Kaiden at 5 and 6 Months

My baby Kaiden surely has gotten bigger, and heavier! I feel sometimes that my arms are going to fall off. hehe :) At 6 months, he has learned how to sit-up with a little support every now and then from Mommy. He has been scooching, and has also been lifting his butt while on his tummy, wanting desperately to learn how to crawl. I guess he wants to play with his 22 month old brother Noah soon, who has been running around like any active toddler. To our surprise, Kaiden has been uttering the words "da-da", "dade" with emphasis on the "d" a lot of times lately. Oh yeah, he babbles a lot.

Kaiden now at 6 months

Kaiden at 5 months

A Valuable Credit Tool

Who would want to pay a high interest credit card when you can find a zero interest credit card? Every now and then, we would receive mailings from banks convincing us to try their low or no interest credit card, or a balance transfer with no fee. My husband does keep an eye on them, and is wise about it. He compares credit cards carefully. What he would do is transfer all of our balance, or depending how much is allowed, from our high interest card to the 0% interest credit card with a long introductory period. If there is a remaining balance, we pay it in full. That way, we get to save a good amount money from the exorbitant rate.

Comparecards.com does help with one's decision making when it comes to getting a credit card. Don't know what credit card is right for you? Check their site. Credit cards are compared by category such as Low Interest Credit Cards, Balance Transfer Cards, Instant Approval Cards, etc. If you are concerned by the credit quality, they also give you that information from Excellent to Bad or No Credit. All of the information you need are in comparecards.com. They do all the research for you. In my opinion, it is a valuable tool that you might want to bookmark or add to your favorites. Just like we did.

Mmmm Uhg!

No, Noah wasn't speaking German or any foreign language. In his dictionary, the words mean "Mmmm..hug!". This is probably one of my favorite videos. Just so sweet! :)

Be Practical

A lot of times, I spend hours going around the mall searching for the perfect gift for my friends and loved ones. I want to give them something special, but I end up giving up looking. It gives me major headache most of the time. In our office, our manager would give us gift cards for well-known stores, restaurants, etc. I just think giving gift cards is the safest and most practical route to take.

If you're unsure of what to give you're loved one or friend, or co worker, it is probably best to give them a gift card for Christmas. It saves you time, effort and money as well, especially if the gift you gave them wasn't actually what they like. Online I found a site that offers gift cards for a variety of popular stores and restaurants like Applebee's, Chili's, Marshalls, Best Buy, etc. It's called GiftCardMall.com. What's awesome about this site is also the fact that you can design your own gift card. Cool! If you need help deciding, you can browse and select from their Top Seller list. Don't sweat this Christmas. Avail of their FREE shipping. Give a gift card.

Our Island Vacation

From Anacortes, we took the ferry ride going to the Orcas Island where my husband was raised and spent his youngster years. Him and his friends call themselves as the Island Boys. It is said to be the largest among the San Juan Islands. The islands are located between the coast of Washington State and Vancouver, Canada. Oh gee, you wouldn't want to know what the weather was like. It was chilly!

This is the harbor showing my father-in-law's boat which he built himself. This is also the view from their bedroom where we slept. Spectacular view! We could actually see ducks, seagulls, seals, otters climbing on top of the rocks while we are lying on bed.

Orcas Island

taken from my in-laws bedroom

They weren't there when we arrived. That time, they had an appointment with the chiropractor. Noah was in heaven as he was welcomed by trays of cookies of different shapes, sizes and flavors. My wonderful stepmom-in-law cooks and bakes so well that seems like we gain weight every time we visit them. Well, it's a vacation, and we love her food! :) I love the Strawberry Bavarian that she made! Can't remember how many heaps of ice cream I ate because it was so yum! yum! :) They were delighted to see the kids even with Noah being all over the place, messing around. Noah addresses them as Nampa ( grandpa) and Namma ( grandma). When one of them loses his sight, he'd always say, " Nampa (or Namma), where are you?", with a cute up and down tone. :)

Noah and Kaiden with their "Nampa" and "Namma"

A Lovely Gift

I remember when I was a kid, my uncle, who used to work abroad, would never fail to send me a watch on my birthday, or Christmas day. I was always eager to receive a gift from him. Whenever the packages arrived, I was the first in line. Oh, those watches made me popular in school as I would wear different cute watches every day. Needless to say, he was my favorite uncle among all my relatives. :)

Watches are great gifts for the holiday. A holiday gift guide could include beautiful authentic brand name designer watches from TheWatchery.com. Getting it on time is never a problem. They offer fast and free shipping for orders worth $100 or more. They also take pride in their excellent customer service. What makes it even more exciting is that they have this ongoing promo called the Watchery Giveaway where you can actually pick a FREE watch from select purchases. I like the style and how elegant Movado Radius look. It stands out because of its unique style as well. It is a yellow gold watch set with diamonds. You can save as much as 65% for this one plus you're entitled for a FREE watch. Amazing deal! TheWatchery.com is undoubtedly the place to go not only this holiday but throughout the year as well.

Meeting With Relatives

That Sunday, we also met with his lovely stepsister, Tammy. We stayed there overnight. She prepared a great dinner for us- beef, chicken and shrimp kebabs was my favorite. Being so nice that she is, she gave Noah and Kaiden gifts that they truly enjoyed especially Noah. Noah met his beautiful cousins, Mia, who's almost the same age that he is, and Taylor who's 7 years old. Oh, they had a blast! One time I was looking for him and later found out he was inside the pantry closet with Mia. They were giggling when I opened the door.

Noah and Mia hiding

Baby Kaiden and Taylor

Christmas Offer From Nikon

Hunters out there, there is a holiday promotion from Nikon that you surely don't want to miss! It is the Christmas season and Nikon wants to make the day very special and memorable for you. It is a promotion from Nikon Sport Optics, Nikon ProGear.com and NikonHunting.com with a great presentation from Lee & Tiffany Lakosky. All you have to do is purchase any qualifying and eligible binocular from authorized Nikon dealers until December 31, 2008, and you will receive a Nikon Promotional Gift Card absolutely FREE. Gift cards are valued at $25 and $50. Qualifying binoculars would include the Nikon Monarch ATB Series, Nikon Trailblazer ATB Series, Nikon ProStaff and Nikon Action Extreme. Aside from that, they have the Ultimate Hunter's Package that would help improve your long-range shooting skills. Hurry! Go and visit your nearest Nikon dealer and avail of their special Nikon Hunting Christmas Promotion.

Back From Vacation!

I'm back! :) At last, I get to update my blog again. Not that I was slacking (a lil bit, I guess :)), but we just got home from a vacation to Washington State. My husband's originally from there and it has been a tradition to spend a vacation with his folks and friends on "Thanksgiving week". Honestly, it's stressful to fly with the little ones. Even with new toys to keep them entertained, they still got fussy at times. We were on the verge of losing our sanity, but gladly, we were able to keep it. hehe :) On our way home, they both slept almost throughout the 3 hour flight. Thankfully! We stayed at a friend's place, called The Highlands, in Seattle until Sunday. Oh, they have a gargantuous house! A mansion! Our house is not even half of its size. hehe :) We were greeted by Bennie and Obie, which are their dogs by the way, - huge, adorable dogs! Bennie is a Goldendoodle, a Golden Retriever and Poodle mix, and Obie is a Bouvier. (sounds Frenchy, huh?:)) The family was on vacation as well to California.

The Mansion (part of the mansion, I should say :))

We had lunch at Denny's with my hubby's sweet, thoughtful Mom. Afterwards, we went straight to her apartment with gifts waiting for Noah and Kaiden. Noah loves the plane that Mom gave him.

Mom Margie kissing Noah

with Kaiden

When we were there, Noah had an accident. He pooped big time and for some reason, he got a rash on his inner thigh. My husband decided to wash him in the sink. hehe :) Noah loved the bubble bath in his improvised mini tub. :)

More stories and, of course, photos to come about our Washington vacation. I'd do it on "installment basis" (sounds like I'm paying a loan here hehe :)) since it's surely going to be too long if I'd do it one time. Thanks a lot for those who checked my blog from time to time. Such kind gesture shall be reciprocated. Be ready for me then, fabulous bloggers! :)

Sweet!

Last Monday, when we dropped off Noah and Kaiden at the daycare, I noticed a beautiful bouquet of roses on top of the television of our daycare provider. I asked her about it, and she said it was from her husband who surprised her with flowers early morning. How sweet! But then, she retracted it immediately. She said it was just her wishing that, but it was actually her mother's roses given by a friend. She said it in a funny way that I laughed with her. hehe :) I love how bright red the roses were. Stunning! We have roses in our front yard and they bloom beautifully in spring time. Last Spring, I took pictures of them with our son, Noah. Oh, it was one of my favorite photos! My husband would sometimes surprise me with flowers on certain occasions. Christmas flowers are just so lovely to look at. If you order it at 1-800-flowers.com, you can get in on the same day. You can even save up to 30% on some of their very attractive bouquets. Great deal! I personally like their Martha Stewart Latin Lady Roses. The bouquet just looks so elegant for me! It makes a wonderful centerpiece. Flowers make great gifts for your loved ones, or even for your manager or co-workers. You can surely make them smile and feel special. Get them now and make someone happy. I'm saying that from personal experience.

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.