STONECPS

A good friend of mine is organizing a Book Drive to collect 500 books in three weeks to be donated to L. Victorino Elementary School in Marikina. They are one of the schools that has been badly affected by Typhoon Ondoy.

Just click on the image to enlarge it for more information.

For the longest time already, hubby has been mentioning his plans for us to move in the suburbs. We purchased a house and lot there a few years ago and my husband is really serious in settling there in the near future. And it looks like he is really serious about his plans as he already talked to prospective contractors for quotation for our house renovation.

I am a city girl and I am really not used to living outside the city. One of the major problems that I think I will encounter when we move to the outskirts is the lack of cable providers. But my colleague who lives in that area also mentioned that I need not worry as there are already a lot of satellite television providers in that area like Direct SAT TV. What’s best about satellite tv providers is that they have affordable packages that I can choose from and they even have more channels than cable television and of course, every satellite tv subscriber can enjoy high-definition movies in their own home.

Since hubby is really serious about his plans for us to move in our house in the suburbs by next year, I have to start inquiring with Direct SAT TV, satellite tv provider, so I will be assured that I will not miss any of my favorite TV shows.

Still have no idea on what to give your girl friends, or your female relatives this Christmas? Then why not take this opportunity and get a personalized photo bag for all your girl friends and relatives from Artscow.

You get to personalize the bag with a picture of your group of friends, or a picture of the kids of your aunt, or the favorite pet of your best friend. You get to decide what you can put in your hand bag.

Save up to $22.99 when you avail of this offer as they are slashing the price of the personalize photo bag from $34.98 to only $11.99. This even comes with free shipping.

So what are you waiting for? Log in to your Artscow account now and enter the Coupon Code PBAG2009 under “My Credits and Discount” to avail of the promo. Hurry, because this coupon code is only valid until November 8, 2009. So I am logging in to my account now as I will definitely order one for all my aunts and my sister in law.

NFL, NHL, NBA, Soccer…name any sports and I am sure my husband is a real fan. That is why he gets so frustrated because the cable provider where we are subscribed to right now doesn’t offer that much Sports channels. And often times, they will offer it on a pay-per-view basis which is an added cost on top of the monthly fee that we are paying our cable company.

And since the fight between Pacquio and Coto is already nearing, my hubby is again feeling down because he knows he can’t watch the match live in our house. That is why I am thinking of subscribing to any of Direct TV Packages just like the DIRECTV Sports Pack as my advance Christmas gift for hubby. I am sure hubby will really enjoy watching his favorite sports channels in high definition.

A friend of us is currently subscribed to Direct TV Satellite TV and they have nothing but phrases for it. They get all the local channels at no extra cost plus they are getting true high definition reception.

How satellite tv works ? Why is satellite TV better that more and more households prefer it over other cable companies. I guess the answer is simple. With Direct TV’s awesome deals, any household can afford to get movie-quality shows in their home, with all their favorite channels at a very affordable price.

My sister-in-law just moved to London a few weeks ago as she got a job there as a Physical Therapist. I talked to her everyday and she told me that she is already getting home sick. This is the first time that she went away from her family to work so I can just imagine how difficult this situation is for her.

I told her that she should just keep herself busy so she will not get home sick. Since she goes to work only a few hours per day, she has time to do other things like enroll in a medical teaching course so after the 2-day training, she can apply for a medical teaching job. I learned about this from my friend who is a doctor in London. She took a doctors teaching course where she got extensive training from faculties consisting of consultants and educationalist with PhD and Masters degree. My friend said that she learned a lot from this course that will help her improve her skills as a doctor.

My sister-in-law got really interested with the teach the teacher course. It will not only keep her busy so she will not be home sick, it might even help her get a job as a medical educator.

It’s time for another Cebu Pacific Seat Sale!! I am a fan of Cebu Pacific. I traveled locally and internationally last year and all our tickets I booked at a promo rate. This year, I did not avail of Cebu Pacific’s promo as I was really saving up for the vacation that hubby and I went to last August. That is why when I saw this email from Cebu Pacific, I got really excited.

Cebu Pacific is offering almost 50% of their fares for flights from Manila to Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur, as well as from Clark and Cebu to Hong Kong.

1. Go Lite seat sale fare of P999: Book flights from Manila-Kota Kinabalu and Clark-Hong Kong from now until October 30, 2009. Travel period is December 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010 (perfect for the holiday season or for my birthday celebration).
2. Go Lite seat sale fare of P1999: Book flights from Manila-Hong Kong, Manila-Kuala Lumpur and Cebu-Hong Kong from now until October 30, 2009. Travel period is December 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010.
3. Go Lite seat sale fare of P888: Book flights from Manila-San Jose (Mindoro), Manila-Tagbilaran (Bohol) and Cebu-Clark from now until October 30, 2009. Travel period is December 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010.

Cebu Pacific is also offering Hong Kong Disneyland package by just adding P5,184 on the airfare and this package is inclusive of 3 days, 2 nights accommodations and one-day Disney tour.

This is so tempting. So visit Cebu Pacific site today because Go Lite seats really go fast!

I can’t believe that time really fly so fast. I can still remember when I had my Christmas shopping rush last year and now, in just a few weeks, its Christmas time once again. One of the reason why Christmas is my favorite holiday is because it gives me all the reason to go shopping. LOL.

I love giving gifts and it has been my tradition to give gifts to all my relatives, god children, friends and colleagues. Of course, on top of my list is my dear daughter. My husband and I have been thinking to buy her educational toys like Leapfrog’s Clickstart. I actually showed it to my daughter and she actually loves it to bits. Next on my list are my cousins and god children. I am reading at the buying guide for clothing for girls as I am thinking of just buying casual clothes to all my girl cousins. At least it will be something that they will really use. Children’s books are also a good gift idea as it is something that kids will enjoy and something educational.

I can really feel the spirit of Christmas!!

Because of the flood brought by Typhoon Ondoy, a lot of car owners are sending their cars for check up and repair. Would you believe that it may take one to two months of waiting because of the long queue in the car repair shop?

My dad’s car broke down also and needs new water pump. And because car repair shops prioritize those that has been heavily damaged by flood, my dad’s car was given a schedule two months from now. But he is lucky because they can still use the car, though the cooling system is not working.

My friend who lives in Chicago owns a Toyota Corolla and is in the same boat as my dad. He needs to send his car for repair also but he is lucky because he can easily get a list of Chicago auto repair shops just by accessing the website of Repair Pal. He just needs to type in the city or state, and a list of all car repair shops in that city or state will be given to him. So now, all my friend has to do is select the shop that is closest to him. Very convenient. How I wish we have the same kind of service here in the Philippines.

Come as a pirate or a mermaid in this year’s CCP Halloween event entitled “Pirates, Mermaids, and Musical Treasures: A Halloween Family Concert” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on October 30, 2009 at 6 PM.

The Metro Manila Community Orchestra (MMCO) will perform music such as The Little Mermaid, Camille Saint-Saens’ Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals, selections from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance and Handel’s Water Music; Charles’ Tenet’s La Mer and Offenbach’s Can-Can from the Orpheus in the Underworld. The musical will be directed by Captain Josefino Chino Toledo.

Those who will watch the concert are invited to come in their best under the sea or pirate costume for a costume parade at 4 PM and a price will be given to the most creative under the sea costume.

There will also be a petting zoo of orchestral instruments before the concert starts which I am sure kids will really enjoy. If only we are not away on the said date, I would have asked hubby to purchase the tickets right away as I know our daughter will have a grand time touching and trying out the instruments.

For more information, you can contact Ticketworld at 891-9999.

I used to hear before that US will likely to recover from the recession before the year ends. But now, economists are saying that it may take years before we can finally recover from the effects of this global economic meltdown.

Because of this, I have been doing some research on other investment options so we can save up for our family’s future and now my husband and I are thinking to purchase gold coins. A friend of ours recently ventured into this type of investment and she purchase gold coin. Since gold doesn’t depreciate in time, it is a wise way of investment. It also has a good resale value and since gold is widely accepted, we can easily sell it for cash. It is also very easy to store as it is very compact so we don’t need to worry for its storage.

During this time of crisis, it is really wise to explore other investment options. And we feel that to purchase gold bullion is one secure and wise way to invest our money.

When I was still in college, Chemistry is one of the subjects that I really hate. I am good in Math, Physics and my other Science subjects but I despise Chemistry. That is why when my cousin is having a hard time with his Chemistry subject in school, I can totally relate to his frustrations. That is why, I offered to help him in looking for Chemistry Help and that is when I learned that there is an available Online Chemistry Tutoring that can help him get good grades in Chemistry.

My cousin is studying in a government financed school so they are required to maintain a certain grade to retain their scholarship. So you can just imagine, how busy his schedule is, just to finish all his school requirements. That is why I really think that an Online Chemistry Help is his best option. He can talk to his Online Chemistry Tutor at the comfort of his own home which saves him time traveling to the review center so he can make better use of his time to finish the requirements for his other subjects. And what’s good with this Chemistry Tutoring from TutorVista is that my cousin will get one-on-one tutoring at a much cheaper price but still he will be sure that he will get the best Chemistry Tutor because all the tutors of TutorVista have extensive experience in tutoring students from all levels.

I am sure getting a Chemistry tutor will help my cousin soar high with his Chemistry subject.

Have you been to Malabon Zoo? This used to be famous when I was still a kid (which was like a couple of years ago already. LOL). We decided to pay it a visit two weeks ago when we happened to be in the area.

Entrance fee is P120 and I was really surprised because I know that it is just a small zoo so I find it expensive. Some sections of the zoo are:


1. Batangas Tropical Rain Forest where you can see parrots, heron, Cassowary, Tarictics, Rabbits and Crocodiles.
2. Tiger Island where there is one tiger enclosed by glass cage.
3. Mindoro’s Tropical Rain Forest where you can see monkeys, Iguanas, eagles, owls, Civet cat, Kalaw and turtles.
4. There is also a section where you can see tigers, lion, grizzly bear, Himalayan black bear and snake.

If you go in a group, they even offer shows and you can even buy feeds that you can feed to the animals.

Honestly, I was disappointed with the place. We were only inside the zoo for like 30 minutes because H and I don’t feel safe while inside the zoo. We both feel that the cages are not sturdy enough to stop the tigers or the lions if they want to attack. Although, the staffs say they are safe and I really haven’t heard of any accidents in Malabon Zoo. The aquarium also needs cleaning as the water is dark and murky that I can’t see the fishes swimming inside the big aquarium.

But I guess I have to consider also that it is a privately run zoo which means that they might have limited funds in maintaining the place. At least, if you go to Malabon Zoo, you will be able to see real animals unlike in Manila Zoo where all we saw are monkeys and empty cages. LOL.

Ito ay larawan ng repleksyon ng isang simbahan sa salamin ng Starbucks habang kami ay kumakain ng agahan, isang araw na maaga kaming nagising habang kami ay nagbabakasyon. Maagap nga ba akong matatawag? Sabi nga nila, daig ng maagap ang masipag. Pero noong araw na yun, ako ay jet lag lamang kaya alas-6 pa lang ng umaga ay gising na gising na ako.

Ngunit ako ay nag papasalamt at kami ay naging maagap ng araw na yon sapagkat yun ang huling araw naming sa Germany. Dahil sa aming pagiging maagap, marami kaming mga lugar na napuntahan, nasubukan din namin na sumama sa isang “cruise” at nasulit talaga namin ang aming huling araw sa Germany.

This is a picture of the reflection of a Church in the Starbucks window while we are having breakfast, one morning when we woke up early while on vacation. I am really not a morning person but because of jet lag, I was already up by 6 AM .

But I am glad that we started our day early because it is already our last day in Germany. Because we are our early, we were able to visit a lot of places, we even joined a lunch cruise and we were really able to maximize our last day in Frankfurt.

I got this from my travel agent last week.


So for those planning for a vacation, you can refer to this promo rates from Tripmart. My agent’s name is Abbie and you can contact her here:

Abbie
Tripmart
0917-8852604

She was referred to me by an officemate and I booked my flight to Germany through their office. What I like about their service is that they immediately attend to my inquiry. They answer me either through email, text, phone. Whatever method of communication, I had no problems as they reply to me on time. Not like other big travel agencies where they will promise to call you back and days will pass and they will not even bother to return your call.

When I booked my flight to Germany with them, I was still waiting for my husband’s ticket confirmation as he is travelling on business. I did not want to book ahead of him as I want to make sure first that his trip will push through before I make any final arrangements for my flight. The reservation that Abbie made for me is only valid for a week, and every week she will reinstate my reservation since it took I think three weeks before hubby’s travel got confirmed by his office. So that is really one good customer service. They even delivered the e-ticket to my office so I don't need to go to their office in Paranaque. Aside from their excellent customer service, their prices are really cheaper compared to other agencies (I did compare their price with 5 other agencies and their price is really the best.)

So for your travel needs, just contact Tripmart. I highly recommend them.

My husband recently covered a birthday party at Active Fun in Macapagal Area. This is the second time that we attended a birthday party here. I inquired here a few years ago, and their party area that time can only accommodate around 20 – 40 kids. But my guests is always more than 100 and so they suggested that I should book the whole place to accommodate my guests and of course this comes with a very hefty (and crazy) price, so I did not push through in booking my daughter’s party there.

But they just renovated their party area and now it can accommodate less than 100 guests (I think). Here are some pictures that my husband took:

They offer different party types depending on how many guests you have and on how many amenities you wish to add. They also have their own caterer so you need to book the catering from them too.

I am not sure now, but last year when I inquired again at their Tiendesitas branch, the party package comes with 3 hours free use of venue. The party package also mentions that it comes with unlimited play for the kids in their party area but when I inquired last year, the party time and the play time should only total 3 hours. So if you already use 2.5 hours for the party, the kids will only be given half hours of play at their play area.

Just check out their site for more details.

It’s that time of the year again when I start my Christmas shopping and what better way to shop is to go shopping online. Why? Because prices are cheaper as compared to buying it at our shops here. Plus one thing I like about online shopping is I can easily get coupon codes on the Internet that can give me discounts to my purchases. Some coupons even offer free shipping which is really a big discount on my part.

On top of my Christmas shopping list are the gifts that I need to buy for my daughter’s teachers. Since they will have their Christmas break by second week of December, I need to buy their gifts as early as now so I don’t have to do a Christmas shopping rush.

I saw some nice Nine West bags and wallets from Overstock.com which I think my daughter’s teachers will really like. And I am just so lucky since I even found Overstock coupons which can make my purchases even cheaper.

Online shopping and coupon codes really rocks!

I remember I was listening to my favorite radio station one morning and I heard them promoting the opening of Flap Jacks in Greenhills. My brother works in that area and he said that since they open their branch in Greenhills, it has become is one of his favorite restaurants.

I have been meaning to try Flap Jacks in Midtown but we always end up eating at the restaurant where we always eat (my husband and I are really not adventurous when it comes to food and so we really don’t want to try out new restaurants unless it has been highly recommended to us).

But since they are offering P250 gift certificate when you subscribe to their mailing list, we might have a reason now to try them next time we are dining out. If you want to get a mobile GC too, just sign up on their mailing list by visiting their site. The mobile GC will be send to you via email which you can use for every P500 minimum purchase until October 30, 2009.

Do you scream for Ice cream too? If you are a dessert lover like me and would like to eat all the ice cream that you can eat, then visit Haagen-Dazs Mega Atrium between 5 PM to 9 PM until December 31, 2009 and enjoy an ice cream buffet for only P499.

But if you don’t think you can consume more than two to three scoops of ice cream, you can still order the single scoop of the delicious Haagen Dazs ice cream. Hope we can drop by at Mega Atrium this weekend as I really want to try their ice cream buffet. Yum, yum.

1…not really my favorite number. But when I saw that I got a grade of flat 1 in my Computer Ethics subject, I was really glad. Computer Ethics has been my favorite subject for my first semester in UP-OU. I even love our professor since he really tailored his teaching styles with an online course.

He posted all the requirements during the first week of the semester so we already have a clear view of the requirements that we need to finish for the subject . The deadlines for each requirement are also posted so we can really plan and manage our time well to finish all the requirements. He also made the topics for discussion very interesting and not just straight from the textbooks questions. He is also very considerate with deadlines as he knows that most of us are working students.

I really learned a lot form this subject and I am really glad that I was able to experience my first semester in UP-OU with Sir GGR. Thanks again sir, I really learned a lot and thank you for recognizing our efforts.

Are you one of those companies who want to save big and instead of providing each of their employees with company owned vehicle, they just let their mobile employees use their private vehicle for business and just reimburse the expenses afterwards? Well if you answer yes, then you should definitely consider the Fleet program of Corporate Reimbursement Services Inc.

CRS can help company reduce costs in providing company owned vehicles to their employees, maintenance cost and the need for a staff to manage the reimbursement procedure of the employees. What CRS does is they manage all the reimbursement of all the mobile employees of their clients. They provide each employee with a reimbursement schedule to compute their reimbursement rate which the employee can easily access just by logging in to CRS’s website. By doing this, the employees have full confidence that all their reimbursement are accounted for and the company is confident that only business related expenses are being reimbursed to them.

I am sure all companies will find the fleet program of CRS very useful in the management of the employees’ reimbursement and it will surely help companies save thousand of dollars. Do check out their website for more information.

Prayer can really move mountains. My kumareng Peachy launched a Prayer brigade yesterday. She posted it in Twitter and in her Facebook account and she asked that we all pray at 3 PM for all our families to be safe especially that another typhoon is threatening to hit our country.

And our prayers have been answered. They say that typhoon Pepeng and category 5 typhoon and is even much stronger than Ondoy and Hurricane Katrina that hit the United States. I was really scared for my family, for the Filipinos who still remain homeless because of the havoc that was caused by Ondoy. Most of the victims haven’t recovered yet from the tragedy and yet another danger looms them. But I am really happy that God has answered our prayers. It is already 12:36 AM and we haven’t experienced any heavy rains here in Metro Manila and hopefully Pepeng will eventually live the Philippine Area of Responsibility without claiming any lives and damage to property.

Let us continue praying for each other’s safety.