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RSS Feed (xml)Come share photos of your Halloween decorations, pumpkins, pets in costumes or Trick or Treaters! If you have any Halloween themed posts (ghost stories, etc), I'd like to read it. Please add your blog to the list below so I can visit your blog. 
Meet my Jack o'Lanterns. I carved it last night and spent a couple of hours on it. The smaller one was carved partially by my daughter (I had to do the trees). I told my dh last night that next year, I am going to do a simple Jack o'Lantern. He answered "Honey, that's what you said last year". LOL Oh well...
10.31.2008
Halloween Decors, Jack o'Lanterns, Ghost Stories and More...
SkyWatch Friday
This photo was taken in Wengen, a small Alpine village
in Switzerland in the Jungfrau region. This was very
early in the morning with the full moon still up.
See more of Skywatch at http://skyley.blogspot.com/
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10.30.2008
Jack o'Lantern Shriveled Up?
If your carved pumpkin shriveled up, try this method I got from Wiki.
- Fill a deep sink full of cool water.
- Remove the candle and any other accessories from your carved pumpkin.
- Place your pumpkin totally in the water, making sure that the carved parts are all under the water.
- Let your pumpkin soak for a couple of hours.
- Enjoy your no-longer-shriveled pumpkin!
10.29.2008
10.28.2008
What was Your First Job?
I remember when I was in college, Mc Donalds just opened their first branch in the Philippines. I wanted to work part-time for MD but my parents shot down that idea. Their thinking was they can afford to pay for my schooling and they wanted me to concentrate on my studies. I was disappointed, of course. So I finished school and got my first job at Data General. I worked in quality control engineering. I stayed in that job for less than a year. I resigned and migrated here in the USA. What was my first job here? Believe it or not, I worked in a small children's clothing store in a mall in Alameda, CA. I worked there while at the same time applying for a 'real job'. I figured I might as well earn money while waiting. Did I regret it? Heck no, it's a decent way to earn $ and so what if I was a store clerk? You've got to start somewhere, right? I worked there for 4 months and then I got a job as an engineer for Eastman Kodak.
How about you, what was your first job?
Hummingbirds, Cardinals and Birdfeeders
I live in a wooded area, there is a long driveway to our house from the main road. I see a lot of birds in our backyard and in our next door neighbors' since we don't have a fence between our houses. Among the birds, my favorites are the Hummingbirds and Cardinals. Our neighbor, whose hobby is carpentry, gave us a couple of birdhouses. My husband put these on the tree trunks in our backyard. On our deck, we have a couple of hummingbird feeders. I love seeing the Hummingbird hover on the feeders from my kitchen sink window. Sometimes, one Hummingbird will even sit on the ledge of the feeder to drink. Hummingbirds are also territorial. I saw one or two of them trying to scare off another Hummingbird from the feeder. They also like the Bleeding Heart flowering plant, which I have planted on the front of the house. I want to get one more Hummingbird feeder for the deck. I saw this feeder shown here on Birdfeeders.com. I like this design, it does not look like a typical feeder. What do you think? Isn't it pretty? It reminds me of a windchime, which I also love. Aside from the birdfeeders, I also have planters on the deck rails. I always plant some annuals that I know will attract Hummingbirds. Sometimes these Hummingbirds does not fly away even if it senses us opening the sliding door, I guess it's used to us going in and out of the house. The Hummingbirds are gone for the rest of the year and I will not see them until late Spring. So it's time for me to put away my feeders for the winter. If you have Hummingbirds in your area, I suggest getting a feeder for it. I'm sure you will enjoy these tiny birds like I do.
7 Facts About Me
Thanks to Chica, Pumuckl and their mom for this tag. :o)
1. I'm an early bird. I wake up early even though I had a late night.
2. I love watching re-runs of the Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone tv show. I always look forward to that time of year when they have the marathon weekend.
3. I reached the top of Lambert Dome in Yosemite National Park. My next goal is Half-moon Dome.
4. I'm most comfortable in a pair of pants. I rarely wear skirts or dresses even though I have them.
5. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was in my early twenties.
6. I'm the only one in the family that does not like Sushi. Dh and my kids love it. I didn't like it the first time I tried it and never have. I was 15 and travelled to Japan with my sister and cousins. I don't like the taste and texture of the Nori.
7. I use to sleepwalk when I was in grade school.
I'm passing this on to Lanie, Amy and Janet.
Are you Ready for the Holidays?
Well, Halloween is here and you know what that means, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I know a lot of people who start their holiday shopping the day after Turkey Day, I used to be one of those. There are a lot of sales going on that day and if you want to brave the crowds, you will get good deals all over the place. It would be nice if we have extra cash for online shopping, right? Guess what, you have a chance at $33,000 in prizes, register at www.ShopAndConfess.com and enter my blog address http://www.babettesblog.com/ for the referring URL. Wouldn't it be great to win cash? They're giving away as much as $1,500 each month in cash and prizes and the grand prize is $15,000. It's easy, just submit a video or a text entry about any shopping secret you have. It could be when you bought that designer shoes for your self or when you surprised your partner with a big ticket item, anything goes. Enter the contest and who knows, you might end up with the grand prize.
Tag...Im It! Eight Random Things
I have been tagged by NW at It's Just My Thoughts and Levy at Living Life to the Fullest. Thank you. :o)
Here are my eight things in no particular order.
1. No offense but I don't like people who swear at every sentence. Since when did F%#& become a conjunction?
2. One thing that I would've liked to be good at is singing but that did not and will never happen no matter how many times I practice at Karaoke. LOL
3. I'm a 'right brained' person. I like numbers, details and facts.
4. I love to travel and see the world. I enjoy interacting with other people and learn their cultures.
Here are my eight things in no particular order.
1. No offense but I don't like people who swear at every sentence. Since when did F%#& become a conjunction?
2. One thing that I would've liked to be good at is singing but that did not and will never happen no matter how many times I practice at Karaoke. LOL
3. I'm a 'right brained' person. I like numbers, details and facts.
4. I love to travel and see the world. I enjoy interacting with other people and learn their cultures.
5. I am not a jealous person. I remember doing a Jealousy test and I scored at a low 6%. I am happy with me.
6. I am adventurous. I like visiting new places and trying new things. When I was 15, I was in Germany with my dad and I remember riding the train by myself to go to Munich. This summer, my family and I went to Europe and we did not go with a tour group. I planned the whole trip by myself, from transportation to the accomodations. My philosophy is as long as you know how to read, you will not get lost. Although that was tested in Venice, even the GPS was of no help. With my little Italian, I managed to ask for directions from a shop owner. :)
7. I was not a coffee drinker until three years ago. I drank orange juice and milk before that. Then my parents visited for a month and I was hooked on coffee after that. I had my first espresso in Italy last summer, pretty memorable. :o)
8. I'm usually a 'follow the rules' person. I deviated from that when I took an illegal picture of Michelangelo's statue of David at the Accademia in Florence, Italy. What can I say? I'm guilty! LOL The David statue is the most beautiful sculpture I've ever seen and let me tell you, breaking the rule was worth it.
Now here are rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. A the end of your blogpost, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their name.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.
I know most of my friends have done this tag so I'm passing this on to some of my new friends and regular blog drops
- Foong of My Very First Blog
- Sam of Show Me Your Interest
- Marviepons of Journal of Journey
- Sheila of My Own World
- Sam of Show Me Your Interest
- Marviepons of Journal of Journey
- Sheila of My Own World
- Preston of Me and the Blue Skies
- Dhoy of Simply Irresistible
- Ally of Eyes of the Beholder
- Mari of Life Together Starts
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10.27.2008
Family, Exciting News and Whatnot
Well, my dad is recovering very well from his accident which I posted a week or so ago. He had black eyes a couple of days after his accident. It looked like he was beaten up badly. Thank God he did not suffer any concussion. As a result of this, he is having second thoughts on living part of the year in the Philippines. The emergency service in my old country is not the best, it will probably take a long time to get to the hospital because of the traffic. Add to that, the ambulance itself comes from the hospital unlike here in the US where the local fire department has it's own ambulance. I was a bit disappointed since I knew that the dollar will go a long way in the Philippines plus they will have a maid to help my mom with the household chores.
For the exciting news, I learned that my niece will arrive here in the US at the start of the year. Her fiance lives in San Antonio, Texas and they will get married there. I'm already thinking of a Bridal Shower gift for her, maybe the book by Dr. Robin or a sexy lingerie? Hmm, I think I'll give her the book. LOL At least it will help her in the long run.
And for the what not, tonight is the Halloween Trick or Trunk at school. Good thing it's on a Monday, dh will be able to come with us. We already have the Halloween decorations ready. Last year, we only have a little bit of decorations plus the Jack o'Lantern and we were surprised at how elaborate other parents decorated their car trunks. So this year, we are ready. LOL Dh has a scary mask he plans to wear but I warned him that small kids might get scared. We also have a walking hand (think of the one from the Adams Family movie) which was a hit with the kids last year. The new item this year is a bowl with the moving hand. Have you seen those? It's pretty creepy since the hand is made of some soft rubber material. I hope I remember to bring my camera, it'll be loads of fun for sure.
10.25.2008
Not Enough Time in a Day
How often do you update your blog? In a perfect blogging world, it would be nice to update daily, if not a couple of times a week. But my world does not revolve around my blogs. I'm a wife and a mom first. Oh, add these label to those, cook, chauffeur and all-around house help. I cook dinner the whole week, is it obvious I like to cook? It's much cheaper to cook from scratch, and healthier too.
I've been busy preparing for Halloween. I went shopping for chocolates for the school Trick or Trunk on Monday night, the kids at the school library on Wednesday and some for Halloween itself. I have not carved the pumpkins since I didn't want it to shrivel up. I'll carve the pumpkins tomorrow and I have not chosen a design yet. I like to torture myself so I choose an elaborate Jack o'Lantern design. LOL This year, dh will bring one of the pumpkins to work for their pumpkin design contest, that is extra pressure! So wish me luck and I hope dh will bring home the grand prize...a pumpkin pie? I have no idea.
10.24.2008
Great Prices for Car Parts
I need to order a part for my Pilot. There's a small part in the back of the SUV that broke off. It is some kind of hook where the luggage net connects to. I could get it from the dealer but I know it is going to cost me more. So I googled car parts and found CarPartsWarehouse.com. They have low prices and have thousands of inventory. I also like their free shipping, I need to save money in more ways than one. Check out CarPartsWarehouse.com for your next car part purchase.
-----Read Full Post-----Road to Foreclosure
I just learned that a friend and former co-worker has her house in foreclosure. That is sad. She's lived in that house for a long time. I remember going there for her children's birthday parties and holidays. She is just one of the countless homeowners facing foreclosure. It is depressing, isn't it? She doesn't live in a Mc Mansion, it is just a average-sized home in San Jose, California. They're not living beyond their means. This goes to show you that people from all walks of life are affected by this financial crisis. I heard in the news today that even Yahoo and Xerox is laying off employees. It is scary...
10.23.2008
My Mailbox
So far, I have not had much problems with Spam in my personal email. I'm happy with my host, they use a very good Spam filter and it is very rare for me to get anything. Yahoo Mail is ok for a free service. Once in a while there will be one or two Spam mails that go through the InBox but most of the time it goes straight to the Spam Folder. I always scan that folder for mails that are not Spam. Usually, the subject ranges from Acai Berry Cleanse, someone having a crush on me, diet pills to a free laptop. Oh, I also noticed a new spam mail, Rachel Ray wants to give some Yum-o whatever.
-----Read Full Post-----Good Bye to my Annuals and Whatever Else
I can feel it coming. It is only 6:00pm but the temperature already went down to 38.1 degrees(F). My goodness, there goes my annuals. The weatherman said we're going to have frost tonite, great! Maybe I should cover the planters with some kind of plastic sheets. I hope this cold snap does not last long. The kids will have their Halloween Trick or Trunk on Monday night in school. This is only the second year of this event. Since it is a Catholic school, the kids don't wear costumes to school. They used to do it before but they stopped it so they created this event. We participated last year and it was fun. The families who want to participate will decorate their car, suv or van trunks with Halloween decors and pass out candies to the kids. The kids assemble in the gym with their teachers while the parents wait in the parking lot. They will also have a Halloween dance on Wednesday but we might skip it. I'm glad Halloween falls on a Friday. The kids will have a good nite's rest and not wake up early to go to school. For the second year, we will be going to my good friend Mira's house and go Trick or Treat with her son Mikey and the daughter of our friend Josie. The kids had fun last year and am looking forward to next week. Just thinking about all the activities next week makes me tired! How are you celebrating Halloween?
-----Read Full Post-----The Rolex Watch, A Sure Sign of Success
With the state of the economy these days, we can just wish to get something very expensive like a Rolex watch. So that's what I am going to do right now. What if money is no object this Christmas? Well, I can get my husband a nice Rolex dress watch, just like the ones sold at Perpetual Diamonds. If you plan on getting this expensive watch, it is a good idea to buy it from a reputable merchant since there are a lot of fake Rolex watches in the market. The Rolex watches sold at PerpetualDiamonds.com are 100% authentic and has serial numbers. They also sell pre-owned Rolex watches if you cannot afford a new one. They're still stunning even if used. They sell these watches at a big discount so you'll save some $ to get that pair of shoes you've been eyeing forever.
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10.22.2008
I'm Watching Every Penny
Well, maybe not every penny but I found myself extra cautious on spending money. Case in point, I had a physical exam scheduled last Monday. The day before, I thought about it and figured that I can have that exam coincide with another doctor appointment in December. By doing so, I will save money on the co-pay. It may not be much but it is something. Another time was during grocery shopping. I went to the cheese section and picked up mozarella that costs around $8.00. When I got to the dairy section, I saw a mozarella made by another company at just half the price. Usually, I would go for the other brand, this time though, I decided to get the cheaper one. I'm sure the kids will not even know the difference. So it's by doing these small things day-to-day made me realize how much change I made. I guess watching all these shows advising people to watch what they spend had an effect on my spending too. Did you change the way you shop and spend money in the wake of this financial mess?
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My Search for a Universal Remote and More
I am a gadget freak.. I like gadgets and have no trouble using it. My husband commented that I like gadgets more than he does. Anyway, I was looking for reviews for a universal remote when I came across this website called Gadget Advisor. It has a great review of the Logitech universal remote. I wanted a remote that will replace the four different remotes we have right now in the family room. You see, we have a remote for the Plasma TV, one for the cable box, one for the Bose system and another one for the DVR. Can you imagine going through all of it just to watch a show? I really like how this universal remote looks, very sleek. After reading the article about this Logitech universal remote, I saw another article about the top extensions for Firefox. I use Firefox when dropping Entrecards and found it easy and faster than Internet Explorer. You might want to check out this article since it lists many 
useful addons for Firefox. I discovered through this article an addon that will take a snapshot of a whole page even if only a part of the page is shown on your screen. Neat! There is also an article about the best online backup service which will be very helpful for bloggers like us. Have you thought about backing up your blog? It crossed my mind but have not done anything about it. I don't know what I will do if this big server somewhere crashes along with my blogs. Fingers crossed! It is something not everyone thinks about, good thing I saw this, I'll have to consider using it. How about you, do you have your blogs or websites backed up?10.21.2008
Aging Parents
Just this past month, my dad had been to the hospital two times. The first time was when he felt chest pains, they had to check his arteries and the stent that was placed there three years ago. The good news is they did not find anything. The second time happened just a week or so after that hospital trip. This time, he slipped and hit his head on the corner wall. Good thing that my mom was back from her trip to the Philippines and she heard him scream. She called 911 and they brought him to the ER where he received more than 30 stitches. My goodness! My daughter even asked me "Why is it that bad things happened to grandpa?". My parents are in their early 70s and are living independently. I'm already worrying about their care when they get older. I just cannot see them living in a senior home.
-----Read Full Post-----Holidays Are Here and So Are the Pounds
Halloween is just a week and some days away and you know what that means. The holiday season is upon us! I will be cooking for Thanksgiving for the third year and we will also be having Christmas Dinner here in our home for my dh's family. There'll be tons of food for sure and delicious desserts. Sounds good, right? Well, it is just as long as we don't over-indulge. I guess this is where it get's hard for some, knowing when to stop. That's why there are a lot of diet pills out there like slim10. I would rather walk it off. I used to run when I was younger but my knees were starting to hurt so I stopped. So now I try to walk on the treadmill while doing my daily EC drops. I haven't fallen off the treadmill..yet. LOL Dh put a piece of wood on the arms so I can put my notebook on it. I have a Dell XPS so it is very compact. I also surf and catch up on the news while on the treadmill. Sometimes I watch TV, anything just to keep myself from getting bored. So I'm going to cross my fingers and hope that I will not gain any 'holiday pounds'.
-----Read Full Post-----10.20.2008
Oil Prices Went Down but My Son's Apple Pie is Still Expensive
Hooray! The price of fuel went down...way down. I cannot believe my eyes when I saw the sign at the gas station. A gallon of gas for less than $3.00! I think I blinked a couple of times to make sure I was awake. LOL So if oil prices went down, how come food prices are still high? They didn't even budge one penny. Mrs. Smith's Apple Pie (my son's favorite) is still expensive and smaller! So what gives? Do you think it will go back down or are we stuck with these high food prices?
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Trade that Used Milli Vanilli CD for Something Useful
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I did not live with my husband before we got married. We dated for two years and during that time, I lived with my sister. My husband and I both like listening to music so you can imagine we have a lot of CDs when we moved in together after our wedding. There are genres that he likes that I don't care for like heavy rock while he is not into acoustic guitar by Ottmar Liebert. But we both like alternative music and contemporary jazz and guess what? We have a lot of CDs that are duplicates, two Boney James' Seduction CD, two The Cure CDs, etc. You get the picture. We have not disposed of the duplicate CDs so it's just sitting with the rest of our collection, until now. 
I found this website where I can trade our used cds for other things. Isn't that great? Usually, some sites will just let you trade your CDs for other CDs. But what if you don't want a CD and you want something like an MP3? Well, if you are smart, you will go to AbundaTrade.com, register and send them a list of the titles you want to trade. They will let you know which ones to send in. You get to choose what you want in return, it could be an IPod, a digital camera, a GPS or other cool stuff. It is that simple. What's more, AbundaTrade.com also accepts trades of DVDs and books. It does not matter if the case is cracked or the cover is missing, you can still trade it. So this weekend, you'd better go through that CD and DVD collection. You never know, you might end up with a lot of extra cash for the holidays! Btw, just for the record. We do not have any Milli Vanilli CDs. :)
Old Man Winter is Here?
Hey, last time I looked, it was still fall, isn't it? It started this weekend. It was freezing when we went to the pumpkin patch. It reminded me of the weather every December when we go to the Christmas tree farm. People were wearing their winter coats, complete with hats, gloves and even scarves. It was a little bit better today but still chilly. Then tomorrow it is going to get cold again, just in the 50's. I hope it warms up more than that since it will be my daughter's field trip to the Cranberry farm/bog(?). It will be in the 30's at 6 am tomorrow! Brrrrr... Coming from a tropical climate, I don't think I will be used to this cold. This makes me miss California more.
-----Read Full Post-----Take Care of Your Skin
I remember when I was growing up, we have two neighbors who are sisters. They both have beautiful and glowing skin. I was a teenager then but I was already curious as to how they keep their skin looking young. They responded that the started taking care of the skin even before the wrinkles started showing up. I still see them when I visit the old country and they still look great at their age. Now that I am in my 40's, I'm already starting to use products with anti-aging ingredients like Glycolic acid. I saw this website of Dr. Lark and found out about her work in enhancing women's health and well-being. She developed different products for women for their skin, bones, joints, digestive system, hormones and more. The Squalane Products are made to keep our skin soft and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The costs of the products seem reasonable unlike other anti-aging products that I've seen in department stores. You can also avail of their automatic ordering so you need not worry about running out of your product.
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The Man I Would've Love to Run for President
Yes, I am a fan, if you will, of General Colin Powell. I think that he is a very honorable man. It would've been great if he ran for the presidency. I think that he will make a very good if not great president. Too bad that he isn't and never will (?) go after the job.
Well, just this weekend, he endorsed Barrack Obama. He has given a lot of valid reasons as to why he wants Obama for President.
So what does it have to do with me? Well, I've been sitting on the fence just waiting for the election. How should I vote? Should I vote for my beliefs and for 'moral grounds'? Or should I vote with my 'common sense'? Now that Gen. Powell has spoken, you bet I will take his views into consideration.
Mustela Skin Care for You and Your Baby
Having two kids, I know how stressed moms can be when it comes to medical problems that involves children. I remember when my kids were still babies, I had to always call their pediatrician for advise. Good thing that they have been healthy. My sister meanwhile, has a child that has a skin problem called eczema. Her son's skin is so sensitive that she has to be careful as to the kind of products he uses. She cannot even use the popular baby bath liquid soap that is known to be one of the gentlest products on the market. One product that is safe and gentle for babies with eczema is the line of Mustela Stelatopia products. These Mustela products have been tested on babies with eczema under the guidance of dermatologists and pediatricians. These are safe to use on babies and small children and will not dry their skin and cause more problems. If you are not sure of what product to use for your child, they have a Parent's Corner with helpful tips, FAQs, and other useful information that can help any parent, experienced or otherwise. Mustela also has products for expectant moms, lotions and creams to prevent stretch marks and such. For yours and your babies' skin care, use Mustela.
10.19.2008
How Long Does a Stove Oven Last?
The lower oven died on me the other day. Just as I was finishing up on mixing the Blueberry muffin batter, I noticed that the oven temperature was fluctuating. Uh-oh, bad timing! Good thing I have the upper oven. But then it was smaller so I had to adjust the temperature so the muffins will not burn. So how long are stove ovens supposed to last? Well, given that I probably use my oven more than average, maybe it was time. I guess I should consider myself lucky. Can you imagine it happening during Thanksgiving week? Now I will have to troubleshoot and find out what part needs to be replaced. I'll do the easy part and if needed, dh will help out. Hey, if I can assemble a computer from scratch and troubleshoot a machine as big as a room, what's an easy oven troubleshooting, right?
-----Read Full Post-----The Right Webhosting Company for You
Are you happy with your webhosting? I've been looking at different webhosting options for my blogs. I've been blogging on and off for three years now, always with a free hosting company and just lately with my own domains. So far, I am content with it but I have been hearing about other blogging platforms which offers more flexibility and options. I am considering moving to another webhosting company but am not sure of which is the best for me. Since I will be considered a newbie if I move to another platform, then I want a webhosting company that has a good customer support, email or otherwise. I came across this webhosting blog which is owned by webhostinggeeks.com. I like the article "Three Webhosting Mistakes You Can Avoid" and "What Kind of Hosting Do You Need". This website also have many articles that will help you in choosing and starting your webhosting of a website or blog. It also has ratings for different webhosting companies, best budget hosting, best domain hosting, best dedicated hosting and many more. Not only do you get to read and compare different companies, they also have reviews from actual customers. I like this feature since this gives me an idea on what to expect from each webhosting company. If you are like me, looking for the right webhosting for your blog, visit webhostinggeeks.com and start your search.
-----Read Full Post-----10.16.2008
Power Steering Rack
My brother-in-law has been restoring cars as a hobby. He likes to work on muscle cars like the Mustang. Of course, this is an expensive undertaking, what with the rising cost of all consumer products more so with car parts. There is an online site that has quality steering box and steering rack at wholesale prices. The public now has access to the highest quality power steering parts that were previously only available to dealers. I remember driving the car of a friend in California and this car has no power steering. Turning the steering wheel takes a lot of effort! We're lucky that new cars already have these built-in. Check out powersteeringpros.com
-----Read Full Post-----10.15.2008
My Busy Hump Day
Wednesday is the busiest day of the week for me. I'm usually in the school library for the first half of the day. Today though, I will be a chaperone in my son's Pre-K class. They are having a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. My son is so excited, he's been waiting for this day for weeks now. I will do my EC drops this afternoon. :)
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Christmas Shopping Anyone?
I'm already looking for shopping deals online and in the Sunday paper inserts. I already have an idea on what to get the kids for Christmas. Believe me, my kids, especially my four-year old lets me know what toy he wants. As usual, my answer is always "Ok, we'll have to save money first." This Christmas, I will be spending the same amount for gifts. I don't spend much each year anyway, so there will not be any changes this year. Back to shopping, I already signed up for email alerts for online websites I frequent. You can always find the best buy this way. I have one email address that I use for such, this also cuts the SPAM I get in my personal email address. Last year, I bought the first Christmas gift in September. I know, it was early but I knew that come Holidays, the demand for the Nintendo Wii will be great. I was right, people were lining up and sometimes coming out empty handed because the stores cannot keep up with the demand. That is why I prefer to do my shopping early. I don't like the stress that comes with Holiday shopping. How about you? When do you start your Holiday shopping?
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10.14.2008
Going to the Dentist
Does anyone enjoy going to the dentist? I sure don't. I do not like the feeling when the Dental Assistant pokes and scrapes at my teeth. We have a term for it in Filipino 'nakaka-ngilo'. Good thing that we only have to do this twice a year. I have a very nice lady dentist. She has very light hands and very friendly. Still, I am not looking forward to dental appointments.
-----Read Full Post-----10.13.2008
This Blogger Copied My Post
Thanks to _____, I saw this low life, scum of the earth, idiot visit my blog. I did a search (I am not going to divulge how because this idiot might find out but if you want to know just ask me) and found this idiots blog. I was flabbergasted when I saw that he copied my post word for word! What the H_ _ _! He must be so stupid that he couldn't think for himself! I took a screen shot of this idiot's blog and my post and you can see for yourself. Be careful fellow bloggers. If you see a visitor from Tamil,Nadu it might be this idiot here. As you can see, he also uses EC. So take a peek and make sure you don't give this plagiarizer any traffic. I reported him also, I sent them an email with his URL. Argghhh! I've noticed some visits from his part of the continent before but I just couldn't find the perpetrator. Good luck played a part this time. I don't know if it is just one idiot or many idiots but just the same, they are all idiots!
Update: The company rejected this person's post and terminated his account. This goes to show you folks, copying does not pay!
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If Cheryl Burke is Fat, Then I'm a Whale
When I heard what other people are saying about Cheryl Burke, I was flabbergasted. They said that Cheryl Burke is fat. What? These people clearly have a skewed view of the female body.
Why do they consider her fat? Ok, she said so herself that she gained some weight (I think she said 5 lbs. but I'm not sure). But look at her, she is not fat. She has the body of a healthy woman, curves and all. I remember when they said that Tyra Banks was fat, same with Jennifer Love Hewitt. No wonder a lot of girls and women are dealing with food disorders, they feel pressured to be thin like the runway models and actresses. I hope that this way of thinking will stop. I know it may be impossible but one can only hope.
My House Unplugged
I'm on a quest. I will be going around the house unplugging anything that does not get used often. Why am I doing this? To save $. I saw an episode of Oprah this week where one woman saved a lot of money from her electric bill just by unplugging appliances and other electrical things in her house. I've already set up all the desktops in the computer room to turn off after an hour of no use. I think I should also unplug the power strip from the outlet before going to bed. There are some things I cannot unplug of course, these are the electric stove, microwave, washer and dryer and the TV in the family room. If I unplug this TV, then it would be a pain to set up the whole thing along with the speaker system. I already unplugged the TVs in the bedroom since it's just a regular TV that requires no set-up. Hmm, what else can I unplug? We'll see if this thing really works. I hope it does.
-----Read Full Post-----Use Newark Airport Shuttle When Visiting NYC
When you are traveling, the last thing you’d want to worry about is finding a vacant spot in the airport lot and paying the outrageous fees that comes with it. No matter where you live, it is advisable to use a shuttle to go to the airport. By doing so, you need not worry about parking and fees. When you live or are staying in New York city and the surrounding area, you might want to consider using Newark Airport Shuttle for your trip to the airport and back. It is an affordable way to start and end your trip. This service is reliable and the drivers are courteous and well-trained. With this shuttle service, you can go to and from the airport and your home, hotel or business (between Battery Park and 125th Street). They provide shuttle service to La Guardia, Newark and JFK. They operate 365 days a year and will pick you up at your convenience. Their customer service is available from 6:30 am until 10:30 pm and are always in contact with all drivers through a two-way radio dispatch. When you use this service, you do not need to walk far to reach the shuttle. They have an official permit from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey so they can load and unload on the inner curb just outside of baggage claim. If you are in visiting New York or New Jersey, use the shuttle service of GoAirlinkShuttle.com
-----Read Full Post-----10.11.2008
This Financial Mess, Whose Fault was It?
It's time for finger-pointing. It depends on who you talk to. Everyone has their opinion as to who is to blame for the financial mess. Personally, I think the blame goes to the homeowners who clearly bit more than they could chew. They know the big house with a big mortgage is a financial risk. Why did they sign on the dotted line? Okay, the bank gave them money but why did they agree to the loan? Just because someone is handing you loads of cash does not mean you have to take it. If they did not sign off on that loan, then they we wouldn't be in this financial mess.
Now off to AIG. What were they thinking? After getting the millions of dollars of bail-out from the government, the company executives went on a retreat to a luxury hotel. These people played golf, had massages, went to the spa and relaxed. All these costs more than $400,000. Being an AIG stock holder, hearing about this made my blood boil. I am upset. This blog is rated G so I cannot write what I really think about these people. I don't swear but this is one of those rare instances where I just want to say *@#&*%!!!
You Too Can Find Your True Love
My mom came back from her vacation to the Philippines a week ago. She mentioned that her grandniece, Linda was on the same flight to Los Angeles. Linda is a deaf-mute and was on her way to join her fiance who also has the same disability. They met online two years ago and the guy went to the Philippines last year to meet her in person. To make a long story short, they fell in love and he proposed marriage after a couple of months. He applied for a Fiancee Visa for her and they received it after a short waiting period. They will be getting married at the end of the month in California. Without the internet, these two people wouldn't have had a chance to find each other, much less find someone because of their disability. This goes on to show that anyone can find their true love online. If you are looking for the right person to spend the rest of your life with, you can join True.com and start your search for free. Sign-up is free and you can customize your search to your liking. This is a good option for people who are busy with their professional lives. There is little time to socialize and it could be that you live in an area that has a small number of single people. With True.com, you can browse thousands of profiles and pick and choose who you want to take a chance with. That's right, finding love is about taking chances. If I didn't take a chance with my husband then, I would probably still be searching for Mr. Right. So go ahead and take a chance. Who knows, the right person might just be a click away.
-----Read Full Post-----10.10.2008
Unusually Warm
We had an unsually warm day today. It was chilly the previous days and it even rained a couple of times. Today though, it was like Summer. As I was driving to pick up the kids froms school, I was thinking that this could be the last time this year that I am able to drive with the moon roof open. I am not looking forward to winter. Yes, white snow looks nice especially when the snowflakes are big. The only time I like it is when there is no school and I can stay home and watch snow fall from inside the house. Other than that, I don't enjoy it at all. I hate driving in the snow and I hate the bone-chilling cold. These are times when I miss living in California.
-----Read Full Post-----Work from Home Opportunity
If you are a stay-at-home mom like me, you probably are looking for ways to make some extra money. There are a lot of opportunities out there and one just have to look for the right fit. There is crafts, paid blogging, telecommuting and customer support among countless others. You can also Make money from home using an email marketing software. This home-based business is easy to set up. You get an email marketing software that is easy to use and it already comes with 5,000 email addresses. You also have access to ready-to-use templates that was build by professionals, automatic scheduler and you get products at below dealer cost. You can sign up for a FREE TRIAL which only costs $1.95. For a week, you can try out this proprietary email marketing system. This is something that is worth trying. What do you have to lose for $1.95? I like the fact that I will already have 5,000 list of email addresses to start with plus I will be able to get products at a cheaper price. Let's say you get 3% from email conversion and the average price of the product you sold is $10, you get a $1,500 profit from just a one time email send-off. This money-making opportunity definitely deserves to be checked-out. You can get all these for $1.95 for a limited time.
The UN-Real Housewives of...
...Orange County, New York City and now Atlanta. It all started with Real Housewives of Orange County. I started to watch this show because I thought it would show the 'real lives' of people in Orange county. My sister lives at Ladera Ranch which is in that county and just next door to where these housewives live. I soon realized it is not like the real world. It's not about a regular soccer mom just like my sis but about a bunch of women whose only worries is if they can make it to their next Botox appointment What do I expect from this kind of reality show, right? The next installment was the series in New York City. Same old stuff, but this time there was a housewife and her husband who are made to look like Social Climbers (in my opinion, I think they were).
Now comes the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Boy, I think this is going to be my favorite. From the first two episodes I've seen, it is going to be a real party. We have one housewife (term used loosely since she is divorced) who has a millionaire boyfriend, another one that lacks class, one that is an over-achiever, and others. This is going to be an interesting season. I am not going to make excuses. What can I say? It's one of my guilty pleasures.
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Fall Clean Up
I'm doing Spring Fall cleaning. The holidays are coming which means the kids are going to get new toys from relatives and friends. If you have children, you know how toys accumulate over the years. We will keep some toys that the children cannot part with, the rest will be given away on Freecycle.org. We have a couple of Barbie cars and even an airplane. There are also used cds that the kids have not played for awhile. I've already given away Amber's and Tyler's small clothes. My dh's clothes meanwhile will be shipped to my brother in the Philippines. These clothes are in very good condition and are almost like brand new. Now you know what I am going to do this weekend. :)
10.08.2008
Wordless Wednesday: Hotel Caprice, Wengen
Can you imagine waking up each morning with this beautiful vista?
EC Outage
I was about to drop from my Inbox but got a message that EC is temporarily offline. What a bummer! I wasn't able to drop from my Inbox yesterday. I only dropped ECs from my bookmark folder. I have about 70 sites on which I regularly drop on. I'll have to add more to that list, I know. :o)
-----Read Full Post-----Is Your Zip File Locked and Secure?
I'm sure you've used a file compressor to send a large file as an attachment. I've done it countless times myself. What I didn't know is that there is a safe way to send Zip files. Until now, I've been using the regular program to zip and unzip attachments. This is like sending a package to the post office that has not been sealed, we wouldn't want to do that! This free program is called SecureZip Express, it not only compresses the data ,it also secures it (therefore protecting your privacy).
You can download it for free from this web site: www.DecryptandDrive.com After you download the application, you will get a chance to enter to win prices that include a Grand Prize - a Honda Scooter (worth $2,500), 5 first prize of a Fuji Bike and 5 second prize of a Nintendo Wii plus many more fun prizes. Download SecureZip Express and say goodbye to unsecured file attachments.
Get Your 15 Minutes of Fame
In every family, there is someone who is always at the center of attention. In my extended family, it is my cousin who I'll call A. Growing up with her, she's always right there up front. If there is a program in school, she'll be a part of it one way or the other. I remember she even tried out with a couple of friends when there was a search for a new girl band. I think she would be perfect to join Talent6. She can be an extra in a TV show or even a movie. How about you? Do you know anyone who wants to be in the limelight even as an extra? It's pretty easy, extras usually do not have any speaking lines. They just act as a prop to make the scenes look natural. You may be the woman shopping in dairy aisle while the main character pass by or you can be among the crowd in the basketball game scene. This is a very good gig, you get paid anywhere from $100 to $300 per day. If you or anyone you know wants to do this kind of job you can apply at http://talent6.com. You must be over 18 years of age (the maximum age is 85 years old) and live anywhere in the United States. Movie companies film all over the country so there are jobs available everywhere. So do the first step, call this number: 800-493-9047 and talk with a portfolio manager.
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10.07.2008
Get Ready for the Flu Season
I was the first in the family to get the Flu shot this year. When I called my Primary Care doctor's office, they had an opening the next day so off I went. The kids are already scheduled to have their Flu shot next month while dh will have his at work. This year, the Center for Disease Control recommended that all children under 19 years old get the Flu shot. My daughter has been getting her Flu shots every year even though it wasn't recommended by her doctor. It really makes a big difference, we rarely get sick during Winter. Some people take these for granted, they probably do not know that every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu. So if you do not want to suffer this coming Flu season, get yourself and your family immunized.
-----Read Full Post-----Sign Up for Charter Services and You May Win a Car
If you are one of the lucky ones who live in an area that Charter Communication services, you have a chance to win a brand new Honda Civic Hybrid worth $24,000 with their SAVE GREEN, GO GREEN GIVEAWAY. The Honda Civic Hybrid is a great 'green' car, my husband drives one and we save a lot of money on gasoline. So what do you need to do? Just go to their website and register for a chance to win this energy efficient car. While you're there, check out the services that Charter offers. They have huge savings on cable television, high-speed internet and telephone services. Charter is one of the largest service provider in the U.S., they cover most of the country. The cost of these services are also very competitive so you will save money when you sign up with Charter. Who doesn't want to save money these days? I sure would! I wish we have Charter Communications here in my state, I need that extra savings each month plus it would be great to win that Honda Hybrid. What's better than signing up for Charter services online and get a chance to win the 'earth-friendly' Honda Civic Hybrid? Visit their website for the complete sweepstakes rules, register and sign up for Charter Communication services.
Honda Civic Hybrid details:
Polished Metal Metallic
Up to 45 mpg highway
Fabric interior
USB Audio Interface
110-hp, 8 valve, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylider engine
Continuously variable transmission
MP3 Auxiliary Input Jack
10.06.2008
49ers vs Patriots
My two teams are playing one another today. This is a rare occurence, they don't belong to the same football conference so they don't play each other often. Probably the last time they played was eight years ago. I'm first and foremost a San Francisco Forty-Niner fan. When I migrated here in the U.S. 19 years ago, I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. There are two teams in that area, the 49ers and the Raiders and I gravitated towards the Niners. The guy I was dating back then rooted for the Raiders and I made the mistake of going with him to one of their games in Oakland, what a big mistake! But that's another story. Those were the days, the Niners won all the time and went on to win the Super Bowl many Times. My all-time favorite Quarterback Steve 
Young is one of the greatest Quarterback in the NFL. I just love him and I still do! I still get giddy every time I see him on TV where he is now a football commentator. So how did I become a Patriots fan? Simple, I married a die-hard Pats fan. Dh has been a Patriots fan all his life and will be through thick or thin. I'm the same way with my 49ers, I still love them even when they were one of the worst teams in football. I hope that someday, they will win the Super Bowl again.
Here's a US Shipping Address for Those Living Internationally
If you live outside North America, it must be frustrating sometimes when shopping online. Not all internet retailers ship outside the United States or North America. This is also true with most Ebay transactions. There is good news for international buyers, you can now buy from these stores and sellers and have ship it to the California warehouse of ShipITo.com. They will send you an email when they receive your package and after you choose your shipping option, they will ship the item to your international shipping address. The service is not expensive, they get big discounts using USPS Priority Mail, Express Mail and even FedEx. Ebay sellers or store owners can use this service too. Open your own account and enter online where you want the package to be delivered. You can also refer your customers to this website and through an affiliate program, you will get 10% commission from their fees..
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10.04.2008
An Unknown Page Loads Instead of this Blog
Boy, was I in a panic ten minutes ago! When I went to this blog, it redirected to a page that was not mine. This is the screen shot of the unknown page that showed up. I checked Blogger and all my blogs are listed. The HTML showed my template so I was at a lost as to what caused this problem. I checked the page source and found this script:
SCRIPT LANGUAGE='Javascript' SRC='/babettesblog.com.js'>/SCRIPT
My daughter saw the photo of this unknown page and informed me that it is the same page that showed up when she went to a Pokemon website a month ago. Has anyone experienced this same thing? Help! What is going on?
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10.03.2008
Books at Google
I love Google. Everytime I need information about anything, I use Google. I use Google everyday. I also love to use Google Earth, have you tried it? It is awesome! I was able to pinpoint our house in the Philippines and see other places from a bird's eye view. Now they have Google Books. They have thousands of books that are available online, from reference books, novels and even books on futures trading. Google has a lot more to offer that I haven't tried using like Google Documents, Shopping and another new one, Google Scholar. How about you, have you Googled lately?
-----Read Full Post-----Customer Service and Hold Times
I called Lifetouch Portraits with regards to an email they sent me this morning. The email stated that they did not get my daughter's order form on picture day. How can that be? My daughter said that she handed them the form before her photo was taken. I also remembered that it was stated on the order form that they will not take the student's photo if there is no order form with the payment. This is an inconvenience. :(
As of this writing, I have been on hold waiting for "the next available Customer Service Representative" for 54 minutes and counting. Add to that the 15 minutes I waited the first time earlier in the day. So why am I still waiting? I want to know if someone will answer and if they do, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will hear about it. I am looking in Google for the name and contact information of their President or CEO or whoever. This is totally unacceptable! So I am in the waiting game right now. I have the phone on speakers while I'm doing chores around the house. Wish me luck!
Friends and Vacation
Isn't it nice to go on vacation and visit friends and family on the side? A friend is planning to go to North Carolina next month and she mentioned that they will also visit a common friend. Our friend just moved in the surrounding area this summer. She said that they will stay in a house they found online with Outer Banks rentals. I have not been to the beaches of North Carolina but have heard from others that it is beautiful. I've been to a part of the state but that was just an overnight stay when we were enroute to Florida many years ago. I might just plan a group vacation with my friends Mira and Lanie so we can visit our friend Michelle.
-----Read Full Post-----10.02.2008
Michelangelo's Other Pieta
This is Michelangelo's second Pieta, on display at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, Italy. They said that he probably had this in mind for his own tomb. The face of Nicodemus is a self-portrait and he most likely intended to leave much of the statue only roughly carved. The finished figure of Mary Magdalene on the left was finished by one of Michelangelo's students. It was also believed that the damaged to some parts of the sculpture was inflicted by Michelangelo when, in a moment of rage and frustration at his failing skills, he took a hammer to it.
If you want to get up close and personal to Michelangelo's work, then you should visit this piece in Florence. The entrance to the museum is only 6Euros for adults, kids are free. We were able to see it up close and there were no crowds unlike the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome where it is protected by a bulletproof glass and too far to get a close-up photo. I was able to touch this sculpture. (shhh...)
Inexpensive Eyeglasses
I really need a new pair of eyeglasses. I feel that the one I currently have is not comfortable to use for reading. Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably heard of Zenni Optical and their $8 prescription eyeglasses. Yes, you read that right, they have $8 prescription eyeglasses, it is cheap. They have been featured on Fox News and The Clark Howard Show, which is a nationally syndicated consumer advocate program, recommends this website. ZenniOptical.com has new frames available, in addition to the current stylish frames they offer. Everyone wants to save money in the midst of this financial crisis, don't you agree? By ordering your frames from Zenni Optical, you will first of all, save money with their inexpensive but stylish frames plus you will also save on the options available which are also a great value. No matter what kind of frames you need, be it Progressive lens, tinted lens, potochromic lens (the one that changes color), bifocal, double-vision and single-vision lens, Zenni Optical has it. They can sell their eyeglasses for a very low price because they manufacture the frames themselves. I've mentioned this website to my friends and family members. They couldn't believe it when I told them about how cheap the eyeglasses are compared to the places where they've gotten theirs before. Check it out for yourself at ZenniOptical.com
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Down Syndrome Awareness Month
I was dropping ECs last night when I came across a blog and read a post about October being Down Syndrome Awareness month (DSAM). This mom has a son who has Down Syndrome. Everyone knows about Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) but not everyone knows about the DSAM. We have a close family friend whose son has Down Syndrome. He went to a special needs school where he learned the skills to be independent. He is now an adult and works in the supermarket. This goes to show that they can be productive members of society even with their disability. My local supermarket also hired people with DS, they bag the groceries and sometimes even help elderly people load bags in their car. You can find out more about Down Syndrome HERE.
10.01.2008
Starting Anew
My mom arrived yesterday from her 2-month long vacation in the Philippines. She mentioned that her nephew's daughter traveled with her to Los Angeles. Apparently, this girl, who is deaf-mute came to California on a Fiancee Visa. She met her fiance on the internet and he also have the same disability as her. He visited her in the Philippines last year and they fell in love. Now, she is starting her life in this country. She is lucky because her fiance lives not too far from my mom's house. I think it is important to have some family support nearby. I also asked my mom about my brother and she replied that he is looking to get some discount furniture for his new flat in the province. I hope he will get the call from the U.S. Embassy soon. He is only waiting for his physical examination and after that he is good to go.
-----Read Full Post-----EC Daily Drop List
Hello EC droppers! I'm looking for blogs to add to my daily drops. I currently have around 70 blogs bookmarked and need more to reach my goal of 300. I found it faster and more convenient for me to drop using my bookmarks. I have a couple of blogs so you will get drops from my other blogs too. ALL I ASK IN RETURN IS FOR YOU TO RECIPROCATE MY DROPS. Easy, right? Please add your URL and Blog Title. Thank you!
If you have more than one blog, I would appreciate it if you will only add the
blog(s) on which you drop daily on. :o)
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