Christmas Vacations

Christmas is actually that time of the year when my family takes a break from the usual things that keep them busy for the rest of the year. I'm very glad we spend more time together. My family is very close-knit. In fact, my girls would rather stay at home and hang out with me.

For a change, I want to go out-of-the country and spend Christmas away from home. I want to go to the US but I do not want to spend my Christmas with a very cold climate. It's warm in Florida all year round, so I think it's a nice idea to choose from Orlando vacations packages online. This will be the discussion tonight at the dining table. I will just keep you guys posted.

Rhian Ramos Fan

Since I started watching Stairway to Heaven, I can now say that I am a Rhian Ramos fan. I do not really care much about celebrities but her beauty is really captivating. She is born Rhian Denise Ramos Howell to a Welsh father and a Filipina mother. Filipino genes mixed with other races really produce beautiful results. :) Rhian played a good number of leading roles in soap operas making her a household name. She currently plays the role of Jodi in GMA 7's Stairway to Heaven.

Business Talk

One of my friends who recently put up a boutique was asking my opinion about it. My friends think that entrepreneurship is something that instilled in me. Actually, it's something that I learned by reading a lot, keeping myself interested in business and also by attending seminars, as well. Since we were on that topic, I mentioned about Symbol LS2208. It's an affordable scanner which is essential to retail stores and other business establishments. This tool will help her people work more efficiently.

Car Insurance Getting More Expensive?

According to a recent research, the cost of car insurance is rising at its fastest rate on record. It is expected that most car owners will see a sharp increase when they will be renewing their annual insurance premiums. Hence, we should be more selective when choosing a car insurance company. Look for the ones that are reliable and affordable at the same time. This will save you a lot of headaches in the future.

Watch Stairway to Heaven Online

Like what I mentioned in my previous post, I have been watching GMA 7' s melodramatic series Stairway to Heaven regularly. But don't you know that you can watch it online as well? You also have the option to download it. What I did is I downloaded the FLV Player from cnet.com. (Some episodes are recorded in .flv format.) Then I download the Stairway to Heaven daily episodes from pinoyonline.tv. Now, I can watch them without any interruption at all.

Travel Insurance

Traveling is a good way to unwind, to learn new things and immerse yourself in the culture of other people. I love to see different places with my family. As a mom, even though traveling is expected to be overall a good experience, we must take precautionary measures. Hence, annual travel insurance should be considered when planning to travel with the family. There's a lot of places I have yet to see. A lot more money that's needed for traveling expenses. But we still try to plan. Some of the most memorable events I remember are from my traveling experiences.

Things I Need to Remind Him

Sometimes, I would jokingly say that I serve as my husband's secretary. It's my job to remind him a lot of things. Not that he is forgetful, but he can sometimes be not-so-organized. Lucky him, he got me. :) This week, I need to remind him that he has a dentist appointment on the weekend .There are bills that needs to be taken cared of. He has to have his car check at the auto mechanic center. He also told me to remind that he needs new auto accessories. No worries hubby, your wife has a good memory. Cheers!

Things I Would Love to Try

I am fulfilled with my family life. I am happy with my personal relationships. However, I admit that there are times, I wish I could experience more things. Next year, there's a list of things that I want to try.

- Enrolling in a short course at a Culinary Arts School
- Learning Basic Fashion Design at a reputable Fashion Institute
- Learn a Foreign Language (French or Spanish)
- Try Pilates

I could enroll to some of this classes with my girls if they have a time. Aside from being able to learn something new, it will also serve as a bonding moment for us. So, this year, we should curb more on shopping and save for the things mentioned above.

My Favorite High Fashion Eyeglasses

My daughters and I talk about everything, of course, that includes fashion and accessories. We get each other's opinion on what looks good on us, what's practical and what's affordable when it comes to fashion. So, for my favorite high fashion eyeglasses, they know that my top choice would always be the $ 8 Rx eyeglasses. Zenni Optical sells high quality eyeglasses at a very affordable price. Here are among our top picks:

Just guess which one is suited for me, and which ones are for my girls.

For shopping tips, simply visit How You Can Start Spending Smart.

Care for the Environment

During bonding moments with my children, I tell them my experiences while I was growing up. It was a lot different compared before. When I was a lot younger, I can attest that the best things in life are free. We had clean water in our rivers. The air is not polluted. I think we are all aware that as time passed by, there was a lot of changes in the environment. The air we breath no longer have as much oxygen composition as it used to. We now have to install air filters to make sure that our children breath fresh air. A lot of damage have been done to our environment, but we can still save it. Plant trees, dispose your garbage properly, respect your surroundings!

Wedding Event

Hubby and I will be attending a wedding two weeks from now. My dress for the said event is ready. I no longer have to buy a new dress because my sister let me borrow a nice one from her extravagant collection. But for hubby, I would still need to look for a tuxedo shirt. I still have two weeks to make sure that our attire is taken cared of. Wedding is among my favorite events to attend to especially if it's a family member who is tying the knot. Looking at faces of people very much in love with each other is such a beautiful view. Moments like this really moves me.

GMA 7's Stairway to Heaven

My latest addiction is watching GMA7's Stairway to Heaven. The Korean-based Filipino soap opera stars Dingdong Dantes and Rhian Ramos. Personally, I think that they have a good chemistry. Rhian looks very pretty in this drama series. She's not just another pretty face, She can act.

Nice Weather!

The weather seems a lot nicer today compared to the previous weeks that passed by. Typhoon Pepeng left 17 people dead in the country, but it has finally left the Philippines. I just want to enjoy the weather this week. If my family's schedule won't be that busy, I think it would be a nice idea to go out and spend some bonding moments together. I actually want to see the Michael V and Ogie Alcasid flick, Yaya and Angelina. A good laugh is all I need at the moment. :)

Typhoon Pepeng

Typhoon Pepeng affected the Northern part of the Philippines. I grew up in the Cagayan province, and I still have a lot of relatives residing up north. A lot of farmers' crops were destroyed when they were hit by Typhoon Pepeng. My cousin told me that their area got flooded. Even the water entered their house. You'd no longer be able to see a trace of granite tile on the floor.

Until now, there's still a lot of families who haven't recovered from the wrath of the two typhoons that visited the country recently. It was mentioned that another typhoon is on it's way. Hopefully, it won't hit the Philippines hard like what the previous typhoons did to our country. Stay safe everyone!

SM Cubao 3-Day Sale

I learned the other day that SM Department Store Cubao is having a 3-Day Sale (October 2,3, and 4) They are offering up to 50% off on great selections. You can also enjoy a 5% rebate when you use your BDO card.

For those who are on a tight budget but needs to purchase some stuff, then you should take advantage of this three-day sale. But for sure, the mall will be very crowded especially if they sell items on big discounts. In times like this, just make use of their barcode scanner, if you are not sure of the item's price. Happy Shopping!

Philippines, Under State of Calamity

Last weekend, Luzon, specifically the Metro Manila area experienced the wrath of Typhoon Ondoy. This brought a record-breaking rainfall which flooded areas in Metro Manila. I consider my family lucky because we were not affected by the said typhoon.

However, we were so worried about our family and friends who are residing in those affected areas. This weekend, another typhoon, locally known as Typhoon Pepeng (international codename, Parma), hit the Northern Luzon area. Right now, I am praying for the safety of my fellowmen. May they be safe and strong amidst the ongoing calamity.

Resveratrol Supplements

Have you heard about the French Paradox? It's a term coined by Dr. Serge Renaud, after having observed that French people suffer a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease, despite the fact that their diet relatively consists of saturated fats. A major factor for this trend is their high red wine consumption. I noticed too that French people manage to keep fit even if they get older.

So, what is it in red wine that has a good effect on us? Red wine contains Resveratrol which is a a powerful anti-oxidant. Antioxidants prevent and repair damage done by the free radicals in our body. Antioxidants may also help our immune defense become stronger. Thus lowering the risk of cancer and infection.

Actually, you can also take Resveratrol without having to drink red wine. You can now avail online of Resveratrol Supplements. As a consumer, it's a good thing to know that there are a lot of Resveratrol Supplements to choose from. I would love to try this supplement for myself. I am getting older and I would need this. For those who wants to lose weight, a Weight Loss Resveratrol is also available. For detailed Resveratrol Reviews, simply visit reservatrol.com.