Thoughts Online

Kristen Stewart as Snow White

2012-03-09T08:37:00.002+08:00

While we’re waiting for the Twilight saga finale, Breaking Dawn Part II, to be shown on the last quarter of this year, we’ll be seeing a different Kristen Stewart in the meantime on her upcoming movie “Snow White and the Huntsman.” After having gotten used to seeing her as Bella on the Twilight series, I would say this is one of the films I’m anticipating to see this year as this will be something new and refreshing from Robert Pattinson’s current flame. I’m not such a big fan of Kristen but I like her, because of how professional and down-to-earth she is. Snow White and the Huntsman, though, has a different twist to the original fairy tale story we know of as the huntsman tasked by the evil queen to kill her ends up becoming her protector and training her to become a warrior to once and for all vanquish the evil queen.

The film’s set date to be released in theatres is on the 1st of June 2012. For now, let’s enjoy the full trailer of the movie:

Get Your 2012 Water Dragon Lunar Calendar at Fully Booked

2012-01-12T05:39:00.002+08:00

If you're into feng shui and would want to make the most of your 2012 by taking advantage of your luck this year, you might want to get the 2012 Water Dragon Lunar Calendar.

Authored by Joseph Chau, a world-renowned feng shui master, the calendar features all feng shui enthusiasts would want to know like lucky readings, a complete guide of lucky days for all zodiac signs and more. Grab your calendar now before the Chinese New Year (which is on January 23, 2012) at all Fully Booked branches.

Blake Lively And Her Amazing Fashion Sense

2012-01-09T16:44:00.002+08:00

Everyone knows the TV actress Blake Lively for her role as Serena van der Woodsen in hit series, "Gossip Girl" as one of the most amazing female fashion icons today. Wherever she goes, whatever she puts on demands attention. But what most people do not know is that Blake Lively does not hire a stylist. Every single thing she wear are her own choice, and surprisingly, her fashion sense tops most of the celebrities out there with some of the best hands as their stylist. This simply proves that this 24 year old actress has her own amazing sense of fashion.

In 2011, Elle magazine awarded Blake with the Elle magazine's 2011 Personal Style Awards to further prove that indeed, she knows her fashion well. They awarded her simply because of the fact that she does not employ a stylist, and everything is self-made. This further improves Blake Lively's reputation in the fashion industry. The best part about Blake and the way she style herself is that she does not go overboard with what she wears. Even the simplest mix and match makes her look like a fashion Goddess. Besides Elle magazine, Blake was also honored for her fashion sense by fashion giant Chanel.
Continue Reading »

5 Tips for Organizing Your Baby Photos

2011-12-30T05:07:00.000+08:00

Anyone who has had a baby knows how easy it is to get inundated with photographs of their little one. With a baby in the house, there are numerous opportunities to snap a picture. This can drastically increase the number of photograph files one has on their computer or other device. There are many ways that these photographs can be organized. Following are five tips for organizing your baby photos that can be accomplished without a lot of stress and confusion.

1. Removing Excess or Low Quality Photographs

One of the first steps that a person should take after they have photographed an event or gathering for their little one, is going though the pictures and discarding any unneeded pictures. Many times there are many pictures taken of the same scene and this can be an unnecessary waste of space on one’s computer or other storage device. In addition, there are often many pictures that just are not good quality pictures. This is especially true with babies. Due to their unpredictable natures, many times a parent will get shots that are less than ideal because of an unexpected movement by the child. By taking the time to delete these unneeded pictures one can free up space on their storage device and eliminate some of the extra pictures they have in their collection.

2. Renaming Photograph Files

It can also be of great benefit to take some time to name the individual pictures after they are imported from one’s camera. In most cases, cameras will import pictures and name the files with numbers which do not really explain what is in the picture. If one takes the time to rename the pictures with a filename that actually describes what the photo is of or even the date it was taken, this can be more effective when one is trying to locate a specific picture.

3. Filing Photographs

Another way one can organize their pictures is by grouping them on their computer into files. There are many ways this can be done. One of the most efficient and easiest ways can be grouping photographs by date. This can be especially beneficial when chronicling events that occur every year, such as holidays and birthdays. One can easily start a new folder each year that contains subfolders for different months, dates or events. This can enable one to sort pictures into individual files so they can be easily found when needed.
Continue Reading »

Christmas Q&A at Nice To Know You Wednesday

2011-12-21T09:15:00.003+08:00

1. Are you done wrapping your Christmas gifts? Yes, since I just wrapped a few gifts. :)
2. What is your most favorite Christmas tradition? The whole family going to church on Christmas Eve.
3. What’s going to be on your Noche Buena {Christmas Eve} feast on the 24th? My kids love spaghetti so much so I'll definitely prepare that for them, ham, barbeque or fried chicken and their favorite dessert, Graham Fruit Cake.
4. Share your Christmas wishlist. A laptop or iPad I can use for my business presentations and a couple more good books, like Success Principles by Jack Canfield, The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles and the workbook for Think and Grow Rich.
5. What are your plans for Christmas? Take my kids to amusement places they have never been before, like the 3D fun place at Manila Ocean Park called Seriland or probably watch the Disney on Ice show on Christmas day. That would really be fun and my children would surely enjoy it. :)
Share your Christmas thoughts, too! Visit Mum Writes and join the fun Wednesday meme, Nice To Know You Wednesday. :)

What I Would Do If I Had 1 Million Pesos

2011-12-20T21:50:00.000+08:00

Have you ever asked yourself what would you do with a large sum of money, say Php1 Million? Do you know how you would use or spend that big of an amount? Would you indulge in all the pleasures of life, like shopping or traveling to places, or would you think carefully and use the money wisely?

Through our family business and my plans of learning about investing in the coming year, I am determined and committed to earn my first Php1Million before year end of 2012. I've learned that in order for you to get what you want, like earning a huge amount of money, aside from being determined and committed to get it, is that you have to know exactly how you would use it, and to use it not just for selfish gain but for helping and sharing it with others, too. So what are the exact things I would do should I earn my first million by next year?

Early Christmas Gifts

2011-12-20T18:52:00.002+08:00

Only 5 days to go and it's already Christmas. I never really expect to get gifts but I'm thankful for a couple of early Christmas gifts that I already got.

I've always wanted to buy a "high-energy" pen, such as this one from Parker. Well, when I attended a wealth attraction seminar for real estate property consultants a couple of years back, one of the things we were advised to do is to invest on expensive pens that are ideally used for businesses and do away with cheap pens because it somehow attracts your potential business partners or clients to do business with you or buy from you. I do agree that since you're doing business, your image should really be business-like and that goes to show with the accessories you are carrying, such as a fine pen. Anyways, I'm thankful for my mentor, friend and business partner for this very fine gift with my name engraved on it. :)

Continue Reading »

Like Premium Barako Coffee? Try Naranja!

2011-12-17T18:45:00.002+08:00

Get a taste of premium barako coffee from Naranja.

Naranja Coffee and Canvas Bags was born with a simple goal of marketing BARAKO coffee as its prime brand and using canvas fabric as its packaging, making use of regular materials to make it different and unique; a kind of packaging that creates the traditional Filipino BARAKO coffee feel with a little pinch of contemporary. Our coffee is authentic and comes from the place where BARAKO coffee is deep-seated in Lipa, Batangas, for we would like to take part in promoting Liberica Coffee/Kapeng Barako to help revive our local coffee industry. Sadly, the demand for BARAKO is quite low compared with Arabica and Robusta.

Just Beautiful and Moving Words Monday Memes To Be Back Next Year!

2011-12-07T17:57:00.002+08:00

I started a couple of memes this year (a photo meme I named Just Beautiful which I host in this blog and an inspirational meme called Moving Words Monday which I host in my other blog, SAHM's Notebook) which I haven't had the time to host these past couple of months. I want to apologize to all the participants of these memes and I do hope that they'd be able to join again next year. Yes, Just Beautiful and Moving Words Monday will be back next year! :)

Well, it's not at all difficult to host a meme but it can be time consuming, so I thought of doing something different next year for my memes so that we would be consistent in having it every week for the rest of the year. This will also give other bloggers a chance to gain followers and traffic to their blog. So I thought of giving other bloggers a chance to host Just Beautiful and Moving Words Monday for a month. I'd be hosting the memes for the first month of each quarter (January, April, July and October) and the rest of the months will be hosted by other bloggers who are also meme enthusiasts. It'll surely be fun to have different meme hosts every month! :)

So do you like the idea? Would you like to host any of my memes next year? If you do, then just fill-out the form below. Once I already have 8 interested bloggers for each meme, I will be closing/removing the form.

(form now closed)

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Gives Joy by the Cupful with 2012 Giving Journal

2011-12-07T04:34:00.001+08:00

I would like to share this press release for CBTL's 2012 Giving Journal:

The giving season has finally arrived. And with it, is The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s 2012 Giving Journal.

While finding the perfect one for yourself is very crucial, anyone would agree that a journal should reflect the personality of an individual and the ideals he believes in.

Showcasing the brand’s commitment to socially relevant endeavors, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s 2012 Giving Journal is a celebration of a giving effort that has changed the lives of many Filipinos.

“This year, our journal focuses on celebrating our strong support and encouragement of the spirit of volunteerism,” shares Walden Chu, President of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. “It’s about celebrating the organizations we’re collaborating with and our team members who worked very hard to make all our efforts such a success. But most importantly, it’s about celebrating our customers whose continuous patronage inspires us to continue to do well and give back to people who are in need.”

A percentage of the total sales generated from the 2012 Give in to Giving campaign will be donated to the Real Life Foundation- an organization that is very passionate about providing better future to underprivileged Filipinos by giving them access to education and transforming communities through social services including life coaching.

Continue Reading »

Back to December :)

2011-12-01T09:07:00.001+08:00

Oh yes, it's that time of the year again. Our much-awaited month: December. It's like going back to being a kid again every time December's here because of Christmas. Well, I don't get that much presents anymore during Christmas but just thinking about the vacation, the gifts my kids will be receiving, the good food, family togetherness, spirit of giving and the over-all magic of the season gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Anyways, I was thinking of something to share (a song is what I had in mind) being today the first day of the Christmas month, but I figured you might be full of the Christmas songs being played on the radio from time to time, so I thought of sharing something different: a song with the word December on the title. First song that came to mind: one of my most favorite songs from Taylor Swift, Back to December. I know it has nothing to do with Christmas, but just the same enjoy the song and the vid! :)

Looking Forward to New Year's Eve

2011-11-29T13:09:00.000+08:00

I'm excited to see the movie coming out this December entitled New Year's Eve, which includes a cast of some of the biggest names in Hollywood such as Halle Berry, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Sarah Jessica Parker, Hilary Swank, Alyssa Milano, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel and even Jon Bon Jovi. I just saw the movie trailer when I watched the Breaking Dawn movie a couple of weeks ago, and it's definitely one of the movies I wouldn't miss seeing before the year ends.

So make sure to clear your calendars on December 9, 2011 and set a date with your BFF's, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife or whoever to go see New Year's Eve on your favorite cinemas. :)

Get your FREE Copy of Think and Grow Rich Book!

2011-10-28T09:46:00.001+08:00

I love reading books. It's the first thing on my list whenever I would buy something for myself. While I know most women would go for a new dress, accessories, gadgets or shoes, I would prioritize buying books. Of course, I think of getting those for myself, too, but I guess I prioritize learning and on investing on improving myself more. One of the books that I bought last year out of the sales commission I got (and that I will always treasure) is Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich. This is one of the books that has greatly helped me change my life positively.

If you don't have a copy of this great book yet, here's your chance to get it for FREE! Just click on the banner below to find out how you can get your hands on the Original 1937 Edition of this amazing book that has changed the lives of millions of people.

Meeting Dr. Myron Wentz: A Dream Come True :)

2011-10-28T09:27:00.001+08:00

It's not everyday that you get to meet people who have made a great contribution in the lives of many, specifically in medical breakthroughs in science. That is why I consider myself truly blessed to have met the man--the visionary and the scientist--behind the company that is changing the lives of many in terms of health and financial freedom, Dr. Myron Wentz. Dr. Wentz was here in the Philippines for the 2nd time to grace our Philippine convention held at the World Trade Center last week, October 21. I knew that at the convention, a photo opp with Dr. Wentz was not possible, because there were just too many of us there. It was a good thing that I went to the office early the following day and I find it very fortunate that I had my camera with me. I don't know but for some strange reason I just wanted to bring my camera that day, which I don't usually do when I'm going to the office.

me and Dr. Myron Wentz

my friend and business parnter with Dr. Myron Wentz

with Deborah Woo, President for Asia Pacific of USANA

Dr. Myron Wentz signing autographs

Having shook the hand of the man who gave 20 years of his life to careful study and research to give life to his vision of giving people all over the world the freedom to enjoy life free from degenerative diseases was just phenomenal for me and I will never forget that day. :)

"I dream of a world free from pain and suffering, I dream of a world free from disease. Share my vision. Love life and live it to its fullest in happiness and health."

- Dr. Myron Wentz

Visionary, Scientist, Humanitarian, Entrepreneur

Recipient of the Albert Einstein Award in the Life Sciences, 2007

CBTL The Great Exchange

2011-10-27T17:47:00.000+08:00

For all the coffee and tea lovers out there, make sure you visit The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on the dates and locations stated on the ad poster below:

My Little Boy :) (Just Beautiful #29)

2011-09-28T18:53:00.001+08:00

My little boy will be turning 4 this Friday! He's growing up so fast, and I just can't help but feel nostalgic of the time when he was still a little baby, so I'm sharing this photo of him a few months before he turned a year old:

This is one of his cutest photos and it just makes me smile every time I look at it. :)

Kids Fashion at an Affordable Price

2011-09-25T12:46:00.000+08:00

It pays to be smart especially during tough times and if you are busy mom who is responsible for managing the household and budgeting, today's economy could be a challenge for you. Having kids makes it a little tougher because as a parent it is your duty to provide for the needs of your children. Aside from the basic needs such as food, health care and shelter, clothing is also another aspect that should not be forgotten.

Now it doesn't matter if your child is wearing the latest in fashion or not, there are ways on how you can score great deals on kid's clothing without having to pay a heavy price tag. Remember that children usually grow fast and before you know it, those pants are probably short for them right now. Paying a visit to outlet stores and discount shops is a good way to find affordable apparel for your kids. While most of these stores often occupy a huge area, it will be better to go there during weekends when you have more time to look and really search the racks for the lowest price.

Another way to shop in a budget is to wait for end of season sales. Most stores that are getting ready to launch their new collection will markdown the prices on their current stock. Just make sure to get a bigger size if you are buying something that your child won't wear until a couple of months. It would also be best to consider stores that offer layaway programs. This is ideal especially since the Holiday season is just right around the corner.

And of course, online shopping is your safest bet when looking for great saving and discounts. Not only does it offer convenience to busy moms but it provides shoppers a variety of choice and the opportunity to compare prices from different websites. All these options are available for all the moms out there who are trying to think of ways on how to stretch their budget.

Clare currently works as a freelance writer. Among her favorite topics include travel, current events, technology and fashion. She's enjoying her current task writing for gallakjoler a project which is all about prom dresses.

My Business Cards

2011-09-21T22:18:00.000+08:00

One of the things I always make sure that I bring with me whenever I would go out (especially when I'm attending events and other functions) are my business cards. After I've attended a couple of blogging events this year, I decided to have my very own business card that I could hand out to fellow bloggers and to other important people I would meet during these events. Grace of Dress Up Your Blogs did a really great job on my blogging business card, which she patterned after the theme of my main blog, The All-around Mom. I like how it says "Certified Blogger" under my name. :)

I also had another set of business cards made a couple of days ago which is for my home-based business on health supplements and skin care products. This is the standard format suggested by the company that associates or distributors should have, so I just had it patterned after that format. I love looking at my new business card - it makes me feel and think, that, yes, I really have my own business now! :)

How about you? Do you also have your own business cards?

Nice To Know You Wednesday #5

2011-09-21T21:45:00.002+08:00

1. What are your top 5 pet peeves? Hmmm...there are a lot of things that annoy me, but I try not to think about them too much. Nonetheless, here are my top 5: (1) tardiness, (2) negative people (those who always find something to complain about and think that it's cool to announce it to the whole world on their FB status), (3) people who act like they know-it-all, (4) people who discriminate (5) people who think that they are God's gift to mankind (come on!)
2. What is your zodiac sign and does it fit your personality?I'm an Aquarian and these are just some of the things that describes Aquarians (from Astrology.com) that, uh, well, is somewhat true of how I am (ehem! ehem! Lol!):

humanitarian, philanthropic and keenly interested in making the world a better place
sympathetic and compassionate
treasures their many friends and acquaintances and want to give back as much as they can
love gadgets and technology
great strengths: vision, intellect and humanity

On the negative side, I always see the word eccentric when describing Aquarians, and well, yeah, I can be weird sometimes (Lol!).

3. What is your all-time favorite TV show? CSI!!! :)

4. What is your goal for the next 30 days?

I've been really busy with my home-based business, so my goal for the next 30 days mainly revolves around it. I'd like to grow my network of business builders, hit my goal that would give me life-long residual income and also help my business partners achieve their goals, too.

5. What is your favorite movie and what is it about?

Kung Fu Panda 2. Well, I also love the 1st Kung Fu Panda. I'm pretty sure that most of you have watched these films (especially those who have little kids) because it's such a fun movie to watch with moral lessons that are very important for the kids to learn: believing in yourself and not holding any grudges (inner peace).

My Precious Gifts (Just Beautiful #28)

2011-09-21T20:43:00.000+08:00

My girls were really excited with the new double-deck bed that their dad bought them last Sunday, and so last night, they requested that I took a picture of them by their new bed. Well, my little boy still sleeps with me and hubby, and by the time that he can sleep alone, we'll buy him his own bed, too (he wants either Spiderman or Ben-10 as his bed cover). We had a lot of goofy pics last night before we went to bed, but I won't share it here anymore, because you might think we're a bunch of loonies. Lol!

So here's my share for this week: my precious gifts :)

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Bring It On

2011-09-21T17:45:00.000+08:00

Movies with a lot of dancing and great moves really catches my attention and I just love those type of movies. Although I'm not really much of a dancer (it's one of my biggest frustrations, actually. Lol!), I love watching shows and movies with a lot of dancing. And one of the best dance-themed films I've watched is the 2000 film Bring It On starring Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku. Back then, I was in total awe of cheerleaders that's why I really loved this film.

Here's the storyline from IMDb.com:

The Toro cheerleading squad from Rancho Carne High School in San Diego has got spirit, spunk, sass and a killer routine that's sure to land them the national championship trophy for the sixth year in a row. But for newly-elected team captain Torrance, the Toros' road to total cheer glory takes a shady turn when she discovers that their perfectly-choreographed routines were in fact stolen from the Clovers, a hip-hop squad from East Compton, by the Toro's former captain. While the Toros scramble to come up with a new routine, the Clovers, led by squad captain Isis have their own problems - coming up with enough money to cover their travel expenses to the championships. With time running out and the pressure mounting, both captains drive their squads to the point of exhaustion: Torrance, hell bent on saving the Toros' reputation, and Isis more determined than ever to see that the Clovers finally get the recognition that they deserve.

My share for this week's Groovy Kind of Movie them from

I Got My New DVD From TCP! :)

2011-09-21T17:29:00.000+08:00

I finally now have in my hands the DVD copy of the movie A Few Good Men which I won last month from the Blu-Ray and DVD Giveaway from Tuesday Couch Potatoes. I got really excited when it was announced last month that I won in the giveaway along with another coucher. So when the DVD arrived in the mail last week, I was just so happy!

Thanks to Ms. Ana of Just About Anything and of the meme Tuesday Couch Potatoes for this giveaway! Looking forward to more episodes of TCP and of course, more movie giveaways :) More Power! :)

me with my 2 kids (my other daughter was the one who took the pic)

Sisters (Just Beautiful #27)

2011-09-14T16:05:00.000+08:00

We're having Just Beautiful once again! I'm really for sorry for not posting this meme for nearly a month. I just got so excited and busy with my business on health supplements and I'm really eager to share this with others because of the very positive results it had shown on my and my father's health. I know a lot of you have missed this meme, and well, I've been thinking of having other bloggers and meme participants host this meme alternately just to make sure that there would be JB every week in case I get busy with family and business matters again. What do you think?
For this week, my share is this pic I took of my daughters last month during Gaby's participation in the Linggo ng Wika program in their school.

They're both very funny and pretty that's why I love them so much! :)

A Relaxing View at Subic (Just Beautiful #26)

2011-08-17T06:26:00.000+08:00

Last week was really busy for me and I'm really sorry for not having a post for this meme last Wednesday. You know how being a mom is - it gets crazy sometimes.

But for this week, I'm thankful that it's a little bit relaxed, that's why I'm sharing this relaxing and beautiful view at Subic that I took about 3 years ago during my daughters' field trip. It was like a family outing (except for my son who was left at home with the nanny), because my daughters had their field trip at the same day (Grade 1 and Grade 2 pupils had a joint educational trip that year) and both hubby and I joined our girls. After watching the dolphin show, we decided to sit under the trees and eat ice cream, and just loved this very beautiful and calm view:

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Apollo 13

2011-08-17T06:05:00.001+08:00

Before I move on to my post for TCP this week, I'd just like to express my happiness in winning the DVD giveaway for this meme. Yippeee! This is the second time that I've won something through a blog contest, and I can't wait to get my hands on the DVD I won. Thanks so much, Kikamz, for hosting this giveaway and for having this meme. :)

So for this week, our theme is Spaced Out, and being a big fan of Tom Hanks and of real-life based films, my pick for this week is the 1995 film Apollo 13. Here's a summary of this film from IMDb.com:

Based off of real events of one of the worst NASA tragedy's. In 1971, NASA plans to send out people to the Moon for a lunar mission. They have chosen astronauts Jim Lovell, Frad Haise, and Jack Swigert. They have launched into outer space successfully, however, a slight fault from inside the space module caused an explosion that turned the exploration into a test for survival for the crew of Apollo 13. While Loveel, Haise, and Swigert try to survive in space. The workers at NASA (including Ken Mattingly) try to figure out a way to get the astronauts home safely.

My share of this week's Spaced Out theme at