The Top Web Hosting Companies

Looking for the best web hosting? Nothing can help you better than visiting web hosting reviews and guides like webhostingrating.com. On their main page alone, you will see the top hosting providers based on customer satisfaction, affordability and reliability. One thing I noticed is that almost all companies now offer unlimited space and traffic so they now compete in terms of pricing and additional features.

As for me, I'm always in the lookout for the best multi domain hosting package. Not only for my blogs but most of my design clients have plenty of websites that they want to host in one place for easier management. The most popular company for this kind of package (according to webhostingrating.com) is InMotion. For only $8.95 a month, you can host up to 6 domains with unlimited space and bandwidth. Plus they offer daily backups and free one-click install for the most popular CMS available in the web.

Webhostingrating.com is also a great place to start if you want to learn anything there is to know about web hosting. Even for the non-technical person, you will be amazed on how much you can do with a use of cPanel. The site have about 26 articles on cPanel tutorials alone so you can maximize your hosting package.

If you're a hosting company, you can increase your online presence by submitting your site to them. Most website owners are much smarter now so it will help your company gets a review from webhostingrating.

Friday Fill-Ins #91

Check out this week's Friday Fill-Ins

1. Trick or Treating and a friend's wedding out of town are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.

2. Sometimes I just get too tired from working that I wish I can lie down in bed forever.

3. I tell my husband that I never get sick but last week proved me wrong and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!

4. When I'm down, I read a book or watch my favorite TV show.

5. In front of the computer is where you'll find me most often.

6. A rainy day is good for curling up in the sofa and watching movies. (does it show how lazy I am)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to finishing my book, tomorrow my plans include doing nothing and Sunday, I want to rest the whole day!

I'm such a slacker but I'm not usually like this. I blame it for spending four nights in the hospital. We need all the break we can get.

Who's Calling You?

Wondering where an old friend lives right now? With the help of reverse phone lookup tool, you can. With only a phone or cell number in hand, you can now get detailed info on someone including name, address, phone carrier, line type, city, state and many more. This tool from 50statephonelookup.com does not only help you find an old friend but you can search for phone calls that you missed, the source of prank calls or find out who your helper is calling when you're not around the house. An unlimited access to cellphone information costs $40 for one year but if you think you'll only need to check one number, a rate of $15 per lookup applies.

Ms. Sickie

After being excited for days for her party, the little girl got sick. She had a stomach bug and had to be hydrated for four days. I'm trying to get over the fact that something like this can only happen to her. I'm still thankful for everything. At least, it was something that can be treated immediately and if you look at her now, it seemed like nothing happened at all (except for the weight loss). I'm now the one who's sick but I thought I'd update this blog so I can easily get my groove back. Even though she only get to attend one of her parties, we still have enough photos to share. Will post them as soon as everything goes back to normal at home.

The New Rich

Rags to riches - it seems that the particular phrase coined to describe people who worked hard to get rich, or people who were poor before and just became rich has a new term - Noveau Riche. This is the opposite of what we call those who have wealth in their bloodlines ever since - the "Old Rich." The Noveau Riche, literally meaning "New Rich" in French, has been creating a lot of buzz lately with the spotlight on a few outstanding people from their group.

People like Forrest Mars and Estee Lauder are part of the Noveau Riche. The people from this class category are not only people who really rose from rags to riches because of hard work. They have fresh, out-of-the-box, innovative and trendsetting ideas that people cant help notice the "Old Rich" do not have. They tend to stick to tried and proven methods.

So we better thank Forrest Mars for M&Ms chocolates (and Mars too) and Estee Lauder for the stuff that makes up pretty! Most of these people still choose to live simple inspite of their newfound wealth. An example of whom is Tsai Wan Lin, who founded Cathay Life Insurance. He was born to a poor rice farmer and up to now has an apartment as his home. Of course, the most famous of them all is William Gates III or Bill Gates to the world, the billionaire who founded what would the most used software in IT Technology - Microsoft.

Happy Birthday To My Big Baby!

All my blogs are plastered with her face today. It's just fair since this is her day. Sandy is the most amazing gift that God gave us. Life has never been this beautiful until she came to our lives.

Happy birthday Princess Sandy. Your mommy and Papa love you so much.

Somebody to Stay Fit With

I always say how it's easy to exercise when you have a work out buddy. Not only it's more interesting that you have someone you can talk to while working out, but you'll also have someone to kick your ass if you're getting lazy. Which brings me to mention Fitness Match. This is for singles that are looking for partners who are into fitness and health. It's great in such a way that you will have something in common with on your first date - staying fit. For your first meeting, you can jog in the park, go wall climbing or have a healthy dinner after working out at the gym. The possibilities are endless and the best part is that if ever you decide to tie the knot, you'll be assured that both of you will have a healthy lifestyle.

WW - Have You Seen My Head?

Wednesday Mind Hump

Today is Idea Day. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines idea as "a formulated thought or opinion."

Tell us one of your ideas!

My idea for today is ditch work and just sleep for 10 hours.

Well, it's actually a wish, not an idea. The thing is I'm already up to 'here' to calling it a day. I am sooooo swamped at work - both fulltime and side line. I should be happy I know but when you can't find time to take a bath anymore, then you're probably overdoing it right? I've been staying away from to-do lists because I rarely get to scratch anything off but as of this moment, it's the best I can do. At least, I can tell myself that I've been productive by creating a list.

The People That You Love

How many times have we seen child molestation incident in the news? It's so rampant that somehow, I don't think it's safe to raise a child anymore. What we can do as parents is to be aware of the danger and always on the lookout for signs of sexual offenders in our neighborhood. There's a search online that helps you find child molesters near your area by simply entering a zip code. According to research, 14% of all convicted sex offenders will commit another sex related crime. With this online search tool at registeredchildmolesterlist.org, you can obtain information like name, address and place of business of these people. Arm yourself with this knowledge and protect your children from harm.

It's a Good Morning. Not.

I woke up to a very bad morning. My sleep, although uninterrupted, thanks to Sandy sleeping through the night, was filled with vivid dreams about not so good things in my life when I was a child. Example? My mom scolding me because I got home late, a 3-hour exam where I didn't study at all, not being invited to a party, my diary open for the public to see, parents fighting, etc, etc. Some of them were okay if you think about it now but I don't really care going back in time to see my parents fight. I think I was even sobbing (just a bit!) when I opened my eyes. Good thing I saw Sandy's face beside me, as she sleeps on her bed. I was calmed instantly knowing that things are great now. I'm older and I can control my life if I want to.

Reverse Mobile Look Up

How would you like to be able to know detailed information on the numbers that call you on your cellphone? I know I do. I always miss a lot on phone calls especially when my phone is on silent mode. Now, it's possible for me to get information on the numbers who called using the reverse mobile phone lookup tool. Whether you're receiving threatening calls, prank calls, or want to do a background check on your employee, signing up for this service is a must. Searching for a phone number is easy. Just type in the 10 digits in the phone number field and you will receive sample results in seconds. To view more detailed information, you can subscribe for a very affordable rate.

Her Royal Highness

It's 2PM and I'm only getting started at work. I spent the whole weekend doing chores and running errands in time for Sandy's birthday. I don't care about money lately as I realized that I've already spent twice my original budget for her birthday. If I continue my computation and budgeting, I'll probably go crazy.

I bought too many toys for prizes, lootbags and candies for more than 80 kids. And that doesn't even include our gift for her. As of this moment, Sandy will have three parties. One at home, one in school (22 kids) and one in Hospicio (50 orphans). So much for not throwing a party this year. Well, anything for my big baby. At least, we'll make some kids happy, not just her. Besides, what we spent is just half of what we spent on her first birthday party so I guess I'm still doing great.

Meeting Christians Online

In relation to my post before about chatting, the great thing about these chat rooms is the huge number of options that you can choose from. Now, you can go in a room where other people share the same interests as yours. You don't have to re-invent yourself or try to belong because everyone is just like you. For example, I've seen chat rooms for artists, travelers, photographers, musicians, singles, divorced people and many more. At the Christian Chat City website, they have a Christian Chat Room where you can meet loads of Christian people all over the Internet. Feel free to talk about religious beliefs and habits without feeling like you're preaching. Some of my friends are hesitant to talk about religion because it makes people uncomfortable. But at Christian Chat City, you can talk as long as you want, anywhere you are.

Saturday Social #25

Here's my take on this week's Saturday Social.

When you were younger, what did you want to be "when you grew up"?

I wanted to be a lot of things when I was younger. At first, I wanted to be an astronomer. When I saw how beautiful and mysterious the universe was while browsing an astronomy book, I just knew I want to explore it more. However, as I grew up, other more interesting things distracted me from achieving my first dream. There was my plan of being a painter because I just get this high from drawing people and painting landscapes. At such a young age though, I learned that being a painter, or any artist for that matter doesn't really pay the bills. So I decided to become a ramp model instead. That didn't work out as well but the experience was definitely unforgettable.

Internet Chatting

One of the things that I thank the Internet for is the ability to meet new friends. In six years, I've met so many people online and some of them turned out to be great people. So if you're anything like me and want to broaden your circle, I suggest you visit Interracial Chat City. This community is filled with people all over the world so you will have tons of interesting topics to talk about. From culture to food to travel to hobbies, you'd be amazed on how much you can learn just by chatting with someone from the other side of the world. You also don't have to wonder what your online friends look like because at chat city, you can broadcast your internet cam for free.

The Trainee

My brother-in-law just started his on-the-job-training for school. He's the slacker type so I was surprised that he got accepted to this IT company. What's more surprising is that he's getting paid a lot of money for a student. I remember when I started looking for work after graduation. The ongoing rates back then was almost equal to what is being offered for my brother-in-law. In fact, I know some companies who still offer the same rate for newly graduates so he's pretty lucky to have landed his OJT. As for his first task at work, he was asked to research for used voip gateways. He said it was so tiring because he spent the whole day browsing through sites that he doesn't care about. I just laughed and told him that it was actually the easiest part.

Escape to the Islands

Just because I'm a parent now doesn't mean I'm never going on adult vacations anymore. Because believe me, I am planning to try those all-inclusive hedonistic delights at SuperClubs.com. Check out what's included in the Tantra-Lizing Kit for Two package - an aphrodisiac fruit platter and champagne, array of scented massage oils, delicious chocolate covered body paints, whipped cream and syrup. Feel free to let your imagination go wild. Of course, we'd probably be able to do this if Sandy is older or when we're trying for baby #2. LOL.

SuperClubs, by the way, is known for providing all inclusive resorts since 1976. The all-inclusive concept was first unveiled at Negril, Jamaica by John Issa. Vacationers go on a trip to leave all the stress behind so a hassle-free, all-inclusive travel packages are always a favorite. The SuperClubs resorts are not only designed for singles and couples but also families with children under 16. Aside from hanging out at the white sandy beaches, you can enjoy sunfish sailing, windsurfing, aerobic classes and many more.

The Thursday Threesome (09/11/08)

Onesome: Memories from-- a few years back: what were you doing on 9-11?

>> Two years ago I was busy preparing for Sandy's first birthday party. 6 years ago, my husband, who was just a co-worker then sent me a simple IM message that started our roller coaster love life. 7 years ago, I was inside our office, watching the news as the plane crashes into the Twin Towers.

Twosome: the-- thought occurs: Should this be a holiday? ...or perhaps a day of remembrance with a moment of silence nationwide?

>> For the US, I think this should be considered a special day at least. I know that some relatives and friends of my co-workers in the US have been a victim on the 911 tragedy.


Threesome: Past-- 'days that will live in infamy': do you recall any other days of tragedy that have a placeholder on your mental calendar?

>> I will always remember the July 16, 1990 earthquake.

Bonus: Who's quote did I paraphrase in the question above?

>> President Franklin Roosevelt

Check out The Thursday Threesome here.

Public Divorce Records

In relation to my post about "online stalking", I found out that you can also check out divorce records online. Just like the marriage records, finding the civil status of someone you know is possibly by visiting the Nationwide Divorce Records website. I tried to search for my friend's name and was able to get her Missouri Divorce Records in a matter of minutes. Of course, it wasn't really her because she's not even married yet. I clicked on the name and was presented with two options, instant report for $29.95 or unlimited search pass for $9.95. Pretty cheap for vital information right?

Little Ballerina

When I found out that I was having a baby girl, all I can think about are her future activities - tea parties, piano class, swimming lessons, ballet and art.

Three years have passed and here she is.



When I took this photo, she was doing all the activities that I mentioned - drawing, playing the piano, pretend tea time, swimming on the floor while wearing her ballerina outfit. She even turned her headband into a necklace because just like mommy, an outfit won't be complete without accessories. :)

Online Stalking

I came across something interesting from this chic lit book last week. When the main character got dumped by her fiancé, she got addicted to Googling anything about him. The results ranged from the guy running a marathon, accepting a new job, getting listed for wedding registry and baby registry. I wondered if this is true so I made a search on some of my closest friends. Although I have a few listings for my self, I am an online junkie after all, I didn't find anything interesting for my friends. I did come across the US Marriage Records website though. This site lets you get Public Marriage Records on anyone that you know from the United States. Simply enter the first name and last name and voila! you'd get instant access to official marriage documents. You can also search by City, Country or Zip Code to narrow down the results. I've tried searching for an old boyfriend and received about 120 listings immediately.

Sandy's Latest Doll

His name is Gavin, named after Gavin Rossdale of course.



She wanted a Ken doll ever since she realized that no one knows how to drive her pink Barbie car. She kept on pretending that her other Barbie was the Papa so I've decided to buy her one. Besides, I've never had a Ken when I was little so this is also my way of owning one LOL.

Isn't he a cutie? Sandy had a choice between this and a prince with black hair. I told her to get the one with the black hair because it looks more like her Papa. She didn't want a prince though. She said she prefers this younger version because he's "Guapo" (handsome).

Classic Timepieces

One of the things that I will do if I win the lottery is to buy breitling watches for all the men in my family. I've always wanted to give expensive watches as presents to my loved ones but I'm neither a celebrity nor a rich entrepreneur to be able to afford that. For now, I'm just happy to browse through these fine watches from the FeelGoodWatches.com web site. I still can't get over how expensive they are, especially the fact that other people can afford them. I've read somewhere that the Russian President Vladimir Putin wears the most expensive watch among Russian politicians. His patek philippe costs $60,000, which weirdly enough is also his annual wage.

The price of patek phillipe watches range from $9,000 to $160,000 at the Feel Good Watches web site. Some of them are pre-owned by the way so if you're looking for a classic timepiece at a relatively cheaper price, head over to feelgoodwatches.com and start owning your very own patek phillipe or Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Movie Songs

See Ten on Tuesday

I love this week's theme because I always find great songs from movies and TV shows. These are the only ones that I can think of as of this moment.

My 10 Favorite Movie Songs
1. Dying Young soundtrack - Dying Young
2. Colorblind - Clueless
3. What a Wonderful World - Meet Joe Black
4. Cannonball - In Good Company
5. Grow Old with You - Wedding Singer
6. Secret Garden - Jerry Maguire
7. Kissing You - Romeo and Juliet
8. Come What May - Moulin Rouge
9. Moon River - Breakfast at Tiffany's
10. Here With Me - Loca Actually

Software as a Service

I'm helping my company review several SaaS (software as a service) for code repository. Now that the team of developers is growing monthly, we want to move our codes on a more stable and reliable server. Phase2int.com's team foundation server hosting is one of the candidates for our projects that are created with Microsoft's Visual Studio. What's great about software as a service tfs is that they host and maintain the application so it can save your company a lot of money. Aside from no setup fees and free support, you don't need to purchase extra machines or IT people to manage the server. It's also the perfect solution for companies like us who are into virtual environment. We have employees in several states and even in China so a central repository is really a must.

As for tfs hosting pricing, it's affordable at $129 a month with a 30 day money back guarantee if you're not satisfied.

Monday's a Bitch

See other entries here.

1. What song will always remind you of this past summer?

I don't really know why but the song Counting Cars always makes me think of summer.

2. If you had unlimited cash where would you like to get away to spend your summer and what sort of things would you do there?

I'd definitely go to The Bahamas and book a whole month's stay in a 5-star, beach front property.

3. If you were stuck on a beach for the summer, how many days would it take you to get sick of swimming,what materials would you use to construct a crude shelter and what random celebrity would you want to randomly show up there and remain topless for your viewing pleasure?

Gawd, what a very exciting questions. Okay let's see. First, I'd never get tired of swimming. Second, palm tree leaves will do. Third, I would love to see Gong Yoo, Gavin Rossdale and Orlando Bloom. No topless sun bathing for me though LOL.

4.Did you suffer any heat stroke or sunburns this summer?

5.Are you looking forward to anything in the fall?

Lake Properties You Can Afford

I've read about an interesting approach in owning a Minnesota Lake Property. Buying a lakeshore property can get pretty expensive even the time shared ones. Solution? Buy a "park model" RV and a lot with resort type settings. RV Properties is now getting popular in the real estate industry because of its affordability and convenience. With RV lots, you can have a cheap getaway with resort-type amenities. Some parks have clubhouse, golf, entertainment rooms and a community pool.


So you think this is something that you'd like to try? You can check out Lakeshore Ventures for their listing of RV lots for sale. There is also a sample computation on how much you will have to shell out if you buy vs. rent. Personally, I'd love to have the opportunity to own an RV lot. I've always wanted to camp in the woods / lake with the comforts of home nearby.

Remembering Bohol

As I was browsing the net for Boracay hotels, I accidentally clicked on a link for Bohol Beach Club. I couldn't help but remember the time we spent there last year. It rained most of the time and the beach wasn't really that nice. Sandy got bored too because we were stuck inside the room a lot. Instead of getting lots of rest, the vacation was stressful. Thank God we still have lots of nice photos from the countryside trip and the few hours when the sun shone upon us.


(How I miss my long hair)

I hope this next beach trip will be different though. Sandy is older so I'm hoping to have more rest this time. Plus I bought every travel activity that I can think of to keep her occupied and happy the entire four days.

The Latest Tunes

How would you like to have the same quality of sound from your local radio stations as you do from your music CD? You do? Well, you're in luck because High Definition sound is also now available for radio. The best part is that it's still free. Just get an HD Radio tuner and you're all set. Get access to new artists, new programs, complete sets and full albums, in depth interviews, experimental formats, new genres and real time data like song titles, artist names, and even traffic data.

And for those who keeps their iPods updated with the latest music, the iPod Tagging that comes with Polk iSonic ES2 is just perfect for you. Imagine coming across a great song and being able to tag it immediately so you can download it from the Apple music store. This is a favorite feature of mine because I love discovering new music through radio programs. With iPod tagging, you don't have to search the web for the song anymore. Just sync your iPod with iTunes and voila! All the songs that you've tagged will be displayed and ready for download.

Questions of the Week #30

Yen's QOTW

1. When did you last wonder if you are in the right path of your life?
I never wondered about this. I guess it's because I'm always perfectly happy at whatever it is that I'm doing.

2. Share or admit the most selfish thing you do on a regular basis.
Online shopping, reading ebooks and watching DVDs when I'm supposed to be taking care of Sandy.

3. Name three people throughout your life that helped to complete you as a person.
My mom, Sandy and my husband.

4. It says that when a person die your spirit could protect anyone in the world, who would you pick?
My daughter of course.

5. What makes you feel dirty? Physically, I mean.
Dusty roads. I hate traveling without the air condition on.

6. Do you ever find it hard not to smile at a time when you don’t want to?
Not really. I'm famous for my poker face. :-!

7. What do you do to stay physically fit?
I used to run. But now that our treadmill broke, I just TRY not to eat a lot.

8. What do you do if you suspect you have a symptom of a serious illness?
I will find the best health care available and then draft a will.

9. What do you do when you have nothing better to do?
Read books and watch movies

10. Do you laugh when you see a stranger trip and fall in public?
Sometimes.

Island Escape

I love watching destination weddings on TV. They just make me want to get married all over again somewhere quiet and far. But since I'm very much happily married, I can urge my single friends to forget about the usual church and hotel packages and just get married in Jamaica or Bahamas.

Superclubs.com is a website that I came across while reading about destination weddings. They specialize in "all inclusive" discount vacation packages from various destinations like Jamaica, Curacao, The Bahamas, Brazil, etc. in one upfront price. Their honeymoon all inclusive resort packages are great too. If you book a honeymoon stay of at least three nights, your wedding is totally free. If that's not all inclusive, then I don't know what it is. As soon as I learned about this, I told my friend immediately because she's planning to have her honeymoon in Jamaica. Why not do everything at the resort including the ceremony right? Most people will pay tons of money just to achieve the wedding of their dreams. With SuperClub, not only you can have this at an affordable price, but you will also be guaranteed that all preparations will be stress free.

And for those who want to rekindle the romance or need to spice up their marriage, the Hedonistic Delights packages are just perfect for you. From bed of roses to bubble baths, to aphrodisiac fruit platters and chocolate seduction, these packages will definitely lead to a night to remember.

First School Event

This is the little girl all dressed up as a little igorota last Friday. Most of the students came wearing the traditional baro't saya so Sandy's costume was very unique. As soon as I saw the colorful skirt made famous by the Isnegs, I knew it was perfect for Sandy. Plus it was the only one that fitted just right when we tried on several Filipiniana costumes.