Work and Play

More and more mothers are resigning from the workforce to put up their own home based business. They want to spend more time with the kids yet still have income to pay for the bills. This was rare and almost impossible to accomplish ten years ago but with the advancement of technology, there are businesses that you can do from the comforts of your own home. I know a friend who makes and sells jewelry online and she's earning a lot. There are also tons of reseller packages for almost anything in the Internet, which allows anyone to put up a business without having to know it all. You can have your own hosting company, domain registration, etc just by paying a small fee monthly. And did I mention paid blogging? I can't stress enough how easy it is to earn money through blogs.

Seeing your kids grow up right before your eyes is something that money can't buy. But if you can do both, then I don’t see why not? Just look at me. I design websites for a living and still spend almost every waking hour with the little one.

A Beautiful Life

I've been doing well on my design projects. Just last week, I received two quote requests, one for an agent selling Arizona real estate and another one a brochure for a fitness company. I can't believe I'm receiving lots of projects lately. I guess I have my website to thank for. Ever since I finished my portfolio site, design requests have been coming in regularly. I have the best of both worlds. Doing what I love, and getting paid to do it.

Permanent Makeup?

Contrary to what it is called, Permanent eye makeup is not really permanent, after all. Clinics and other establishments offering the procedure claim that its effects last anywhere from 1 to 5 years. Still, anyone thinking of having this procedure done must make sure she takes the time to find out about it and goes only to a professional, reputable clinic. Highly competent cosmetic/makeup professionals will typically require several meetings with a patient prior to actually performing the procedure. The patient is shown several “versions”; where different designs (of eyebrow and eyeliner makeup) are hand-drawn and the patient evaluates each one. The application of the “permanent” makeup is only performed after the patient has chosen the design she likes best.

Sponsored by Blogitive

Time for a big bed?

This is another one of those sickening look-at-this-cute-baby-furniture post. If you're not a mother, that is. Because if you are, then you will feel the same way whenever you see lovely things for the baby. You forget to buy your own shoes or bag because you'd rather get a cute outfit for your little one. The husband is very supportive of my addiction by the way so I have nothing to worry about. In fact, there are times when he's the one who urges me to buy baby things "just because it's cute".

So what is it this time?

I was browsing some Da Vinci baby furniture and found this super cute Elizabeth II toddler bed! We desperately need one! Well, not really, since we're still co-sleeping. But it's just so cute; don't you think? I can just imagine seeing Sandy sleeping on her new bed. Yeah right! As if she'll sleep anywhere without me.

The Graveyard Shift

It's late and I don't know how long I can keep my eyes open anymore. I still have about 5 design task and I'm so far from finishing my paid post about Imperial Palace Las Vegas. The Husband is snoring beside me and I'm trying my best not to throw anything at him. Forget about waking up the little girl, his snoring can rouse the whole village. I believe that the nighttime is the best time for me to work. No Sandy calling her mommy every 10 minutes, no phone calls to take and no TV shows to distract me. Except I need to watch out for my husband’s snoring or else, the little one might wake up and ask for me.

Oh well, back to work. If only my eyes will let me.

Movers and Shakers

Want to be a part of something big? There's a new social neworking tool called uVme that's about to hit the market. This tool combines three of the most successful and interesting phenomena in the Internet - online games, social networking with instant live communication and social marketing. The online games business is huge and worth approximately $164US per second ($5.2 billion USD annually). People of all ages play paid games online to have fun, compete in tournaments, and even meet friends. You can tap through this growing business by joining uVme. You don't need to spend money, drive people to your game site or pay for developers to create games. All you have to do is build your team of players and associates to boost your earnings.

Game revenue, fast start bonus, power pool revenue share, group generation bonus and infinity bonus are just one of the many ways to earn money with uVme. This business is growing every second. Visit the uVme site to get the have the "first mover advantage" and start building your business.

The smart one

I've been raving enough on how my little girl loves books. But do you know that she can recite some of the lines by heart?

One afternoon while reading to her "Corduroy Goes to The Doctor"
ME: Corduroy goes to the doctor. The room ...
Sandy: Has toys and books

While I'm resting on the bed, she entered the room alone. I was a bit surprised because she seem to act like a grown up who just arrived from some place.
ME: Hey, Sandy! Where have you been?
Sandy: I've been to London. To visit the queen.

She got that from her "pussy cat" book, btw.

Just like any other toddler, she loves to watch cartoons. While watching little mermaid, she said,

Sandy: She's saaaad!! (I looked and Ariel was indeed sad)
Sandy: She's happy! Not sad anymow. (Ariel is laughing in another scene)

She also sings the theme song like this- "Look at this. Isinitnit. Wudeyabin collections complete" (Look at this stuff, isn't it neat.Wouldn't you think my collections complete.)

She's so smart. I can't be any prouder.

Just Visiting

Most of the Husband's relatives from his father's side live in UK. I've always been fascinated to hear their stories and experiences from starting a family in a foreign land, sending your kids to school knowing he/she might find it hard to adjust, coping with peer pressure and finding a stable job to keep your family safe and healthy. Everyday seems to be an adventure ever since they moved there and I can't help but feel the need to experience some of them myself. What I love to hear most are their travels and how close they are to some of the the coolest and historical attractions around UK.

I came across a website today called www.hotelshopuk.com that offers hotel booking in UK right up to the last minute. Their hotel listings are varied with plenty of packages to choose from. Just by browsing the site made me want to visit the attractions mentioned there. I've heard so much about the Chatsworth House - its historic and beautiful houses, famous works of art, spectacular fountains and more. It just makes me think of fairy tales, don't you? I would also want to see the Black Country Museum. I am fascinated with anything historical and would love to be transported back in time. These attractions are available for booking through hotelshopuk.com complete with accommodation and breakfast or dinner. They also offer a London Experience Break in Kensington Palace with one night accommodation in a 3 star hotel. All in all it's a great site for planning your last minute travels.

Work Sleep Work

I didn't get enough sleep last night. Since losing Sandy's yaya, I haven't found enough time to work during the day. Which is why I try to work when the little one is asleep in the afternoon and at night. There's not much stuff that I can do if I'm sleepy and tired from taking care of a toddler the whole day though. So the work nights consist of staring into my computer wondering if I can get something done at all.

Everything's a work in progress these days.

Wishlists Ready?

Christmas is just around the corner. Knowing how hard it is to shop in December, I'm one of those who shop for presents as early as September. I used to look forward to my Christmas shopping but now that I discovered online coupons, I don't think I can wait in line for hours anymore. My friends' and husband's wish lists consists mainly of books and electronic products so this is going to be easy. I already found several coupons at CouponChief.com and I can't wait to use them. The Husband wants to buy a new lens for his DSLR so my ritz camera coupons will definitely come in handy. I'm also planning to avail some magazines.com deals to get a subscription for a friend who loves photography. And of course, I made sure to grab a couple BabyCenter coupons for the little one. Shopping will not be complete unless I get her something.

The Little Girl and Her New Word

Sandy fell off the bed today. At that moment, I'm not exactly sure if she's okay. She was lying face down on the floor, unmoving. While I was recovering from shock and convincing myself that she'll be fine, she suddenly moved and said ...






















"Pucha! Sandy fell" then giggled non-stop.

I don't know if I should laugh or what.

We Love Tobi

Looking for the latest fashions or just to buy a new outfit for that romantic date? Check out Tobi.com. This online shopping boutique caters to men and women with over sixty plus brands to choose from. I especially liked their collection of Velvet clothing. The designs of velvet apparel may be simple but that's exactly their strength. It's very posh, classy and can be functional as well. Most of the shirts are long so it hides the bulges while giving your body a sexy silhouette. Velvet clothes are also good for layering. This outfit is made for every woman and will look great over high-waited jeans. The super soft cashmere knit can be used when it's too cold for just a t-shirt and too hot for a jacket.



I liked how the site allows shoppers to build your own personal specialty shop called My Tobi. With My Tobi, you can customize your shopping experience by choosing only the brands and categories that you like, upload photos to style your My Tobi page, receive shopping advice and recommendations from your own very personal stylist.

Tobi.com's main goal is to provide the best online shopping experience and I can say that they are very close to achieving it.

The Long Weekend

I can't believe the long weekend is over. I was supposed to have rest and catch up on sleep but all I can remember is going from one mall to another. I also remember spending less than $200 in the span of three days. Our helper was on leave for three days so we just ordered in or went out to eat. It's one of those things that you can add on your "how not to save money" list. It was fun, though. I got to visit Trinoma, a new shopping mall which is very far from our house. Normally, the Husband hates going anywhere besides Makati so when he suggested Trinoma, I immediately said, yes please!

Here's a preview of Sandy's weekend getaway.

Landscaping

My mother-in-law's latest addiction is landscaping. She's looking to buy some teak outdoor furniture and planning to install a small fountain because she believes water will bring wealth. She even found an antique swing set that she thinks Sandy will love. I admit that I'm looking forward to the final look but I'm not sure if all those things that she wants to get will fit in her already crowded front yard. Worth a try though. I'm sure I'll do the same when I have my own house.

0% on everything

With so many competitors these days, credit card companies are offering lower intetest rates and other perks. Mint credit cards, a credit card company based in UK has a 0% promo on just about everything. The 0% applies to all balance transfers until October 1, 2008, purchases until March 1, 2008 and more. Mint credit cards has a typical 14.9% APR and gives it customers up to £7,500 credit limit. It has online fraud protection and accepted worldwide at over 24 million locations. So if you're looking to apply for a credit card, Mint is the way to go. And did I mention how cool their mc2 card design looks?

The Little Library

The husband bought another cardboard book for Sandy last night. He said Sandy's been forgetting her books lately that he decided to entice her to read again by getting a new one. The little girl said "wow!" upon seeing the animals and numbers in the new book. She immediately opened and browsed through it but as expected, she lost interest in about 20 minutes. I don't think she's forgetting her books though. If I'm right, and I always am (LOL), she's just tired of reading the same things - ducks, dogs, numbers, shapes, etc. Her favorite reads lately are my books and magazines. In fact, she always gets this motivational book for fathers and tells anyone close to her, "look at this. it's amazing!".

So my little bookworm is still there. And will probably stay for a long time.

No more sleepless nights

For Sandy and hubby, that is. I'm still wide-awake in the middle of night even if the little one has been sleeping soundly for the past three days. Blame it on my new phone. I'm so addicted to it! If I'm not browsing the net for paid opps every hour, I read my new chic lit ebooks. Last night however, I forgot to turn on my router and my phone had to be charged. I had no choice but to go to sleep. And what a nice sleep it was. I could get used to that, if only my mind wasn't filled with important things to do.

Apartment Hunting

Looking for denver apartments? ApartmentFinder.com can help you find the perfect place with their thousands of apartment listings around Denver. Using the site's search function, you can quickly filter your choices by searching places near College Campus, Military Base or specify an address near your work. You can browse apartment communities in real time and get access to photos, tours, floor plans, availability, price range and more. The website also has a resource center for companies that will help you get your move complete. And for those who have a vacancy in the Denver area, ApartmentFinder.com also offers a quick and easy way to advertise your apartments in print and online.


Sponsored by Blogitive

New baby

After buying second hand phones for almost 8 years, I've decided to purchase a brand new Nokia E65. It's marketing slogan is "Where Style Meet Substance" and I couldn't agree more. I love everything about it - from quick wi-fi connection, 2MP camera, nice mp3 player, streaming video / video recorder, ebook reader, quick office, email exchange and more. It's a business phone without sacrificing beauty. After successfully installing the most commonly used softwares, I asked myself if that was all there is to it. No, it doesn't stop there. I found out that there are about hundreds of things that you can install to maximize this 3rd edition S60 series phone. I will not enumerate the stuff that I downloaded but let's just say that it's more than enough to help me manage my day-to-day activities.

Selling online doesn't have to be hard

A client of mine wanted to upgrade his old shopping cart and wanted me to give him an estimate. First, I'm not a programmer and even if I have friends who I can give the project to, I highly doubt that my client can afford it. He's nice to work with but definitely a cheapskate. So I suggested Ashop Commerce, a very affordable shopping cart software that has all the features an online shop will ever need. Inventory control, product reports, easy payment gateway setup, real time shipping and bulk order processing are just among its many features. It's web based and you don't need any programming skills to make it work. You can start selling your product in minutes! The shopping cart software is also fully web optimized so you can improve your search engine ranking just by using it. Knowing my client’s penchant for saving bucks, he will definitely love the 10 day free trial so he can test drive the software without paying anything.

Sandy's Happy Place

Do you know where Sandy's happy place is? It's a small corner in her lola's room wherein her lola keeps all her Samsonite luggage. Sandy loves to hang out there and given how big the room is, she can hide there without being seen. I could be watching TV one minute and the next minute hear the little girl say "mommy where's sandy?" at the top of her lungs. It's her favorite game. And when I finally "find" her, I'll ask what she's doing. She'll say "standing in my room". I wonder if she's ready to have her own room?

New Workspace?

Since my desktop gave up, I've been using my laptop as my main machine. I found out recently that I need to have a separate machine for my dsl in order for me to go wireless on my laptop. So I'm thinking of getting the other laptop that my boss gave me and make that my server. I seriously need to give my workspace a makeover though. I don't think I can find space for the 2nd laptop with all the junk residing in my computer table. Need to hit the stores and check out if there are promos on office desks. Appliances sale are usually being held this month so I might treat myself to a new table. I'm not looking forward to spending money on one but face it, it's something that I will use everyday and therefore must be sturdy and functional.

The search for the new yaya

Sandy's yaya (nanny) goes home every night to be with her husband. They live not very far from our place so I allowed it. This morning, I woke up to find out that she's not coming back anymore. I saw her text messages to the other helper in the house and it contained hurtful messages such as "ang pangit nya sama ng ugali nya...[insert profanity here]". I was shocked and asked the helper if the yaya was referring to me. I found out that Sandy's yaya had a row with our other helper after saying she's not coming back anymore. I'd be happy to let her leave as long as she tells me directly. I hate people who uses text messaging to say they'll be late, they can't accept the offer, asking for increase and in this case, do not want to work anymore. It's just plain rude.

Now I need to start scouting for a new yaya :(. Until I can find one, I'm sure I won't be able to work properly. Hayyy. Tao nga naman.

Get connected with Smorty

I have been doing paid blogging for approximately 6 months now. I can't tell you exactly how big my earnings are but suffice it to say that it was enough to pay for the little girl's educational plan this year plus some shopping treats here and there. It's a great way to earn money, which is why more and more bloggers are getting their feet wet with paid blogging.

Blogging has evolved from being just an online diary to a successful marketing tool which is why many companies now advertise on blogs. If you want to learn more, visit Smorty.com. Smorty is a company that offers bloggers to write reviews or opinions about a certain product or service. Each post will need to include the advertisers keyword and link to the advertiser's website.

The advertisers go to Smorty to get access to millions of bloggers and have these bloggers write about them. You will get paid at a minimum amount of $6 per post but can go as high as $100 depending on your Pagerank. It's up to you to choose which opportunity you'd like to review. It's your blog and you don't have to write about anything that you don't want to.

Tag by JennyR

I've been tagged again!

My name: Joy (yeah, it's short)
childhood ambition: Ramp model or astronomer
fondest memory: childhood
soundtrack: Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla
retreat: bedroom and computer (geek)
wildest dream: be a billionaire and buy everyone that's close to me a house
proudest moment: when I gave birth without any medications
biggest challenge: working from home while raising a toddler
alarm clock: don't need one, I'm always awake LOL
perfect day: sitting in a porch/swing with my husband and little girl, overlooking a nice view
first job: kiddie crew at Chowking
indulgence: TV, Pizza and Cake
last purchase: can't remember, sandy's stuff most probably
favorite movie: Meet Joe Black
inspiration: my family
My life is: never lucky, whatever it is that I have came from hard work
My card is: Visa.

I'm tagging Amore, Apols, Mich and Nice

Saving Energy

Given the current oil and energy rates increase, environmentalists are doing their best to educate people on the importance of saving energy. The energy crisis term have been used repeatedly that it's meaning was lost to some people. Remember, it is our responsibility to keep our environment clean and livable for the next and future generations. We do not save not for just money saving reasons, but also for long-term changes on our ecosystem. In line with this, British Gas will be launching two new green energy tariffs, Zero Carbon, which will be the greenest tariff available on the domestic market.

You can read their press release below:

BRITISH GAS LAUNCHES GREENEST ENERGY TARIFF

9 August 2007: British Gas has announced it is launching two new green energy tariffs, Zero Carbon, which will be the greenest tariff available on the domestic market and Future Energy. British Gas has launched the tariffs, in response to the increasing demand for green energy products.

Householders signing up to the Zero Carbon tariff will:
• reduce their household energy carbon emissions to zero through Kyoto compliant offset schemes which will meet the new Defra requirements
• help fund a direct increase in investment in renewable energy generated in the UK
• contribute to the new British Gas green fund which will:
o invest in developing new renewable technologies such as wave power
o oversee a programme to help schools in the UK reduce their CO2 emissions

Gearóid Lane, Managing Director British Gas New Energy said,”Our new tariff responds to consumer demand for truly green energy solutions. It is essential that customers have confidence in green energy tariffs and that their credibility is not damaged by tariffs that claim to be green but in reality do not deliver any incremental environmental benefits. Green tariffs are moving from niche to mainstream products and we’re leading the industry by offering a tariff that will do more for the environment than any other product currently available.”

Under the government’s Renewables Obligation (RO), electricity suppliers in the UK are already required to produce an increasing percentage of their electricity through methods such as wind farms which, unlike traditional power plants, produce zero carbon emissions. For 2007/2008 this figure is set at 7.9%.

In a recent report, the National Consumer Council (NCC) raised concerns that some energy suppliers are packaging electricity which is produced under the RO scheme as “green”, yet it delivers no additional environmental benefits. The NCC called on energy suppliers to take steps beyond their legal requirements and offer green energy tariffs that provide genuine additional environmental benefits, in particular CO2 emissions reduction.

British Gas worked with Global Action Plan and The Climate Group’s “We’re in this Together” campaign to develop Zero Carbon which goes further than any other green tariff in meeting these requirements offering consumers the only zero carbon option on the market.

The tariff carries a premium of £84 per year, reflecting the higher cost of producing energy through lower carbon emission schemes.

Virginia Graham, Chair of Global Action Plan, said, “The British Gas Zero Carbon tariff delivers on all three of the essential requirements of a green tariff which are: additionality, transparency and verifiability. As such it is a very welcome new offering in the market. Consumers signing up to the tariff can be confident that they are getting 12 per cent more renewable energy than they would otherwise have got. The carbon emissions from their electricity and gas will also be offset with emissions reductions from projects accredited by the United Nations.”

Zero Carbon is one of the first initiatives launched through the ‘We’re in this Together’ campaign, which was launched in April 07 as an alliance of some of the UK’s biggest brands who are all working to help their customers reduce their impact on the climate.

Dr Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group and founder of ‘We’re in this Together’ said, “We’re committed to offering people ways to make a real impact on climate change through Together.com. We’ve worked with British Gas to ensure that Zero Carbon is a genuine step forward in delivering more environmental benefits than any other tariff currently available.”

British Gas’s second green energy tariff, Future Energy, offers an alternative green electricity tariff at a premium of just £20 per year. Customers signing up to this tariff will contribute to a green fund which will provide solar panels and other renewable energy technologies to UK schools. Money from the fund will also be invested in development of future renewable technologies and sources.

To sign up customers can call British Gas on 0845 604 0055 or visit www.britishgas.co.uk

Celebrating in style

An old boss is commissioning me to design some engagement announcements for her eldest who's planning to tie the knot next year. She didn't give me a lot of details and just said, "surprise me". Well, I honestly have no idea so I'll have to research exactly what this kind of announcement does. It's rare in the Philippines to celebrate engagements because we usually go all out in the wedding itself. It happens in the movies yes, when the filthy rich dad suddenly cuts the music demanding attention from everybody. He will then proudly announce that his beautiful daughter and some right hand CEO/equally rich/handsome but black-hearted guy are engaged. LOL. I've been seeing too many movies. If you're one of these people, please know that I'm not making fun of you. I'm all for celebrating your decision to get married.

Sweetie Cutie Pie

Sandy loves to cuddle and be carried these days which is why I can't work straight without being interrupted every 20 minutes. I love the attention really, but we all have bills to pay and deadlines to meet. Even when asleep, she cuddles next to me and I always wake up feeling either her leg on top of my waist or her tiny arms crossed into mine. It's so sweet. However, I need to go through a lot of pains just to extract myself if ever I need to get up. Just like what they do in comedy movies, I will slowly remove parts of her inch by inch and when I'm feeling successful because I'm on my last body part, let's say her foot, she will wake up and I will have to lie down again. I know I should let her fall asleep on her own, but I'm so not ready to train her.

Oh Poof, there goes our travel plans

We are planning to go to Baguio next week but with the heavy rains and all, I'm afraid we'll have to postpone. There have been reports of landslides in Marcos Highway and there's no way I'll risk that. I can't help but feel disappointed though. This was supposed to be our first getaway since what, last year? We might just go to Tagaytay and try out the newly renovated rooms at Taal Vista or Discovery Suites. I'm particularly looking for a big room with a nice view of Taal Lake. I want the hotel to have a play area as well so Sandy can walk, ahem, run around without us having to leave the place. Discovery rooms a re a bit expensive though but I do love their landscape lighting which is just perfect for photo shoots.

Yowza!

I've been seeing teenagers wearing white basketball shoes lately. Even my 20 year-old brother-in-law bought his 5th pair of white Air Jordan shoes. Apparently, white shoes are the in thing to wear especially if you're fashion style is leaning towards the hip-hop crowd. White shoes, low-waist jeans showing your boxers, white sleeveless shirt plus a silver necklace with a huge bling-bling are still popular to young adults. Things certainly didn't change a lot five years ago when my so-called adult friends used to dress up like that. I don't get it, people! You're not a rapper, nor a DJ and even if you are, it still looks ridiculous. The white shoes, I can accept. Everything else needs to go to the trash.

Missing

... my blogs. It has been so long since I posted something and it's driving me insane. I'm still down with the flu so I need any chance I can get to finish my deliverables. The little girl, thank God, is now well. She's back to eating 4 cookies, bananas, graphics and crackers in one sitting. Isn't that great?

I'll be updating this blog with photos soon. Just need to get my groove back.

Lazy all week

Arggh! I hate filling out forms. Our real estate agent dropped by last week and left a fat, long, brown envelope filled with forms. It has been days and it's still unopened. Talk about being excited to buy a condo.

One page is enough to make my hands sweat. Two to three pages, back to back will drive me insane. When I was in high school and college, I usually ask someone - my boyfriend or best friend to do the filling out for me. Now that I'm married, I leave it to The Husband. However, since I'm the one who wanted this thing (very badly), I have no choice but to do it.

I'm still sick, though. Perhaps tomorrow. Excuses.

Nursing and Tooth Decays

I read an article today about the disadvantages of nursing at night. Apparently, it does not only make your baby dependent on the nursing to fall asleep but can also cause tooth decays. I find it crazy really. As if being sleep deprived isn't enough. There I was trying to make a connection and make my baby healthy yet also on my way to damaging my daughter's teeth.

I will need to think about this carefully. I am not ready to wean and I'm 100% sure that the little one feels the same.

SLEDtv

Need the latest news on snowmobiling? Check out SLEDtv, a website that aims to provide entertainment and information from hill climbing and boondocking out west, to ice racing and ditch banging, to family oriented outings, down to snowmobile touring. My boss who's into every sports that you can think of will definitely love the site's gear reviews , rider tips, event coverages and more. They even have a snowmobile forum so users can talk about snow conditions, trail riding, sell gears or just mainly find people to hang out with. Their SLEDtv episodes will be available soon so you can watch the latest news and coolest coverage in the world of sledding!

When it rains, it pours

Everyone in my small family is either sick or sleep-deprived. It has been five days now and the little girl is still finding it hard to breathe. We're not sure if it's UTI, pneumonia, bronchitis or asthma. Apparently, doctors are now into guessing these days. After the CBC test, they sent her home with loads of prescriptions which I honestly think doesn't help her the least bit. I have been neglecting my work, sidelines and own health. Hubby and I doesn't sleep, we nap for 30 minutes to 1 hour if we're lucky. My arms and back are on fire from carrying Sandy while she tries to sleep. It's so hard. I won't mind the sleepless nights as long as the little one is sleeping and breathing fine.

I have millions of stuff to do, designs to create, paid assignments to write and piles of envelop bills that need to be organized. I saw some skin care products purchase on our credit card bill and I don't remember ever buying one for the last two months.

I desperately need to keep it together.

D.O.N.E

Okay enough blogging!!! I need to get something done. I've already spent half of my day browsing web sites knowing I haven't started anything on my to-do list. I've been dreading emailing my new client's product liability attorney so I'm trying to postpone it until he forces me to do it. He wants me to get in touch with him so I can fully understand what he wants for his web site and given the state that I'm in - tired, bored and uninspired; I'll probably learn a lot.

The little girl is watching Harry Potter for the nth time and all I want to do is sit with her. It’s so nice to just sit back and enjoy life.

Well, like I said. Enough whining. Time to rock!

An ideal business for everyone

If you're in the U.S. and looking to open up a lucrative business, you might want to consider franchising from Multivend, LLC, famous for manufacturing bulk candy vending machines. Multivend has established a worldwide presence and has since accepted over 9,000 members to be a part of the multivend family. The vending business can provide up to 80% profit margin and suitable for everyone who wants to earn big. It offers the opportunity to work from home and set your own hours so you can still choose to continue working part time. Vendstar has recently added enhancements to the Vendstar 3000 machine. It now has a Vendstar EZ-Count® Meter that digitally updates the total quarters accepted and a 1" wheel that allows the machine to dispense one inch gumballs and toy capsules.

Because of Multivend, more and more Americans have now started acquiring financial freedom by being their own boss.

This post is sponsored by Blogitive

You have to see this

While we're on the subject of houses, check out Alpha's blog! She visited her dream house in Tagaytay and took some photos. It's so perfect. Just like Alpha, I feel as if the architect designed the house for me. I used to daydream about that kind of porch when I was a kid especially now. The red door, window treatments, white and turqouise living room, everything about it is amazing. I can already imagine Sandy running around the garden or see Sherwin sitting on the porche with me at night while we discuss how our day went.

The house depressed me a bit because I know we can never afford it. Can you hear my big S-I-G-H?

Rediscovering Harry Potter

The husband bought some second hand original DVDs of Harry Potter series. I have been ignoring them for months but when he started introducing it Sandy, I found myself glued to my seat. It's really amazing how a child can make you see an old thing in a new light. She loves the flying car, the Quidditch game, Dumbledore (she says Wizard! Wizard!) and of course, Harry's face. She sits for 20-30 minutes and even uses a pillow to rest her head on. Whenever I ask her if she wants to watch TV, she'll say, "Watch Harry Potter with Papa?". I find it really adorable and sweet that she's associated HP with her Papa. Her papa who rarely watches a movie and has not seen any Potter movies LOL.

New Classroom Tables

Ever heard of adjustable classroom tables? It's an innovative product created by Versa Products, Inc., a Los Angeles based manufacturer and retailer of classroom and office furniture. They came up with these amazing computer carts due to the increase in class sizes on both primary and secondary schools. Their main goal is to minimize overcrowding while still allowing each student to have their own personal space. The size of the table was scaled to 24” wide x 72” in length then implemented an LCD monitor arm allowing the monitor to be mounted someplace other than the desktop. The table design however doesn't leave enough floor space for the kids' books and bags so they added shelves under the desk for storage. More and more schools and computer labs are now using these slim tables that Versa have decided to expand their classroom table line.

Parenting Advice from the Experts

I came across the post "Are you a good mom or a bad mom?" while reading through parenting articles. If you're a mother and always find yourself in the receiving end of unsolicited advices, you will find the post very interesting. To think that I even tried choosing an answer on the first couple of questions. It's very true though. No matter how hard you take care of your kids, there's always be someone out there who will think that you're doing a bad job just because it's different from what they do. Don't start bitching and telling them to show their advices right up their .. you know. Pretend to listen and make sure to nod several times while thinking about your happy place. :)

Who wants to be a millionaire?

I do! But only if it's in US dollars. One million pesos won't get you very far nowadays. Houses cost about 5M to 15M so there's no reason why I should settle on a measly million peso. I want to buy my dream home before I reach 35. I'm now 28 years old and still millions away from my dream. Sigh. Will it ever come true?

I just finished reading Monet's blog and was so envious about their new home. It's so beautiful and huge! I'm sure her little boys will love to play in their big backyard. The luxury home was beautifully decorated - with spiral staircase, spacious living room, amazingly huge kitchen and a very cozy patio that shouts "party!". It's such a dreamy place to live in. We'll never get one of those if we stay here though. We need to migrate and leave all this corruption behind.

Gavin Rossdale Once More

Okay, so this is totally not about Sandy.

In fact, this post is all about me and my first love Gavin Rossdale. I came across a blog just for Gavin and I can't be any happier to see the latest news about him. I haven't seen him play for a long time and this blog just renewed my already wavering fascination and obsession for Mr. McGregor. He's so perfect and he adores Kingston so much. You won't hear any news about him getting drunk in bars or spending time in a drug rehabilitation center.

I can't believe he dyed his hair blonde! Probably Gwen's doing, I so hate her! (jealousy talking)

Once again, I need to thank the blogger for this photo.

Trade like a Pro

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Post sponsored by Blogitive.

I ROCK!

This is a surprise. My online friend Kathy voted me for ROCKIN' GIRL BLOGGER! :) I know I rock LOL but I didn't know someone else other than my vain self feels the same way. Below is her reason why I rock.

Joy - aubrey miles! teeeheee! :) super creative techy girl... thanks for sharing your talents girl!


Thanks Kathy, I didn't know if those were true but you made my day. ;)

Working at home - all hype?

I've been finding it hard to work lately. Sandy's separation anxiety is on its peak so she's always looking for me even if I'm in the other room. Imagine yourself writing or designing something important when all of a sudden, you hear a loud cry with a heart-breaking "Mommmyyy". What do you do? I suppose I can ignore her but my heart just won't. I always find myself checking on her and upon seeing her tear-streaked face, there's really nothing I can do but to hold her in my arms. It's not so bad really. I can use the break from time to time. What's hard is once I stop what I'm doing, I just can't go back to it immediately. Whatever it is that I'm thinking gets wiped out, leaving me with an unfinished article or a half-baked design job.

I probably need to sleep really late or wake up really early so I can get something done.

Design + Product + List = Successful Campaign

Part of my tasks as a web designer is help my clients in finding the right technology to make their online website a success. I research about their competitors, web hosting, website design's usability and sometimes even conduct interviews to potential consumers. One of the most important tasks so far was to search for the most targeted mailing list. In email marketing, a Mailing List is just one of the many things that can help make it successful. However, even if you have the most creative newsletter design or the most innovative product, the campaign will be useless if it falls in the wrong inbox.

Martin Worldwide, one of the leaders in direct marketing industry makes sure that this will never happen to you. Their most successful, groundbreaking product, ResponseCom is a potent blend of U.S. Response and U.S. Consumer databases offering versatility and over 100 demographic selects. This powerful database can identify prospects accurately resulting in higher response rates and profitability. Martin Worldwide offers the most successful customized mailing lists, telemarketing lists and fax lists to small businesses and Fortune 1000 clients. With over a decade of knowledge and database acquisition expertise, they can definitely ensure the success of their clients' direct marketing campaigns.

This post is sponsored by Blogitive.