just simple thoughts

Everything at STEAK in San Juan

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:06:33 PST

I used to be assigned in one of the government office in San Juan and it used to be my second home for about 4 years until I was reassigned in 2010. Aside from missing my former officemates, I also miss the great food and restaurants that we used to go to and one of them is a steakhouse called Everything at STEAK - just a walking distance from my former office.

Looking at some old photos reminded me of the good times we had at this place. We normally celebrate birthdays at Everything at STEAK since this was one of the nearest restaurant, not to mention the good steaks served at very prices that are budget friendly.

One of my faves - Rib eye steak with mashed potato! Yum!

Potato skin is a must during every visit! :)

When I happen to be in the area of San Juan, this is one place that I will definitely visit.

Musical Intruments Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:16:12 PST

Heads up music lovers! I know that musical instruments can be quite expensive but if you know where to look, you need not invest that much on instrument. If you are from the South, Cebu is well-known for its guitars so if you happen to be in Cebu, either on business or pleasure, you may want to check what they to offer.

With the number of guitar stores in the area and the level of competition, I am pretty sure that you can get a good deal especially if you’re an expert when it comes to haggling. :) And when you try search online, I am sure that there are a lot of online store that offers coupons and great discounts. In fact I saw one music store that offers 15% OFF a single purchase worth $199 and up until the end of the month. Just be patient, search the web, conduct an online and physical canvass, and I am sure that you won’t spend that much on instruments.

Good luck and happy buying! :)

Palladio Rice Powder from Beauty Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:05:53 PST

In one of my entries last week, I talked about the bt minerals powder foundation the I got recently from Watsons. I mentioned in that post that it has a pinkish tint and without even the need to put a blush on, it makes my face reddish. Should I be happy that I will be saving on blush on? I will be if will get that pink glow on the right place, but no! It doesn’t only make the apples of my cheeks pinkish but my ENTIRE face!

I even shared in that blog post that I felt that I wasted money on the product. However, the practical side of me dictated that I try to find a product that can go well with bt minerals in a way that it will “balance” the pinkish effect of the power foundation that I got. In my search, some of my considerations were the price and quality. It should be something of quality but not overly pricey.

Now I am glad to update that post because I have found an oil absorbing powder that can go with my latest mineral powder foundation that I have and neutralize the pinkish effect! Yay! It is the Palladio Original Rice Powder that I got from Beauty Bar for only Php325.00 – very budget friendly.

According to the product description that I read, “it absorbs excess oil, thus maintaining proper pH level on the skin’s mantle.” Since I do have oily skin, I am hoping that the product will effectively reduce my face’s oiliness. Some reviews say that it’s not a travel-friendly companion because it is a loose powder. It can be messy to apply as can be expected from loose powder but if you keep the puff in place, it does makes it a little less messy even if its in you purse upside-down. Some also complain about the scent…Yes, it’s not fragrance-free but it really doesn’t bother me. Actually the smell reminds me of Chin Chun Su.

I am now using this together with my bt minerals powder foundation and was able to achieve the result that I want. Some people use this as a setting powder but since I am using a powder foundation that has shimmers and I wan to enjoy the dewy effect - I do just the opposite and happy with result! :)

Glimpse into Building a Website

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:29:26 PST

Do you want create your own website but fear that the process might be too complicated? No need to worry because the process of building a website could be as easy as 1-2-3. I know so because I am currently running 2 blogs with its own domain name and one of them is what you call “self-hosted”. To give you an idea on how easy it is to create a website, I will share how I was able to build my websites but I will focus more on my self-hosted blog – how to get your own domain, hosting and connect your domain & web host.

Initially, both my blogs were hosted by Blogger and with address that ends with the usual .blogspot.com. Well because my blogs at the time were still babies, I thought that investing in a domain name would be premature. Fast forward to a few months later, I decided that it was time to take my blogs to another level and get my own domain. Because I do not want to trouble myself with domain registration, I decided to take the easy path and acquired customs domain through Blogger. You can easily register a domain through sites such as GoDaddy though…It was just that since both blogs were hosted by Blogger, I opted not to bother myself with configuring the DNS settings and all.

Getting a custom domain with Blogger is relatively easy, all you have to do is:

go to your Dashboard;
click on the “Settings’ tab;
go to “Publishing”;
click the “Custom Domain”;
check the availability of your desired domain name; and finally
proceed to check out

You will have to wait 3 days at the most though before your custom domain becomes fully functional. Within this period, your blog will be in transition.

There came a time however when I had to get my own hosting and make my 2nd blog a “self-hosted” blog. In choosing a hosting provider, my number one consideration was the kind of customer service and the live chat facility. I am not an IT person and I know that I will need a lot of assistance which makes customer support was my paramount concern. After much thought and consideration, I finally decided to get the services of BlueHost as my web hosting provider.

I was able to transfer the hosting of my domain from Blogger to Bluehost simply by clicking on the "Transfer Domain" icon under the Domain category of my Bluehost CPanel, enter the domain to transfer and hit "continue" button. To complete the transfer and make everything work, you must either update the IP address for the domain to that of the hosting account, or change the nameservers to those of your hosting provider. In my case, I chose the latter because I find changing the nameservers much easier and less complicated.

To sum it all up, building a website is really easy and a good customer support from your hosting provider and domain registrar will make everything less complicated.

My Overdue Valentine Post

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:23:56 PST

At long last I was finally able to make an entry about our simple Valentine's Day celebration! I was glad that I was able to make post this before the week ends.

Now, let me start by saying that I am really not overly excited with Valentine's day. As a matter of fact, I find eveything so overly commercialized. Oh no, it's not that I don't have that romantic bone...On the contrary, I the type who loves to kiss, hug & cuddle my loved ones almost every minute. My husband even compares me to a cat! ;)) Despite being a hopelessly romantic, I am not really that ecstatic with Valentine's Dat. This is just my personal view because I believe that love should be celebrated everyday - from the moment we were born up the time we say goodbye to this life on eart - because love is everywhere and we are surrounded by it for our entire life!

Anyways regardless of my views, I do not want to disappoint my husband so we still went out after office and looked forward to having dinner at some decent restaurant. Unforunately and as expected, everyone was out to celebrated the V Day with their loved ones. Even the medical people who were still in their medical uniforms were out and about that day! And every restaurant that we went to were jam packed. The only place that we saw that was not too crowded was Tokyo Tokyo so we decided to just have dinner there and try their burgers.

We had the Kani Salad - a combination of magoes, crab stick, cucumber and mixed greens with creamy Japanese mayo.

Hubby & I both ordered for a Shogun Burger which has some onion rings inside. This may be the size of a regular burger but for some reason, it was so filling.

We also ordered for an extra serving of onion rings. I am a big fan of onion rings but I am a little disappointed with this one. Well, it was not as good as the ones from Pizza Hut.

After dinner, we had a quick trip at Conti's with the hope of grabbing a Mango Bravo from my parents and that's their all time fave!

By the time we arrived at Conti's, can you believe that my queue number was 423! My fingers were crossed while waiting for my number to be called and hoping that they would not run out of Mango Bravo. Unfortunately, since that's the best seller at Conti's, the last piece of Mango Bravo was put in a box 5 minutes before my number was called so I had no choice but to settle for a Sansrival which was the only cake that appealed to me.

There you go! That was our simple and humble V Day celebration!

Is BT Minerals OK?

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:12:14 PST

I was supposed to make a post about our simple Valentine's Day celebration but because I am already a little sleepy and I still haven't uploaded the photos to my laptop I decided to just make a "go" with the entry which I was supposed to publish yesterday but wasn't able to because I was too lazy to blog.

Anyways, I ran out of Mary Kay mineral foundation so I made a stop over at Watsons the other day on my home to grab something that I hope will do until I get hold of a mineral powder foundation from Mary Kay. While I was going through the brands, I saw this one which is quite new to me called BT Minerals. I figured that since I prefer to use mineral make ups, I decided to give it try since the brand said that it's a mineral foundation.

Because the brand it new to me (I want to make it clear that it is quite new to me but I have no idea no long it has been in the market), I scrutinized the label as soon as I got home. The label said that it is distributed by Beauty Treats Int'l Co. Inc. and has an address in Los Angeles, CA so I thought it was probably a good brand. I became a little curious though with the "LIFT HERE" printed at the bottom of the address.

As soon as I removed the top label, the first that I noticed was the country from which BT Minerals are made. Hmmmm...So BT Minerals were made from Taiwan and obviously not from the US. I was happy to know, however, that it was indeed made from minerals based from the ingredients that was shown.

I applied some on my hand just to show you and I don't know if you can clearly see it but it has some shimmer which aims to give that dewy look and it also has a pinkish tint. Upon actual application on my face, I can say that it is just so-so...I really do not like the pinkish tint because it makes my entire face reddish...

Honestly, I don't know how I'll be able to make this product useful and I feel that I wasted my money on this. I should have gotten myself a Loreal instead of trying something that is totally alien to me.

I got it for only Php386.30 so guess I just got what my money's worth. I cannot say if the quality of other BT Minerals products are the same as this one but I am not willing to give those other products a try. One disappointment for one brand is enough for me.

Have you tried this brand? What have you got say? It may not work for me but it may have worked for some people, so let's hear some feedback! ;)

Human Heart Nature: Only the Good

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:16:43 PST

I am now officially part of the social enterprise called Human Heart Nature and I just got distributor’s pack contained in a box last Thursday! Yes, I have joined and now a dealer of products that are made from natural and organic ingredients, environment-friendly, promotes social awareness and from a company that is committed to its advocacies.

This is not the first time that I have heard of Human Heart Nature. In fact I have read about the brand, the products and its advocacies since early last year but the other day (that was Wednesday), for some reason that I cannot explain, it just occurred to me to Google Human Heart Nature. I went to their website, browse at the products, and read more about the company and their advocacies, by the end of the day, I was already so eager to visit their head office along Commonwealth Ave and apply as a dealer. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get off the office until past 6:00 in the evening so I had no other choice but to postpone the visit until the following day.

Anyways, for only P799 I got my distributor best seller sample pack in includes:

50ml baby wash
50ml Sweet Indulgence lotion
50ml feminine wash
50ml women's deodorant
50ml Sunflower seed beauty oil
50ml balancing facial wash
50ml new night moisturizer with plant collagen
1 Peppermint lip balm
50ml spray sanitizer in Juicy Burst
50ml kids shampoo (Tangerine Tarsier)
50ml bug shield lotion
50ml moisturizing shampoo with CREAMFoam
10 Magalogues
10 fliers

Aside from my distributor’s kit, I also bought a 200ml moisturizing conditioner, 100ml Citronella Spray and a 50ml Sugarcane Hand Sanitizer in Watermelon scent. I guess it is also worth saying that ALL these items are for our personal use because I want to try everything!

Of course, as a dealer, I will be offering Human Heart Nature products to family and friends (and even to strangers if I get the chance) and encourage them to make a shift from chemical-based to all natural personal care products. Patronizing the products from Human Heart Nature is simply a win-win situation. And I am so excited about that! Why? Because by using these products we not only stir away from the harmful chemicals that are normally found in other brands, but we also support Human Nature’s advocacies and in our own little way, help make Gawad Kalinga’s dream of ending poverty in the Philippines by the year 2024 a reality.

With the tag line “pro-Philippines, pro-poor, pro-environment”, it is really worth supporting Human Heart Nature and all its advocacies.

Thoughts on Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:40:43 PST

In the past years quite a number of insurance companies have declared bankruptcy. Could this be another effect of economic crisis? Perhaps. Come to think of it, if you only have enough money in your pockets to buy food for your family, would you still spend it on insurance premiums? I highly doubt you would and personally, I will be more practical and make sure that there’s food on the table before I spend my hard-earned money in preparation for contingencies. I preparing for contingencies because benefiting from insurance policies would normally depending on the occurrence of future events such as accident, disability and comprehensive insurance for our vehicles. However, there are insurance policies that are definitely worth getting.

But because death is something that is very much certain, it is in my opinion that we get a good life insurance policy to help keep our family secure. We all want to ensure that our families to have a good life even if we’re already gone, right? That’s why we made it a point that we have a life insurance. The proceeds may not be much but the amount would at least help the family get by.

Health is another thing that we should be mindful of. They say that health is wealth and thus, we should make sure that we get the best health care. Health cards are not uncommon nowadays. In fact health insurance is now part of the benefits that companies provide to its employees. I heard that East Coast Health Insurance is a good one and you might want to check that out.

Oh well, these are just my thoughts when it comes to insurance.

Apple Squares by Estrel's

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:47:28 PST

We were in the area of Scout Tobias in Quezon City the other day and I remember that I saw some boxes of apple squares that were still available at Estrel’s when we picked up my parents’ anniversary cake last month. For fear that might have “sweets overload” at the time, I decided that I’ll just try their apple squares next time…and the other day was the right time!

So off we went to Estrel’s, hoping and keeping my fingers crossed that there were still some available considering that I didn’t place any order. I guess luck was on my side because by the time we arrived, there was only one box of apple squares available so I immediately grabbed the box before someone else does and made my purchase in a breeze.

BTW, my Mom (who happens to be a diabetic) fell in love with the caramel cake because it was not that sweet and perfect for those who want to control their sugar intake. With that said, I was hoping that the apple squares would be just the same so that my parents can enjoy them without having to worry about their blood sugar.

Now, let’s go to the facts: (1) there are only 4 of us in the house; (2) there were 12 apple squares in one box; (3) in less than an hour the box was empty; and (4) my Mom was only able to eat one piece of the apple squares because when she returned to the dining table the box was already empty. My conclusion: Estrel’s Apple Squares was a sure hit and it was worth the price. You can check out Estrel’s and everything that they have to offer here.

My Super Duo Switch

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:37:09 PST

Finally, after 24 long months my lock-in period with Globe Telecom has ended last January 29 and I was able to change my subscription from consumable 800 to the All-Unli plan. Since we do not have a landline at the office since October of last year and I get more charges on voice calls, I am thought switching to “My Super Duo” a good idea. With this plan, I can make calls to landlines within Metro Manila and to Globe/TM numbers without having to worry about my bill. Oh, and I also have my own landline number which is great because my friends can reach me through my mobile phone while they can make their call using their landline without extra charge – that’s because it’s a local number! Isn’t that great?!

Because I have been their loyal client for 24 months (as if I have much choice), I called Globe’s customer service hotline last Friday inquired about what are the Loyalty offers that they have for me. Well, back in 2003 I got a free phone as a reward so I was expecting something that great. But what they had to offer, without me making any cash out, was a monthly rebate on my monthly bill worth Php120.00 per month for 24 months or a Dowell Electric Grill with tempered glass + Php75.00 rebate on my monthly bill for 24 months. Uhm…I was not really sold with the electric grill and it’s a far cry from the kamado grills that I have been dreaming so I decided not grab any of those offers and hope that something good might come in the future.

And another thing, if I do accept any of those loyalty rewards, that would be mean another lock-in period of 24 months…Honestly, I am not sure if I still want to get tied with Globe for that long a time, not to mention that their offers are not that good enough to make me want to endure another 2 years. For the mean, I intend to enjoy my new subscription plan to the fullest and hope that I will not exceed the monthly fee of P599/month.

Leisure 18 - White Version

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:54:10 PST

This is my 3rd entry regarding my use of the slimming coffee called Leisure 18 – you can find my previous entries here and here. I cannot really call this my 3rd weight loss update because have temporarily stopped drinking this for reasons that will discuss some other time (after I have confirmed my theories). What I want to share with you now is about the 2nd box of Leisure 18 that I bought at a kiosk in SM Rosales. Yes, my 2nd box so you already qualify this as a late post but quite informative nonetheless.

So let me start by saying that I normally get my Leisure 18 from a Chinese drugstore located at SM North Edsa (it’s Century Drugstore if I am not mistaken located among those stalls outside of The Block, facing the main building). There was this instance when we went to Tarlac to visit my in-laws and I forgot to bring with me sachets of Leisure 18. I was religiously drinking this slimming coffee every morning; hence, I cannot afford to make a pass for 3 days. To make the story short, I bought a box of Leisure 18 from a kiosk in SM Rosales just so I won’t there won’t be any gap in my consumption of this slimming coffee.

The version of the Leisure 18 that I got from the Chinese drugstore at SM North Edsa were those in gold sachet so I was surprised when I saw that the one that I got from SM Rosales were in white sachet. I was so confused then if what I purchased was authentic or not. The markings for authenticity such as the holograms all over the box, the sticker and embossed/engraved dates (expiry and manufacturing) were present but then, why the white packaging? The taste, on the other hand, of the gold and white versions was the same.

Nevertheless, I still consumed the whole box of the white version out of “panghihinayang”. Hey, the money I used to buy those was hard-earned money and I just cannot afford to let it go to waste. So I was hoping against hope that it was authentic and will work wonders just like the gold version does.

After I have fully consumed a box of the white version, I made sure that I bought my 3rd box from that Chinese drugstore in SM City. While I made my purchase, I asked the sales attendant what’s the difference between the white and the gold versions? According to her, the Leisure 18 in white sachet that I bought was also authentic but it is milder compared to the gold one. That was enough to assure me that I didn’t waste my money on a box of Leisure 18 in white sachets! :)

In a matter of 2 weeks I will be able to prove or disprove the theory that was running through my mind and after that might continue with Leisure 18 or try another product called Nature Fashion Slimming Coffee. I’ll keep you posted though.

Live Bands Makes Me Alive

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:33:22 PST

I was browsing through some photos of the good times that I had with my college friends back in 2010 and I found this photo of a live band that I took during one of our nights out.

Unlike hubby who would rather spend the night with friends at a restaurant where they could talk without shouting at each other, I prefer to have a good time and bond with my friends while watching a live band. I am not into music really but I so much enjoy watching a band perfom live.

I can say that though this band only performs at local bars and resto in Bulacan were really good. If my memory serves me right, I believe that the one on keyboards is an architect by profession and does gigs to pursue his passion for music. I noticed just now that his keyboard was Korg, I am certain though if it was a korg triton extreme.

Remember that this was in 2010 and we are now in 2012. So far this was the last that I was able to watch a live and I do not know when will be my next. I might just ask hubby to take me out sometime for a gimick and I am sure that he cannot say "no" to his beloved wife! :)

Today's Shoe Hunting

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:00:42 PST

I made it a point to go to work earlier that usual this morning so that I can also get out of the office at before 5pm and be at the mall before the mall gets really crowded. You know how crowded malls can be after office hours and I tend to get irritated whenever I shop in a very crowded place. I intended to get a new pair of shoes, narrow shoes in particular, to go with the dress that I intend to wear at a friends wedding and I find it hard to look for something (a perfect pair of shoes in this case) when there’s a lot of people around.

So anyways, I did get to the mall before it got too crowded and was able to search every shoe store. Unfortunately, after hours of walking and searching I went home empty handed. Either I don’t like the style or my size was out of stock. My friend’s wedding will be on Saturday and that means that I have to go to a bigger mall tomorrow somewhere south to continue my search. I just hope that my shoe hunting ends tomorrow because I still have to visit my hair stylist before Saturday.

Good luck to me on my shoe-hunting tomorrow! :)

They Need New Tiles

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:54:33 PST

I have been to one government office yesterday to visit a friend who is among the agencies middle management and I could help but be dismayed to the flooring of her office. My big mouth became out of control and I told the janitor who was in charge to clean the office to properly mop the floor because it looked so disgusting.

Can you imagine entertaining official visitors with dirty-looking floor tiles such as those in the image above? The appearance of an office is actually part of the official’s representation; therefore, it should always be clean and free from all visible dirt. Dirt and grime on white tiles is such an eye sore.

While I was there the janitor did mop and scrubbed the flooring but he was not able to remove the unsightly marks. I told my friend to just request of a carpet to at least hide those disgusting marks on the flooring or if they have a budget, they could change them into dark vinyl tiles similar to this basement floor tile so that future marks on the floor won’t be very visible.

He Wants To Wash Cars

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:52:43 PST

My husband had a blast last weekend cleaning his brother in law’s recently purchased pick-up truck. I am not sure if I have mentioned this already but hubby is so passionate with cars and he enjoys spending the weekend doing car wash, putting on wax and buffing the cars. Because of this passion he’s seriously thinking of starting his own car wash business soon. Hmmm…Why not! I have always believed that you can never go wrong by doing the things that you really love. We’ll never know, from a car wash biz, we might eventually venture into an auto shop biz and carry some of those whispbar roof racks which I heard are very efficient and thoughtfully-designed.

Estrel's Caramel Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:05:51 PST

Last Friday my Dad & Mom celebrated their 49 wedding anniversary and to those who have been following my blog knows that I always get a regular Mango Bravo cake from Conti's whenever there's a special occasion at home. For last week’s anniversary celebration, I decided to try something else for a change.

One of my college friends is a big fan of Estrel’s caramel cakes and it was actually through her that I learned about Estrel’s. I have read good reviews about their caramel cakes saying that these are not as sweet as the other cakes that are available in the market, plus the fact that these are the cakes that we often see in Eat Bulaga whenever one of the Dabarkads is celebrating his/her birthday. There cake designs are also so pretty and dainty so I decided to give it a try and ordered for an 8” round caramel cake for my parents’ wedding anniversary.

I specifically orderes for a caramel cake with caramel icing and with filling as show in the image above and you might think that it too sweet because of the thick, creamy icing and filling, but I tell you it's not! This was the cake that my Mom was able to enjoy without having to worry much about her blood sugar. My Dad is lucky that he doesn't have problems with his blood sugar that's why his sweet tooth is never a problem.

Since I always get a cake the day before the occasion, I ordered my parents' anniversary cake last January 4 and picked it up the following day. Because cakes by Estrel's cakes do not have any preservatives, these are prepared on the day of pick-up and should be consumed within the same day. True enough, the expiry date stamped on the box was Jan. 6 (the day following the pick-up date)!

BTW, Estrel's cake box and cake design are protected by Copyright and this was stated on the side of the box, aside from the TM mark found under the logo. Obviously, this is a warning to those who wants to imitate their pretty and elegant cake design. :)

Charlie Chan Pasta + New York's Finest = Yellow Cab

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:00:26 PST

It has been quite sometime since we last dine at Yellow Cab so when we hit the mall last Thursday to look for cable covers at ACE Hardware, I asked hubby if we could have lunch at Yellow Cab instead. We originally planned to have lunch at Pizza Hut Bistro but while we were doing around the mall, I suddenly carved for Charlie Chan pasta and New York’s Finest pizza so that explains my request to go to Yellow Cab. Actually, these are our faves and have been loyal to these two since day. Whenever we would visit Yellow Cab, it would always be Charlie Chan and New York's Finest so I really don't have any idea if the other pizza that they offer are just as good.

Because we still have to do a little more shopping, we do not want to go around the mall carrying and bag of left-over food so we only ordered for a 10-inch New York's Finest pizza. Guess what? We ended up taking home half of it! So much for not wanting to take home left-overs... ;)

I have been wanting to make a home-cooked version of Charlie Chan pasta and when I Googled the recipe, I found out that that it was not as hard to prepare as I thought it would. I have read in one forum that Clara Ole's Kung Pao sauce + chicken + shitake mushroom + peanuts + chili flakes is the easiest way to do it. Others however prefer to use a combination of hoisin and oyster sauce but for my first attempt, I think I will go fot the easiest way and try Clara Ole's Kung Pao sauce.

I will post an update once I have made my home-cooked Charlie Chan pasta.

Adigitize to Close

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:16:42 PST

As I was checking my e-mails this morning, one particular subject caught my attention and that was “Adgitize to Close” from Ken Brown. Just seeing the subject made me a sad already. When I read the entire message, I truly am at a loss for the appropriate word to describe how sad I feel. According to Ken, by December 27 new accounts will no longer be created and that they will be shutting down the ability to create or renew any ads. By January 1, 2012, they will officially stop showing Adgitize ads and member publishers will not receive any revenue for ads shown. On the other hand, advertisers with running ads will be refunded a prorated amount of the ad price.

I am definitely one of the many bloggers that will be affected by this major turn of events. As an advertiser, Adgitize has no doubt brought traffic towards my blogs and I won’t be able to generate that much traffic without the help from Adgitize. As a publisher, Adgitize has also been one of my sources of passive income online. The closing of Adgitize will be such a loss to bloggers like me who needs a network such as this to promote and bring traffic to our blogs.

After publishing this entry, I will be removing the Adgitize ads that are running on my 3 blogs. I just hope that in the coming days, months or years, Ken Brown will be able to come up with some new and fresh ideas.

As I end this post, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the Adgitize network for all the things that it has done for my blogs.

My Lasagna Was a Hit!

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:01:19 PST

I was so happy that the lasagna I baked for Christmas was such a big hit with my family! I baked the lasagna on the day before Christmas and just in time for the Noche Buena. Because I know that my cousins and their kids have been craving for lasagna, I have decided that it would be the perfect food to share on their table for Christmas Eve. I must admit that I was so tired that day and I slept at around 2:00 in the morning because I had to bake 8 pans of lasagna (5 of which were given to my cousins & in-laws) and 5 pans of Mango squares. Luckily, hubby volunteered to wash the dished and other utensils that I have used.

Yes, I maybe tired but I was so happy particularly when I learned how much they appreciate what i have prepared. In fact on Christmas day, some of my cousins' kids went to the house for more lasagna saying that they couldn't get enough of my lasagna. One of the kids asked what my secret ingredient is and there was actually none. The ingredients that I use, aside from the usual ground pork and spaghetti sauce, are Clara Ole's 3-cheese spaghetti sauce, no-boil lasagna noodles (to save time and energy on the pre-boiling process), basil, mozzarella cheese and cream cheese (for the white sauce). I really couldn't think which of these makes the lasagna so good.

Now, as I was browsing through Facebook, I saw the status update of one of my cousin's daughter saying that she wants more of my lasagna, to which her cousin made a comment that she too loved the lasagna that I have been making. Wow! I was so flattered that I promised them that I'll be making another batch of baked lasagna for them on New Year's Eve. It really feels good know that my efforts are appreciated and that makes my effort worthwhile. :)

Breaking the Monotony

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:04:20 PST

In an entry that I have made early this month, I have mentioned that I am a little bored with work and I feel that everything is so monotonous. Thanks to the holiday season because it was kept me for a few days doing some last minute shopping until the mall’s closing time! Somehow, I was able to amuse myself with everything that has to be done for Christmas.

Maybe what I needed was a few days off from work so I decided to go on leave starting today until the 27th. I think 6 days will be enough to recharge me and make me as enthusiastic as I was when I was just starting out. Well, I have always loved baking…it is something I do that can really ease all the stress…So I will make my days off in the kitchen and prepare for our Noche Buena. In fact, I have to bake some goodies late this afternoon to be given away tomorrow to family and friends.

To break the boredom and the monotony of my daily life at the office, I am also thinking of going back to school. Online masters degree programs are now being offered by different universities so I might also check them out. Earning a degree online (that is without the need to physically go to school) is very convenient.

Yeah, I might just go back to school…that might break the monotony…I can’t afford to lose my job just because I was bored.

Eva Ekvall's Death

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:59:35 PST

When I saw the news headline in Yahoo! about an ex-beauty queen who died at 28, I can’t help but read the entire article. The former beauty queen was Eva Ekvall who was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2000 at the age of 17 and won 3rd runner up in the Miss Universe pageant the following year. According to the news, she died of breast cancer only last December 17, 2011 at a hospital in Houston. Reports said that she was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer only in February 2010.

I am not a big fan of beauty pageants but for some reason, I felt sad about her death. Perhaps because she died at such a young age and I feel that fate hasn’t given her much opportunity to enjoy life. Or maybe, I feel sorry for the 2-year old daughter that she left behind…I wonder if she would remember her mother at such tender age… Oh well, who am I to question life? Yet, I still can’t help the sadness that I feel.

Towards the end of the Yahoo! News, it was reported that Eva’s husband posted on his Twitter account a close-up photo of his hand holding his wife’s, resting on the bed, with words "Always together ... I love you wife." This made me teary-eyed…It was indeed a love the goes beyond a lifetime…I was so amazed by the kind of love that they have that I searched for John Fabio Bermudez’s (the husband) Twitter account to see the uploaded photo and found this:

This is just so heartbreaking…

Comprehensive Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:08:04 PST

As the year 2011 is about to end, we are now trying to prepare for our insurance-related expenses for the coming year. While some people are concerned about getting life insurance, we, on the other hand, are concerned with getting the best comprehensive insurance for our car that would also cover “acts of nature”. Since we already have a life insurance, all we have to worry now is the car’s insurance which will expire in the 1st quarter of 2012.

After the flood that we have experienced last October, we really have to make sure the “acts of nature” is covered as well. I wonder which among the insurance companies in the country is the most reliable. Although insurance premiums can be quite costly, after all the car-jacking/car-napping incidents and the unexpected flood that has occurred, we couldn’t afford to neglect the comprehensive insurance.

If you know a good insurance company, please do give me a buzz. Thanks guys!

Bye Bye iPhone 4s

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:41:14 PST

I said goodbye to the iPhone 4s even before I had it. Some weeks before the latest iPhone was launched, Globe Telecom sent me a text message saying that I could be one of the first to own an iPhone 4s by simply renewing my post paid account with Globe. The first thing that I had to do was to express my interest through their website and provide my account details. Thinking that this could be one of the loyalty programs the that telecommunications company have, I immediately expressed my interest based from the instructions provided and prayed that I could have the much coveted smart phone only by renewing my account and without any cash out.

Of course, that would only be just wishful thinking. Getting the latest iPhone without any cash out and at the current plan that I have of only P800 per month is just impossible. Still, I kept my hopes up and wish that the cash out would be minimal considering that it was under a loyalty program. I really wanted to have this new gadget but I had to prioritize my financial obligations so I was really uncertain if luck will be on my side.

With just a few days before the grand launch, I got a call from Globe asking if I want to pursue my interest and actually own an iPhone 4s. To give you a brief of our conversation, 1st I had to upgrade my subscription plan and there will be a cash out involved (as expected). Should I upgrade to unlisurf plan 999, the cash out would be roughly Php25,000.00; while if I would opt for plan 1799, the cash out would only be around Php4,800.00 but I had to deal with a minimum monthly due of P1,799 for at least 2 years and that would be too much. The required cash out is actually a good deal but because I am in a very tight budget, I had no choice but to say "pass" to the offer and wish that there would be other loyalty offers in the future.

So there, the latest iPhone is just within my reach but I had to say goodbye even before it was launced.

Weight Loss Update with Leisure 18

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:11:19 PST

In one of my previous entries, I have mentioned that I’ll be trying the slimming coffee called Leisure 18. Just to give an update, I am already on my 3rd box and so far I have lost 3 inches off my waistline. Yes, I am using a tape measure and not a scale because I am more concerned with visible results and the likelihood of fitting in my old clothes again.

There was a time though that I had to stop drinking this coffee for 2 weeks. Not that I have experienced any negative effect, it was just that I was at a training at the time and I was afraid my usual trips at the comfort room after each meal might disrupt my training. So just to be on the safe side, I decided to temporarily stop drinking Leisure 18 for the whole duration of the training.

I have also bought a bottle of green tea capsules when I purchased my 1st box of Leisure 18 slimming coffee to help me burn fat but due to the lazy bone that I have, I also wasn’t able to take the green tea capsule as often as I should. Normally, I just take a capsule of this green tea extract after I had a fatty meal. But I guess I should make it an effort to regularly take a capsule of green tea extract after every meal to get the maximum result.

Overall, I am happy with the results that I am getting. In fact my sister in law who gets to see me only once or twice every month commented that I have lost weight. She said that thought I haven’t lost that much weight, it was still very obvious that I did lost some pounds. She even asked if I got sick and that was then that I told her about the slimming coffee that I have been drinking 30 minutes before breakfast.

I still have a long way to go before I reached my desired waistline and I have to be really patient. What’s important is the fact the have been getting results and I am happy with that.

What's For Noche Buena

noreply@blogger.com (Dottie) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:19:34 PST

With just a week before Christmas, I still can’t decide what to prepare for Noche Buena. So far, I only have Kare-Kare, baked lasagna, Mango squares and triple chocolate balls on my list. I still can’t decide what else to prepare for the Holidays. Those in my list are my family’s all-time fave but aside from those, I want to prepare something really special and something that we don’t get to eat everyday.

BTW, I just learned this evening from the show “Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho” that we can drizzle some truffle oil over a serving of Kare-Kare to make it extra special. According to my husband, he once tried to put a few drops of truffle oil on his clubhouse sandwich (as suggested by an officemate) and he said that it was really good. My husband also mentioned that this oil is quite expensive but it’s worth the price. Hmmmm…I will definitely try this truffle oil with our Kare-Kare…I just hope that it’s available in supermarkets such as SM and The Landmark.

How about you? Are you all set for the Noche Buena?