The Typhoon Ondoy Aftermath

This is heartbreaking. This is where several of my relatives reside. Although they're safe, still, it grieves my heart seeing how much destruction the typhoon caused and how many lives lost. Even the animals such as the poor dogs in this video were not spared from the violent typhoon.

Worst Flood In Manila

My Mom called me up this morning and informed me about the typhoon Ondoy that severely hit Manila. We were so worried about our relatives for most of them live in Quezon City and Marikina. We haven't heard from them or received any information except for a couple of messages my cousins wrote in Facebook. The worst, according to reports, hit Marikina where my aunt, unfortunately, resides. They had to climb up to the rooftop for the flood has risen up to almost 10 feet. After it happened, the place seemed like a ghost town. According to a relative who visited the place, there was no power or electricity. It was muddy, and garbage was all over the place. I was grateful and relieved that I was able to get hold of my cousin who's been taking care of our house in Quezon City since we migrated to the US. She's alright and the house didn't get flooded as much as in other areas. I thank God they're safe.

Here is a video of how gravely the flood affected Manila. Sad. Let's continue to pray for those who were severely affected.

Where To Go

Yesterday was a family dine-out day. Hubby texted me about the plan when I was at work. I called him back asking what time and where he planned to take us out for dinner. It was an early dinner so I had to rush getting some errands done such as going to the store. I recently bought a bed pad for my 2 year old Noah. He's already potty trained, but there are nights that he'd have an accident while sleeping, which is normal they say. I wanted to get another one as sort of a back up. It's not cheap but it's worth it. Fortunately, ALDI had it marked down for only $6.00. It was originally $12.99. Great deal, huh?! There were 2 left so I decided to just get both since the price was drastically marked down. This was only the second time I've been to that branch of ALDI. I normally go to the one which is on my way home from work. Glad I went to that branch!

I was able to view a list of all ALDI branches in our area by doing a local search. At times, I use my GPS, or the local yellowpages to also get a list of local restaurants around. We haven't dined out at Oklahoma Joe's. It's the first time ever. That's where we planned to go yesterday since we have heard much raves about it. Local.com directed us to the one in 119th which was not really far.

Two Days and Counting...

We haven't had cable for two days now. Last Thursday, I called the cable company and was told that there was an outage in our area. That explained why we also didn't have internet connection. Later that day though our connection got fixed except for the TV. Thankfully, it didn't happen when the "Dancing With The Stars" premiered this week. Oh that won't be good! hehe :) My hubby, I can say is getting frustrated. With the football season in full swing, and him being into Fantasy Football, he's got to have his cable. Also tonight, their game which is soccer will be televised on Metrosports. So apparently, the kids can't watch Daddy on TV. :(

The Ugly and The Bliss

Recently, I've been going over my stuff to sort out the ones I wanted to keep, and the ones I would donate or throw away. Every time I would do this, I would always find myself tossing out a bunch of things to the trash can. Either they don't serve any purpose anymore, or just plain ugly.

Speaking of ugly, there is a new exciting contest from LG entitled Lose the Ugly, Find Your Bliss. Anyone interested can upload a photo or video which they consider hideous or undesirable to www.Facebook.com/LGBliss. You can't upload pictures of ugly people or indecent behavior though for these are apparently not allowed. It could also be something you would want to get rid of. An example would be an outdated phone, TV, etc. If you would like to see sample photos of what I'm talking about, better join the LG Bliss Facebook Fan Page and you would see quite a number of them. Entering the contest would entitle you to win the fabulous LG Bliss phone or a gift card worth $50 for second prize. There would be 5 grand prize winners and 50 second prize winners all in all. The LG Bliss phone is so stylish and eye catching, very thin and light. Not the bulky type. It is the kind of phone most people would like to have including myself. It is just the coolest thing! So, hurry! Join the contest now. It ends November 6th of this year.

Mini Siopao!

Aside from the yummy-licious mocha and chocolate cakes from Goldlilocks, my aunt also brought a box of siopaos which she got from the same store. My aunt said they used to be big. I guess because of the recession they decided to downsize those steamed meat buns. :) Siopao is one of my husband's faves. He prefers the asado though from the bola-bola. He finds the latter weird tasting. As for me, I like both varieties. This afternoon I was craving for the bola-bola kind. Both of them have dots on top, only one is red and the other is orange. I forgot and still forgetting ( shame! hehe :)) which one represents asado, or bola-bola. I thought I got it right this time. But I ended up getting the asado instead. I just wish they didn't have to put dots on both kinds, just on the bola-bola kind would suffice, I guess. Still tasted good, so no complaints. :)

Our Cabin Stay

me with my cousin, my Mom and the kiddos

We went to Branson, Missouri to visit a cousin who works there. It was a 4 hour drive from here. Yeah! You read that right! :) It wasn't exhausting as I thought it would be. No traffic or whatsoever. It was as smooth as it could be. Gladly the kids were either sleeping or playing with their lola who sat in the middle of them.

My cousin works at the resort where we stayed. He rented a cabin for us. Oh, it was awesome! There's a water fountain in front, and ducks were all over the place. As expected, the kids had a grand time. :)

My Aunt, Me, the kiddos and my cousin

with lil Kaiden

The Rehab Party!

Everyone at work has been talking about this popular show, truTV's Rehab. It premiered September 1st and can be watched every Tuesday at 10 pm/9pm Central. It is one show that has become my friends' favorite. It has been the talk of the town ever since it has been aired. It is the craziest party I've ever seen! I've never seen a party as big and as fun as Rehab. I noticed that partiers are not only from the United States. They could also be from Germany, Holland, or anywhere else in the world! For this season, expect it be more exciting with the appearances of celebrities. Yeah! Famous actors in the house! This is one show that is thrilling to watch since security people and other staffers have to make sure everything is under control even with the wild crowd. Their main goal is basically for everyone to have the most fun and memorable party of their life. But at the same time, they have to make sure as much as possible that no one is harmed or violated. That presents a greater challenge for the Rehab staff especially with a huge crowd of partiers.

If you want to join the fun and win great prizes, you can enter their sweepstakes by visiting http://www.getrehabready.com/index.html#link=ssprhbswp. Amazing prizes await the winners such as a trip for 2 to Las Vegas, a year of Hollywood Tans tanning package, etc, a dozen bottles of lotion, etc. Come and party!

All the Way From NY and Cali!

I guess they sensed my pathetic state of being Pinoy food deprived! lol! :) Having no Jollibee nor Goldilocks here in Kansas, my kind Mom who lives in NJ brought burgers, Chicken Joy and Peach Mango Pie all the way from Jollibee New York. Mmmm! My good Aunt who's from California brought cakes from Goldilocks- Mocha and Chocolate. Another mmmm... Kaiden basically devoured the Mocha cake. He loved it, evidently. :)

Kaiden (looking serious) with my Mom

Noah apparently had a long day... sleepy yet still smiling :)

Finally Here!

My Mom and Aunt finally got here. They were supposed to arrive at the airport almost at the same time but my Aunt from California had a 3 hour delay in her flight. I had to drive back after picking up my Mom and bringing her home. It's a 45 minute drive to the airport but I didn't mind. I would love them to see their cute apos'! Sure enough, they did have a great fun time with their little grandsons! :)

Me, my Mom and the kiddos

My Aunt, Me, Kaiden, and Noah with his belly showing and his blue hat falling lol! )

A Short Vacation

What a week it was! Both fun and memorable I should say. My Mom and Aunt finally arrived. They stayed for almost a week. It was short but sweet. :) I wish they stayed longer but that wasn't possible because of their work. For the 6 days they were here, we went to different places such as Branson to visit a cousin. It was 4 hour drive from our place. We could have gone to Myrtle Beach Hotel but there wasn't just enough time. The family is planning though to visit the famous Oceanfront Myrtle Beach Hotel next year.

Seaside is one of the Oceanfront Myrtle Beach Hotels that boasts of spectacular views. They have the glorious white beach that is so beautiful to look at. If you're on a budget but still want to have the best vacation ever, look for their Manager's Special Deal. Room rates are lowered for your satisfaction. Enjoy a luxury vacation for a lot less. It's vacation galore!

Enchanted Sailing Charters, Helicopter Tour Package, Honeymoon Package, Spa Package... These are some of the wonderful packages they offer. My husband and I would definitely love the Enchanted Sailing Charters. We like the tranquility that water brings. It's a dream vacation.

True Life Alert

Our accountant was supposed to meet with our office manager last Friday to discuss important issues. However, that didn't happen. He called and told us the unfortunate news. A burglar broke into his house! The police were already at his house just waiting for him. Gladly though, he has a home security system installed. It alarmed and authorities got there immediately. As soon as we heard about the news, we called our friend who lives few miles from where he resides. She is on medical leave right now due to an operation she recently had. At first, we were quite hesitant to tell her for she might get paranoid. But we still told her for we couldn't help break the news with her. And I guess she ought to know to be more cautious. Her grandmother lives with her and she has a life alert system installed for her as well.

Brickhouse Life Alert can detect falls remarkably. If your parent or grandparent happens to fall and can't possibly push the emergency button, the device immediately sends an alert for help. It's the true life alert that you can depend on any time. They have experienced and knowledgeable personnel that are fully equipped and trained in protecting your home and loved ones. No question about dependability. They have 24/7 monitoring that whatever happens anytime during the day or night, they would always be there for your safety.

Surviving Cancer

Two years ago my Aunt succumbed to breast cancer. I remember her as a bubbly person who had the loudest laugh I've ever heard. She was a teacher by profession and was a disciplinarian to her three children. Her youngest and only daughter was almost the same age as mine. It was difficult at first for the family to accept what happened.Time and faith in God helped them heal and recover. As far as I can remember, I also had an uncle who died from cancer. I'm not quite sure what type of cancer he had but he worked in a chemical company.

Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that is caused by being exposed to asbestos. There are two types of it. One is called pleural mesothelioma and the other one is called peritoneal. In relation to mesothelioma prognosis, there are individuals who survived this disease. Paul Kraus is one of them. He was initially told he would only live for a short time. Despite that, he never lost hope. He survived and is enjoying his cancer-free life. He shares how he got out of it with his best-selling book entitled Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers. If you want to know your legal rights, there are also mesothelioma lawyers who could help you with your case.

Kaiden Dances The ABC's

After Noah, it's Kaiden's turn to show his stuff! And, he almost tipped over! hehe :)

Noah Counts in Spanish?

Ola! :)



My 2-year old Noah loves watching Dora and Diego. He learned really well from watching that show. We still have to work on numbers 6-10 though, but it's a pretty good start for him to learn the Spanish language. I won't be surprised if he'd be speaking in Chinese one of these days because he watches Ni Hao Kai Lan also with much fondness. :)

P.S.

Did he say "engkow! for cinco? ahehe :)"

Gold 401K?

I have been off from work since Wednesday until today. I do work from home but there are important things that I got to accomplish in the office itself. Our daycare hasn't called yet. I hope her house is ready for tomorrow. Although my co-workers have an idea as to what happened, still I feel bad that I have to miss those days. Last week was the payroll. Each payroll week, I compute for every employee's PTO or paid time off. Along with that, I also do their 401k contribution. I can't possibly do those at home for the paperwork have to stay in the office. Evidently now, those have to take a backseat since I'm still waiting for my daycare's call. What happened was something I don't have control of. At the same time, I feel bad for her because she had to redo most part of her living room and kitchen due to the fire accident. And that's added expenses considering she's also not getting income from daycare because she had to close.

Anyway, in line with 401K, there's a site on gold 401k or 401k gold that provides valuable information to every investor. Question on how to put gold in IRA is clearly explained. If you're planning on doing the gold IRA transfer, Gold Coins Gain is the site to visit. There is a gold IRA form that you can fill out to start with. Even with the tough economy, gold has remained stable. In fact it is considered the most durable asset of all times. How to put gold in my IRA? Check their site and order their free gold guide.

A Durable Asset

Just 4 days more! On Saturday, my Mom and Aunt would be arriving from New Jersey and California respectively. Oh, can't wait! I have been preparing the house although I still have to decide which room they're going to use. By the basement or the room by the hallway? Today I'm going to decide on that so I can take that off my list of to do's. There's a lot to clean up and organize. While I'm busy with the preparation, my husband monitors our investments constantly. He said they've been going to the direction where he wanted to. Good then!

With the uncertainty in present economy, people are putting their trust on gold investment. Gold Coins Gain presents information on gold IRA transfer. They give valuable insights on 401k gold or gold 401k. If you have questions on how to put gold in IRA, visit their site and everything is explained to you. I once asked how to put gold in my IRA. IRA gold are kept in a designated depository. Investors use specialized precious metals depository to store them. It's kept safe and secured.

Choosing An SUV

Finally, our daycare lady was able to get her old van replaced. Soon after she got a new car, a fire accident happened at her place. Due to that unfortunate incident, the daycare had to close for a few days. That meant I couldn't go to work for several days. Although I can do work stuff at home, there are some things that I can only do in the office such as filing, sending correspondence, checks, etc. Anyway, our daycare's old van had been causing her problems. Mechanically, it had not really been performing well. She had been contemplating on getting any of the popular hybrid cars or one the following: Honda, Porsche, or Ford Transit Connect. With the way the economy is doing nowadays, hybrid is the way to go. You can save more and besides, it's environment friendly.

She came across Car Connection online and read about interesting facts and reviews about each vehicle. She was more inclined on getting a van or SUV. For Honda, she thought the Pilot model was more spacious especially since she has kids. Out of 10 with 10 being the highest, it got an 8 rating. So that's a high one I suppose. Porsche has its own line of SUV'S and it's called Cayenne. Safetywise, this vehicle got a 9 rating. It has every safety feature you could think of that any car should have. Impressive! From the photos I've seen, the Ford Transit Connect is a beautiful van. This is not only good for big families but also for small business owners. And another great thing about this van is it fits a disabled person on a wheelchair. Next week when I drop the boys, I'd be able to see the new SUV or van she ended up choosing.

Save On Tickets

Curious George! They are going to have a concert here in Kansas in November. It would be a fun show for my kids to watch. If you purchase the tickets as early as now, you'd get a good price. They're actually inviting families to get them before September 20th before they finally sell them to the general public. Noah watches Curious George but not as much as Dora and Diego. Oh, he loves Dora and Diego! If there are Dora the Explorer Tickets on sale, I'd surely get hold of them the soonest before they run out.

A Cheap Seat offers tickets for concerts, theaters and sports. If you're dying to get the Jersey Boys Tickets or Radio City Christmas Spectacular Tickets, but you're on a budget, A Cheap Seat can help you. They have tickets for Super Bowl and Masters that are not usually sold to the public. Getting a ticket for a concert or event won't be a hassle if you use their service. You don't have to wait in line, or call and be put on hold for long. You save money, time and effort.

How's Your Credit?

I feel sorry for our daycare provider. Late Tuesday night she called to inform us that she had to close the daycare for a few days for there was a fire in their house. Oh my! Did she say her house was on fire?!?! Gladly that wasn't the case. She said the fire wasn't that huge. The house is standing still. It started in her kitchen and she's suspecting that the stove had a short circuit. Good thing she had a fire extinguisher on hand and she was able to stop the fire on time. However, the smoke and the smell of toxins were powerful that it got into her carpet. Yesterday when I talked to her she mentioned her carpet had to be replaced totally. Walls had to be fixed unfortunately as well.

Previously she said she needed to have her old van replaced. Now, she needs to have her house cleaned and fixed at the same time. One expense on top of another. I'm not sure what her credit standing is as of the moment. But there is one company that offers guaranteed credit repair services. It's called DSI Solutions. They help improve credit. They do credit repair with amazing results. I'd definitely mention this to my daycare lady in case she asks.