Rare Ordinary Thoughts

Now Motivated

2010-09-01T11:11:00.004-05:00

Nursing School starts pretty soon for me. With the pressure and challenges that it shall bring, I am motivated enough to do well and to eventually lose some pounds. Yay! For now, I look so big and truly needing to shed off some of these extra weights that I'm carrying and the desire to try going for an HCG Diet or any kinds of diet pills has been wandering off in my mind.

However, many things stop me from trying an artificial dieting like the HCG Diet or those pheromones pills because of the fear that the side effects that it will bring may affect me. You know what's funny? Well, I decided to let my dresses serve as my motivation! You see, I got several lovely dresses that I still love to wear but I can't because they've been very tight and small on me. So now, with Nursing School and a nice motivation, I hope my struggle will work. Give me until December and I'll tell you the result! ;-)

Reviving the Backgammon Skill

2010-09-01T11:02:00.002-05:00

I've shared in my somewhat old post below that we have a backgammon game that was given to us by a family friend. The hubby and I never had a time spent playing with it. The reason? First, because neither of us know how to play such game. Second, none of us either dared to learn how to play it. Third, we had other games to play here at home, with the little one around. So yeah, the fact is that, the backgammon board and all its parts was left untouched in a huge box where all our other board games were placed. Now that my parents-in-law are around though, the father-in-law has started minding the box and is trying to find interesting stuff in there.

I bet he will be able to locate the backgammon game and would be asking us the how to's of it. Well, I shall then tell him about play65.com, if ever he'll show some interests on playing it. Play65 is the largest backgammon community online, hosting thousands of online backgammon games since 2004. This should be a great site then for FIL who, like us, doesn't know how to play it, but is interested to learn. The thing is, unlike us, FIL has all the time in the world to spend learning and relearning so many things since he's just here at home. Now, play65.com shall make the learning fun and exciting!

Wordless Capture

2010-09-01T10:56:00.004-05:00

For even the family of ducks do swim together!

If only one's family will never depart from each other....

Illinois Car Donation

2010-09-01T10:42:00.004-05:00

Here in the state of Wisconsin, there is a Korean War Memorial Park which is made and built in honor of those Korean War veterans who lived in Wisconsin state. Accordingly, there was a huge number of men and women from Wisconsin who served the country during that war, thus, the memorial park. In Illinois state however, more numbers of men and women who served the country was during the Vietnam War, which I think is really interesting. That's why there is an Illinois car donation which is a program for the Vietnam Veterans. The Illinois State Council's Vietnam Veterans of America accepts car donations or truck or van and proceeds will benefit and provide critical support services for the country's defenders of freedom.

Do you have spare or extra car, truck, or van right now? If you are willing, you can donate a car in a very simple step. You just have to check out the vietnamveteranscardonation.com page and there, easy-to-follow instructions will meet you. There is a simple form to be filled up, you can then schedule a FREE vehicle pickup, and if you want, you can choose to receive a tax deductible receipt. The joy is not in the fact that you have a lot of cars running on the road. For me, real joy is when you are able to give and share the extra that you have in order to help another in need. I hope have a generous heart!

Computer Cleaning

2010-08-31T08:28:00.002-05:00

Are you aware of the Computer Cleaning Week® campaign designed to raise people's awareness of how germs can spread on shared computer keyboards, screens and phones etc.? Interesting, right? I've read about it over at the Confessions of a Germ blog and I find it very, very relevant because in today's age, everyone is into technology, especially computers and mobile phones and so, it's just right that I'll spread this topic for everyone's awareness. You can find the Computer Cleaning Week® on Facebook as well so you might prefer that page than going directly to the website. Do check it out and learn valuable information! I did and it's great!

Golden Success!!!

2010-08-31T08:16:00.005-05:00

My dearest college friend's wedding which took place last August 22nd was a huge success! I wasn't there but the pictures and all the prayers lifted tell me so. Too bad me and the hubby weren't there when it was the very first wedding that both of us sponsored. How cool it would have been when our presence was there. Here's one of their wedding shot:

Ahh... I totally love this capture! And yes, I love the newlyweds very much! And here's one more interesting note: there were lots of gold coins being showered on them during the reception. Accordingly, it was a way of showering them with golden blessings so I bet it must have been really nice. I wonder though if those gold coins are good enough for investment. I should ask the bride if the coins are theirs now, because if they're real gold, then, usgoldbureau.com will be a helpful site for them if gold investing is part of their plan as couple.

Anyway, you might want to check out the site for yourself. It has great information about gold and other precious metals investing and the latest updates on gold prices and stuff are there, too!

Lie Low or Quit

2010-08-31T08:09:00.002-05:00

I'm making the most of my remaining free days before school finally starts. By then, I think a complete lie low or quitting from blogging will happen, depending on the degree of difficulty that I'll encounter with my Human Physiology, Conceptual Chemistry, and Human Diseases classes. The hubby always reminds me to stop blogging now and prepare myself with the difficult subjects, but I can't leave my pending tasks behind so here, I'll try to write them all as possible as today. And then, I won't be logging in to my blogs by Thursday and Friday, if I can! Lol.

It is so hard to imagine doing it, but because of school, my priorities are changing. Yes, I am earning a bit from blogging, but I have to spend a whole lot of time studying in order to fulfill my aim of acing my classes. Oh well, life! For now, I'll make the most of my remaining free time! :) It's Tuesday and I hope you have a great day ahead!

Backgammon

2010-08-31T07:52:00.004-05:00

Two years ago, we have been given a Backgammon board by our friend The Malaks but none of us knew how to play such game. How unfortunate, I know! We didn't know that there is a real money backgammon and I only knew about it when I checked out play65.com! The site is the largest community of backgammon players and games online. Cool, because it has free software that can be downloaded, and backgammon games and tournaments are available 24/7 so if you are an expert or a starter, there is always a room for you!

So, are you a backgammon player? If you are, I bet you, you will really enjoy play65.com! Check it out now!

Golden Value

2010-08-29T10:45:00.002-05:00

Time has a golden value. Time is figuratively likened to a gold which has an utmost value. Time cannot be bought however, unlike gold which are scattered around the world and poses a huge demand for investors. To buy gold bullion or even silver coins would be really a huge thing, especially that today's prices of gold never go down. Even a single gold bullion such as this will make one feel that he has invested something of much cost already.

Well, people differ in their point of views about investment, but when it comes to gold investing, usgoldbureau.com has experts and dedicated professional staffs who are available for your inquiries, concerns, and queries about buying and investing gold.

Breezy Sunday!

2010-08-29T10:36:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day of another brand new week and I am so excited and anxious at the same time for the first day of school later this week! Aw! Triz has started to be showing some signs that she isn't loving the fact that Mamang will be leaving her daily because of classes and I hope she can deal with it sooner than later. Today is Sunday and the sun is out, yet the temperature is only in the 60s with winds blowing freely giving me a soft and good breeze here in my bedroom! I love temperatures like this as much as everybody does! I'm planning of heading to the university campus later to familiarize the buildings where my classrooms are located and maybe find some good spots, too, to check out with Ma and Pa around. It was a well-rested Sabbath yesterday and now, I can say that I'm fully energized to brace the upcoming week ahead! I hope you equally have a good day as well! :)

Fandango Bucks

2010-08-29T10:25:00.004-05:00

Are you a movie fanatic? I used to be one, until I got pregnant and decided to stop watching movies, or choosing which movies to watch all because of the consideration that my child is vulnerable enough to be watching all kinds of movies that are out there. Well, if you are a movie buff and you go the the theater very often, then you will love any of those Fandango Bucks Movie Ticket Gift Certificate over at fandango-bucks.com!

The sweet and cool thing is, it is so easy, safe, and secure to get them online! Paying is via Paypal and a Fandango movie ticket gift certificate is valid at any participating movie theater near your place! A $25 worth of gift certificate only costs $12 at fandango-bucks so you could imagine how huge a savings you will be getting! The customers have been praising them since 2008, and sure, you will also love the service so check it out now! ;-)

Needing Help

2010-08-29T10:14:00.002-05:00

The world is in a state of financial turmoil indeed! Last night was my schedule of a long chat with my sisters who are on the other parts of the world-- one in Japan, one in Hong Kong, and one in Singapore. We had a great time keeping in touch with the latest news, however, the updates are not very comforting, because one of our relatives in Philippines was asking for some financial help as she is being hospitalized right now because of a stroke. Money these days is so important that even a single gold coin would cost a lot. I am thinking that if my father had been alive today, he would be so willing to extend even the littlest help he could give because as a gold coin collector himself, those gold coins that he got has much value already which I'm sure would be a good tool to extend a helping hand. Are you a gold collector or investor? If you are, you would be happy then to know that the value of gold and any other precious gems are always on the rise! USgoldbureau.com has all the information that you may need regarding your gold investing and collecting stuff.

The More, The Merrier

2010-08-26T07:53:00.005-05:00

Such adage has been trusted and proven for ages now, and again, it stays the same to me. Now that Ma and Pa-in-law are here with us, our home is even more filled with so much laughter and noise, but good noise of course! The little one has been on her feet all the time that sleep or nap is very far from her now that the grannies are around. Triz has endless stories to tell to the old folks which sure are a healer and a great source for laughter. I remember my friend who visited us here a couple of weeks ago, they told us how good it is to live with Triz, because for sure, they won't get any wrinkles at all. Just with that line, you can imagine how fun and joyful this little girl of ours is. Here's how sweet she is with her grannies:

With Lolo (Grandpa)

With Lola (Grandma)

So many changes with our daily routines took place ever since the parents-in-law arrived. Triz seemed to be the happiest little girl with them around, because I can see that she felt she has great companies more than ever. The interesting thing is, everything that we taught her, she also instilled to the old folks. Maayo nalang, we tried teaching her everything good. :) So yeah, we've paused from our daily academic activities for now, because she does what I do to her Lolo and Lola, which I think is good for me while I prepare for Nursing School which starts next week. She also suddenly turned very mature when the elderly arrived. She asked me if I am going to school now because the Dadi has been starting with his school duty and I told her not until next week, and she replied, "Okay.... Lolo and Lola will be here with me, right?" I said "Yes!" and she just exclaimed, "goodie!" Ahh... it indeed is merrier with more! :)

Keylogger

2010-08-26T07:37:00.004-05:00

Responsible parenting involves guidance and protection of the children from their internet usage. In today's times, when every household has been geared up with the latest trend of high technology in the homes, and with the internet being the most used social media outlet, proper guidance should be imposed on children's usage of the internet. As a parent of a pre-schooler, you bet my worries are raising higher and higher for my daughter who now uses and operates the computer. Though she's mostly on PBSkids.org and starfall.com, still, she already knows how to open a website so she must be well-guarded. My solution? Spysoftware.com's keylogger as they have a software called Sentry PC, a parental control software that logs, notifies and blocks Internet content that may be unsuitable for children. Sounds great, don't you think so?

But well, there are other parents who don't only need the parental control but some more extra protection from the internet. If you check out the site, the top 5 products that SpySoftware.com has are being featured and there, you can compare the feature from the ratings and descriptions so you can choose which software your home needs. I believe it isn't enough for parents to be warning their children on their computer usage. There should be a product that can support the warning, and those products are available at the site that I've been telling around here!

Carpet Cleaning

2010-08-23T10:06:00.003-05:00

I want a thorough carpet cleaning done in my household! That's because an old or dusty and dirty carpet causes a lot of irritations to me not to mention how huge a source of allergens it is to my asthma. So early last week, the hubby and I did a tiring general cleaning around here since school is almost here and by then, the two of us will be two busy individuals already with just less time to mind cleaning frequently our home. if we only live in Dallas or near it, the known Carpet Cleaning Dallas would be perfect for us and everyone else who want a spic and spa carpet! Aqualux Carpet Cleaning it is and if you need the address, it's this:

10777 Turbeville Dr. #100
Dallas, TX 75243
(214) 607-8562

And of course, you can also search them online to familiarize their company and be aware of the services that you can take advantage of. With years of experience and professionalism, you can be sure of a satisfaction that awaits you with a clean carpet. Right now, they are offering 4 special promos and you can choose which one is most appropriate to your need. You can either add one room free with any carpet cleaning services, receive 25% Off carpet cleaning services, receive 30% Off our teflon application service or receive 10% Off our upholstery cleaning. Go ahead, feel free to check out their website for more information!

Arrived!

2010-08-23T09:12:00.003-05:00

Ma and Pa-in-law are here finally! We picked them up yesterday at the Outgamie Regional Airport and though their plane landed some 20 minutes late, still, we are very thankful for the safe flight that they've had from Las Vegas. The anxious little Triz has been waiting patiently for the grannies and now that they're here, they can start playing endlessly with each other already.

A few days left till school starts for me while swithart started reporting for work today. The old folks are still a bit tired and they want to just stay home first after we toured them yesterday around the city and later today, we'll head out somewhere for some shopping and fun stuff. I'm glad to have them around and I can only hope that they are, too.

Coupons Save!

2010-08-23T08:22:00.006-05:00

I am up for huge Savings! I mean, I need some savings for all my shopping routines! From grocery items to dry goods like clothing and electronic stuff, I am very much dependent on the power of coupons. Why not, when it helps me save some bucks? So what are coupons for, for me? Well, I gather them from a weekly paper that comes in the mail and they are coupons for toothpastes, tissues or paper towels, and other grocery items. So every grocery shopping, I can save as much as $20 for every $100 purchase. But when it comes to shopping for clothes and electronic stuff, savings.com is very much dependable. Stores like Aeropostale, Old Navy, Kohls, are my favorite! And since I do a lot of online shopping, then deals like 30% off or 50% off and'free shipping are so sweet!

How about you, do you use savings.com? Do try it if you haven't yet! I love how I am being helped in saving some more with the smart tips in saving that deal experts offer. The Ask, Answer, & Save page does that and there, you will be able to enjoy a huge advantage of saving while shopping!

With the frequent shopping that I'm doing these days since school is fast approaching and and with parents-in-law's arrival, you bet saving is sweet in every spending that I do!

Handheld TV

2010-08-22T03:35:00.002-05:00

I am still up on this wee hours of the morning. That's because I am having a great time chatting with my older sister in Japan who is on vacation with her dearest daughter and I enjoyed browsing at all of their photos, especially the ones where my niece is relaxing and playing her Nintendo and handheld TV for her anime shows. I told her that I'd like one of those handheld TVs that she got and my dear innocent niece was genuine enough to tell me that she'll send me one when she starts working in the future. Ha ha ha. I just love her! And even more so when she fulfills what she said to me today! Lol.

Write and Earn!

2010-08-20T11:43:00.002-05:00

Writing is my passion. I started writing during my grade school years, although nothing has been published at that time. In high school, I became one of the editorial staff of our campus publication and that's when my love for writing was even more enhanced and developed by my Development Communication adviser. In college, I continued the trend when I took up Mass Communication. Now that I am a stay-at-home mom, I am thankful that I still get to express my thoughts through blogging. And not only that, I don't only write but I also earn from doing so! Oh yeah, there are a lot of Writing Jobs in the world wide web these days! If you're interested, realwritingjobs.com is one of them and you can check out the site any time you want! ;-)

Fresh Harvests

2010-08-19T12:35:00.007-05:00

We're flooded with fresh harvests of sweet corns, potatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers around here. It's good because we don't have to spend some bucks to buy all these stuff, but it's partly bad because we can't consume all these quick! Lol.

A bagfull oof sweet corns, and

these!

And next week still or so, maybe another bag of tomatoes, too, like last year around this time! And where do all these came from? Well, simply from Melds' parents-in-law over at Amherst! These were dropped off here at home a couple afternoons ago, and until now, I haven't touched anything yet. Oh the abundance of foods in my table is such a blessing! Thank you to all the donors, and thank you, Lord for the constant providence! :)

Buying an RV?

2010-08-19T12:02:00.006-05:00

Sure! It has been a dream for me and the hubby! As a nature-lover, my family loves to go on an adventure in the wilderness or forest, do some trekking, gallivanting, and even camping! Whenever I see signs of rvs for sale, I'm always interested to check it out! Unfortunately, now is not the right time yet for my family to buy a new or even used RV as our budget won't allow us just yet. Last June, we went to Camp Wakonda for two weekends for the Camp meeting and it was fantastic to be stepping foot on the ground of tents and RVs. This is one of our photos:

Our group during lunch, enjoying at a tent in the camp ground

And I call this the RV city. Every year, close to 5 thousand of campers flock to this ground for a month-long of camping, each week for different age levels. Isn't that fun?

We hope to attend the same thing next year, and this RV is a good target:

But nope! We couldn't buy this yet so if you're interested, go ahead and click the image to be led to the seller's page. I love sharing some discoveries you see, and this cool RV is one of it! As for me, I shall continue to dream of owning one and drool over this one! Lol.

Go with a Secure Merchant!

2010-08-19T11:35:00.002-05:00

I am in the process right now of learning the pros about online marketing including online selling. I got some great items that I think would be in-demand for women in general and I'm still studying and researching the bits and pieces of the right way of reaching my customers. If I am to be asked what I prefer most for a merchant, I would say a safe and sure Merchant Processing Services would get my thumbs up. Bluepay.com is what a merchant can benefit with. It is a credit card processing company that provides merchants with secure, streamlined solutions for all of their payment processing needs. A friend of mine who works as an accountant in one of the huge companies in the Middle Easy and she has shared that yeah, they are a bluepay.com customer and yes, they're enjoying the benefits of a safe and secure merchant processing. I will have to learn more what bluepay.com offers as this may have to do with my future desire of online selling!

Tax Refund, Anyone?

2010-08-17T18:05:00.003-05:00

Everybody loves tax refunds, am I right? What do you usually do every time you receive one? Ours for this year was initially alloted to a travel or some sort of a vacation that we were supposed to do, unfortunately, some unavoidable circumstances happened and the money that we received was diverted to it disabling us to make the most of the planned vacation that we were supposed to be embarking. Oh well, life! The good thing is, tax refund happens every year so hopefully, next year will be a good one.

Old, old photographs (FL, 2005)

2010-08-13T08:29:00.000-05:00

I am feeling nostalgic lately. And melancholic, too. Mixed emotions of joy, excitement, but more of longingness. I went through my photo archives and even tried logging in to all those online accounts where I stored my old photographs and sure enough, I've recovered some snaps which lightened my heart a bit. Photographs of my first days here in the US they were, pre-Triz era, and yes, they all make me smile. I'll share some of the Florida trip that we did in the summer of 2005. Here they are:

Off on an 18-hour-drive from Central IL to Orlando, FL. The camera's date setting was in error. :D

In one of the many stops and hops in Orlando

Orlando's Wonderworks

Pointe Orlando pose of moi, swithart, and SIL

Swithart and I posed at a Pirate's cove or something

Inside the Universal Studios

Lost in Orlando'ss U.S.

Latagaw sa Daytona Beach, outside a mall this was, with Nini and SIL Daisy

A sweet morning walk in Daytona Beach, FL

Panihapon sa mga gagmay (pa) ug lawas, lol

All smiles Go-Kart-ing in Daytona's raceway! Lol.

I'll just share a few cause the quality of photos are poor. I realized I only have a few prints of these here because everything was brought to Las Vegas where SIL Daisy now lives. At least, with these online photos that I've discovered from an old Shutterfly account, I get to smile as I reminisce that old FL escapade that we did. My best friend now lives in Tampa and she keeps on inviting us to visit them anytime. With Triz around, whenever that trip's gonna be, I'm sure it will be awesome.

One thing's worth noticing in all those photos I've shared: I was very thin back then. Five years later, I looked like I doubled in size. Eww! Ha ha ha.

HCG links

2010-08-13T08:25:00.002-05:00

My cousin once asked me if I know something about the HCG Diet because according to her, it is what her patient has mentioned. She's a nurse and she has told me what the HCG link is. Well, I told her I am not too keen yet with any other diet option because what I am dealing right now is a good health fitness for hypertension! How about you, do you what an HCG is?