Well Hello There Blogger

It's been over a year since I last posted on this blog, so I'm posting now just to know I still can. I see Blogger hasn't changed much during the past year, which is good (I think), because I actually like this version of Blogger better than the older ones.

We've moved (again) from Caloocan to Bulacan, back to the province where I was born and raised in. We're waiting to be able to move in to the house that I'm paying for, although I'm not sure when that's going to happen (hopefully this year) so right now we're renting still.

It's a pretty quiet neighborhood, a perfect environment for raising a kid. Not much pollution, little to no crime, you can still bike around (even at night) without fearing for your life at every turn.

We can easily commute to the city if and when we need to. Note the word, need. Wanting to be city-bound has been less and less appealing to us, I observed. Sign of getting older? I think yes.

My mom and all my sisters live nearby, which is a huge plus. I love that we are able to bond more frequently now, something I've missed since we all went our separate ways when we had families of our own.

The sisters four

Svet is happy at her school, because she has lots more classmates now compared to when she was at her old school when she was in prep.

I couldn't say the same for both Paulie and I, we have little faith in the public school system now. We have firmly decided that next year Svet will be enrolled in a private school again.

There's just too many things about the public school curriculum that we do not agree with, and we believe it is in Svet's best interest if she spends the rest of her schooling years in the private education sector.

So I guess that's pretty much my life now. Not particularly exciting or adventurous, but it suits me just fine :)

The Magic of Receiving a Package

 It's a happy day in our house when we receive a package. Whether it's a gift from a friend or just stuff we bought online, there's a certain buzz in the air that can only be described as intense excitement when we know something's coming.

Svetlana has an excuse. Children get hyper over the littlest of things, that's a given. But Paulie and I get as giddy as two small kids on Christmas morning in front of a pile of presents. How do you explain that?

It's especially magical for us if it's unexpected, like Santa Claus has decided to drop in early to give us a reward for being extra nice.

For instance, Clarissa, my dear friend from Japan sent us stuff for bento-making, and we were through the roof pumped! It's amazing how the simplest of things can make you happy. Yes?

When we went for a bit of online shopping at Zalora yesterday, we are practically jumping up and down whenever somebody knocks on our gate. Imagine two adults and a preschooler getting super high. Not pretty.

Is it human nature? Or is it just crazy running in the family? But no matter. We are expecting at least three more packages this month, and we feel beyond awesome!

Breaking The Silence (Plus A New Theme)

I have been neglecting this blog for the longest time, as I have been focusing on my WordPress blogs. I barely login to my Blogger dashboard anymore, even less since Paulie and I decided it would be best to drop our Blogger design services and concentrate on WordPress instead when we launched our new WordPress design shop. Surprisingly, this blog is still a PR2, although its Alexa standing is laughable.

Why don't I just delete this blog, you ask? I have trouble letting go of things, see, and this being my very first blog makes it even harder to let it go. This blog has seen the worst of me, and has quietly withstood an era when I didn't know you were supposed to think before you publish things online. Hee hee. But hey, without those immature posts I wouldn't have grown as a blogger, yes? So I'm keeping them, and I'll read back over them to remind how foolish I was a few years back. Sounds like evil fun.

I experienced a fierce attack of minimalism addiction early this year, which is why WAHMaholic, Beauty Queen Gene, I am A Svetlana and Vector Dad suffered from sudden makeovers which left them stripped to the bare minimum. Is this a sign that I've matured with respect to my taste in design? Maybe. Doing away with all the clutter has been therapeutic for me, at the very least.

Anyway, I was asked by a former Blogger design client to tweak her site, which led me to check out this blog. I was shocked at the number of images vying for my attention when I looked at the page, and right then and there I chucked the design out.

A couple of hours later, the new design is done. I've lost count of the number of times this blog has received a makeover, but I'm rather pleased with this one, so it's staying here until... well, as long as it can stay online.

The colors of this design seriously made me crave for a macchiato. Anyone up for coffee?

Mom Forum

When I became a mom, I felt an instant connection to other moms I meet, whether online or offline. I know that we have a common interest, no matter where in the world we are, and that's to do what is best for our children.

And while some people think that working online can be lonesome, but in my case I don't find it so, because I was lucky to find a couple of awesome forums that share the same interest (earning online), and at the same time the members are mostly moms.

In my everyday discussions with the members I have learned a lot about pregnancy, baby, parenting and relationship, but most importantly, in them I found several women that's already close to my heart, and for that I am forever grateful.

One of the sites I'm talking about is mom forum, and I am partial to this group because in them I felt that I truly belonged, that I can share every and all concern that's bugging me. I have been a member for almost a year, and there's never a single day that I felt left out, that I felt like I can't post what's on my mind.

In today's world where technology is already an important factor in parenting, I am thankful for fellow moms in mom forum who seem to have the correct answer for everything. From knowing how much time I should let my kid play on her iPad, to how old should I let her start using Facebook, I was enlightened by the ideas shared by moms from around the globe, most of which I tend to agree to.

So if you're a mom, whether old or new, and want to belong to a community of moms who are smart and warm, don't hesitate to visit us at mom forum and start sharing immediately. I hope that like me, you will find the online companionship of fellow moms around the world entertaining and enlightening, a true a breath of fresh air.

How To Properly Combine Work And Childcare

First: It’s important to remember that working home is NOT a replacement to childcare
Caring for children is a full-time job in itself so if you already have another full-time job, you should not expect to do each one. While working from home does mean less time spent commuting, working while your children are asleep or napping really isn't effective. To combat this you should find a suitable in- home or nearby daycare that works for you. This will allow you to focus on work when you need to and give your kids your undivided attention the rest of the time.

Second: Mark out a place in your home as a designated ‘office’. If you're working from home full or part-time, it is best to have a dedicated work space. You don’t need to spend a lot of money extending your home to fit your office, but you should have at least some sort of desk space. This space should be in a place where you can focus, whether for work or phone calls. However, you should see this as an opportunity to make an office you could actually do work in. You can do it quite affrodably by combining sites like eBay and Craigslist with online transportation marketplaces, like uShip, who always have reliable transporters looking for courier jobs.


Third: Specify the times you are at ‘work’ and when you are free. The major advantage of working from home is that you can be flexible. However, it is best practice to set a schedule, just like you would do if you were in the office. One of the greatest difficulties of working from home is telling yourself when to stop. In this case, it is best to define when the work day starts and finishes. This will give you, your office colleagues and your family structure to your day and ensure that you have enough time to dedicate to both work and home life.  


Total division of work and life is very difficult to achieve. Working from home can be a useful way of enabling you to both spend more time with your family and "at work." In order to successfully manage personal and professional commitments however, you do need to be proactive in your approach.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Mommy Bloggers PayPal Cash Giveaway

Join and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Mommy Bloggers PayPal Cash Giveaway!

Mommy Gagay teamed up with other Mommy Bloggers Dinampo Family, Cacai's Steps and Journey, My Journey Being a Mommy, Humble Opinion, Hands Full of Life, Simply Tina, Proud Mommy of Three, Pinay Mama, Thoughts from Home, Nita's Corner, Progressive Parenting to bring you this awesome PayPal cash giveaway! We’re giving you the opportunity to win PayPal cash and Early Learning Game Cards: Teach Your Child to Count to 10 from ChildUp.com!

The giveaway starts 2/29 @12:01am EST and runs through 3/14 at 12:01am EST!

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2 Winners of Early Learning Game Cards: Teach Your Child to Count to 10 from ChildUp.com

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1. Make a blog post about this giveaway which includes the giveaway badge and the sponsors' links. Just copy and paste the codes provided HERE. You can add lines before or after where you pasted the codes, but YOU SHOULD NEVER MAKE ANY ALTERATIONS from the codes provided.
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This giveaway is open to all bloggers worldwide with valid Facebook, Twitter and PayPal accounts. Blogs should be at least 3 months old.

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Choosing the Right Chores for Your Children

One of the many great things parents of small children have to look forward to as their tots grow older is the ability to put them to work around the house. Considering they make the majority of the messes, it only makes sense. But in addition, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Administration for Children & Families points out, it's an important part of a kid's acceptance and appreciation of personal responsibility and self-worth . Chores help build character in a kid, and can be issued out to children as young as two.

While sending your 10-year-old on an evening bike errand to remote self storage Olathe residents would even say is in the middle of nowhere is obviously a bad call, you may be underestimating your child's abilities to handle certain responsibilities. I went ahead and cross referenced the aforementioned Administration for Children & Families' endorsed list of age-appropriate chores for children with a similar breakdown available on WebMD, to provide you with a starting list you can feel confident with:

Ages 2-3
Put toys and other items away.

Ages 4-5
Help with light yard work, such as pulling weeds.

Ages 6-7
Clear the table after meals.

Ages 8-9
Mop the floor.

Ages 10 and older
Mow the lawn.

These only represent what two respectable online sources agreed on, and serve as base lines for what most children in certain age groups are capable of. But keep in mind that such lists are not absolute, no matter where they come from online. Chances are you've assigned one or two “high maturity” chores to your children who were too young, according to these and other sources, without any undesirable results. Don't hinder your kid's development by adhering too strongly to any particular authority - you are the ultimate judge of your child's capabilities and level of maturity.

With that said, do not ignore the potential for danger in seemingly safe situations when assigning chores to children. Faucets can get incredibly hot when hands aren't used to tempering the knobs, cleaning chemicals can cause irritation in those unfamiliar with how to avoid hazardous contact, and heavy things can fall on small people. Take the time to think through your chore assignments, then take advantage of the free labor while it lasts.

Svet's Friends, The Sqwishies

One of Svet's favorite things to play lately are the Sqwishies we received last year. I'm still in the process of finding all of them, as in the past months, she and her cousin Elijah did not seem to like playing with them as much as they do now. I am looking at every nook and cranny whenever I can to find Svet's little friends, and when I do find one she adds it to a small bag where she keeps all the others we've already found.

Svet's little army of animal friends

Every morning, she wakes up and looks for her small bag containing the Sqwishies, which is more often than not found beside her. Yes, she sleeps beside them now. Jessie the cowgirl, which used to be her favorite bedtime friend, now lays unloved in the cabinet. LOL. Svet would lovingly take out the Sqwishies one by one in her small table, line them up like in the picture, and just stare at them for as long as the attention-span of a three-year old would allow her.


For the rest of the day we would play "Identify the Sqwishy" from time to time, or she would make them talk to each other in her high, little girly voice. This is one of those times when I wish she had a baby brother or sister. LOL. I wish I could find all those lost Sqwishies soon, so our little boss would have more playmates to play with.

Staying In Touch With The Kids

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone. All opinions are 100% mine.

Being protective and mindful of our kids' welfare comes with being a parent. No matter how paranoid we may seem (especially to our children), we cannot help but want to check on them as often as possible if they are out of the house. Of course there's the expense side of it, but thanks to Tracfone, the whole family can easily Get into Everywhereness for as little as $7 a month.

And by that they mean even grandma and grandpa! Tracfone not only markets to parents and their kids, they realize the importance of Senior Value as well. So the whole family can stay in touch, wherever they are, whenever they want using a camera of their choosing from great brands like LG, Motorola. Samsung and Kyocera, all available at the Tracfone shop.

You can even call your relatives internationally (60 international destinations and counting) for the same price as any other normal call you make using Tracfone. Plus, with the phone's International Neighbors program, you can easily provide your family in Canada or Mexico with a number which will enable them to reach you at a cost local to them.

See this video for more ideas on how Tracfone makes it easy and why it may be the perfect phone package that you've always wanted to help keep your family stay in touch all the time.

Tracfone makes it easy... by LittleBard95

Back On Track

I've been reading every night since I got a phone after almost four years of having none. Right now it's Janet Evanovich's and her Stephanie Plum series, which is really, really good. By that I mean funny and sexy and never boring. I first encountered Smokin' Seventeen, which had me glued way past midnight, trying very hard not to laugh out loud while reading it.

It was only when I finished that I learned that there are actually 18 books in the series now, so now I am reading the first book, One For The Money. I hope I can finish all of her Plum series by the end of the month so I can check out Stieg Larsson's novels next. It was a recommendation of one of the Girl Talkers (a Thursday meme I host in my other blog) during our book month, and I've been wanting to read the novels ever since.

So I guess you could say I am one happy camper these days because I am finally able to get back to doing what I love most during my free time.

Missing Elijah

My nephew Elijah and my sister Phoebe are not here in Baguio right now. Phoebe decided to prolong her vacation in Bulacan, so they're both with my mom right now. I usually wake up earlier than Paulie and Svet, but Elijah wakes up earlier, so I'm used to seeing him and his mom already in the living room when I get out of our bedroom. Now it's complete silence in the morning until Svet wakes up. No shrieking and singing Elijah nowadays.

That's him when his hair is still long. Although we talk in Skype, it's still different when he was actually here and will suddenly run to me to hug me or call my name out of the blue or something equally sweet. Even Svet looks for him almost everyday. I hope Phoebe decides to go home soon, because we all miss this cute boy dearly.

Bored?

Even though we're up to our neck in work, we still get bored. At least I do sometimes. Like now. It's been code code code ever since we got back. The only break I got was when I weeded out the undesirable plant growth outside the house the day after we got back. Nothing else is left for me to do outside, and Paulie has sufficiently cleaned the inside of the house, so I'm bored.

Although we watch at least two episodes of Bones (the TV series) at night before we go to sleep, I find myself wanting something else to do. So when I reach this point, I usually play games in my computer or read ebooks. I have read all the ebooks in my phone already, so I am left with choice number one. I have no installed games currently, so I turn to online gaming. There are a lot of free games online such as this one:

Provided by online casinos. For more tips about blackjack visit www.online-casinos.com

I had a vague idea of how to play the game, because me and my sisters used to play actual cards while growing up. And besides, there were tips appearing on the screen so I'm good. It took a good portion of my hour playing the game, and by the end of the hour it was already dinner, so Paulie had to drag my butt out of my chair so we can all eat.

Good To Be Home

Wow. We're finally back home from an extended vacation due to the typhoon Pedring. Our front screen door was a bit broken (by the strong winds, most probably), and our induction cooker refuses to work, but other than those minor casualties, the house was exactly how we left it.

Anyway, as to be expected, weeds grew in the front and side of the house while we were away, so I took time the whole morning today to weed out all of them. I don't do this very often nowadays, mind you. I have been stuck up with work during the past several months that I hardly do any household chores. So now I have a clean environment outside the house and really, really dirty fingernails.

I had a couple of packages waiting for me at the guard house, contents of which have yet to be revealed, but I'm pretty sure I know what's inside. It's been several months late in coming. Yes, several. Says a lot about how efficient the postal service in this country is.

So yeah. That's my life so far since we got back.

Straight Talk

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently rejoined the world of mobile users and I've fallen Hook, line and sinker for my new phone. However, I am again experiencing the damage done by my phone bill, one of the many reasons why I decided to ditch owning a mobile almost four years ago.

As much as I would love to have the Straight Talk prepaid wireless phone service to Call a friend, I do not live in the United States and thus do not qualify for their great services. I do, however, know that my aunt in San Diego, California uses Straight Talk to cut her phone bills in half. She raved about it the last time we talked on Facebook.

Why Straight Talk? Simple, because it has Everything you need and more! Aunt says they have a great selection of phones starting from $10 for the reconditioned ones! How affordable is that? They also make international long distance calls so much easier on the pocket.

Imagine, unlimited calls, text, picture messaging, and web for only $45 a month! Computing, that's just half of what I pay for my bills here! I am sooo jealous. Can we have Straight Talk here in the Philippines? I would definitely be the first one to avail.

Want to know more? Check out the Straight Talk commercial below!

Rush Rush Rush

I cannot believe how many design clients are asking to rush their orders these days. It's like everyone is going on a vacation and want their blogs to have a new look before they leave. LOL. Not complaining about the extra money though (they pay for extra of course, my lovely clients!) but I am hardly on Facebook anymore. LOL. Yeah, that's what I'm complaining about. I cannot get on Facebook as much as I want to nowadays. Ha ha.

We are about to go on a 3-day vacation out of town (to Vigan, for the curious) and I'm pretty excited to take some time off work and be with the family, just exploring the wonders of Vigan. I haven't been there before, so another thing to be excited about. I've already advised my clients to hold off their excitement for a while about their new designs because I seriously need this break.

How about you? What's keeping you busy these days? ;)

Big, Big Girl

Since second year high school, I've always been one of the tallest girls in class. Also always one of the slimmest, so you can imagine how I stand out even if I don't want to. My height I've always been uncomfortable about since, well, forever, but my weight I'm pretty okay with. I mean, I can eat a lot without gaining too much weight, who doesn't want that?


But as with all good things, my eating like a pig without consequence came to an end. You know how our metabolism slows down when we get older? Well, it's finally caught up with me. Last last week me and my sister Phoebe went out to buy ourselves a pair of jeans each. How silly of me to ask for my old size before I gave birth to my daughter. I thought I didn't expand an inch since then. LOL. Turns out, I am already three inches larger. Augh. So much for pretending to have a size 26 waist.


The low carb cereal that nobody in the house was paying attention to before is now eaten during breakfasts by yours truly. I cannot afford to grow an inch larger anymore. That would mean I would have to buy another pair of jeans again. Which is a crime, really.

Reuniting With An Old Flame

I used to have a passionate love affair with reading, the kind that gets me in trouble from too much of. When I became a mom, I only get to read when time permits me, and it's not very often these days as I have tons of work. Rarely do I make time for it anymore, and rarer even that I get to read an actual book (as opposed to an e-book, which is readily available in my hard drive).

But, the other day while I was cleaning the house, I found an old book of my grandpa's that I've been meaning to read for the longest time (Degree of Guilt, Richard North Patterson). I decided that I needed a break from work because it's been stressing me so much lately, and reading seemed like the perfect way to unwind.


So here I am, halfway through the book. I realize I really miss this old hobby. I made a promise to myself to buy a couple of books the next time we go out, and I intend to keep that promise no matter what. I've been out of the loop regarding what good books to read, though. Any suggestions?

 

Family Trips and Vacations

Megan Gates is an active blogger and handles communications on behalf of Elliman.com. She provides written work to the blogosphere pertaining to New York Luxury Real Estate, Long Island Real Estate, and the latest in architecture, design and fashion.

Theme parks and state fairs are a fun way to keep your whole family entertained. Whether you like roller coasters for the thrill seekers in your family or water parks to beat the summer heat, theme parks usually give great deals to groups of people to get more customers coming through their gates. Check out this list of amusement parks and zoos in New York. Call ahead to the parks before you plan your trips to find out what deals are being offered.

Heading to a beach is also another great way to spend time with your family outside and enjoying the summer heat. Heading to the lakes in the Catskills is a way to enjoy swimming and boating. Heading down to Long Island to experience the beaches and the ocean is another wonderful way to get outside and bond with your family. There are many kid friendly beaches that offer more than just sand and water to keep them occupied.

Taking your family to the wilderness of the Catskills or the ocean view of Long Island, there are many ways to spend time with your family to finish out your summer.

Adam Kutner

When you’re behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, as fun as it may seem, you’re taking on a lot of responsibilities. Your well-being, the well-being of your passengers, the well-being of other drivers and pedestrians – all of them are on the line when you’re driving a car. As drivers gain experience, the muscle memory does a lot of the driving and we tend to get distracted.

Here are some things to watch out for when you’re driving: Text messaging has been linked to a large number of fatal car crashes. It makes sense – in order to send a text message, both your eyes and your hands must be occupied with the device.Not only is there a mental leap associated with using a phone that distracts from driving, but also there is the technical difficulty of pushing  buttons on the phone.

This is by far the most dangerous of the distractions on the road – and completely preventable. If you have to answer a text message, wait until you are safely parked and then respond. How urgent can it really be? Is it really more urgent than a trip to the emergency room (or worse)? Didn’t think so :) 

- Adam Kutner

 

Birthday Blues

Uh yeah. The first three weeks of July I'm usually depressed. I can't remember when it started, I just feel down when my birthday's about to come. I know some people get the birthday blues, too. The later you get in life, the worse it becomes. And I understand why. I feel I should have done/accomplished more during the last year, and how another year was just wasted on me.

Looking at my daughter, though, and how she has grown up the past three years, erases some of the depression away. She wouldn't have grown up that fast without me doing anything, right? I should have been doing something all these years, because I have her as a delightful evidence.


But still. I can't fully shake this feeling off.