Got this picture somewhere. And for some reason, it touched my heart. Beautiful isn’t it?

Popularity: 17% [?]

It’s Monday once again. For some reason, I always feel rushed, down and a bit tired on Mondays. I fight the feeling, of course. I want to start my Monday right. But today is one of those days.

My bunso, Hazel/Etey, is sick. She has sore eyes. Kainis kasi parents nya masyadong pabaya sa anak. This little kid would always knock at our gate early in the morning. She’d go directly to my room to sleep beside me again. She’d stay with my dad the whole day and would wait for me and my sisters to come home at night. When she gets sleepy, that’s the time she’ll look for her mom and go home. Ampon ko na nga halos. And I love that kid so much. She’s already a part of the family and I treat her like my own kid. She’s so sweet and would always ask for me to pick her up and go somewhere. She’s a Trinoma kid. Ask her who’s going to Trinoma and she would raise her hand. Hahaha…

She has a fever when I left her this morning. I asked her mom to take her to a pediatrician so that we know what medicine to give her. She smiled at me this morning and I was so touched because eventhough she’s not feeling well, she still managed a sweet smile for me.

My sister, Grace, has sore eyes as well. Hazel poked her in the eye yesterday and when she woke up today, her left eye is swollen already. She went to school (she’s teaching English in Sienna College) and asked the school nurse to issue a health certificate that she cannot teach today. I was late today because she made lambing pa that I cook some breakfast for her.

I just wish I don’t get sick this week.

Happy Monday everyone! Stay healthy!

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These days there are just so many things a woman needs to consider to stay as pleasant looking to the eyes of her significant other as possible. Staying trim and sexy. Staying as healthy looking as possible. Staying young looking as possible.

And the list goes on.

This thing holds true especially to working women out there. What with all the stress at work…

Of course, all these things should also be considered primarily for ones health. Staying fit is tantamount to taking care of one health and giving it the importance that it deserves. Being good looking must be a secondary goal in all this. Read the rest of this entry »

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I can feel myself getting heavier by the day. I stopped going to the gym last middle of December due to pressures at work. Plus the fact that I can’t go there on weekdays (again because of work) due to the fact that I go home around ten in the evening and practically so tired by then to even lift a muscle, what more to exert effort to work out.

So I gained back (a couple pounds more) the 20 pounds I lost (huhuhu)! Hate it! But I’m so lazy to work out. I don’t even go for walks because it’s really not advisable at night. Maybe, these are just excuses I make to escape from the reality that I’m heavier again. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 16% [?]

Putting up a business online is fast and easy these days. Decide on what business you want. Ask friends for help. Or check online what are the latest trends in online businesses. Recently, I’ve seen a surge in fashion-related online businesses. You can put up one as well. But how do you make it stand out from the competition? That is one goal you must achieve for success. Anyway, you need to get your own domain. Make it funky and easy to recall. And relevant to the business. Or you can set up a multiply account. A lot of women have been doing this, I’ve noticed. And, of course, drive traffic to your site by promoting it.

One way of setting your business apart from others is by making it as user-friendly as possible. Don’ you just get turned off by sites wherein it is so hard to navigate? Make sure you have a shopping cart so as to make it easy for online customers to purchase items. There is a shopping cart software available for online businesses. AShop.com.au has one for you. Check it out, this might be your edge on the competition.

So all set?

Popularity: 14% [?]

Enhancing ones beauty has become very common these days. You can see so many beauty clinics, spas and the like almost at every corner of some high-end cities.

Want to take away those unwanted bulges in your tummy? Consider los angeles liposuction. How about correcting that annoying bump on your nose bridge? A rhinoplasty can remedy that. Hmm… how about enlarging those bumpers? A breast enhancement will do the trick. Read the rest of this entry »

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Navtej Kohli wants something written on our favorite charity. So here goes…

I have always been very supportive of charitable organizations supporting children. One of these organizations is World Vision. World Vision has a campaign, Sponsor a Child for $35 a month. This is a good way of helping kids from poor families worldwide. Here in the Philippines, there is a campaign similar to this. You can sponsor a child’s schooling for 400 pesos a month. This is a good way of sharing God’s blessings to others.

Another organization I am very supportive of is the Cancer Society of the Philippines. My brother, Willyboy, played a big part on this. For those who didn’t know, my brother died of leukemia when he was just 15 years old. He lived for another 6 months after he was diagnosed. And while taking care of him in those 6 months, I became aware of people, most especially kids, stricken with cancer. Life is unfair. Those kids are still full of life in them. Anyway, I digress. So because of my brother, I vowed to help this organization in any way I can. They hold a Christmas celebration for cancer patients annually. My friends and I volunteer for this event. And there are other ways a volunteer can help. Even not through Cancer Society, we can go directly to hospitals like the Philippine General Hospital and help cheer up cancer patients. Believe me, a visit helps a lot! When my brother was confined for a month, there were visits from different volunteer groups and celebrities. It helped cheer up my brother.

So if you have something to spare… time, joy, hope, prayers, finances… maybe you would want to check out some charitable organizations you may want to support.

This post is sponsored by Navtej Kohli. Just like me, Navtej Kohli believes in helping charities worldwide.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment?
In my friend Tim’s house, discussing books, drinking coffee, just lazing around and enjoying the afternoon sun.

Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new?
2 months ago, I learned how to use MYOB, an accounting system used in the office.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I haven’t ____________.
I have a lump but I haven’t gotten around to having it checked yet.

Happy Friday everyone! Have a safe weekend

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First of all, it’s not my birthday today. Next Friday pa po. August 3 hehe… I’ll be turning 29 then I forgot to put a comma in between “next next Friday” the last time hehe

Anyway, I got transferred to another area in the office. I’m near the expat’s office na. Dumudugo ang ilong ko all the time… kaka-English! Hehehe… Nah, just kidding. I’ve worked with Americans, Chinese, Japanese, British, and now Australians. The last one are the most laid back bosses. Yes, they have their own demands, and yes, there are times you’d feel they’re treating you as second-class citizens of your own country. But they definitely value quality of life more than the other nationalities I’ve mentioned. These Australians does not encourage us to do overtime work. Ang masama, the Filipino bosses are the ones who espouse this culture of “petiks sa umaga, OT sa gabi“. Baguhin na kasi ang ugaling ganyan…

So I am now seated beside our Clients Services Manager, HR Generalist and the Admin Officer. They got the shock of their lives when they realized I’m madaldal and palabiro. Eh kasi naman I don’t really talk to people na di ko feel. And it’s never been my attitude to join a conversation that I don’t know anything of. They thought I am shy and reserved. Hahahah… Shy? Hmm… Wala pa yatang nagsabi sa akin nyan. Thank God I am now near sane people
Oh, by the way, I already finished the book. Grabe, I did not stop until I finished the book. It was really great! Kudos to JK Rowling for ending the series with a big bang! Literally.

If you want a copy of the ebook or the audio book (link), just leave a comment with your email address.

***

Sorry for not visiting your blogs these past few days. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did this to me. Plus I’m always sleepy I am not in the mood to comment. Bawi na lang ako, friends.

Happy Friday everyone. Weekend na! Yey!

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This blog of mine was approved in Smorty! Smorty is a service wherein bloggers like me get paid to write opinion posts with links to the advertiser. There are so many programs like this wherein bloggers are get paid to blog. Advertising through blogs has become really popular because people read blogs. And it never hurts to earn some extra money from writing. That extra income can buy me a laptop, or even a high tech cellphone. As I’ve said before, it’s not bad that we earn money through blog advertising. Let’s not just lose focus on what our blogs really are.

So how does Smorty work? Well, Smorty will email you once there is a campaign/task available for you to accept. Once you accepted a task, you have a maximum of 3 days to write about it. Otherwise, once the 3 days lapsed, the task expires. But once an accepted task gets completed, all you have to do is wait for the approval and you get paid after a few days. That easy!

Apply now at Smorty and start earning money while blogging.

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It is not easy moving from one place to another. Imagine hauling boxes of your clothes and things at home, or even boxes of files in the office… that is not a task someone would look forward to. Don’t you think?

There is a website that lists down all movers that one can hire for help. Top Moving Companies is a website that has a list of all moving companies in different states. Whether you are moving locally or internationally, you will be able to find a moving company that suits your needs.

Go check it out now and see how they can help you move.

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The book is driving me crazy! I haven’t slept yet, been to Bulacan yesterday to visit mom’s grave. Been reading all the time. Grabe! The book is wow! Grabe talaga! I’m holding my breath everytime there’s an impending danger to Harry, Ron and Hermione…

I know some bloggers who cannot comprehend why people like me are going gaga over the release of the seventh and final installment of the Harry Potter series.  Well, read the book! It’ll make you understand.

I hope to be able to finish it tonight.

Hay… book adik nga! Heheheh

Sorry for the short update. Need to go back and read some more while checking these entries. Sagabal ang work hehe joke lang

Happy Monday, friends and have a good week everyone!

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Soup
If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?
Catcher in the Rye. I love this book so much read it so many times already
Salad
What is your favorite breakfast food?
Longganisa (sausage) with sinangag (fried rice) and egg and a steaming mug of coffee.

Main Course
Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.
My idea of fun is just strolling while chatting with a friend or chatting over a cup of coffee. I guess that would cost less than $10
Dessert
How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?
When I get sleepy, it usually takes me about 20-30 minutes before I fall asleep. And that would start at past 1 in the morning.

It’s lunchtime now. What’s your lunch (dinner for my friends outside the country)?

Happy Friday everyone!

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I get happy over simple things. I get teary-eyed over silly things. Just imagine how I’d feel when I get something totally unexpected, important, a big deal (to me!) and is given by a well-respected fellow blogger?

I was ecstatic!

Thank you, Manila Mom for bestowing on me one of the 5 Thoughtful Blogger Awards you gave out.

I am hereby awarding the Thoughtful Blogger Award to:

Sasha of Sasha Says - A very warm person whose comments section is always full of people who obviously feel welcome and very much at home in her blog. She has gone through a lot of life challenges but always has encouraging words for blog friends when she bloghops.

Aaww… It feels great to know that I was able to make you all feel welcome here. Because you are all welcome here! I love making friends, meeting interesting people (Manila Mom is Maia Jose in Philippine romance novels, the one I’ve been reading and got me inspired to write my own novels), gaining ‘kuyas’ and ‘ates’ (since I am the eldest child and has always been the ate, I long to have older brothers and sisters), and I love helping others. Knowing that I somehow touched another person’s life, even through blogging, is really fantastic!

Something random: The most unique way I’ve met someone in all my life (so far) is still the way I met Laarni. You really rock, girl!
Anyway, to be able to get the award, you must meet the following criteria:

“For those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous. Also for all of those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping others bloggers design, improve, and fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.”

And from the bottom of my heart, I am giving the award to the following people:

Tina of Life is Abundant - For being present almost daily in 2 of my blogs and leaving comments and inspiring quotes everytime. You’d be amazed at the time she spends visiting all the blogs in her blogroll. And she has a long list! She’d greet you daily even on those times you cannot reciprocate the act. And even if I haven’t seen her in person yet, I know she has a ready smile for everyone. You can feel it in the way she writes.

Ate Vicky/VK of Mahalkaayo - She might not be able to visit daily but when she does, she makes sure she catches up on all the posts she missed. She always has something wonderful and funny to tell about her family. And I love that about her!

Angie of The Daily Matters - You need not ask her twice. One question and she’ll give you answers, more than enough in fact. She was one of the two persons who pointed me in the right direction so that I can start my online revenue flowing in. Kaya what I was sharing with you guys, I got some from this lady
Chase of The Queerchef - He lets you in his life by sharing stories about him, sometimes funny and sweet, most of the time shocking. But I love that he’s frank! It’s like you can hear him talk to you personally, like you’re chatting with one of your friends. I just know you’ll never feel shy when you meet him in person. And I do want to meet you in person, Chase! Someday *winks*

Gayle and Pam - I know it says only 5 awards but I’m picking these two young ladies and giving them both award number five. Several times I’ve asked help from them one way or another and they are always willing to help. Plus they visit every day to say hi and see how you’re doing. These ladies are two of the sweetest teen bloggers I’ve met.

AND I am also giving out another award…

For those bloggers who inspire others through their words and actions. With a positive attitude, and an uplifting spirit these bloggers make the blogosphere a better place, and encourage others to do the same. This award is for bloggers who rise up to set an example but continue to reach out and support others.

Devilicious - This girl has been instrumental in all these online income that I’m getting right now. She has been a friend from the time I was still blogging at bravejournal and has always been there when I needed a ‘lift’. She inspires me to become better at what I do.

Manila Mom aka Maia Jose - For inspiring me with your stories. She has been through a lot lately, her mom passing away after a long battle with sickness. But still, she came out stronger and her faith intact. She never forgets to inlcude me in her love tags and for that I am thankful. Everytime I see you visiting, I finish a chapter
Br. Vince of Vinceleste - My first ever kuya in the blogworld. He’s been a constant inspiration to me (di lang nya alam hehe). Those times I’ve been truly down, he was one of the people who’s there para manermon hahaha. Joke lang He made me realize a lot of things and has helped me keep my faith.

Emmyrose - She has Lupus, a sickness that no one knows until now what the cause and cure are. She is making it her mission in life to spread awareness about the sickness. And even sick, she still writes beautifully, positively about life.

Ate Nalen/Melai of Manilenya - If you know her, you would know right away why I am giving her this award. For those who haven’t met her yet, she was a domestic helper in Singapore who has managed to inspire all of her readers with the way she looked at life in a positive way. She has never been ashamed in telling everyone who asks what her work was. She’s in Canada now rhough. I just know that wherever she’ll go, she will remain the humble and inspiring Manilenya that we all know.

Wheew! That was tough! I still want to list down a lot of bloggers who inspired me or has been thoughtful one way or another… Ross of Quotes in Can, Rebecca of Skippy Heart (so sorry girl, nagkamali hahaha!), Dom Lawrence, OSB of The Tales from the Cenobite (ang aking bagong kuya!), Des of Fingertalks, Annamanila of Ode2Old, and a whole lot more.

Thank you my friends!

What a way to start the weekend! Happy Friday everyone! And may we all have a fun-filled weekend! God bless

Popularity: 77% [?]

This is a sponsored post.

Holidays can put a dent on your weight loss program. With all the parties, gatherings, reunions, it will take a lot of discipline for someone, especially like me who loves good food, not to gain a lot of weight. So during the holidays last year, I stopped going to the gym. Mainly because of my tight schedule at work. And as a result, I have gained back some, if not all, the pounds I lost last year.

A friend of mine suggested that instead of doing a crash diet again, why not I just watch what I’m eating, particularly the caloric content of my food intake. This is a good idea since dieting makes me really irritable and weak.

MyFitnessPal.com offers a free calorie counter for people like me conscious of the calories in their food intake. The calorie counter will help one determine how many calories contained in the food they will eat or have eaten. So if you want a free, easy and reliable way of calorie counting, go visit MyFitnessPal.com now.

Popularity: 8% [?]