LBC Donation Drive For Typhoon Sendong Victims

If you have anything to donate, LBC even here in the US is helping the victims of the typhoon Sendong in the Philippines, you will just need to drop the box, sending is FREE. I went to LBC in Dillingham here in Hawaii. They have branches in Chicago, Florida, California and probably in other parts of the US too. They might even offer a free pick up in some areas. Of course, this donation drive is also ongoing within the Philippines. LBC will accept donations till January 6, 2012 according to their Facebook Wall.

I only sent one box by the way for donation. The other one will be for another "project". For donation, I placed clothes, towels, blankets and sheets that we no longer use. I hope it will  help in any way. You probably know already I'm originally from the Philippines and I'm crossing my fingers that I can go "home" next year.

I know I should be delivering good news because it will be New Year but maybe somehow through this we can deliver some hope to the victims . It was a really sad time that this happened before Christmas and the death toll rised to over 1,200. I chose to share this video from YouTube because I think it's clear enough and short. I'm late in posting this.

Just for more information about LBC, here is their main website--LBCExpress.Com

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post

More Blog Events to Join

Here are some blog events to join, this will be one of the changes I will be doing for my blog next year year. I think it would be a good exposure and I found these events helpful on those times that I am unable to sit on the computer because I'm busy. Blog giveaways are also a great way to give back to my readers. My blog has given me a lot this year so I think it is time to invest and give back. If you know of more blog events, please let me know. Thanks a lot for all your visits!

Please click the links for more information. I had a hard time posting the HTML so I just placed the link above the button.

Blog events to join:


Green Resolutions hosted by Happy Mothering, Mama Chocolate and Purposeful Homemaking

Valentine’s Day Cash Giveaway!

Holiday Themed Eyeglasses at Zenni Optical

Eyeglasses can be expensive, especially if you buy them from an optometrist.  If you’re looking for high-quality, but monetarily cheap eyeglasses, you should try Zenni Optical.  It is our new favorite place to shop for glasses now and we recently ordered two pair of reading glasses and are very happy with them.  We chose the simple designs but a lot of their eyeglasses at Zenni are very stylish. They fit perfectly, and there is no noticeable difference between them and eyeglasses costing much more.

Here is the picture of what we ordered:

They have a very large variety of frames and lenses to choose from, and even glasses with holiday themes for those of you who want to celebrate in style.  You can to check out the great deals and frame styles.  They also launched holiday themed eyeglasses. You'll find the perfect eyeglasses for Valentine's, Christmas, Thanksgiving and other holidays . At this time, they are offering free shipping for orders $50 or more so you can get an even better deal. You’ll be very happy with the cost, must lower than you would expect for quality glasses.  I know we’re very happy with the quality of glasses and great service we received from them and you will be too.

Nickelodeon.com

This guest post from Lewis Beck

If you have young children like I do I know that you are probably worried about them getting on the internet. You will probably want to stand over their shoulder or even hold the mouse while they direct you where to click, constantly on guard for an offensive pop up. If you don’t have an internet connection you should get Wild Blue. Even if you are afraid of what your kids may be looking at online you can still benefit from all the great things the internet has to offer. One of my kid’s favorite web sites is www.nick.com. It is a site for everything Nickelodeon. My kids love the interactive games and the page with the information about each show. They like to go in and click on each and every show information page to see what new pictures they have posted of their favorite characters and read and then reread all about the character’s life in TV land. One of the best things about this site is that I know when my kids are on there I don’t have to worry about a popup coming up that they don’t need to see or any other inappropriate content.

This post is sponsored by http://get.wildblue.com/

Wordless Wednesday: Dinner at Ruth's Chris W/ Linky

I made a Wordless Wednesday linky below. If you have a WW post, just link up, no other rules. Enjoy. I'll try to visit those who will link up.

Handpainted Mailbox

The phrase term curb appeal is concerned with making a good first impression when people pass by your home, but what are some things that can give your home more curb appeal?  There are lots of things, but a nice lawn and foliage certainly help, along with entrance light fixtures, welcome mats and personalized mailboxes.  As you drive around, you will notice that most people have the normal drab mailbox, but the ones you remember are the custom mailboxes because they are different and add character to a home.

There are numerous brands for custom mailboxes, but some of the most popular are Bacova mailboxes.   Bluegrass Woods Mailboxes are the manufacturers of a complete line of mailboxes, along with other items like ice buckets, card tables, serving trays, etc.  They also offer  Bacova Guild mailboxes , which are the work of professional artists and are hand laminated with a fiberglass wrap to ensure they last for many years.  They are sturdier than the standard mailbox and much more appealing.  I especially like the handpainted mailboxes.

This post is brought to you by http://www.bacovamailbox.com/.

If The Shoe Doesn't Fit Review and 0.925 Silver Bracelet Giveaway Ends 12/30

If The Shoe Doesn't Fit is an auction site for shoe lovers. There are high end shoes but there are also bargains for moms like me who loves to get items for cheap . There are shoes for all ages! You can shop not just for yourself but for the entire family. I notice most of the shoes are for women though.

If you would like to sell shoes or swap shoes, you can also utilize their site. Here are some helpful information:

Swapping- List for free

2 Free Listings to Sell- Promo code SOLES

 5 Free Listings to Sell- Promo code B2B, you can use this with the other promo code SOLES to get 7 free listings!

You can get up to 8 free pictures per listing so it's affordable. Auto relisting up to 9 times for free is also allowed if you don't sell your shoes immediately.

For updates about their current and past promotions, you can follow them in http://twitter.com/ITSDF or Like their fan page at Facebook.

For the giveaway, Ellen of If The Shoe Doesn't Fit gave me a beautiful bracelet that have purse and shoe charms, too cute!

Disclosure: I received the bracelet in exchange of a review for the site If The Shoe Doesn't Fit. No other compensation was received.

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 I joined the Christmas Letdown giveaway hop so please check out the other blogs who are hosting giveaways.

The day after Christmas sometimes feels like a letdown. 

All that preparation, then BAM it's over. 

You're left with a hundred boxes and three garbage bags of torn paper. 

Didn't get what you wanted? You're not alone. 

This will cheer you up! 

The Christmas Letdown Giveaway Hop, 

hosted by Planet Weidknecht and co-hosted by Going Crazy! Wanna Go? 

runs from December 26 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to December 30 @ 11:59 p.m. EST. 

Each blog on the linky list below has a giveaway worth at least $20.00. 

You can hop from blog to blog and enter to win prizes on every single one!

Good luck and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 

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Rebuilding Credit Fast

With the bad financial collapse experienced by the American economy starting in late 2008, many of us are left with credit histories that have unfavorable information in them due to late payments, non-payments, and perhaps foreclosures and bankruptcies.  But you may ask how to fix credit reports after going through a tough financial crisis?  Here are information that I have learned based on research and personal experience. I still need to learn more though and try to apply what I learned.

There are a few options, but all will take dedication and a willingness to pay down your debt along with living a more frugal lifestyle.  If you want to know how to rebuild credit fast, the first step will be to gather all your bills and make a record of each one, with the remaining balance and the minimum payment each month.  After that you should list them from smallest to largest and pay off the smallest one first, no matter what the interest rates are on each debt.  Once you pay off a debt, then use the extra money you were paying on that debt and combine it to start paying off the next smallest debt.  Keep continuing this until your debts are gone.  But if you’re wondering how to find the best credit repair service after getting your financial house in order, you need to get a copy of your credit report and scan it thoroughly, looking for any discrepancies that you can request to have removed.  By watching your credit report closely, you will be amazed at how quickly your credit history can be repaired with paying your bills on time and sending extra each month.  So, start getting your credit repaired and fix your financial health, it will not only result in a higher credit score, but you’ll probably sleep better at night too.

Please visit http://raisingcreditscorefast.org/. This post is brought to you by their website.

Merry Christmas 2011!

Here are more Christmas decorations, this time from the mall, so lavish and festive. I don't really have much pictures of myself lately. These pictures were taken by me last week. RC was wearing a regular scarf that I turned into an infinity scarf. It was raining so I made her wore her rain boots for the first time outside before they're too small for her feet.

Just a quick story, I only had $2 and I needed $3 cash so RC can ride this train. So I went around asking stores if they can give a cash back if I buy something but all of them said no. Some are not even aware what it is. RC kept crying.  I remembered I had some candy bars and maybe the train cashiers will take them because they are worth more than a dollar. So I went and asked and the person infront of me also buying a ticket heard me and offered to give a dollar, how nice! So we got lucky. Then, not looking at the time that was posted at the ticket, I took RC to the train where parents are already loading the kids. I thought it was great that we did not have to be in line for long. It turned out we had to wait for another hour before she can ride as her train ticket says. So then RC was upset and crying (loudly) again. There was one spot the very front and I saw that there was no kid sitting. I asked if she can get that spot, first they said no but after they made final calls and paged no more kid showed up and RC got the spot. So there, free dollar and not needing to wait! I know that wasn't such a quick story. Not much but it's probably one of the things that I would always remember even when RC is much older.

The year is almost over. I hope all of you had a great year this year and more blessings to come in the year ahead! Merry Christmas!

I'm linking with Just Something I whipped Up, The More The Merrier, Show and Tell Friday, Creation Corner

X is for Xmas

Bamboo Tiki Bar

Wouldn’t it be cool to have a tiki bar at your outdoor area? Bamboo fencing is an environmentally friendly idea to build a tiki bar and it’s durable too. Bamboo grows rapidly and is easily replaced in the tropics, unlike hard woods which can take decades to grow.  Using bamboo can also save some money because it is low maintenance. If we have one, I think it would be nice to decorate it depending on the season.

Most of the popular home improvement programs on television focus on kitchens and but some are geared toward the outside of the home. Many homes have decks these days where families can relax outdoors and grill some burgers and hotdogs.  Decks can be made of a variety of products, but there are also accessories to consider, like panels to provide extra shade or as accent pieces.  One of the best choices is bamboo paneling.  It’s a versatile material that you can use to cover areas of your deck or pavilion to give it a more tropical look. 

Hawaiian Santa at the Christmas Party

This is the Hawaiian Santa showing the shaka sign. If you go to Hawaii, it is probably one of the common things you would learn aside from the word Aloha .

Santa from the North Pole, we have a picture with him too but I thought I was showing a little too much because my shirt was pulled down.

Christmas decors and food, lots of great food.

RC had so much fun playing with this girl. Even when all the kids were infront playing games, they just liked each other's company.

Another cute girl. I love her leggings.

This picture has other people but their faces are blurry so I posted it here. This is one of my favorite part of the party when the men are dancing.

Have you attended Christmas parties yet? This is the only one we attended.

I'm linking with Show and Tell Friday and Foto Friday

Restore Your Floors

This is how our living room looks like after I picked up the toys. I changed the furniture arrangement about two months ago so all the toys will be concentrated in this area instead of everywhere in our apartment. What type of flooring do you have? We have mostly carpet and some linoleum at the kitchen and the bathroom. The carpet has been nice especially when RC was still a baby, she can crawl and not get hurt by a flat hard surface when she was learning how to walk. Having a quality vacuum is so important for floor care. (There are Sears coupons available for vacuums.) However, I wish we have wood floors because I like the look of it and I think it is easier to clean with cleaning materials available at the market.   

With the rising cost of flooring materials and the labor required to install them, many times it makes more sense to restore floors instead of replacing them.  One of the latest trends for sidewalks and patios is colored concrete made to look like tile or marble.  There are floor care machines available that do concrete polishing to make that concrete work much easier.  Concrete lasts forever if given the proper care and maintenance over the years.  So if you’re looking for information about wood restoration, or just wanting to maintain the beautiful floors you have, you can check out floorcare.com.  They have some great equipment and supplies to make your repairs and maintenance much easier and cheaper.

I participated in a campaign about wood restoration. This post is brought to you by http://www.floorcare.com/. All opinions are mine.

Wordless Wednesday: Library and Ice Cream

These pictures were taken last week at the library. Somebody (RC) was a little too noisy, we had to get out. We received the final warning from the lady guard so when she made more noise, I just decided it was time to go.

She had a good choice of book, she loved this Nihao Kailan book. very colorful.

We went to McDonald's after and had ice cream, sooo good. First I thought of going to Cold Stone but I can only get one of this size for the price of two at McDonalds.

Library, I hope you don't get us banned from entering again.

Couponing: The Extreme Video Course Review

I’ve always wondered how the extreme couponers can save so much when it says on the coupons that you can only use one coupon per item. I remember one time, I was trying to “copy” the items that other coupon bloggers got but I am not even close to the savings they got from the same items. After taking the Couponing: The Extreme Video Course, I learned tips and tricks on how to use coupons and get free items. Just think about savings that you can get if most of your toiletries are free or almost free.  

What I think about the videos:

1.      It's easy to understand. You can hear the speaker Rayven Perkins well with examples (including computations and sample products).

2.       It's organized, it starts with videos about organizing coupons, learning the basics to applying the coupons to specific stores.

3.       I can tell that the speaker wanted to share what she knows and she shares her knowledge completely with these videos.

4.       I can relate to the speaker. I see myself doing this because I am frugal. I like to save, I like to take advantage of trial items or get things for free at stores.

I am on my way to subscribing to our local paper, search for online coupons and apply what I have learned. I believe even if I do not take it to the extreme, these videos will still help me a lot when it comes to saving when we go to our favorite grocery or drug store. I am already using coupons, it is something that I was encouraged to do because of other bloggers like me who are looking for ways to save some bucks.  

If you are interested in couponing, please visit this website. I’ll probably share more about it later once I get to have some freebies or have great savings because of what I learned in this course. I’m confident that I can do this and stay a stay at home mom.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Toy Decorated Christmas Tree

Last month, we went shopping for Christmas trees and the prices for the trees that we liked are about $100. I decided not to have a Christmas tree. I could use that money to buy something else that we need especially this time that bills and expenses are piling up. Recently, I notice RC is very fond of Christmas trees, she always try to pull the ornaments when we’re at the lobby of our building. We went to the library the other day and she wanted to play with the tree.

Today, I went to the mall to take RC to ride the Christmas train and maybe do a little window shopping. I saw this 4 feet tree priced at $14.99, additional 25% off because the store is closing. I knew I had to get it. We set it up and RC was jumping for joy. I thought I could use the flower pins to decorate it because I did not buy ornaments. She helped me decorate it with her toys too. I have a feeling the toy ornaments will change everyday, maybe a few times per day. I would not have to worry if this will fall on her because it’s short, light and no lights attached. She now has her very own Christmas tree.


Linking with Sundae Scoop,  DIY Project Parade,  Party Time and Blog Hop, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop, Think Pink Sundays, Motivate Me Monday, Just Something I whipped Up,  More the Merrier Monday, Making the World Cuter Monday, Craft Catwalk, A Round Tuit, Amaze Me Monday, Frugal Tip Tuesday, Tuesday Talent, Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays, Trash to Treasure Tuesday, Get Your Craft On,Tip Me Tuesday,  Take a Look Tuesday,  Handmade Tuesdays, Show and Share, Crafty Sasse Wednesday, Party Mindie Style, Creating My Way to Success , Wicked Awesome Wednesday,  Show and Tell Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, What's up Wednesdays, Thrifty Thursdays Get Your Brag On, Creative Juice Thursday,  Strut Your Stuff, Transformation Thursday,  It's a Party!,  Thrifty Thursday,  Hookin Up with HoH,  Show off Your Stuff, Blog Hop Social, The Thoughtful Thursday, Show and Tell Friday,  Inspiration Friday,  Feathered Nest Fridays,  Anything Goes,  Tickled Pink, Flaunt It Friday,  Feature Yourself Friday,  Frugal Friday , Friday Flair,  Free For All Friday, It's a Hodge Podge Life - Friday, Nifty Thrifty

8 Tips for a Head Start on the Holiday Season

Preparing your home and mind for the holidays is never easy and manytasks often get left till the last minute. Part of the problem is we sometimes feel the process has to be kind oflike spring cleaning but in truth, there’s a lot less to worry about. Unless you truly have time and energy for going through closets andstorage or boxes in the attic the focus should be on things that will enhancethe experience of being with friends and family.

That said, here are a few ideas to give you ahead start and take off some of the pressure when it’s crunch time:

1. Organize the kitchen: Chances are you’re going to be doing a lot of cooking for your loved ones and other guests. That’s why one of your top priorities should be to organize the kitchen so you can find what you need when you need it. Also, if you’re really going to have a full house you may want to label some of those custom kitchen cabinets so friends and family can help themselves to things like coffee, tea, and sugar.

2. Holiday cards: Purchase or make your own but start filling them out now because the longer you wait the shorter some of those personal messages may get.

3. Clean house crud: Take a look around the house and see if there’s any noticeable crud needing to be removed. Sometimes it’s on or around door knobs and cabinet doors or about waist level on the walls when passing between rooms.

4. Prep the guest room: Some guests arrive on time and others who may be flying in from out of town could show up earlier than you expected. To avert awkward moments prep the guest room early by clearing out clutter, setting aside linens, vacuuming, and adding some chocolates and other welcoming pieces around the room. That way you’ll just have to do some minor dusting shortly before they arrive.

5. Gifts: Start making the gift list now so you know exactly what you want to get.

6. Dusting the decorations: Sometimes holiday decorations that weren’t put away properly the previous year end up collecting a lost of dust. This is especially true of artificial trees that aren’t easy to wrap up and store. If some of your family members have sensitivities to dust or mold do the following before bringing these items into the main living space: Wipe off decorations and ornaments as best as possible and wash the tree down outside letting it dry completely in the sun prior to bringing it back inside.

7. New Years plans: Don’t wait for last minute deals. If you’re planning on traveling make reservations now, as flights and rooms will fill up quickly.

8. New Years resolutions: Think now about how you want next year to begin so when the clock strikes twelve you’re ready for change!

Jakob Barry writes for Networx.com.He covers various home improvement topics including commercial electricians and concrete cutting .

Blog Giveaway Events

I'm joining the Blogorama Bonanza Remix 2012 is Blogorama Bonanza Remix 2012. For more information, please click at the picture above.



It is a perfect time to find what gifts you would like to give to your mother. Makobi Scribe is proud to present Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Carnival Event from May 10 12:01 PM EST to May 18 at 12:01 PM EST and is accepting signups now.



You can also join this Valentine's Event for bloggers hosted by Real Mom Reviews & Mama Chocolate


I have always seen blog events on blogs but I haven't really tried them yet I'll try to sign up and hopefully I'll do it right on those dates. If you want to sign up, I understand that you will need to  host a giveaway for at least $25 value on those dates. Wish  me luck.

My Soon-To-Be 3 years old

Definitely not a baby anymore.

VinoTemp Beverage Coolers

From ancient times until today people have drank a variety of alcoholic beverages, but probably the most popular over the years has to be wine.  Wine comes in many types, including white, red, rose, sparkling, dessert and fortified.  Most people are usually drinking sparkling wine on New Year’s Eve. The common name for this wine is champagne.  Champagne is used for celebrations like weddings and birthdays.  There are lists of pairings matching wine varieties with different types of foods.  One of the requirements to keep your wine fresh and tasting its best is to keep it stored in a cool area without sunlight.  Today you can either build a wine cellar, or you can keep your wine cool using a vinotemp wine cooler.  Vinotemp is one of the leading brands for wine coolers. 

If you are looking for vino temp beverage coolers, please visit http://www.vinotempcooler.com. They offer a full range of vino temp wine coolers, wine refrigerators, wine cabinets, wine cellars, and also sell wine glasses, bottle openers and lots of other accessories.  They can meet any need you have for enjoying and storing wine.  This post is brought to you by their website.

PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you heard of PartyLite? PartyLite is a leading direct seller of home fragrance and high quality candles.  You can join the PartyLite community and host a PartyLite party. If you host a party, you can get a lot of freebies.  For a limited time, you can join the PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes, they are giving away $500 PartyLite Gift Certificate but you must register by December 15. I would like to win for sure so I can shop for gifts at PartyLite.

I wish I know a lot of people and have a bigger space to host parties. For now, I can only invite a few people if I host a party for PartyLite. It will probably be fun since the party is about decorating and refreshing your home with scented candles and other related candle accessories.

I think the PartyLite decoration as you can see at the picture below makes a warm and welcoming home. The candle holders and the candles are from their Amaretto Swirl collection. Their other collections include ScentGlow Warmers, Clearly Creative and Enchanted Collection.

 

For those business-minded  moms, you can be a PartyLite consultant yourself or if you just want to decorate or collect candles, you can shop at PartyLite.Com

You can also find more information about PartyLite on Facebook. There are a lot of women who are providing good feedback at their PartyLite Facebook page. Like them to get updates and promotions about their products.

PartyLite is also launching their Winter/Spring 2012 Collection on December 16.

 

More From Disneyland

I know I already shared so much pictures from Disney but here's more.

We just entered Disneyland here.

The Christmas tree at day time. It certainly feels like Christmas at Disneyland.

Watching the parade. (I know my stomach sticks out at this picture)

Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Strolling around the park. While we ate, RC took a nap at her stroller so she had more energy after.

Disneyland train that goes around the park.

It was so crowded but we still tried to ride whatever we can so we can enjoy our stay at Disneyland. I haven't seen so many strollers in a stroller parking area.

Taking more pictures while riding the train.

This was another train ride, it is more for kids.

I think this was called the Adventure Land.

Take a  picture while in line.

This is one of my favorite things we did, riding the "It's a small world" boat, relaxing but so festive. The pictures does not do justice. The line was long but it was worth it.

@Toon Town. RC had so many pictures here at Mickey's house, very cute.

Christmas tree at night, we were suppose to wait for the fireworks but we were all tired especially RC.

I wonder when we can go back here again... someday. I really want to see DisneyWorld too, it's bigger and probably better.

I'm linking with Foto Friday