Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my pretty friend Elsa and her handsome son, Connor! My family had a great time yesterday. Thank you for the warm hospitality and the super yummmmmy food! (Salamat sa pauwi ha! hehe :))


It was indeed a wonderful time as I also had a chance to meet other Pinays like me. Very kind! I met some of them at a party last year and this was only the second time I've seen them again. We're planning to meet again since one of them lives just a few blocks away from us. I'm truly excited! :)

My Saving Adventure- Trip to Price Chopper

I went to Price Chopper today and got the following items.

Bounty 8-roll paper towel- sale for 5.99 + coupon
Spaghetti
Libby's Sweet Corn (3)- sale for 49c each + coupon
WMS Cajun Taco Seasoning
Jet Puff Marschmallows- sale for 99c
Stove Top Stuffing (4)- sale for 79c each + coupon
Kraft Singles (2)- 2 for 4 + coupon
Pillsbury Pie Crust (2)- sale for 2 for 5 + coupon
Cool Whipped Topping- sale for 78c- my coupon was worth $1.00 so I actually had a 22c credit for this :)
Celery- sale for 49c
Banana
Sweet Potato- sale for 49c
Tomato Roma

I got most of them on sale plus the $6.00 worth of coupons I had with me for added savings. For 22 items, I only paid $26.76, tax included. I saved a grand total of $16.82. I could have stocked up on whipped topping since we use this often for our pancakes, but I only had 1 coupon. Before the sale ends, I would have to print or clip more coupons for this, and don't even have to pay a single cent. :)

Every trip to the store, I learn new things on how to save more. Previously, I have learned to plan my grocery shopping by listing the things we use on sale, and preparing the coupons that go with them. In other words, using coupons for items that are already on sale. To save more, I have learned to combine store coupons and manufacturer coupons for stores like Walgreens. With this trip, I realized I should have brought more coupons for the same item if I plan to stock up on it, like the whipped topping. Well, I'm enjoying this adventure. There's still a lot of things to learn along the way. Anyway, happy saving to everyone! :)

To view deals or items on sale for Price Chopper, you can either check their circular usually inserted in newspaper, or you can go to their site mypricechopper.com.

To get coupons, go to couponmom.com.

Charming Blog Award

I got this charming award from sweet friend, coolingstar9. Thank you very much! You are just so kind and thoughtful!

I am passing this award to all my charming blogger friends out there. :)

For Real- My Saving Adventure

I was able to get 2 Colgate toothpastes for only 85 cents. Can you believe that? I have been reading the couponmom.com and have been studying the system for a couple of weeks now. I tell you, it's for real. I tried it last Friday when I shopped at CVS and Walgreens. I checked their circulars or ads for their weekly deals, and also checked the SMARTSOURCE, REDPLUM, and P&G for coupons. At CVS, they had a BUY ONE GET ONE FREE for COLGATE TOOTHPASTE. I also happened to have a coupon for Colgate for $1.50 off. I got to know about the coupon when I logged on to couponmom.com and joined the forum. There is a topic there mainly for grocery coupons. I printed the coupon out of the Colgate website. Another way to know if there is a coupon for an item you want is to check the Grocery Coupon Database of the site. Items with coupons will be enumerated for you. Very convenient! Anyway, here's how the transaction went.

CVS-
1 COLGATE Total Whitening - $2.19
1 COLGATE Total Whitening - FREE
BUY 1 GET 1 FREE

1 COUPON $1.50 -

SUBTOTAL .69
KS 7.525%TAX .16


TOTAL $0 .85

At Walgreens, there was a BUY ONE GET ONE FREE promo for Nestle Coffeemate Creamer, Glade Spray and Carnation Milk were on sale for 99 cents. I got 2 of each. Total purchase for the 6 items without the coupons amounted to $12.05. I had Walgreens coupons worth $5.11, and manufacturer coupons for $2.00. All in all, I only paid $4.94, tax included. I saved $7.11 from the coupons I had. Gee! Wish I had known this system before. The couponmom system is so interesting. I am still learning though. For sure, I will keep you updated about my saving adventure. Just keep on visiting friends. Yohooo!

Boost Your Career

Are you interested in moving forward in your career? Do you want to excel in your field and earn more? Take an online degree with DegreeHound.com. There are different areas of interest to choose from. Examples would be Business, Criminal Justice, Technology, Healthcare, Education, Sciences, design, Liberal Arts and Culinary arts. With DegreeHound, you can find the appropriate school for you as quick and as easy as possible. I'm thinking of pursuing my Master's Degree. According to the 2002 US Census Bureau, those who graduated with a Master's Degree could potentially earn $62,300. Wow! That's something to consider! You might be wondering what degrees offer high employment in the future. The top ten are Education, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Healthcare, Business school, Legal and Paralegal, Human Services, Religious studies, Engineering, and lastly Science and Math. DegreeHound has a complete listing of schools. They can either be online or campus schools. To help you with your choice, they feature schools which offer high standard education. Going back to school can be a challenge for me since I have two little children. But, that doesn't stop me from further enhancing my knowledge and skills and fulfill my dream. Pursuing higher education can give you more career opportunities, fulfill a lifelong dream, and increased salary. DegreeHound is the best tool to use in locating the school perfect for you.

Off To Seattle

Next week, we're bound to Seattle for a week vacation with my husband's parents, relatives and friends. It has been a tradition to celebrate Thanksgiving with my in-laws. They're so excited to see the boys, Noah and Kaiden. My husband and I are excited to see them as well. We haven't packed yet, but we're starting pretty soon, little by little.

Consolidating Your Debts

If you're struggling with your finances and have a difficult time paying off all your bills, you may want to consider Debt Consolidation. It would be wise to consider consolidating your debts especially if your bills are piling up and you're stuck to paying high-interest rates on a number of loans and credit cards. Decreasing interest rates and paying off your delinquent bills with a loan or low interest rate card will stop creditors from persistently asking you for your payment, and also wipe out high erratic interest rates. Doing so doesn't mean your debt will be reduced, but it will save you money in the long run. You may want to consider these 3 things for bill consolidation. First is by the use of credit card. One has to remember to pay off your balances soon as possible especially if the credit card you're using has low introductory rate. Generally, introductory rates are only for a limited time. After that period, the interest goes very high. Pay it before it ends to avoid being stuck with a high paying bill. Second is debt consolidation loans. The loan will help you get a stable or fixed interest rate. Like any other loan, you have to pay it on time and in full. Third is the home refinance loan. If you own your house and are struggling with payments, you can do refinancing on your mortgage. You need to be sure though that you're faithful in all your payments. Debt consolidation is a solution to help you with your financial troubles. Start by getting a free debt consolidation quote from bills.com now.

Charice on GMA

It surely was a great way to start my Tuesday morning. I saw our very own Charice Pempengco sing on Good Morning America with the famous David Foster as her pianist. Well, we all know how influential and powerful David Foster is. He's the one behind the stardom of Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, etc. Truly, Charice is in great hands. Go, girl! You make us proud!

Fun Days

I remember when I was little, every Sunday afternoon, my Dad and his friends would gather in front of the television to watch horse racing live on action. They would make small bets and fortunately, my Dad would win most of the time. It was a fun and loud afternoon. Each one had his own favorites. They would all cheer for their bets until the leading horse reaches the finish line. Those were one of those crazy afternoons I certainly would never forget.

The horse racing in London which is held at the magnificent Kempton Park offers wonderful packages for everyone. That includes discounts for groups, free entrance for kids, free racecards for booking in advance, and special prices for concessions. They also have Hospitality options that you can choose from. If you want to have spectacular views over the course, you can pick the Panoramic Bar & Restaurant. They have a number of Private Boxes with balconies for each one where you can view the finish line. Oh, that would be awesome!

Watch the horse racing at Kempton Park. Check out their race calendar and book in advance. I might want to tell my Dad about this. That would definitely excite him!

Get Lean and Healthy

Being an athletic trainer requires one to be physically fit as much as possible. My husband drinks protein shakes as he works out regularly and is always on the go. Obviously, he is a workaholic. He would surely need some extra fuel to complete the day's tasks. EnergyFirst ProEnergy whey protein isolate is the Best protein shake available in the market. It has the purest, highest quality whey protein around as it undergoes the cleanest, and most highly advanced processing technique. It means no chemical, or no heat involved. It boasts of as being the richest source of 8 amino acids valuable for ultimate growth, health and energy. Unlike other protein shakes, EnergyFirst has a great taste that makes it wonderful to drink.

Joe Dillon, a popular health and fitness guru, provides tried and tested information with his 6 compact discs on EnergyFirst. Listen to his cd's and be highly motivated to get lean and feel vibrant.

Boost your mental and physical performance with EnergyFirst ProEnergy Whey Protein Isolate. Guaranteed to make a difference in your life.

Dine Out

We went to Olive Garden this evening for dinner. Oh, boy! There's a lot of diners when we got there mostly families like us. Good thing we only had to wait for a few minutes to get seats. The food was fine. My husband had lasagna while I had the beef and pasta. I found the texture a little bit weird but it was alright overall. Noah loved the garlic bread and so do I. It was a great evening for everyone.

Generous Giving

Last Christmas, we took a picture of Noah in snowsuit in our front yard seating on a mound of snow. It had the sign North Pole with an arrow pointing to our house behind him. We made lots of copies of it and sent them as Christmas Cards to our friends and relatives. I remember he was only 10 months old then. It was very cute! My husband made funny faces to make him smile while I continuously clicked the camera to get the best possible shot. We picked the perfect one and we were pleased with the feedback we got. We were happy with how it came out. I love the Photo Christmas cards from ChristmasCardsDirect. It's so easy to follow the instructions. Choose your favorite digital photo. Browse photo cards from their wide selection. Personally, I like the Blue Jewel 4x6 Photo Christmas Card. Love the design! Pick a frame that suits your taste. Upload the photo you have chosen to ChristmasCardsDirect. It will then be printed in the card design you wanted. You don't have to attach the photo. Fast and easy, huh? Another option would be to choose a pretty photo holder card and putting your own printed photo on the face of the card. There are many beautiful, decorative designs to choose from. Christmas is a holiday of joy and giving. ChristmasCardsDirect.com partnered with Operation Christmas Tree to send cards and Christmas trees to our beloved troops abroad. Such is a genuine act of love and generosity. It will surely bring smiles to their faces despite being away from their loved ones on holiday season.

Chilly Weather

Sure it's getting chilly these days! I can't go out anymore without wearing a jacket, or without wearing long johns underneath my scrubs when going to work. I have to bundle up my 2 little boys as well. Aside from wearing a sweater or a jacket, I also cover their heads with cute baby winter hats. It's predicted to snow a little this weekend. I'm excited to show Noah the snow. I want to see how his reaction would be. I'm quite certain he'd love it! As the song goes...Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow... :)

Eat Healthy

Mmmm yum yum! Noah eats vegetables depending on his mood and how they are cooked. I guess that is typical for any toddler like my son. My husband steams broccoli and puts cheese on it. Oh, Noah loves broccoli when prepared that way even if it is topped with spicy melted pepper jack cheese. He eats green beans especially when it is cooked with bacon. Asparagus is also one of his favorites especially if it is steamed and buttered. Whenever I prepare pot roast for dinner, I'd give him some baby carrots and he would munch on them like finger foods. He also loves fruits. Banana, cantaloupe, apple, grapes are among his favorites. Eating healthy is one habit that we would want him to develop like The Sproutwells. The Sproutwells are the fruit and veggie family that takes living healthy seriously. Participate in freshfunds and collect points to win some cool prizes. Prizes include Nintendo Wii Fit, ski weekend for two, elliptical machine which I have been desiring to have, and a lot more. Follow it closely as there are new prizes every week like the new Apple MacBOOK. That sounds like the gadget of a techie-holic like me. Points that you accumulate can also go to charity donations. Join freshfunds.com now.

Wagon For Noah

We have been thinking of giving our dear Noah a wagon as Christmas gift for him. My hubby has a wagon at our backyard which he uses for carrying tools and other stuff. Noah found it and from then on, he wanted to be strolled around with him riding on it. He's enjoying it! So, definitely that's on our Christmas list.

Christmas Is Near!

42 days more before Christmas! Before you know it, Christmas is already here. Wow! Surely time flies so fast. I'm excited about Christmas. In fact, this is my favorite occasion of the year. Back home, on the 24th of December, all my relatives would gather for a family reunion at my late grandfather's house. The place would be filled with great food, loud music, enjoyable games, kids dancing and singing, etc. It was fun! It is a tradition that we get together at the eve of Christmas day, and open the gifts as soon as the clock strikes twelve. Now that I am married and living here in the US with 2 little children, I am thinking of simple yet memorable Christmas Ideas that the family will enjoy. Last year, we celebrated the occasion with our good friend, Joan, who Noah calls Nana. We met some of her relatives who were so nice and warm. On Christmas day, we let our son Noah open his gift by himself with a little help from Daddy. He was only 10 months old then. As expected, he was more excited with the box than the gift itself. This year, to make it fun, I'm planning to make little trees for our babies, Noah and Kaiden. I am also thinking of making a snow globe with Noah helping me. Surely, he would love that! For wonderful ideas, be sure to visit celebrations.com. Make your Christmas be memorable.

My Saving Adventure

I've never been this excited collecting and printing coupons from the internet. For the past few days, I have been "thoroughly" reading the couponmom website and I'm pretty much sold by her ideas on how to save extra bucks from coupons. It's very interesting. I downloaded 3 of her free ebooks and have been studying them like a diligent student. How I learned about her was through watching Oprah. She's popularly called the couponmom. I was amazed how she was able to save a big amount of money through coupons and by being a strategic shopper. In her website, couponmom.com, I find the Grocery Coupon Database to be very helpful in finding the coupons I want let's say "toothpaste". I also use the Grocery Deals List to find what's on sale on my favorite stores e.g. Walmart, and also to see if a certain item I like or need like "toothpaste" is on sale or not. If there's a coupon for that, then that would give me a much better deal! Coupon on top a sale! If you have store coupon and a manufaturer coupon, wow! that would awesome! I might end up paying a lot less, or even nothing! hehe :) I have just started collecting my coupons. I haven't really gone to the stores yet and see how much I'd save. I'll try to keep everyone updated about my "saving adventure". Keep on reading! :)

Noah At The Yard

Oh, what a gorgeous day!

Noah loves the sun obviously. He loves playing at our backyard. He'd just run around, kicking and chasing the soccer ball, and sometimes play with the water hose. It's fun seeing him enjoying the weather.

Great Body

After having two pregnancies, my tummy has developed a pooch and still hasn't gotten rid of it. I gained weight when I was pregnant and quite honestly, it's difficult to get rid of it. It's hard even if I've been doing crunches or sit-ups regularly. It does require time, determination and much effort. Slowly but surely, my flabby belly is getting smaller. Although, there is a quick way to eliminate that pooch after pregnancy. It's called tummy tuck. A former employee in the office had a tummy tuck a year ago. She surely looks great after the operation. She has become so confident about her body. For my case, the mini tummy tuck is recommended. The excess skin and fat are removed and the abdominal walls are tightened. Most celebrities undergo such procedure. That's one of the reasons why they have gorgeous bodies! Because of that, they have confidence to show their curvaceous bodies to the whole world. They look great in 2-piece swimsuits or tight-fitting clothes. Oh, I envy them! If you're wanting to have a tummy tuck, find and consult with a surgeon. Onlinesurgery.com can help you find the right surgeon for you. On the upper left corner of the website, you see a drop down to select specialty. Enter your zip code and you will be shown the results immediately. Have the dream body that you want. Show off your asset.

Wheezy Kaiden

Noah had a pink eye the past few days, but is well now, thankfully. He has been doing well with his asthma despite the chilly weather. I'm glad! Kaiden, however, had the worst cough last Monday night that we had to nebulize him twice as advised by the doctor. He was wheezing real bad. we took him to the clinic the following day and had an x-ray done on him. No signs of pneumonia. Thank God. The doctor had to prescribe Prelone on him though to help with his breathing. Still congested and coughing, but not as bad.

Keeping Fit

We take care of ourselves by working out regularly. Health is of utmost importance to our family. My husband drops by the gym to run and lift before he goes home. On days I'm not working, like Tuesdays and Thursdays, I wait for him so he can take care of Noah while I take Kaiden to Jazzercise with me in the afternoon. On Saturdays, my husband takes care of both kids. Other than those days, I run using the treadmill or use the bike we have at home. We have home treadmills at the basement. We also have weights, and other exercise equipment. We may be busy with work, kids, but no matter what, we make it a point to work-out and keep ourselves fit. As they always say, health is wealth.

Spam and Pancakes

"Pakiks..pakiks" That means pancakes in Noah's dictionary. This morning Noah and I had spam, egg, rice and pancakes for breakfast. Oh, boy! He loves pancakes so much that he devours on it everyday. Sometimes, I would put some strawberries on the side for a more nutritious meal. He likes them and he calls them "arees". Every morning, as soon as he wakes up, he'd say to his Daddy "coco...coco" meaning chocolate milk. It has been part of my husband's morning routine to prepare his coco before he goes to work. Sweet! :)

Boosting Your Revenue

Looking for a Jazzercise class was not an easy experience for me. I went online and looked for a class near home, and a time convenient for me. However, trying to get hold of the contact person or instructor was a different story. I had to leave numerous messages but unfortunately, did not receive any call back. I even went to the place, but then no one was there. Finally, I gave up on that location, which would have been a better choice because it's nearest to me. I tried the second location, and I was glad someone called me back. I thought Jazzercise had already closed business. I wish they have an Online Scheduling Software to eliminate hassles on the customers part, and the company itself. It would be easier and faster for both parties. With the software, customers register and pay for the classes online, can purchase and make appointments at the same time, without causing stress on the staff especially on busy times. Additionally, it boosts revenue for the business itself. Aside from that, there is a Dance Studio Software and a Fitness Club Software that help manage business efficiently. For dance, it allows students to schedule their classes online quickly and easily. If class is full, it can add it up to the waitlist. The software shows much promise. I wish every salon, spa, yoga, health club, etc. would take advantage of its benefits. MINDBODY Universal Management Software is surely the way to go.

Maybe Not

My husband left for Columbus, Ohio since yesterday for the play-offs. This is their second play-off game against Columbus Crew. Last weekend was a home game for the Wizards. It was a tie or a draw. I hope they win the game tomorrow so they could move forward for the championship game. If they don't win, then that means Daddy would get to spend more time with us. Yipee! Now, that makes me want them not to reach the championship. hehe! :)

Looking For A Job?

Due to the economic crisis, a number of people have lost their jobs. Most employers had to lay off people to prevent further loss leading to bankruptcy. In our office, we had to cut down expenses and that included manpower. We had to let go of one of our receptionists. My mother used to work 5 times a week on her job. Just recently, her manager decided to cut down the number of days she works to 4 times. Well, it's the hard times. You might be one of those who lost work and currently looking for MN jobs. Are you looking for a job as a nurse, a medical technologist, or as a lab technician? If you are in the medical field like I do, and wish to a pursue a career in the same field, you can find medical jobs in Minneapolis by going to startribune.com/jobs, and doing the Minneapolis job search. You can search for it either by doing the keyword search, or search by category. Startribune gives you a comprehensive list of job openings for any field. There's a cool feature that you may want to check out in their site. It's called the Jobs Video which is on the right side of their site. You can view employer profiles or all jobs video postings. The site gives you helpful advice on how to get hired to career management. I can say that this site offers more than you can expect from a jobs site. Post your resume now. Sign-up is absolutely free and easy.

For Me and My Hubby

This Christmas we won't be spending lavishly on gifts for ourselves. My hubby just wants his ring engraved with our children's names. As for me, I just want my engagement ring and wedding ring be soldered together. They're kinda loose and it becomes a hassle sometimes especially when I do household chores, or when I do baby stuff like giving my babies a bath, etc. That won't cost much. That way, we'll have enough to spend for our kids' gifts.

Elegant Jewelry

The day that I got married was the happiest moment of my life. I married the man I deeply and sincerely love. He's the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with through good and rough times, sickness and in health. I never imagined I could ever find a man as loving, caring and wonderful as he is. I am truly blessed. The first time he visited me in the Philippines, he gave me this simple yet lovely engagement ring. When we finally tied the knots in the church, he gave me a very beautiful diamond wedding ring. The titanium rings from titaniumstyle.com are made of outstanding quality material. They do have titanium wedding bands that are very stylish and classy. If you're looking for a titanium necklace to give your loved one, they also have a variety of lovely styles to choose from. Their elegant designs cannot be compared with any other stores. Diamonds are genuine and of high quality. Their workmanship is like no other. Customer service is at its best. Aside from that, they have unlimited warranty, free sizing set with ring orders, free lifetime refinishing policy. You don't have to worry about shipping costs as they offer low rates and speedy service. Now, I am thinking of getting a titanium bracelet for my dear mother. She'd love that for sure.

My Coupon Organizer

Yehey!
I finally got my coupon organizer. Actually, I got it sooner that I expected. I purchased it from Amazon.com. It didn't cost that much. I've already cut out some coupons and I just need to place them in it by category. I'm excited! Gotta save! :)

Choosing a Website Host

How do you choose a good website hosting service or company? Which is most important to you in deciding which web host to choose among the numerous hosting companies out there? There is a a very informative article entitled Choosing a Good Web Hosting Company that can serve as your guide. One need to consider security, technical support, bandwidth or if the hosting company has sufficient resources to hold your site, etc. If you want to be assured that you're getting the best windows web hosting, go to windowshostingreport.com. Top on their list is Powweb. It has the most affordable price, unlimited disk space, bandwidth and number of domains. Check the site now and pick the web host you most preferred.

Giggly Brothers

mmm..smellin' his brother's armpit...stinky! hehe :)

clapping together
mmmm yum yum hair :)

Giggles,giggles! Oh, I love the sound of my babies' giggles! So precious! Noah got tickled when Kaiden was trying to have a taste of his hair. hehe :) Kaiden was just looking at him while he was laughing hard.

Best Tactical Pants

Who sells the best tactical pant in the world? The answer is Operator Tactical Pants. My late grandfather was a military man. He fought and survived World War II. Every time we'd pay him a visit, we would go over his photos and my grandfather would recount the details of the war. He looked so respected in his military uniform. Pants from Operator Tactical Pants are made of high-quality material, and have great features. They are sold at a very reasonable price anyone can afford. They are factory direct, cutting out the cost of a middleman. Hurry! Get a pair of their tactical pants now before they run out.

Happy Halloween!

Yeah, I know I greeted late. :) Anyway, Noah had a great time yesterday. Him and Kaiden wore Tiger outfits. It took my husband and I to get Noah wear his costume because he was resisting it initially. But, he gave in finally when we told him he's going to have lots of coco's (meaning chocolates in Noah's vocabulary)candies and cookies from the trick or treating. It's funny because everytime Noah would see a pumpkin, he'd say "uh-kin" or "bye uh-kin" as we left the houses. Unfortunately, I didn't get to take photos of them in costume! We had already taken off their costumes when I remembered. Gee..of all occasions! hehe :) Anyways, as my hubby suggested, let them just wear their Tiger costumes again for the picture taking. Oh well...good luck with that! :)