Project I Will #5

In my previous Project I Will post, I committed to start saving money with a piggy bank. Honestly, it's a jar but I'm sure you know what I mean. While we are on the not-so-piggy piggy bank topic, I'd like to share with you a conversation I had with Daddy K's cousin. As you all know, I love browsing the net in search for some cute fun stuff that are useful (or maybe even not really useful) in our everyday life. She entered the room while I was looking at a cute battery operated Itazura coin bank (see video below.)

It's so cute and so adorable so I told her to watch it too. She asked me where to get it and I said she have to buy it online. And with an incredulous voice, she said that there is no point in having that coin back in the first place if you're going to have to pay for it. She said that the money that you will save in that coin bank is not even enough to pay the said coin bank. All that coming from a 10 year old girl, smart no?

Of course, I have no plans of buying that and explained that I just love watching it because of it's cuteness. That's also the reason why I'm using a jar for our coin bank, an old mayonnaise jar if you want me to be specific.

With that said, let's go back to our topic/resolution for the week. Last year, I took a plunge into money making schemes online. I started it with monetizing my blog and joining some paid to click programs. So far, I already earned $ 19 just for this month. I say that's a lot for a start. The earnings I received only motivates me to strive harder. I planned to not touch my earnings online (except on extreme emergencies,) let's see how much I'll have in total by the end of the year.

How about you? Any recommended money making schemes that would word for stay at home moms like me?

- - -

See more of Project I Will

Home Remedies for Colds

A couple of weeks ago, Una and I suffered from sore throat, coughs and stuffy nose. It's more like she transferred her colds to me. But I am thankful that she's a bit better than I am when we were sick together. And because I refused to take any medicines while breastfeeding Una, I used some natural ways to help relieve our suffering.

Dreaming of Paris...

... is something I seldom do. You see, if I ever dreamed of going to Europe, Italy will always be the place I would go. I dreamed of riding the gondola, visit their museums and run in their vineyards. So it won't be a shock to you if I say that one of my favorite movies is Under the Tuscan Sun.

Image credit:stock.xchng

Another movie that made me want to wander to other places in Europe is Before the Sunset. I just love that movie and won't get tired of their conversations. It made me want to hop on a plane and go sightseeing Paris. Well I've seen the Louvre in the movie version of my favorite book The DaVinci Code but it's still not enough. I want to be there during one of the film festivals and stay in apartment Cannes, visit those small little bookstores and have coffee in the park. Of course, renting in France, particularly Paris is quite expensive so I think I'll settle for a short visit and have my bed and breakfast Paris style. Oh, if only I could easily go there and travel with all of my heart's content.

Sadly, these are all just dreams, wishful thinking maybe but that doesn't stop my imagination to go off and travel abroad. I wonder where my next stop is.

How about you? Any dream destinations that you like to daydream?

I Blog, I Care Movement

Calling all bloggers young and old!

Show the world you care! Be a part of the "I Blog, I Care Movement." Here are the rules on how to join:

1. Copy the "I Blog, I Care" badge and the rules (1 to 6) on this page.
2. Post these in one or all your blogs.
3. Tag/invite your other friends to join by sharing this with them.
4. Leave your post URL here: The Twitterer
5. For every fifteen (15) blogs joining the I Blog, I Care Movement, a $1.00 donation will be given to the International Committee of the Red Cross. You can also donate directly here: http://www.icrc.org.
6. Spread the love and show you care.

Project I Will #4

Saving is really one of the things I want to focus on this year. Daddy K and I used to have our changes saved on a piggy bank when we were still dating so we can have one extravagant date in a year. We still save on a piggy bank but we usually use it for emergency purposes.

Recently, I've been reading a lot of interesting research paper topics.The catching titles motivates me to read further on the article and what I learned from it didn't disappoint. One article that really caught my attention is how being a frugal mom can really help the family finances. It showed me that there is still a lot more that I can do in saving more money.

I will explore about what I learn from those articles as I go on. doing them myself. But for now, let's all enjoy our Sunday with the family.

Have a good day!

PhotoHunt: Balanced

This was my first try in night photography. Erick-senpai taught me the basics of night photography when we first had our DSLR two years ago. This was the view from Harbor Square.

Keeping Up with the Car

I cannot believe that I didn't blog about the time when we had Godo to our family last year. Before you all get confused, no, we didn't go all Brangelina and adopted a kid. Instead we bought a second hand car.

We welcomed Godo to the family in late May last year. After weeks of looking online for second hand cars, we finally found one that fits our budget and needs. You may be wondering why we bought a second hand sedan. Being first time car owners, we decided to be practical and start with a practice car and honestly, we really can't afford buying a brand new car then even if we wanted to and I personally prefer a house of our own over a brand new car. But DK would say otherwise so we met in the middle and bought a second hand car. As soon as we saw the car, we knew that it was it. We returned the next day and bought home our new baby.

We are really thankful that we had a great deal with Godo despite the minor repairs when we got it. We didn't even spend that much as we were expecting to when Godo we're drowned by the flood brought by Typhoon Ondoy. But even as it is that he is in a good condition, we're still planning on having him fully checked soon to make sure that his parts are all in good working condition.

For some, it may sound like having a car is too expensive. It is expensive but the convenience and safety it brought us whenever we go out with Una or have our occasional visit my family is priceless that's why we are considering Godo's expenses as if we have another child. Maybe we should get one of those personalised number plates for Godo just to show how much we appreciate him. It's not just any car anyway, it's a damn good car and I think he deserves to have his own personalised number plates.

Hope for Haiti

Being a victim of national disaster, I know exactly what it feels like to be devastated by something you can't totally control. We were thankful for all the help given to us by all the NGO who helped and reached out to us. Now it's our turn to help others who's currently suffering the effects of the recent earthquake in Haiti. We can only do so much and spreading word and reaching out to others in just a few of them.

Any help is very much appreciated. But for someone like who lives on the other side of the world, I can only donate monetary help. We can do so by going directly to some foundations like Red Cross or help chip in with some of the independent designers worldwide and get a chance to join their raffle as an incentive. Head over to Hope for Haiti for more information.

Or if you are knitter or crocheter, you can buy patterns from Ravelry designers who have pledged their earnings for this month to donate to those who are in need in Haiti. A good friend of mine, Mimi, is pledging her earnings from her net sales in Ravelry til January 31.

Project I Will #3

I know, this is supposed to be posted yesterday but I was so dead tired that I have to put off doing nothing but rest to regain my health. Yeah so much for being productive.

It seems that Una transferred her colds to me, I don't mind since I prefer getting sick that her suffering from her colds but the stress from preparing her birthday celebration only added to degrade my health condition and I've been worse than her. So I'll stop my blabbing now and rest some more. Hopefully, I'll get back to my healthy self soon and be really productive.

Have a great weekday everyone!

Una's Big One!

For my daughter's big one, we celebrated it like a holiday. Being a weekday, it's nice to know that people really care enough for us to be able to take a leave from work and join us in celebrating our daughter's first birthday. Most of them are close and extended family members and some close friends. We can't thank them enough for being there and taking part in the party activities.

But that's not all. Like any other Filipino holiday, we love to extend our festivities. MIL cooked pancit bihon and made buko salad while Daddy K's Aunts made puto and biko to include in our home celebration.Our weekends are booked to. As a way of late celebration, we will be meeting some of her godparents on Saturday and then her godmother on Sunday next week for a picnic.

It's been a long day and looking forward to long weekends in the future. But will catch up on some sleep later so I can work on making a better looking personal essay. Lord knows, I need to improve my writing skills.

Me, a Navigator?

Una is turning one tomorrow! But on occasions like this, we always make invitations that include maps. Living in a far away East Metro, a map in the invitation is a must to every event happening in our residence. It would have been really helpful if MapQuest can handle the directions in our country, unfortunately it only covers most of US, Canada and some countries. And directional instruction is not available in Google Maps either so I have to do it manually. By manually, I mean I have to screen shot a couple of maps and put them all together to make one big map and put directional arrows and detailed instructions on where to turn and such. Then that's the reason why the navigator name came upon.

I grew up in downtown Manila. With the number of streets and alleys I have to go through everyday, it's easy to learn and master one's sense of direction. But that didn't stop me from buying a street map of Metro Manila when we bought our car last year. I may know most of the directions by foot, but I am no expert when it comes to knowing if it's a one way street or a dead end for vehicles. I have to master that one yet but for now I would act as a navigator to my husband who doesn't have any sense of direction despite having a license for five years.

After Una’s celebration, we will be celebrating our anniversary as a couple next month. I wanted to go backpacking like Erick-senpai so I’m reading some hostel reviews to figure out what could work for our budget.

Beadwork with Freshwater Pearls

Remember my previous post a couple of days ago about how jewelry making melts my heart? Well, I've been thinking of starting my stash again so I can start making my own jewelry. This time, instead of using plastic and glass beads, I'd like to start collecting semi-precious stones and freshwater pearls. A bit on the expensive side but I'm also planning to make use of it as a sideline while I still can't find part time job that will work for our family.

Pearl earrings from Oriental Pearls

I have found a supplier for semi-precious stones before when I was still learning how to bead. And just recently, I stumbled upon a website that offers cultured pearls. They also make pearl jewelry that are really lovely it made me want to buy the finished item instead of making them. I really wish I could make something like that someday. But for now, I’m back to researching more information about jewelry making pearls.

Win a Free Boracay Vacation Package by WOW Philippines Travel Agency

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is celebrating it's 5th year in business during July of 2010, and we would like you to have a chance to celebrate with us, so we have decided to give-away a FREE Boracay Package complete with 5 Star accommodations at the luxurious Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel on Boracay Island. The lucky winner will win the following Boracay vacation package.
       
Vacation Package Inclusions:
        - 5 Days / 4 Nights Luxury 5 Star Accommodations at the Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel

        - Flights to Boracay from Manila to Caticlan Airport on Philippine Airlines

        - Island Transfers - Door-to-Door from Manila to the resort and back to Manila Domestic Airport

        - Three (3) Meals each day, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

        - Boracay Activities - Horseback Riding, Island Hopping, Glass Bottom Boat

        - PLUS - 5,000 peso Spending Cash

Read More Information: http://www.boracay-packages.com

New Year, New Template

Whew!

I have finally finished changing my blog templates. Yes, with the 's' because I changed the templates of my two blogs. I decided to stick on a plain theme but I choose the one where I can at tweak it a little bit. See the header above? Found the image in stock.xchng. Nice, no?

I plan to change it every once in a while. Every season maybe? We'll see. That will depend on my creative idea or my dedication to find an appropriate stock photo.

Just to recap, in case you got confused for the sudden change of look. The template below was my home last year. I forgot where I got it but it's a free template named Stitch. So I was so lazy searching later but decided to search it anyway. Here is the download link for the Stitch template. (seen below)

I really love the Stitch template, the color scheme, design, everything! Unfortunately, 2 column templates doesn't work for me anymore. I prefer a template with two sidebars, feeling sad that the nice template won't be my blog home anymore.

Then before the year ends, I decided to finally change the look of my blog, like new year, new template sort of thing. This time I choose a template with 3 columns named Welcome Autumn from BirdieSays. I was so caught up into changing the template to the latest one that I forgot to have a screenshot of the autumn template before actually changing it. Just to give you an idea, graphics are made of drawn autumn leaves and the color scheme is light brown so it's easy to the eye. Just visit BirdieSays if you want to see how cute it is or if you want to see her free templates.

And now, as you can see, my blog is all black and white. I like it's neatness and how I could change the banner whenever I wish. It makes it not look too boring. If I remember correctly, this template is called The Morning After. I don't know why but the original image of the banner is also a text photo. I can only read the word Canada on the photo, not sure if it make sense to the creator. This is originally a WordPress theme but I found one in Blogger form so I took advantage of it.

What do you think of the new changes?

The Yellow Smiley Face

This is a lovely short movie by Romanian director Constantine Popescu about an old couple's adventure in using the computer for the first time to communicate with their son in America.

This is just so heartwarming.

Project I Will

A new year usually comes with a New Year's resolution -- and with that comes change. Change is good, but people is also afraid of it. Too much risk and so many things to learn. But why do we make a list of things we want to change in our lives but so afraid of changing life anyway?

Change's great enemy is routine. Once people get used to the things they do, even if they don't like, they still stick to it. That's why people always wait for the new year to make a change in their life, to avoid disturbance in their usual routine. That is also one reason why people like me fail in achieving my New Year's resolution. But why wait that long for a change when we can start it now?

Since I am posting this on the first month of the year, I will make this a not-really New Year's resolution. Instead of changing something major with my life, I will start with the small mundane things that we usually neglect.

Project I Will #02

Easy, right? With our busy lives, we tend to forget to enjoy the simple things in life. We always focus on the big thing that we forget that it's also important to stop for a while a savor the moment. Doing this doesn't have to last for only a week, we can do this everyday in our lives, starting now.

This post's inspiration is from a link shared by WifelySteps in her Plurk account. It's a website where you can make your new year's resolution if you can't think of any. But in my case, I'd like to make it a weekly resolution. Like a Project 365 with photography but I would like to call this Project I Will and will be made weekly.

But since I found out about the site this week, I will consider the first entry I received from the site as the first week entry. Since the New Year falls on a Friday, I will start posting new entries in Project I Will on Fridays.

I will end this blog post by doing my first week's resolution.

Project I Will #01

 halu

hello

konnichiwa

ahn nyeong ha se yo

guten tag

- - -

New Year's Resolution Generator can be found in Monina Velarde's website

Johnson's Body Care in the Mail

I was still groggy from sleep when my brother-in-law told me that I have to sign a package from LBC. I'm not really sure what it is, but I was hopeful that it would be the gift package from Johnson's that I've signed up for in December. To my surprise, it is what I was hoping for. It doesn't matter that I went out of the house in pajamas and signed the package with my ugly scrawl of a handwriting. I just love receiving things in the mail. And freebie items beats any good coffee in the morning. How's that for a wake-up call.

I've been using Johnson's products for quite sometime now. I like the smell of their items and the baby products are so mild I am using it for Una's bath, mine is the Melt Away Stress Daily Body Wash. And I'm glad I get to try the lotion version of my body wash. I prefer using unscented lotion to prevent their smell from clashing, now I have something to partner with my body wash. It's my form of pampering myself since I can't go out and have massages all the time.

My gift package comes with four 24-hours Lasting Moisture body lotion and two Melt Away Stress body lotion (not seen on the photo above.) It supposed to come with the Naturally White body lotion but I guess they don't have that much supplies left.

This promo was in partnership with FemaleNetwork. Unfortunately, I went to visit their site again while I was writing this, it seems that their promo has ended.

Benefits of claiming your 2010 Starbucks Coffee Planner

The Starbucks Christmas traditions planner may be considered a must have item for some. But despite the dent on the budget and a social status in possessing the latest planner, there is a good thing in owning the much-coveted planner.

In partnership with UNICEF, Starbucks' SparkHope has been helping in enriching children's lives from different parts of the country. This year, by redeeming your Limited Edition 2010 Starbucks Coffee Planner, they will be making a donation to help with the continuous relief efforts for the Typhoon victims.

You might be wondering though that I am late in making this post because the promo supposedly had ended yesterday. But Starbucks is being generous and extended the promotion until January 15, 2010. I know completing all 17 stickers are really heavy on the budget, but think of it as your way of helping those who are in need.

Information at your fingertips

Everyday is a fact finding adventure. But getting answers to our questions is not as simple as typing a keyword and reading the first link you see on the results page. We have to get straight facts direct from the experts. With the abundance of online encyclopedia nowadays, AnswerGator offers a directory of straight answers to our everyday questions. Now, that’s information at your fingertips.

Attachment Parenting through Babywearing

What is attachment parenting?

Attachment parenting, a phrase coined by pediatrician William Sears, is a parenting philosophy based on the principles of the attachment theory in developmental psychology. According to attachment theory, the child forms a strong emotional bond with caregivers during childhood with lifelong consequences. Sensitive and emotionally available parenting helps the child to form a secure attachment style which fosters a child's socio-emotional development and well being. Less sensitive and emotionally available parenting or neglect of the child's needs may result in insecure forms of attachment style, which is a risk factor for many mental health problems. In extreme and rare conditions the child may not form an attachment at all and may suffer from reactive attachment disorder as defined in DSM-IV and ICD-10. Principles of attachment parenting aim to increase development of child's secure attachment and decrease insecure attachment.

I know this may start a lot of discussions from parents who view parenting differently depending on their culture or what they believe in. But please allow me to explain my stand on this.

Attachment parenting have Eight Principles of Parenting but I will not discuss all of those here for I am not really an expert on it and is still in the process of learning it all. If you have been reading my blog for quite some time now, you will also know that I am also a breastfeeding advocate. But for now, let's focus on the other principles.

Use Nurturing Touch

Old time parents would always tell me not tell carry my child too much. "She'll get attached and be clingy." But I would still carry my baby. You see, a mother's touch is one way of telling your child that you love them. It's a way of comforting them and telling them that they are safe. And personally I cannot bear seeing my child cry and not do something about it.

Skin-to-skin contact is a great form of providing a nurturing touch. The mother's warm body provides comfort and security. It is also advised for dad's to not wear a shirt while carrying the baby to also provide that warmth. That is also the reason babywearing is an effective form of attachment parenting.

Providing nurturing touch is not the only thing that we can achieve by baby wearing. With a sling like mine, I can breastfeed Una and still have enough coverage. I don't have to go look for a breastfeeding station to breastfeed her. I can do it in the middle of everywhere and no one would know what's happening under the sling. You also have both of your hands free making you do other tasks at the same time like going to the grocery, writing, typing on your computer or window shopping. Aside from the practicality of wearing your baby, it also helps with child's developmental growth.

I have been wearing Una on a sling since February and have been receiving stares for quite some time now. Some even made some disapproving and snide comments. Of course, those didn't stop me in baby wearing. What confuses me though is that baby wearing has been practiced for years, not only in other countries but also our natives here in the Philippines. I especially adored a Muslim family I once saw in Cubao. The father is carrying their baby on a beautiful batik sling.

Though I have noticed that quite recently there are some moms who would approach me and ask about the sling and I willingly tell them all about it's benefits and point them to where they could buy it. You might think that I am sales talking them in buying the sling with the way I encourage them to have their own asap.

If you are interested in learning more about baby wearing, visit The Baby Wearer.

For local moms who is interested in buying their first sling, visit the nearest SM Department Store in your area, I bought mine in SM City North Edsa. The slings are stocked with the other baby carriers in the infants section of the department store and comes with a tutorial video on how to properly wear your baby. If you prefer to order online, visit Indigo Manila. Cost is Php 1000 and Php 1500 depending on design and the type of fabric. Mine is made of cotton and bought it for Php 1000.

Creating jewelry makes my heart melt

A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon a beading magazine on a book sale. I am not much of an accessory type of person but the thought of making something that I could wear and at the same time easy to make excites me. I bought the magazine and went directly to the local store selling glass and plastic beads and bought the essentials according to the magazines. I have made a couple of jewelry, even influenced my sister in making some and most of our finished projects went straight to her collection and for some that are left in my care were lost last September.

Just this evening, I was browsing my photo collection for something I could put up for the Photo Hunters week but what caught my attention surprised me. It's definitely not a theme of the week in the photo group but a definite blog worthy photo.

The photos above are just two of those creations I mentioned. A green beaded necklace with a leaf pendant and an anklet made of plastic pearl beads and leather cord.

Most of what we did are bracelets and earrings for they are really easy to make and can be worn everyday. I know my sister enjoyed her new stash of jewelry and these two are just some of those that are left in my collection.

Years passed and had a new hobby to get myself busy to, jewelry design lost my attention, until last October. You see, after Typhoon Ondoy, my daughter and I went straight to my father's home in Manila and only visited our house in Marikina a week after the great flood. I was shocked to see that my mother-in-law was wearing one of the bracelets I made. I actually stared at it for a long time and when she noticed me staring, she asked if I wanted to keep it. I just smiled but shook my head no. She told me that she found it just outside our door when they returned to our place the next day. She said that she doesn't know who it belongs to but the quality is nice because she wore it everyday since she found it and went through heavy cleaning and laundry washing and it is still intact. My heart swelled. I touched the beads one last time before returning to what I was doing.

The holiday passed and someone gave her a new bracelet but she still wear my bracelet. Though she still doesn't know that I designed it, my heart melts each time I see it on her wrist.

Dear 2010

Image credit: http://ulifestyle.blogspot.com/ via weheartit

I am looking forward for our time together. I hope you'll give us just as much happiness as I had with your sibling 2009, but not as much of a heartache like what happened in September. We have so much to do and we are just starting. Let's help each other making this new year better than before.

Happy new you, happy new year!