A Very Short Visit

My cousin and her American husband came from the US for a very short vacation here last weekend. We all had so much fun with all the places that we have been but their 2 days stay is not enough to see the wonderful places here in the Philippines. They have yet to see the pristine beaches, the underground river in Palawan and other tourist spots in the country. Too bad he didn't get his tan in Boracay but I'm sure they will be back in the future. For now, I guess he just need to use an airbrush machine if he wants a tan hehe.

Their Pinas visit is just the final leg of their Asian business tour and I heard that they wish to come back and see more of the places.I'm willing to be their chaperone and guide if they still want me to be with them soon.

College Reunion

I attended our College’s 24th Alumni Homecoming  on Oct. 20, 2012 and we all had a blast. Even though attendees were only around 30, yet it’s a night filled with fun and laughter. This is our very 1st reunion after graduating from college and seeing my other batchmates and classmates is just awesome. I could not even recognized some of the faces anymore. 

I’m just so glad that I have attended and relieved all the memories that we had during our college days especially the times when we use to have our duties on different hospitals.

One of our college professor was even present that night so it was more special. I wish that next year on our 25th Silver, more will attend.

The night is filled with dancing, singing, eating, chatting and games.

Not Just Junk

I guess by now, you already know that my brother has a small gallery for his paintings, photography and old stuff or memorabilia. He is a self-taught artist and has won numerous awards locally both for his oil paintings and photography. We are his big fan and big critic and I guess he doesn't mind the latter for he knows we are saying the truth so he can improve his craft. It's been years, probably over a decade already that he started painting for personal gratification and commercial gain.

As for being a collector, I'm not really quite sure when did he started and what is his first collections. All I know that he got some old stuff from my late grandmother's wooden chest (baul)and found several coin/bills, pictures and other stuff that can be dated back in the 20-30's. 

Right now, his collections of old long playing records, pictures, Marine corps coins, currency coins/bills, magazines, vintage bottles and whole lot more cannot be considered as junk but treasured memories of the past.I'm so sure that my bro will continue to add more on his collection until he finds more vintage stuff.

Mom Turns 80

My dearest mom turns 80 on October 18th and we are thankful to the Lord that she is still healthy despite her HB and gallstones. Initially, we really wanted to give a big party for her just like what we did when she turned 75 but mom didn’t want it anymore. She just wants a more simple party for our family alone.

Plans changed all the time, at first she wanted to just eat at a restaurant but she changed her mind again. So, we just cooked some bbq (pork and fish), spaghetti, I made fruit salad and ordered cake for her. Sister Joy and her family called from Sydney called to greet my mom and that completed the celebration.

I’m just wishing good health for my mom and more years to spend with us.

The Benefits of a Low Calorie Diet

Low calorie dieting is a way of eating that restricts calories. Low calorie diets can be beneficial for the body in many ways. Depending on your gender, the amount of calories eaten per day will differ. Generally, a male will consume between 800 and 1200 calories a day, and women will consume 800 to 1000 calories a day. Following a strict low calorie diet will offer you plenty of advantages.

Easy to Use Following a low calorie diet is very easy to do. You simply count the number of calories you consume in one day. Some people find it easier to use a diary or spreadsheet to keep track of their calorie intake every day. There are also websites you can find online that allow you to monitor calories so you can stay on target. Most of these are loaded with the most commonly eaten foods for ease of use. Low calorie diets don’t restrict any specific foods. If the number of calories in something fits into the calorie allowance, you can eat it. This makes the diet much easier to stick to because you can eat anything you want.  

Weight Loss Everyone knows that if you consume fewer calories than what your body burns, your body will have to use stored fat. When the body stores fast, you lose weight. By following a low calorie diet, you can learn how to eat below your metabolic rate and anything else that you do is going to result in losing weight because of the calories being burned. There are many great low calorie lunch ideas available from the Sweeter Life Club to get you off to a good start.  

Afternoon Walk

I always make it a point to have an afternoon or sometimes evening walk with my dog Sophie. She already knows when she’s going out when I already changed my house dress to something decent clothes to go outside. She’s pretty smart and could already tell if we’re going out.

It’s not everyday though that we get to go out because sometimes I became too busy or lazy to dress up and go out of the house. However, when we do go out, I made it a point to let her sniff and leave her mark everywhere  she wants.

Dogs are very smart and I learned that when they sniff other dog’s urine they can already know the sex and identity of that dog. Amazing!

This particular afternoon walk happened when my niece came home from school after her school exams and ready to review again. I told her to rest for a while so we decided to go out for a walk while she rode her bike even though the front tire is flat tire already hehe. We usually walk for 30 mins or so.

Indoor or Outdoor Entertaining?

The discussion regarding whether indoor or outdoor entertaining is better, will be one the lasts a lifetime. When deciding what is right for your family, however, you should always consider your current lifestyle and the climate in which you live. Indoor and outdoor entertaining both offers their own unique benefits, so read on to discover which one is right for you. 

All you need to know about Outdoor Entertaining 

Imagine sitting amongst your own private oasis, as you feel the cool breeze and watch the sun set beyond the city skyline. Outdoor entertaining not only provides a great solution for creating more space around the home, but also offers an entire experience and an unbeatable ambience. Outdoor entertaining is becoming an ever popular choice amongst families, as it provides the opportunity to get some fresh air, whilst having a sophisticated meal together. For people who like to entertain on a regular basis, an alfresco entertaining area is a great option, as it allows you to utilize the entire space within your home. Many alfresco areas now include a kitchenette area, making both food preparation and cleaning a breeze. Homeowners living in cooler climates may prefer to make the most of their existing indoor living areas, as outdoor dining can become unpleasant during colder months. 

What Happened Smart Bro?

Around 6pm yesterday I was so inspired to blog and use the internet but noticed that some of my blogs are not opening and I thought my webhost is acting up again. I opened my Google Chrome browser and opened some sites but to my surprise I can only open Youtube and Facebook alternately. Arghh..

I switched back and forth to Firefox and Chrome and even restarted and shutdown my computer with hopes of fixing the problem. It got worst because Facebook and Twitter are the only sites that I can access. Boo.!! I have so many things to do and blog but my internet server is not cooperating.

I asked my friends who are also using Smart Bro and they are having the same problem just like me. I didn’t bother calling Smart’s technical service because I’m sure they will be flooded with lots of complains.

Oh dear.. I know glitches can happen but I hope it will not be for long because I have so many things to do.

Thank goodness, Smart Bro connection is back this morning!

Aches and Pains.. Boo!

Arghhh.. it's not fun when you have something aching in your body. In the last few days, my right arm has been aching tremendously. It's like the muscles are stretched so much or what. I've been using my arms and fingers while I'm on the computer blogging and making digi designs and templates. I have overused it once again. Poor me. I had to put some liniment or sunflower oil on it then wrapped it an elastic band. It helps for a while but it's still hurting esp when I'm using it. I cant stop working because I need to finish before deadline so I have no choice but to bear the pain.

A friend suggested an arm exercise for those with tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome and she gave me the Youtube link of the exercise. I followed the exercised for couple of times and it helped lessen the pain and pressure in my arm. I also rested my arms for half day and it worked.

Now that my arm is kinda healed another pain appeared. My waist and legs are aching and I think my wrong seating and sleeping may have contributed to the pain. I think I  need to reconsider if I  should buy a memory foam mattress because it might also help. Actually, I already have a memory foam pillow that I use when my shoulders and neck are aching.

In the meantime, I just bought a Salonpas, medicated patch this morning and I have to put it hoping the pain will go away. I guess when we are getting old, pains and aches always come with it.

College Reunion

I'm already looking forward in seeing my college classmates come Oct 20th. It will be our 24th year after we have graduated from Alma Mater. I may not have gone to a big and popular college but still I’m proud to have graduated as a Medical Technologist even though I have a different career now.

I’m just so thankful to our classmate who is already working in Canada for he has gathered us on Facebook via our forum. Seeing all my former classmates on  Facebook makes me so excited to see them in person soon. 

Sadly, I’m not attending meeting regarding our upcoming reunion but I gave my little contribution by making our T-shirt and invitation designs that they have chosen. Can’t wait to attend soon.

Her Swan Origami

 

“Look, tita, I made a swan!” that’s what my 9 yr-old niece shouted at me one Sunday afternoon.

I saw her busy watching Youtube that day and didn’t realized that she’s trying to watch an origami tutorials. That’s the reason why I heard her asking for some scratch papers from her mom. I’m just so happy that she’s creating some stuff when she feels like being creative and one of the best place where she can get some ideas is online.

Most of the times she’s drawing or doodling on papers and it’s also one of her hobbies. Maybe one day she’ll also play metal puzzle for fun just like this butterfly disentanglement puzzle.  I am sure this kind of puzzle can really stimulate her brain and test her patience.

Right Now

I have so many ideas and stories that I wanted to write but I'm not that inspired or I maybe I'm just too lazy to do it. The aches and pains that I'm experiencing in my body right now also make me sluggish and a whiner. I can't work properly when I feel some pain. Anyway, I'm sure I'll be fine in no time.

I'm just so happy that I'm earning some $ on my digi-designing and that really helps. I've been a member and a designer at arstcow.com for couple of years now and I'm so happy that I have found it. I still need to make some more templates soon because October and November are the months where most orders are placed so I need to be ahead of other designers so I can earn more.

My mom has started the re-painting of our computer shop the other day. I'm not quite sure why on this rainy season she has thought of repainting and not on summer next year. Mom also has lots of projects to be done, I will not wonder if one day he'll ask our helper to buy more wood, nails or even a c clamp that they can use to make cabinets or whatever mom likes.

Sophie is sleeping on the couch right now. Actually, she's outside but I heard her cry earlier and wanted to go inside the house. It appears she's afraid of something., I wonder why. I guess she just wants to play and be with me.. Ahhh.

Nephew is watching the round one of the UAAP finals between Ateneo vs UST and he's just so excited. I wonder who'll win this season.

Just finished eating 2 banana turon that I cooked earlier. Oh boy, it was delicious and I just had my sugar overload again.

Thankful

I'm just so thankful with my current job right now as it can help me with all the finances that I need for the house. I can also spend some for my shopping for I need that as well to keep me inspired hehe.. I've been working hard on all my blogs even though there are times that I feel a little burned out with all the time that I've been spending in front of my computer.

I have changed my schedule tremendously just to have more time for my blogging career. I'm just so thankful to all the advertisers that are contacting me to make a review of their products or services. I'm trying my very best to write a nice one and make the adv. happy.

Ageing Pets

Ageing isn't restricted to just us humans. Pets grow, experience periods of infancy and adolescence and finally, adulthood and old age. We sometimes underestimate the similarities between our pets and ourselves. Like we would with an older relative or friend, we need to take care of those whose joints aren’t once what they were.

A dog or a cat, when older than seven, is regarded as being middle-aged. An animal obviously can't tell you what aches and pains it is experiencing so as an owner, you need to keep a close eye on it and observe any changes in behaviour. You should also ensure that you take it to the vet at least twice every year. The best way to treat any illness in dogs and cats is to give it every possible chance to be detected early. Some of the more common ailments which affect pets in their later years include thyroid problems, liver and kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis. Signs that such an illness mat be present include a loss of appetite, struggling for breath, decreased activity, diminished hearing or sight, incontinence, and isolating or withdrawing as opposed to playing and interacting.

It helps pet owners to understand that pets can now access medical procedures and treatments (such as Aktivait and Vivitonin) which help the pet to maintain and also improve their health and longevity. Certain treatments were only available to humans at one time but now pacemakers, hip replacements, organ transplants, radiation and chemotherapy and arthritis medication are all available to pets. There are also more and more vets that now specialise in orthopaedics, oncology, neurology, cardiology and ophthalmology.

There are a number of ways in which you can help your pet in its advanced years. The most important thing to do is to ensure that you offer it sufficient attention, loyalty and love. You also need to show concern for its well-being and overall health. You can attend to any special needs that need addressing by speaking to your vet with regards to any protocols and prescriptions suitable. Further, ensure that you only buy him food that is appropriate to his size, age and any specific health issues.

Another good treatment available on the market that help pets in their old age stay young is the aptly named Everpup

.