LIFE

Blue Heron Beach Resort

2011-08-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Last July 25 to July 31, we went to Orlando, Florida for a much needed family vacation. We stayed at Blue Heron Beach Resort by Lake Bryan. In all the years that we've been into vacations, this is one of the best accomodations we have had. I liked the fact that I could cook in the kitchen, have mine and hubby's privacy at the master bedroom and also have a living room big enough for my toddler to run around at. It is a very nice place to stay at and the view at the porch is priceless. One big bonus for me was the washer and dryer in the unit. It is so good to come home after a long vacation with freshly laundered clothes.

The living room

the weel-equipped kitchen

the master bedroom

the swimming pool

the porch

Sending Some Goodies to my Family

2011-08-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

I barely send some goodies to my family in the Philippines these days since times are tough. Good thing my family understands the situation here and they don't bother me or try to nag me to send them some stuff. I am currently buying stuff one at a time so I could slowly fill-up the box I got to send to them. The kids' requests are mainly shoes and I think I have everybody covered. My sister though, as a nurse in one of the hospitals there asked if I could send her nursing scrubs. Ofcourse, it's a simple thing she's asking but I want to get her the best I could get and at the same time not breaking my bank. I found a lot of choices at http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/ .

I hope I would be able to fill-up all three of these boxes before September comes. i want to send them to my family as soon as possible so they would get it on time for Christmas. The logistics part of it takes almost two months and sometimes it takes longer, so it's imperative that I send it around September to October.

I know that these are just simple things, but the happiness in their faces when they receive these is priceless. Just looking at my neices' and nephews' face when they wear their new shoes fills my heart with gladness.

Riding the Roller Coaster

2011-08-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

We visited Universal Studios again this summer and we all had a blast! Andrea has more fun than all of us put together because she was able to ride more rides now than she did the last time we were at Universal. She was also able to ride some rides twice because hubby and I had to switch in babysitting Fifi. She would ride with me and when it's daddy's turn to ride, she would ride with him as well. The picture on top is taken while they were on the new roller coaster at Universal called Rip Ride Rock-it. It's the longest roller coaster in the park and it is also the tallest when it comes to drop. I admire my daughter for riding it and not getting scared, I didn;t have the guts to do it myself. We can't wait to go back and have fun again.

Enjoying The Addams Family on Broadway

2011-08-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by James Stewart

I knew that we would only have about a weekend to enjoy New York City right before we sent off our youngest to college. I thought that this would be a fun little extra vacation for us to spend some more time together and boy was I right! We had so much fun together and now that the kids are old enough to appreciate a lot of historical things, we were able to go to some museums and things like that.

I did a lot of research for the trip and while I was doing that I ran across the website Hearingaidsbymiracleear.com. After I looked at it, I scheduled a hearing aid test and actually got some after I went through with it.

We made a decision as a family to go and see the Addams Family cast on Broadway. I mean, Brooke Shields is in it! I thought that it would be really neat to be able to say that I went and saw her in a play. Plus, this is a play that we can relate to and we had a lot of fun and laughs watching it.

PokerStars Bonus Codes

2011-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

We just came home from our anniversary get-away and I am feeling better than ever. After two years of being with my little Fifi everyday and every night, I hesitantly left her to the care of my mother-in-law so hubby and I could go away for two days. It was a fun two days and I am grateful for the time alone and the break, but while we're gone, I could not wait to see my babies again.

We stayed in a casino for two days and hubby tried playing poker while we're there. I didn't try any table games because I don't know how to play at all. We didn't win anything big but it made me want to learn how to play poker. As soon as I had the free time, I looked online on how to play poker and I found some PokerStars Bonus Code for those who are playing already. These PokerStars Bonus Code could be use to play poker online eventually. Hmm.. Perhaps I could use them someday.

There are also PokerStars Marketing Code available to those who are hard-core poker players and newbies like me to use while playing online. Yay! I can't wait to learn how to play poker and start using all these codes.

Wearing in my Motorcycle Boots

2011-03-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by Cassie Pratt

I think that one thing that's important about wearing motorcycle boots is that they look a little rugged. There's really no good use in wearing a pair of them that look pristine. Then you just kind of look like you're wearing a costume. Now, it's also important to make sure that you don't look like you're joining a biker gang anytime soon.

It took me for what it seemed like forever just to track down the perfect pair of motorcycle boots to wear. Then I eventually did find a pair that I absolutely could not live without on a discount shoe site online. That same night that I found those boots, I also stumbled across the website SatelliteStarInternet.com. I read through it a little bit and after that I decided to sign up for one of the internet packages I found on there.

I took my boots stomping around in the dirt and stuff once I got them to give them that nice and worn in look. But I didn't go too crazy so that they still look good enough to wear in public.

Concert Tickets

2011-02-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of concerts that I would love to watch one day. I have watched several concerts in the past and I love the atmosphere in each one of them. I feel like I am one with the crowd as we listen to our favorite artist perform on stage. There's something amazing about being there with the rest of the fans as the sway to the music that the artist play or sing.

The top five tickets I would love to have one day are the following:

George Strait Tickets

Backstreet Boys Tickets

Celine Dion Tickets

Linkin Park Ticket

Rascal Flatts Tickets

The list is long but I am doing it one concert at a time. I know it would cost me some money but the feeling and the experience I would get from it would be priceless.

Spring Cleaning

2011-02-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

Spring is almost here and so spring cleaning is part of my to-do list. It is in fact on top of my list since winter basically kept us mostly inside the house, thus making it dirtier than it is the rest of the year. Spring cleaning also is a good way of teaching my kids how to clean the right way, especially since I have two girls.

The first thing we clean is the carpet. Carpet is nice especially if you keep them clean and nice but if it is not well-kept, it holds bacteria and diseases. The kids' room in our house if fully carpeted and I make sure that I get the steam carpet cleaner rental austin. It helps me keep their carpet immaculate and also helps me easily remove the constant dirt that my girls bring to their bedrooms. The rest of the house is tiled so we use the saltillo tile cleaning austin to clean it up. My husband cleans up the bricks outside with pressure power washing austin and it is very effective in removing caked-up dirt and grime.

It would require a lot of work but I know that it will all be worth it when the house smells clean, feels clean and looks clean afterwards. Good thing it is only once a year that we do spring cleaning.

Gold Price is Going Up

2011-02-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

It is not a secret that the price of gold have sky-rocketed these past few years and is continuously going up as I am writing this article. It has become so high that a lot of advertisements in the television are to entice people to sell their broken gold jewelry for probably way less than market value. Gold price is so high that gold jewelry in the jewelry shops cost way higher than before.

If there's anything that people should invest in nowadays, it should be in gold. While the rest of the stock market is going down, the gold stock is not going anywhere but up. The rise of gold prices is a good indication that there is still something of worth in the market. As I figure this out, I made sure that I keep all the gold jewelry that I have and I will hold on to them.

I hope I won't need to use them someday to trade for something but with the US dollar dwindling down in value, there is a possibility that we would be back to those days when trading is done with the use of gold.

Diet Pills

2011-02-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

After the holidays, most of us have gained a pound or two from all the parties we attended. I, myself have gained a couple of pounds and is still trying to lose it all by cutting down on the food intake and doing a 30-minute exercise everyday. My husband on the other hand needs to lose more than just a couple of vanity pounds, so aside from counting calories, he also uses diet pills to speed-up the weight loss. So far, he has already lost more than 10 pounds and has a lot more to shed.

I am a little skeptical about the diet pills regimen, but after seeing the results, I believe that it works miracles if used in the right way. It is not for skinny people to get skinnier, it is really for obese people who need help in losing the excess pounds. There are a lot of diet pills in the market nowadays though, so we must be careful which ones to use and not to use. Do your research first before getting any kind of diet or pill. It is always better to be well-informed of the things that we put in our body than to just follow the "in thing" in the market.

Hopefully hubby and I would be closer to our goal weight by summer time. If not, then at least we are on our way to getting healthier than we are now.

Cricket

2011-02-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, we went on a Caribbean cruise for my birthday. I believe that that vacation is the best vacation I have ever been to. I would like to do it all over again, it just depends on our finances when it would be. One of the islands we docked at is the country of Dominica. It is a beautiful little island in the Caribbean with the most friendly people and beautiful natural spots. Our tour guide there is a local and he is very adamant that we know that most of them play cricket there.

I haven't seen any cricket game in my life so it aroused my curiosity about the sport. He brought us to a local cricket game just to show us how they play the game. I think it very similar to baseball since they use a bat and a ball. There are several players in each team and they play in an oval-shaped arena with a rectangular field in the middle. It is a fun game to watch for the little time we spent observing them play.

When I got home, I looked up online and saw all kinds of online cricket stores. There's even one based in the USA and still services clients all over the world including Canada and Australia. Cricket is actually a national sport in England as is the second most famous popular sport in the world.

Manila Ocean Park

2010-12-04T22:38:00.000-08:00

Our Family Pictures at Manila Ocean Park

My Beautiful Sister

2010-12-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Joaquin Hester

This Sunday is my sisters wedding and I am going to be her brides maid! I have the whole day planned out from the moment I wake up. I am going to hop out of bed and eat breakfast around 7:00 A.M., after that I will shower and do my makeup. Around 8:30 I have a hair appointment at Special Cuts, so I need to be there 15 minutes before. After my hair I will head straight home to get into my beautiful pink dress that was bought for me by my mother. She bought all the tuxedos and dresses. I plan on heading out the door at 11:00 and setting my home security alarm( Adt home alarm information Chicago) before I go. Our neighborhood can be a little on the fritz at times. Once I am at the church, I will let my mother take it from there because she put together mostly everything. I am so excited for my sister and words cannot explain the way I will feel watching her walk down the isle with the new love of her love. She is by the far the most beautiful girl in the world. Next to me of course.

A Visit to the Emergency Room

2010-12-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, we have to rush our little angel to the emergency room because she got a very high fever and she started to get delirious. You can't imagine the fear I felt when she won't respond to me when I talk to her and just look at me like she don't know me. I did give her some medicines but it is not working fast enough to lower down her body temperature. It was almost ten at night so we have no choice but to bring her to the emergency room.

They administered a fever reducer suppository to quickly lower down her temperature. She got better in a matter of minutes and we all went home feeling relieved with a big medical bill in hand. But it don't matter, as long as our little angel is safe and better.

She's so sick

Feeling wayyy better

The Fastest Movie Ever Made

2010-12-04T20:32:00.001-08:00

Authored by Leandro Delgado

It was one of the best action movies ever made and I pretty much forgot it even existed. You probably forgot it existed, too. It's possible you have it stored in the back of your memory somewhere, but even when this title is revealed, the details aren't going to come rushing back to you. I'll give you a hint. A bad guy has placed a bomb on a city bus. If that bus goes slower than a certain speed at any point in time, the bomb will detonate. Brilliant concept, isn't it? Dennis Hopper plays a great villain. Keanu Reaves plays the hero. And Sandra Bullock is the frightened replacement bus driver. There are many twists and turns in this one - no pun intended. If you haven't figured it out, the movie is Speed. This movie came out back in 1994. It's hard to believe it was that long ago. It's also hard to believe this movie doesn't get more recognition than it does. There aren't many movies that move faster than this one. I was reminded of this last night when I watched it on my satellite tv from http://www.tvbydirect.com/. There is one aspect to this movie that I overlooked the last time I saw it, which was over a decade ago. The passengers on the bus are superb actors. They are really the key to selling this movie, and they do it extremely well.

Travelling at the Last Minute

2010-12-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

Travelling at the last minute is not as smooth and as cheap as we would like it to be, but that was a thing of the past, now even if we fly at the last minute, we could find last minute flights for an affordable price and we could also get a good last minute accommodation wherever we plan on going. With so many sites in the internet popping up, it is important that we make sure we find the best deals possible, even at the last minute. Sometimes, the best deals are found at the last minute, believe it or not. It is during those times that airlines have to sell seats that have been vacated because of passengers cancelling. And it is the best time to take advantage.

I have known of people who got cheap flights when they least expected it because they flew at the last minute. I am so jealous because last time I booked the same flight, it cost me way more than what they paid for. The trick is to find the right site to go to and make reservations with. Believe me there are sites out there that offers such great deals at the last minute.

Getting Ready for Retirement

2010-12-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Online Trading? It is one of the ways to make the most of the savings you have right now. Instead of just letting your money sit in your bank, why not use it to in Stock Trading? A lot of my husband's friends have been doing it for a while now and I could not believe it when they said that they doubled their money in just a couple of months. At first I was hesitant but after hearing a lot of success stories, I tried it with just a little amount, and yes, it grew way faster than it would with just letting it sit in the bank.

If you're a little apprehensive about the stuff I said earlier just try opening IRA accounts for you and your partner. It will be worth it when you retire someday and receive a good amount of money to spend while sitting in a beautiful home, near the beach and sipping your favorite drink. Life is good, if we know how to plan for it.

It is not too late to start planning for retirement. I know because my husband is forty and we are just starting to do it. Someday though, it will be worth it.

Zipline Adventure

2010-11-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

Probably one of the most fun things we did on our vacation to the PI was the zipline adventure at Dahilayan Adventure Park, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. It is Asia's longest dual zipline. The have three different categories of zipline length, from 150 meters, 320 meters and the longest one 840 meters. I am not a big fan of heights, but heck if I let this adventure slip through without me enjoying it. I was scared at first but when I finally finished it, I wanted to do it again.

I am sharing some of our pictures...

Family Bonding

My Family with my dad looking at us

Being silly to mask my fear

Yay! Finally did it... Ain't it obvious? I am scared...

Andrea did it too

Alvin's Thanksgiving Celebration is a Holiday Classic for One and All

2010-11-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

Authored by Abraham Brewer

I usually babysit the day after Thanksgiving and I like to watch Thanksgiving cartoons on my satellite television from http://www.bestchoicetv.com/satellite-tv/wa/m/milton/ with the kids.

One of the best and fun tv specials is Alvin's thanksgiving celebration. The musical group Alvin and the Chipmunks was created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. way back in 1958. From there on it exploded. Music and tv specials and then a tv series that played for many years.

Alvin and the Chupmunks consists of Alvin the little prankster but good-hearted lead singer, Simon the very smart and tall brother. Finally last but definitely not least is Theodore who is the chunky but sweet and sensitive little chipmunk. All of them together make a very fun and lovable trio. Alvin usually creates some sort of commotion and then hilarity ensues.

In this cute cartoon Alvin convinces his brothers Simon and Theodore to sign up for a community play about thanksgiving. Which would be great but the boys get all nervous that they won't do well when they actually have to perform for the play. The director of the play assigns all the chipmunks things that they are unfamiliar with doing. After a little bit of commotion things get worked out and Alvin and his brothers enjoy holiday dinner with their family. There is usually a lesson to be learned with most chipmunk cartoons.

A Nice Change

2010-11-30T20:23:00.000-08:00

Guest post written by Jessica Gibbons

For years my husband Gilbert and I have hosted family thanksgivings at our beautiful home in southern Tennessee. I definitely know my way around the kitchen and Gilbert has always been a great assistant and most excellent with planning and prepping the house for our loved ones.

However, this year we just don't have the energy to be host and hostess, unfortunately. We're slowing down, and for a change my son and his lovely wife are going to host at their home. They live in Montana by my daughter- in- law's parents, and they've been gracious enough to have us come in and stay for a few days. We just have to bring ourselves, a few suitcases, and we must be sure not to forget our new hearing aids from HearingAids.Miracle-Ear.com. We really want to enjoy the time with our family. Even though we're not hosting, I still plan to help prepare a few of my famous dishes. I have an issue with being just a spectator. In any case, we can't to have dinner at our son's beautiful home and get a change of scenery this year.

Don't Be Tardy for My Party

2010-11-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

As a mother of two girls, I am an expert when it comes to throwing birthday parties. My girls have had all kinds of parties with different themes every year, and although it is not easy, I enjoy the preparation part and hate the after-party cleaning. In two months time, my younger daughter will turn two, and I am thinking of throwing a princess-themed party. Since it is themed, I have to make sure my party supplies will be related to the theme.

As soon as Christmas is over, I will start ordering the princess-themed plates, napkins, table covers and balloons. I will also order the edible icing art that so I could bake the cake myself and just stick the personalized art on top of it. I am not sure what games I will do for the party, but I have plenty of time to research about it. That's one of the secrets in making sure that you have a successful party, research, research and more research ahead of time.

I still remember the first birthday party I threw for my older daughter. It was short of a disaster! Everything was chaotic and my daughter was crying the entire time. I have learned from it though and ever since that, my birthday parties are pretty succesful. I love throwing parties for my girls, the only thing I don't are people that are late. So please, if I invite you, don't be tardy for my party.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

To all my friends here in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! To all my friends in other parts of the world, it's time to say a prayer of thanksgiving as well, for all the blessings we have received. Thanksgiving is a celebration for all the blessings that we have received and will receive from our God, our provider.

Shopping for Gifts

2010-11-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas is literally a month after today. I have been thinking of things that I should get for my husband this Christmas but I still could not make up my mind on what it would be. There are a lot of sites online though that gives me an idea on different gifts for him but I have a limited budget, so I am only sticking to the ones that I could afford. In this economy, it is not practical to spend so much on Christmas presents unless you have the extra money to do so.

Last year we went all out with presents but this time around we thought otherwise. One thing we made sure though is that our kids will have the gifts that they've been wanting to have all year through. My older daughter wanted to have an ipod touch and my toddler wants a swing set in the backyard. We have saved for their presents and we can't wait to see the look in their face when they finally receive their presents on Christmas.

Hubby has been asking me what I want to receive. I want a lot of things but I know that it would not benefit us financially if I insist on something that is very expensive. I will just probably send him to a site that has different ideas on gifts for her so that he will have an idea on what women would really like to receive. It will be easier for him and it would be fun because it's going to still be a surprise.

A Visit to the Divine Mercy Shrine

2010-11-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

The pictures above were taken at the Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental last August. It is a very serene, spiritual place to Catholics and Christians alike. It is starting to become famous especially to balikbayans like my family. There is a daily mass service and a chapel to pray-at any time of the day.

We went there to hear mass on a Sunday and since I have a sleeveless top, they made sure that I get covered up by providing the red fabric to wear on top of my dress. If you plan on going there, make sure you wear something with sleeves and something long, if not, they will provide you with something to cover yourself up.

In the Midst of the Desert, With an Unknown Language and People

2010-11-24T14:36:00.001-08:00

Contribution by Jonathan Mcmillan

When I'm not reading, I love to watch DirecTV sports HD, but books are my true love. My favorite book takes place in a faraway world, created by Robin McKinley in "The Blue Sword".

When Harry is kidnapped by the dreaded Hill People, she has no idea what to expect. She doesn't know why they kidnapped her. Their language, which she'd never heard before her father died and she had to move to her brother's base, located far away in the most secluded area of the kingdom, awakens on her tongue. Every word she learns awakens two or three others. She only knows she loves their horses and that the king, Corlath is kind.

For Corlath, the decision to kidnap Harry wasn't easy. But he had no choice. She has a gift that his people need if they're going to survive the battle with the Northern Demons. He can't tell her about her kelar, but gives her a horse. One of his riders teaches her to fight with a sword.

She becomes that year's champion at the esteemed Laprun Trials. The people cheer for her, their woman hero. But when the time comes to fight, Harry disagrees with Corlath's decision and returns to her people for their aid. Horribly outnumbered, they fight hard, but is it enough?

It's almost not. But Harry uses her magic sword to drop a mountain and kill the head demon. Finally, she must return to face Corlath, unsure how to tell him that she loves him.