BlogDay 2008

I found this BlogDay event from Angel's blog and thought I'd participate.

BlogDay posting instructions:

1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting.
   
2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending them as part of BlogDay 2008.
   
3. Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs.
   
4. Post the BlogDay Post on August 31st.
   
5. Add the BlogDay tag using this link: http://technorati.com/tag/BlogDay2008
   
6. And a link to the BlogDay web site at http://www.blogday.org/

Go ahead- make a new blogger’s day!!!

Here's the 5 new blogs that I recently found --

1. Susan's Muffled Thoughts --
   "When the moon is full and I'm trying to be cool..... even when the moon isn't full and I can't help but be a fool....." Welcome back Susan to the blog world! After being absent from the blogging world for more than a year, Susan is back with her muffled thoughts. She just have a way of expressing her thoughts that makes you think hard.
   
   
2. Angel's Mind --
   When I first decided to create another blog exclusively to talk about ADHD, I stumble upon Angel's blog. A single mom with an ADHD teen age son, Damien. And going through her archives, I've learn quite a few tricks and some helpful guidelines on how to deal with my own ADHDer.
   
   
3. Michele's Rocky Mountain Retreat --
   I found another great photographer. I just love this blog as it contains lots of pictures from the numerous parks we have in Canada. And it gives me lots of ideas on the places to visit on our trip to British Columbia [sometime in the near future].
   
   
4. Weng's Munchkinmommy --
   Another mommy blog that I stumble upon via Litratong Pinoy and a new plurk buddy of mine. I love reading her stories about her 4 year old Abby.
   
   
5. Sara's It's Lovely! I'll Take it! --
   This blog is all about "a collection of poorly chosen photos from real estate listing." Sara is in the proces of deciding whether to move, re-model or make do. You should see the photos in this site, some are really gross and undescribable! Thank God I have a nice small home!

I love Mickey!

I grew up watching Disney shows and movies with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. When I hear the word Disney, I immediately associated them with Disney’s animated movies and characters during my childhood.

Here is a list of my top 5 Disney movies –

1. The Rescuers
   
2. Beauty and the Beast
   
3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
   
4. Fantasia
   
5. Mulan

My top 5 Disney Characters –

1. Mickey and
   
2. Minnie Mouse
   
3. Chip and
   
4. Dale
   
5. Bernard in The Rescuers

And my top 5 Disney songs –

1. I’ve got no strings – Pinocchio
   
2. Reflection – Mulan
   
3. Be our guests – Beauty and the Beast
   
4. Something there – Beauty and the Beast
   
5. Heigh Ho – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

What are your top 5 favorite Disney movies, characters and songs?

My kids are really into board games or DVD games, and they have been asking me to buy them the “Disney DVD Bingo time” DVD game. It’s a fun game for children ages 4 and up and a nice family bonding game too. If you love Bingo, then you will love this high-tech twist on the old game. Kids will learn numbers, colors and matching skills of their favorite Disney characters and movie clips.

This is a great Christmas gifts for the little one and, if you want to buy this you can go to Amazon.com or Drugstore.com and purchase your own Disney Bingo game!

Photo Hunt: Beautiful

During our last trip to the Philippines, I came across these dresses on display at SM Pampanga. Aren't they beautiful?

Join Photo Hunt
Click here for the themes for 2008

Litratong Pinoy - Ayaw ko!

"Ayaw ko!" sabi ng panganay ko. Ayaw niya ang mga ganitong klaseng kasiyahan. Pero dahil yung kalaro niya na mas bata sa kanya ay gustong sakyan ito, napilitan siyang subukan. Sabi niya, "yan ang goal ko ngayon." At bago matapos ang araw, sinubukan nga ito ng anak ko. At ang sabi ay "buhay pa din ako!" Pero hanggang isang ikot lang siya.


The Vortex, Calaway Park, Calgary
August 22, 2008
"I don't like that" said my eldest. He didn't like this kind of thrill rides. But because his playmate who is actually younger than him wants to ride this one, he was left with no choice but to join him. He said that "this is our goal for the day!" And true enough, he tried this ride before the day ended. And he said "I'm still alive!" This ride was supposed to be 2 rounds since its only 30 seconds long... but he opted to get out after the first round.

Ito ang aking lahok sa Litratong Pinoy.

TT #47: Words of Wisdom

I received this email from Kai and thought I'd share it with all of you.

1. Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind.
   
2. You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.
   
3. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.
   
4. A hug is a great gift... one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange.
   
5. Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it.
   
6. Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it.
   
7. It's important for parents to live the same things they teach.
   
8. Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need.
   
9. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.
   
10. The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow.
    
11. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it.
    
12. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.
    
13. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.

Join Thursday Thirteen

Protect your outdoor furniture

Summer is coming to an end. And autumn is letting us know that it is coming because it is getting colder early in the morning and late at night.

For those who have a yard or patio, this is the time to buy outdoor furniture because they are now on sale. One should take extra care by purchasing outdoor furniture covers that can be used under rain, snow, hot summer or harsh winter.

Personal Loan

In North America, a person’s credit history is very important in getting Personal Loans of any kind. Whether it is mortgage, auto, credit card, line of credit, even debt or bereavement relief or business related loans. And once a person declared bankruptcy, it takes years and years before financial institutions would give you another line of credit.

But don’t lose hope; there are still companies out there who would be willing to lend you a hand despite your bad credit. They would usually give you short term credits to start with. Try to apply for Pay Day Loans and start building up your credit history once more.

A sincere apology to my regular readers

I apologize if you have been seeing a lot of sponsored posts here. I just need to make enough $$$ to buy a laptop for myself. My target is to be able to afford one by December of this year [before our move-in date]. I just want to get rid of my desktop to save more space. No desktop means no computer table.

I can already see and feel a laptop in my hands... I'm almost there... just a few more... please bear with me. And once I starts receiving more opportunities in my other blogs [I created 2 more], I will be dedicating this blog back to its original content.

I hope you won't stop visiting/reading my blog because of these. THANK YOU for always coming back.

Who's in your neighborhood?

When one decides to move, it’s very important to know the community and the neighborhood that you are moving into. We would never know if we have sexual predators as our next door neighbor. The United States has come up with a list of Sexual Predators that could be living in your neighborhood because of Megan's Law. "Megan's law is a federal bill that requires that the public to be kept informed of sexual predators and their whereabouts."

I wish all countries would have a list and website like this one.

Voltes V

When we go on long road trips, I need to make sure the my kids will be kept busy in the car. So I bring their portable DVD player, they each bring 1-2 books to read and a few toys [like cards or stuff toys or Nintendo DS].

The first thing that I require of them is 15-30 minutes of quiet reading time. And then they get to watch a movie or play.

Here is Patrick watching Voltes V while we were on our way to and from Aspen Beach. I have the whole 40 episodes of Voltes V in DVD.

At first, I didn't want him to watch it coz I think it may be too violent for him. But then, I was watching it when it was aired in 1979[?]. My daughter, on the other hand, didn't like it, she said its too violent.

Hubby is not a handy man

He said so himself. That is one reason why we decided to buy a newly built home. We believe that there will be fewer problems for a newly built home rather than an old one. Still, I wanted to buy him special air tools to deal with small problems around the house rather than hiring somebody else to do it. He needs to start being a handy man.

I want a red hot Porsche

I can’t believe how time flies. September is just around the corner and school is about to start. September also marks the 1st birthday of my Honda Civic and it is currently at 13500+ km already.

With the gas prices going up, dealers are coming out with more great buys and money saving scheme with a really attractive interest rates. I can’t really grab these deals right now as I am quite happy and content with my current car. But it never hurts to dream big like owning one of these Supercars, someday. Hubby’s dream car is a BMW. As for me, I’d go for red hot Porsche.

GetMeCallingCards.com

How often do you phone home? I guess for someone living abroad, we would at least call our family back home once or twice a week. This is where the international calling cards come in handy. It gives us the freedom to call home even if we are at a friends' house, at a party, at work or even at campsite.

Using the landline can be costly, depending on whether you have a long distance package or not. What better way to control your long distance bills than to use international calling cards.

You can get Philippines phone cards for as low as 1.3cents/minute! Now, that is really cheap! There are a variety of phone companies to choose from at GetMeCallingCards.com.

MBA programs online

For those who wish to take up a university degree or upgrade their education but couldn’t find the time, here is your chance to do it at the convenience of your own home and in your own time. Capella University is offering numerous degree and even MBA programs online. With an MBA degree you are almost guaranteed to increase your marketability in the work force or increased your chance for promotion or grab that dream job that you’ve been wanting.

Photo Hunt: Wrinkled

I love my "wrinkled" dry roses... a gift from hubby and my kids.

Join Photo Hunt
Click here for the themes for 2008

Litratong Pinoy: Mithi (wish)

Isa lang ang minimithi ko ngayon... ang makalipat kami sa aming bagong bahay bago matapos ang taon na ito. Gusto ko sana doon mag Noche Buena at magpalipas ng Bagong Taon.



I have only one wish... that is to be able to move to our new house before the year ends. I would like to spend Christmas and New York there.

Ito ang aking lahok sa Litratong Pinoy.

Condo units

For those who wishes to buy, sell or lease condominium units in the Philippines, my brother in law might be able to help and assist you. Please visit CondosRus.com.ph.

Web Hosting

If you have a business website, family website or even your personal blog, you would want to get the best web hosting provider in the market. I guess the top main feature that I would look for is its uptime. I would want my website to be up all the time. You would also want unlimited access and good reviews and/or feedbacks from the provider.

So how do you figure out which ones to choose from? WebHostingGrating.com will give you links to the top best web hosting providers in the world. Their rating system is based on customer satisfaction, affordability, reliability, uptime and technical support. Click here to read more.

ADHD and Homework

"ADHD kids often have unconventional talents that don't get rewarded in school." Continue reading...

Fun day at the beach

August 16. A trip to the beach. It was a 2-hour drive to Bentley, Alberta.

Aspen Beach is one of Alberta's first provincial parks. Its wide sand beaches and warm shallow water are ideal for paddling, sunbathing and swimming.

A playground by the beach



Lots of people enjoying the sun.



The water is very shallow.
And here is Patricia taking pictures with her new digital camera... I decided to buy her a digital camera instead of giving her one of my old ones. Actually it was from the money her grandmother sent, so it is actually a birthday gift from her grandparents. I just need to make sure that she can take care of the camera before I gave her my old Sony. ",)

Hollywood's famous line

"The fate of the planet is in the hands of a bunch of retards I wouldn't trust with a potato gun."

Do you remember that line? That line was from the movie Armageddon starring Bruce Willis. This is one of my all-time favorite movies and I can watch it over and over again.

It is only our human nature that we do a lot of discriminating or stereotyping. But to be a hero, one doesn’t have to be a Harvard graduate or a CEO or be Superman. Each and every one of us can be heroes. Each and every one of us can save the world. And each and every one of us can win this Ultimate Flirting Championship - Extreme Style by VO5.

Under Construction

I have been taking pictures and visiting the construction site almost twice a week. But because of the construction, part of the road that lead to our street is always closed. But last Saturday, we were able to get close to the construction site since all the workers have left for the day. And there's no block on the road.



The front and the back



The garage and the bedrooms
Lot number is 64 [which is different from the house number]

Black Friday shopping specials

I’ve been hearing Christmas song on the radio already. And I’ve seen a couple of Christmas ads on the internet already. So it’s that time of the year again.

I’ve always been an early shopper. I actually got some items at home right now for Christmas gifts. I hate the last minute crowd at the malls especially if I have to do my shopping with the kids in tow. Besides, if I see a good deal, I grab it and just keep it in stock. They could be Christmas or birthday gifts. And as long as I can save a few buck here and there, why not.

Now, shopping has never been easier. Simply go to BlackFriday.biz and you are on your way to finding good deals at the comfort of your home. The have a huge store list which includes some of my favorites like Best Buy and Walmart. Of course, I couldn't resist the Old Navy specials they have online.

Using www.blackfriday.biz you’ll be able to easily plan out your black Friday shopping list weeks in advance. You can simply purchase them online without the hassles of lining up with the crowds at the mall. Black Friday is simply the Friday following the Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday is on November 28th this year which means only 26 shopping days between Black Friday and Christmas.

Photo Hunt: Colorful

The very colorful Halo-Halo from Chowking!

Join Photo Hunt
Click here for the themes for 2008

He wants a Tippmann

My son has been nagging me about getting him a paintball gun . He even knew which one he likes. He liked the Tippmann, he said. One of his friends had them and he said that it’s totally cool. His friend also said to check out the paintball discounters.

I personally don't like the idea of kids playing with guns, even if it's just a toy or even a water gun. So I was in a dilemma. He won't stop talking about this and keeps on asking me if he could have it as his birthday gift. He claims he is practically an "adult" since he will be turning 12 in January.

He never owned any toy gun, that is, until early this year when his grandmother bought him small water guns.

Litratong Pinoy: Liwaliw

Kahapon, ay bigla kong naisipan dalhin ang mga bata sa Shakers Fun Center. Ang saya-saya ng mga bata sa aming liwaliw o pasyal. Ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na ng Go-Kart si Patricia. Nabayaran ko na kasi ito kaya pinilit ko pa siya dahil medyo natatakot. Buti naman at nagustuhan niya.

Sa mini-golf naman, ito ang pinakamahirap na course/osbtacle na nasubukan nila!

Pag pasensiyahan niyo na at hirap talaga ako mag kuwento sa Tagalog. Pakibasa na lang ang Inglis sa baba.






If you've been following me on Plurks yesterday, I wrote there that I was busy sorting out school supplies that the kids' can still use for this coming school year when a co-worker called me and ask me to join her and her 2 kids at Shakers Fun Center. So I decided to stop what I was doing and bring the kids to Shakers.

This was Patricia's first time at Go-Kart. It was supposed to be Patrick's the driver while Patricia's the passenger. But it just so happen that Patrick didn't meet the requirement to carry a passenger. So I told Patricia that she had to do it herself. I had to force her to go for it since I already paid for it. And she loved it!

The mini golf course/osbtacle is the hardest that they've ever tried! And still it was fun for them. I didn't keep score since I don't want them to feel sad about their scores.

There are also rock climbing, laser tag, and video arcade inside. We arrived there at about 3:30pm and got home at 9pm already. It was truly a day full of fun!

Ito ang aking lahok sa Litratong Pinoy.

080808 birthday celebration!

Since its a special day, I prepared a party for Patricia's 8th birthday at home. We invited the kids in our neighbors. I didn't have any organized activity set for that day.

First they watched "Kung fu Panda" while the others play Chess and Cadoo. Then, they had snack - spaghetti and pizza. Then they all went outside to play badminton, catch ball... etc... Later, they decided its cake and ice cream time [this was about 6pm]. Then the boys wanted to play Wii and Nintendo DS, while the girls did some coloring as a contest.

Nobody wants to go home, they keep asking up to what time is the party. And I just answered that it all depends on when they want to go home and as long as their parents don't look for them. Still, I decided to send everybody home at 9pm.

Patricia's guests are all our neighbors...
most of them were able to stay in our house for the party from 2:30pm till 9:00pm...


They all said "this is the best birthday party ever!"

A car for a birthday

The birthday party that we attended to last Saturday was the 18th birthday of the eldest daughter. She is going to college this September and she actually wanted a car for her birthday instead she got a party.

I believe she will get her car too. Their family doesn't own a single car. And since she will be a first time driver, hubby was suggesting to her dad to just buy a Honda Civic used car for now. The insurance will be cheaper and at the same time if she gets dents here and there, it won’t hurt the pocket as much.

If you are in the market to buy cars, check out Auto123.com and enter 'drive, rate and fly' contest.

My auto loan approval experience

When hubby and I decided its time to get a car for myself so he doesn't have to wake up at 4:30am to drive me to work, I never thought it would be as easy as buying eggs in the grocery store.

The only problem I had was getting Auto Financing. I just started my full time job and I wasn't sure if they would approve my auto loan. But they did, and in less than a day!

I referred a friend of mine to the same agent who helped me. She wasn't sure if she can get approved due to some bad credit but she did. The agent said that they do approve Auto Loan With Bad Credit depending on certain situation.

Patrick in '18 Roses Dance'

August 9, 2008. We attended 2 birthday celebration in 1... The Mother turns 50 while the daughter turns 18.

Here is Patrick with the debutant in the "18 Roses Dance". If the debutant didn't wear high heels, he will be taller than her. He will be in his teens in a couple more years... how time flies...

The debutant didn't really have 18 guys... so she had to pick 4 children to complete her "18 Roses Dance".