khakiness

Anti-Virus

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:43:00 +0000

I thought I'm invincible, but I'm clearly not.

Meow is running on free Avast anti-virus and I haven't upgraded it to premium. I thought that having a free anti-virus is enough but now I proved myself wrong.

My camera got nasty viruses, i think there were about 20 to 30 infected files on my camera's memory card. I cleaned up the MC but now, I couldn't see my photos. The image files are still intact and I can see them through the camera's playback but I CAN'T SEE THEM ON MY COMPUTER! I'm currently helpless, I don't know what to do... :-(

Maybe I'll get myself some premium anti-virus this weekend.

$5 Insurance

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

What would you get for $5? Not much, you may say. But do you know that you could get an insurance for just $5 for individuals and $10 for your whole family?

This is a limited time offer brought by Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens. Imagine being able to secure your immediate family, including your spouse, children 22 years old and under, and even your pet for a very low annual fee of $10?

Joining means that you will get exclusive access to bigger savings and discounts on more than 8,000 brand-name and generic medications, flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers, and diabetic supplies. Two members of my immediate family were diagnosed with diabetes since three years ago, this insurance would be a great help for families like mine. Purchasing Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services would also entitle you to bonuses.

Show your support and learn more about them by liking Walgreens on Facebook and following Walgreens on Twitter to get updated with the latest promos and offers.

If you haven't checked the Walgreens website yet, you should. They're currently offering 50% off on products that will help you stay healthy and look great. Plus, you get free shipping for all your prescription refills. Be sure to avail of the Prescription Savings Club Membership before January 31, 2012!

Pimp My Cube: Win $1200 Worth of Office Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:01:00 +0000

This post brought to you by Contest Factory. All opinions are 100% mine.

My ideal office is one with a very relaxing interior. I'd like to have some dim lights on the reception area, aside from the main light, of course, just to add some drama. I want my room to have carpeted floor and I want an organized desk. I can imagine books in a hanging glass shelf and a smaller glass table where I could hang out for coffee or tea.

Unfortunately, my current office is still far from my ideal one. If I were a resident of the United States of America, I would definitely join this Pimp My Cube Contest and I'm sure that I would win!

Contest Factory's Pimp My Cube is your salvation if you are trapped in that cramped desk or still using the old-model Pentium I computer with the thick and heavy CRT Monitor.

To join the contest, you need to upload a video of your workspace and convince the Contest Factory judges on why you deserve one of the three prize packages enumerated below:

New high end computer system
New Desk, Chair and Decorations
New Entertainment Package with high end stereo, espresso machine etc.

The criteria for judging includes: the best video, most compelling story, and most votes. So I suggest that you tell your family, friends, co-workers, church-mates, and neighbors that you have joined this contest and encourage them to vote for your video to enhance your chances of winning!

A $200 gift card will also be raffled to the lucky registered user. Register, vote, comment and invite friends to increase your chances in winning the $200 sweepstakes prize.

Watch the video below as your guide in filming your very own entry. Good luck! And I hope that one of my readers will get PIMPED on this contest.

Contest ends January 31st. See Pimp My Cube Contest for more details.

ADF: Auto Document Feeder

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:01:00 +0000

Whoever invented the automatic document feeder for printers is a real genius!

KM-2820. Photo from the Kyoceramita website

I've been working in an office since my college days and one of the things that I do is to photocopy documents. That was around 8+ years ago. The Jurassic phase of photocopying (which still applies today so it's not really too jurassic) involves individually scanning the document and flipping the photocopier's cover for each page before hitting the start button. If you have a hundred pages to photocopy, you'll be flipping one hundred times! Can you imagine that? Well, I never really complained about it before...

But welcome to the age of automatic document feeder, and automatic back-to-back printing!

Innovative machines have been in the market since I don't know when but I have just recently acquired a new printer/photocopier/scanner/fax machine that I have underestimated and belatedly appreciated. Got this machine for my law office around August last year and my photocopying life has never been the same! Hahaha!

I have never truly appreciated this KM-2820 before but yesterday I was about to do some double-sided printing and photocopying. I only had 12 back-to-back pages to do and it wouldn't be much of a hassle but I was itching to get out of the office since it's a Saturday. So, I used all the machine's function, and with a few clicks of my mouse, I got a clean back-to-back copy of my file in less than 3 minutes. If you need to photocopy some double-sided documents, it's very easy to just place the document in the Automatic Document Feeder, choose the right settings, click Start, and your document will be ready in no time without the countless flipping. I LOVE MY KM-2820!!!! And it's a plus that the sales representative who introduced this machine to us is my lola's long-time friend.

What printer do you use?

Jollibee Kiddie Meal with Free Bracelet Maker

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:43:00 +0000

I like this month's Jollibee Kiddie Meal!

The free toy for this month's Jollibee Kiddie Meal is not actually a toy but a bracelet maker! And it's not that easy to decipher - I honestly took about three attempts before I could begin hooking and re-hooking the thread of the foam/petal guide.

At first I thought that it would be difficult for children to understand this or to even "play" with this. I used the bracelet maker myself and it took me about an hour, at least, to finish my masterpiece:

using the "heart" guide

This was Gracie's Kiddie Meal and she's supposed to be the one using the bracelet maker. I was really hesitant to let her use it because I thought that she would not be able to understand the instructions. Well, once you get the hang of it, it would just be: Left to Left, and Right to Right.

I prepared the strings/thread for the Stripe Pattern. Grace is about to make her own bracelet...

I plotted each string to its place before letting Gracie start. I gave her the instructions and guided her as she made her way on the the hooking and re-hooking. I had to guide her all the way until she finished her bracelet because she would sometimes get confused on what thread to pick next.

Here's a video of her during the first few minutes of making the bracelet.

And now, for the finished product:

I don't know where else we could buy this Bracelet Maker. If you want one, this comes free with every Jollibee Kiddie Meal. Enjoy!

The case of an intermittent connection

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:44:00 +0000

I don't know if it's PLDT myDSL or is it just my computer, I CAN'T READ BLOGS AND I CAN'T OPEN ~~SOME~~ MOST WEBSITES WHEN I'M IN THE OFFICE!

I have my own office and you might be thinking about blocked websites in some companies, it is not applicable to me. I am just amazed at how I can always log in and access FACEBOOK (even if I don't want to) but have problems connecting to the Supreme Court website! My office has gone back to Jurassic Phase and researching meant opening my old books!

It's a hassle that my internet connection is going crazy. We're paying a higher-priced business line and the service that we're getting is so poor. My connection here at home is much, much more stable, at a lesser price. I hope whatever it is that's cramping my internet connection in the office would be fixed soon so that I can return to my lunchtime blogging and blog hopping. Sometimes, I get lucky... But I hate it when I receive an Error prompt right after hitting Comment.

Am I addicted to Genius?

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:13:00 +0000

Welcome to the family, my little new Genius mouse!

I think I'm addicted to the brand. I've never purchased any other computer accessory if it isn't from Genius. And if Genius is out of stock, I patiently wait for the new stocks to arrive.

Recently, one of my computer mice had to retire. Its scroll wheel has already been depreciated so much due to continued use for around 5 years. The scroll wheel still works but it's no longer as smooth as the new ones. And I've got problems with its left click function which I used to fix, but I got tired of fixing, so I guess it would be better to just let that old mouse rest in peace. I think a 5-year life for a computer mouse is not bad, what do you think?

I purchased the NetScroll 110x Comfy Optical Mouse and although it's smaller than the usual mouse that I use for my personal computer, it's cheaper at the listed price of P215. I even got another P15 discount from the store. =)

And by the way, I never really used mouse pads before but I got a peek at this black mouse pad with a wrist rest and I thought it would be good to have it. It also had an anti-slip bottom and it was a steal at less than P100, so I bought it! I later realized that having the a resting place for my wrist doesn't feel right. I feel much comfortable without it.

Potpourri and Herbs

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Last Christmas, i bought a potpourri for our house. See that dramatic lighting effect above? That's how our living room is minus the lights. This potpourri not only enhances the aroma of our house, it also adds some beauty to it, particularly the lighting. If you turn the lights on, you can easily see the potpourri in the corner of the room as shown below:

The potpourri I bought is powered by a small light bulb. It's not the same with the old potpourris where the oil will be heated with the use of a candle. The potpourri that I bought is safer than the candle-lit ones.

I initially wanted to buy some herbal oils to be used for this and one particular oil that I've been looking for is citronella. Citronella might not be too pleasant for everybody's nose but it is a very good repellent for mosquitoes and other insects. The Citronella oil was out of stock at the department store where I bought the potpourri and it made me think that I should add Citronella on my growing herb garden.

Speaking of herbs, I have just transferred some tarragon seedlings at my new plot today. I use fresh tarragon leaves for tea. In some parts of the world, herbs are used as party enhancers. I've read from Herbal City LLC that herbal products, such as what they call as the K6 Herbal Incense could be used to alleviate stress, depression, and anxiety. Spiritual powders are also available if you want some surge of energy for all-night parties. So herbs are not just for cooking!

It's always best to grow your herbs in your own garden. But it's also convenient to buy. If you're looking for essential oils and herbal products, be sure to first check it's legality. Better be sure than sorry.

Christmas + Birthday Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:44:00 +0000

Oh my gawsh! I just made my first post entitled "Disappointment" and it's my first post for the year! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Anyway, to ward off whatever negative vibes, here are the photos of some gifts I received on my birthday and Christmas.

Brown Bag. I got a lot of compliments with this bag. I actually like it. It's from a client and it's the very first Christmas gift that I received early December.
Pink and Grey Bag. I haven't used this yet but it's very spacious and I think that my netbook would fit in this bag. This one's from a client, too.
Guess Clutch. Another gift from my client. My clients love me! I actually like this clutch because I don't have small bags. My bags are always big. I could use this clutch for times when I only want to bring a cellphone and cash. I tried if my cellphone would fit into my clutch and it did! Yay!
Large Paper Clip. I actually have four (4), for each of my sisters and me but I think that I could use these clips more than they could so I hoarded all of them. Hahaha! Thanks Auntie Jade!
Ballerina Accessories Organizer. OMG! I didn't know I was looking for love until I found you! You may not see me sporting bracelets and earrings but I have a lot of hair accessories that are sitting all around my bedroom and even all around the house. I finally have a ~~resting~~ parking space for my hair accs! Thanks Lysette!
Hanky Set. It's funny because I never use handkerchiefs. Why? Because I lose them. I haven't really opened the box yet but I've displayed it on my shelf. I like the pink face towel, the design is so very me! I like it! Thanks Mich!
Pen. This red pen is very special because it has my name etched on it! It's actually the fourth Parker pen that I got since 2010, but it's the only one with my name. Thanks Yajams!

So, those are just some of the gifts I received last December. Some of the gifts that I received are in the laundry, hahaha! So I wasn't able to get photos.

How was your holiday?

Disappointment

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:59:00 +0000

What part of no don't you understand (Understand understand),

I want a man not a boy who thinks he can

The best foot socks are not sold in Davao City. I thought this cute "five toes" foot socks would be a great alternative but I am wrong. Worn this for the first time and I came home with two of my toes showing out.

Oh my gawsh!!!

Dear Burlington, please make your low rise foot socks available in Davao.

My 27th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:37:00 +0000

My family did not give me a single gift this Christmas. But my clients did. =) I'm not materialistic but I really do want to receive gifts sometimes. Hehehe! Good thing my birthday isn't that too far from Christmas and I was able to open presents on my 27th birthday. Yay!

Here are some of the photos taken during my birthday:

Adolf and Col were there. Thea and Karen were absent.

James is home for my birthday! =)

My mom's sisters.

Meeting Isabela and her family.

clan photo

with Lysette

It was actually more of my mom's family reunion than my birthday but it's always been like that for 27 years. I think the most memorable part of my birthday is, aside from reconnecting with old friends, we were able to meet Isabela and her family. And Grace, who was very conscious at that time because she was surprised to see Isabela for the first time, was also very happy. In fact, she's been asking everyday when she and Isabela could go malling! =)

27 and counting! One year more and my age would already be equal to my waistline. Hahahaha!

The Sweet Life

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:45:00 +0000

The Sweet Life with Lucy Torres and Wilma Doesnt. They look like milk and coffee, don't they?

Photo credit

Presenting....."Sweet's Life"

Don't we look like Wilma Doesnt and Lucy Torres? Hahaha!
I'm here with my highschool budy, Lysette.

It's not everyday that I get a chance to hang out with Lysette and I'm so happy that she was able to celebrate with me on my 27th birthday. Ehem, sorry boys, she's taken...

Will post more of my birthday photos soon. For now, I badly need to rest due to menstrual cramps. Hmpf!

Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 13:22:00 +0000

You had me at my worst. Even before I started, you were the one who carried me through my ordeal. I practiced with you since day 1, brought you with me to get my license and every dime I earned was spent for your gasoline and repair. It's not fair that you had to leave when I wasn't home and couldn't do anything about it. The day that they really had to take you away, I swear I cried, but I said to myself that I should no longer hold on. Now that you're gone, I thought that it would be easy moving on, but it's not.

My first photo with you, with my ridiculous bangs, was when I had my first real driving experience.

June 9, 2008. I went to Mati to visit my grandparents. You were in Mati, too. I've practiced with you before just along our subdivision streets but I was not allowed to take you any further. I wasn't your owner. I know I prayed for a car sometime in April 2008 and was half expecting that I'd win Maligaya Taxi's raffle for a brand new Kia Avella, but I didn't. When I went to Mati and announced that I will be getting my driver's license there, lolo said he's bequeathing you to me. I finally have a car!

I thought that getting my driver's license was easy, but it wasn't because lolo wanted to make sure that I can really drive you. I was confident that I already know how to drive. But it's different when my first passenger was lolo himself. He owned you, although you're under lola's name. We went to lolo's farm in Dahican and I had sweaty palms all throughout our trip. It was around mid day when we got back to the Poblacion and there were a lot of pedicabs and it was frustrating when your engine would stop, more than once, because I was too perplexed with crossing pedicabs, pedestrians, signal lights, road signs, and the fact that it was my first time to deal with traffic.

You're the first car that I have successfully driven. DAL 729. Your plates were so faded that the security guards in malls would usually be mistaken when they write your plate number in their parking tickets. When I first took you out alone, two vehicles which tailed us had a collision and I was very very scared that time. I swear I told myself that I should have listened to papa when he said that Uncle Dale should accompany me when I drive.

When I started to use you, that was the time when gasoline was priced at its highest. I didn't really have a stable job at that time but I really want to bring you with me at the office even though I could just easily ride with papa going there. The gasoline at that time was P62.00 per liter. And because you're such an old car, you had countless visits to the repair shop that left me really broke. Bahala'g wala koy kwarta, basta dili lang ko magbaktas! (It's alright even if I don't have any money as long as I don't have to hike).

We practiced with beau. And you're also the first car that beau has successfully driven. During our Senior's Night, I was so drunk that beau had to rescue me 'coz I couldn't drive anymore. You were so good to beau at that time, thank you! And there was this one time when it was raining very hard, I made a wrong turn heading to Karen's dormitory and the street was flooded! I was praying so hard that your engine wouldn't stop because I would never, ever, step down in the flooded street. Good thing that you were so dependable, you brought us to safety!

I broke your speedometer after Karen and Julius' birthday party. I had a breakdown when YOU got broke twice in one day, the first time while I was going to the office, and the second time when I was going home. I got your tint removed. I got you a really really bad dent while driving angry when dad was in the hospital. Dad didn't have to see that dent because you were repaired and as good as new by the time he got home. But only a few weeks later, I got you another dent, but it was a small one, this time.

I know I should have maintained you better. I was a bad driver, a bad owner. I never really washed you, or cleaned you, unless necessary. I left you about twice in the office parking lot because I was not in the mood to drive. And I also left you in C. M. Recto Street one night because you wouldn't start. I often complained that you didn't have any airconditioning and that it's so hot. I also complained about your broken wiper and I know that it was my fault that I didn't have them repaired sooner. But I loved you so much that I wouldn't trade you for dad's Pajero. Didn't you notice that I like driving you and that I would always choose you when I'm up for errands?

We took this during my graduation day.
We didn't use you then 'cause you have no airconditioner.
I didn't think that this would be the last time that I would see you.

April 21, 2010. I went home from Manila the day before just to attend my graduation. I'm not sure if I was able to drive you during my very short break but I guess I did. I missed you that time. I know that my siblings have been using you to practice driving. There's your photo with mom. I didn't know that it would be the last time that I'll see you in good running condition.

It's sad that when I went home, for good, on October 3, 2010, you weren't on the garage. Jovan said you're at the shop. I inquired about your condition and I was told that you needed a new engine. Rumor has it that you got broke during one of my siblings' driving practices. I thought that you could still be repaired and that I could still drive you one of these days but I was wrong. Beau and I were able to visit you at the repair shop and despite the dust all around you, you were handsome, as ever!

Beau wanted to buy you, I said no. Somebody else made an offer to buy you, I said no. I was sure that I was gonna have the money to have you repaired and restored and be back in my arms once again. But then, again, I was wrong.

I could no longer do anything when it was lola who decided to sell you. I cried. I remember all the good and bad times we've shared together: the flood, the breakdown, the dents. Beau asked me what your name was and I told him that you didn't have a name. Yeah, you didn't have a name because I didn't want to get attached to you that much. I just referred to you as the green car. Kotse. But I honestly did not know that I would get hurt that you're finally out of my life and I don't have a choice.

As I said in my FB status, "Moving on... I shouldn't cry... I should learn to let go of "things" and just keep the memories." Goodbye, green car....

Now that I don't have a car to drive, maybe I could use a 1TB Portable Hard Drive.

Gracie's Christmas Parties

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:51:00 +0000

Christmas Party No. 1:

One Network Bank's Christmas Party

I could imgaine ate Dani and Grace saying, WOOOOOOW!

Happy with her first gift.

And even happier with her second gift.

Christmas Party No. 2

School Christmas Party

Dressed for the occasion.

First gift

Second gift.

Third, fourth, hmmm, you have a lot of gifts to open!

another addition to her alkansya collection

very busy with her gifts

Close to 200

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:01:00 +0000

I'm one post away from 200!

I am in a dilemma right now. I don't think I could ever retire this blog. I initially thought that my 200th post would be my last post for this blog but I think that I could never do that. Why? Because this blog seems to carry my current thoughts and as I right this, I never really had to think about the words that I write. I never really had to think about any topic to write. This blog is just like having a normal conversation with a person except that that person is not a person but a computer and instead of talking, I'm just typing. Did you get me? =)

It's December and I am thinking of giving myself a December treat. I am thinking of getting myself a new cellphone: that LG Gingerbread Phone! I also want a Blackberry but I'm still having second thoughts about it. I wish I could just decide!

I bought myself a rash guard the past weekend. I haven't been surfing for a month now but I'm definitely planning to go back. I wish I could go out of town next weekend.

So many plans, so little time. Hmmm.... I hope all of our plans will be realized.

Have a great day!

Christmas is for giving!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Are you in the mood for a mini giveaway?

Here's a little Christmas Cheer to my blog readers.

Please click here to join my giveaway.

Moving Over at Swexie.me

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:28:00 +0000

I will be moving over at Swexie.me so I hope that you would continue to support me. I've had this blog since 2007 and it's hard to leave as this has been a very big part of me. I will still be posting until my birthday... =) I've had birthday posts here since my 23rd birthday. Well, my 27th birthday would also be the launching date of my new blog.

My new blog would be more than just Khakiness. It will be more like a lifestyle blog. I know I've been such a failure at getting my niche but that's just me. My blogs tried to be as specific as possible: personal, travel, beauty, food, etc. but I find it hard to post about one thing without touching on the other subjects. So I guess I will have to maintain one lifestyle blog: Swexie.me and it will cover various topics about me and my life.

In the meantime, please visit my other blogs before they say goodbye:

Beauty Blog: http://beyoutifull.blogspot.com
Travel Blog: http://swimgear.blogspot.com
Food Blog: http://swexie.blogspot.com
Shoes Blog: http://shoestowear.blogspot.com

I've had a few more blogs which are no longer worth mentioning because I haven't been able to update them, anyway, and it would only remind me at my unsuccessful attempt at fashion blogging. Funny, I had a blog dedicated at yoga, too!

What do you think of my planned move? I hope that I'd still get some support from you!

The Big Christmas Giveaway! Join now!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:10:00 +0000

                   
Since Christmas is a time of giving, a group of bloggers worldwide brings to you Georyl’s Christmas Giveaway.



Join GEORYL's Christmas Giveaway and be one of the 22 winners of cash prizes. Plus three bloggers will get a chance to win blog makeovers.


The Prizes
One Winner of $100 Paypal Credits
One Winner of $50 Paypal Credits
Three Winners of $25 Paypal Credits
Five Winners of $10 Paypal Credits
Twelve Winners of $5 Paypal Credits
Three blog makeovers - special prize for bloggers who do the optional task only


Mechanics

Like the Facebook Pages of the sponsors listed in the Rafflecopter widget below.
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Join the blogs of the sponsors listed in the Rafflecopter widget below via Google Friend Connect (either with your Twitter, Google or Yahoo account).
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Optional Tasks for Bloggers
Blog about GEORYL's Christmas Giveaway to earn 100 additional points per post in the raffle. You can enter up to 3 blogs for a total of 300 additional points. In addition, each post will be your entry to a special draw for the special prize (three free blog makeovers).

Include all of the following in your blog post(s). Click on the text box to copy it then paste it on your blog post while at HTML view:

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Prizes - <h3>The Prizes</h3>
One Winner of $100 Paypal Credits
One Winner of $50 Paypal Credits
Three Winners of $25 Paypal Credits
Five Winners of $10 Paypal Credits
Twelve Winners of $5 Paypal Credits
Three blog makeovers - special prize for bloggers who do the optional task only
Major Sponsors - <h3>Major Sponsors of GEORYL's Christmas Giveaway</h3>
<a title="GEORYL" href="http://georyl.com" target="_blank">GEORYL</a> | <a title="Techie She" href="http://techieshe.com" target="_blank">Techie She</a> | <a title="Chika Bits" href="http://chikabits.com" target="_blank">Chika Bits</a> | <a title="Dens Online" href="http://densonline.com" target="_blank">Dens Online</a> | <a title="Stay at Home Wife and Mother" href="http://sahwm.com" target="_blank">Stay at Home Wife and Mother</a> | <a title="Work at Home Wife and Mother" href="http://wahwm.com" target="_blank">Work at Home Wife and Mother</a> | <a title="Travel Yums" href="http://travelyums.com" target="_blank">Travel Yums</a> | <a title="The Food, The Place and the Bad Trips" href="http://www.foodplacebadtrips.com/" target="_blank">The Food, The Place and the Bad Trips</a> | <a title="Mitigating Life's Uncertainties" href="http://sirrob.info" target="_blank">Mitigating Life's Uncertainties</a> | <a title="Blogger's Notebook" href="http://www.chie101.info/" target="_blank">Blogger's Notebook</a> | <a title="Zowanderer" href="http://www.zowanderer.com" target="_blank">Zowanderer</a> | <a title="The Packrat Wifey" href="http://www.thepackratwifey.com/" target="_blank">The Packrat Wifey</a> | <a title="Enairrah's Travel Thoughts" href="http://www.journeytolifesdestiny.com/" target="_blank">Enairrah's Travel Thoughts</a> | <a title="Enairrah's Notes and Rumblings" href="http://www.herzlichliebe.com/" target="_blank">Enairrah's Notes and Rumblings</a> | <a title="A Wife's Online Abode" href="http://www.awifeonline.com" target="_blank">A Wife's Online Abode</a> | <a title="Tinkerputt's Turf" href="http://tinkerputt.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Tinkerputt's Turf</a> | <a title="Simple Happiness" href="http://www.foodhaws.com/" target="_blank">Simple Happiness</a> | <a title="Impulsive Shopper" href="http://impulsiveshopper.net" target="_blank">Impulsive Shopper</a> | <a title="Momsdrive Online Finds" href="http://www.momsdrive.info" target="_blank">Momsdrive Online Finds</a> | <a title="Nanay Blogs" href="http://www.mtgambrocio.com/" target="_blank">Nanay Blogs</a> |  <a title="Make Money Online" href="http://www.work-and-earn-online.com/" target="_blank">Make Money Online</a> |  <a title="Samu't Sari" href="http://www.samut-sari.com/" target="_blank">Samu't Sari</a> | <a title="The Traveler's Journey" href="http://www.thetravellersblog.com/" target="_blank">The Traveler's Journey</a> | <a title="Khakiness" href="http://khakiness.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Khakiness</a> | <a title="Walk With Me" href="http://www.jovdavid.com/" target="_blank">Walk With Me</a>


Additional Information
The contest will end on December 23, 2011. Winners will be announced at GEORYL and notified via email on December 25, 2011. Since prizes will be awarded via Paypal, a valid Paypal account is needed to claim cash prizes.


Rafflecopter Widget - Enter Here




Good luck and enjoy! Advanced Merry Christmas everyone!

Big Christmas Giveaway Teaser!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:46:00 +0000

Since Christmas is a time of giving, a group of bloggers worldwide brings to you Georyl’s Christmas Giveaway.




Join GEORYL's Christmas Giveaway and be one of the 22 winners of cash prizes. Plus three bloggers will get a chance to win blog makeovers.

The Prizes
One Winner of $100 Paypal Credits
One Winner of $50 Paypal Credits
Three Winners of $25 Paypal Credits
Five Winners of $10 Paypal Credits
Twelve Winners of $5 Paypal Credits
Three blog makeovers - special prize for bloggers who do the optional task only


The contest will end on December 23, 2011. Winners will be announced at GEORYL and notified via email on December 25, 2011. Since prizes will be awarded via Paypal, a valid Paypal account is needed to claim cash prizes.

The contest will start on 11/11/11 - that's tomorrow! Stay tuned for updates!

WIFI

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:19:00 +0000

We finally have wireless connection here at home! Yey! We used to schedule our time in using the laptop here at home because our internet connection is cabled. I used to intimidate my younger siblings to use the computer. No need for intimidation now. =)

Thanks to the Tenda router my aunt gave us. I set-up the router earlier and I actually had a hard time because I did not follow the instructions. I insisted that I did not need to connect the wifi router to the computer. Too bad because I was not able to set it up correctly without first connecting everything. Duh!

Steps in setting up the Tenda router: First, connect the modem to the wifi router. Next, connect the wifi router to the computer. When you turn your computer on, open your browser and it will automatically detect the wifi router. Configure the settings, change password. I actually chose DHCP over ADSL because ADSL requires an access code and password and I can't remember if my ISP gave me those access codes. I was glad that the set-up was successful after choosing DHCP. After the successful configuration, I removed the cable connecting the wifi router from the laptop, and then I enjoyed wireless browsing! Yehey! =)

Love, love, LOVE!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Good morning! I feel so loved upon waking up. Maybe I had a good dream? (--,)

Just spread the love! Mmmwaaahhh! =)

Have a great Wednesday, everyone! I'm looking forward to a great weekend.

Dear Readers,

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:46:00 +0000

I am so bored. It's been 20 hours since beau left the country for work and I'm so bored I don't know what to do. This is my third blog post for today. I kinda started fun this morning and was excited to post about my first surfing experience. I already made the post, watched my video countless times, but I'm still ~~sad~~ bored... I can't use the s word because beau doesn't want to hear (or read) about it. No, he doesn't read my blog.

I don't have friends. Oh, I have friends. But most of them are in Manila right now, taking the bar examination. I hope that all of them will do good and become lawyers soon.

I might be deleting this post anytime soon. But yeah, I will publish this as soon as I finish writing. I'm just currently pouring whatever that comes to my mind. The dialogue of the movie, Abduction, is on my background right now. I just heard Taylor Lautner say, "Yes, she's worth it."

Ok, so I am not making any sense in here. I hope you all had a good long weekend. Have a great week, everyone! I hope beau would arrive in Sao Paulo soon. And I hope that the hotel that they'll be staying has free wifi connection so that we could chat and I could stop writing nonsense posts.

It's so hot I need another shower. Grrr! Bye!

Paypal update

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:30:00 +0000

I created a dollar account with RCBC Savings Bank specifically for my paypal earnings. I thought that it would be best to have a dollar account so that when I withdraw funds from paypal, there would be no conversion from dollar to peso rate. However, when I finally withdrew my paypal funds to my dollar savings account, the transfer was not successful and I was charged P250.00 by paypal.

Here is the communication from Paypal:

An electronic funds transfer from your PayPal account to your bank account was rejected today for this reason:

Invalid Bank Account Information

Our system was not able to process the transaction with the bank information listed on your account. You should contact your bank regarding the bank account information required for electronic funds transfers. If you still need assistance, you may email us through our secure server at (website)

Thanks for using PayPal, the world's #1 online payment service!
Thanks,

PayPal

I inquired further through Paypal's Resolution Center and I was made to understand that Paypal would always convert your paypal credits to your local currency. In my case, my bank account is in the Philippines so that, whenever I withdraw funds, the same would always be converted to Philippine Peso. When the bank (RCBC Savings Bank) was informed of the incoming fund transfer in Philippine Peso, the same is rejected because the receiving account is a dollar account and the Bank would not recognize peso deposits in a dollar account.

A date to remember

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0000

It was a candlelit dinner. Unplanned, nothing fancy. We just went to the resort's restaurant to eat our dinner and I did not expect it to be romantic. Oh well, maybe it was meant to be romantic. (--,)

Music, cool sea breeze, and the warmth of beau's embrace.
Eating my grilled kitang bare-hands and the smell of soysauce on my fingers.
Getting a little drenched in the drizzle.
Two bottles. And literally just two bottles for each of us.
Strolling on the beach.

Ouch!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Balucanag) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:37:00 +0000

My body is sore. Thanks to the skimboarding practice I had yesterday. Weeeh! And thanks to my cousin, Vincent Balucanag, for teaching me the basics of skimboarding. Skimboarding is so easy to watch and I thought that I could do it effortlessly but I was so wrong! It took me a while to learn how to ride the board and achieve my balance. I earned a lot of scratches and bruises on my legs because of falling but it felt good to finally ride and slide perfectly! I wish I could go back next weekend to practice some more.

Drop. Hop. Balance.

Drop. I had no problems with dropping the board on the shore but you can't just drop it anytime you want. You have to wait for the wave. For my practice, I did not run towards the waves. I just waited on the shore, waited for the perfect wave, and even waited for my instructor's "go" signal to drop the board. Vincent reminded me not to push the board, just drop it.

Hop. Now, this is tricky. If you think that you could just hop on your board and you could now skim to your heart's content, you are wrong. I had the worst falls during this time. Sometimes, one of my feet gets left on the shore while the other is already on the board, the board slides through, then I fall. When hopping to your board, you should also position your feet apart. My right foot was on the rear portion while my left foot was in the front-middle portion. The marks on the skimboard made it easy for me to know where to put my feet.

Balance. I had to constantly remind myself to bend... Vincent was always telling me to bend. BEND YOUR KNEES to help you balance your body, specially when you're already in the water. I haven't been exercising lately so it was so tiring to bend. And honestly, right now, my thighs and calves are so strained. I was sure lucky to have a patient and professional skimboarder cousin who taught me how to skimboard.

Here's a video of my successful attempt at skimboarding:

So, should I try skimboarding again? My answer is a big and resounding YES!!!