Wordless Wednesday

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Avoid Gift Returns, Give a Gift Card

Every Christmas season, one of my problems is finding a gift for relatives and this year is no different. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. There are people who are either very picky or have eccentric tastes. You give them what you think is the perfect present and then find out later that they returned or exchanged the gift or worse, re-gifted it to you! For relatives like these, I prefer to give them gift cards. By doing so, it saves me the trouble of looking for the perfect gift. By giving them these gift cards, they will have the option of buying what they really want or getting something that they need. There is a website called GiftCardMall.com where you can choose from hundreds of gift cards from different retailers in the country.
This year, the after Christmas savings are huge. Those who received gift cards definitely were able to avail of these savings thus your gift have let them get more for your money. At GiftCardMall.com, you can choose from about 80,000 retailers, restaurants, grocery and even drug stores. If you are looking for a gift card for someone who is a big baseball fan, they have the MLB gift card and other sports related gift cards. Gift cards are the perfect gift for this holiday season and any other special occasions. Visit GiftCardMall.com.

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all my Christian friends!
Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends!
Have a great day to the rest of my friends!
Whatever it is you celebrate or not this time of the year,
I hope you all have a great time. :o)
~ Babette ~

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Busy as a Bee

Just like everyone on this planet who celebrates Christmas, I've been busy as a bee. Aside from shopping for gifts (which I've finished yay!), we've been busy with the kids' school activities too. Dh also had their Christmas party at work. They had the food catered but was asked to bring desserts so I made his favorite cake. It's called Fiddler on the Roof cake and I covered it with a dark chocolate ganache. I sprinkled some red and green sugar on it so it kind of looks like a Christmas wreath. :o)

Then we had a huge snow storm and it dumped more than a foot of snow in our town and the surrounding areas. I took this photo four hours into the storm and the snow was already thick. It was twice as much the next morning. The kids sure had fun playing outside the next morning, you can view the photos HERE.
The kids also had their Christmas pageant in the school church last Thursday. My daughter was one of the angels and my son was an elf. You can see him sitting beside Santa Claus in the photo below. The Magi is blocking Mary and Joseph so you don't see them here.

So I'm finally done with all the gift wrapping. :o) Next on my schedule is house cleaning and laundry (exciting! LOL). My in-laws, dh's brothers and their families are coming for Christmas eve dinner. Then on Christmas day, we invited a friend and her husband for dinner. After that is rest day then we will go to Mira's house for our annual Christmas party. Phew! Just thinking about it makes me want to lie down and rest. LOL
What are your plans for the next couple of days?

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Photohunt #3 - Wide

Giant Sequoias at Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park (one of my favorite places in the world).

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"Soundtrack of Your Life" Meme

I saw this from Ms. Orange a long time ago and decided I want to do it too! I couldn't find my MP3 until yesterday (it was in the pantry!? Don't ask, I have no idea why. LOL)
Anyway, here it is. As you can see, I have varied music interests. I swear I only have one from Flo Rida. LOL
I linked each to a YouTube video or a music clip.

Instructions:
1. Open your MP3 player
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. List down whichever song comes up

My soundtrack:
1) Opening Credits: Always Something There To Remind Me (Naked Eyes)
2) Waking up: Beautiful Disaster (John McLaughlin)
3) Falling in love: Show me Your Smile (Apo Hiking Society)
4) Fight song: Oceans Apart (Acoustic Alchemy)
5) Break up song: Boogie Wonderland (Earth, Wind and Fire)
6) Making Up: Just the Two of Us (Grover Washington Jr.)
7) Life’s Okay: Come What May (Herb Alpert and Lani Hall)
8) Mental Breakdown: Suddenly Back to Me (Mike Francis)
9) Driving: Africa (Toto)
10) Flashbacks: Rock with You (Michael Jackson)
11) Happy Dance: Trouble (Pink)
12) Regret: Low (Flo-Rida)
13) Final Battle: More Than a Woman (Bee Gees)
14) Death Scene: Friends (Mike Francis)
15) Final Credits: Can't Cry Hard Enough (The Williams Brothers)

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Deck The Halls

I love the holidays! Christmas is a favorite time of year for a lot of people, including me. I love how the house is transformed into a festive place with the fresh tree and Christmas decorations. It usually takes me a couple of days to finish decorating the house. I don't go overboard though. Much of the decors are centered in one room while the other rooms in the house have a couple of decors to convey the season. So I present to you, my family's Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations. I'm also showing some of my favorite ornaments.

This Precious Moment's ornament is for my daughter's 1st Christmas in 1999.

This cute ornament is for my son's 1st Christmas in 2004

This cute Santa is from Carlota. She gave it
to me many years ago. :o)

I love collecting crystal ornaments. I like the way the light
shines through it which gives the tree an almost magical feel. This
is a Lenox ornament and is one in a set of five.

This is one of 12 Lenox porcelain snowflake ornaments. Just like a
real snowflake, each one is different. It has a hanging metal
plate in the middle which depicts one of the 12 Days of Christmas

Another one of my various spun glass ornament.

I bundled up these small frosted balls. I love the way it looks.

The Nativity Scene, baby Jesus is hidden some other place
in the house until Christmas Eve.

The stocking hangers are also picture frames. I put dh and my photos
when we were small kids along with my kids' photos in each corresponding hanger.

My simple stairway. I used to have many more
red Christmas balls but my son broke most of
it last year. LOL
My Christmas village. The little people are currently in my son's bedroom
where they are part of a pirate ship crew. LOL

I would love to see your Christmas decorations. Leave your link so I can visit your blog. :o)

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A Rare Shopping Day with My Family

I prefer to go shopping by myself with the exception of a rare outing with my BFF Mira and mareng Lanie. (Hey ladies, we haven't gone out for a long time! LOL) Dh does not enjoy shopping and I find it hard to shop with my kids around. Today however, we went to the mall to get a few things. The Christmas Pageant at school is this Thursday and I need to get a pair of dress shoes for my son and a pair of slacks for my daughter. Of course, we ended up getting more than that plus the kids had a rare photo with Santa. We don't do it every year since my daughter was scared of him when she was little. Dh saw a pair of knit sweaters and a Boston Celtics cap so we got that. We went to the GAP and found a nice shirt for my son and pair of slacks for my daughter. We saw a nice puff jacket with a hood and since she's been asking me to buy her one for a long time, I decided to get it for her. We also got her a scarf and a pair of ballet flats. Imagine my surprise when she asked if she can get a pair of metallic ballet flats. OMG, I can tell that my daughter is now a 'tween'. She chooses her clothes and shoes and does not let me do it for her. I don't know if I felt happy or sad or maybe I felt both emotions. My first born will be in the double digits next month! How time flies...pretty soon she'll start asking me about fat burners and make-up.

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Long Tag (No Kidding!)

I received this looooooooong tag from Shy. :o) It is that long! LOL

Rules:

1. tag 5 friends (not the one who sent it to you!)
2. answer all truthfully
3. take it in public!
4. tell all tags on their profile that they have been tagged

OK, let’s start this long tag.

Info:

[x ] I am shorter than 5′4.

[ ] I think I’m ugly sometimes.

[ ] I tan easily.

[ ] I wish my hair was a different color.

[ ] I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.


[ ] I have a tattoo.

[ ] I am self-conscious about my appearance.

[ ] I have/I’ve had braces.

[x ] I wear glasses/contacts.

[ ] I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.

[ ] I’ve been told I’m attractive by a complete stranger.

[] I have more than 2 piercing.

[ ] I have piercing in places besides my ears.

[ ] I have freckles.

Family/Home Life

[ ] I’ve sworn at my parents.

[ ] I’ve run away from home.

[ ] I’ve been kicked out of the house.

[x] My biological parents are together.

[ ] I have a sibling less than one year old.

[x] I want to have kids someday. - I already have 2.

[ ] I’ve lost a child.

School/Work

[ ] I’m in school

[ ] I have a job

[ ] I’ve fallen asleep at work/school.

[x ] I almost always do/did my homework.

[ ] I’ve missed a week or more of school.

[ ] I failed more than 1 class last year.

[ ] I’ve stolen something from my job.

[ ] I’ve been fired.

Embarrassment

[ ] I’ve slipped out a “lol” in a spoken conversation.

[ ] Disney movies still make me cry.

[ ] I’ve peed from laughing.

[ ] I’ve snorted while laughing.

[ ] I’ve laughed so hard I’ve cried.

[ ] I’ve glued my hand to something.

[ x] I’ve had my pants rip in public.

Health

[ ] I was born with a disease/impairment.

[ ] I’ve gotten stitches/staples.

[ ] I’ve broken a bone.

[ ] I’ve had my tonsils removed.

[ ] I’ve sat in a doctor’s office/emergency room with a friend.

[ ] I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed.

[ ] I had a serious surgery.

[ ] I’ve had chicken pox.

[ ] I’ve had measles

Traveling

[ x] I’ve driven over 200 miles in one day

[x] I’ve been on a plane.

[x ] I’ve been to Canada.

[x ] I’ve been to Mexico.

[x ] I’ve been to Niagara Falls.

[x ] I’ve been to Japan.

[ ] I’ve celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

[x] I’ve been to Europe.

[ ] I’ve been to Africa.

Experiences

[ ] I’ve gotten lost in my city.

[x] I’ve seen a shooting star.

[x] I’ve wished on a shooting star

[x ] I’ve seen a meteor shower.

[ ] I’ve gone out in public in my pajamas.

[x ] I’ve pushed all the buttons on an elevator.

[ ] I’ve kicked a guy where it hurts.

[x ] I’ve been to a casino.

[ ] I’ve been skydiving.

[ ] I’ve gone skinny dipping

[x] I’ve played spin the bottle.

[ ] I’ve drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.

[x ] I’ve crashed a car.

[x ] I’ve been skiing.

[x] I’ve been in a play.

[ ] I’ve met someone in person from myspace.

[x ] I’ve caught a snowflake on my tongue.

[ ] I’ve seen the Northern lights.

[ ] I’ve sat on a roof top at night.

[ ] I’ve played chicken.

[ ] I’ve played a prank on someone.

[x ] I’ve ridden in a taxi.

[ ] I’ve seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[x] I’ve eaten sushi.

[ ] I’ve been snowboarding.

Relationships

[ ] I’m single

[ ] I’m in a relationship.

[ ] I’m engaged.

[x] I’m married.

[x ] I’ve gone on a blind date.

[ ] I’ve been the dumped more than the dumper.

[ ] I miss someone right now.

[ ] I have a fear of abandonment.

[ ] I’ve gotten divorced.

[ ] I’ve had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back.

[ ] I’ve told someone I loved them when I didn’t.

[ ] I’ve kept something from a past relationship.

[ ] I’ve had a crush on someone of the same sex.

[ x] I’ve had a crush on a teacher

[ x] I’ve been kissed in the rain.

[ x] I’ve hugged a stranger.

[ ] I have kissed a stranger.

Honesty/Crime

[ ] I’ve done something I promised someone else I wouldn’t.

[x ] I’ve done something I promised myself I wouldn’t.

[ ] I’ve snuck out of my house.

[x] I have lied to my parents about where I am.

[x ] I am keeping a secret from the world.

[ ] I’ve cheated while playing a game.

[ ] I’ve cheated on a test.

[ ] I’ve run a red light.

[ ] I’ve been suspended from school.

[x ] I’ve witnessed a crime.

[ ] I’ve been in a fist fight

[ ] I’ve been arrested.

Drugs/Alcohol

[x ] I’ve consumed alcohol.

[ ] I regularly drink.

[ ] I’ve passed out from drinking.

[ ] I have passed out drunk at least once in the past 6 months.

[ ] I’ve smoked weed

[ ] I’ve taken painkillers when I didn’t need them.

[ ] I’ve eaten shrooms.

[ ] I’ve popped E.

[ ] I’ve inhaled Nitrous.

[ ] I’ve done hard drugs.

[ ] I have cough drops when I’m not sick.

[ ] I can swallow about 5 pills at a time no problem.

[ ] I have been diagnosed with clinical depression.

[ ] I have been diagnosed with one or more anxiety disorder.

[ ] I shut others out when I’m depressed.

[ ] I take anti-depressants.

[ ] I’m anorexic or bulimic.

[ ] I’ve slept an entire day when I didn’t need it.

[ ] I’ve hurt myself on purpose.

[x ] I’ve woken up crying.

Death and Suicide

[ ] I’m afraid of dying.

[ ] I hate funerals.

[ ] I’ve seen someone dying.

[ ] Someone close to me has attempted suicide.

[ ] Someone close to me has committed suicide.

[ ] I’ve planned my own suicide.

[ ] I’ve attempted suicide.

[ ] I’ve written a eulogy for myself.

Materialism

[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs.

[x] I own an iPod or MP3 player.

[ ] I have an unhealthy obsession with anime/manga.

[ x] I own multiple designer purses, costing over $100 a piece.

[ ] I own something from Hot Topic.

[ ] I own something from Pac Sun.

[ ] I collect comic books.

[x ] I own something from The Gap.

[ ] I own something I got on e-bay.

[x ] I own something from Abercrombie.

Random

[ ] I can sing well.

[ ] I’ve stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.

[ ] I open up to others easily.

[x] I watch the news.

[ ] I don’t kill bugs.

[x ] I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for the sake of being able to rhyme.

[ ] I curse regularly.

[ ] I sing in the shower.

[x ] I am a morning person.

[ x] I paid for my cell phone ring tone.

[x ] I’m a snob about grammar.

[ ] I am a sports fanatic.

[ ] I twirl my hair.

[ ] I have “x”s in my screen name.

[x] I love being neat.

[ ] I love Spam

[ ] I’ve copied more than 30 CD’s in a day.

[ x] I bake well.

[x ] My favorite color is either white, yellow, pink, red or blue.

[ ] I’ve worn pajamas to school.

[ ] I like Martha Stewart.

[ x] I know how to shoot a gun

[ ] I am in love with love

[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.

[x ] I laugh at my own jokes.

[ ] I eat fast food weekly.

[x ] I believe in ghosts.

[ ] I am online 24/7, even as an away message.

[ ] I’ve not turned anything in and still got an A in a certain class.

[ ] I can’t sleep if there is a spider in the room.

[ ] I am really ticklish.

[x ] I love white chocolate.

[ ] I bite my nails.

[x ] I play video games.

[ x] I’m good at remembering names.

[ x] I’m good at remembering dates.

[ ] I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I'm passing this on to whoever needs an interim post. LOL

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Good News!

For me! I just received a call from Dell that my notebook is on it's way back. Yipee! I checked FEDEx and found out that it is out for delivery. I hope I will get it today. please please please... :o) I wrote a post about my notebook going out to the computer doctor HERE. I am surprised and pleased that it is fixed this fast considering it's not even a whole week. Great job Dell! Considering how much I paid for it, I did not expect anything less than stellar service.

Getting my notebook means I will be back to my regular programming schedule very soon. So my daily EC drops will commence shortly. :o) I'll be able to catch up with my daily blog reads and find out about this Lipovox which my friend mentioned the other day.

Now, the waiting game starts.

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My Christmas Wish List

So, aside from peace and prosperity for the whole world, what do you really want this Christmas?
Here are some of the things I would like to receive.

Canon Digital Rebel XSi SLR

After my Nikon bailed out on me during our Europe vacation, dh and I swore we will never get another Nikon again. We have another digital camera but it is just a simple point and shoot camera, an Olympus. We are not satisfied with the picture quality even though it's good. I guess after having the Nikon, we got used to the excellent quality only a SLR can give. So goodbye Nikon and hopefully hello Canon! LOL

Nintendo Wii Fit
Everyone wants to be healthy and fit, and that includes yours truly. Why not exercise and have fun at the same time? I heard people lose weight using this system. I guess after seeing your 'real' Mii (not your make-believe Mii), one will be encouraged to lose all that extra weight. LOL

Flannel PJs


I love wearing PJs. My legs get cold easily so I prefer PJs to nightgowns. I love flannel ones in winter.



Cardigan Twin Set Cashmere Sweater


Love it!



Leonidas Belgian Chocolates


The name says it all. Love it, love it, love it!





How about you? What 's on your list?


***By the way, if you shop at BJ's Club Store, there is a Christmas tree near the entrance. There are tags hanging on this tree and each tag represents a child. Written on the tag is the age and sex of the child along with the things that it needs (usually clothing). Since you're shopping for gifts and whatnot, why don't you grab a tag and shop for at least one kid. There is a red basket near the Christmas tree where you drop off the Christmas gift for that child. Make someone else happy this Christmas. :o)

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What Happened the Year I Was Born?

This has been long overdue, I've been looking online for performance parts and completely forgot about this. I received this tag from Janis. :o) Thank you!
Those in ( ) are my comments.

In 1965 (the year you were born)

(Yes, I'm old as dirt and
quite proud of it! LOL)

Lyndon B. Johnson is president of the US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara calls for a nationwide network of bomb shelters ( :oO ) Former leader of the Black Muslims, Malcolm X, is shot and killed in New York City ( :o( ) To protest voting rights discrimination, civil rights demonstrators begin a march for Selma to Montgomery with federal troop protection (Bloody Sunday :o( ) The first commercial satellite, Early Bird, is launched into space by Nasa to transmit telephone and television signals (First space junk) Voting Rights Act is signed into law (What a great year!) Riots by young blacks in the Watts area of Los Angeles begin, causing $200 million in damage ( :o( ) Hurricane Betsy claims 75 lives in southern Florida and Louisiana ( :o( ) United States President Lyndon Johnson proclaims his "Great Society" during his State of the Union address ( :o{ ) Dr. Dre, Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Downey Jr., Shania Twain, Moby, and Ben Stiller are born (Hmm, no wonder I like Moby's music. ) Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series (Red Sox rules 40 years later :o)) Green Bay Packers win the NFL championship (Go Cheeseheads! For the record, I'm a 49er and Pats fan. LOL) Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup (Hockey, what hockey?) The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews, is the top grossing film (Love this!) Dune by Frank Herbert is published (So-so movie.) The Beatles' Rubber Soul is released "Satisfaction" by Rolling Stones is a top hit (I Like this song.) The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing songs from their new album Help! (I like the Beatles.) Sony introduces the Betamax, a home video tape recorder (I'm as old as the Betamax! LOL) Nearly all of NBC's programs are now broadcast in color (Yipee!) I Dream of Jeannie premieres

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

This is for Lanie, Mira, Amy, baby Samantha, Lance and Shy

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Jessical Alba Magazine Cover: What You See...

...Isn't necessarily what you get. We've heard it all before, everything is airbrushed in magazine covers. Here's another one and I can say that I am not surprised. The latest victim of this kind of intrigue is Jessica Alba. For someone who just had a baby, she looks pretty darn good! So why do magazine people see the need to airbrush her photos? I wrote a post months ago about Gwyneth Paltrow's Vogue cover HERE where she has a long alien like neck because of a bad Photoshop job. Do you think that these celebrities know beforehand that they will be airbrushed? I think photo editors use their Photoshop programs too much, don't you think so?

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One Way to Advance Your Nursing Career

The profession of Nursing has always been very competitive here in the US and around the world. It is also considered a career that is almost recession proof. If you are in the nursing field and would like to get ahead of your peers, one way to do it would be to get a Master's Degree in Nursing. One major problem that nurses face when they want to pursue further studies in their field is the lack of time. That is where studying online has the biggest advantage. With Saint Xavier University's online Master of Science in Nursing - Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL), you can work full time and pursue your MS nursing at the same time. After taking this online course, you will be eligible to take the CNL Certification Examination which is administered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

So what is the requirement? You need a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university to be admitted to this master's program. You will have 1 weekend of applied campus experience combined with the online courses. Saint Xavier University's graduate programs are of high quality and are delivered by professional faculty. This university was given the recognition as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. There is only 15 nursing schools in the country that received this honor. If you want to advance your education and increase your potential for promotion or advancement in your nursing career, visit Saint Xavier University's website.

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Let It Snow

We are had our first snow yesterday. It's nice to be inside the house and watch the snowfall. We have a wooded lot so everything is quiet and peaceful. When you look out the front lawn, all you will see are trees, very tall trees. Snow is only good when you are indoors. If you're out and about, snow isn't as attractive. Driving during the first few hours of a snowfall isn't for the faint of heart. It is very easy to slip and slide. I'm thankful that I'm driving a 4WD. Coming from a tropical country and living in California, I was not used to driving in the snow.

I remember the first time, I was in Rochester, NY for work training. It was Spring but it still snowed. That was a scary week for me. I've received snow driving tips from everyone in the class which came in handy. The most important tip is to drive SLOWLY and take turns even SLOWER!

Yesterday, we went to the Christmas tree farm which is 5 minutes away, to get our tree. I told dh, "snow or no snow, we will get it". We've been coming to this farm called 'A Quiet Place' for years now. The couple who runs it is very friendly and the guy kinda looks like Santa if he only has his beard a little longer. LOL He didn't raise his prices. I guess he figured that if he did, people will not buy from him. We noticed that there are more trees that aren't tagged this year. Maybe some people want to save and just got their tree from Home Depot.

Christmas is almost here and I need to finish up on my decoration. It is always freezing each year we pick up our tree and this year is no exception. Only this year, we have an added bonus, SNOW!

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Off to the Doctor

It's amazing how we become dependent on our computer. I use it everyday in every aspect of my life. My notebook has all my files, recipes, photos and whatnot. The wireless capabilities makes it very valuable since I can do household chores and multi-task at the same time. i.e. drop ECs
When we went on vacation to Europe, I brought this with me so I was able to check emails and confirm reservations. It is small and compact. It measures roughly under 12in. x 9 in. and weighs under 5 lbs.
Now, I will be without my trusty notebook for a couple of weeks. I'm shipping it today to Dell to have it fixed. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I prefer to keep this notebook rather than get a new one. It'll cost me more $$ to pay for a model with the same capabilities since it's a gaming laptop that has all the bells and whistles(Dell XPS). It has 2 GB of memory, gotta love that. I enjoy playing computer games and this notebook is powerful enough to run even the most complicated game. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed and will drop it off to FedEx this afternoon. I hope I'll get it before the end of this year since I need to make sure that our membership cards are good through next year.

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A Filipina Swept by A 3 ft. Wave

I saw this news on Yahoo yesterday. What was supposed to be a happy day for a couple turned deadly. Leafil Alforque just arrived from the Philippines three days before this tragedy happened. Her fiance planned to propose in a popular romantic spot in the coast of Oregon called Proposal Rock. As they were walking towards the rock, a big wave came and swept her out to sea. Her fiance couldn't do anything to save her. This is so sad and tragic. What was supposed to be the beginning of a wonderful life with her fiance ended before it even started.
You can read the full story HERE.

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Ditching Land Line for Cellular

I heard it on the news that some people are getting rid of their regular phones in place of cell phones. I also know of friends that does not have a land line in their houses. Doing this saves them money since they only pay for one service. It makes sense, why pay another bill when you can use your cell phone in your house. Of course, this all depends on how good the signal is inside your house or else you'll sound like that guy on TV "Can you hear me now?" while moving from room to room to get a good signal. LOL If you don't have a good signal, you may want to consider purchasing some cell phone amplifiers. This will make your signal stronger when inside a house or a building. Right now, I cannot change my service yet since I signed up for one of those bundle services. I'll have to consider this once my contract agreement is over.

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Get Me some Poise Pads

What are Poise pads? Well, it looks like a regular sanitary napkin and are used for incontinence. I am not suffering from it BUT I have been using it lately. Why? because sometimes, I cough so hard that a little bit comes out. That's what I get from having kids, they're worth it though. I've been having this terrible coughing fit for a week now. Two weeks ago, it started when I lost my voice and I had a cold. Can you imagine losing your voice as a mom? Terrible! LOL Then last week, my cough got worse and I'll have this long coughing fit. It has even gotten to a point where I'll have a restless night because of it. So finally, yesterday, I went to my health provider's urgent care unit. The doctor said that she can hear some wheezing in my lungs. They gave me this breathing machine to use for 5 minutes then they took some chest x-rays. Good news is I don't have Bronchitis or walking Pneumonia. She gave me antibiotics and a cough syrup with Codeine. Hopefully this will take care of my cough although my abs are getting quite a workout. :o)

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Things That are Not Cool to Receive

Have you received a gift that made you mutter to yourself "What were they thinking?" I know, it's the thought that counts but it makes you think that they don't care for you if they did not put much thought into your gift. I remember I heard a complaint that someone gave her a night splint for her Plantar Fasciitis. The only exception to this rule are children, no matter what my kids give me, even if it's just a piece of paper with my son's scrawly handwriting , it's still the BEST gift.

Here are some things I do not want to receive for Christmas:
1. Chia Pet - need I say more? LOL
2. Oven mittens or pot holders - I prefer Ove gloves
3. Anything that is from "As Seen On TV" commercials
4. Night Gown - I prefer PJs. My MIL gave me this horrendous (for me at least) green velvet night gown. I didn't care for it but I'm sure it was beautiful for her since it's her favorite color. I smiled and politely said "thanks mom!". LOL I shipped it to my mom in CA and she loves it.
5. Anything from the Dollar Store or Savers
6. Wall ornament - What if it clashes with my decor? I don't like to be pressured into hanging it.
7. Wall plates with faces of people - I received a commemorative plate with Princess Diana on it. I like her but I don't want it as a decoration.
8. Any clothing with Christmas decoration on it.

I'm sure I have some other things I can add to this. LOL How about you, what wouldn't you want to receive for Christmas?

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Video Card, R.I.P.

What a bummer, my notebook's NVIDIA video card died yesterday. I have my Dell XPS M1210 for a year and a half now and it is a workhorse. These past few days, it has been acting weird. The screen freezes up and the error message is that is was caused by the failure of the video driver. The disadvantage of a notebook is that almost everything is built in to the motherboard. If one component fails, you have to replace the whole motherboard. I called Dell yesterday and asked for a quote. Wow, I can buy myself a new notebook! But I will have this one fixed since it'll cost 3x that amount if I get a notebook with the same features. Thank goodness for PPP and PayU2, I'm using the funds from blogging to pay for this repair. :o) To the EC droppers, I will try to reciprocate your drops. Right now, I am using my desktop but I don't have my EC bookmarks. :o(

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Wordless Wednesday - Venice, Before and After

June 2008

December 2008

Photo Credit: AP

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Ways to Save $

Now that the economy is down, what are the ways you save money? We have pizza night once a month and now I make our own pizza since our local pizza place raised the minimum delivery order up to $25. I've shopped around for cheaper car insurance, we received a discount when we chose one through dh's company. They also gave us other discounts since we also signed up for our home insurance. We also received multiple car discounts, alarm and others. We installed a wood stove in our fireplace to save on the high cost of heating oil. I'm sure I'll find other ways to save around the house.

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November Top 25 Entrecard Droppers

I listed 25 of my Entrecard top droppers for last month with a 'do follow' link. This list is from my RSS feed on EC. Last October, I displayed those who dropped without fail on my sidebar and will do the same for November and the following months.
Thank you to all EC droppers whether you made it to the list or not. If you're not in my EC daily drop list, please add your link so I can drop on you too. :o)

Top droppers on Entrecard
Kuerdas! (31)
This blog will mostly speak about entertainment, fashion and style, movies, lifestyle, health and home, environment, our passion for music and more!
Chica & Pumuckl - 2 Egyptian Cats in Germany (31)
Funny Blog about 2 Funny Cats.
Multiply themes / marviepons (31)
Customized layout,CSS, HTML and tips and tricks for the networking site, multiply.
24patrol (31)
Lets us talk about news, trends, environment and information online
Journal of Journey (31)
Blogging about anything that is interesting and sometimes talks about SEO as well..

Computer Aid (30)
Interesting PC problems encountered by a Computer Tech. Plus some other stuff :-)
The Way I See It (30)
My thoughts, opinions and personal observations on a wide variety of subjects, sometimes mixed with humor and including travel, retirement, opinion, politics, child sponsorship with Children International and life experiences. News and views from my perspective.
Big Boys Have Toys Too (30)
A sports minded father of 2 who loves to write about anything that interests men and women.
Our Journey to Forever (30)
A personal blog which talks about daily life's mutterings, rantings and whinings may it be in the category of love and relationships, health and home, travel, fashion and lifestyle, sports and a whole lot more!
Mrs. G (29)
Mrs. G shares her tips on successfully operating a household.
Lainy's Musings
A blog showcasing my mutterings, random rants, raves and whinings on life's daily maneuvers.
Symphony of Love
Bringing you Love and Inspiration!
Night Clicks
Sharing Experiences about blogging at night: Articles, opinions and tools.
A Simple Life
A 40 year old mother of two who likes to write just about anything. A baking enthusiast, a crafter and a hobbyist. This is about me, my views, my interests and my favorites.
Sports 2000
A blog for people who want to know what's happening but who can't spend all day watching ESPN or Sky Sports.
Web Blog of Greg Mathews
Posting on anything that catches my attentions from SEO experiences with Google to things in the news
Simply Shiny Artisan Handmade Jewelry
(Widget above the fold) Generally semi-coherent blurbs from a working mom of a toddler with a busy jewelry business.
UpFront News
A UK based Citizen's Media Site
Tomorrow is Here
Come with me on a journey to the frontier of scientific knowledge, a stroll to the cutting edge of research.
What is improbable today could be possible tomorrow. Some science fiction of my childhood is already fact. Tomorrow is here.
Mira's Web Journal
An online chronicle of my daily reflections.
EU Watch
A critical look at the European Union, what it is doing, why it is doing it, where it is going.
Metallman's Reverie
What are you views on life? What are you thoughts on random nothingness. Add some poetry, anime, reviews, movies, and everything else and you have my blog.
DedeAndro™
Just another DedeAndro™ weblog
Everything Under the Sun
About life, relationship, church,people. Anything we can talk about under the big big sun.
My Sweet Haven
A collection of my thoughts, rantings and ravings, dreams, reveries, hobbies, interests a

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