Butt Out, You Rash!

This post brought to you by Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

When you have a kid at home, chances are, you have fretted over diaper rash one time or another. I know I did, although I am hugely thankful that my daughter Svet is not that much prone to it. Her skin is not as sensitive as some babies, and coupled with choosing the right brand for her as well as thorough washing after diaper removal, we hardly have to worry over diaper rash. However, that is not to say that we did not have a difficult time figuring out how to make her feel better when she suffered her first rash from diapers.

We were lucky enough to have an aunt who sent Boudreaux's Butt Paste to us through a balikbayan box. It was heaven sent, I tell you. Unlike other creams that we've tried, this paste seemed to take almost immediate effect on relieving our baby's rash. Also, it wipes off rather easily compared to another brand we've tried. To anyone who's ever had problems with their kid's diaper rash, trust me on this one. In fact, a lot of reviews online will back up my claims on it being the most effective cream for diaper rash care.

If you're in the US, you can even get a free sample of Boudreaux's Butt Paste on their official website to try before you decide to buy and recommend to everyone! If it means finding relief for our little ones, then it never hurts to try, right?

FB Shopping

When I discovered how powerful Facebook can be when it comes to connecting people, I also discovered a lot of people in there selling everything under the sun. At first I was merely interested, and would browse some of the sellers' pages and look at the pictures of their wares. But yesterday morning, I took courage and talked to a local Baguio seller on FB because I saw a pair of black boots to die for that she sells:

Isn't it a love? When I first saw it I know I must have it, so I went ahead and paid the down payment even though it will be the last week of January before I lay my hands on this beauty. And that's not the end of it. Last night I was talking to another FB seller and we are set to meet this afternoon so I can get the boleros I ordered from her. It's been a while since I bought something for myself and while I still feel guilty about it, everyone in this house says I deserve presents for myself. So maybe I do. And I can't wait to wear them!

Where Are You Spending The Holidays?

People have different preferences when it comes to spending the holidays, what they will do and where they will spend it. Most people would like to spend it with their family, either right at their own home or out of the country booked for Hoseasons european holidays, especially those that like to travel a lot and can afford the expenses. Some prefer to spend it alone, whatever reason they may have during that time. Some like to party with friends, or even strangers. Some like a quiet dinner celebration with close friends and/or loved ones.

Me and my family are close-knit, and have never thought of spending the holidays anywhere other than our home. And like last Christmas and New Year and all the years before that, it's what we're doing this year. I guess that's why I will never understand the reason of other people, why they would choose to spend the holidays amidst strangers. But in the end, no matter how and where people choose to spend their holidays, there are only two reasons for the season: the birth of Jesus Christ and welcoming the start of a brand new year.

How about you? Where are you spending the holidays this year? No matter where, or what you are doing, or with whom, I hope we all have a great time this holiday season.

Not A Baby Anymore

My daughter Svet is two years and seven months old now. I still cannot get over how fast time flies. It seems like yesterday when I am still struggling to wake up at nights just to feed her, and was still very afraid that I might break her bones from holding her because she seems so delicate. Now she can speak clearly, and can communicate with us what she wants. Just this afternoon she said a full, proper sentence without stuttering (she was telling her Tito Lloyd that her dad is going to bring home pizza). Every morning she never fails to greet everyone with an energetic "Good morning!", and those two words alone can jump start all our days.

There goes my little girl...

She insists on the clothes that she wants to wear for the day now. She likes to play with mommy's computer, and other stuff that only grownups are supposed to touch (like my make-up). She knows what she wants to watch on TV (Dora The Explorer, most of the time), she absolutely refuses to eat eggs (no matter how they are cooked) and is almost fully potty-trained. In two years she was able to develop from a helpless little infant to a very hyper tot. I don't know if I will be pleased or sad that she is growing up so fast. My Svet is not baby anymore.


 

Last Minute Shopping

This post brought to you by Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you finished shopping for the holidays yet? I bet some of you haven't, what with everything else in life that needs to be done before the holiday break really starts. Gift-giving has been the spirit of this season since who knows when, so last minute shopping for holiday gifts are a common sight on shops around the world. More and more people, however, are preferring to shop online in the comforts of their own home to avoid the holiday rush on the outside world.

What better sites to go than gift shop sites like Pier 1 where everything you need for gifts is in one place? Not only do they have gifts for all ages and sexes, they also have items for every type of budget. You can find on the $10 and under section some great gift ideas for loved ones. I myself would be thrilled to receive this pink purse and shoe mug (ahem) from the site, as I have been meaning to get a new mug anyway.

Not only that, you can also help for a good cause because during November and December, Pier 1 accepts unwrapped toy and/or cash donation as a support to Toys for Tots. Also, by liking Pier 1 on Facebook, you will be helping kids as Pier 1 will donate $1 to Toys for Tots for every new fan they get. Do your shopping for gifts and help kids along the way. Isn't giving to others what this season is all about?

Facebook Addict?

W hen Facebook first came out, I was hooked on Friendster and relied on it solely for my social networking needs. Being so young, I thought Facebook was too formal (as it did not allow for any customizations on profile layouts) and too boring. I barely knew anyone who was on Facebook that time, so I decided to still hang around Friendster for a while. I did make an account for the site, though, and added my then officemates (who for some weird reason [at least in my mind] preferred Facebook more than Friendster). It was only when I became a WAHM that I really took notice of Facebook. And it was only this year that I fully used it to track down old friends and try to reach out to them.


After experiencing the power of said social network, and after realizing that profile layout customizations on Friendster are tacky, I decided to leave Friendster for good. Now I find that I use Facebook more and more each day, and I take joy in being able to connect with my old and new buddies very easily by using the site. It's great that a lot of people seemed to have made the same realization that I did, so now I can find my friends on Facebook easier. Everybody seems to have a Facebook account nowadays. Gone are the days when Friendster is the go to place to socialize on the web. I'm glad for how things turned out with Facebook. I really believe in its ability to connect people from all parts of the globe, strangers and loved ones alike.


Am I a Facebook addict already? I don't think so. I can still live my daily life without thinking about my Facebook account every three seconds, so I think it's safe to say I am not dependent on the site. It can be pretty addicting, I have to admit. But I don't think I will be spending more time than is necessary on the site. I think I know better than to be addicted to anything online by now. Except for work of course.

 

Adgitize4Business©

I haven't been to Adgitize for the longest time but a month back, I decided it's high time to advertise with them again. I wanted to advertise my portfolio page at WAHMaholic Designs like I did last time, but I was surprised when I received an email from Ken saying that they do not allow such type of site anymore on the system. Although I was disappointed, I know that there would come a time when Adgitize would make a defining line between blogs and business sites.

Ken explained to me that they will be rolling out the Adgitize4Business© platform on January 2011, as also stated on their blog post on the Adgitize site about it (read about it HERE). It's different from the system that I was used to, but it's still familiar since it's kind of like Google Adwords but without all the complex functions. I hope that next month I will be able to advertise my portfolio already, and I also hope that their separate system for business works as promised for business site owners, and those sites that do not belong to the "blog" category.

Pre-Made Blogger Templates For Sale

I decided to try my hand at making premade templates, and that's what's been keeping me busy during my days off (well, aside from watching Princess Hours with Paulie. Yes, that Korean series. Hee hee). I currently have six premades which you can check out HERE. Each premade costs $30, and consists of about $80-$90 worth of design and add-ons. What do my premades come with, you ask?

 
I haven't been doing anything to promote my premades, so the only way you'll ever find out about them is through my blog posts and by visiting my portfolio page at WAHMaholic Designs. If you find something you like in the premade section but would like to ask me a question first, do not hesitate to shoot me a message first using the contact form at the site. I have drafted several mockups already so please expect new premades before the end of the year (at least a couple). Next year I vow to produce more of them as I organize my design schedule better. See you in my portfolio page!

Cold Cold Nights Are Here

A sure sign that Christmas and the New Year is coming. I rarely work nights now, not only because I've decided that I am more productive when I work in the mornings, but also because it can get uncomfortably cold at night nowadays and my hands feel like they would freeze off my arm while typing. Of course that means I have more time to spend on TV marathon with Paulie and get to accompany Svet until she goes off to dreamland. This year isn't as cold as last year or the year before that. I guess the weather is really screwed up big time. But of course it's still colder than the rest of the country, so I am not complaining.


We won't be spending Christmas or New Year at my in-laws in Bulacan. We will just stay here in Baguio to celebrate the season together with my sister Ayie and her family. Last year we spent the holidays in Bulacan, so we're staying at our city this time around. The first year that we were here, my cousins (a LOT of them) came over to celebrate with us, but I don't think that's happening this year (unless they have a plan that we don't know about). It won't be a quite Christmas and New Year still, I mean, we still have Svet and Elijah with us. And those two alone is worth a battalion of kids, believe me.

This Blog Is Moving!

I have finally decided. This blog will be moving to WordPress before the year ends (or very early next year, depending on my schedule) and will be redirecting to its own domain. It's really been lonely in here for the last three or four months and I realized that the only way I am going to revive this blog's life is to breathe WordPress air into it and buy it its own domain name. This is my very first baby, see, and I just can't let it go like that. I am not saying goodbye to Blogspot for good. This is, after all, where I first learned how to blog. I will be keeping in touch with this platform as I still design for it, and truth be told, I am still hoping that it will evolve as time pass into something that WordPress has already managed to achieve.

Of course I will still be blogging for this blog, but under a different domain name (please don't ask me what yet, I am still deciding on that. LOL)  and on a different platform. I've had good memories of this blog, and I will carry all of them to a new chapter of this blog's life. Stay tuned for updates! I still have design work to do for at least another two weeks before I can finally sit down and arrange for this blog's transfer. I will be sad to leave the Blogspot platform for my blogging needs, but I will forever be a Blogger girl at heart and continue to make blog designs for this platform and hope to at least make it a more lively place to visit for everyone.