Wordless Wednesday: I'm Sorry Barney

I Love You, Honey

Honey. Awwwww. What a sweet endearment! So sweet, I am imagining ants crawling on the screen now. But really, I can very well understand why we use “honey” to refer to our loved ones; I use it, too. When I’m not mad, that is.

I love you, honey. (No, Honey, it’s not you this time.) I’m actually paying homage to something Winnie the Pooh cannot live without. And something I definitely love, too. Honey. That nourishing honey. The one we add in our tea. The one we drip on our pancakes. The one that’s rich in nutrients –vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

It wouldn’t be called the nectar of god for nothing. But other than its usual uses – as natural sweetener or oomph-and-zing multiplier, honey has other uses –for me, for us. And next to baking soda, honey is something I do not want to run out of supply of (and that’s why I’m trying to make the 2 700L bottles of all-natural honey last until my brother’s visit; he gets it cheap from where he is assigned).

Ø Diarrhea treatment. I am not really a big fan of medicines. If I can find a cheap, economical and natural alternative, I use that. Even for diarrhea, I rarely pop a pill because I don’t want to keep the toxin from coming out of me. Unless if I need to, like when I’m traveling or when attending an event that makes running to the bathroom every minute or so impossible or difficult. But when I’m home, it’s nothing or honey. Or ginger tea with honey. Really. And because honey is natural, I will not worry about side-effects. The last time I pooped liquid, all I took was a spoonful of honey and some water. And that’s that. I must be lucky because I didn’t make any trip to the CR after that.

(Word of caution: Not to be given to babies below 1yo, as their digestive system may not be able to tolerate it.)

Ø Scrub. For a homemade foot scrub, an ample amount of honey plus a spoonful of sugar is good enough. For the face, I make a paste out of an ample amount of honey and a dash of baking soda.

Ø Moisturizer. Plain honey can be used to moisturize the lips and skin, including the face. When I’m home, I use it as an alternative to commercial lip balms. It’s just lick-ably purr-fect for my cracked, dry lips. BTW, I’ve tried it with my son, countless of times, and he’s just so uncomplaining when it hit his lips.

Ø Bed sore treatment. Apart from its nutritional benefits, honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory components and is known to hasten healing of wounds. When my cousin’s grandmother (whom I also call Mama) got sick and got those nasty bed sores, honey was the only thing we applied on her until the sores were all gone.

Ø Facial treatment. I used to have facial sessions (before Matt, when I was still the master of my time :D) and one product given to me was honey mixed with some unknown medicines. And in my recent all-expense-paid (by the company) spa trip, the all-natural facial treatment I was given was composed of other ingredients and honey.

We -my hub, my sister and I- is using a honey-based soap. And my sister also applies pure honey to help contain her occasional breakouts.

(Word of caution: Make sure to wash thoroughly afterwards or you might find yourself in the company of tiny crawlers also known as ants. :D)

Oh, by the way, I read before that honey is also used as aphrodisiac. C'mon now, don’t look at me like that! I can just imagine what you’re thinking now. “She loves it because…” Do I sound guilty of that? Wink. But really, I am the last person who can validate that and I have not honestly used it like that. I have heard though that other people use it as an aphrodisiac.

For more of honey, visit the ff: MotherEarthNews; Life Positive; Billy Bee; and Food Reference.

***

Compelled to write this after a-blink-of-an-eye moment with my dear son, who accidentally broke one half-full bottle of all-natural honey just few days ago. Now, we're down to the last bottle (in the picture).

Wedding Invitations

Roses for you, roses for me. Don’t you just love roses? I do. Being romantic and all, I do love roses – red, white, yellow, pink and what-other roses. And I would definitely love to receive these flowers anytime. Hint, hint. :D

Wedding invitations for you, wedding invitations for me. Don’t you just get excited when you get invitations? I do. I do get excited when I hear of couples deciding to finally say their resounding “I dos” before men and God. And yes, I am expecting wedding invitations because two of my friends are getting married next year.

So how about roses wedding invitations? Don’t you just think they’re charming? I do. In fact, I had tiny roses printed on the translucent wrap of my wedding invitation. In my point view, roses add grace to the invitation cards. And while writing this post, I am also viewing the cool rose invitations, like the one in the upper left corner, online - and these, I am definitely sharing to my two friends who are tying the knot next year. I'm sure they're going to love them.

A Meme: Behind the Decision

Imagine, being out on a movie house date. Go pick a date. Me, if it’s not my hub then it has to be either Brad Pitt or Wentworth Miller. Oh, slap me, I'm dreaming. Lol.

But okay. You have your bucket of popcorn, some drink and you're snuggled in the warmth of someone you love. Life couldn't get much better than this, ey? You thought while waiting for the show to start.

But holy mackerel, when the show started, you found out that it's NOT the uninterrupted movie you were expecting. All because of the numerous advertisement in between!

You start to get up and look around you. Wait, wait, am I in a movie house or what? You demand. With the number of ads, it certainly looks like you're only watching a mini-series at home.

And you scowl. Disappointed? Let's be honest. The ads bothered you, ey?

And this may be akin to how you feel when you see paid post in blogs.

And no, I'm not pointing a finger at you because I USED to feel that way, too. Pardon me.

****

Maiylah tagged me to do this interesting meme, the reason why I decided to monetize my blog.

~ TAG STARTS HERE ~

“BEHIND THE DECISION” originator: Thesserie

Instruction:

• Please share the reason/s why you decided to do ads/paid posts. State how your earning is helping you in any way.
• Pass it to 2 bloggers/publishers only.
• After my name, list ALL your monetized blogs. If you have more than one blog, add the next blogs by using numbers only (such as 1, 2, 3, see my example) instead of long
  links.
• Use the button but please no direct linking.
• I would really appreciate it if you could drop me a line should you decide to entertain this tag. I would like to pay you a visit and add you on my list.

CURRENT KNOWN PARTICIPANTS

Thesserie, 2 & 3 Marie Vanidosa , 2 Girlie, 2 & 3 Rhada Rach , 2 Ironnie, 2 Jane Mari Jo Ghee, 2, 3 & 4 Sasha 2, 3, 4 Liza Idealpinkrose, 2 rems, 2 KK, 2 Laura Williams Maiylah, 2 & 3 ZAM you’re next!

~ TAG ENDS HERE ~

As of 11/23/07 16:12:38, conversion @ Metrobank is PhP 42.850 = $1. That's it. I'm not going to beat around the bush.

True, I have a regular job, decent job, in one of the leading telecoms in this country. The pay is good, although compared to the how much telco engineers get abroad, I'm just earning peanuts. Mmm... again, let's just take a look at the forex conversion because it explains a lot. :D

So although the pay is good (besides I live on a very low-maintenance lifestyle ;D), this doesn't say, I do not want to earn extra cash. Yes, why not? I could use some extra and I could do A LOT with it. :D Imagine getting PhP210 for, let's say, a 50 to 100-word post. That's fairly easy. But I'm a newbie to this thing and I'm still groping the ropes.

Back when I was still not doing paid post, I was a bit skeptical at "the rewards" for doing the work. Yes, I read it in lots of sites but I have no way of knowing if it's true. But when I hear it from friends, it's different. I could just be contented writing posts but it is encouraging to hear friends, like Maiylah;D who get much out of writing paid post.

So I made the big switch. And just the other day, I began thinking of writing paid post as a game, much like complete-the-sentence game - it definitely gives my gray matters some exercise. I like it, it's fun.

So I hope you'll bear with the paid post 'round here. Don't run away, please.

Now, I'd like to hear from ZJ, Serena and Sonya. If you're not yet done with this and if you're not too busy. :D Would really love to hear your story.

More Furniture Online

Have you been to a furniture store lately? Me, I haven’t. The last time I was actually in one was when we – that is, my father and I- were out picking for a new sofa. That was like a year ago.

But today, I saw some furniture online at FurnitureFromHome. There are lovely bedroom sets, living room sets, home and office furniture sets, and even leather furniture sets over there. Not only that, there are furniture sets on sale, too.

While I was looking around, something caught my eyes. Being partial to shades of green, well what do you expect? :D And yes, that olive green sectional sofa shown above is part of their gorgeous collection.

So if you're planning to change your furniture, go check it out. You might find something to your liking. By the way, FurnitureFromHome is offering worry-free purchase i.e free shipping, tax-free (unless the order is delivered to California), 1-year warranty against manufacturer’s defect for ALL purchases, and more.

Fire and Water

She was wearing her favorite H-- slippers; he, on a pair of borrowed Spartan.

She was wearing her B-- shirt; he, a shirt she purchased from a sale eons ago.

She had on her recently acquired brown K-- leggings; he, a faded camouflage Army short pants.

They were slowly walking up the steps leading to the mall entrance. Side by side. After they passed through the guards by the entrance, he turned to her companion and suggested, "Let's go eat to (favorite resto)."

In a flirtatious voice, dripping with honey, she asked, "Are you treating me?"

He nodded.

Instinctively, she curled her fingers on the arm by her side, just above the elbows. Lightly batting short eyelashes, she asked, rather a little breathlessly, "Is this a date?"

He only grunted and gave her the I'm-only-hungry-and-wants-to-eat look.

*****

After finishing a sumptuous meal, sheepishly, he voiced his observation (in their dialect) , "Looks like I'm the only odd stick around here."

She gave him a look that says so-what-it-doesn't-matter-one-bit. Then she offhandedly said, "Oh Honey, but then you're picking up the bill." And all the while grinning with all the sweetness she could muster.

*****
Carnival of Family Life is up and running over at An Island Life.

Also, check this week's MIFS Carnival over at Bean Sprouts.

Try These Fun Quizzes

Do you love fun quizzes? If you do, Quibblo has lots of fun quizzes to offer. Its list of popular topics is so extensive that I’m sure there’s something for everyone.

If you’re a sports buff, you can pick the Sports quizzes. If you’re a Disney fan, you can try the Disney quizzes. There’s also something for movie buffs. So, if you are not over the Harry Potter mania, you can try the Harry Potter quizzes.

Me, I couldn’t resist playing the Christmas Carol quiz and missed only 1 item. You can try it too. I’m sure you’ll do better than I did.

Thankful Thursday on a Friday

If you look at this unedited picture taken last Saturday, you would have deduced we had all the sun I was praying for on Matt's party.


But this is a misleading picture because Mr. Golden Sun actually went on leave that day. And in his place was Mrs Relentless Rain.


Looking at the first picture, you wouldn't have thought that the other side looked like this, would you?


The past few days, the weather was dreary. That's due to tropical storm Lando that swept the Visayas area, but which also affected some parts of Mindanao. There are reported damages and casualties but I am grateful that it's down at minimum. And I hope there’d be no more addition to that, especially since another typhoon is on its way round here.

But I thank God for bringing all sorts of weather- good and bad. Because we all need a little of everything --like in our lives, sometimes, we need storms to keep us on the right track.

Anyway, despite the rain, Matt had a good time on his party. And I'm glad because that's what really matters to me. I'm also thankful that our friends and relatives were able to bring their kids and join Matt on his party. I’m also glad that despite the bad weather, my husband arrived home safe and that he was able to attend Matt's party. And more importantly, I am thankful of my son's life. He is a precious gift God blessed us with and everyday, I am learning to be a better person because of him.

Last Monday, because of the dreary weather, some flights were canceled in our area, including one that should have brought my husband back to his workbase. But I am grateful. No, I was not too happy that my hubby’s flight was canceled; in fact, I was disappointed because I didn’t want him to miss a day of work because he has just transferred in this company. But I couldn’t allow myself to be eaten up whole with negativity brought about by something I do not have control of. So when something unexpected and disappointing happens, like a canceled flight, I’ve got to look at it in a different perspective. And certainly, a canceled flight can only mean a little extension to the time we can be with my husband. And yes, it did allow Matt (and me) few hours of his company. For that, I am grateful.

Going To Be A Daddy Soon

Few days ago, I was on the phone with my brother and he excitedly informed me that they are expecting a healthy baby boy early next year. Boy, I really am thrilled but it’s such a pity that we have to wait for a little longer before we can see the baby because they are living away from us. Matt would surely love the baby.

I also learned that he and his wife are already in the process of finalizing a birthing plan and finding the right medical care. Actually, they plan on having the baby delivered in a hospital up north, and near where most of our relatives - from my mother’s side- live. That’s really practical because, being a first time mom, my SIL will surely need all the help she can get when the baby arrives and my brother, being in the military, may not be able to stay with her for long.

But it was while we were seriously discussing money issues i.e. healthcare insurance, family insurance policies, hospitalization rates, expenses and more possible expenses that I was suddenly struck with the realization of how much we have changed. We used to be two teenagers who love to squabble over anything petty under the sun. Oh, how we loved to annoy each other. And last year, he was still this carefree officer who kept us amused with tales about his life in the military. But listening to him few days ago, he sounded so different; he sounded like a Big Daddy already and I could only smile.

Wordless Wednesday: Tagbilaran Cathedral

You bet that I'm not over Bohol yet! It's one of the places in PI that I want to re-visit -that is if time and budget permit. :D

For some history, read here. For more of Bohol, click here or here.

Tagged: Blogging Chuva-Chu-Chu

Maiylah tagged me, so I'm answering this before I end up forgetting.

1. How long have you been blogging?

Last year. Actually my hub started it all here. My self-assigned "role" was just to send pics (of our son) and hub would put some captions and post these. He says he likes watching the pictures when he comes home after a hard day at work, and he finds himself all alone and missing "us" so badly.

Later on, I sort of "taken over" and I have the silly notion that hub was just too glad to relinquish the task (because he's so busy with work- projects, designs, programs,etc...)

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?

My husband. The early part of my blog, if you've read it, was I think too personal. I was actually using it to update him of what's happening in my and our son's life during his absence, and to deliver "messages" to my husband. Messages, issues that I have a fair chance of forgetting during our long talks over the phone (hours over the phone is too limited!). And when he's home, there'll be lots to (tell) talk about and some things just get in the backseat, so...

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?

Fun, sure. Also, I love to write although apart from writing for school papers and applying for a slot in the local newspaper in another town, I have no real “claims to fame.” It’s really is just safe to say that I’m just a wanna-be. But it doesn't matter to me if I only have my hub as reader (then, early this year, a couple of friends) to the things I write (actually, for awhile I just kept it that way) and I wanted to practise, lest I forget the rules. (I have actually made lots of mistakes and everyday when I read on my previous posts I just wanted to edit or delete posts).

Anyway, it was only lately that I began to "come-out." And then, Maiylah encouraged me to go problogging. So now, my page is a little mixed up.

4. Tell me 3 things you LOVE about being online.

-I love being able to write (on the second thought, yes, heard).

-I love meeting friends and reading about their thoughts, experiences, about places they live, yaddi, yadda..

-I love learning.

5. Tell me 3 things you STRUGGLE within the online world.

-Spammers, need I say more? :D

-Keeping up with my friends' posts.

-Keeping up with my posts.

Now I'm tagging anyone who wants to do this. Give me a buzz once you're done so I can come over your place (at once :D).

Go SMORTY!

I have first seen it on a friend’s homepage few months ago. I was still not entertaining the "get paid to blog" thought then. But lately, hoping to earn extra cash, I’ve ventured into writing paid posts.

I’m still very new to blog advertising but I have a blogging friend who has been doing it for few months only and she can attest to very favorable results. So now I have decided to follow this friend's steps and join another blog advertising service called SMORTY.

If you wish to increase the traffic to your site and increase search engine rankings, you may opt to advertise on blogs and SMORTY can help you with that. SMORTY can get bloggers, from all parts of the globe, to do reviews of your site but as the advertiser, you have the option to pay only for the posts you approve. Neat, huh?

If you want to get paid for blogging, you can sign up for SMORTY and start writing your opinions. It’s as simple as that. And viola! Extra cash is on the way.

Also, SMORTY has a referral program that makes you earn commission from new blogger’s posts. It’s really cool. And that’s why I’m hopping in the SMORTY brouhaha, too.

So if you want to get paid to blog, join us at SMORTY. It’s really great to be paid doing the thing you love.

Oh Mister Sun, Mister Golden Sun

...these little children are asking you, to please come out so they can be with you...

Mr. Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, I am asking you, too. Pretty please.

Matt will be having his kiddie party tomorrow, so however selfish this may sound, I really am praying for a perfect weather. We're doing it outdoors this time and I just want him, and the kids who will be joining him, to have the perfect weather for some outdoor fun.

After he came down with bronchitis, I have kept his outdoor activities at minimum and he has been playing inside the house most of the time. But prior to that, he used to be my morning-walk buddy and he would be given some time to indulge in "getting dirty." But we haven't done it in a while. In due time, we might resume the morning walks/runs. For the meantime, I am giving him his free pass to get dirty and wet tomorrow because he must be missing the "our dirty days" already.

So I am hoping and praying that the weather will cooperate. Please, Mr Golden Sun.

***

On a different note, there's a Write-Away Contest over at Scribbit. The topic is, "My life is different because of . . ." If you're interested, email her your entry on or before Wednesday, November 21.

Also, The Carnival of Family Life is up and running at All Rileyed Up.

Casino Games

Would you believe if I say that I have been to a Casino few times but haven’t played any Casino game? Yes, that’s true. In those few business trips when I was billeted in a hotel where there’s a Casino, I only satisfied myself by looking around and that’s that.

No, there was no resistance because in the first place, there really was no desire to play. I really do not know why but I just have no motivation to play any casino game those times. Not even the very common slot machine could tempt me.

But few minutes ago, I was browsing through an online casino site and I was surprised because it has duplicated most games one can see in a real Casino. There’s online poker, slots, and more. I was almost tempted to play a free game, just so I will have an idea about a casino game, had it not for some last-minute preparations that needs to be done for Matt’s kiddie party tomorrow.

So strictly speaking, at this time, I haven’t played any casino game in my whole life, not even online casino games.

Thankful Thursday

Click the picture for more Thankful Thursday participants

• I'm thankful that I am alive.

• I'm thankful for the chances God gives to sinners like me.

• I'm thankful for the good health.

• I'm thankful that we have full stomachs when we retire to bed at night.

• I'm thankful for the gift of motherhood.

• I'm thankful for the life of my son.

• I'm thankful for the resources that we are blessed to have so we can give him a kiddie party.

• I'm thankful that my hubby is adjusting well in his new workplace.

• I'm thankful that our Internet connection at home is already fixed.

• I'm thankful for the gift of friendship.

• I'm thankful I won a copy of the After the Leaves Fall from Nicole Baart.

Help from CouponChief #2

I did mention in my previous post that because Christmas is just around the bend, I am trying to save all I can for the giftlist I still have to make.

This morning though, when I came across the online coupons from CouponChief, not only was I reminded of the list, I also found a wide array of good offers that could help manage the budget.

I have found interesting coupons there, like the Puma coupons that made me think of my father, who mentioned to me the other day something about a yellow shirt he wanted to buy. (Now, when I do find a yellow shirt for him, wouldn't it be cool to give my mother an identical shirt as well?)

Also, there are Converse coupons for those big Converse fans like my sister (and me). And how can I not mention the Body Shop deals I discovered? ;D

So go check the online coupons now. You or your pet, since they also have PETsMART coupons, might just be glad you checked.

This was the post that was rejected by PPP due to some link keywords' problems. I tweaked some of the links this morning and decided to republish it again. And see what they're going to think about it.

I won!

When I opened my mail this morning, I got a pleasant surprise from Nicole Baart. She's the author of After The Leaves Fall. She emailed to notify me that I won a copy of her book.

I'm such an excited little cat! :D I really cannot wait for my copy.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Birthday to My Happy Baby

Taken on his 1st birthday a year ago.

Taken early this year.

Bookmark It!

I'm cooking up a kiddie party and rather than letting a party coordinator do the dirty job, I've decided to handle most of that myself. This way I can trim down the cost. So that's what's keeping me busy these days.

And with my sister's help, I tackled my son's birthday invitations few days ago.


There are lots of free designs we found in the Net but we chose this one. To save on printing cost, we agreed that it's going to be just a bookmark size.

Printed on photo paper, the actual size of each invitation is only 11cm X 6cm.

For 20 invitations, we were able to use only 4 pieces of A4 photopaper.

With some ribbons, which are leftovers from my wedding 44 months ago, I decided to make it look like a bookmark all the way. Thus, eliminating the additional cost of need for envelopes.

Here's a sample of the finished bookmark-cum-invitation.

And here are the rest of the invitations.

(Note: Pictures are edited and blurred on purpose)

*******

Few days back, an officemate and friend paid me a compliment. No big thing really. He only said I’m frugal.

"Oh, yeah?" My other officemate, who was with us, playfully joined.

"Go ask my husband," I was quick to reply.

No big deal. But okay, granting there’s no undertone of sorts there, I consider it as a compliment; a feather to my bonnet. Actually, I’d much rather think of it as that, because if I analyze too much, I would begin to wonder if my friend thinks I'm Scrooge-ing! Heavens forbid! :D (Chuckle)

Angels of Destruction

I hate termites. They are more of an inconvenience; they are a symbol of destruction to me.

A year ago, we had one of our cabinets eaten by drywood termites. Lots of books were in there. I have my Engineering books and my paperback collection of teenage lovestories :D in there. Our old photo albums were in that cabinet, too. And most of these were destroyed!

I remember feeling the agony of throwing them into fire and seeing them reduced into ashes. Such helplessness! We had not known any drywood termites treatment then and thought that burning was the easiest and fastest way to annihilate these little angels of destruction.

We salvaged a few items but lost a lot of things. I’m just glad nothing happened to my pertinent records like Transcript of Records, certificates, etc. My younger brother was not so lucky though. His College Diploma was among the “casualties” of that incident.

So you can just imagine how grateful I am that there’s an online site to help us conveniently eradicate the termites.

Election Aftershock

Despite the current political climate in the country, I’ve always had hope, however little that is, that things will change. That things will improve one day soon. Maybe that’s because I’ve always looked for the good in everything.

And I've always believed, even if it's a thin-thread belief, that, one day, the people will ferry this country to much-wanted development and progress. Because I believe in the strength of the people, which is the greatest resource of this country and where its power absolutely lies. I believe that the Filipino can.

Do I sound so naïve? Maybe I do. Or maybe I am in denial. Grin.

But when I voted in the recent barangay election, I was carrying that belief in mind.

And then someone close to me said, "...It's sad that some people doesn't want good governance and programs, [instead] they want instant cash..." This she said after observing the massive vote-buying during the election and I felt as crushed as she is.

About Credit Cards

I’m not against the use of credit cards. Nor think of them as necessary evil. But you can choose to subscribe for it, at your own risk.

But really, credit cards should be used conscientiously. Otherwise, if one is not too careful, there’s the fair chance that he incurs a huge debt even before he can completely say “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” But that’s just a matter of discipline. And a matter of choice, too.

But choice, we have lots of that. If you are looking for what-works, there are a number of companies that offer good deals. If you want to test waters, there are 0% credit cards available nowadays, which can offer 0% interest for a certain period of time. Or if you need to switch accounts, there are companies that offer balance transfers, too.

But whatever you choose, this I have to say, nothing beats paying your balance on or before the due date. It is the best way you can take advantage of a credit card and it is very similar to having a 0% credit card for as long as you want.

What's in Your Bag

I was tagged by my bloggy friend ZJ to show items found in my bag.

Umm... Actually, one friend of mine thinks I'm so organized in everything, all except my bag! Haha. And I have to admit that I wanted to do this tag on Tuesday, after I cleaned and organized the things in my bag, but on the second thought, I thought that would be cheating. So...

In my BAG are:

1. Planner
2. Coin purse
3. Brush
4. A packet of dry tissue
5. Body Spray
6. VMV Compact Powder
7. A sachet of oatmeal
8. A pencil case, that doesn't hold any pencil :D, but:

• BS Glimmer Gloss
• BS Lip Color
• BS Lip/Cheek tint (I really look up to The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick with her pro-environment campaign)
  
• Burt’s Beeswax Lip Balm
• Re-packaged petroleum jelly
• A glow-in-the-dark Rosary
  
• A black ballpen
• Keys
• A packet of Oral Rehydration salt
• Band-aid
• MMC adapter
• USB flash drive
• Lots of other folded papers i.e billing statements, Official Receipts, ATM receipts, etc...(you bet I'm a packrat!).

Not included in the picture : Black wallet, my cellphone, bottles of Johnson's baby cologne and baby lotion, wide-toothed comb, a hanky and some ants (because of the uneaten bread I left)!

In other days, it could have been worse. :D

Teak Wood Found!

Don't you know that Teakwood covered the decks of the Titanic, and the wood is as good today as the day she sank on 1912? Oh well, that's something I learned today when I visited Befurnished.Com.

Over there, I found charming Teak Sets which I instantly fell inlove with. But then that's not surprising because I am naturally drawn to wooden furniture. Actually we– my family- are lovers of wooden furniture and most of our pieces at home are made of wood. Our dining set is made of Narra; a center table, Gemilina; a sala set, bamboo; and an outdoor bench, pine.

But more about the pieces over there, I also found interesting teak tables and benches that are perfect to grace outdoors. And some of these are even on sale!

So if you’re looking for durable pieces, check out Befurnish.Com and see the finish products of this hardwood that graced the decks of the Titanic. You'll definitely love them, too.

This is a sponsored post.

5 Posts Link to Keywords

This tag is from The New Parent. And because he unintentionally deleted his post, here's another post for your reference.

***INSTRUCTIONS: ***

1. Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 keywords given below (family, friend, yourself, your love and anything you like).

2. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.

3. Don’t forget to read the archived post and leave comments.

************************

Here are my picks:

#1 FAMILY: Caramel


#2 FRIEND: A Thankful Thursday post


#3 YOURSELF: A True Confession


#4 Your LOVE: Not Anything but Everything


#5 ANYTHING YOU LIKE: A Confession



Now, WorksForMom, Raquel, Regina, Cheh and Yenny, if you have time for this, I'm tagging all of you. :D

Fire, No Fire

I was typing (a post :D) in the office while England Dan was serenading me when my officemate peeked in the office and said, "Did you see the fire?"

Fire?!? With my heart beating like hooves of galloping horses, I jumped off my seat and head for the front door.

A small crowd of curious onlookers was already gathering down the street, just outside the gate. And I spotted a TV station news crew, possibly from the TV network sitting beside our building, already capturing a video.

Then there it was, near the transformers on one of the electric post right at the corner of our fence. It was just a small fire, but one which could spread easily to the fiber optic cables installed up there and to God-knows-where. It was slowly eating the rubber insulations of some cables.

It's controlled now, thanks to the guards and the thing called Halotron but I'm still a little jarred and finding it hard to breathe. Guess, I need to chill out, maybe listen to Gregorian music and munch comfort food, so off I go now.

Thankful Thursday

Click the picture for more Thankful Thursday participants

Yesterday, in a bloghopping spree, I found a short quoted post, which reminded me to be thankful for TIME.

I'm thankful that we had time to visit my MIL's grave on All Saint's Day, which is also her birthday.

I'm thankful that over the weekend, we - along with my parents and my sister- found time to relax.

I'm thankful that dear husband was home for 5 glorious days and during his stay, we were able to spend time, however limited that was, with just the two of us.

I'm thankful that I have free airtime to call my hubby, who's already in a new work location and I'm thankful that he has available time to orient himself with the environment before he officially starts with his assignment.

I'm thankful that I finished my son's laundry and his bottles earlier because that gave me a little time to play with him before he naps.

I'm thankful that I have time to write my posts today while my kid is napping.

And, I'm thankful for friends who take some off their precious time to pay me a virtual visit.

Printing Needs

I tried to print my son’s birthday invitation today but much to my chagrin, I found out that I’ve run out of ink. Haaaay. But at least, it’s just ink that I need and not cartridge replacement. If it were a replacement, I would have needed some time to look for one; and time is definitely something I do not have at the moment.

Anyway, speaking of cartridge replacement, are you looking for the right printer cartridge? Cartridge Finder is here to help you. It has a list of more than 10, 000 various cartridges from major printer brands. Plus, with PriceGrabber as its partner, you can be assured that you can choose the best deal available for you.

This post is sponsored by CartridgeFinder.com.

Wordless Wednesday: Loboc River

Don't be surprised if you'd see pictures of Bohol every now and then here. I just love it. And I would love to go back anytime -if time and budget permit. Or if there's a sponsor out there. Yay, I'm such a sucker for anything "free" -free trips, free ticket, etc... ;D

To read about a cruise on Loboc River, click here.

For more about Bohol, click here.

Out in the Sun

It was a beautiful day last Sunday, perfect for lazing outdoors so we decided to head to a nearby pool/beach place.

Taking the dip, with Papa.

Actually, this is Matt's pool debut. And he was so happy splashing waters and reaching out to the kids all around him.

Winning smile!

Wait a sec! I hear that he's not happy because I just heard howling in the other room as I am writing this. Gotta run before Matt wakes the whole household...be right back.

Minutes later...
(It's one of those middle-of-the-night wailings...er, wakings. He always seems like having a bad dream and keeps on saying "Mama, here. Mama, here." But okay, that's another post. :D)

Heading home after a perfect day at the pool.

I'm going back to bed now as my hub will be flying to a new work location early morning tomorrow. :D