All About Moms

The Best Way to Make Money Online | Webupon

2011-11-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Best Way to Make Money Online | Webupon

Knowing how to make money online is easy as A-B-C. However, patience and hard work are still needed to reach the goal you want.

Read more about strategies and techniques to earn money online in legitimate ways.

http://incomediaries.com/

Master Switch | Healthmad

2011-05-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

Master Switch | Healthmad

Win FREE Boracay Package Now!

2011-05-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Asya Boracay Premier Suites - Win a Free Boracay Package only from - WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc.

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is one of the most respected and trusted names in Philippines Travel, arranging short trips and family vacations to any of the 7,107 Philippines Islands. We have been specializing in all inclusive packages since 2005 to top destinations like, Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Puerto Galera, Baguio, Tagaytay, and Manila as-well-as other island destinations.

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is the 1st travel agency in the Philippines to offer FREE VACATION PACKAGES to BORACAY ISLAND, the number #1 Philippines Tourist Destination. Now everyone has a chance to WIN a FREE all expenses paid vacation to Boracay, and all you have to do is to enter the contest is to CREATE a BLOG and paste this info into it, that’s it, it’s just that easy.

Enter our Free Boracay Vacation Package Giveaway at – www.packagesboracay.com

3 Days / 2 Nights - Asya Boracay Premier Suites

Enjoy this luxury resort in Boracay located in station 3, and set just above Boracay beach, where you will enjoy beautiful Boracay sunsets. Asya Boracay Premier Suites is truly a RESORT, specializing in pampering their guest with beautiful rooms, delicious food, and excellent service from their professional staff.

Flights to Boracay - Manila to Kalibo Airport via Philippine Airlines

No true vacation package is complete without having the air-fare included. WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. will be including ROUNDTRIP AIR-FARE from Manila to Kalibo and back to Manila. Once you arrive at the Kalibo airport you will be greeted by SOUTHWEST Travel & Tours, and transported to Boracay Island via a tour bus.

Boracay Island Transfers - Kalibo Airport to Boracay (roundtrip)

SOUTHWEST Travel & Tours is the OFFICIAL transport company of WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. SouthWest Travel & Tours has been in business for over 15 years, and is considered one of the safest carriers in the Philippines.

Daily Breakfast – Buffet Style

The winners to this Free Boracay Package will also have included a daily breakfast, served buffet style at the PALAY RESTAURANT, located at the beachfront of Asya Boracay Premier Suites.

Boracay Activities - Island Hopping Tour

For one full day our winners will enjoy a tour around Boracay Island that includes snorkeling, as-well as visiting surrounding beaches. (does not include entrance fee into Crystal Cove)

Bar Keeper's Friend

2011-02-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

Guess what! I stained our stainLESS sink with an acid. I tried wiping it with WIPE OUT and vinegar but to no success... I searched the net and found this product called Bar Keeper's Friend. From their comments, it sounds very convincing that it will work in my sink. Unfortunately, from where I am now, it's not locally available. What should I use to remove the stains? It looked ugly, as if there's mud dripping all over my sink! GGGrrrrr!

WELCOME 2011!

2011-01-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

I missed this! But now I'm back and have a lot of things in store for ALL moms out there... So stick around and enjoy reading.. Have a nice and wonderful LIFE cause LIFE is so BEAUTIFUL!

Bancnet Online / Very Convenient

2010-12-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

Hey mommies out there, I discovered a site that could be our NEW bestfriend. Speaking for myself, I will definitely add this to my new friends ;) and press the LOVE button... But kidding aside, I found a site wherein all banks affiliated with Bancnet can be easily monitored in this site. Don't worry because it's VeriSign Secured and it is indeed an Official site of Bancnet. But for further security measures just or better yet ALWAYS read their Security Tips. And if in doubt, always call/ask your bank for information.

I'm not directly affiliated with Bancnet, I just want to share this to all especially to the stay-at-home mommies out there because I know the feeling of falling in line just to pay bills or worst, have to fall in line at ATM machines just to do balance inquiry because you're not sure if your husband's salary is already debited in your ATM.. ;) Well anyway, just click here for more info.

The banks affiliated

MY Version of Chicken Tinola

2010-11-29T18:15:00.000-08:00

Try my OWN version of Chicken Tinola. Changed some traditional ingredients. Changes are NOT bad at all!

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic

1 medium size onion

1 luya or ginger

1/2 kilo chicken

1/4 kilo chicken liver

fresh spinach

2 cups of chicken stock

6 cups water

1 medium size not-so-ripe papaya

Patis or Fish sauce for seasoning

Chili or siling labuyo

Saute onion, garlic and ginger.
Add the chicken liver. When it changes color add the chicken.
Put some fish sauce and the chicken stock then simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Add the water and the papaya. Simmer again for another 10mins.
Add the spinach and the chili.
Serve hot with steam rice.

Enjoy!

Getting Into A Franchising Business

2010-11-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

Made a research for those moms who are thinking of franchising a business. Hope these information may help you choose wisely. Good luck to your business. And please share us if you already have one. Share some tips and informations wherein we can learn something from it.

Franchising is a method of business expansion whereby a franchisor (business owner or manager) allows a franchisee (person or entity) to market products or services under the franchisor’s name and trademark and in strict adherence to a system he prescribes. In return, the franchisee pays a fee and, usually, an ongoing royalty fee. Moreover, the franchisee pays all of the costs of getting into his or her own business.

1. Who is the franchiser/franchisor and franchisee?

Franchisor/Franchiser – owner of the business who ventured and took risk in trying to establish techniques learned through years of making that business a success. The Franchiser is likewise the owner of the trademark and other product/ services, which are proprietary in nature.
Franchisee – a person or a group of persons who, after studying and investigating the business concept, invest and become partners by establishing a branch of the franchised business.

2. What are the benefits of franchising both to franchisor and franchisee?

Offers a working business model for running a business;
Allows a number of people to share brand identification;
Provides a strong marketing and distribution system;
Provides a proven method (the operating system) that is successful;
Provides a brand or trademark recognized by customers;
Provides technical support that are effective ;
Provides, faster growth due to tested marketing system and multiple outlets established simultaneously, even when the parent’s company is small;
Provides effective mechanism for achieving deep market penetration and saturation;
Gives motivated managers (franchisees) to expand the business ;
Allows the use of the trademark or trade name;
Allows access to pertinent trade secrets; and
Provides benefit from the goodwill of the franchise company.

3. How to select a franchise company?

a. Know your budget.

Compare how much you have and how much it would require you to put up your dream business.
Pick a venture that would still leave you with a decent bank balance.

b. Investigate the franchise company. Significant information to obtain and examine:

Sales of goods and services through the franchise;
Profits from royalties based on the franchisee’s sales ;
Direct sale of products to the franchisee;
The value and appeal of the franchise company’s product or service; · The company’s sales literature;
The company’s product with the ultimate consumers; ·
Quality of the product or service;
Franchise outlet’s perception of the outlet and the products it dispenses;
Product rank with competitive products;
Truthfulness and believability of product advertising; ·
Product appeal;
Patent or trade secret protection;
Proprietary position in the market;
The type of training provided;
Training curriculum, length of the program and the qualification of the training faculty;
Provisions for retraining or updating franchisees;
Special additional cost charged for the training program;
The type and amount of field support;
The site selection and territorial practices;
The kinds and amounts of advertising support;
The operating policies and restrictions of the franchise; and
Personal Earnings Potential.

c. Examine the franchise contract. The contract should contain the following:

Your rights to sell or transfer ownership of the franchise;
The geographical area and types of business or customers to whom you may sell;
The nature and extent of your obligation to buy supplies and materials from the franchisor approved sources;
Your rights to renew or extend the contract beyond the original term of the contract;
The rights of the franchisor to assign unpaid portions of the initial franchise fee to financial
institution or other “holder-due-course”;
The terms and conditions to terminate a contract;
Description of the exact training and support services that franchisor provides;
Precise definition of the price, commissions, rental fees, and leases required to own and operate the franchise;
Exclusive territory awarded to you; and
State franchise law.

d. Meet the franchisor

Be sure to get to know those people you will be working most closely with as you build your business.
Find out who will be providing the operational support and training directly to you and form an opinion about their competence.
Make sure that any remaining questions or issues you may have are addressed at this meeting.

e. Talk to franchisee – Visit a sufficient number of the existing franchisees to ensure you have a sense of the prevailing attitudes of the group.

f. Consult experts – Consult experts to guide you through the franchising process and help you review and discuss unfamiliar topics or materials.

4. What are the negotiations involved in franchising?

Most franchises require the following:
Upon purchase, immediate payment of “cash down”, “initial cash”, “cash required”, which all refers to the amount of the initial franchise fee ;
Agreement to remit a royalty or commission fee based on gross sales or number of units sold to the franchise firm;
In some companies, payment of separate fees for training, accounting services, advertising, and rental of equipment or facilities; and
Computation of the true cost of a franchise, i.e. all special fees, royalties, as well as the interest charges on the unpaid balance of the initial franchise fee.

5. What are the various frauds and schemes used by illegitimate franchisor?

Promise exorbitant profits with meager investments;
Demand that you “act immediately” before investigating in order to “get in on the ground floor”; Fail or unable to provide vital statistics on franchise sales, profits, locations, etc.;
Promise “easy sales” of the franchised product or services;
Fail to identify company officers or principals;
Promise profits through chain sales or pyramid schemes in which you make your money by selling other franchises or distributorships;
Use names, which sound like, but which are not connected with nationally known, reputable business firms; and
Promise large income from “work-at-home” or spare-time” effort.

6. What are the procedures in applying for a franchise?

Step 1 The franchise applicant will submit Letter ofIntent to the franchise company, including thefollowing information:
- Name of the interested party;
- Expressed interest in a franchise; and
- Proposed site and location(with complete address and location map).
Step 2 The franchisor will:
- Do an initial assessment of the proposed site
- upon receipt of the letter of intent;
- Determine the most feasible business model; and
- Get in touch with franchise applicant and send over the Franchise Qualification Form and brochure.
Step 3 The franchise applicant will:
- Fill out the Qualification Form; and
- Send it back to the franchisor.
Step 4 The franchisor
- Review the Qualification Form; and
- Schedule meeting with franchise applicant to discuss other procedures.

All other steps will depend on the outcome of the discussions made between the franchisor and the franchisee.

How To Save And Make The Most Of Your Beauty Buys | Style & Beauty - Beauty 101 | Cosmo.ph

2010-11-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

How To Save And Make The Most Of Your Beauty Buys

Hey mommies, I have read these wonderful tips which is I think we badly needed. We can STILL make ourselves beautiful at LESS cost... isn't that good news? Sometimes we neglect our personal needs for us to stick to the budget for the whole family. Now, with these following tips, you can save more and I think some of the items here are already in your house so no need to buy. Let's stay beautiful!

1. SIZE DOES MATTER

One of the tips I've read is to buy basic beauty necessities in their largest sizes.Smaller-sized shampoo, deodorant, lotion, hand sanitizer, and the like come out more expensive. Though you seem to have saved when you spent less on a smaller size, you end up spending more due to frequent replacement. Big sizes give you more value for your money. You can always buy a big and small size, then fill up the smaller bottle when it runs out.

2. 3-FOR-1 SPECIAL

You can use lipstick in so many ways--even if you don’t like the shade you wish you never bought!

Dab a little on your cheeks as a cream blush. You may not like it on your lips but your cheeks could be a different story! Shimmer lip shades also serve as highlighters!
Mix a matte lipstick with petroleum jelly or lip balm for a moisturizing lip balm/gloss.( I always do that, and believe me, it comes out so natural)
Neutral shades can serve as cream eye shadow (but apply sparingly to avoid creasing), then set them with powder or eye shadow in the same color for more intensity.

3. INSTANT DRY SHAMPOO

Angelina Jolie and I swear by this! When your hair and scalp feel a bit greasy and need that instant freshening up in between showers, sprinkle a good amount of baby powder! Yes, you read that right! Talc, an ingredient usually found in makeup, helps absorb oil. Why not have it do the same for your hair? Upon sprinkling, feel free to leave it for a minute or so to let it absorb even better, then brush it off thoroughly. You are left with volumnized, greaseless hair with added lift from the roots!

4. RUB-A-DUB SCRUB

You don't need expensive body scrubs or even make the effort to concoct your own at home to get smooth, soft skin. Invigorating types of facial scrubs or peppermint foot scrubs in the market make perfect body exfoliators, too. It’s important to exfoliate at least once a week to help lotion, soap, and other body/facial products penetrate more effectively through fresh skin.

Here’s another product you can use: anti-dandruff shampoo! Since its purpose is to help remove dead skin from the scalp, why not use it as a body wash for the same reason? Even I do this--really.

5. EX-DEAL

That’s what friends are for: swapping products! Except for mascara or lip gloss (which are wet products and should not be shared for hygienic reasons), eye shadow, powder, blush, and other beauty products you may not like too much or are not in your shade can still be put to good use by someone else. Schedule a product swap among friends and get a new (well, sort of) kikay stash for free! To sanitize, spray some isopropyl alcohol on the products before use.

There are so many uses for products, if you just use your imagination and be open to experimenting. Don’t be fooled by gorgeous packaging and clever marketing. Do your research by searching online for product reviews before buying products, and decide whether to spend from there. Remember, someone else’s review could save you so much money!

2010-11-23T02:49:00.000-08:00

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.

- Mother Theresa

Anger

2010-11-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

"Speak when you are angry--and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret." - Laurence J. Peter

Don't you hate it when you have said something and then made you feel bad after saying it? But then after feeling bad, you're glad you've said it because it made you release the anger and pain you feel inside? It's confusing I know, BUT it happens!

We all feel hurt or irritated when someone or something obstructs our needs or desires. Anger, though, is not truly an emotion. In its technical sense, anger refers to the desire to “get even with”—that is, to take revenge on—the cause of the hurt.

The truth is, anger may be a “natural”—that is, a commonly occurring—social reaction to hurt and insult, yet being natural doesn’t make it good for us. Sure, “natural” foods are commonly advertised as being healthy and good for us. Poisons, for example, are also natural, and poisons, by definition, are deadly.

And so there are far better ways to cope with hurt and insult than with anger, because anger itself acts like a poison in your own heart that ultimately degrades the quality of your own life as much as it hurts the life of another person.

So the FIRST STEP in learning a healthy response to feelings of hurt and insult is simply to acknowledge that you feel hurt.

This is not as easy as it sounds.

Eight medicines you shouldn't give your preschooler!

2010-11-21T23:53:00.000-08:00

As a stay-at-home mom, usually we think that we know everything. But always remember that what might be good and effective for us, might not be as effective to your child. Please READ on and always be cautious on what you give to your child/kids.

Aspirin

Never give your child aspirin or any medication containing aspirin. Aspirin can make a child susceptible to Reye's syndrome — a rare but potentially fatal illness. Don't assume that the children's medicines found in drugstores will be aspirin-free. Aspirin is sometimes referred to as "salicylate" or "acetylsalicylic acid." Read labels carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you're not sure whether a product contains aspirin.

For fever and other discomfort, you may want to give your preschooler the correct dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against giving OTC cough and cold medicines to preschool-age children. Studies show that they don't actually help to soothe symptoms of kids this age. And they can be harmful, especially when a child mistakenly gets more than the recommended dose.

If your preschooler is miserable with a cold, you may want to try a humidifier or other home remedies.In addition to side effects like drowsiness or sleeplessness, upset stomach, and a rash or hives, a child can suffer serious effects such as rapid heart rate, convulsions, and even death. Every year, 7,000 children under the age of 11 are treated in U.S. emergency rooms after taking too much cough or cold medication.

Anti-nausea medications

Don't give your child an anti-nausea medication (prescription or OTC) unless his doctor specifically recommends it. Most bouts of vomiting are pretty short-lived, and children usually handle them just fine without any medication. In addition, anti-nausea medications have risks and possible complications. (If your child is vomiting and begins to get dehydrated, contact his doctor for advice on what to do.)

Adult medications

Giving your child a smaller dose of medicine meant for an adult is dangerous. If the label doesn't indicate an appropriate dose for a child, don't give that medication to your preschooler.

Anything expired

Toss out medicines, prescription and OTC alike, as soon as they expire. Also get rid of discolored or crumbly medicines — basically anything that doesn't look the way it did when you first bought it. After the use-by date, medications may no longer be effective and can even be harmful. Don't flush old drugs down the toilet, as they can contaminate groundwater and end up in the drinking water supply. See what our expert says about how to safely dispose of expired medication.

Extra acetaminophen

Some medicines contain acetaminophen to help ease fever and pain, so be careful not to give your preschooler an additional separate dose of acetaminophen. If you're not sure what's in a particular medicine, don't give heracetaminophen or ibuprofen until you've first gotten the okay from your doctor or pharmacist.

Chinese herb ma huang (ephedra or ephedrine)

Never take or give your child the Chinese herb ma huang, also known as ephedra or ephedrine. In adults this herbal decongestant has been linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, seizures, heart attack, and strokes.

Check with your doctor or an alternative medicine practitioner before giving your child any herbal products. And always let the doctor know about any herbal remedies your child is taking before she prescribes a medication.

Many herbal remedies are gentle and safe, but just because something is natural, or derived from a plant, doesn't mean it's safe for your child. Herbal products can cause allergic reactions, liver damage, and high blood pressure. In certain doses or when combined with the wrong medications, they can be fatal.

Cautionary note: Chewables

Chewable medicines aren't 100 percent off-limits, but you should carefully consider whether and how to give them to your child.

Most 2- to 4-year-olds can handle chewable tablets, especially those that are fast-melting. But keep an eye on your child when you give him a chewable, especially if he isn't proficiently chewing solids yet.

If you think chewables might be a choking hazard for your child, crush the tablet and put it in a spoonful of soft food, like yogurt or applesauce. And of course, you'll need to make sure your child eats the entire spoonful to get the complete dose.

Believers find mixed blessings in Pope's comments - Yahoo! News

2010-11-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Some Catholic believers in the Americas greeted Pope Benedict XVI's comments on condoms as a sign that the church was stepping into the modern debate in the fight against AIDS, though the church was adamant Sunday that nothing has changed in its views banning contraception.

Churchgoers had praise and wariness for the pope's comments that condoms could be morally justified in some limited situations, such as for male prostitutes wanting to prevent the spread of HIV.

Others cautioned it could open a doctrinal Pandora's box. And the exact meaning of what the pope said was still up for interpretation.

"That's a theological mind trap," said Wendy Lasekan, a 47-year-old stay-at-home mom, after Sunday morning Mass at Saint Michael Catholic Church in Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.

"In some cases, it would be justifiable — or acceptable — to use a condom," she said. "If your goal would be to prevent the spread of AIDS, that would be a charitable act."

Ellen Reik, a 79-year-old retired housewife who attended Saint Michael, said if taken out of context, the pope's remarks could renew the debate over the morality of birth control — both as a contraceptive and a means to curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Several more believers who spoke to The Associated Press following Sunday services in the United States and South America felt the pope's comments marked a tentative step into a more modern stance in the globalfight against AIDS.

Jean Jasman, an 81-year-old state worker from Montpelier, Vt., called the stance a departure from church doctrine on condom use, "but it's to the betterment of humanity, if we can help prevent the spread of this horrendous disease."

Lois Breaux rolled her eyes when asked about the Pope's statements as she was leaving Mass at St. Kieran Church in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami.

"About time — and it wasn't enough," she said. "As a Catholic, they need to recognize this is an epidemic. The church needs to stand up and say what he did, but he should have gone further."

Vatican officials strongly emphasized Sunday that the church's position on contraception has not changed.

The pope spoke in an interview given to a German journalist. Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano on Saturday published excerpts from the book, "Light of the World," three days ahead of publication. In the interview, Benedict says that in certain cases, such as for a male prostitute, condom use could be a first step in assuming moral responsibility for stemming the spread of the virus that causes AIDS.

The Holy See's chief spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, stressed that Benedict was not "morally justifying" the unbridled exercise of sexuality and the church's main advice in the fight against AIDS remains the same: promoting sexual abstinence and fidelity among married couples.

The pope's comments caught some followers off-guard with the frank discussion of a taboo topic.

"I was shocked. I thought, 'Why even mention that?' It was unnecessary," said Joan Caron, 86, of Oldtown, Maine, who attended Mass at the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, the nation's oldest Roman Catholic cathedral. "I was just shocked that he'd even bring the word up."

In Brazil, home to more Roman Catholics than any other country, 71-year-old Idalina Fernandes said she thought it was strange when she first heard the news.

"The pope and the church had been criticized for being too strict regarding this subject, but I guess we can't close our eyes to the problems we have today in the world," said Fernandes, who helps organize Masses at a small church in Sao Paulo. "I never thought the pope would say something like that, but the world is different today, the Church seems to know that."

The fine distinctions in the pope's comments were clear to Cliff Krieger, 68, of Lowell, Mass., who said it was good that the discussion on preventing disease was taking place, though he generally approves of the church's position on contraception.

"I think that the church is saying that use of condoms is missing the point about what sex is about," he said. "There are a lot of people who are ... just using it for pleasure for themselves, as they might be using cocaine on the weekend. So I think the church's stand is generally a pretty good one."

Speaking shortly before Mass began at St. Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church in Lakewood, N.J., 42-year-old Jason Randall said he strongly supports the church's position that forbids the use of condoms and other contraceptives.

But he felt the pope's comments show that sometimes exceptions are needed for almost every rule.

"I know it's a cliche to put it this way, but if it helps prevent even one death or one person getting sick, it's worth it," Randall said. "I believe in a loving God, one who does not want people to suffer, whether they be saints or sinners."

"I think that the church needs to realize that sometimes you have to make adjustments with the times and that saving people's lives and protecting life is ultimately the most important thing," said Josephine Zohny of Brooklyn, N.Y., after leaving Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.

Leche Flan (My Version)

2010-11-21T19:36:00.000-08:00

For the longest time in my life, this is my ALL-time favorite dessert. So with hundreds of recipes I've tried perfecting it, this is the ONLY one that worked for me. Try it. So SIMPLE and cheap but VERY satisfying... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

10 pieces raw eggs

1 small can condensed milk

1 cup fresh milk (or evaporated milk)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking procedure:

1. Using all the eggs, separate the yolk from the egg white (only egg yolks will be used).

2. Place the egg yolks in a big bowl then beat them using a fork or an egg beater

3. Add the condensed milk and mix thoroughly

4. Pour-in the fresh milk and mix well

5. Put the mold (llanera) on top of the stove and heat using low fire

6. Put-in the granulated sugar on the mold and mix thoroughly until the solid sugar turns into liquid (caramel) having a light brown color

7. Spread the caramel (liquid sugar) evenly on the flat side of the mold

8. Wait for 5 minutes then pour the egg yolk and milk mixture on the mold

9. Cover the top of the mold using an Aluminum foil

10. Steam the mold with egg and milk mixture for 30 to 35 minutes.

11. After steaming, let the temperature cool down then refrigerate