Blog Appetite

[updated] Blog Appetite is Moving (has moved) to Wordpress

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:42:00 +0000

Just an update on this post - I have successfully migrated to Wordpress. Please do visit me there! ^_^

I thought I wouldn't change my mind on moving this blog. However, there are very limited things you can do with blogger. I understand this has been very helpful for me but as I move on to the serious side of blogging, I have noticed that I need to have more. And for that reason, I am moving, besides my new domain is another self-hosted wordpress.

Yes, I am moving www.blogappetite.com to a self-hosted wordpress blog using the same domain. Discussions are ongoing with my admin and I hope it will work in the next few hours.

I will not change the theme. I will retain this beautiful notepad theme but I will be removing unnecessary widgets. I wanted to have a clean blog for now. ^_^

Please please please update you link to www.blogappetite.com and to my blogger followers, I want to exchange links with you so I can include you all in my blog roll. I hope you will continue to read my blogs.

And one more thing, my new blog is now up and running but there are no contents yet. It is entitled Home and Parenting with domain http://homeandparenting.com.
I hope to see you there too!

Cooking Up Something?

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:12:00 +0000

I have actually been wanting to tell everyone about my plans of acquiring another domain that will be dedicated about home and parenting topics only but I have just completed the transaction last weekend.

What's causing further delay? I can't decide on the theme. I have contacted 2 designers already (Carlota and Gisele). Unfortunately, Gis is currently not accepting job anymore for she is very busy so I am just waiting if Carlota can somehow tweak the design for me to make it a 3-column one.

The domain is now up and running but there is just the introductory entry that I used for testing. I am not happy with the results and so I have to wait for the design.

So what happens to Blog Appetite? Of course I will not leave it behind. This is my first blog and I love it so I will still be updating this blog on a regular basis. However, the home and parenting topics will now be posted on the other blog. I want this one to be my personal blog. My adventures, misfortunes, luck and mommy moments will be my topics here. Guess the other blog will be serious, eh.

I will soon announce the site name once the design is final. So I am pleading (yeah, pleading) that you follow me and read my other blogs as well. Hope you could treat my new blog the same way you did to Blog Appetite.

Thanks in advance ^_^

Family's Day Out con Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Hubby just recently joined a photography club since he wants to sharpen his skills and learn the art behind photography. When he bought the camera a couple of months ago, he was just practicing by himself and couldn't get some good shots(well, at least for someone who owns a Canon 1000D). He, himself was not satisfied with his shots and he knew he need to learn..from others and from experience. So there, we set off to Paco Park to join the Aperturista Photo Shoot today.

I am not so familiar with the theme they set up for this shooting gig but I think it was called Gothic (really, I am not so sure). But take a look at his shots! I was quite surprised! Well, I did the editing for now so please bear with it... ^_^ I am not so good about picture editing yet.

Of course, the family pictures will not be totally left out. He took pictures of the kids (and me!) and these are the results. I hope he'll pursue this hobby. I like pictures...so I can scrap! And believe me, I am going to download and buy scrap kits so I can make some out of these pictures.

That comprised our park adventure for today. The kids enjoyed playing around and they were very happy. Another family bonding ^_^

My Own Domain

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Alas! I am now configuring my blogger to redirect to my domain www.blogappetite.com, gosh I hope it works! I've got my hosting services from Web Hosting Pad

Well, as I've said before I bought the hosting service for 2 years and it has been unused for 6months already so I paid for something I am not using. What a waste of money. This is the reason why I decided to try it myself...

Good luck to me! ^_^

Sorry! I can't help but edit the post - just right after editing the blogger settings....see? It worked! Gosh, it took me a while!

Guess, I need to update my profiles, eh! *wink wink*

Going Freelance?

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:49:00 +0000

When I resigned from my previous job, I started searching online for home-based jobs so I can help my husband, financially wise while I am at home taking care of the kids. Unfortunately, back then, I can't find a home-based job like freelance writing, designing, transcriptions, etc. I am unsure if I have just not done my best searching but really, I found nothing. That was 3 years ago.

Last week, while trying to read blogs and downloading a scrap kit, I happened to see a forum discussing about freelance writing and things like online money making. I got caught in the writing opportunity. My writing might not be in good comparison as to the works of our good friends in the blogosphere but you know, I am still interested to do it.

In short, I registered. And the good thing, registration is free. And as I go on, I keep on finding different sites offering freelance services and giving projects to freelancers. I was amazed by how many are they that I even asked myself - "Why didn't I get the chance to see these opportunities when I have the luxury of time to work from home before?"

Oh well, I've learned about a couple more sites (I hope they are all legal). One thing for sure, I did not spend a penny to register - which made me think, these are not scams - I pray they aren't.

Gratitude to My Top Dropper

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:23:00 +0000

When I started this blog, I never thought I'd gain readers nor friends from the blogosphere and around the world. But fortunately, I did. Not just friends but I gained fairly good traffic, too! I started introducing my blog in MyBlogLog and Blog Catalog. Then as I read on other blogs, I slowly learned that there are a lot more social networking sites available for me to publish my blog and gain traffic. One them in Entrecard. I no longer remember how I've known the site but one thing for sure, it brought me even more readers and that I really really am thankful that I have learned about it.

I would like to particularly thank a reader, a fellow blogger and a writer for being my Number One Dropper for 3 consecutive months. With that dedication and passion for reading and dropping cards, I am writing this post to show my gratitude to her. This isn't a paid post, just so all of you would know. This is the only way I can to show how thankful I am.

To Bingkee of I Love/Hate America - please accept this humble message. I am also posting your site's logo on my side bar for 1 month. I hope you will never get tired of visiting Blog Appetite.

Thank You!

Child Discipline and How Difficult It Is

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:55:00 +0000

When our twins was born, it was the most wonderful day for the entire family. Both my parents and my in-laws are excited to see them. On our side, they are the first grandchildren of my parents. At my in-laws, they are both the first grandchildren and the only twins in history. Yeah, in our genes, we have history of multiple births so this is not the first time.

Since they were born prematurely, they had to stay in the hospital for a month to gain weight but luckily, they both survived---- healthy. I haven't thought then that parenting will be just as hard. My kids were not cry babies when they are young but I have to stay awake most of the time to feed them every 2 hours. They left the hospital at 2kgs so I need to maintain their weight and make sure they are fed on time.

As I reflect on my husband's and my personality, we are both sure that we will become good parents. That we will live by example and that we will not be like other parents who spoil their children resulting to misbehavior and all other things. But as the children grow, we've learned that parenting is not just as simple as ABC. One can never have a crash course to be a good parent. And one cannot be so sure of what their children will become, especially if the parent is not beside the child 100% of their growing up years.

Leaving the kids to my parents everyday to go to work has greatly contributed to what they are now. The grandparents (I mean my parents) are my real enemy when it comes to rearing the kids for they think they know better. They don't want them to cry so they give them almost everything, which we haven't experienced ourselves when we were young, I wonder. And my ways of disciplining my children is a no no to them. So how's our everyday battle? Go figure.

We realized then, that we've both become nags. Shouting and yelling has become natural inside the house and I am not liking it. I know for a fact that it will surely become a habit of the children, too. And I was not mistaken. One day I heard Scieszka mimicking his dad's angry voice and Elysia mimicking my angry acts. I couldn't laugh at all simply because this is a serious matter that we need to resolve immediately.

I read a couple of books, online topics and magazines to see if I can find some help. I cannot do this alone. While checking on the book "Discipline Your Child Without Shouting and Spanking", I saw that there are so many behaviors of children that we have to consider. Discipline, is not merely a word but an act of doing what you want your child to do. It covers several topics which cannot be discussed in a single article. To become a good parent is not easy but for us to raise children with proper attitude and behavior, we are willing to learn. From friends, from our parents and from other parents.

Each of the stages in our children's lives are important and they learn with us as we learn from them. While I have been doing my share of learning on becoming a good mom to my kids even if I only have a few hours a day to spend with them now that I am working, I realized that I still haven't grown. I just become a mom but not yet a parent. And that I have to work on.

Top 10 EC Droppers for February 2009

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:12:00 +0000

Once again, it's the beginning of a new month and though I have not been productive as a blogger last month, I still want to thank those who regularly visit my blog, drop ECards and leave comments.

Below are my top 10 EC droppers for February

I Love/Hate America - Bingkee, has been my top dropper for 3 consecutive months now. I really love her as a writer. Appreciate your regular visits and comments, my dear friend. Hope I could learn some writing tips from you. Been wanting to be a freelance writer myself. ^_^
Forced Green - I've known the blog thru Adgitize and since we're both advertisers, I can say we both are regularly visitors of each others' site (except last month when I was away on family matters)
Orient Lodge - Aldon Haye's has always been in my top 10 since over the last 3 months as well. A blog I've also known thru Adgitize.
Mature Not Senile - Jude, is also another advertiser in Adgitize. I always spend a couple of minutes reading her blog since I joined because her personal blog is interesting.
Robin's Nest - Robin, like me, is also a scapper. But the difference, she is a paper scrapper and her creations are just brilliant. I can't imagine myself spending much to buy materials for a paper scrap so I ended up with digital scrapping.
Digital Polaroids - Another Adgitize advertiser and a Photographer by profession. His blog tackles articles about photography and photo editing as well.
Raging Rev - Another blogger who is constantly in my top 10 over the last 3months. His blog mainly discusses matters about Christianism and Atheists.
Daily Post 777 - First time in my top 10 but I like the blog. It is about clothing and fashion. Check it out.
Blog De Manila - Pinoy blogger with a kind heart and always ready to lend a helping hand to fellow bloggers who needs his expertise. Thanks, Eric.
Red Head Ranting - An Adgitize advertiser who likes to rant online. Her articles are really interesting.

Graphics for Thank You Comments

Words aren't enough to say how grateful I am.

A Photo Book

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Ever since I started learning about digital scrapbooking a couple of months ago, I've been wanting to personally make a digital photo book for the twins. Since I am just a beginner, I can't seem to satisfy myself with all the designs that I have created. After each layout, it seems not good and I am not happy with it.

Thankfully, Shabby Princess have piece-a-cake and album layouts which eventually made my scrapbooking experience a bit easier. I can already make a photo book even if I am just starting. And the results....

Scieszka Raine

Elysia Raine

I don't know why the picture turned out a bit blurred but nevertheless, you can still see the layout. Once done, I will already have an album for my kids...First time? Yes, I haven't even compiled their pictures yet. Terrible me...

Promise, when I can already accept my own creations, I will scrap more. ^_^

~credits~
In The Groove Album by Shabby Princess

Pending Tags & Awards

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:53:00 +0000

I still have a couple of tags and awards pending for posting. And since I was out for almost a week, I was unable to post them. But here they are now - 2 tags and an award. My sincerest apologies for posting this...a bit late ^_^

First was the Honest Scrap tag from Jan of Sa Labas ng Mandaluyong. Thank you Jan for your frequent visits and comments which I really do appreciate.

Rules for Posting the Honest Scrap Tag

Write a post about this tag and include the name (URL link) of the person(s) who passed this tag.
Write also 10 HONEST things about yourself.
Pass this tag to 7 friends/bloggers and leave comments on their blogs informing about this tag.

Now, for the 10 Honest Things About Myself:

I hate losing. Whether it is a debate, a game, an argument or even school competitions, I always hate to lose. This gives me the tendency to strive hard so I can win but it even gets me more disappointed if I have tried my best and still lost.
My profile picture was taken in 2004, a couple of months before I got married. I still look very much like it but I have gained weight. Well, sorry but that was the best picture I can ever produce for my profile. hehe.
I hate worms and caterpillars. I don't know but I hate those creepy crawlers. I can very well struggle to run after the cockroaches with my slippers though.
I can't ride a bike. The first time I tried and I got hurt, it never gave me the courage to ride on it again.
I love cooking - even if hubby doesn't like what I cook! Sure he doesn't!
I don't trust people so easily. Honestly, I don't gain friends that easy but once one became my friend, he/she will become my treasure.
When I was a kid, my father tested me by throwing cash, gifts and mangoes on the floor, I took the mangoes instead! And I still love them until now.
I love make-up BUT I can do without lipstick. Yes, even if I have prepared and made up my face with eye shadows, liners, blush on and powder - I still won't put on a lipstick. I just hate being cautious of my lips because I have lipstick on.
I love bags but I don't buy them. I just love seeing them in the stores but I don't want to splurge much on them so I am still sticking with my 2-year old bag, whatever my attire is. Believe it or not.
I love surprises! But as much as I love them, I only remember receiving 1 surprise. Hahaha!

I am now passing this on to umma, cecile, chubskulit, amy, eric, jed, shasha

Next is the Birthday Wish tag from Bingkee of I Love/Hate America. She's been very nice with me ever since I started blogging. Thank you Bingkee for tagging me. My was last November but here are my wishes:

My 10 Birthday Wishes:

Our own house - which I just got!
An Iphone - yes, I want one too, Bingkee but it is still expensive (at least for me)
A car - we don't own one yet.
1M budget for house renovation - is it too big?
New set of furnitures
New set of kitchenwares, tools, etc.
A new PC
A salary increase!
More bonus from the company
I more than wish for my kids to stay healthy and witty.

Last for today, is the Best Mom Award from Rose of Obstacles and Glories. Thank you, Rose. Really appreciate this award but for now, I will keep it for myself...will share it (probably on Mother's Day!)

That is all for now, I still have to head off to work after lunch.

The Family Stayed Together...in the Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Have you been wondering why I haven't been posting lately? Not that I am very busy with work or other activities. It is probably the time of the year again when almost all members of the household got sick. Yes, my family (including myself) was sick since last week.

When I got home, Friday of last week, hubby already has fever. I immediately gave him paracetamol for next day will be the day before our town's fiesta and there will be a parade. He's actually been waiting for that event since he got his DSLR because he wants to practice. And the parade will be a good opportunity.

The following day arrived, he is still sick, having chills and fever but he managed to go with us to my in-laws to watch the parade ( we have a nice view from there). The parade started a bit late so he was getting tired. He slept for a bit and then when it started, he watched and was able to take a couple of pictures. To make the event worse, it rained and yes, some of the bands were not able to perform. But to our surprise, the rain did not stop the parade. The children and other performers were already wet but they are still marching. I was already worried that the children will get sick.

Hubby was not able to watch it fully even after the rain stopped. He was already not feeling very well. And so I asked him that we should go to the hospital so he can be checked. After a couple of hours of observation in ER, he was admitted since his fever is not subsiding despite the paracetamols and the hydration. It was systemic infection. He had upper respiratory tract infection with rhinitis and folicular pharyngitis.

A day after, I went home to pick up my kids. My mom is also not feeling well (she's got diabetes and high cholesterol level). And I don't want her to get tired of taking care of the kids. I immediately noticed my daughter, Scieszka, has a slight fever but I disregard it. I thought maybe it was probably because I stayed in an air-conditioned facility overnight. At around 3Am, with both daughters sleeping beside me in the sofa bed, I noticed Scieszka is already very hot. When day breaks, I immediately brought her to ER where she was given paracetamol but was released since it was only her first day of fever. Evening came and with paracetamol, her fever is persistent. I rushed her back to ER and her fever was already 38.6 degrees. She was again given paracetamol and temperature was checked after 15minutes but it shoot to 40.4 degrees. I got even more worried, sent a message to my mom and asked if she can get someone to help me in the hospital since Elysia is with his dad (who can't easily move with his dextrose). My mom came with my sister-in-law. Elysia was already asleep but Scieszka is still struggling from her fever. She even tells me "Mom, I am crying." She was given a sponge bath a couple of times and was observed in ER for a couple more hours. When her fever subsided, she was again released.

I asked my mom and sister-in-law to go home. We went up to her dad's room and sleep. The following day, their dad was advised to go home. But both my daughters are already sick. Both now have fever, colds and cough. I brought them to their neo-natologist before going home. They were given antibiotics. Elysia recovered from her fever easily because of the antibiotics but Scieszka only recovered last Thursday. Friday came and I am ready to go back to work. Yep, I was out on family emergency for 4 days...2 days of which I am working from home. I thought I was strong and I won't be affected. But since, what hit them was a viral infection, it hit me on a Friday. But not that much. I immediately took note that my colds might progress to post nasal drip which can cause infection to my throat which will immediately result to flu (I had a couple of experience and I learned from it). So I took my "virlix" and "neozep". Voila, the colds are gone but body malaise is still here. I can still feel muscle pains and I am feeling very tired.

My boss then sent me a message, "an ounce of prevention is far more better than a pound of cure, when you are all well, look into it". And I realized, hadn't I waited for the cheaper flu vaccine from the company, we wouldn't be sick like this and I won't have to spend more than 7thousand pesos worth of medicines for all of us!

When all is well, I will immediately set aside budget for the flu vaccine!

Lesson learned.

Friends and Recession

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 04:50:00 +0000

Today, another friend needs to leave. She is not resigning neither had she found another job for herself. She was one of those unfortunate people who were affected by the global economy crisis resulting to recession in most companies. And today, is her last day in our company.

She is not bitter about leaving for she perfectly understands the situation and her place in the company. But we have to admit, we are all saddened by the fact that another friend will have to leave...again. And what makes it more sad for me? I will not be there to send her off. For I am at home now taking care of the kids who still have fever and cough and my hubby who just got out from the hospital. I won't be able to see her on her last day in the office. *sob sob*

Last year, when the global economy news spread around the world, everyone was shocked and all hoped that they could all survive it without losing their job. The ones who were immediately affected were those on contractual jobs. In many companies, they were immediately released and they immediately lost jobs. Though we are permanent employees already, we can never be sure of what is bound to happen and we should all expect for the worst and be prepared. Acceptance is also necessary, so to speak.

During the time when all of us need not worry about our positions in the company, we were a bit relaxed. Everyone has very low engagement with their own companies. Almost everyone seemed to continuously look for a greener pasteur. But when 2009 came, slowly, one company after the other announced recession and others, completely closed down. Several thousands of employees lost their jobs. Even permanent employees were affected by redundancy.

Will we be OK? I've heard in a news that the economy will be able to recover in mid 2010. But my friend said, will waiting for 2010 be any better than praying NOW? I was taken aback, and realized that probably, we are forgetting something....something very important.

Though we've lost a number of friends because of this crisis, this surely brought us a lot of lessons, too. Each of us have their own experience on this and we all have lessons we learned. We are all hoping this crisis will soon come to an end and more importantly, we have all learned to value the present. What we have now is more important than what we can still have in the future. I am not saying we shouldn't be futuristic, it's just that we shouldn't focus on the future too much that we are neglecting the present. What we are and who we are now...are also important.

Tinee's Bridal Shower Party

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:22:00 +0000

I am getting so forgetful. I have totally forgotten to blog about Tinee's shower! Friend, here it is now, I am very sorry for the long delay.

Actually, the shower was held last November, a couple of days before their Big day. That day became more like a reunion for all of us. The bride, was our good friend and officemate before she left for Singapore to pursue her career. It was sad she left the company but we were very happy for her because she'll be able to fulfill her dreams. She is now successfully working and presently living in Singapore. That is why, this became more like a gathering than a shower.

bride (in the middle) with us, her friends

The party was hosted by the bride's best friend and maid of honor. Well, I can't go into the detail of what happpened during the night but we surely all had fun! Drinks, food and party games are all over the venue.

When we are about to give the bride some tips and advice about married life, parenting and the like - we all suddenly became serious. For all we know, getting married is not simple and we all have to be prepared for it.

We also prepared some nice gifts for the bride. Other guests gave her books and mementos. Well, we've prepared a sexy lingerie for her! She's not getting any younger and we hope for her to have kids soon!

To my good friend, congratulations to you. I have posted about your wedding already but the shower party was delayed. Well, it is still always better late than never, right?

Work and Rest - How?

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Why am I not around for a couple of days?

Work it is! Yes, I was tied up with work over the last few days and I can no longer stay up very late to blog and blog hop. I am very very tired. I can't sleep properly and whenever I wake up, I already feel tired. There are times when I have to wake up in the middle of sleep to attend a call. Sometimes, even as I was just about to take a bath in the morning, my phone will ring and there is work. While riding a cab to work, phone will ring and then, I have to work even on my way to the office. Quite tiring? I will be a hypocrite if I say it's not. Truth is, I am already very very tired.

But ain't I still lucky I have work? Definitely I am. For there have been a couple of recessions from other companies and a lot of moms like me have lost their jobs. I should be thankful I still have work.

But I am, yes, I am thankful...It's just...I am tired and I feel exhausted and I just want a break.

Maybe a 1month vacation? It's nice but I thought tmy project won't allow it. Sheeesh! I am on a one-man team, you know! Believe it....or not.

Aaaarrrgghhh!!!

Top 10 EC Droppers for January 2009

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:51:00 +0000

I thought I'd wait for tomorrow before I post this but I think I have to do it now. I don't want to ever forget thanking the people who have made it to the Top 10 EC droppers last month.

I Love/Hate America - hey bingkee, i thought i'd only see your link in my blog for awards but i was wrong...once again, you've made it to the top 10 and again you're my number 1 EC dropper! a very very serious dropper i should say and a good friend too! thanks for always being there. ^_^ (though it's only online)
Mumsy - was also on my top 10 last month. her blog is about parenting and most of the time, the adventures of her son, jason whom she nicknamed hamster.
Your Parenting Info - a blog of a father about parenting. the articles are good and i can really say i've learned a lot from his posts.
Forced Green - i've known the blog from adgitize and now, he's been in my top 10 again. this blog is all about nature and i hope he'll continue to be dropping ECs as always.
Redhead Ranting - i've also known the blog from adgitize and i have been reading her rants. she's got nice articles.
Orient Lodge - also from adgitize, aldon has been writing about almost everything...education, technology and more.
Raging Rev - dragon blogger first commented on my page rank rant post and i have been regularly dropping on his site too. his blog is a story of a christian turned atheist.
Multi Schemes for Income - a site about making money online, time saving, saving money and all other things.
Mara's Personal Bubble - a fellow pinay blogger. young and pretty and is very eager to find a good job soon. and serious about blogging too!
Doing Business - this blog i discovered on Entrecard dealing with ways to do business online and earn.

Thank you everyone for visiting my blog and i hope you will come often. Feel free to leave your comments too!

The Value of Teaching Children How to Save

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:35:00 +0000

When I was young, I actually get what I want. Not that I am a spoiled brat but being away from my parents and living with my grandparents made my them think that their absence can be substituted by a fairly good allowance (though it was not given directly to me but to my grandma). I never had the chance to learn how to save for I know very well that whenever I need money, I can get it. And I grew up thinking that I can always have money whenever I want. That became my worst attitude.

As a mom, I have to set financial priorities at home and I have make sure that we don't just live from paycheck to paycheck. However, even after reading tons of books, magazines and online reading materials pertaining to budgeting, saving and money matters at home, I still find it difficult to budget everything. I tried a couple of tips and advices, sometimes it works and sometimes not. I don't know if I am just not good about it or probably, something is wrong with me. Until I have finally decided, I have to fight myself and learn from my mistakes so that it won't happen again. My husband and I both did that and slowly we are learning. Less expenses over the last couple of months have greatly contributed to my goal. I still have a long way to go but you know, there is something I realized. That is, parents should also teach their children the value of money and how to save money for the future. And another decision was made, the twins should learn about money matters!

My kids, just so you know, stays with my parents while we are at work and my mom, being a natural spender would always buy anything for the kids (especially when they cry so they will stop). Being the first grandchildren and being born prematurely have aggravated the situation. When I came to notice, my children were normally allowed to get money from the cash bin in our bakery (the one owned by my mom) and would always buy stuffs on another store. They will also ask for money to buy toys which they will only play for a few minutes and then -- gone, destroyed. These amounts - though small will surely influence my children and they will have the impression that money can grow on trees. And I don't want that to happen. I immediately talked to my mom and she accepted that it was a mistake for she knows my struggle very well.

The following day, I bought my kids a piggy bank which they named "Piglet". They were so excited and thought it was a toy. I explained that it was where they will keep their money. We also stressed that money is not just for buying stuffs but for saving as well. My husband and I agreed that we will give them 5-peso and 10-peso coins every day for them to put inside Piglet. After a month, the kids changed their perception on 5-peso and 10-peso coins. They now call it "money for Piglet" and there were only a few occurrences of them wanting to buy plastic balloons, toy guns, live chicks, live fish and a lot more. They have understand the first lesson - "Buy the toy for 5-pesos, lose the money and nothing for Piglet OR play with all the toys they got and give the coin to Piglet". They actually loved putting in coins into Piglet!

Effective? I'd say, yes!

Teaching children how to save money will surely help them to have financial literacy in the future. In fact, according to financial experts, it is never too early to teach them how to save money but if you don't act early, it could be too late.

My experience is one thing I don't want my children to have. So as soon as I realized, I did not procrastinate, instead, I immediately took note and acted on the situation before it gets worst.

Do You Shop 'Til You Drop?

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:09:00 +0000

Done with my endoscopy today and here I am, blogging as always. Because good news is...I don't need to stay in the hospital, yey!

While I was at home for the last couple of days trying to recover from my tummy tantrums (hahaha!), I happened to finished reading the book "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella. I've actually heard about it a couple of years ago but I only had the chance to read it this month. It was really fun and hilarious! I just can't help wondering if it would be so nice to live in London and be up to date with the latest fashion. Hmmm...

As a woman, we always want to look good and most of us would always cram inside the mall whenever there is a sale. While checking on some site, I came across this online UK clothes shop. One of the fastest growing UK online clothing store, Divine Trash offers some of the very best high fashion brands.

I've checked the site myself and there are a couple of nice women's tops and long shits that are really tempting. They've even got a men's line. They've got some nice shirts by Fenchurch. They even have jackets and shirts by French Connection, jeans by Jack and Jones and Fly 53 clothing.

Anyway, back to the shopaholic thing. I can relate a little. Why only a little? Well, I don't go for all that signatured clothes and I don't have such huge debt from banks (I had a bit though). I was really really happy when I was finally able to pay it off. I will never ever hear an agent calling home again. Yes, those disgusting agents who feels like you owe them 400K when it is only 40K (something like that). The threats, the attitude and everything. Well, to be fair, they are not bank agents. Bank account managers are more considerate and they don't yell at their customers. The agents I am talking about here are the agents from all these collections agency who are dying to get a collection to get their commissions.

Oh, by the way, the book has now become a movie. And here, watch the trailer and enjoy. I am definitely going to watch this!

Another Quick Note

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Thanks to all who have visited my blog last week and for all your concern. This is just another quick note though because I can no longer concentrate on what I should write at this point.

Anyway, tomorrow is my schedule for Endoscopy. I have underwent the same procedure a couple of years ago and the result was gastric ulcer. Am quite unsure about the outcome this time but I do pray it is nothing to be scared about.

Just this. Please do visit in the next couple of days for I still have some good posts up my sleeves.

Good day everyone!

This Will Be Quick!

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:04:00 +0000

Yes, it will be...for I am in pain while writing this post.

Last Tuesday, I was rushed to ER due to abdominal pains and I was observed for a couple of hours and was then released. It was Acid Peptic Disease which can lead to Ulcer if not treated early. I have a history of gastric ulcer (a couple of years ago)

So there. Just yesterday, I was again at the ER for another round of abdominal pain now accompanied with headache and guess what, my husband is also in ER due to headache and dizziness (thought he's got high blood). We were both released by evening.

And now, my tummy is going crazy again and I don't know what is happening anymore, if only they'd advise me to get admitted, I will be more comfortable. Aaaaarrrrrggghhhhh! I have taken my medication and still I feel this way.

Hope this goes away soon...sigh...

Sisters, Bestfriends and A Lemonade!

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:07:00 +0000

This really is the year when I met a lot of new online buddies, sisters and couple more friends who really are sincere in regularly visiting my blogs and giving me tags and awards. I apologize if I haven't post it yet but here I am, now showing off and letting other people know that though my PR is not good, I have a lot of good friends to share and dedicate my blog.

First, let me get this Triple Awards from Cecile of Small and Simple Things. Cecile is also a mom and lives in the United States but still has a couple of Filipina friends on the web. Thank you for giving me this award.

Now, for the rules:

Put the logo on your blog or post
Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude
Be sure to link your nominees within your post
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received this award

It's passing time once again, so here goes:

Bhing - A Daily Dose of Anything
Shari - Shari's Gone Country
Shasha - Ako...I...IO
Bingkee - I Love/Hate America
Umma - Happy Moments...Happy Thoughts
Lea - Ocean of Perspectives
Thea - Bloggerhappy
Aline - Memoirs of Aline
Emm - Emm in London (thanks for following my blog ^_^)
Mara - Mara's Personal Bubble

On to the next one, I have seen this award a couple of times from other bloggers and I thought it was also good to receive one and then it came! Thank you very much Bhing of Your Daily Dose of Anything for giving this to me and for always calling me "Ate".

Now, there is only 1 person I can pass this award on to since most of you have already grabbed some and I hope you'll enjoy and share it too!

Fedhz - this is for you!

So there! New awards for and that makes 5 for January 2009! Thanks to all of you who appreciate my blog and to those I still haven't given an award. Surely, I will be the one to start it on your blog...Just you wait!

Of Tantrums and Parents

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:34:00 +0000

"Watch out for my own domain - www.blogappetite.com. Migration is in progress."

The kids and I head out to the mall one day to attend a birthday party. I happened to almost forgot the day and I still haven't bought a gift so we went straight in the department store and checked on some items for babies and toddlers. I don't know what to choose. For a one year old child, I can't think of what to give him. Will it be a toy for him to play or some children's books for her mom to read to him? Well, I opted to buy both. The toy will be Elysia's gift and the book will be Scieszka's gift to Gabriel. He is their cousin anyway.

At the party, there were a number of kids. Knowing my daughters really well, I thought that they will jump in right in the middle of the party area to join the many kids out there who are already starting to play. But I was wrong, at that early in the party they kept clinging on me and they don't want to go down! What is happening? It was an advantage for me at the party because they behaved well. They were quiet on the table and they ate their food. It's as if a miracle has happened to me that day. Well, that was what I thought.

On our way home, we need to pass through the bridge from one side of the mall to the other and just as we got off the escalator, the younger twin, Elysia saw a play room and insisted to get inside. But it was already too late and I still need to work at home that day. In short, I said "No, we'll visit there next time." It was those words that triggered her to cry out very loud and roll over the floor! It was very embarrassing! The people around us started to look at us as if I was the worst mom in the world for letting my child act like that!

A week before that incident happened, I visited a dentist and while waiting for my turn, was able to read an article about children's tantrums. There are a few notes there that really helped me snap out of that commotion and really, it pays to read.

Here are the helpful things I've learned from that magazine:

Parents should not be embarrassed when their child act in public.
Tantrums is a way for a child to express his feelings. It doesn't mean his a bad child.
Parents should not be guilty about the tantrum and should not feel that he was not able to raise his child properly.
Tantrum is not a measurement of a child's attitude. The child is still coping up with those kinds of emotion and as parent, we should help them.
Children throw tantrums for a reason so don't feel frustrated. Identify the cause and act accordingly.

Ways to handle a tantrum:

Be calm, do not get overly frustrated about the situation. Parents should be calm first so they will be able to deal with the situation properly. The worst a parent could do is have a temper over their own child's tantrum. It just shows you, yourself are not in control.
Do not attempt to converse to a child who is in the middle of showing off nor physically deal with him. Let him calm down a little, then start talking. Show empathy to your child's feelings. Say something like "I know you are frustrated for not getting what you want, I understand. We can talk about it at when you are calm".
Do not reward the tantrum. If the child wants something and it's impossible to have, don't give in to what he wants. Giving in is as good as telling the child that he can do the tantrum next time.
Check if there are things that might injure the child during the tantrum and take them away. This is to make sure the child won't get hurt while doing his act.
When the tantrum is over, discuss the matter to your child. It is very important for the child to be aware that such act is not acceptable especially in public. Make the child understand that he can not always have what he wants.

I almost reacted violently hadn't I read this article. When I was in my early stages of motherhood and I see a child throwing a tantrum in public, my reaction would always be that it was the parents' fault. Now, I understand it isn't. For there are things we can't fully understand unless we are that situation. Another lesson learned.

Whatever Happened to My Page Rank?

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:38:00 +0000

Well, I really don't know. Just a couple of days after getting PR1, it suddenly became "N/A". I don't know how often google update the page rank but I am already getting worried if my site has been banned? I haven't had a paid post since December so I don't know of any reason why it would suddenly drop.

I thought it was just a fluke on the PR checker site so I checked on another and it was still a PR1 and then a few days after, it was again "nothing". Sigh

But anyway, I no longer want to stress myself out so I will just let it be. I have to do what I have to do and that is to write articles that will entertain my readers. So for now, just ignore the page rank and please do continue reading my posts.

To those who are following this blog, I wasn't able to thank you all individually so I am taking this entry as a way to say "Thank You" from the bottom of my heart. Please do visit this blog often and feel free to leave your comments.

This One You Shouldn't Miss!

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Something incredible has arrived!

I just became a shareholder in me2everyone and I never had to pay a single penny for the shares! It can only be described as the gold-rush for 2009. This company is going to be huge and shares will soar in value over the coming months! You can register for free and it never has to cost you a single penny!

me2everyone is going to be a cool new virtual world where you can meet friends, chat, shop, play, watch videos, create an art gallery, open a virtual newspaper, play the free inworld lottery and make money from your own online store! You and everyone you know make the decisions, shape the world, create real incomes and share in the profits. It’s a new place where you meet new people or invite your friends. Learn new skills or expand your business. Find the love of your life or help the planet.

Membership is free and every member automatically becomes a shareholder in me2everyone Limited. Personally I have WRITE YOUR SHARES HERE shares in the venture and I am going going to increase my shares very soon. This is an excellent chance for all of us to make some real progress in 2009 and beyond! Please do not miss it.

If you are looking for something really good in 2009: something that changes your view on the world, then you really have to spend just one minute and look at this website.

Visit this site to join www.me2everyone.com/30599

6th From The 6th Tag

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:28:00 +0000

I have been tagged by Bingkee of I Love/Hate America last week. Thank you for the tag , Bingkee. This is the second time around but I haven't shared the A to Z tag. Will surely post about it, too. This one is quite fun. You will have to check on your 6th folder among your photo albums and select the 6th picture. Here's what I got.

Actually, this is not my picture but it was in there (interesting!). This is one of my husband's collection, a Gundam Freedom if I am not mistaken. There are actually a couple of them already and I can't quite figure out their differences. He started collecting these just early last year and now there are already 7 of them (I think). This is also the reason why he bought a DSLR - to take pictures of them after the weeks of putting all the pieces together. Yes, it is not ready-made. Each of the tiny pieces are to be detached and then cleaned and perfectly connected together. I even heard that other collectors do paint and join competitions in building these big boys toys. Do you find it cute?

Now, for the rules of the game:

1. Go to your Picture Folder or wherever you store your photos in your PC
2. Go to the 6th folder and pick the 6th picture
3. Post this on your blog and the story that goes with that picture
4. Tag 5 bloggers by leaving them a comment on their blogs and telling them about the tag

I am now tagging Aline, Umma, Cecile, Mara, Rose

Let's see what you have in your album =)

On Child Favoritism

noreply@blogger.com (mye) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Giving birth to my twins made me an instant mother of two. I never had the chance to experience rearing a single child and devote my time to an only child. It was always twice the effort. Friends have always been asking me,"Who is your favorite?" or "Do you play favorites?" and you know what, I cannot simply answer the question directly. I even thought if I had been playing favorites already?

As a parent, I want to discover myself and analyze my relationship with my children so I will check on some of the reasons I know why favoritism happens in a household, how it affects the children and maybe some ways on how it can be prevented. These facts are based on personal experiences, observations and stories from other people.

Why Favoritism Happens?

Child's Attitude - differences in each child's temperament. It sometimes irritates the parents if a child has a difficult temper, having frequent tantrums and reacting violently over small things.
Parent's Expectations - be it talent, interests or things that parents like for their children. One child always fits the parent's expectation. It can also be about physical appearance or if a parent expects the opposite gender for a child.
Child's Health - the sickly child gets more attention than the healthier one or vice versa.
Life Event - the child was conceived unexpectedly. An "unwanted child" as others would want to call it.

How Favoritism Affects the Child?

Self-Esteem - the unfavored child will most likely feel that he is not being accepted. And while the unfavored child seem to suffer from having low self-esteem, the favored child might develop over confidence that may possibly lead to arrogance.
Fairness - the unfavored child is most likely to receive rewards for doing something that satisfies the parent while the favored child is receiving rewards for no particular reason. The child could feel that the world is unfair.
Peer Relationship - the favored child who is always receiving something for nothing might expect that the world will be just the same as the parents and that he will always get what he wants but hey, reality says "no". The child could develop problem when relating to his peers. This could also be the same for the unfavored child as he is always seeing the world to be unfair, the child could think that other people are just the same as the parents.
Sibling Relationship - of course, favoritism could result to sibling rivalry. One would always protect his favored status and thus, will work hard to retain it. The unfavored child could do the same to get some attention. Children will always find a way to prove themselves to their parents which could often result to anxiety or insecurity.

How To Avoid Favoritism

Acceptance - children has differences and parents should acknowledge that one child could exactly be different than the other.
Love - parents love their children. Setting the balance is the problem. Learn to love each other the way the want to be loved and accepted for they are different.
Unique - learn to discover the unique identity of your child and acknowledge it. Discover each of their interests, hobbies and skills and relate to them individually.
Time - have some time with each child alone to develop your relationship with each other.
Praise - acknowledge child accomplishment but avoid over praising.
Listen - listen when other people tells you that you are playing favorites or when your child approach you regarding favoritism concerns. Do not presume that you are doing well as a parent. We always make mistakes.
Lastly, stop, think a hundred times before you react. Parents reaction to situations could often affect the relationship with the children.

Each child would react on the situations I stated above differently, either good or bad. Our duty as a parent does not stop on giving allowances, getting your children to school and giving them the life they want. Nurturing our children should be our primary concern.

As I was writing the checklist above, I've come to realize that there are some symptoms of favoritism on me but the good thing is, I am still in control and I still have time to correct my mistakes and not to let it happen again. My children are still young and I still have a lot to learn. The journey now begins...