My Planet Purple

Aviator

2012-02-12T09:24:00.002+08:00

How to get a nice tan?

Use mobile spray tanning equipment? Or maybe I should hit the beach and sport this nice aviator:

I was at the mall last Friday while waiting for Bela’s Kumon class to finish and so I was able to try on shades from Rayban and Kenneth Cole. I have long been planning to invest on a good sunnies. I actually wanted to buy in the outlet store when we last went to the US but I lost interest when hubby said that it does not look good on me and is suggesting other models. (Hmmp).

But I really like the aviator (or at least something that has a similar shape) so up to now, my eyes are still set on the Aviator. I posted this picture on my Instagram account and my friends said that it looks good on me (contrary to hubby’s outlook. LOL).

This is being offered at 0% interest for 6 months. Should I get it or not? Summer is just around the corner and for sure I will make good use of this shade when we hit the beach for our family and friends’ outing.

Bags for Sale

2012-02-12T09:07:00.002+08:00

Ok, ok I know I promised that I would be on a self-imposed purse ban for the next couple of years but I can’t take my eyes off these beauties:

These are some of the items that my friend Faye is selling. The price is really a steal and her terms are really good so I am really thinking to get it as my Christmas and birthday present for myself.

The items are still not here in Manila but my friend has already shipped it. My friend don’t have the dimensions of the bags as she forgot to take note of it before shipping it but I want to know how big the bag is before I really commit on buying it as I want big purses to hold all my clutter in my bags. LOL.

Hubby said that he would pay for it as his gift for me. I could have easily grabbed his offer but I still have to think about it really, really hard. See, I am learning now not to be an impulsive shopper. LOL

Balenciaga in Purple

2012-02-08T00:28:00.002+08:00

I got side tracked again and instead, my search for s video cables has led me to this:

My Internet connection was so slow that I just decided to check Instagram first and this is what I saw. My friend who lives in Boston recently uploaded this picture and this is the latest color for the Balenciaga bag.

Oh, I just love it. It is the right hue of purple that I like. This comes with the new hardware of Balenciaga and my friends said that it is called mini-giant (to replace the giant hardware that they used before for their bags).

I am sure that this color will be gone at the end of the season so I really have to get it now if I really want to own one of this new purple B bag. But the problem is, I don’t know where to get funds for this bag.

Oh well, I guess this bag will go to my vision board and wish list again.

D-Styling Bauletto Piccolo Bag

2012-02-04T01:24:00.004+08:00

I know, I know I should be browsing about emergency road service for the upcoming road trip to Bicol that my husband is planning with his siblings to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday, but look at what I have been browsing instead:

Picture snagged from saksfifthavenue

I really have no budget for a purse this year (and maybe for the next 5-10 years. LOL), but it wouldn’t hurt to shop around. At least I have more entries to include in my vision board.

My friend’s are going crazy over this Tod's D-Styling Bauletto Piccolo Bag and now I know why, it is indeed a real beauty plus the prestige that comes with it as I just found out that it is called the D-bag because it was named after Princess Diana when she passed away last 1997.

And now I am totally in love with this bag too after I saw that this bag is available in this hue:

Picture snagged from purseblog Forum: Posted by Meeju

A friend will be going to Italy this May and I know that it will be much cheaper to get the bag there so how I wish my sideline work will start to pick up again soon so I can finally give myself my much deserved reward – another purse, the D-bag.

TOMS Ballet Flats

2012-02-04T00:47:00.003+08:00

When we went to the US last year, I bought a pair of TOMS as I know I would need a comfortable shoes for all the long walking that we will be doing during our 3-week vacation. And I am glad I did as it is really a very comfy shoe.

But let us face it, the look of TOMS is a bit rugged that it won’t look good if you are wearing a dress for work, or when wearing a party dress for night out with friends. So I got really excited when I received an email from them announcing the release of their ballet flats.

Just look at the styles and prints of their ballet flats:

I am sure it will be as comfy as their original style so I really can’t wait to own a pair of this TOMS Ballet flats. Hope that it is already available in their selected retailers here.

Coach Factory Sale

2012-02-01T01:34:00.003+08:00

I was looking for pentair pool pump online when I got distracted after receiving this email notification from Coach factory Outlet:

They will be having a sale which will run for two days only where bags, wallets, accessories and more will be sold at 70% off.

I panic on the day of the sale, as there are really a lot of nice find with prices starting only at $50, which is even cheaper than the Coach bag that I got from Outlet stores.

I was already eyeing on two bags but I encountered a problem when I tried checking out as there seems to be a conflict with my Philippine issued credit card and the shipping address, which in this case is the address of our friend in the US.

I shared the information to my good friend Peachy and I am glad that I did because she became my conscience and reminded me that I should be saving money, and not spending on items that I really don’t have an immediate need of.

Thanks to my friend Peachy and the very slow WiFi connection that we have in the resort where we stayed during the weekend, I was able to save my credit card from an impulsive purchase again.

For Pipit & Hazel's Wedding

2012-01-31T22:43:00.002+08:00

Cobi and Bela will be part of the entourage for the wedding of my cousin this March and the stage mom is getting really excited.

But I am not worried on what will they wear on the wedding as my cousin already took care in choosing the designs for their attire. Bela already went to the couturier last week for his measurement while I only need to look for coin cufflinks for Cobi and they are all set.

So I am more worried on what I will wear for the wedding. I have been checking Pinterest and some magazines and these are the designs that caught my fancy:

I am just not sure though if it will look good on me especially with my still bulging tummy. LOL. Maybe I can just ask the couturier to use material that is not body hugging or maybe he can edit the style a bit to hide my tummy.

I did not have my measurements taken yet as I am hoping that I will still loose weight and trim down some of those unwanted bulges first. I have 3 weeks to do that as I was given until February 18 so that the couturier will have enough time to finish my gown, just in time for the March 10 wedding.

First Timer

2012-01-31T22:26:00.001+08:00

First time for me to use this overnight LeSportSac bag that I bought in one of the outlet stores the last time we were in the US.

I got this for only $30 I think which is really a steal, as I know how steep the price is of this overnight bag. It is limited to one design though but I still decided to buy it, as I know that it will be the perfect bag for overnights such as our short weekend getaway last January 28 and 29.

The bag is spacious that I was able to fit all our stuff – my things which includes 3 set of clothes, 3 set of swim wear, PJs, toiletries and my aqua shoes; hubby’s stuff which is not that many as it only consist of 3 shirts and his swimwear; towel and bath robe for Cobi and Bela. There was even some more space left to add more things.

I am glad I purchased this bag. It looks durable and is spacious enough to fit all my knick-knacks every time we go on a short vacation.

What To Do About Unwanted Expenses

2012-01-30T10:20:00.003+08:00

Unwanted and unexpected, expenses are a part of life for many people. Whether it is your car that needs some expensive repairs that you didn’t really expect, a new job that requires you to invest in a completely different wardrobe, or a medical emergency that requires you to visit a doctor or hospital, these types of unexpected expenses can wreak havoc on the most flexible and generous of budgets. However, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself for such impending financial disasters.

Image via Wikipedia

Plan Ahead

There is a reason financial experts recommend having an emergency fund. Though they are not typically a regular occurrence, unexpected expenses are a part of life for almost everyone. When you are working out your budget, be sure to earmark a category for emergencies. Of course, the more money you have on the emergency fund, the better off you will be financially. But still, having a small fund for unwanted expenses is a good start.

Rework Your Budget

It is a good idea to leave some wiggle room when you make your budget. Having an extra cushion will help you weather those unwanted expenses more easily. If you discover that your food bill, for example, will be larger than normal due to a party you are throwing for all your friends, perhaps you can take some money from your clothing budget to cover the expenses for that month.

Cut Back On Non Necessities

Everyone have areas in their budget that they can cut back on. One good place to start is the entertainment category. By renting a movie to watch at home instead of seeing the latest blockbuster in the theater the weekend it comes out, you can save money that you can use for those unwanted expenses that crop up. Eating out less is another way that you can cut back on that area of your budget so you can meet all your financial obligations.

Get A Loan

If you need money fast but your budget has already taken a beating, personal cash loans can offer you the flexibility and the funding you need to get through these unwanted expenses. Loans such as these also offer you a way to get a larger amount of money quickly. Having access to such money can allow you the room you need to take care of your financial obligations; you don’t have to worry about having another crisis that can throw your budget into disaster mode.

Paying for Hospital Bills After Giving Birth

2012-01-30T09:38:00.003+08:00

Although it may be in the back of your mind just after the birth of your baby, the hospital bills for having your child are there lingering, waiting for you to pay. At no other time in your life is it more important to do what you can to maintain good credit. This means, paying attention to those bills, even when it seems too soon to have to.

Tips for Paying Hospital Bills after Birth

Try to remember that there are many births each day and hospital recordkeeping is not foolproof. For this reason, set aside some time for investigating all of your childbirth bills. Make sure that there are no charges for double doses, procedures you did not receive, and any other anomalies that do not belong on your bill.

Be sure to call the hospital medical records and billing staff as soon as you receive those bills if there are issues that need to be corrected on them. The longer you wait the less seriously the bill collectors are to accept your claim of wrong charges.

Paying with Short Term Loans

No one should suggest to you that you need to go out and take a serious high interest rated loan that may eventually cause you to sink even further in debt. However, no fax payday loans from PayDay one can be just the solution you are seeking. This type of loan will give you those much needed emergency funds in your pocket, while not forcing you to snatch extra capital from your bank accounts.

Local Assistance

If you are having trouble meeting your bill requirements and still managing your current billing needs once you have received your no fax payday loans from PayDay one, use those resources to apply for local charity assistance and other available help such as reimbursements for medical care.

Talk to the Billing Department

If you talk to the billing department and tell them you are suffering from a financial hardship, they can also help to cut percentages of costs from your bill. They will also know some of the best charity opportunities that you can try in your locale.

Never forget that your credit is vital to your future. With bad credit you can expect to not be approved for car or home loans and may find yourself stuck in a rental situation far past its time. Stay ahead of those bills with no fax payday loans from PayDay One.

More Bday Celebration

2012-01-30T09:35:00.001+08:00

Since budget is a little tight, I can’t afford to bring my entire family to the Manila Bay Cruise that we tried on my birthday. But of course I can’t miss celebrating my special day with my entire brood, so last January 22, I invited them over for a small pizza party at our house.

Since it also coincides with the Chinese New Year’s Eve, it turns out to be a birthday and Chinese New Year celebration for my family as well.

I just ordered pizza, pasta and chicken from Shakey’s and my Tita Jie cooked fish fillet and macaroni salad.

We were able to drop by Binondo to buy Tikoy, so after the simple get together we had at home, I gave each family tasty Tikoy for good luck and more family togetherness (according to my Chinese friends).

A simple get together, yet I was over the moon as I celebrate my special day with people that I love.

W@W Yearbook

2012-01-25T09:14:00.003+08:00

I am a proud member of weddings at works (w@w). W@w is an online community where brides and grooms to be help each other by sharing their feedbacks, tips, ideas to help each other fulfill the wedding of their dreams.

Almost all my suppliers for our wedding are all recommendations from my co-w@wies and though there are still unavailable glitches during our wedding, I believe that hubby was able to give me the wedding of my dreams.

A few weeks back, Benz (the founder of w@w) requested for pictures of w@wies so they can compile it in a W@W Yearbook and this is my entry:

abie and howell
Manila Cathedral / Baluarte de San Diego Gardens
1.29.2005

As I was browsing through our wedding pictures, it made me want to get married all over again (but I think I have to loose weight first, otherwise I might need to wear one of those maternity wedding dresses. LOL).

On January 29, my husband and I will be celebrating our 7th year anniversary. How time flies. But I am really thankful to God for giving me my prince, my soul mate and if I am to go back in time, I will do it all over again with him in a heartbeat.

My 18th Birthday

2012-01-25T08:47:00.003+08:00

Now that my birthday celebration is finally over, I can start planning for Cobi’s 2nd birthday party which I plan to celebrate with the kids from Ulingan Village of Tondo. I am excited as I need to look for souvenirs for the party (Do you think profire yoyo will be a good gift for the Ulingan kids?), and book the venue which I plan to have in SM Storyland so the kids from Ulingan can enjoy the rides after the party.

But before I go into party planning mode, let me post here first my 18th (LOL) birthday celebration. I had a very simple birthday celebration with my family last Thursday. As I mentioned in my previous post, I bought vouchers of the Prestige Manila Bay Cruise a few months back which is expiring on the 27th so I decided to use it for my birthday celebration.

I had to think twice if this is a good way to celebrate my birthday as I heard a lot of bad reviews about the tour. But we did push through with the plan because (1) I don’t want to waste the vouchers and (2) my family is up for the adventure.

So hubby fetched me from work and we went straight to CCP and we will just wait for the rest of my family there. Hubby ate merienda first as he can’t wait for the 8 PM dinner while waiting for the rest of our companions.

Registration time is 7 PM for the 8 PM boarding but we tried inquiring if we can already register as I notice people are starting to arrive already and I am glad we did as we are the first in line.

By 7:30 PM my parents arrived together with my two precious kids and my brother with his family. Boarding started a little after 8 PM.

Boarding was organized as they will call the passengers by group according to the registration list so we were the first to board the ship and we got good seats. The cruise will go around Manila Bay area until Mall of Asia while having dinner. Dinner was served at 8:30 PM and the reviews are correct, there is really a long line for the buffet but the waiters offered to get food for my parents and my sister-in-law and I because we are carrying a baby. The food is just so-so, nothing really spectacular and they all taste the same.

But despite the odds, we still had a great time. We enjoyed the view on-board the cruise and nothing can be more precious than the time that I spent with my family on my birthday. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we eat as it is the company of my love ones that made my birthday special.

One Saturday in Binondo with my GirlFriends

2012-01-24T16:00:00.002+08:00

Since I am not sure if I can take a vacation leave from work on January 23, where my friends will be meeting up to celebrate Chinese New Year in Binondo, I decided to join Peachy and Thea on their meet up in Ongpin last week.

Peachy will be accompanying Thea to buy her lucky charms and bracelets in Binondo and they will have lunch after. So after Cobi’s class from Gymboree, we went straight to Binondo to meet up with the girls.

We had a sumptuous meal and we even had a lot of leftovers. As usual, we all enjoyed the food – fried chicken, beef with broccoli, hot prawn salad (my favorite), yang chow fried rice, and lots of dumplings.

After lunch, we separated ways and we went shopping for hubby’s lucky charms too in preparation for the Chinese New Year.

It was a very nice way to spend our weekends with good friend and good food.

Jewelry Making

2012-01-21T02:24:00.001+08:00

My cousin need to come up with a fund raising project for their school and she asked for my help to come up with ideas. I searched the Internet for easy to make products that my cousin and her classmates can do and which they can sell after to earn some money and that is how I discovered jewelry making.

I found a site where there is a tutorial on how to make cute and fashionable jewelries like bracelets, earrings, id tags, cell phone charms and more. What is nice about this project is that it is very easy and fun to do so I am sure my cousin and her friends will not have a hard time as they start with this fund raising project.

Another good thing about jewelry making is that it only requires minimal materials and tools like pliers, Halogen Free Solder Paste, strings, beads, crystals and more and since the materials used are so affordable, their mark up price will surely be affordable for my cousin’s classmates and friends so they can easily sell them to make their fund raising a success.

Birthday Wish List

2012-01-15T23:27:00.003+08:00

January is my birthday month. I don’t want to get all excited as I will again be a year older (LOL) but I am thankful and grateful because God has given another year to enjoy life.

We have no definite plans yet on my birthday but I made reservations already for my family on the Prestige Cruises Dinner Buffet on my birthday as I have vouchers, which I purchased several months back. But I am contemplating still if we will push through with the plan as some of my friends mentioned bad feedback about the cruise experience so I am really thinking if it is a good way to celebrate my birthday.

I know we are a bit tight on the budget but if hubby would like to know my birthday wish list, then this will be it:

1. The purple School of Satchel bag

2. Corelle Plate
3. Spa voucher
4. speakers for computer
5. Overnight stay in a hotel or Aquatico resort
6. One extra vacation leave so I can just stay at home and be with hubby and my kids on my birthday

One thing I don’t like about my birthday month is that hubby and I are still recuperating from our Christmas expenses so we always end up not having a budget to celebrate our birthday with a blast. LOL.

But being surrounded by the people that I love the most on my birthday will be the best gift that I will ever receive.

Shopping for Office Space: Tips When Finding an Office Space for Lease

2012-01-10T14:35:00.002+08:00

If you own a business, it is important that you have an office to conduct the day-to-day work of your company. It can be expensive to purchase a property to turn into your corporate office, especially if your business is just starting so most businesses opted on renting an office space instead.

So how can you find an office space for lease? It is fairly easy as you can easily find lot of information in classified ads in print or online to find a place to rent. Once you have shortlisted your choices, you can visit each one of them to actually see how the office space looks like as description placed in classified ads can be a bit exaggerated sometimes. Once you made a decision, you can seal the deal by signing the leasing contract.

But for businesses, before delving on the tasks of finding an office space to rent, here are a few tips that they should bear in mind to make their office-space searching hassle and headache free:

1. Define your needs. Before you start visiting office spaces in your shortlist, define the needs of your company. How many employees will be using the office space? Will the office be accessible all the time? These are just some of the questions that you have to ask yourself to define your needs. Aside from the aesthetics, the office space that you will be renting should be able to address these needs.
2. Set your budget. Once you have defined your needs, the next step is to set your budget. Rental fees can be quite expensive and can eat up a huge part of your company’s budget so you should know up to how much your company will be able to pay comfortably but still would be able to address the needs of your business. Check also the added cost like maintenance and utilities fee and this should be considered in your budget as well.
3. Consider the legal terms. Before signing up for the leasing contract, ask an attorney to check the leasing agreement. Considerations like, termination of contract if you need to move to a much bigger office space, the permission to remodel the office, hidden charges and fees stipulated in the contract and the like should all be checked to avoid the hassle of any legal problems in the future.

These tips will help any businesses to find the right office space that will be cost effective, functional and will address all the needs of the company.

My Current Fave

2012-01-10T14:07:00.001+08:00

This is my current shoe favorite now:

I got this on sale through my sister. I actually fell in love with this shoe (but in Bronze) when I first saw my friend wearing it. I could not afford to buy it as it is one of the most expensive shoes of Melissa. So when I learned that it is on sale, I asked my sister to get me a pair whatever color is available.

I am actually not that set on the red color when my sister show it to me in pictures but I still decided to get just so I can have my pair of Vivienne Westwood 3-straps. But then when I saw it in real life, I quickly fell in love with it.

Since then, I always try to wear shorts or dresses so I can wear her all the time. And it never fails to be a head turner as I will always see stares from stranger on my shoes. LOL.

Now I never regret buying her and I am happy because I have a second pair in lilac.

Finding the Ultimate Prom Dress

2012-01-04T09:08:00.007+08:00

The prom is the biggest day in the life of a teenager. This is the only time where they can spread glamour as wide as it can be than any other time. You will be considered as a road kill if you are not dressed fabulous on that day. These eager teens get the latest trend of the season to stand out from the rest that sometime their parents overspend for this. Anyhow, they will do everything to make their child happy because they also have been through this stage.

Months before the prom, the girls have been locating all the websites that sells prom dresses. They watch out for the hottest item of the time so they can have the latest designs since nobody wants to be a wallflower all night long. The fashion icons will tell whether short, petite, long or exaggerated is in stream at the moment. Once the right cut is established, now is the time to hit the websites and get the killer prom dress!

Right after the date was set; the youngsters each have their prospect on who to date on this extraordinary day. They try so hard to get their dream date just before the day comes and set some preparations like sharing the limo to their friends. This is the reason why young ladies of this age range want their frock to be flirty if not a lot sexier than anyone else.

These girls are fashion oriented that they correlate their personality to the dress they want to wear. Features like sexy, modern and customized for their persona are taken into consideration. Some youngsters want their prom dress to be lavishly sensational while others go for simpler but attractive cuts. Others go for static elegance while others go for gothic chic and there are young people that would love to be different from everyone that they overdo it.

There are just a few things to learn in finding the ultimate prom dress. Firstly is fab which means that you should get the prom dress that will best suit your silhouette and not because it is popular. Secondly is fun, which denotes that you should have an outfit that is perfect for your size since you do not want to faint during the prom because you cannot breathe in your gown. Lastly, have the time of your life. This is the day that you and everybody else in your class will remember all your lives so get the most out of it.

From : Artsy Wedding

Online Market Research: What Every Business Need

2012-01-01T08:59:00.000+08:00

I love shopping and I am glad that shopping for me is very accessible now even if I have no time to go to the malls as I can always shop anytime, anywhere I am through online shopping. I am glad that there are a lot of online sites available now and some are even utilizing famous social media sites like Facebook and Multiply to sell their products.

And even if this is just their platform to sell their goods, there are really some who are really making it big as they are starting to expand their business. One of those online stores is TopPicks Couture.

She started selling her nice items online via FaceBook and she now has a retail store in one of the biggest malls in the metro. I guess her secret is she listens to her clients by the customer satisfaction survey that her clients can fill up online so she can understand her clients better by getting feedbacks from them.

Any business, be it a brick and mortar store or online can really benefit from the different online market research services that Infosurv is offering. By using methodologies and tools to conduct prediction markets, Infosurv can give better data and information so that their clients can better understand and respond to the needs and demands of their customers.

Technology and Its Impact to People

2011-12-30T10:19:00.001+08:00

Are we all certain how education is very important to anyone of us? Surely, education is one of our basic needs just like the food and clothing. Though we can survive without education for a day or week, its effect will most probably take place in the future. As what we can observe, people who are very fortunate enough to graduate and finish their degree have more chances of having a job. Just think of how you are going to work and deal with other people if you don’t know how to read, write and communicate well with other people.

Indeed, education is very much important to us. In fact, having a good quality of education is part of every human’s rights. It is very essential that we know a lot of things because this will help us in the future. No matter how small you’ve started, you will be able to reach your goals in the future because you are very capable with a lot of things. There are only few people who succeed even without proper education and that is because they persevered and worked hard enough to attain their achievements.

Today, as we discuss education, we have a new application designed to promote the importance and standard of education. As our technology advances, we also have advanced technologies that offer education even without going to school. This open source learning management system works in cyber environment and that includes the use of the most powerful and most commonly used technology today, which is the Internet. Its main focus is to provide education to students who prefer to study at home or any place that is more comfortable for them.

You may start wondering how this learning management system works and perhaps most of you have doubts with its effectiveness. But what most people don’t know is that, it has proven to be very effective because it offers many programs and courses just like in any other school. All students enrolled in the said system are capable of getting in touch with other people and they are also encouraged to join and participate with the various programs offered by lms.

Furthermore, every activity done by an individual is being tracked and reported so as to monitor their progress and let them know the things that need improvement. Likewise, both the students and instructors have the opportunity to use the available teaching materials such as video chat, forums, online chat e-mail service and more as they continue with the completion of their courses. With these tools, students will feel at ease and comfortable while they are studying and they will be able to feel that they are in a normal campus.

Evaluation sheets, certificates completes, courses taken, examinations and attendance are the very basis of the records. These are the main activities that will be tracked by the system to see if the students are making a progress in the courses that they are currently taking. People need not to worry because everything will be documented and presented to every students and instructors.

Now we can further say that technology leaves a very big impact to every individual because it even gives importance to matters like education. It has moved every people and that’s why we are somehow dependent with a lot of technologies now. This is the very reason why people are still looking forward for more innovations because they can see the benefits that will indeed help them for almost everyday. We always want instant and quicker solutions because as a person, we also value our time and indeed, technology helps us to save time and energy in many ways possible.

My New Shopping Love

2011-12-29T11:30:00.003+08:00

I used to be a bag addict. 2010 was the time when I was completely hooked with bags that I spend a big bunch of my earnings just for designer bags.

But after we have made a big decision to finally purchase our own house this year, I now have a new love when it comes to shopping and this time it is shopping for our dream home. We are almost done purchasing for the basic needs of our house to make it conducive to living. Our next project now is to add a little touch to the house to reflect our personality.

One of our priority projects is buying quality bedroom furniture. Our bedroom is our retreat where hubby and I can relax, bond with the kids and just rest that is why we want it to have a very cool and relaxing aura and these bedroom furniture from White Company will surely help us achieve that:

Night Out with my Girl Friends

2011-12-29T09:04:00.003+08:00

Last December 27, I met up with my best buddies from college. Two of them came home to Manila for a vacation during the holiday season and thanks to Facebook, we were able to get in touch with each other including our other friends whom we haven’t seen since we graduated from college.

We met up at Trinity in Macapagal. Jean, together with her husband and son fetched Vanessa and her kids in Pasay and Myra and her family in Valenzuela before heading to Trinity. My family and I with Carol’s family went to Macapagal together and we arrive there around 8 PM (as always, Carol and I are the last one who arrived. LOL).

Vanessa, Myra and Jean already went to the market to buy the ingredients and when we arrived, the food is already cooking.

We had a very good dinner and we were really able to catch up with old times. We were laughing so hard as we reminisce our crazy college days. It was too noisy at Trinity as we were seated outside where there is a band so we decided to move to Starbucks after dinner.

We continued our chika at Starbucks and if only Starbucks were not closing, we could have stayed there the whole night to just chat and reminisce.

Vanessa and Carol will be flying back to Qatar and Singapore this week and we wish them a safe flight back. For us who were left here in Manila, hope we can schedule another get together soon.

It was a very fun night out with my girl friends. It was nice seeing you all again.

A Little Short? Try One of These 6 Great Ways to Uncover Some Green

2011-12-28T09:44:00.002+08:00

Image courtesy Flickr.com

Having some trouble making ends meet? Finding ways to earn a little extra cash is a great way to pad out your piggy bank should a rainy day show up, and that rainy day could be unexpected bills, an issue with the car, or new (“Didn’t I tell you?”) shoes for ballet class. Taking in extra money each month is also a great way to save for something you want but can’t finagle with your current budget (those gorgeous shoes, perhaps?). How exactly can you uncover a little more green each month? Here are six ideas that won’t make you a millionaire, but will help pad your pockets:

1. Raid Your Closet
The closet is a great first stop in your quest for cash. Pick out items you know you’re not likely to wear or use again, price them reasonably, and put them on a free classifieds site like Craig's List. Pictures will improve your chances for a sale, so pull out the camera. Don’t forget the attic, the basement, those boxes of junk, or a child’s forgotten toy collection.

2. Try Your Hand at Freelance
Gifted with excellent grammar? Have a design degree? Skilled with your digital camera? Try leasing out your skill by taking on a freelance gig here and there. Websites that advertise opportunities can be found online, and your friends or family members may know of a possibility too.

3. Tap into Your Skills and Talents
Are you a fabulous gardener? A superb baker? Can you explain math so well everyone always gets it? Everyone has skills and talents, and the trick is finding out what yours are and how you can make them work for you. Offer tutoring, in home classes to groups, or music lessons. Great with a camera? Take portraits in people’s homes or sell your photos to stock image companies.

4. Sell What You Create
You know those knitted scarves you’ve run out of friends to make them for? Maybe it’s time you sold those lovely creations for some cash. From knitted toys to jewelry to your prized piccalilli, if you have a hobby, you can take your creations to Etsy and spread the word to friends and family.

Image courtesy flickr.com

5. Provide a Little Service
Didn’t your neighbor mention they hate cleaning their house? Or their poor dog they just don’t have time to walk? A little service here and there can add up to a tidy payoff. Offer to clean neighbor’s houses, mow lawns, wash cars, walk dogs, or even help with secretarial needs.

6. Send out the SOS
Some cash needs come out of nowhere, so conventional methods like those above may not pay off as up front as you need. When emergencies arise, seek assistance from trusted sources like friends and family, or find out about small installment loans such as those at Great Plains Lending installent loans online. You can always use the other five ideas to help pay back a willing friend.

Busy Month

2011-12-20T21:55:00.000+08:00

I have been doing marathon shopping for the past two weeks. I have been so busy lately that it was only two weeks ago when I seriously started working on my Christmas shopping list. I was actually able to finish my long shopping list, thanks to online shopping and the sale items that I was able to buy from Toys R’ Us and SM.

But I still have a lot of work to do, as I still have to wrap each of the gifts. I was just looking at all the items that I need to wrap and I can’t help but wish that I have the clawfoot tubs by bathsofdistinction so I can have a relaxing bath after finishing my Christmas To-do list.

December used to be my favorite month as the mood is really festive and I get to do one of the things that I love the most which is shopping. But because of my hectic online and offline life, I still can’t feel the holiday season.

But I am glad I was able to meet my deadline today and I only have to work until tomorrow, then I will already be in vacation mode.