Ethics. With a licensed agent, you can be sure about his qualification, capability and dedication to sell and to help in the buying of properties. Of course, it is also important to verify that this agent has a good reputation and a proven track record.

If you have plans of buying a good home, contact real estate agents who are within the community first since they are likely to know the price range of the property that you intend to buy. It should also be the same way if you intend to sell your property in the same community. An agent who is in the community should be knowledgeable enough on how to properly price and market the property you are selling.

Finally, don’t forget to look at how well the agent represents all his clients. It is never a bad idea to visit some of the open houses that he has organized. You can snoop around and check whether he is able to explain everything about a client's property with confidence. This is a good way to gauge his ability and skills which will help you decide if you can trust him to represent you in front of sellers or buyers.

on walking our talk

2012-01-22T10:43:00.002+08:00

We are probably not aware of it but most of us are guilty of not walking our talk. There are times when, even when we have already set our own principles and standards on what we believe to be the right thing to do, we would find ourselves settling to do the wrong thing.

Why is it just so hard for most of us to walk our talk? Why is there discrepancy between words and actions? Perhaps it is because it is tempting to backslide or to do the opposite especially if this would mean convenience on our part or something that can keep us out of trouble. But hey, why should we complicate things? Let's not make a wrong thing seem right just because almost everybody is doing it and it is something that we all can benefit from. Just saying. :-)

written over a cup of coffee (note to self)

2011-11-27T15:41:00.001+08:00

Change. We all want to change for the better but, at times, it is such a struggle to be able to successfully do so; but once you finally found the courage to take the first step towards the process of "change", everything else will soon follow... hopefully, with God's will and guidance. However, it is always possible to find yourself falling into the trap of going back to the previous state you are in. You might feel tired about your failed attempts at changing because you would always find yourself back at square one rather than progressing towards the finish line. And you will then start to wonder and ask yourself, "Why did I mess it up, again?" Of course, it is easy to figure out why you failed because you will be able to assess the consequences of your failed attempts. On the brighter side, you can always start again - 'more intelligently', as Henry Ford puts it.

Today, with the help of God, I am changing. I am starting again more intelligently today. No more procrastination this time. And if I should go back to square one and try again with a different approach, I will not complain and happily do so. After all, this walk through life gets more and more exciting when I have trials and failures to overcome.

Really now? Hehehe :-)

something rare and durable

2011-11-26T14:45:00.003+08:00

Didn't you realize how quickly the days go by? I began to realize that it's almost Christmas time when we officially started our Kris Kringle this month. Definitely, it’s time to buy gifts these days. It’s really fun and exciting to be receiving a little something each week. I am looking forward to the revelation part where we get to know who’s been giving us the gifts we’ve been getting each week.

Speaking of gifts, I have also been planning to give something unique as a Christmas gift to my hubby. Clueless on what to give, I started to browse online for gift ideas and this led me to seeing pictures of Tungsten Rings, particularly the wedding rings. Oh, I would have loved for us to be wearing beautifully designed wedding rings made of rare and durable metal like Tungsten to symbolize our rare and enduring love for each other; however, we already have our wedding rings because we've been married for 4 years already. So, I'll just have to suggest that my friend in the U.S. get this type of ring on her wedding day; that is, if she and her partner would want to deviate from gold or silver where wedding rings are usually made of. Hopefully, their church wedding in the Philippines pushes through next year.

my ever thankful heart

2011-11-26T11:23:00.010+08:00

I just love it when the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving holiday. I am loving this holiday more this year especially now that I just got back from working in traditional office. The company I work for follows the American holidays in determining our non-working days. This is why I was fortunate to have enjoyed a two-day respite from work. In fact, I'd consider it as a four-day vacation from work if I were to include Saturday and Sunday. Yey! Thank you, America! :-)

In connection with the Thanksgiving holiday, I told my husband I am going to post again something about gratitude. I always have a lot of things to be thankful for in my life. Overall, life has been great. Despite a few setbacks here and there, I feel like the Lord has been very kind to me and my family. With God's help, there weren't troubles that me and my husband weren't able to endure together. I think I've said or written this somewhere. Why do I feel like I keep repeating myself? *grin*

In terms of work and career matters, one of the things that I am thankful for is having met wonderful employers along the way. I am referring to both my previous and current employers. There is only one word I can describe both of them - they're "heaven-sent"!

It was a little hard to say goodbye to the previous company I have worked for. In fact, I had initially thought about keeping it (it was a full-time online job) while also working in traditional office. However, I know it would be a point against my integrity if I don't let my previous boss know about my career plans. Besides, it would be hard to serve two masters full-time since I obviously don't have a bionic body. To make the story short, ex-boss wished me well in my career move. In fact, he sent me a wonderful and touching message that I will forever cherish and I will share them to you here, my few readers! :-)

Now, I am not so sure if I deserve ALL those words from him.. Husband has only one advice for me - cherish these things in your heart and not in your head.... :-)

I also have nice words to say about my current boss and the company I am now working for in general. I would like to thank them, especially the big boss, for taking me back without hesitation. I promise to work harder in order to meet or exceed (hopefully) their expectations.

There will be more gratitude posts to follow.

work and career matters

2011-11-17T23:39:00.003+08:00

After careful consideration, I have decided to go back to working in traditional office. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made considering that I have always wanted to stay and work at home so I can also be where my daughter is. Among the many plausible reasons I have, recent health concerns in the family added more weight to the decision that at least one of us should be back working in traditional office setting so that the whole family can have health insurance as part of the benefits. Anyway, I am not going to be working in the office the whole day and my Saturdays and Sundays are always free.

Indeed, even as a freelancer, work-at-home employee or a casual worker, it’s really important to have an amount set aside for contingencies such as health setbacks and other emergencies. Sometimes, we tend to put these things off (if not forget) hoping that we would stay healthy all the time and especially since we’ve always known ourselves to be not the sickly type.

However, we can’t always tell when ailments strike. We can never be assured that we won’t get sick because we are taking vitamins and other health supplements. As these things do come in unexpected moments, we need to be prepared so that we have something to use when our health needs proper medical care and attention.

financial matters

2011-10-17T18:34:00.003+08:00

Lately, we have been getting a lot of calls from representatives of different banks. Some of them wanted to talk to me while the others wanted to talk to my husband. I wonder where they got our names and telephone number. Perhaps they got it from a telephone directory or from the bills that were sent to us. It could be from raffle coupon forms that we have religiously filled up at the malls hoping we would get lucky. Could it be possible that some establishments would sell customer information to these banks? Anyway, these bank representatives were calling us for one purpose; and that is to tell us that we are qualified to avail of personal loans. Personally, I was really surprised how confident they were to offer us this type of loan when they do not even know yet if we are capable of paying them back.

To be really honest, it looks really tempting to avail of a loan because we could use it for house improvement and other important things. To rely on our salaries from working online wouldn’t be enough to carry out these projects. I told my husband that it would probably take forever for us to accomplish our plans. However, he would be quick to remind me that we are not in a race to become rich. He said that we would rather live a happy and simple life than end up burdened with unnecessary debts which could potentially take a toll on our relationship. I couldn’t agree more. I would probably consider getting a loan if the money would be used for business.

thank you grace period

2011-10-14T22:55:00.003+08:00

Just wanted to write a quick and short note - I'm still alive. :-)

A month after this domain expired, I realized that I'm not ready to take down this blog. For some reason, I'd still want to keep this despite not being able to write updates for ages. Thanks to things like "grace period", and husband's approval, I was able to reactivate this blog with grace. Period.

Today marks the end of my blogging hiatus. Hopefully. Welcome time management. I'll take this walk through life again one day at a time. :-)

Just wondering if I still have some readers... I certainly hope so.

just an ordinary Monday update

2011-06-27T15:20:00.006+08:00

Happy Monday, everyone!

Life had been extremely busy that I missed to update this blog as often as I would have loved to. As usual. I thought I could fit blogging regularly but I guess I will not push myself too hard on this itinerary anymore. Hopefully, I can manage to at least update and do some blog hopping on a weekly basis. We'll see.

No matter how busy I get these days, though, I am still loving life. Stress won't defeat us if we believe that there's a God who can lighten all our burdens. If there's anything heavy that I was not able to address yet at this point in time, that would have to be my weight. Even my husband would remind me to exercise more or I might be able to make myself an eligible candidate for the second season of Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition. It's not funny but he's right, though. So, I won't complain anymore if I hear anyone telling me the obvious that I'm getting bigger. The truth hurts, indeed; but if that's what it takes to get me to do something about it, then I'd gladly welcome pain!

I look forward to the time when I would be comfortable to have pictures of me taken. Right now, though, I'll have to be content with just the head part of me shown. :-)

Or better yet, don't focus the camera on me. :-)

Goodness, got caught eating again!

just another summer post

2011-05-12T22:24:00.000+08:00

I'd like to further affirm my declaration that I am not yet done with summer by putting up another post about it. Yes, I am so not over it yet. In fact, this cover song Summer Breeze from Jason Mraz just keeps playing over and over my head and I am still not tired of it.

Not all episodes of last song syndrome irritates me. At least not this one. I think it is possible to have a very long but relaxing trip when you're listening to beautiful songs like this. Okay, probably anything from Jason Mraz (and John Mayer...).

Okay.. here's the song I am talking about...

a post for memorial day and then some

2011-05-09T08:48:00.006+08:00

One of the things I wouldn't forget about being employed from an American outsourcing company before was the fact that we've also celebrated American holidays with our American bosses. I would remember that when it's a US holiday, it's usually the time of rejoicing for us because it means we have no work. However, a more in-depth look at the holiday made me realize that we should not rejoice only because it's going to give us a respite from work; instead, we must also understand why we celebrate such a thing. The month of May, come the last Monday of the month, is US Memorial Day. Now, it's clear to me because I already got myself educated that this day is in honor of those who died in the service of the military such as, but not limited to, those who became officers and crew of the USS Bluegill. I believe that declaring a holiday in memory of those who died for the country's sake is indeed a great form of respect we can give to them.

Remembering those who died also reminds us that death also happens to each one of us. Indeed, we will never know when our time will exactly come but it's always a reality that everything we have here on earth is just borrowed time. Nowadays, although some are still not comfortable at the thought, preparing for funeral arrangements ahead is already considered a smart move, especially for those who don't want to leave such burden to those they will leave behind. I guess it's best to plan it ahead when Burial Insurance rates are still not that high, right?

Somehow, it's a little awkward to be planning for our own funeral ahead but for some of us who have often witnessed a situation where someone's family has mourned and grieved not only because of the loss of their loved one but also because they are having a difficult time looking for means to get their dead a good and decent funeral, we might as well think of ways to relieve our loved one of such additional burden when it is our time to go. Anyway, I believe no senior is too old to qualify for an insurance like the seniors Burial Insurance. Eventually, we all know that we all must go, right? Like the soldiers who are always prepared for a battle, it is also important to prepare for our own battle.

two great weekends

2011-05-09T07:39:00.001+08:00

Just had two great weekends (Saturday and Sunday) this month of May. On Saturday, on our way to our in-laws, we dropped by at Greenwich pizza to meet up with two ex officemates. I thought we wouldn't be able to make it to dinner time because it was really hard to get a ride and the weather wasn't cooperating. Thank God, they're still there, though. Pizza, pasta and french fries with friends -- hmmm, friendship is making me bloat! :-)

Sunday was Mothers Day. Happy Mothers Day, mother bloggers! Or should it be blogger mothers? Both, didn't sound too good :-) In my previous post, I mentioned we were going to spend this day with the in-laws in Aloguinsan. We were supposed to be basking at a beach called "Hidden Beach" in Bonbon, Aloguinsan; however, the road going to beach I envisioned to be a paradise beach seemed too muddy because of the heavy rain that we decided to make a retreat and went in one of the beaches in Pinamungajan, instead. It would have been a perfect day to watch Manny Pacquiao's victory over Shane Mosley but we were already scheduled for this beach outing. The weather wasn't a perfect time for a beach outing but our presence made it perfect. I wasn't able to take pictures because my camera went off after I took a video of our long ride, earlier. Not a smart thing to do, indeed!

not yet done with summer

2011-05-07T14:01:00.001+08:00

I am already excited to pay my hometown San Carlos City (Negros Occidental) a visit because I haven't been back there for ages since our family already moved here in Cebu. Time to check on my calendar for this itinerary. I told my husband I need to find some time to show him and our daughter what our hometown looks like. I thought we deserve to spend at least a day or two in one of those beautifully developed resorts and beaches there. I can only imagine myself waiting for my cold drinks, sitting on a beautiful outdoor lounge chair and enjoying the breath of fresh air. Oh, and did I mention taking a dip in the water, too?

Summer or not, we're going to make a splash. Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I get to spend it with my in-laws at Aloguinsan. Not good with geography but it's in the southern part of Cebu. I don't know which resort in Aloguinsan we are heading but I hope to get good pictures so I can share it here on my blog. Sadly, I am still stuck with this old camera - can't part with it yet but I hope to get a good replacement soon. If only cameras are part of our priority expense. Sigh! Anyway, it's going to be fun with or without pictures to document any itinerary.

Yay, it's time to catch up for summer fun. Let it rain but I am definitely not yet done with summer!

toddler got vaccinated again

2011-05-06T13:35:00.006+08:00

In line with the Department of Health's immunization program for children between nine months to eight years old, my little girl received her measles/rubella shot on April 29th. Even though she's been completely immunized already with the MR vaccine when she was under a year old, I did not hesitate to let her receive immunization again because I have paid attention to their campaign on television and got myself educated that it's still okay and safer to get another shot. I thought they'd never make it here in our place because it is almost the end of their door-to-door immunization campaign but I am glad I was wrong.

Anyway, I got to tell you how brave my daughter was. I could hear the cries of some toddlers in the neighborhood when they received their shots but my daughter didn't shed a tear. Yes, it's the same painless reaction all over again when it comes to the needles. In fact, she just watched how the needle entered her skin. Not quite like her mom, eh!

It's funny because I was scared she would shriek in pain that I chose not to hold her. Anyway, glad I grabbed the camera and took a video of it. You'll have to excuse her not wearing anything on top because she took it off. It's summer here and the temperature is just too hot (It started to rain though as we entered the month of May). She was actually playing and running around when people from the Department of Health entered our home. Aside from the vaccine, the health worker gave her a drop of Vitamin A. We were also given a chewable deworming tablet for her to take at night time.

Thanks, DOH! Glad you came here. :-)

his eyeglasses as a necessary expense

2011-04-30T19:24:00.000+08:00

As far as I can remember, my husband has been wearing prescription glasses ever since the first day I saw him in the same office we were working before. Some people who would talk about him would actually refer to him as the "guy with eyeglasses" when they would forget his name but I must say, though, that even then, I already knew there's something more to him than just being that "guy wearing eyeglasses". I guess it just can't be helped that his eyeglasses are already part of his personality. He's been wearing them since college. More importantly, he just can't leave the house, face the computer, or read books without them.

Incidentally, some time this year, he said goodbye to his old pair and bought a new one. We thought it could last for another year before he would be able to buy his next one. It was like our little girl decided it when she grabbed the eyeglasses while he was carrying her and just let the pair fall to the ground. Anyway, we can't do anything about it but let it go. The one in charge at the optical shop said repairing it would cost almost just like new. More importantly, he badly needed to wear one as soon as possible because he definitely can't see well without eyeglasses. He needs his prescription eyewear especially when he's driving his motorcycle out in the road or when he is working online.

Certainly, his eyewear will always be a necessary expense that we can't put off when it needs replacement. Unfortunately, we just noticed that the price of prescription eyeglasses at the nearest optical shops are getting too pricey these days that I told my husband we need to try buying his next pair of glasses online. After looking at the range of prices from Zenni Optical and after checking out how easy it is to find the glasses that would look great on him (they have a smart interface to let any user try different pairs online), I told my husband "Zenni Optical is your smart choice".

I believe that shopping online is already the trend nowadays and that certainly includes shopping for eyewear. Buying prescription glasses from Zenni Optical shouldn't be a problem for him because he already knows what specifics to enter into his order (his prescription type, pupillary distance, etc.). In fact, I let him choose one today and below is what he wanted to buy as his next pair.

We'll be asking mother-in-law as well in case she wants to upgrade to a new pair to make the most out of the shipping cost.

As for me, even though it's quite tempting to buy fashionable plano eyeglasses for myself, I guess I'll have to be content with not having found the need to wear one just yet. :-)

buying a good home

2011-04-29T19:30:00.001+08:00

For those who are still renting an apartment, it is time to consider buying and owning a house. It is a waste of money if you spend for a place of dwelling that you can never own even in the long run. For this reason, it is practical to invest in a good house where you won’t think about having to look for another place to stay later on when landlords or apartment owners would already decide they no longer want to have the place rented. Indeed, renting a home will not provide you with the security that you will always have a place to go home to for many years. It is time to decide on buying a good home now rather than in the future because the price of homes will surely increase in the future.

Below are some important things to consider when buying a good home for the family:

1. Location. If your purpose is to have a house for the family that you can all go home to every single day, you need a location that is in close proximity to where you are working. You don’t have to live nearest to the place if you enjoy a long drive everyday before and after going to work. However, if you have children or intend to have children later on, you may want a home location that should be nearer to some of the best schools especially if you don't want to put them on a home school.

2. Size of Family. If you have a large family or are planning to have one, you need to consider purchasing a bigger house with a lot of rooms in it. However, if it is a small family you have, you may find it practical to buy only a home that should be good enough to house a small number of people.

3. Security. An ideal home should be secure enough for the whole family. This is somehow connected to your location of choice. If you are thinking of building and moving to another place, you need to be assured that your family will be safe and secure in that place. If you are aware that peace and quiet is something that you cannot always look forward to have in that certain place, then it is best to go find another house that will not endanger your household.

4. Cost. There are many homes now that are already built and should be ready for occupancy. Depending on your budget, you can choose to buy a brand new home or you can choose to buy one of those foreclosed homes. Consider the price of a particular home before deciding. Making price comparisons should not be that hard since a lot of the best homes being sold in the market today are already advertised online.

You can easily purchase a good home via a housing loan or mortgage. Even if your purchase is covered via a housing loan or mortgage, you can always get a reasonable price for a good home. The earlier you decide to do that housing loan or mortgage, the more time you have in paying it back and then owning it officially. This should be a whole lot better than renting.

home improvement ideas with toddler in the house

2011-04-27T12:34:00.000+08:00

I told my husband maybe it is about time that we would agree to a home makeover because the house looked almost too boring already. It’s been three years now since we moved here but it seems like we still haven’t done much to get past its vintage look. :-)

Anyway, it’s not like I am insisting for a total makeover all at once. I just want to make a few little changes at least twice a year. It probably wouldn't hurt our budget if we would just spare some amount every payday for a home improvement project. Perhaps, we can start painting those vintage looking walls with odorless paint. Then we can probably add hanging cabinets so we can already have proper place of storage for some of the wedding gifts we have received three years ago. Most of our gifts were just collecting dusts in storage boxes and these boxes are just simply eating up a lot of space in the other room upstairs. I’m really all about saving some spaces in the house and put them to good use. In fact, I’d like to be able to put our picture frames and some of our collectibles in one organized place - in one corner of our living room, perhaps. I thought it would be great to have one of those beautifully designed etagere corner shelves. With a toddler around the house, though, I’m not sure if adding such piece of furniture to place all our neat stuff is a grand idea. My little girl always wants to grab anything that's within her reach. Somehow, aside from budget, child-proofing can sometimes get in the way with implementing home improvement ideas.