Snapshots of my Life

Ralph Lauren had another sale last week and so I took this opportunity to shop for Yohann Jacobo’s stuff. I was able to buy onesies and shoes for him that he will be wearing at the reception on his baptism. Here is our RL loots which I snagged from Ems’ Flickr account:

The Ralph Lauren site is a little strict when it comes to the credit card that they accept in their site and they don’t accept international credit cards as well as non-US PayPal accounts. So I have to ask my good friend Ems to do the shopping for us (thanks so much Ems, I really appreciate it).

Ems will be shipping the items this week and in one to two weeks, the items will be arriving here in Manila. I can’t wait to see Yohann Jacobo’s RL loots and I am sure he will really look good in the RL onesies and RL yellow shoes that I bought for him.

Today is the inauguration of our new president and Filipinos now have a new hope that reforms will be done to help our country recover again. And because of this hope, hubby and I have been discussing and hubby suggested that it is a good time to make investments since the economy might improve so we are considering to buy gold coins as an investment.

Investing in gold is really a wise move as gold is universally accepted so it can be easily converted to cash. Gold also will not depreciate in time unlike other assets. It is also very easy to handle and store as gold coins can be easily stored in a safety deposit box at home or can be arranged for a safe keeping in any local banks. We have been reading the site of United States Gold Bureau and we learned that their experienced staff can help us with our initial gold investment.

I am sure that we can never go wrong if we invest in gold.

I woke up late today as I was awake almost every two hours the entire night because I was feeding our baby boy. I was surprised when I found out upon waking up that hubby did not go to work today and he went to visit our other house to clean up the living room and check the swimming pool supplies that we need to buy and he tagged B along with him. B has a class at 12:40 PM which means that they have to be at home at least by 11:30 so we can prepare B for her class. I was already panicking because it was already 10 AM and they are still at our house which is more than an hour away from Manila.

I kept on calling hubby to ask for their location and by 11:45, they safely arrived home. My mom and my nanny are already rushing to prepare B and to eat their lunch and by 12:10 they were able to leave the house.

They experience traffic jam along UST but at least according to hubby, they are just 10 minutes late. Sometimes I can never really understand the adventurous and carefree nature of B and hubby. LOL.

It has been a private joke in our family that our grand mother’s favorite are the boys in our family. She may not admit it, but the girls can really notice our grand mother’s preference over our boy cousins. LOL.

Now that our baby boy is here, we are all wondering if he will now be my mom’s favorite apo. LOL. Nah, I don’t think so. It’s not that there will be no chance that he will be my mom’s favorite. But I am sure my mom will treat our baby boy the same way she treated her first apo, our princess B. She will love both B and our baby boy equally, unconditionally.

As what she always tells me, being a grand mother is a different kind of feeling. She sometimes even admits that it is even better than being a mom. LOL. She and my dad is my daughter’s spoiler, always giving in to my daughter’s whims and I am sure they will do just the same to our son.

We have been doing a lot of clean up at home as we definitely need to let go of some of our stuff to make more room as we are really running out of space already especially now with the coming of our second baby.

I started cleaning up my closet and guess what I unearthed. Old and out of fashioned gold jewelries that I haven’t worn in ages now. Hubby suggested that I should just give it away since I am not using it anyways but I have a better option because I can get cash for gold.

A friend of mine mentioned to me before about Refinity where I can sell jewelry. All I have to do is send them my gold jewelries and other scrap metal that I want to sell and their refinery experts will evaluate my jewelries and give me the best offer that they can give for the jewelries that I am selling. And if I agree with their offer, they can send me the payment within 24 hours.

I just love this idea. Imagine, I will be able to turn into cash those old jewelries that is just accumulating dust in my jewelry box.

With the coming of our baby boy, hubby wants to be sure that our home is clean and germ free. That is why he even took a leave to clean the entire house and throw away some of our old stuff that we no longer use.

The last thing on his list of things to do is to get carpet cleaning Portland OR to make sure that the carpet in our room will really be clean and bacteria free when our baby boy arrives. That is why he contacted BenchMark to do the carpet cleaning for us as they have experienced carpet cleaning experts who can really get the job done.

What we like about BenchMark is that they provide service 24/7 and they only use the most environment friendly method possible for their carpet cleaning so it is good both for the environment and for our baby.

We are confident that BenchMark can really make our carpet clean and fresh so we can be sure that our room will be a safe and clean place for our kids to stay.

During our four day stay at the hospital when I gave birth, a number of friends and relatives have visited us to see our baby boy.

On our first night after the delivery, my side of the family had a big celebration and they all went to the hospital to celebrate the birthday of our baby boy and my brother. My aunt even cooked pasta and barbeque and my brother brought cake for the celebration. Then hubby’s side of the family also came to check us and baby boy even though they came straight from UST hospital as it is the same day when my mother-in-law was discharged.


On our second day at the hospital, my friends from work visited us and it is a perfect timing as our baby boy is already rooming in with us so they were able to see and play with our baby boy.

Since the room that we are occupying now is small already for our growing family, hubby and I decided to move to the other bigger spare room. Our daughter would still be sleeping with us so that room has to be spacious enough to accommodate our queen size bed, our daughter’s toddler bed and our baby’s play pen.

In order to make more room, hubby thought of getting closets Richmond to customized the closets for the new room that we will be occupying. A closet factory designer will come to our house to check the room and will create a custom design for our closet based on our needs.

As much as we wanted to create more space, we also need closest installed in that room to organized our stuff and thank goodness that we discovered Closet Factory Richmond because they are really our solution for our storage and organization needs. And what is even better is that we can even print a coupon code so we can get 11% discount and free installation.

Are you an art enthusiast and loves making art projects like pottery and ceramic art? Or are you an owner of a pottery and ceramic school and is looking for the best store to get all your pottery and ceramic supplies like slab rollers, potters wheels and the like? Then look no further as AMACO/Brent can provide for all your pottery supply needs.

AMACO/Brent has been in this business for forty years now. If you check their site, they have a wide range of choices for all your pottery and ceramic supply needs, from wheel throwing to clays, to brushes and Kilns and even ware cart. They offer nothing but the best product like the brent pottery wheels which is considered as the Harley Davidson when it comes to potters wheels that they are offering a 10 year warranty to all their potters’ wheels. They even have great offers like free shipping, discounts and sometimes cash gifts that you can use when purchasing any items from their store. Now that is one good offer that is hard to beat.

No wonder AMACO/Brent has been in the business for so long now because they only have the best products, backed by teacher support which are affordable and of really high quality. So next time you are looking for pottery and ceramic supplies, just check out the site of AMACO/Brent and you will surely find the best deal and the best pottery and ceramic products.

I have been meaning to blog about this, but I got busy and I gave birth and it is only now that I was able to find the time to post about this.

My friends from work gave our baby boy a baby shower / dinner at California Pizza Kitchen at Glorietta 3 last June 8, 2010. Hubby fetched me and we head to Glorietta where my friends are already waiting for me. We ordered right away as we are all hungry already.

It was a very fun night. Not the usual baby shower where there is a formal program with games but we just shared good food, good laughs, good stories with good friends. It was already past 8 PM when we called it a night and they gave me their gifts for baby boy before we parted ways.

Thank you guys for organizing this for us. We really had fun.

After years of waiting, hubby will finally be able to push through with his plans to do the renovation of our house that we purchased five years ago. Since our loan will be finished by September, we will now have the budget to proceed with the house renovation. Hubby already talked to my uncle who is an architect and they have discussed the plan for the house. One of hubby’s special requests is to have an area in the backyard overlooking the fields for his art studio where he can work on his pottery and ceramic projects.

Hubby was so excited after seeing the plan my uncle had drafted that he immediately checked the site of AMACO/Brent to look for pottery supplies like brent pottery wheels and an art clay kiln that he wants to purchase so he can make pottery art work right in our own backyard. AMACO/Brent is his best bet for all his pottery and ceramic needs like ceramic colors, wheels, a kiln and the like because they have been in this business for forty years already. Some of their products even have 10 years warranty proving that they are really confident that their products are reliable and durable.

Hubby said that he feels so relaxed every time he creates pottery and ceramic projects. Their supplies and the opportunity to use them to create beautiful pottery is what he needs after a very stressful day at work.

Clothes to wear during my four day stay at the hospital – checked
Toiletries for me – checked
Hubby’s stuff – checked
Laptop and SmartBro USB Internet (I plan to work while I am at the hospital) – checked
books (so we have something to read during our stay at the hospital) - checked
Feeding bottles for Baby Boy – checked
Clothes for Baby Boy – checked
Going home outfit – checked
Admission Letter from my OB – checked

Looks like I am all set already and ready to be admitted on Sunday. I am nervous and excited at the same time. Nervous for the operation but at the same time I feel very excited too because in just two days we will finally be able to see our baby boy. Will he look like me or his dad again? From our 4D ultrasound, they say that he looks like his dad but who knows he might look different when his out and he might be my look alike this time. B is pretty excited too and I really hope that they will really get along well.

I already told hubby to take lots of pictures and upload it to Flickr right away so our friends and family can have a first glimpse of our baby boy so watch out for it.

B is really into art work now and she loves to draw. We used to have a problem with her as she is really lazy to hold a pencil and even write a simple horizontal and vertical line. We even got worried as the Admissions Officer of St. Scholastica even warned us that we should really take time to train B to write and draw so she will be ready for school come June.

So we patiently practiced her at home and we enrolled her in a writing class and Enopi last summer and all those classes paid off as she enjoys writing and even drawing now. She can even write her first name unlike before that she can only write her nickname. Her teacher during summer even commented that B knows how to hold the pencil properly which was really a problem before.

This is one of her recent drawings which she drew in my palm Pilot.

She said that it is a picture of her with her friend. LOL. Cuteness.

Every time I need to look for something, the Internet has always been my source of information. Just like when my friend asked for my help on the address of Houston Pawn Shops, I was easily able to find the exact address and the location from the Internet.

One of my favorite sites for this kind of searches is justclicklocal.com. It is an online yellow pages where I can search for anything from Austin Pawn Shops to day spas, to restaurants. All I need to do is just enter what I am looking for, for example a plumber, and then type the area like Dallas, TX and then it will provide me with integrated maps with directions and other online information about the place or service that I am looking for.

Try it out and I am sure, you will be able to find what you are looking for using the service of justclicklocal.

It’s Father’s Day this Sunday and I still don’t have any gift for hubby. It has been a very stressful week and in just a few days I will be giving birth so I don’t think I still have time to buy a gift for hubby for his special day.

But if time and money were not a problem, I wanted to give hubby something really, really special like a Chevy car. I saw him checking out the site of CarID and he has been browsing the different chevy accessories available from the site that is why I know that Chevy is his dream car.

Who knows, maybe someday we can afford a Chevy and buying parts for replacement or for upgrade of our Chevy won’t be a problem as we can easily buy it from CarID at a very unbeatable price.

But for now, I guess kisses and hugs from me and the kids are already enough for hubby to make him feel extra special on his special day.

As if we don’t have enough bad luck already, this is what happened to us today:

We were on our way for lunch after dropping our daughter to her school when we had a vehicular accident. The right passenger side of our car got hit by a small van. I was shaking after I realized that we had an accident and I got more scared since hubby was not in the mood also so he was really arguing with the driver of the van.

Maybe hubby saw that I was really worried and he mellowed down for a bit. We waited for the traffic police to arrive and they asked us to proceed to the Traffic Bureau office at the Pier area. We are just near the area so hubby dropped me at home first and I just had him deal with the situation.

The insurance of the company owning the van will take care of the repair but I am not sure if we can send the car to the repair shop soon as I am scheduled to give birth on June 21. I just hope that everything has really been sorted out. I don’t think if I can ever handle more stress.

Part of our company’s policy is to store copies of documents from the last seven years and as years pass by, our documents keep piling up so much that we no longer have space left to store the new future documents. That is why we are looking for solutions to solve our problem and that is when we discovered the document conversion service of Aptara Corp.

Aptara Corp can convert all our documents to digital format no matter what the original source is, be it print, microfilm, microfiche, or digital. Aptara Corp is not only limited to this service as they also offer other technology such as eBook creation. In this day and age where everything is online, most of the documents and files that we receive are now in digital format or what we commonly call as ebook that is why a lot of publishing companies is getting the service of Aptara Corp such as the ebook publisher for their digital publication needs. Aptara Corp is a very reliable company to provide this kind of service as they have already converted millions of printed pages to digital formats so they have the tools and the experience to get the job done. Aptara’s PowerXEditorTM tool allows for collaboration, faster publishing and a lower cost of production that is why they are a popular choice among publication companies.

Our company wants to implement a paperless system and so we have seen the advantage of having our documents in digital format as it can be accessible using gadgets such as the Kindle, Iphone, Ipad for easy access among the employees. So we are really thankful that there are companies such as Aptara Corp as answer to our digital publishing requirements.

Hubby is a collector of all sorts. He has a sports memorabilia collection of different NBA and NFL action figure. He also has a DVD collection, old poster collection and his most precious coin collection. That is why when I saw the gold eagle coins from United States Gold Bureau, I immediately thought of hubby and I know for sure that he would want to buy gold eagle coins from them.

What is nice about these gold eagle coins is that it is the world's leading gold bullion investment coins so not only it will be a great addition to hubby’s collection but it will also be a great investment for him. This coin is made following the 22 karat standard which makes it a very hard coin so it is scratch proof so its value will not diminish.

Gold is a very good investment as it can be easily converted to cash and is universally accepted. And with the help of United States Gold Bureau, hubby can find the best market value for these eagle coins which can serve as his starting gold investment.

All my bags are packed and I am ready to go. To the hospital that is. That is the order of my doctor if ever I will feel any contractions tonight. I am nervous even if this is my second pregnancy. I delivered via Caesarian delivery for my first born and I didn’t even go into labor so I have no idea what to expect if ever I will be delivering via normal delivery.

But at least in just a few days, I don’t have to worry about my pregnancy anymore as the long wait is finally over and I just have to deal with looking for a weight loss pill like Lipovox to help me get back in shape. LOL.

But for sure my hands will be really full as soon as baby boy arrives. B is just starting to go to big school so she needs all of our attention too especially she needs our support for her adjustment with the coming of the new baby. Plus I am sure baby boy will need all our time and attention especially in the first few months.

But I am glad that I saw hubby smile again when I told him that I might give birth anytime now. He was actually excited. Maybe that is God’s way of cheering up my husband and his family by letting them see baby boy a week in advance than what we originally planned.

Meet B’s new best friend, her Tito Ronnie.

Ronnie is the boy friend of my sister and B was so at home around him. Maybe Ronnie has the right gadget to lure B as B will instantly look for Ronnie’s iTouch so she can play Pocket God as soon as she sees her Tito Ronnie. LOL.

But it is not just Pocket God that they play together. Sometimes they play catch and throw, or build blocks together. There was even a time when my nanny was on day off that he and my sister was the one who took care of B for the whole day because my mom was sick that time. If B doesn’t see Ronnie, she will sometimes ask her Tita Veejay to ask Ronnie to come to our house. LOL.

Maybe Ronnie has a natural charm for kids and he is just patient especially when dealing with my kulit princess. LOL.

Business cards are the number one advertising tool for you and your business. They are easy to keep near you, convenient to hand out to potential clients, and useful for networking for your business during luncheons and conferences.

When designing your business cards, make sure they have all of the pertinent information about you and your company while looking professional. Imagine handing a card to a potential client. Do you think the client will take you more seriously if it has cartoon characters on it, or a simple logo? You must think of the reaction of the person you're going to be handing the cards to when coming up with the design for them. You want to impress potential clients enough to make them remember to look at your card when they're in need of your business.

Printing companies can help you select the best design for your card. They have several styles, colors, patterns, layouts, sizes, and finishes. You can talk to the designers about your needs and have them help you come up with the best look for your cards. Compare several different printing companies to see what each one has to offer, and compare their prices. Some of these companies may offer special deals on certain styles, or by the amount of cards you order. However, don't let a lower price attract you on its own. Make sure you choose a company that offers good quality. You don't want to hand a messy-looking card to potential clients, or a cheap-looking one either.

There's one other option to think about, especially if you're just starting your business: printing your own. If you choose this route, be sure to buy high-quality paper and ink, and choose a design that's easy to create on your computer. Keep the details simple. You want an eye-appealing look without going overboard.

Across the United States, millions of Americans are burdened with large amounts of debt. The options for easing financial strain are limited. Ignoring the problem and not paying your bills will result in ruined credit, and recuperating from bankruptcy can take several years. Debt consolidation is a viable option, but must be done with care. Educating yourself about debt consolidation is vital to choosing the right company to meet your needs.

Debt consolidation is simply paying off various smaller loans with one bigger loan. Generally, people consolidate to lower interest rates or payments, or to just eliminate multiple small payments for convenience. Smaller, unsecured loans are normally paid off by a larger secured loan. These loans are secured by collateral, or an asset of value. For example, a mortgage is secured by the house. Secured loans have a lower interest rate because in the event the loan goes unpaid, the lender has the right to force the sale of the collateral to recoup the money owed, reducing the risk to the lender. Lower risk to the lender equates to lower interest rates.

People on the verge of bankruptcy may be able to have their debts reduced by a debt consolidation company. Often times, lenders will allow loans to be bought at a discount to avoid a total loss from bankruptcy discharge. Bankruptcy proceedings can be altered by consolidation, especially if debts are negotiated down, so be careful when considering consolidation.

Credit card debt carries exorbitant interest rates because the debt is unsecured. These astronomically high rates make paying off the debt difficult and lengthy. By obtaining a secured loan, with a home or a vehicle, a debtor can lock in a secured loan with a lower interest rate and, sometimes, a lower payment. Whatever the financial crisis, debt consolidation can be a life-preserver to those who are drowning in debt.

This has been a very stressful week for our family. We received a very bad news about the health condition of my mother-in-law. My husband was really at a lost and I know this is the time where he really needs our support.

I am not used to hubby being like this. He is a very strong person and it is him where I get all my strength. And so I am not really used to him, getting support from me. But thank goodness that as days passes by, he is gaining composure again and his hope is back.

We have been really praying hard that a miracle will happen to our family. We received a miracle before when we received a good news that the hole in our daughter’s heart is close already and so we will never really loose hope as we know that miracle happens everyday.

I am just thankful that God had been guiding our family and hubby’s family and He never ceases to give us more strength to help us carry through this difficult stage that we are having right now.

On Our List: Breezes Resorts, a Bahamas all inclusive resorts

June in my part of the world means that summer is almost finish and rainy days are here again. In fact, it has been raining in the past few days though we still sometimes see Mr. Sun greeting us and there are still days when it is so hot and humid. That is why some of my friends are still going to the Bahamas resorts for a last minute getaway to the beach.

I am already on my 8th month of pregnancy and so it is really hard for me to do long distance travel. If only I am not pregnant, I would have checked out Bahamas all inclusive resorts as my friends who have recently been there are all raving about it. Their favorite is the Breezes Resorts which offers Bahamas all inclusive packages. This all inclusive package is really true to its word as everything is covered for their guests - meals (from breakfast buffets to dinner), entertainment., land and water sports, and even hotel taxes and airport transfer. Now that is really my kind of vacation. I can just leave my wallet in my room and all I can think about is to have fun, enjoy the sand and the sun and just chill and relax.

Since we were not able to go to the beach this summer, we promised our daughter that we will definitely hit the beach as soon as I give birth and Breezes Resorts will definitely be on our list of resorts to visit.

Are you looking for fun and worthwhile activities for your kids this summer? I actually wanted swimming class for my daughter but since hubby noticed that our daughter is showing some interest in arts, hubby suggested that we enroll her to art class.

Between me and hubby, hubby is the one with the artistic talent and he wants our daughter to be like him so he wanted our daughter to start early to develop her talent. Hubby has been looking at the site of AMACO/Brent and he learned that art schools that partnered with AMACO/Brent and use their products and follow their art lesson plans were able to maximize classroom time thus increasing the success rate for their students. What hubby likes about the products of AMACO/Brent is that it is safe for use by kids and they offer a lot of arts and crafts kits that I am sure my daughter will enjoy exploring.

Hubby is looking at ceramic art education and he is thinking if our daughter can handle this class also. He had classroom ceramics class before and he finds it fun and so he wants our daughter to try this class also.

Hubby was really excited as he knows that our daughter will enjoy the arts class especially since we will be enrolling her to a school that uses nothing but the art products and supplies from AMACO/Brent.

With all the cool Laptop Accessories coming out, a laptop owner might be completely enamored and will go overboard in buying all the accessories available in the market for his gadget. But not all laptop accessories are necessary and some are just there as merely frivolous customization options.

So which laptop accessories are necessary for your laptop to function more efficiently?

Because laptops are portable device, we tend to carry it with us everywhere we go - when we travel, when we go to the mall, or even when we go out for coffee. Laptops are not a cheap piece of toy and they are one expensive device so it is but right that we protect it form knocks and scrapes. So one of the first accessories that you will need is a Laptop Sleeve or a laptop bag to keep your laptop clean, and dust and scratch free.

I don’t know about you guys but I really hate the touch pad that all laptops have especially if I am working on a project in Adobe Photoshop or other applications that are control intensive. I am also dependent on my mouse and I use it instead of using the control keys in the keyboard when working on word processing or spread sheet applications like Word and Excel so the touch pad is also not a very comfortable tool if you will be working on your laptop for number of hours. Another laptop accessory then that will enhance your laptop use is a mouse.

A laptop accessory that laptop owners can consider getting is a USB drive. I remember when we went on a three-week vacation in Europe ; we brought along with us a USB drive where we back up the pictures that we have downloaded to our laptop. Hubby took lots of photos during that three week vacation and even though he brought Giga Bytes of memory card, it is still not enough to hold all the pictures so we need to download it to our laptop to free some space in our memory card and then we backed it up to our USB drive. This will ensure that our pictures are safe no matter what happens to our laptop. So a USB drive is really an essential accessory because it makes a great temporary backup medium for the really important files you create on the road

And since laptops are mobile device, the longer we can use it without the power adaptor, the better it is as we can work for longer hours while on the road. Typically, battery life of laptops only last for one to two hours. So if you want to double the battery life of your laptop, it is wise to buy a spare battery so you can easily swap the battery of your laptop when it dies while you are mobile.

There are really a lot of laptop accessories that laptop owners can choose from and although it is nice to jazz up your gadget a bit, it is still wise to just purchase accessories that will improve the efficiency and performance of your device.

Something to cheer me up a little:

Peachy received this last week via LBC from Caryl. (Boy it was fast). I was supposed to get it during the MBAPs meet up but we won’t be able to go. Gelo, Peachy’s husband, dropped by our house to pick up the kalakals that I have for Joy and so Peachy sent my Chocolate brown Long Champ bag with him.

I love the size. It is just right if we just need to go to the mall, or to Bela’s school or even for work. All my other Long Champ bags are bigger and this is my first small LC bag and I am loving it. More to come? LOL. Maybe next year. I think I had enough Long Champ bags already for this year. But who knows, there are still a lot of colors of LC bags that I want to add to my collection like the red, the dark purple and the pink one. LOL. Hope business will be good in the coming months so I have extra money for my LC bag. LOL.

If you're like most of America, you're feeling the financial pinch of the recession. Overdue bills, payment plans, and loans can pile up quickly, leaving you with a great deal of financial stress. If you're in a financial bind, you may find some relief from cash loans. These loans are typically for amounts under $1,000, and can help you get through a rough spot or pay off a bill that needs to be taken care of before your next payday.

Utility Bills

It's easier than you'd think to get behind on your utility bill. If you've been hit by a security deposit, larger than normal bill, or just haven't had the money to keep your bill current, a cash loan may help. You shouldn't have to decide between paying a bill and putting food on the table. Don't be afraid to ask for the loan that you need.

Car Payments

Auto loans are another area where it's easy to fall behind. You need your car to get to and from work or job interviews, but when money gets tight, it gets harder to make car payments on time. If you're struggling with this problem and want to break out of the "always late" cycle, you might consider a cash loan.

Credit Cards

Late credit card payments can cost a small fortune, between overdue fees and over the limit fees. Instead of allowing creditors to take you for everything you're worth, consider taking out a cash loan. Don't ruin your good credit by defaulting or making a late payment; talk to lenders in your area to see if they can help.

Cash loans are a great way to stretch your dollars from one payday to the next. If you're tired of always running slightly behind financially, a cash loan may give you the chance to finally get current on your bills.

Whether new or used, there are a few things you should do before purchasing a car. For your convenience, here's a check list that everyone should mark off before entering into an automobile purchase.

1. Research. This sounds obvious, but often people ignore this and are left at the mercy of the car dealer. Hybrid or standard? Manual or automatic? The Internet, the library and your friends are all great places to get answers to these questions and more.

2. Consolidate your bills. Bill consolidation is the perfect way to free up some cash so that you can purchase a vehicle. It may even be a way for you to get out of debt before purchasing a vehicle. Even if consolidation doesn't relieve you of debt, it will definitely make your debt manageable. A car purchase will add to your expenses, so it is best to assess your debt now.

3. Get a credit report. In addition to knowing your debt, know your score. Many car dealership scams are predicated on them giving you a false score. Don't get caught! There are a lot of avenues to check your score on-line.

4. Drive, Drive, Drive. If your friend has a car you're thinking of purchasing, ask to drive it around a little. Ask to trade cars for the morning commute. Go to the grocery store. Test drive as close to your real life as you can.

5. Clean and sell. Regardless how you're paying for it, a car's going to cost you, so any cushion will help. Clean out the closet and have a yard sale. Alternatively, take all those albums in the basement and put them on eBay. Or you can donate those items for a big write-off from your taxes. Either way, pad the pain of those payments with this tip.

This is the MBAP family picture that we missed:

Yesterday, the MBAPs had a meet up at Conti’s in Greenbelt to celebrate the birthday of all June MBAP celebrants and our baby shower. We were not able to make it though as we have to be at the hospital yesterday. But I heard I had a good representative when it is time for them to give their baby shower gifts for me as my kumareng Peachy took my place to receive my gifts. LOL.

Looks like the MBAP had a blast, as always. I am sure I missed a lot of chikas and stories. It has been a long while since we had a meet up. I think the last time was last December when the Bebots balikbayans, Trinity and Glo, has a short vacation here in the Philippines.

I was actually looking forward to this meet up but I am sure there will be next time.

Property Management—Types

There are different types of property management. These include residential or apartment management, vacation rental management, commercial property management, and community association management. This article will focus on commercial property management.

An Overview

Commercial property management companies are those that specialize in the management of retail space, for instance office, medical, warehouse, manufacturing, and shopping centers (to name a few). Properties such as these may require a dedicated maintenance crew, which would be in charge of maintaining the building's mechanical systems (heating, air conditioning, elevator, escalator, energy management, electrical, and plumbing). By employing a commercial property management group to protect your investment, you can feel confident that things are running smoothly.

The Property Management Business

The world of commercial property management is competitive and intense. Opportunities are endless and individuals can be very successful based on how hard they work. There are technical and practical aspects of the business. Technical aspects include commercial real estate laws, technology, contracts, and taxation. Practically, you must be able to repine, maintain, provide upkeep, and have positive tenant relations with each property. You must have good relations with other brokers, the public, and clients in addition to those in similar professions. You can choose to outsource some of the workload or handle it yourself.

Benefits of Managing Properties
1. The investment pays for itself. Once you have a tenant, the monthly rent payment should cover your monthly mortgage obligation.
2. The property's value should increase over time. Most real estate investments appreciate over time and the longer you can hold on to it, the better.
3. The property will eventually be paid for—even if it takes 30 years. After that, all rent payments are strictly profit.
4. Increase the property's value by making improvements. Improve the property by adding landscaping, building an addition, or other improvements.

Dogs are pretty curious critters. They poke and dig through all kinds of stinky, unsanitary places like garbage cans, dumpsters, or even road kill. And when they explore, they lead with their nose. They're also not very discriminating eaters. In fact, dogs eat just about anything they find that smells good to them. They even eat things that don't smell good to them. When they eat the wrong thing, they're going to get sick, usually with worms or parasites, and that's the kind of sickness you can't see. Sentinel for dogs will put an end to that, regardless of how adventurous or non-discerning your dog's eating habits may be.

Sentinel is a tablet you feed to your dog every month. It must taste good, because they always gobble it down, straight up or mixed with their food. Sentinel will prevent heartworm disease and control fleas by entering the bloodstream and seeking these ugly intruders out for destruction. Fleas will die when they bite your pet because the anti-flea medicine is in the blood. Sentinel will also control hookworms. If your dog has hookworms, Sentinel will eliminate them.

Sentinel for dogs removes adult roundworms as well as whipworm infections. It can be used in dogs and puppies. Packages of six or twelve tablets have varied dosage levels for different sized dogs. Your vet will be sure to weigh your dog and prescribe the correct dosage.

Sentinel keeps providing protection to your dog through the monthly doses. While you may turn to Sentinel when your dog has a problem with worms, when you add the continued guardianship offered with the sheer ease of dosing your dog, you'll realize it's an easy fix for what might be a nasty problem for your dog.

This is the current room that we are occupying right now:

Yes, it is this messy and disorganized. LOL. Hubby dismantled the built in cabinet from the second room where we will be moving and so he has to put out his clothes and his other stuffs placed on top of the built in cabinet. Since we have no other place to stock these, he just placed it in our current room so our room now is really this messy. B has been complaining already and is asking his dad to clean up the mess. But since hubby has been really busy, he hasn’t found the time to work on this project again.

But as I am typing this message, my dad is already working on the second room. He is changing the linoleum and hopefully we can move our beds to that room tomorrow. All the electrical works have already been done also and the aircon has already been installed. We also purchased today my new cabinet which is bigger than what I have right now and hubby can have my existing cabinet.

Hubby and I will be on leave until the 16th of June so hopefully everything will be ready by then.

Food, mortgage, insurance, bill payments, piano lessons, dog food, and the list goes on. Almost everything that people do in life requires money. So, while trying to enjoy life, getting green needs to be on the agenda. Many people grow up, go to college, and get a job of some type.

Especially now, living comfortably, sometimes even surviving, takes a little more than the bi-weekly paycheck. So, hooray for side jobs! There are plenty of ways to supplement your usual income and earn a little cash on the side.

Many cities are home to plasma centers, where a healthy person who meets the qualifications can donate plasma that will be used to make medicine. Monetary reimbursement is normal, and it can be a nice way to generate a little extra cash, especially if you're saving up for something special

Are you tired of shouting ignored tips to the coaches at your favorite sports matches? If you are open to incurring a little more risk for the chance to make some extra money, there's always online sports betting. People can put down money online and hope that they make a little profit if the batter can hit that extra homer.

Talents are an excellent way of earning cash. Musicians, put those skills to use and teach lessons. You can help someone else learn a wonderful skill, and make a little money doing it. Whether you paint, write, or like working on cars, you can put your passion to work and get paid for it. Folks will always be willing to pay someone, especially someone they already know and trust, to help them out where they need it.

So, put yourself in a position to bring in some additional money by finding a well-paying way to enjoy yourself and supplement your regular income. It's easy and fulfilling, and lets you get that extra bill paid.

Help! I need the best eye cream for dark circles!

I have a new project that I really want to finish this week so I don’t have to think about it when baby boy arrives plus I have tons of work piling up that I need to finish before the due date this weekend. So even though I read from Baby Center’s website that I should be using this time to relax and get as much sleep as I can as there will surely be a lot of sleepless nights when baby boy arrives, I am doing the opposite. For the past days, my normal sleeping time is between 1-2:30 AM and then I have to wake up at 6 AM since I still have to go to work.

I need to work since I need to earn money so I have no choice but to stay awake and finish all my pending jobs. (How can I finish when I am multitasking between emails, and writing and back reading in Twitter. LOL).

But I am almost finish and I have crossed out most of the items in my To-do list already. Our weekend is packed so hopefully, I will be able to finish everything by tomorrow and then that is the only time I can get a good night sleep and recover from those days when I have to sleep late.

Last Tuesday, my friends from work treated me for dinner as their baby shower for me and Baby Boy. They made a reservation at California Pizza Kitchen at Glorietta 3. We met up around 6:00 PM and since we are all hungry already, we ordered right away. This is what we had:

King Pao pasta (Dale said that it just looks like Lucky Me Pancit Canton but in fairness it is delicious)
Tomato Basil Pasta
Calamares for appetizer
Sicilian Pizza (this is the first time that I tried this pizza and I love it too)

It is not actually the usual baby shower with games and programs and the like. It is just a quiet dinner with good food and company of good friends and I love it.

This Sunday, I will be meeting up with the MBAPs to celebrate the birthday of the June MBAP mommies and for our baby shower also. This time it will be at Conti’s, another one of my favorite restaurants, so it will be another good times with good food and good friends again.

Every time I hear Hampton, all I can think of is the internationally famous beach resorts and the summer homes of the Hollywood stars. I even remember there were a scene from my favorite show Sex and the City when Samantha organized a party at the Hampton and Carrie tagged along with her because she wants to see the famous beach resort.

But now I have a completely new image of Hampton when I discovered White's of East Hampton. White's of East Hampton is the best place to shop if you are looking for cosmetic and skin care products like Estee Lauder products, Clarins, and Clinique among others. For make up lovers, they also have a wide range of makeup products like Bobbie brown makeup and other high-end makeup brands. They also sell perfumes, herbal products, and other hard to find products like Burt’s Bees products. And you wouldn’t think that a cosmetic and skin care store such as White's of East Hampton sells pharmaceutical products, but they do. So shopping with them is like shopping in an all in one store where you can find almost everything that you need – from medicines, to prescription glasses, to makeup, and perfumes.

Do check out their site of you are on the look out for pharmaceuticals and beauty and skin care products,

Are you still looking for a perfect gift to give the most special man in your life this coming Father’s Day? Then the online store Cigar Place might be the best place for you to look for the perfect Father’s Day gift.

They sell premium cigars and cigar accessories like cigar humidifier which can be a perfect gift for the best father in your life. Whether you want to totally splurge or on a budget, they have all kinds of cigars of different brands and prices that you can choose from. They sell premium cigars of different brands. Padron cigars, CAO Cigars, Rosa Cuba cigars are just a few of the brands that they sell at their online site. If you are on a budget, they also sell cheap cigars but of good quality that I am sure will be greatly appreciated by the receiver. One good thing about Cigar Place is that they process all their orders within 24 hours so you will be guaranteed that the cigar you will purchase from them will be delivered just in time for Father’s Day.

Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to thank our fathers for all the good things that they have done to raise us well. So look no further and visit Cigar Place to get the perfect gift for the most perfect man in our life, our dads.

This room used to look like a storage area because this is where we put our things that we don’t use like B’s old stroller, crib, old toys, hubby’s photography stuff, etc. This room is so full that there is no space to move freely or walk to.

But this room is bigger than the room that we are occupying now and so with the coming of our baby boy, we decided to vacate the room that we are occupying now and move to this room. Hubby and my dad already started to do a clean up of the room and move some of the things that we really can’t throw to our house in Bulacan and so now it is almost empty. They also installed the new aircon that hubby bought.

The next thing that hubby is planning to do is dismantle one of the built in cabinets in that room to make more space and then move my cabinet and B’s cabinet to the room that we will be vacating. Then after that, we will move our bed and start to fix the room just in time for the coming of baby boy.

I am so excited already. I thought that hubby will not be able to finish this project before our baby boy arrives but looks like he is really doing some progress.

Are you looking for a store that sells affordable Acuvue oasis contacts? Well look no further as I discovered an online shop where I can purchase discounted contact lenses, Price Contact Lenses.

My friend who has been using Acuvue oasis for a couple of years now have been searching for an online store where she can conveniently order her contact lenses online at discounted prices. So she was very happy when she discovered Price Contact Lenses. What Price Contact Lenses does is that they searched the web for any coupon codes, sales, discounts, rebates, and offers on shipping and handling and they will make a computation on the best deal that they can offer to their customer based on the information that they gathered. So all the customer has to do is enter their order online and Price Contact Lenses will do the rest in gathering information to get the best deal.

So ever since my friend discovered Price Contact Lenses, she has been ordering her contact lenses from them as they accept small orders or bulk orders. So if you are looking for an online store which offers discounted lenses, do check out Price Contact Lenses, where you can conveniently order affordable contact lenses online.

There is really no stopping now as hubby looks really determined in pushing through with our house renovation project. For two weekends already, he has been spending time at our house there doing small renovations and clean up and he has been talking about renewing our loan when it expires this coming September so he can push through with the major renovation.

So I guess there is really no way to stop his plan so I might just give my inputs on the design of the house so at least our house will have some feminine touch. One of the things that I will like to incorporate in our house is the installation of window boxes just like these:

These window flower boxes will surely add to the relaxing ambiance of our house that we will really be inspired to drive a few hours north every weekend to spend our weekends here. I told hubby about the window plant boxes that I like and he loves the idea too.

Now I am getting excited for this house renovation project of hubby.

She is our visitor for the week:

I was really happy when my mom told me that the Blessed Mama Mary will be staying with us for a week. There is a group of Marian devotees in our place and they bring the Mama Mary to all the houses in our place where she will stay there for a week to spend time with the family.

We received her last night and the devotees led in praying the rosary and reading the gospel. They even offered a prayer for our entire family, especially for me and they prayed that I will have a safe delivery and that my baby boy will be healthy.

This is really one great blessing. Mama Mary is a mother too like me and I know that she will be there for me and my baby boy on the day of our delivery. Thank you again Lord for this wonderful blessing and for bringing Mama Mary to our home.

I was not feeling well yesterday up to today. I must have eaten something the day before and I was having an upset stomach and I vomited twice yesterday. I feel so weak the whole day because of it that I was not able to work. I was just lying down as soon as I reached home, just had dinner and went to bed after that.

Hubby is out of town and he was really worried of my condition and he wanted me to go to the Emergency Room. Even my mom was convincing me that we should go to the hospital. I am not taking any medications except for my prenatal vitamins because I don’t know which medicine to take that is safe for pregnant woman like me. My doctor is out of the country and won’t be back until the 8th of June so I don’t have anyone to consult to.

Thankfully after resting, I am feeling much better now though I still feel a little weak, but no more vomiting episodes already. I hope I will continue to get better as I really need all the energy as I am due to give birth in just a few weeks time.

It has been raining for a number of days this past week and I am loving it. No more hot and humid weather, nor more eczema, no more big bills because of the air-conditioning unit running for almost the whole day, no more uncomfortable feeling because of sweating and perspiration due to extreme heat.

Summer is almost saying goodbye already and rainy days are here. I actually prefer rainy season than summer. I love the feeling of hearing raindrops while eating my hot porridge. Though I have to adjust my schedule as I have to leave home a little early so I won’t be late for work. You know how it is in Manila, little rain and the roads will be flooded already and it will be really traffic. That is what happened last Thursday when there is heavy traffic because it rained in the morning.

But so far, I am loving the weather.

As I posted in my previous post, we went to Rockwell to do some shopping for baby boy. Hubby knows that my favorite chocolate store, Royce, is just in front of Baby & Co where we did some shopping and so after shopping, we went straight to Royce and got this:

Mild Cacao, Nama chocolate. It has been a while since I last have Royce chocolate and so I was really happy when hubby offered to buy me one. My favorite is actually the Champagne flavor but it has liquor and since I am pregnant it is not good for the baby. I tried the other flavor that is liquor free and I decided to have Mild Cacao.

I consumed almost 1/4 of it when we reached home. I am really trying to control my sweet consumptions, but if not, I would have eaten all of it in one seating. LOL.

The unemployment rate in our country is still superficial as I can see from the fresh graduates that I knew including my sister. She even told me that her classmates are having a hard looking for their first job.

And so I concluded that this might be because of the recession that happened in our country. This is why I realized that we should not only rely on our work itself so instead, hubby and I agreed that we will start considering to buy gold bullion. We thought that this can be of big help with regards to our investments because as we all know, gold doesn’t depreciate in time and we can also use it to have money as it can be converted easily.

Up to this time, we are still undecided about this because we also have to consider the worth of expense that we need to spend just to have one. But I know that we can surely make a way for this.

It is already 11:30 Pm and I am just starting to work since I went out and meet up with my Lynx friends again.

(Never mind my picture as I am really big already and will surely need apidexin after I give birth). It was actually an impromptu meet up. Janelle is in the area because she has a meeting at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Ayeh and Jaja met up also as it is Jaja’s dental appointment with Ayeh. Me-anne’s office is near Robinson’s Place while I on the other hand is in the area too because Robinson’s Place is near hubby’s office.

Ayeh and Jaja were the first to arrive at Robinson’s Place and they texted us if we are free for a meet up and since all of us are in the area already, we all meet up for dinner. It was really fun catching up with my high school buddies. I miss them so much because I miss a lot of their gimmicks because I have to say no most of the time since I find it really hard to go on gimmicks because of my pregnancy.

Hope to see you all again soon.

Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton are just among the famous Hollywood stars that have been charged of DUI (Driving Under the Influence) and was even sentenced to jail. Just recently, I saw Lindsay Lohan in the news and she was crying because of the sentence given to her by the judge.

I can’t blame Lindsay if she will cry over this as Driving Under the Influence is a really serious offense. This can lead to revocation of her license and reduce driving privileges. Imagine also the thousand of dollars that she will loose from her earnings as a Hollywood star while she is in jail.

That is why it is really important that you have a good criminal attorney if you have been charged or is under investigation for cases such as DUI, lawyers such as denver criminal attorneys

All of denver criminal defense lawyer have extensive experience and expertise with criminal cases such as DUI, drug crimes, juvenile delinquency, white collar crime and the like. Their lawyers are also former prosecutors so they know how to attack the case in both side of the fence assuring their clients of a fair trial .

Anybody who has been charged of a crime wouldn’t want to end up in jail that is why it is important to get nothing but the best criminal defense lawyer like Fuicelli & Lee, P.C.

We went shopping today. I was not feeling well when I was in the office this morning. I feel so tired already, I even felt nauseated and I have a feeling that I will give birth anytime soon. And since hubby will be fetching me from work today, I told hubby that it is a good timing for us to drop by at Rockwell and shop for some more items that we need for baby boy before I pop.

Hubby arrived around 5:30 Pm already and we went straight to Rockwell. I have a short list and I was able to buy the following:

3 sets of fitted sheets, comforter, bolster pillow
Bath tub
Toiletries (head to toe wash, baby oil, powder, cotton buds, cologne, etc)
Bottle organizer
Rubber mat
Diaper clips
Nail cutter
Brush
Tongue cleaner
Milk dispenser

I wanted to buy the Lamaze mat, mobile and bouncer but hubby said that we just go back this weekend so B can join us as she is so excited to shop for his baby brother.

I am happy with my purchases (although I am a bit surprised when it is time to pay the bill already. LOL. Baby stuff can be so expensive. LOL).