Will Be Back Soon

I've been in sort-of a hiatus. My blog had been silent for weeks. My Internet connection had been limited. There's a lot I've missed doing - from blogging, visiting everyone's blogs, adgitizing, dropping ECs... to joining online contests, facebooking and more.

After all those events, the big move had been our priority, its hard and it took my whole daily hours. Good thing that we moved during the Holy Week. Hopefully in a few days, everything will turn back to normal. Still, there's a lot more that needs to be done and get used to all these changes. Whew!

Nonetheless, we still manage to enjoy a weekend swimming at Laguna and Easter Sunday at FunRanch.

There's so many things I've wanted to share.
But, I'll be back in a couple of days.

A Movement to Inspire

Join Barbie in her goal to inspire the next generation of woman leaders.Everyone can help make this million-girl declaration happen in time for the April 22nd ceremony. I just signed the declaration! Sign if you want to let your voice and dreams be heard!

The Declaration states that:

We believe that when you add women and girls, you change everything.
We are leaders and dreamers.
We are the future.
And, we want help making positive change –
for ourselves and the world around us.
This declaration calls on everyone in the Obama Administration to:

Become a mentor this year.
We need role models who can show us that no dream is too big or too wild.
If we can dream it, we can do it.
If we can imagine it, we can be it.

Look at the world through our eyes.
We ask President Obama to take a moment to consider how every piece of legislation may affect girls and women before he signs it.

Ignite a national movement to inspire girls.
On April 22nd, we ask The Office of The First Lady of the United States
Michelle Obama to accept this Declaration from us powerful girls and women at
a proposed ceremony celebrating “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.”
Make sure your voice – and dreams – are heard by signing now.

A Woman Remembers by Liz

This is a blog feature written by Liz of Bloguardian Hellsite-Overcashed. I truly appreciate the words and her thoughts about me and my blog, A Woman Remembers. Her post made me smile and be grateful of getting to know bloggers like her. Here's my blog post about the Top 100 Moments for 2009, read why this is the best for her. Of course, I can't help but agree with her! 

Thanks so much for your wonderful post, Liz!

Cherish Memories with Photo Books

My first ordered photo book arrived before Christmas, which my husband claimed at the post office days today. I am satisfied with the result and I really love the two photo books I've created at Artscow.

front and back covers

I've been wanting to create and order photo books here in the Philippines since last year, but I could not find reasonably-priced ones. I came across Artscow months ago though it was only last November that I decided to create one. I tried making just two photo books to see if the quality is good and to know if I would really receive the item that I'll be ordering. Good thing, I did and I am satisfied with the result. It's amazing to see the photos in print and not just in my computer screen.

I made use of the free 8x8 photo book coupons and paid only for the shipping fee plus the additional pages - one is 24 pages and the other one is 32 pages. All these cost me only $23. If I did not take advantage of the coupons, I would have paid even more. 

Artscow photo book is stitch bound which makes the pages free from binding cracks. Stitch bound ones are better than glue bounded ones.

inside pages

I still have more photo book projects left to do and I am getting more excited to creating more! Creating a photo book is indeed a great way to preserve and cherish memories.

If you haven't tried Artscow yet, I recommend checking on the site for the numerous prints and gifts you can create with your photos at reasonable prices. New members get to enjoy - 1200 free prints credits and 3 8"x8" photo books plus other great photo gifts credits. Register now as the offer is valid for a limited time only, but there are more great deals once you become a member.

Click Here to register and create your own photo book.

Total Eclipse of The Heart in Flowchart

The 1980's hit song of Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of The Heart" is made understandable through a flowchart. I really find this interesting and impressive. This somehow explains the lyrical twists and the complexity of the song. I even find myself humming while following the flow.

Being an Industrial Engineer, I am used to creating and analyzing flowcharts. I have been working at flowcharts - from the simplest business process to the highly complicated systems flowchart. However, I had never thought of creating a flowchart for a song.

Good enough that Jeanne, the one who made this flowchart, did not get include other lines in the song or else, it would just create confusion.

Oh well, this simply proves that a flowchart helps you understand something that you once thought is complex, but then, everything is a matter of how you see things in perspective.

I really need you tonight.
Forever's gonna start tonight.
There's nothing I can do.
Total eclipse of the heart.

My Farm and My Resturant

I admit it, I am getting fond of playing Farmville and Restaurant City in Facebook. These are two of the most popular and addictive games on Facebook. I am hooked because it is like playing with friends too!

There is just so many things you can do on Facebook, that I initially felt overwhelmed by the different applications and requests by friends. For more than 3 months, the most I had done is to accept friend request. It was when my little sister urges me to play Farmville, YoVille and Restaurant City that I start to spent my time on playing these simulation games. I was also influenced by my other sister and some friends for they kept saying that Facebook is now much better than Multiply and Friendster. It is then that I have decided to give Facebook my time.

Now, I am fascinated with a farm and a restaurant. Well just maybe through these games I can experience a life totally different from mine.

In reality, this does not speak about what my passion is. I grew up, lived and stayed in the city all my life. I had never experienced living in the province nor stayed in a farm. I had only seen farm lots; I have been to Strawberry farm in Baguio City, but I had never experienced farming, harvesting, milking cows, and other works that people do on the farm.

I love to eat and I enjoy most food, but then I am not good at preparing and cooking a meal. I would fail if people ask me what are the ingredients to a certain dish. The most I can do is buy fruits and food items for my kids at the grocery; though I do not know if this counts. Maybe this is also one reason why magazines, blogs and websites about food interest me.

A time to work and a time to play.

The important thing is I can manage my time well; I keep on reminding myself to stop "facebooking" and get back to work! But it is always good to keep a balance of everything.

... and I know too that these addiction shall pass.

Time and Date Consecutive Sequences

While I was tutoring my daughter with her Math assignment on "What's comes next in the series?", I remembered this very interesting fact.

On July 8, 2009 and the time is 5 minutes and 6 seconds after 4:00 am; the numbers are aligned -

04:05:06 07/08/09

Another sequence is bound to happen 13 months from now; and that will be on August 9, 2010 -

05:06:07 08/09/10

Do these numbers have a meaning? Well, I have no idea if this is a lucky day. Better to consult a numerologist.

But this is true only for countries who are using the International standard notation and the Philippines follows this. Europe has a different date notation with, month/day/year rather than day/month/year.

For the Love of Scents

I often choose wearing my favorite fruity or floral fragrances and smell baby scents on my kids. I also love smelling the combination of cucumber melon and cocoa butter and vanilla. Maybe this is the reason why I’ve grown fond of Victoria’s Secret Body Mist line and Bath& Body Works. Still, Marks and Spencer body sprays, floral and nature collections tops my list.

I am truly in love with light refreshing fragrance of Isis for Women Eau De Toilette of Marks and Spencer. It’s a fragrance which exudes with sophistication and style but still gives me a great value for money. As described, Isis is a sparkling fragrance of the sea which combines the flowers of rose, violets, rose and lily of the valley.

+ Time for Talk Perfume

I’ve also tried and used Miracle Forever by Lancôme which comes out strong and with a very great staying power. A perfume which comes with a hint of vanilla, oriental touch and of almond tree flowers. But it won’t be my daytime or summer fresh fragrance. I still have an unopened bottle of Hypnose by Lancôme, and I still have to check if this scent will work on me.

How good it would be to find the perfect perfume or cologne scents for you. How good it would be to talk and check out perfume review sites and find out which one suit you best.

Reflections and Lessons Learned for the Extras in Life

"Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even into your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." ~ Swami Sivananda.
From Wikipedia: Swawi Sivanada is a Hindu spiritual teacher, the proponent of Yoga and Vedanta, and the founder of Divine Life Society.

I found this quote moving; and maybe this is one reason why I view life my life as a continual success... simply because I place my heart, my mind, my soul and intellect into every thing that I do. I may not be a company manager nor a person earn billions of money, but still I am successful. I am satisfied knowing that I am able to accomplish work-related functions in the best way I can, even without proper training. I am fulfilled knowing I can be all that I can be! I am successful because for me life is worth living and I am living a fulfilled life!

+ The add-ons in my life

I am fond of magazines, treats, free event and online promos.

I already have a compilation of my kids published pictures in almost all parenting magazines in the Philippines, and newspaper appearances as well. I have joined online contests and promos and won some too... there are even prizes which I had left unclaimed. My kids had already enjoyed free kiddie events. My daughter Skylah had already experienced being photographed for a magazine and a booklet; and experienced her first fashion show as well... same goes for my little sister Jalysa. I have attended free concerts and movie premieres. I still have lots of unused gift certificates and items. And the list goes on...

These could just be some life "extras" that we take pride in. Maybe this is nothing compared to the huge successes of many other kids and mommies like me. I remember a fellow mom asking me all about these magazine appearances and winning moments, I just advised her to submit pictures based on what the magazine’s theme is and to keep on joining online promos. But of course, I am not the best person for this things, I only have a few dashes of luck. What about my kids on VTRs and commercials? Honestly, this is one thing I had never thought of exploring yet even if there had been agencies and talent scouts asking me and my kids for a go-see.

I simply want my kids to enjoy and live life to the fullest as well. I want to do things that they also love doing. And I am happy doing all these too. I have succeeded because I placed my heart into it.

But this month of May, I had chosen to give only a few minutes of my time to all these life extras, maybe because I had them all or I still had too much.

I decided not to take part and attend events and I can count the number of contests I had joined... but what about the ongoing contest at EYP? This is a promo wherein the top 10 people who had made a successful referral will have a chance to win a laptop. I knew I have a chance at winning this too, but I guess a lot of my energy have been drained from the previous Nido Fortified video contest. This is a contest that we’ve won because of the family and friends support and because I never thought of giving up. Still, it doesn't hurt to make a few referrals at EYP and help the site be known all throughout.

All these maybe the "extras" in my life; still, these things continuously kept me sane and make me whole!

I don’t live to please people and I had always experienced people envying me for reasons that should not be... from my college days, to my work, to what I love doing and even all these simple moments. Some had struggled so hard wanting to achieve what I had, but failed. One had kept on struggling to be like me and do the things that I love, she might have gained a few because she had chosen to imitate mine. This imitation could be flattery, but why hate me because of this?... Is it because she can't think of her own and she always wants to make her like similar to mine? Can she just be happy for me?

Break Free From The Impostor

I am still being search. My life is still being followed.

My previous blog post entitled “I Am Her Inspiration” in my old blog site had led her to finding more about me and my life. I wonder is she did a Google search or Yahoo search that had led her to reach my blog. Indeed, she keeps on searching information about me, being too interested in my life. Perhaps, she really wanted to be me and live the life that I am living. Too bad, I have a mind of my own that she could not have. She could pattern her life similar to mine and be successful at it. She can continue copying me and be interested in the things that I wanted. Until now, I remained to be her inspiration. Though I wonder if she'll be proud of what she had done... well, maybe because that is what she’s good at.

A text message from her could prove it all. She was cynical. She was very defensive that my blog post is pointing to her. It was an anonymous post, an unnamed person, but as the saying goes, "bato-bato sa langit ang tamaan huwag magagalit". Maybe in time I could feature her name if she wants me to.

She can do what she wanted to. She can continue creating and maintaining my so-called Friendster account which is not me. Yes, she had not stopped doing so... she remained to be my "Impostor". I wonder what she is getting from that nonsense stuffs she's been doing. Why use my name, my pictures and make pretend she was me? I am proud that I am living the life that I have now, even knowing that she follows suit.

I am breaking free from all these. Still, the saga lives on. Though I wonder when this never-ending saga will cease. Will this ever end or this would always be part of my life forever?

Yes, I am talking about you.