tinkerputt's turf

Rustan's Mother's Day Event- May 19 and 20

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:32:00 +0000

Join Chicco and Rustan Department Stores, Mother's Day 2012 Event on May 19 at Rustan's Makati and May 20 at Rustan's Shangri-la.

What to expect in the event?

- Motherhood talk: Joys of Pregnanyc, Child Birth and Breastfeeding at 2:00pm
- Baby Care Talk: Caring for your Chld at 3:30pm
- Free snacks

- Freebies

- Raffle Games

- Prizes

- More surprises

Registration starts at 12:00pm

Kids and babies are very much welcome, they can spend their time in the free play area.

How to join?

- Starting May 1 to 20, get a Free Mom Pass for a minimum purchase of Php 500 worth of Chicco items at Rustan's.

- One Mom Pass is valid for 2 persons and for 1 event schedule only.

Pre-Birthday Shoot with Shutter Count

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:38:00 +0000

For Jabe, Jalysa & Ayie’s Rockin’ Party this June 2. I decided to get the photo and video services of Shutter Count Photography.

We scheduled the pre-birthday shoot last April 22 at the Ninony Aquino Parks and Wildlife. Michelle and Benjie of Shutter Count was really a great couple to work with. They are extremely great!

Below are some of the photos from the pre-birthday shoot.

So if you are looking for photo and video services to cover your events, whether it be christening, birthday, weddings, etc, check out ShutterCount Photography! Their packages are affordable. Quality and workmanship is really great. Visit their website or their Facebook page.

Now, I am totally excited to see the photos and videos that they will be getting during the party on June.

Jabe’s First Real Encounter with Jollibee

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:35:00 +0000

John Dominic's cake :)

Last May 1, Jabe was invited to Dominic’s 1^st Birthday, son of a a fellow AMO mom, Mommy Sherrybe. The party was held at Jollibee Makati Ave at 1pm. We arrived at the venue with Mommy Edna and her son Vince. As always, Jabe initially was in his usual poker face reaction, but eventually he was his usual self, smiling while walking/sprinting all over the place.

As with all birthdays at Jollibee, Jollibee the mascot is always the special guest. He usually dance and join in the fun. Jabe was in total awe when Jollibee arrived, most especially when he saw Jollibee dancing. The past months, he only see Jollibee the statue, but this time he saw Jollibee dancing and having fun.

Jabe watching Jollibee dance

At first, Jabe was only looking but only after a few minutes, he wanted to walk and go to Jollibee already. Even while eating, Jabe was taking a peek as to where Jollibee was.

Jabe trying to get Jollibee's attention

Finally, a close encounter with Jollibee

I want to thank Mommy Sherrybe and Dom for inviting us. (Jabe has no photo with the birthday boy) Jabe had so much fun! J and it was also great seeing and being with all the AMO mommies and babies.

with AMO moms, dads & babies

Drypers Wee Wee Dry Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:47:00 +0000

I love joining different online contests. I rarely join those who choose their winners based on the number of LIKES that a photo or a comment would get. But this time, I joined Drypers Wee Wee Dry's Put Your Love Here contest at the FB Page.

Photo credit: Drypers Wee Wee Dry FB Page

The mechanics is pretty simple, tag the baby's best photo and Top 20 photos with most likes will automatically be included in their print ad.

I decided to join Jabe's photo. Hoping to win? Yes, of course. But if not, it's still ok. :)

Below is the photo I submitted.

Photo credit: Shutter Count Photography

Isn't he cute? adorable? handsome?

If you find him cute, adorable, handsome, or anything else. I hope you'll spare a minute to click the LIKE button in his FB entry. Thanks!

URL for his Facebook entry is : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151041957883146&set=a.171780533145.158244.680648145&type=1

Moms' $500 Giveaway - May 01-13

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:37:00 +0000

Swimming Lessons for JABE

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 02:09:00 +0000

Ever since I gave birth to Jabe, I have planned and wanted to enroll him in a swimming class for infants and toddlers. Jabe is not afraid of the water and I have proven that every time we go to a place with a swimming pool. He loves the water. So yesterday, finally! I was able to enroll him at Bert Lozada Swimming School at D'Ace Water Plaza here in Kapitolyo. He will be attending the early morning class of 9-930am which is the class for his age group.

Again, I showed him the pool area, and as soon as he saw it with all those kids having their swimming lessons, he was literally jumping for joy. Thank goodness we are only at the viewing area and the pool and the viewing area is divided by a floor to ceiling glass, or else, Jabe might have run and jumped in the water. He even cried when I told him we need to go home and he won't be starting his lessons that day. Just need to assure him that we'll be back to Ace Plaza for his lessons and I showed him his ID and documents.

Jabe's docs & ID

He'll be starting his lessons on the 7th of May. It is a thrice a week lesson, and his last day would be on the 23rd of May. Jabe would only need his swim nappies, no need for a swimming cap since he does not have much hair hehehe. . .As for me, since I will be accompanying him, I will need a swimsuit and a swimming cap.

I paid a total of Php 4,850. The 3x a week lesson for the My Baby & Me class is worth Php 4,500. And an additional Php 350 as registration fee.

After he finish this class, if the swimming school will be offering the next level for Jabe at the Ace Plaza, I am pretty sure I will still enroll Jabe even if it means that he'll be going to swimming lessons the whole year. At least, he'll have something else to do.

For more info on Bert Lozada Swimming School rates, schedules, and locations you can visit their site at http://www.bertlozadaswimschool.com/

Medela Moms Summer Seminar - How to Increase Mily Supply

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 06:51:00 +0000

For the past months, Medela Moms already had a series of seminars. They had the following:

First-Aid seminar / Crime Prevention / Safety Concerns Seminar and the Toddler Care Seminar last March 31
Yaya Seminar on Newborn Care and Proper Breastfeeding Support last March 24
Breastfeeding Class and playgroups last March 3
Sustaining Breastfeeding Class last February 04
Yaya Seminar last January 28

For their past seminars, I have only attended the Breastfeeding Class and Playgroups but not the March 3 seminar, I attended the one last November. (related post Medela Moms Breastfeeding Class)

And this coming April 28, 2012, Medela Moms will be having a Summer Seminar entitled How to Increase Milk Supply (Breastfeeding Tips!). And I am planning to attend this one. I have been breastfeeding Jabe for 10 and a half months already and I plan to do it for as long as I could. Though milk supply is still great right now breastfeeding tips on how to increase it is something I am most interested to know.

So, if you are a breastfeeding mom and would like to get tips and ideas on how to increase your milk supply. Register now for this great seminar.

You can add Medela Moms in Facebook or simply send them an email or text. Below is their FB post.

Join us on April 28 at 9am at the Medela House as The Breastfeeding Club (TBC) presents their Summer Seminar on How to Increase Milk Supply (Breastfeeding Tips)!!! : ) Snacks will be provided by Ella Eats (customized treats for your family's occasions) and Mommy Treats (lactation treats!). Yum, yum : ) Keep posted for more information. To register, email us at medelamoms@gmail.com or text us at 0917-5614366 : ) TBC membership is P500!

RCBC Account Suspended - Phishing Email

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:56:00 +0000

This morning, i received an email with the RCBC Account Suspended. I think this is not the first time that I have received an email like this one. I have received one from RCBC, Metrobank, Unionbank, Chinabank, and Standard Chartered once a month. I always mark it as spam or just delete it. Why? Because I don't have an account on these banks except for Chinabank.

These are just phishing emails that would ask you to clink on a link to "activate" your account.

Phishing emails are usually sent generic and not personalized. It will not have your name title (Mr / Ms / Mrs / etc) or even your name . Looking at the photo above, it only said "Dear Customer"

As for the link, the link posted is

https://www.rcbcaccessone.com/eBanking/RetailSignOn.Security.aspx

But if I hover my mouse on it, it will point to this URL

http://wwwrcbc1.com/r1/www.rcbc.com/rcbc.htm

Never click these links. Just delete the email.

As posted at the RCBC website (http://www.rcbc.com)

Please be warned of Phishing attacks presently being lodged against Philippine banks by foreign syndicates.
Such attacks are perpetrated by unscrupulous groups (called "phishers" / "scammers") who randomly send bank clients an email message asking for their User IDs, Log-in and Transaction Passwords and claiming that this is for the purpose of ensuring their continued use of the bank's internet banking facility (in RCBC's case, RCBC AccessOne). Please be informed that these messages are fictitious, fabricated and are only meant to mislead you into allowing these phishers to steal your online financial identity and then illegally transact on your behalf.

Falling for this ploy could also allow these "syndicates" to steal your money.

Given this scenario, RCBC would like to remind you to NEVER trust or click on any link sent via e-mail or SMS if it requests for any personal information. RCBC WILL NEVER ask customers to provide these confidential information through email. Do not click on links provided in emails. Instead, type the bank's website (www.rcbc.com) directly into your browser's address bar.

Please ensure that you use your User ID and Passwords ONLY when transacting directly to RCBC AccessOne.

Likewise, please be reminded that as stipulated in the Terms and Conditions you signed for RCBC AccessOne, the bank will NOT take responsibility for whatever losses you may incur in case of incident accessing bogus / unsecured websites.

Should you receive a suspicious "phishing" email, please report this immediately and email customercontact@rcbc.com or call 877 RCBC (877-7222)

Thank you.

Cloth Diaper Myth #5 and # 6

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 06:17:00 +0000

#5 Cloth Diapering Myth -- Cloth Diapers are Worse for the Environment than Disposables

OK, here’s the daddy myth of them all – people are saying that cloth diapers are bad for the environment! Oooh, this myth just eats us up inside.

Let’s talk common sense here.
Is it better to reuse something or throw it away?
We’re pretty sure you’ll say, “Reuse” – so dispelling this myth is a no-brainer.
Here’s how reusing cloth diapers is better environment:

Raw materials, packaging and shipping resources are only needed once to manufacture cloth diapers.
- Disposable diapers are in constant use of our Earth’s precious resources and it's not like they're recyclable either.
There are no plastic trash bags full of icky diapers when you cloth diaper.
- Our disposable-using friends wrap their stinky diapers in small plastic bags and then in a larger plastic bag. These stink bombs will never decompose!
Cloth diapers create no trash.
- Disposables create plenty of trash, filling up the trash trucks, which require more energy to haul away and process.
You wash your clothes and dishes rather than toss them – why should your diapers be any different? The water used to wash your diapers is nothing compared to the energy, resources and water it takes to manufacturer disposable diapers over and over again. It just makes sense.
- Disposable using mamas think cloth diapering mamas use more water and use that excuse to justify their daily diaper waste.

Reuse. Don’t waste. We’ll all be better off!

#6 Cloth Diapering Myth -- Daycares Don't Allow Them

Most moms assume their daycares won’t let them cloth diaper, but few moms have ever asked or tried. We suggest you talk to your daycare provider about it before making any decisions.

We put together a little daycare cheat sheet for you too, showcasing 5 tips to encouraging your daycare provider to use cloth diapers.

Tip 1: Demonstrate Cloth Diapering – many providers have never seen a FuzziBunz before!
Tip 2: Recommend a Trial Period – trying is better than committing long-term to something, so your provider will likely be more open to trying it first.
Tip 3: Know the Law – know your rights so you can inform your provider, who may not know.
Tip 4: Let Them Know What’s In It for Them – cloth diapers bring about a greener and less wasteful environment. That is something they can use to better market their center!
Tip 5: Shop Around – there are plenty of daycares out there willing to work with cloth diapers. If one isn’t willing to listen, move on!

Cloth Dipaer Myth # 3 and # 4

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 06:09:00 +0000

#3 Cloth Diapering Myth -- My Husband won't Cloth Diaper

Dads are very capable of cloth diapering. That’s why we know any woman who says her husband won’t use cloth diapers is the woman who never tried to get her husband on board in the first place. It may simply be an excuse for her not wanting to cloth diaper herself.

Think about it – us moms rule the roost (at least we think we do), right? What mom wants and what makes mom happy is generally what makes everyone in the house happy.

If mom wants to cloth diaper baby and she is willing to spend the time to get her husband on board, then this myth of “my husband won’t cloth diaper” would easily be put to bed.

#4 Cloth Diapering Myth -- Cloth Diapers are Ugly and Bulky

Okay, you got us on the bulky part. Cloth diapers are little more bulky than disposable diapers in order for them to absorb. But isn’t that bulkiness better than what disposable diapers use? They use a cocktail of chemicals to keep their diapers slim and trim. We use good old fashioned cloth.

On another note, cloth diapers are anything but ugly these days. In the past, pre-folds and plastic pants were ugly. FuzziBunz changed that. Our diapers come in Kumquat, Choco Truffle, Crushed Berries, and Apple Green. Ugly or cute? You be the judge.

Now combine these colorful and fluffy bums – surely you’ll have the baby with the cutest tush on the block and you’ll be the envy of your playgroup!

Cloth Diaper Myth # 1 and # 2

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:52:00 +0000

Below are Cloth Diapering Myth I received in my email from FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers.

#1 Cloth Diapering Myth -- Cloth diapers are a lot of work!

It’s not uncommon for busy moms to say they can’t imagine cloth diapering because there’s so much work involved. These moms are sorely mistaken. Cloth diapers are actually pretty easy to use – especially modern cloth diapers like FuzziBunz.
Let’s go through some common questions surrounding this myth:

Are cloth diapers convenient? Yes! No midnight trips to the store because you’ve run out of diapers. No storing bags of stinky diapers until trash day. No hauling out heavy loads of trash to the curb either. Everything you need to diaper your baby is in your house – where it should be!
Are cloth diapers hard to wash? No! In the olden days cloth diapers would require soaking and swirling. Ick! Today’s diapers are washed in a washing machine. Easy breezy.
What do you do with the poop? If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what to do with the poop, I’d be rich! Liquid poop washes off the diaper in the washing machine. Solid poop gets plopped in the toilet before washing. Solid mushy poop can be rinsed off over your toilet with a diaper sprayer contraption before washing. Done.
Are cloth diapers hard to get on and off baby? No! Durable snaps closures enable you to easily put on and take off the diaper. They work just like disposable diapers.

#2 Cloth Diapering Myth - - Cloth Diapers are Expensive

So let’s get right to the facts and dispel this ugly myth that cloth diapers are expensive once and for all!
Cloth diapers only cost you a few hundred dollars upfront; however, they save you thousands over the next three or more years. Your savings more than doubles if you use FuzziBunz diapers for additional babies as your family grows.

How much do cloth diapers really cost? The average modern cloth diaper costs you about $20. If you bought 15-20 diapers, you’d spend $300-$400.
How much do disposable diapers cost? The average baby will go through 8-10 diaper changes per day. Each diaper costs about $.28. At this rate, you will spend $69.60-$84 per month for an average of 2.5 years. After 2.5 years, you’ll have spent $2,088-$2,520.

All the other diapering costs would likely be a wash. Wipes and a diaper pail are needed for both diaper types. Something like the cost of diaper creams needed when using disposables will cancel out the costs associated with the small amount of detergent required for cloth diapers.

If you do the math, you’ll see this myth is just a myth.

I will posting the other myths in my next posts.

(I have asked permission to share this information)

Odesk Milestone: 11,000 Working Hours

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:02:00 +0000

December 5, 2011, when I made a blog post about an Odesk Milestone of 10,000 Working Hours. (see post my post Odesk Milestone: 10,000 Working Hours). That time, my goal was to reach 12,000 personal working hours by December 2012. Neither did I expect that this goal is something I could reach even before December 2012. .

Why?

Simply because, exactly 3 months and 5 days since my post last December, I already have a total of 11,013 personal working hours. In just, three months of working, I achieved 11,000, which only means I can reach my goal of 12K in 2012, by June or July maybe and even more by December 2012.

This number of hours would not have been possible to all my clients, new and old, who have put their trust on me. I am totally grateful to them for all the work they given me. And, of course, I am so happy and grateful for all the blessings that God has been showering me and my family for the past years and months. hmmm...I think I have already said this in my last post hehe . . .

Interested to earn and work at home? You can drop me a line if you have any queries, and I'd be glad to help you. Join Odesk now!

Modern Lightings

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:35:00 +0000

We recently transferred to a new house, it is rented, and we can only make minimal renovation to it. We can't really make it into something like our dream home. But, one thing we can do and make it look good without doing the need of installing permanent fixtures would be to make use of Contemporary Wall Lights, like those that I have seen at the Modern Lighting Website. I really like the Perspectives Coupe to be placed at the wall beside the stairs. When lighted, I am pretty sure that the stairs area would really look beautiful.

Apart from the Wall Lights, their modern table lights are perfect on the bed side table but as well as at the living room. I specifically like the Currey & Co. Hepburn Table Lamp in Antique Brass/Black because of its modern style shape, perfect for the living room and I am sure my visitors would love to it as well. The Mirano Table Lamp from Trans Globe can also be used at the living room and be used as a table centerpiece.

Blogging: I missed you!

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:24:00 +0000

Looking at my posts. I have been gone for exactly 27 days! That is really long!

It had been a crazy 27 days. But the best part was we were able to transfer to a new house. It was a goodbye condo, and hello house month for us.

Contrary to what other people thought, we are only renting the house. How I wish I could already afford to buy a new house, and that is one of my goals in the next 4 or 5 years.

The house is merely 5 minutes from Ayie's office (that is without traffic), meaning, he gets to spend more time with Jabe in the morning.

The house has 2 upstairs bedroom, the masters with its own bathroom. yey! The other one will be converted to Jabe and Auntie Jalysa's bedroom, as well as a temporary guest room.

Ground floor, has the the living and dining room, the kitchen, the dirty kitchen and another bathroom. There is a basement, with one more room that would soon be converted to an entertainment area, that is if depending on the availability of funds, and also the parking/laundry area is at the basement.

The house, as they said (for those who have already visited us!), is big enough for the three of us. Well, I said, that is good! We can now invite friends and families over for dinner or get together or something. Jabe has a bigger space to crawl, walk and explore.

In the works for the house, entertainment room, my mini-garden, the guest room and the kitchen. The kitchen needs a wonderful gas range with oven :) . . .AND also, I have not yet finished unpacking things. We still have a few (?) things at the condo that needs to be transferred here.

Am I rambling? I just type what comes to mind :) Sorry for that. Anyways, I am now back to blogging. Hopefully, I can update this again everyday :)

Hump Day $50 Giveaway - 02/01

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:00:00 +0000

It's time for Hump Day $50 Giveaway and today's event is for Google Friend Connect (GFC) or Google+ Circles. Thanks to the 33 wonderful blogs listed below, we are giving away $62 this week and not $50. Yep you get some bonus so please feel free to visit their blogs after joining.

My Tots Exactly | Frugal Experiments | Money Saving Mindy | Filipino Virtual Assistant | Tinkerputt's Turf | Blog Contests & Giveaways | Shop Vintage Clothing | Vienna Daily | Coupon Queen of Texas | Mommy Coupon Swappers | Life According to Me | Mole On My Sole | The 24-hour Mommy | WAHMaholic blog | Certified Foodies | Teach Me 2 Save | WAHMaholic Blog Designs | Extreme Personal Measures | Building Carpenters | Kenzie's Kozies | The Food, the Places and the Badtrips | Happy Home & Family | mumwrites | Living Life to the Fullest | Mom's Online Magazine | Charming Junkie | Workaholic Me | Topics on Earth | Mom's Ups and Downs| Pinay Mom in Germany| Life's Cheap Thrills | The Wandering Purple Diva | Make Money Online There are 2 types of entries this week. You can follow a blog though it's Google Friend Connect (GFC) button, or to add a blog page to your Google+ Circles. For a short tutorial on how to Follow via GFC or to Add pages to your Google+ Circles, click here but be sure to come back to enter through this blog.

A note though: You can only join this on one blog/page. There will be a maximum of 39 entries ONLY. If you have more than 39, I reserve the right to delete duplicate or fraudulent entries. May I request that you use only one name and email address for quicker validation of entries.

On the first mandatory entry, please do not forget to write Tinkerputt's Turf referred you since it is a mandatory entry. You must complete the first 2 tasks before the others are enabled, and for all your other entries to count.

Thank you very much and good luck. By joining this giveaway, you agree to the Terms and Conditions on the bottom of the form.

Contest is open all-day Wednesday, from February 1st, 12:01am EST to February 1st,11:59pm EST (February 1st, 1:01pm Philippine time to February 2nd, 12:59pm Philippine time).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beauty Ketch Fab Contest and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:36:00 +0000

Win fabulous prizes from Beauty Ketch Fab Contest and Giveaway .

Tess of Beauty Ketch is having her first ever contest and giveaway for those who loves beauty and fashion!

Her fab prizes for the three (3) lucky winners are:

Dream Family Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:43:00 +0000

We love traveling and seeing different places. Now that we already have Jabe, we wanted to be able to travel and explore different places more so that Jabe can be able to see the world. Probably one of my dream family getaway is Orlando, Florida! And I would definitely love to go to Disney World. If given the chance, it would all be our first time to visit not just Disney World and Florida but as well the United States.

This dream, I know will soon come true. But for some, who are also dreaming to go there and that dream is already within reach, have you already tried to plan your itinerary and also look for the best accommodation in the area? For your itinerary, some of the things you might to visit are Lego Land (hubby would definitely love this!), Discovery Cove, Busch Garden, the Old Town, the Wonderworks, and so much more..

For accommodation, vacation packages and hotel deals for families from different Orlando Hotels are now being offered through the internet through Orlandoescape.com. Visit their site for the best deals ever or like their Facebook page to get updated on their latest offerings and also get to know the best things to do in Orlando!

Happy planning and I do hope that you will enjoy your vacation, coz I am sure that whenever that dream of mine is already a reality, we would be having one hell of a vacation!

Driver's License Renewal

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:12:00 +0000

My driver's license expiration date was last 18 December 2011. But due to a jampacked schedule for the holidays I have to delay my application for renewal.

Last 17 January, a day it will celebrate its first month of expiration, Ayie accompanied me to have it renewed. Instead of going to the LTO Offices where all transactions are being processed, we went to the LTO Drivers License Renewal Center located at SM Hypermart in Tiendesitas. There are two rooms: one is the renewal center and the other room is for the drug testing center.

Things to bring when renewing your license:

Old / Expired Driver's License
OR (Official Receipt) of your Expired Driver's License (sometimes they ask for this one)
Ballpen - you will be filling up a lot of forms, so have with you instead of looking or buying a new one.
Cash - bring enough around Php 1500

Steps for Drivers License Renewal

Step 1 - Show your old / expired Drivers License at the Window 1 of the Renewal Center.
The staff wil give you an application form that you need to fill up

Step 2a - Give your filled-up application form together with your old / expired license at the Window 1 of the Drug Testing Center

Step 2b - Pay the drug test fee
      Urine Test              -- Php 300.00
      Medical Check up -- Php 100.00

Step 2c - After paying you will be given another form to fill up.It is the drug test consent form. Fill this up again and submit it to Window 2 of the Drug Testing Center
You will be asked to write your name and the current date on two separate strips of masking tape. You will be given a bottle for your pee. Reminder: you need to make sure that it is full. Drink lots of water prior to going to the renewal center so you will have the urge to pee in time for this test
Submit the bottle to Window 2 and wait for your name to be called.

Step 2d - Your name will be called the photo capturing and fingerprint scanning.

Step 2e - Last step for the medical and drug test would be, they would take your blood pressure, eye test, and check your weight. I didn't took the eye test since I told them I am wearing contact lenses and prescription glasses every time I drive.

Step 2f - Wait for your documents which would consist of the Application Form, Old Driver's License and the Medical / Drug Test Result

Step 3 - Submit the documents to Window 1 of the Renewal Center and wait for your name to be called.

Step 4 - Photo Capturing
If your name is called for the photo and signature capturing, proceed to Window 2. That only means that you don't have any apprehension records, and you name is clean. If they found an apprehension record, your name will be called back at Window 1, and you will be told to proceed to LTO Main Office or MMDA Office, I think.

Step 5 - Payment
Wait for your name to be called again while they process your drivers license. Breakdown of fees based on what I paid (almost a month of expiration)
     License Fee    - Php 350.00
     Penalty Fee     - Php    75.00
     Computer Fee - Php 67.63

Step 6 - Wait for you Driver's License
Your name will be called and they will give you your Drivers License and the Original Receipt.

It took me less than 30 minutes to renew my license. Good thing there are already Renewal Centers, if not, one would have to wait for more than an hour renewing a license at the LTO Office.

Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Continuation and last part, Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 3

14th Floor is much better as compared to the 18th and 19th floor, its much newer. Room 1436 is also much better as compared to Room 1803. King size bed, bedsheet is newer and no stains, TV was LCD, carpeting is not that old, bathroom does not have mildews, molds and rust, bath towels are white, there was a bathrobe, slippers, refrigerator is working, airconditioning is a lot better, curtains and carpets are fine though dusty. I settled for this one. Jabe was rolling and rolling at the bed until he got tired and fell asleep.

Ayie arrived around 6pm. He took a shower, and we left to go to Robinson's to buy Jabe a life vest.

Bathtub drain is not working properly :( it took ages before the water is fully drained.

Breakfast was included in the package. It is at the Seasons Cafe at the ground floor. Breakfast is served from 6:00am up to 9:00am. With our experience from other hotels, food during breakfast buffet are complete until the end of breakfast time. We woke up around 7:00am, got dressed, went downstairs around 7:30am. We were greeted by the staff and was ushered to a non-smoking area. We asked for a high-chair for Jabe which was immediately given to us.

Ayie told me to get food first. I looked through the buffet area. Looked at the different food. They have an area full of bread and pastries, soup (mami and congee), salad bar, fruits, cereals, japanese maki and sushi, rice (plain and garlic rice), chicken, beef, pork, egg station. As my usual routine, I always start with soup and salad, but since I don't like mami or congee, I went to the salad bar. Salad bar with no green vegetables such as lettuce, they only have corn kernels, bacon bits, eggs, coleslaw, etc. Salad dressing is also empty. I just told myself to get a bread, cheese, and butter for me and hard-boiled egg for Jabe.

Jabe had egg yolk (hard boiled), and I ate my bread, butter and cheese, while Ayie went to get his food. He came back with just a cup of rice and I think, a piece of chicken. With a frown on his face told me that there is no more food. I told him to wait maybe they will refill the food. We then asked for hot tea, and they gave us a very cold tea :( . We just get an orange juice which was not cold, we had to ask for a glass of ice. We ate and decided to see if there were food that has already been refilled. Ayie got his wish because there were tons of deep-fried bacon, I didn't have my wish granted because the salad was not replenished at all. While eating, Ayie asked for water from the waiter, around 10 minutes had passed and our drinking water has not yet arrived. He asked for the second time, still no water. The third time, no water. The fourth time, finally!!

We went back to our room, took a shower, fix our things so we can check-out early. Jabe went back to sleep after taking a bath. I made use of his sleeping time to fix our things. As soon as he woke up, we asked for an assistance to get our things as we are ready to check-out. Bellboy arrived in less than 10 minutes.

Ayie went to the reception area to pay for our room fee. Room was worth Php 3,450 with the breakfast. Bellboy and valet guy assisted us, they placed our things inside the car. And off we went to Pandacan Fiesta.

In conclusion, based on our experience, I am not recommending this hotel.

If only they would totally renovate the entire hotel, teach their staff not to discriminate locals from foreign tourists, give excellent service, it would be a great hotel because of its location.

If you are looking for a hotel within this area, consider the following:
-- If your hotel budget per night is 3,500 pesos and below, book at the nearby City Garden Hotel, it may be a 3-star hotel but service, room, and breakfast is way better than Manila Pavilion. Booked and stayed here for 3 days and 2 nights last July 2011
-- If you have a higher budget or want a hotel with a casino, go for Hyatt Hotel Manila.

Waterfront Manila Pavilion is unlike the other Waterfront hotels, it does not boast of the grandeur, the elegance, the fine accommodation, the friendly staff, the great service, the great food that a 4-star, 1st class hotel is expected to have.

Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:02:00 +0000

Continuing with my previous post, Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 2

With Jabe asleep, I proceeded to the elevator, pushed 18, and finally the elevator door opened on the 18th floor. Carpeting was really bad, it was already old and gray in color. The hallway was a bit dark and smelled old, maybe because of the carpets.

We reached room 1803, opened the door and was greeted with a very bad odor! The room was really shabby, old, outdated, smells bad. Same with the bathroom which has mildews, molds, and a rusty faucet and shower head. The television was a very old TV. Bedsheet has stains and doesn't smell good. Bath towels are thin and colored dirty white. No bathrobe. No complimentary slippers. Airconditioning was not working. Lampshades, chair, TV rack are really really old, seems like if you someone tries to hold them, they would just fall apart. I put Jabe down on the bed, good thing I have brought a mini blanket with me that I had to place on the bed before letting Jabe lie down. I called Ayie to let him know that we are already at the room, and told him that it's ok but I am not happy with it. After talking to him, Jabe woke up and was his usual bubbly self and didn't mind the bad odor, he's just happy he's not home and he is in a different place. I sent a text message to Ayie to tell him to ask for a room transfer as soon as he arrives. We stayed for 10 more minutes, but I really can't stand the smell and the look of the room, I feel like I am not in a 4-star hotel, 1-star hotels or even transient rooms are way better than the room we are in. It's like you just entered a warp zone the moment you stepped out of the elevator and most of all entered the room. I called the reception and asked to be transferred because the smell is really getting to me, and the smell might cause an asthma attack. I was told to wait for 30 minutes so they can have the other room to be cleaned.

I can't take the smell and decided that we'll just wait at the lobby. I returned the keycard and told them we'll stay at the lobby while waiting. A bellboy approached me, told me that he already have the keycard for our replacement room and he'll accompany us upstairs. I told him that I was really frustrated with the room they gave us, that it doesn't measure to a 4-star hotel and also to Waterfront Cebu. He was friendly (named Jaypee) and we were chatting until we reached the 19th floor. Room was 1905. On the way to the room, we saw two old Japanese guys, we walked pass through them until we reach room 1905. Jaypee, the bellboy, slid the keycard, opened the door and was surprised to what he saw inside the room, told me not to come in, and said "Ma'm, may gamit na, may tao na ata, may naka-chek-in na dito". And immediately, one of the Japanese guys approached us and said something in Japanese, I can't understand anything but based on his reactions, I assumed he was the one who is checked-in at that room. I just told him, "sorry, the reception gave us a wrong keycard". We went back at the lobby, I told Jaypee that I am really pissed and to handle it, I don't want to get totally mad infront of Jabe. He apologized for the mix up and I told him it is not your fault.

The receptionist saw me, Jaypee told him what had just happened, and they just stared blank, and didn't even apologized to me. Arrgghh....good thing I am not in the mood for a confrontation, most especially if Jabe is with me. After 10 minutes, Jaypee told me that the new room is ready. He said that he asked for an upgrade from Superior to Deluxe King in exchange of all the hassle that they have given us. It was granted and we were given Room 1436.

Room 1436............

and continuation will be on my next post

Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:21:00 +0000

In continuation with my first post, Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 1

and as a response to the question "Why on earth is Liv copying and stating these bad reviews?"

Same with all hotels, check-in time is 2:00pm, since we already done with Jabe's check-up and vaccination before 12noon, I decided to go to Robinson's Ermita to buy some stuff we need for our Bolinao trip the following week (which I hope I could make a blog post!).

Around 2:00pm, Jabe and I went to the hotel. We were greeted nicely at the front door. We went straight to the Reception area where there were 3 hotel staff (2 females and 1 male), the male and one female was talking to different clients, the other one was not doing anything, but what she did was just look at me and did nothing. I told her that I am going to check-in and she ignored me as if I wasn't there. Jabe was already fussy at the time because he was already sleepy so I just let the bad treatment pass and just wait. When the male staff was done with the guest he was attending to, he asked me what I need. I told him that I am there to check-in and I do have a reservation. I gave the email print-out. He asked if my husband is around since the room is under his name, I told the staff that we have requested the hotel to accommodate me and Jabe since Ayie will be arriving late in the afternoon, and told him that the email had that request. He then told me to tell Ayie to stop by the reception area as soon as he arrive for credit card verification. Then, he checked for an available room.

Our reservation is Superior King, so that was what I am expecting to get, but he told me that there is no more Superior King room available that day, and asked me if it is fine with me that he will transfer me to a Superior Twin or Superior Queen, which is a downgrade from my reservation. I can't understand why accept my reservation if they won't be having one at that day especially when I arrive early. I'm already getting pissed but told myself to calm down. I told him that Twin is not fine as I have my baby with me and he might fall if I get a smaller bed. Jabe was already sleeping on my shoulders (I am carrying him the whole time!) while we talk, and since I am tired and a bit irritated, I told him I'll just get the Superior Queen. He typed something in his computer and said "Ay wala na rin pala", then I told him "What?", and he said "Ma'am, wait I'll just find one for you". It took him around 15-20 minutes, I don't know if he is typing or looking for a room or simply staring at the computer screen. 20 minutes, he finally gave me a keycard, Room 1803. I then told him I don't need a bellboy to assist me since I don't have much things with me as I only have Jabe's diaper bag and some items that I bought at the mall.

With Jabe asleep, I proceeded to the elevator, pushed 18, and finally the elevator door opened on the 18th floor.....

and continuation will be on my next post

Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel Experience - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:58:00 +0000

This is a one week overdue post :(

For the past year, my only indulgence was to check-in in a hotel, spend the night and relax. In celebration of our second civil wedding anniversary last January 18 which is a Wednesday, we decided to check-in at the Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel last weekend 14-15 January 2012.

We chose Manila Pavilion Hotel for several reasons.
- 1st, Jabe's vaccination and monthly check-up at Manila Doctor's Hospital was scheduled last January 14 and the hotel is beside the hospital
- 2nd, Sto Nino Fiesta at Pandacan was last January 15 - a few minutes drive from the hotel
- 3rd, it is Waterfront, and Waterfront hotels has an excellent reputation

- 4th, they have a 7-days advance booking promo

I booked a room, Superior King with breakfast, online last January 6. It was a hassle-free transaction as I got the confirmation right away. A day before our check-in date, January 13, I sent an email (using Ayie's email at name) to the hotel requesting that they accommodate me and Jabe in checking-in since Ayie would be arriving late. Response was really fast that they have noted my request. So, I printed the confirmation email as well as the request. That night, while packing out things, I decided to check and read some reviews about the hotel, and to my disgust, there are tons of bad reviews.

To name a few: ( I got these reviews from TripAdvisor.com )

“Hotel needs Renovation”

Reviewed December 28, 2011

This hotel is convenient for guests who are planning to gamble all night long and will need to rest just for a short time. The rooms are outdated and the bathrooms are not that clean. The shower head had a limey green stuff around it and water doesn't go down in the tub when you take a shower. The TV wasn't working and the insulation around the room is terrible that you can hear conversations of your neighbors pretty well. Our comforter had dried stain on it. Our stay wasn't pleasant at all that we had to check out first thing the next morning.
This hotel needs renovation. It's location is good and it could attract more guests if it's kept clean and maintained well.

“Seasons Cafe, Manila Pavilion - Worst buffet and service in town”

Reviewed December 19, 2011

".....we arrived at a not so late time of 1230 pm for lunch, and most food items have already been depleted. Hoping for replenishments is a futile exercise as replenishments never came and if it did then it came towards the end of the buffet service.

The grill items ran out of stock, the plates near the grill station were empty. the roast which was roast pig again was already bones (even the eyes were gouged out already). My companion ordered a grilled item and it came to our table when we were having dessert......"

“poor housekeeping”

Reviewed December 4, 2011

"I stayed there for three nights and was disappointed with the condition of the bathroom and the carpeted floors. There was mold on the bathroom tiles and stains on the carpet as well as the bedspread........."

“Two Star Spot”

Reviewed November 14, 2011

"......once you get to the floor where your room is situated this all changes. The floor carpets in the hallway are dirty. The room carpet is dirty. The TV is so old I was looking for a rotating channel nob. The interior smells musty. The bathroom is dim and dirty. Towels are tiny and sparse. The bed felt like a slab of lightly cushioned plywood covered with a sheet. ...."

You may be wondering, "Why on earth is Liv copying and stating these bad reviews?" . . . Read on my next post to know the reason why.

Hump Day Giveaway - 1/18

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

It's Wednesday once again and time for our 1-day event through Hump Day $50 Giveaway!

The task for today is Twitter Follow and for all entries to be valid, you need to complete the first 2 mandatory tasks. There are a total of 33 entries for a chance to win $60, yes we have $60 in the pot today instead of the usual $50.

This is all thanks to our wonderful blog partners and sponsors who continuously support Hump Day $50 Giveaway every week.

After entering on the Rafflecopter form, please feel free to visit their blogs via the direct links below:
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A note: Please join only on one blog/page PER GROUP. A maximum of 33 entries will be considered. If you have more than 33 entries, the host reserves the right to delete duplicate or fraudulent entries. Also, please use only one name and email address, or Twitter account for quicker validation of entries.

On the first mandatory entry, please write TINKERPUTT's TURF referred you.

You must complete the first 2 tasks for each group before the others are enabled.

Thank you very much and good luck.

By filling up the form below, you agree to the Terms and Conditions at the bottom of the form.

Contest is open all-day Wednesday, from January 18th, 12:01am EST to January 18th,11:59pm EST (January 18th, 12:01pm Philippine time to January 19th, 11:59am Philippine time).
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Vaccine Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:12:00 +0000

I can not forget the Saturday when I was the one who held Jabe during his monthly vaccination.

Last Saturday, 14th of January was Jabe's schedule for his 3rd dose of HepB vaccine. Unfortunately, his father has to go to Bicol for a business trip the day before and will only be back afternoon of Saturday. We usually schedule Jabe's check-ups and vaccinations on a Saturday so that Ayie will be there with us. But since I don't want Jabe to miss his scheduled vaccine and check-up, I decided to just go and bring Jabe to his pedia alone. I was already set to commute from Pasig to Manila. Good thing, my mom told me that they will just pick us up and drop us at the hospital since they will be going to Quiapo early in the morning.

We arrived at the hospital around 9am. Went to Dra Morales' clinic at the 2nd floor of Manila Doctors, gave Jabe's baby book to her assistant. Jabe was weighed and he only gained 0.2 kg, minimal gain, and that is is lowest weight gain so far, but I was told it was because he might be totally active these days, Well, he is!! . . .His length was measured, and he got taller by 2 cm hahaha! At least, it was 2cm as compared to the previous month of 1 cm! :) . . . We were told that we are number 1 yey! third time number 1!

But since the pedia always does her rounds first before going to her clinic, we had to wait for 10am. I decided to have breakfast at a nearby restaurant. I ordered spaghetti carbonara and small coke for me, and squash soup for Jabe. Jabe and I still have an hour so I ate leisurely. We went back to the hospital at exactly 10am, the pedia is not yet done with her rounds so we are not late. We still have to wait for 30 more minutes :( Jabe already fell asleep waiting.

While waiting, my heart was really beating so fast. I am totally nervous. I am afraid of needles, of injections! This is the first time that I would be the one with Jabe while the vaccine is being administered, as I usually stay at the back and let Ayie hold him. We were then called, this is it!! The usual drill, asked how was Jabe, if he is eating a lot, if he is active, if he can already stand and sit by himself while holding on to something, if Jabe is already trying to stand alone, if he is trying to walk. Scheduled the next monthly check-up on February 11 and jabe will be given MMR. Jabe's pedia is a breastfeeding advocate so she is really happy everytime I tell her not to give us formula milk since I still have enough supply of breastmilk.

Then, she asked her assistant if everything is already set, the assistant said "yes, doc!", while I said "Doc, ako po hindi pa ready! kinakabahan tlga ko!" (in English, "Doc, I am not yet ready. I am really nervous!") She even joked if "tita sol, tawag ka nga sa ER sabihn mo dala sila ng stretcher kze baka himatayin c mommy liv, buti na ung may sasalo kze d natin xa masasalo kung hawak mo c jabe at ako naman nag administer ng injection" (in English, "Tita Sol, call the ER and have ask them to bring a stretcher. Mommy Liv might faint. Better to have someone to catch her if she faints because we can't catch her if you are holding Jabe and I am administering the vaccine". And I just laughed. The assistant held Jabe's legs while I held his arms and placed my face near his face, so that he will not cry a lot. When the vaccine was being administered, he cried, but as soon as the needle was taken out, I carried him and he stopped crying. He was just looking at his pedia with a very angry face, and he doesn't want her to kiss him.

And that was Vaccine Saturday! I am afraid but for mi angel Jabe I will be strong!

Hump Day $50 Giveaway - 01/11/12

noreply@blogger.com (Liv Reyes) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

Thanks to the 26 wonderful bloggers listed below, it's time for Hump Day $50 Giveaway once again. This week is all about Facebook Page likes which is super easy to do.

Feel free to visit all the wonderful blogs below once you're done entering the giveaway. You can log on to Rafflecopter via your Facebook account, or your name and email (just make sure you're Facebook is opened so you can easily like the pages).

Once you've liked the page (Like button turns gray), leave your Facebook Profile Name (not a Business/Blog Page) on the space provided after doing the task so we can verify your entry.

My Tots Exactly | Frugal Experiments | Money Saving Mindy | Make Money Online | Happy Home and Family | Teach Me 2 Save | Life's Cheap Thrills | Tinkerputt's Turf | My Bric-a-brac | Peace, Love and Savings | Cash and Investment | Hott Mama in the City | Coupon Queen of Texas | Shop Vintage Clothing | Rockin' Hot Deals | Wandering Mom | Gen Walks | Mom Online Mag | Charming Junkie | LEVYousa | Living Life to the Fullest | Fad and Glamor | Home Stuff 101 | Memory Lane - Eternity and Beyond | The Jolly Toes | DeDa Studios | Sonya's Happenings

A note: Please join only on one blog/page PER GROUP. A maximum of 31 entries will be considered. If you have more than 31 entries, the host reserves the right to delete duplicate or fraudulent entries. Also, please use only one name and email address, or Facebook account for quicker validation of entries.

On the first mandatory entry, please write TINKERPUTT'S TURF referred you.

You must complete the first 2 tasks before the others are enabled.

Thank you very much and good luck. By joining this giveaway, you agree to the Terms and Conditions on the bottom of the form.

Contest is open all-day Wednesday, from January 11th, 12:01am EST to January 11th,11:59pm EST (January 11th, 1:01pm Philippine time to January 11th, 12:59pm Philippine time).

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