Join The Game

For some people, playing games is a way to relax their mind, to keep the stress down and to keep their mind focused. Playing games is like taking a break from the real world plus all its problems and having a short vacation in a virtual world.

If you like to play games but don’t want to pay for it, then you should go to www.crownsofpower.com and download the game called Crowns of Power. You can download this game for free, except the time it takes to download the game. There is no monthly fee or charges of any kind.

It features an extensive 3D world, filled with amazing landscapes and environments. The game world is being designed to support hundreds of players simultaneously, with the network capacity to support many game servers. Players will meet up with others from all over the world to fight side by side or opposite one another on the field of battle. My character in this game is “Lorraine.” You can download the game and create your own character. If you let me know your characters name, we can complete quests together. The bigger the team we have in the game, the faster we can complete the quests. I will be waiting for you in the game.

What To Play With Your Newborn

When my eldest daughter was a baby, I just didn’t know what to do with her. First of all, she was very fussy all the time and asked me to carry her almost all the time she was awake. Whenever I put her down she would cry out loud. She could not sleep by herself and always asked people to carry her. Even after she had slept, she would open her big eyes the moment I put her down in her cot.

When she was awake, I had no idea what to do with her. What kind of games should I play with newborn? I tried to search on the internet at that time with no result. Finally today I got the answer:

Dance, Dance Revolution
Silly exaggerated movements like jazz hands or shaking your butt are particularly funny to babies. Close the drapes so the neighbors won't see.

Let's Look at Stuff
Most of your early playtime will be spent showing your baby stuff. Any object in the house that won't poison, electrocute, or otherwise hurt him is fair game. Babies love egg beaters, spoons, wire whisks, spatulas, books and magazines with pictures, bottles of shampoo or conditioner (don't leave your baby alone with these!), record albums, colorful fabrics or clothes, fruits and vegetables, and so on.

Journey Into Mom's Closet
You haven't spent a lifetime accumulating a closetful of bright, slinky, tactile clothing for nothing. Dig into your closet and show your baby your cashmere sweater, your cottony-soft favorite jeans, your brilliant plaid skirt. Run soft or silky fabrics over his face, hands, and feet. Lay fuzzy stuff down on the floor and put your baby on top of it.

Hey! What's Over My Head?
You'll be amazed at how much fun you can have with the simplest stuff around your house. Here are three ideas to start you off: Tie or tape some ribbons, fabric, or other interesting streamers onto a wooden spoon and dangle them gently over and in front of your baby's face. Take a floaty scarf and fling it into the air, letting it settle on your baby's head. Tie a toy to an elastic string (like the kind used for cat toys) and bounce it up and down in front of your baby's face, saying "Boing! Boing!" every time it descends. Remember, never leave your baby alone with strings or ribbons that could encircle his neck or that he could get into his mouth.

The Diva Within
You may have a terrible voice — but your kid doesn't know it! Now's the time to sing at volume 10, so set free that opera voice inside you.

BMW With Personality

If you have A BMW car and you want it to stand out or to have its own personality, you can visit Stealth Auto and radically transform your BMW into something truly unique with BMW Accessories.

In this site you can find from BMW Lights to Carbon Fiber Emblems to our legendary Stealth Bulbs and more. They have exactly what you need to make your BMW car stand out from the crowd.

They have over 200 brand new BMW accessories that start at just $12.95, so there is something for every budget. To see how to make your car uniquely yours, check them out.

Coughing

Today my eldest daughter is staying at home because she is coughing. Nothing serious, probably just the common flu, but I am afraid that my youngest daughter will get it too.

What could be causing a baby to cough? There are lots of possible culprits, and in some cases you need to contact your baby's doctor immediately. Here are some of the most common causes of a cough that I gather from internet:

1. The common cold
If your baby has a cold, he may have a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, a reduced appetite, and/or a low fever.

2. Respiratory syncytial virus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is common in babies. Symptoms resemble those of a cold, with a worsening cough and labored breathing. RSV usually strikes between November and mid-March and is sometimes no more troublesome than a cold. But it can lead to more serious respiratory illnesses, such as bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small breathing tubes) and pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) — especially in babies under a year old.

3. Croup
A deep cough that sounds like a bark is the calling card of croup. In babies, it's usually caused by a parainfluenza virus that narrows the windpipe. A croup cough is often worse at night. As horrible as this cough can sound, in most cases it's not too serious and can be treated at home. Still, you should call your doctor for advice.

4. Allergies, asthma, and environmental irritants
A baby who's allergic to something in his environment (such as cat dander or dust mites) may seem to have a cold that never goes away. Allergies can cause a runny nose (with clear mucus) or stuffy nose and, because of postnasal drip (mucus running down the back of his sinuses into his throat), a cough. Babies with asthma tend to cough a lot, too, especially at night. If your baby has asthma he may also have chest congestion, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. And he may have allergies or a family history of allergies or asthma.

5. Pneumonia
Many cases of pneumonia, which is an infection in the lungs, start out as a cold. If your baby has a cold that seems to be getting worse, a persistent cough, difficulty breathing, a fever, and chills, call his doctor for an appointment.

6. Sinusitis
If your baby has a cough and a runny nose that has lasted for ten days or more with no signs of improvement — and your doctor has ruled out pneumonia — she may suspect sinusitis. This bacterial infection of sinus cavities causes a lingering cough because mucus is constantly draining down the back of the throat, triggering the cough reflex. If the doctor determines that your baby has sinusitis, she'll prescribe an antibiotic. Once the sinuses are clear again, the cough should stop. Many doctors, however, don't believe young babies can have sinus infections due to their immature sinuses and will take a wait-and-see approach rather than prescribing drugs.

7. Swallowing or inhaling an object (aspiration)
A cough that has hung on for a week or more without any associated signs of illness (runny nose, fever, lethargy) or the clear discharge from the nose that signals allergies may mean that your baby has something stuck in his throat or lungs. Aspiration is the term doctors use when someone swallows or inhales an object.This scenario is more common with babies who are mobile, have access to small objects, and like to put things in their mouth

8. Whooping cough
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, has become less common thanks to the DTaP vaccine, but outbreaks still occur and the disease has been on the rise. A child with whooping cough typically coughs for 20 or 30 seconds nonstop and then struggles to breathe before the next coughing spell starts. A baby with whooping cough might also have a runny nose; red, watery eyes; a mild fever; loss of appetite; and diarrhea.

9. Cystic fibrosis
One of the clearest signs that a child may have inherited cystic fibrosis, a disease that affects about 1 in 3,000 children in the United States, is a constant cough with a thick, hard-to-clear yellow or green mucus. (Other signs include constipation, salty-tasting skin, not passing meconium right after birth, and not gaining weight or growing well.)

Buy Rolex Watch and Get $1,000 Off!

If you are thinking to buy Rolex watch as a Christmas gift for your partner or for yourself, go to Perpetual Diamonds . They have 1 day sale tomorrow (31 october 2008). You can get USD 1,000 off all orders now. Just enter the promo code GET1000 at check out. I suggest that you check what you want to buy now so you can grab it tomorrow.

Drawing

Lately my eldest daughter likes to draw using water color. Actually they are pencil colors, but after you draw with it you can just put water on your drawing and it turns to water color. Everyday, she asks me to give her paper for her to draw on. Her favorite design at the moment is the heart shape. She draws a heart shape, colors it, and cuts it out. Next she will put the heart inside the envelope (she makes the envelope from a piece of paper), then she gives it to me and says: Happy Heart’s Day, Mama!

Outsourcing Your Sales Team

Do you know that the cost of maintaining your existing employee is lower than to hire a new one? When you try to hire a new employee, you have to go through all the headache of recruiting, interviewing, training, etc. Even when you think that you have given them proper training, it will takes time for them to adjust before they can properly function.

If are thinking of outsourcing your sales team, Cydcor has an answer for you. Recently they just launched a new program that is designed to assist sales offices in supporting their communities through charity and volunteer work.

Here is the press release:

Cydcor Launches Neighborhood Leaders Volunteer Program

Leading global provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams makes it
easy for sales offices to give back to their communities through new program

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (October 22, 2008) – Cydcor, the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams, has introduced its Neighborhood Leaders Program, a new internal program available to Cydcor’s network of sales offices. The program is designed to assist sales offices in supporting their communities through charity and volunteer work.

Cydcor’s network of nearly 200 independent sales offices located across the United States and Canada will be given financial sponsorships and encouraged to donate their time and talent to non-profit, charitable organizations in their communities. Each independent office is eligible to take advantage of Cydcor’s Neighborhood Leaders Program once annually.

“We’re proud of this new program, and Cydcor wants to support the efforts of current and new sales offices,” said Cydcor President Jim Majeski, “Cydcor believes it’s imperative to not only support the communities in which we live and work, but also to support those communities in which the sales offices thrive.”

In addition to the Neighborhood Leaders Program, earlier this year, Cydcor launched a Volunteer Day benefit for its own team members in which people are paid eight hours annually for time they spend supporting a charitable organization of their choice.

“Cydcor is dedicated to supporting team members and sales office charitable ventures and igniting interest in volunteerism, whether it’s financial or a donation of time,” said Jim Majeski, President of Cydcor. “Our goal is that this philanthropic spirit will continue to be instilled in our team members and becomes ingrained in our culture. It is simply the right thing to do.”
About Cydcor, Inc.

Cydcor, Inc., is the leading provider of outsourced, face-to-face sales teams to a diverse client base of companies in a range of industries, including telecommunications, office products, retail energy and financial services. Cydcor works with a network of independently owned corporate licensee (ICL) sales offices providing clients with access to nearly 3,000 sales professionals and 200 offices in North America. The privately held company is based in Westlake Village, California.

For more information about cydcor, log on to www.cydcor.com.

When Will Baby Understand "No"?

Actually babies start understand the meaning of “No” as young as 6 months old, but they will still do whatever they are about to do. Only when they are 12 to 18 months will they start to obey you when you say “No”.

During that time they probably already know how to walk, so you have to make sure your house is safe enough for your baby to reduce the use of the “No” word. If you feel that you use too much “No” in a day, you can alternate with other words such as “Yucky” or you can use non verbal signs like moving your finger or hand. They will understand the meaning of “No” and learn to obey you if you are consistent.

Secret Of Viral Campaign

Nowadays, people are being bombarded by advertising. Unless the advertising is interesting, we tend to ignore them. That is why people are dying to know the secret of viral marketing.

Viral marketing describes any efforts that encourage people to pass a certain message to other people through the internet. The idea is to pass the message along to as many people as possible through the internet. Off course in order for people to pass a certain message, they have to like what they read, hear, or see. The real intent of the message is to advertise a certain product, but if you can make the advertisement attractive, or include a certain element that attracts people to read, hear, or watch it, there is a good chance that your advertisement can spread very fast.

After years and years of research attempting to answer the causes for something to go viral, Yovia has developed a methodology called “Social Velocity”. This new social media tells us why something spreads. It helps us to actually predict viral growth.

As a way to introduce this methodology, they are pleased to begin accepting applicants for their 2009 YouTube Social Velocity Experiment. During this experiment, they will personally work with you to model your social community via YouTube – and grow a community around your brand as you go. We have found that YouTube provides the perfect environment for testing and understanding viral growth.

Eat Spicy Food While Breastfeeding

I love spicy food. In fact, I don’t like to eat anything which is not spicy at all. Normally, if I eat non-spicy food, I will eat it with chili to make it spicy. Since it was difficult to find the type of chili that I liked here, when I went back to my home country I brought back a lot of chili and put them on the freezer so it would last longer.

When I was still breastfeeding my baby, I reduced my chili intake but did not stop it all together. I want my baby to love spicy food also, so she’d better get used to it!

Is it OK to eat spicy food while breastfeeding?

I think it is OK. If your baby is sensitive to the food that you eat (spicy or not), you'll know, because he'll be fussy after feedings, cry inconsolably, sleep very little and wake abruptly, and seem uncomfortable. You might even notice a skin reaction, wheezing, congestion, or green, mucusy stools, which could indicate another type of food allergy — for instance, to dairy, wheat, corn, or citrus in your diet and not necessarily to spicy food.

Shopping Time!

Next month is already Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas. Although I have bought some of the gifts but I still have several things that I need to buy for my family members. I am thinking of buying it on the day after Thanksgiving, which is Black Friday so I can save some money.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. This years Black Friday falls on the 28th of November 2008. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but many employers give the day off, thereby increasing the number of potential shoppers. Retailers often decorate for the Christmas season weeks beforehand. Many retailers open very early (typically 5 am or even earlier) and offer doorbuster deals and loss leaders to draw people to their stores.

Before I knew about cyber monday ads, I used to stand in line at stores at 5 am. Thank god that I don’t have to do that anymore since I can purchase them online.

Ps: For all mothers out there, I saw that Toys R Us has already put up their Big Toy Book deal already, check it out! There are some toys there that I plan to grab for my eldest daughter.

Tea! Not Pee

I was drying my eldest daughter’s hair after her bath using the hair dryer in front of the dressing table. On top of the table there was a cup of tea that belongs to my husband.

My eldest daughter: What is that?
Me: Oh, it is a cup of tea
My eldest daughter: Pee? Yuck!
Me: No, not pee. It is tea!
My eldest daughter: Tea? Oh… Tea…! Hmmmmm Yummy! I like tea!

Beautiful Bird Feeder

When I was a small girl, during the day I lived with my grandparents while my parents were working. Since most of my cousins also lived in the same area, we had lots of fun everyday just playing around. When we were bored playing, we just walked around the neighborhood to see other houses. Some of the neighbors had bird feeders in front of their house. In the mornings we could see a lot of birds that stopped by in that feeder to drink and to eat.

To bad that nowadays I rarely see bird feeders anymore, although with bird feeders you can enjoy the sounds of birds in the summer without have to break the bank buying the birds and taking care of them.

If you are interested in buying a bird feeder, I suggest that you visit Birdfeeders.com. They have a very beautiful selections of hummingbird feeders which when you set up in your house is guaranteed to make a conversational piece around your housing area. Birdfeeders.com is a good resource for just about every wild birding need, from feeders to seeds.

You can even integrate an eco-friendly feel and invite a natural element of wildlife into your outdoor room designs by including wild bird feeders.

Eight Medicines You Shouldn't Give Your Baby

Babies and children are much more likely than adults to have adverse drug reactions, so be careful when giving your baby prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication. In fact, until your baby reaches 6 months consult a doctor before giving her any medication at all.

Here are eight medicines you shouldn't give your baby:

Aspirin
Never give your baby aspirin or any medication containing aspirin. Aspirin can make a child susceptible to Reye's syndrome — a rare but potentially fatal illness. Aspirin is sometimes referred to as "salicylate" or "acetylsalicylic acid." Read labels carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you're not sure whether a product is aspirin-free.

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines
In October 2007 a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted to recommend that these medicines not be given to children under 6 years old. Studies show that these medicines are not effective to children under 6 years old.

Anti-nausea medications
Don't give your baby an anti-nausea medication (prescription or OTC) unless her doctor specifically recommends it. Most bouts of vomiting are pretty short-lived, and babies and children usually handle them just fine without any medication.

Adult medications
Giving your baby a smaller dose of medicine meant for an adult is dangerous. If the label doesn't indicate an appropriate dose for a baby her size, don't give that medication to your baby.

Any medication prescribed for someone else or for another reason
Prescription drugs intended for other people (like a sibling) or to treat other illnesses may be ineffective or even dangerous when given to your baby. Give her only medicine prescribed for her and her specific condition.

Anything expired
Toss out medicines, prescription and OTC alike, as soon as they expire. Also get rid of discolored or crumbly medicines — basically anything that doesn't look the way it did when you first bought it. After the use-by date, medications may no longer be effective and can even be harmful. Don't flush old drugs down the toilet, as they can contaminate groundwater and end up in the drinking water supply.

Extra acetaminophen
Some medicines contain acetaminophen to help ease fever and pain, so be careful not to give your baby an additional separate dose of acetaminophen. If you're not sure what's in a particular medicine, don't give her acetaminophen or ibuprofen until you've first gotten the okay from your doctor or pharmacist.

Chewables
Chewable tablets are a choking hazard for babies. If your baby's eating solids and you want to use a chewable tablet, crush it first, then put it in a spoonful of soft food, like yogurt or applesauce. (Of course, you need to make sure your baby eats the entire spoonful in order to get the complete dose.)

About Alcoholism And Drug Addiction

Alcoholism or drug addiction is a disease that is very difficult to recognize, because it doesn’t look, sound, or smell and it certainly doesn't act like a disease. To make matters worse, generally the person who has it denies and resists treatment.

Promises rehab center treats addiction to a variety of drugs and substances, including: Alcohol, Cocaine, Codeine, Heroin, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and many others.

The Answer Is......

The answer of the question from my previous post:

She was hoping that the guy would appear at the funeral again!!!!!

After I reading the answer, I slapped my head. How come I never came up with that answer. I think it is probably because I am not a psychopath. If you answered this correctly, you have a problem, because you think like a psychopath.

Actually my answer is: The guy is actually attracted to her, but he met her sister in another occasion, but because her sister looks exactly the same as her (they are twins), the guy is dating her sister without realizing it. That is why she got frustrated when she found out and killed her sister.

It’s probably too long winded an answer, but I am not a psychopath.

Choosing Fabric For Curtain

At this moment I am on the quest to find a suitable fabric for my new home furnishing. I am good at sewing and I always make my own curtains, bedding, and so on. Since will spend a lot of time making them, I want them to last a long time. Thus, high quality material is a must.

I tried to go to the local fabric store the other day to buy the material that I wanted, but unfortunately I could not find any fabric that I like.

Frustrated, I tried my luck online, hoping to find something there. In the end I came across this site called FabricsandHome.com which has a huge selection of fabrics for window treatment, bedding, pillows, etc. I am quite impressed with their fabric selections and to tell you the truth I like all of them. The one that I really fancy is their Robert Allen Fabrics selection. Although the price is out of my budget, but at least I know their quality won’t disappoint me.

Probably I will just use it for my living room since we spent most our time there, and I really want a thick and good quality curtain that can last and this Robert Allen Fabric fits the bill. Decision….decision…

Tempted to buy this for my daughters' room

Magic Wand

One of my eldest daughter’s favorite animated movie is Cinderella. She has been wishing for a magic wand like the Cinderella’s fairy godmother for a long time. Since one of her Disney activity book had instructions how to make a magic wand, yesterday I spent the afternoon making a magic wand with her. She cut out the stars and I put them together to make a magic wand.

After it’s done, she said: “Hmmmm, now I can just say “bibbedi… bobbedi…boo” and no need to do my homework….”

Place For Creative Designers

If you are a creative designer (web designers, graphic artists, videographers, photographers, artists, architects, illustrators) and are looking for a place to display your work to get some exposure, or if you are not a creative designer but looking for one, then you should hop to www.designhide.com.

DesignHide.com is a place for creative media producers to display their works to like minded creative professionals and design studios, while simultaneously encouraging new business connections with professionals looking for the best creative designers. Currently, they have web designers, graphic artists, videographers, photographers, artists, architects, illustrators in their system.

I found the site simple, clean and easy to navigate, as you can see below:

In the past few months DesignHide.com has attracted a wide variety of work and a number of quality design businesses listed. Additionally, they also run a monthly feature called the "Designer Spotlight" in which they interview a well known or interesting design group about the industry and their work.

I am not a designer, but sometimes I need one. Not for my personal need, but for my company I work for. Every year, I have to launch at least 1 line of new product. New product means new packaging and new packaging need nice product photos. We do have an in house designer, but sometimes they overloaded with the company’s projects and we need to outsource somewhere else.

This website is extremely useful for me as I can look at their portfolios first before contacting them. If I like what I see then I can contact them directly. They even have the search engine where I can narrow my search by location (we are talking worldwide) or by projects. When you like a particular designer and you want to see their portfolio you just click on it and you can find their portfolio, their website and how to contact them as you can see below.

Hair-Band Made Of Condom

I got this shocking email yesterday. After reading this, I checked every hair band I got. I don’t know whether this is true, but I think it’s better to be safe than sorry.

I know that not all factories in China do this kind of thing, but sometimes I am wandering how come they can sell things so cheaply. I also work in a manufacturing company, and these last 5 years my sales have dropped a lot as our price cannot compete with our competitors from China.

The funny thing is, in the end we opened another factory in China to make use of the cheap labor, but our price is still higher than our China competitors. It really makes me wonder.

"BEIJING (AFP) - Used condoms are being recycled into hair bands in southern China threatening to spread sexually-transmittable diseases they were originally meant to prevent, state media reported Tuesday.

In the latest example of potentially harmful Chinese-made products, rubber hair bands have been found in local markets and beauty salons in Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in southern Guangdong province, China Daily newspaper said.

People could be infected with AIDS, (genital) warts or other diseases if they hold the rubber bands or strings in their mouths while waving their hair into plaits or buns,' the paper quoted a local dermatologist who gave only his surname, Dong, as saying. A bag of ten of the recycled bands sells for just 25 s en (three cents), much cheaper than others on the market, accounting for their popularity, the paper said. A government official was quoted as saying recycling condoms was illegal.

China 's manufacturing industry has been repeatedly tarnished this year by a string of scandals involving shoddy or dangerous goods made for both domestic and foreign markets.

Pimples and Dandruff

When I was a teenager, I used to have lots of pimples on both sides of my face and forehead. I tried many medicines both traditional and non-traditional, but my pimples did not get any lesser. In the end, I went to the dermatologist and found out that the root cause of my pimples was my shampoo. It seemed that my skin could not stand dandruff shampoo, and it caused me to have the pimples. The dermatologist prescribed a special dandruff shampoo to me and also medicinal cream for my pimples. After a month, the treatment got rid of both my dandruff and my pimples.

If you have any problems with your skin, it’s best to go to a professional dermatologist like Dr.Martin Sands rather than experimenting with numerous remedies yourself that will not yield any positive result.

She Likes To Sit Up

My younger daughter loves it when I sit her up. I put several pillows on her sides to prevent her from tumbling down. I gave her the opportunity to sit up in different places around the house, since I read that sitting helps develop and maintain balance, which is a key part of physical development. What's more, the new perspective helps your baby's cognitive development. After knowing the fun of sitting down, she gets irritated when I put her down on her bed.

I read that babies learn to sit independently between the ages of 4 and 7 months, about the same time they master rolling over and holding their heads up. About 90 percent of babies can sit well for several minutes without support by the time they're 8 months old. Once their back and neck muscles are strong enough to hold them upright and they have figured out where to put his legs so they won't topple over, it's just a matter of time until they move on to crawling, standing, and walking.

Legend Of The Seeker

On this upcoming November 1st, I will wait in front of my TV to watch the highly-anticipated, epic fantasy series “Legend of the Seeker”.

This film is based on the bestselling works of author Terry Goodkind. Directed by filmmakers Sam Raimi and his partner Rob Tapert (the talented creators of the long-running, successful series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess), combines elements of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance with exotic New Zealand as its backdrop, it is sure to become one of my favorite serials on TV. If you want to know more details about it, visit http://www.legendoftheseeker.com/

If you want to see the trailer, see below:

Psycho Test

I got this test in the e-mail from my hubby. This is supposed to be a test used by a famous American Psychologist to check if one has the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly. I am not sure whether it is true, but just for fun let do the test.

A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a man she didn't know. She thought this guy was amazing, so much her dream guy, that she believed him to be just that! She fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and couldn't find him. A few days later she killed her sister.

Question: What is her motive in killing her sister?

Share your answer on the comment and check again this page tomorrow for the answer.

Parents Must Play An Active Role To Raise The Children

I believe that we, as parents, must play an active role to raise our children and not just leave it to the school. We send our children to school to get an education and also to learn how to socialize with other people. However leaving it to the teacher or school alone is not enough to prepare our children to face the world. We also need to enrich them morally by setting an example of good ethics and behavior. Lately, we read and hear about so many problems which are afflicting our teenager. Some people blame on the environment, and the others blame it on the parents.

It is probably true that we as parents do not spend enough time with them. We are too busy working to get food on the table that we forget to give them other essential “foods”.

I remember that, my parents were very particular about having dinner together on the table. My mother insisted that we MUST have dinner together every day. Even if one of us has other appointment and are late for dinner, the other will have to wait. During dinner it was the time when we shared our experience, our problem, or our victory.

I found a new invented gadget at Life Learning Devices.com that makes it easier for parents to pass on words of wisdom to their kids on a daily basis. It is just a button that can sit on your desk, beside the coffee pot on the kitchen table or just about anywhere you pass during the day. When the button is pressed, it verbally relays secrets of life and words of wisdom from some of history's greatest achievers, like “You are younger today than you ever will be again. Make use of it for the sake of tomorrow”.

Parents can put this button on their dining table and everyday they can press it to pass on words of wisdom to their children. It gives parents something more to talk about other then the typical "How was your day at school? fine" conversation. It will give something for the children to think about before they go to sleep.

The correct way to cook instant noodles without harming our bodies and health

Normally, how we cook the instant noodles is to put the noodles into a pot with water, throw in the powder and let it cook for around 3 minutes and then it's ready to eat. This is the wrong method of cooking the instant noodles. By doing this, when we actually boil the ingredients in the powder, normally with MSG, it will change the molecular structures of the MSG causing it to be toxic. The other thing that you may or may not realize is that, the noodles are coated with wax and it will take around 4 to 5 days for the body to excrete the wax after you have taken the noodles.

The correct method is the following:
1. boil the noodles in a pot with water
2. once the noodles is cooked, take out the noodles, and throw away the water which contains wax
3. boil another pot of water till boiling and put the noodles into the hot boiling water and then shut the fire
4. only at this stage when the fire is off, and while the water is very hot, put the ingredient with the powder into the water, to make noodle soup
5. however, if you need dry noodles, take out the noodles and add the ingredient with the powder and toss it to get dry noodles.

Making Ice Cream

Yesterday, my hubby suddenly wanted to make ice-cream. After going to the pediatrician for the rotar virus and the last dose of Hepatitis B vaccination for my baby, we dropped by the supermarket and bought the ingredient such as milk, strawberry, and cream. When we arrived home, he immediately started to make the ice cream while I bathed both of my daughters. By the time we finished our lunch, my eldest daughter wanted to eat the ice cream already, although it was still not frozen yet, but who cares as it tasted good already. I love strawberry ice cream, especially the one that used real strawberry.

When I was a kid, there was this ice cream parlor place that my parents used to bring me every week. The table and chair were made of rattan and there was no air con, only ceiling fans. It’s a simple place but the taste of the ice cream was wonderful. It’s so delicious that I never get enough of it.

The last time I went back home with my hubby, we visited that place again. Everything has remained the same although 30 years have already passed. The same style of furniture is still being used and even the waiter’s uniforms look the same. My hubby also fell in love with the taste of the ice cream. We visited my home country for 10 days and every day we went there for the ice cream.

Your Home: Asset or Liability?

My parents have always advised me to buy a house first before any other capital investment as a house is the most valuable asset. However, I have read that a lot of people consider that owning a house is a liability instead of an asset, because when you own a house, you have to pay quite a substantial amount every year to pay the mortgage, land tax, maintenance, etc. It is cheaper if you rent a house rather than owning a house.

However, I found out that property in a good area is always increasing in value. It’s true that in the short term it is probably cheaper to rent, but we must also think about the long term. A good example are my own in-laws, they invested their money in something else and not in property. One day, they realized that the property prices have increased so much that even by selling all of their assets, it is not enough to buy them a decent house.

Probably I should ask Mr. Martin Sands.

Bath Time!

Yesterday I managed to give both of my dogs a bath yesterday. This was my first experienced in giving a bath to a dog. I had never given a bath to a dog before and yesterday I managed to give both of them a bath all at once.

The last time they had a bath was something like 3 months ago. Since I took over caring for the dogs, I have only fed them and got rid of their poo, but had never bathed them before.

I decided to give them a bath because I could not stand their awful smell anymore. I thought that not giving a bath to the dogs for 3 months was awful and I was afraid people will accuse me for being an un-responsible dog owner. However, after looking it up on the internet, it seems that we cannot give a bath to dogs too often as it will dry up their skin. Once their skin dries up, they will keep scratching and it will irritate the skin (and I thought that giving them a bath everyday will make them stop scratching).

Anyway, unlike all the movies I have watched or the books I read that, implied that dogs don’t like to take a bath, and that we have to chase after them to give them a bath, my Rottweiler stood still all the time while I was bathing him actually until I was done with him. My Labrador tried to run away once, but after I scolded him, he also stood still nicely. After the bath both of them smelled nice, but the next day, they smelled like dogs again.

Ma ma ma ma ma!

That is what my 4-months old baby likes to say whenever she wants attention, is hungry, sleepy, or not comfortable. Who taught her to say mama? Why not papa? Hahahahaha! It’s very cute the way she says it. It sounds like she is grumbling and complaining.

Nowadays, she also likes lots of attention. Whenever I pass by, she looks at me with hopeful eyes and a smiling face, and when I just pass by without playing with her, she will start to cry. She is so adorable.

Real Estate Investment In Panama

If you are looking for a place to invest your money on real estate, I suggest you look at Panama. Panama, a Central American country is one of the most popular destinations for those who want to live or retire in a tropical country with a relaxed atmosphere. Being located right in the heart of the Caribbean, buying real estate in Panama would give you a prime piece of property, without putting too much of a dent on your budget as the cost of real estate in Panama is incredibly low.

Many North American people like to retire in Panama because Panama’s retirement benefit program is the world’s most generous for retirees, the cost of living is low, the land and beaches are beautiful and the people are friendly.

Due to 100 years of American presence, much of the infrastructure in Panama is remarkably similar to the US. There is the typical array of streets, highways, and of course, potholes. Most cities have electricity, telephone, cable and Internet.

If you are interested in buying property in Panama, you can check Hotel Casco Anotiguo project. Upon its completion, the restored Hotel Casco Antiguo will be a condominium-hotel with 34 rooms and a full complement of amenities. A first in Panama, guests and owners will have access to the inaccessible through in-house concierge services provided by Quintessentially, the world's leading luxury lifestyle group. Register for an eBrochure Here.

My Baby Head Is Not Even

My baby has a flat spot on one side of her head. This condition is called “positional plagiocephaly” (play-gee-o-SEFFah-lee). Actually her head was in perfect shaped when she was born, but the first few months I always put her head to the right side during night times (facing me) so I can see her face at night to make sure that she was breathing and there wasn’t anything blocking her nose and mouth. During the day, I put her head to the left side to make sure that her head is even. Despite my efforts her head is still flat on the right side.

Now I tried to position her head more on the left side. It’s quite difficult now that she is 4 months, every time I position her head to the left she is strong enough to move her head back to the right although I already put a small pillow to prevent her to turn to the right.

About Lasik Surgery

When we are presented LASIK surgery option to correct our vision, the first few questions that come in mind are: Is it safe? What is the successful rate?

Some of the more common complications associated with LASIK surgery involve the eye flap, or area of the eye that covers the cornea. This flap is cut during the LASIK procedure so patient's cornea can be re-shaped using a laser. The flap is then replaced.

At times the flap may be incorrectly cut or injured. Fortunately there is a new procedure that minimizes this risk. Modern LASIK technology, known as the iLASIK™ Procedure, uses two lasers instead of one, as in earlier versions of the procedure. While this modern Lasik is a more expensive alternative, many patients are choosing this procedure over traditional procedures to reduce the risk of injury associated with a traditional blade cut to the corneal flap.

When I looked up about LASIK information in the internet, recent studies suggest that up to 5% of patients undergoing LASIK procedures will experience some mild side effects. Generally complication risks are minimized when patients for the procedure are carefully screened and selected. Some notable results of the military’s evaluation of modern LASIK in 100 military personnel showed that 95% achieved 20/20 uncorrected vision or better. When asked, 100% of naval aviators having undergone the procedure would recommend the surgery to other naval aviators.

According to Dr. Schallhorn, “technologically speaking, there is no better time than now to join the over 12 million Americans who have benefited from LASIK."

Eating Crabs

On Sunday, after watching a cooking show where the host demonstrated how to cook crab dishes, my husband suddenly wanted to eat crab. He went to the market and bought 11 crabs. Out of 11 crabs, 5 of them were the type which had roe in them. He baked these 5 crabs and the rest, half he cooked with black pepper and the other half he cooked with sweet and sour sauce.

My favorite dish is the baked crab. I just love the sweet taste of baked plain crab and they just taste fresh and delicious. My favorite part is the shell where you can find all the tasty juicy innards and roe.

I gave my eldest daughter a bit of the roe and the flesh, and she said: Hmmmmm, nice. However, when I asked her whether she wants some more she said: No Thanks (It means that she doesn’t like it). Oh well, I also didn’t like crabs when I was her age.

I am beginning to wonder, when we were kids and we could eat all these yummy high cholesterol food, why we didn’t like it, but when we older and are not suppose to eat so much of it, we enjoy it.

I Think I Need This!!

Recently, while I was blog hopping, I came across this software called Dragon Naturally Speaking. This software claims to be able to capture and transcribe your voice at 150 words/ minute. If you want to find out how fast this software can type, you can go to Dragon’s typing speed test!

After watching the video above and reading more about Dragon Reviews, I realized that I can use this software to ease my job of writing my customer visit report.

I have told you before that my job requires me to travel a lot, especially to Asia Pacific and the USA region, since most of my customers are there. Normally, I will visit them twice a year to discuss about their sales performance, customer complaints, marketing strategies, new product launching, etc.

One of my agenda also includes market surveys, which requires me to visit all the supermarkets, departmental stores or stores in that particular country. Since I have to visit more than 5 places in one day, sometimes it is quite difficult to remember the situation of each store. If I have to write everything down in my notebook it will attract attention and I don’t want that. Thus, my strategy is just to bring a voice recorder and record my thoughts down about everything that caught my attention.

My problem always starts when I come back from the trip and I have to listen to all those recording and converting it to a written report. My understanding about this Dragon NaturallySpeaking software is that I can just re-play my voice recording and the software will transcribe it for me, and all I have to do is just edit it. If fact, I can do my report in airport while waiting for my plane. Amazing!

New Hair Cut

Today I got a hair cut. The last time I went to the hair salon to have a hair cut was about 5 months ago, so it’s over due already.

This time I cut it very short because I still have severe hair loss due to hormonal change after delivery. With short hair I don’t have to comb my hair anymore. Even if I comb my hair, I think it will less pulling with short hair.

Anyway, when I got home after the hair cut, my eldest daughter looked at me and immediately made a comment: Wah! Mama, you look like Papa now.

Family Business

Hector Kabande is a hotel executive and serves as member of the board of directors of Grupo Lucerna. His executive duties include the areas of hotel development and operations for all Lucerna Hotels. Grupo Lucerna is a family business and Hector Kabande’s mother, Maria Teresa C. De Kabande serves as president of the company and sits with him on the board.

One of his passion is cooking and his secret ingredient is hot peppers. He uses the finest and hottest chilies he can find for his special recipes. Hector’s friends know about his passion and regularly bring him fresh peppers from their home gardens.

What I Want

My birthday has already passed, but if somebody asked me what I want for my birthday, I will answer that I want 24 hours for myself. The last time I got time all 24 hours for myself was about 4 years ago, before I got my eldest daughter. Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughters and I love my life, but sometimes I miss my old days, where I could just relax and do nothing, or re-read my favorite books, or watch old favorites movies.

I think 24 hours is more than enough, because if it is longer I will miss both my daughters terribly, besides too much free time can also be boring.

I am hoping that my hubby reads this entry and gives 24 hours of free time to me by taking care of the children. Hmmmm…. But I think even if he reads this, he will pretend that he did not read it.

Dinner With Family

My MIL has two half sisters (same mother different father). The eldest is unmarried and the second one is married with 3 sons. Two of her sons migrated to Australia, and two days ago they come to visit us. My MIL took care of them when they were small while their parents were working, so they are quite close to my MIL.

We went out to dinner together, and I brought my two daughters. As usual my eldest daughter could make some small conversation with them but was very picky when it she ate. My youngest daughter was a very good girl the whole evening. She was awake the whole time but she was contented just to look around and listen intently to the conversation. I can see that she is a good observer and listener.

About Musis Lessons

We have a piano in our house, but nobody can play it anymore. My MIL told me that she sent both her sons (one of them is my husband) to learn how to play the piano, but I guess both of them have forgotten how to play it already.

I am planning to send both of my daughters to for piano lessons someday when they are old enough to learn. I heard that Amadeus Home Music School provides quality music lessons, and they can also provide private music lessons at our venue of choice which is in our house. I think, this arrangement suites me very well as I can monitor my daughter’s progress in the convenience of my own home.

My Little Phone Operator

My 4 year old eldest daughter can now receive a phone call while I am busy. I have never taught her to do it, but somehow she can manage to do it.

It happened about a week ago when I was busy in the kitchen and the phone in the living room was ringing. Actually we put the phone up quite high up, but she managed to reach it and picked up the phone. Then I heard one side conversation: Hello! Mama is in the kitchen. OK. Then followed by: Mama… somebody wants to talk to you!

Then when I came, she handed over the phone to me (a few months before, she refused to give it to me). While I talked on the phone, she was also busy talking on her own toy phone.

Jewelry As Investment

One of my hobbies since I was teenager is to collect gold jewelry. My parents always gave me gold jewelry on my birthdays. When I started to work and earned my own money, at the beginning of every month after pay day, I always bought a gold bracelet for myself, then the following month a matching necklace and so on. Although I see this as a hobby, actually it is also a good investment, as the price of gold has been on the increasing trend for the last 10 years.

Besides gold jewelry, pearls are also a solid investment but not all pearls mind you. The highest grade freshwater pearls known as "freshwater orient pearls" are currently under priced. In future years their value is predicted to climb, and jewelry will always be valuable regardless of where the dollar's at.

Tips On Strolling With Your Child

When you use a stroller to go out with your child, make sure you do the followings:

Stop Mechanism
This is very important as you must put on the stop mechanism even if you stop for a few second

Safety Belt
This is also a must. Always buckle up your child every time he or she is in the stroller

Weight
Check for stability by hanging something on the back of the stroller to see if it remains stable

Positioning
A stroller can be easily unbalanced by a restless child who tries to stand up. Interest your child with toys so that he/she will be preoccupied.

Carry-Ons
Going out for a stroll means taking along your child’s needs, such as diapers, toys, a change of clothes, which may tip even the sturdiest strollers. So buy one that has some storage space under the seat.

Parking
Make sure your child is within sight when getting in and out of your car. Don’t park the stroller behind the parked car. Secure your child in the car seat before your deal with your shopping things.

Road Safety
Never wait on the road while waiting to cross the road. The kerb is the best place to wait.

Collapsible stroller
Collapsible stroller can easily snap back into place, so make sure they are opened up fully and locked in the open position.

About Tax

Although I am selling this house and bought another new house, I don’t think I am qualified for Section 1031 tax deferred exchange, since I don’t use the house for business activity.

Section 1031 is the provision of the Federal Income Tax Code that permits companies and individuals to exchange property of a like-kind without incurring any liability for paying capital gains tax dues.

To qualify for a 1031 Exchange, both the property transferred and the property received must be held either for productive use in trade or business or for investment.

Oh well, something that you can not avoid is tax and death.

Funny Experience

Have you ever gone shopping for 8 hours non-stop? Probably you have. But how about if I told you that I spent 8 hours shopping in Wal-Mart? Crazy, I know!

It was in 1995 and it was my first year in US. Me and my roommate went to Wal-Mart right after lunch by bus. It took us such a long time because we didn’t bring our shopping list with us and we browsed every alley to make sure that we didn’t forget anything.

When we went out from our house, it was sunny and hot, so we were just wearing shorts and t-shirts. However, when we got out of Wal-Mart, 8 hours later, not only was it almost dark outside, but it was also snowing. To our horror, we also realized that the last bus for the day was due any time at the bus stop. We quickly walked as fast as possible to the bus stop, but our grocery bags were so heavy and our fingers were freezing. Thus we could not walk as fast as we wanted to be. By the time we arrived at the bus stop, our last bus had already gone off. We screamed and yelled but they could not hear us.

We went back to Wal-Mart and discussed our situation. We decided to call a taxi. We looked at the yellow pages and found that there were 3 taxi companies. The first company that we called said that all their taxis are full, so we tried the second company and we have got the same answer. When I called the last company and got the same answer, I notice that the voice of the operator sounded similar, so I asked. It turned out that all three taxi companies were actually the same company and they only have 3 taxis in total! No wonder I could not get any taxi service.

In the end, we called our friend and asked him to pick us up.

Journey to Weight Loss

If you plan to reduce your weight, make sure that you are committed to do it. You must realize that there is no easy way to loose weight and whether you plan to exercise regularly or follow a strict diet, make sure that you enjoy whatever you do, because you need to do it forever.

If you don’t make your exercise regime or your diet as your life style, you will gain your pounds back in no time. A lot of people tend to fall back to their previous life styles once they have reached their target weight, thus they will gain back their weight very fast.

LapBand surgery is not for those who want a quick fix or simply don’t want to go on a strict diet, but if you are interested in doing it and you are in the cincinnati area, you can check out the lapband cincinnati center.

Choosing Daycare Center

If you are a working mom, you have to make a very difficult decision which is to choose a good daycare center. Don’t be afraid to be very picky and open your ears very wide for any comments or suggestions. Even a slight rumor is worth it to investigate. Don’t be shy to ask other moms. Start to inquire about it six months before you’ll need childcare.

Below is the list of warning signs that you must to look out for. If you see any of these sign in your daycare that you investigate, then keep looking for other daycares:

1. A so-so reputation
2. Loose rules
3. A questionable curriculum
4. An inadequate staff
5. An undercompensated staff
6. Dirty, unsafe facilities
7. An expired license

Even after you have chosen your daycare, you must keep your eyes and ears open. Inspect your child after you bring her/him home and always listen to their complaints (if they can talk already).

How To Prevent Your Child to Look At Porn

It is very difficult nowadays to protect our kid from pornography exposure. With the convenience of the internet, it’s very easy for children to be exposed to pornography.

So, if you are really concerned about Internet safety and keeping your family safe from Internet pornography, you need to get both a filter and a pornography detection tool like SurfRecon. Filters can block access to pornographic websites, but it can be bypassed. SurfRecon allows you to scan a computer and detect porn to see if any pornographic images are hiding in your computer.

I think it's a good idea to put the computer in the living room and not in the children room. That way, we can always check on what our kids are doing on their computer. After all it’s our responsibility as parents to keep a vigilant lookout and continue to check on our children activities.

My 4-Months Old Baby Fell From Bed!

My 4-months old baby fell down from my bed. Yes, my baby was sleeping with me and I just left her to go to bathroom to pee, then I heard a thump followed by a loud cry. I quickly got out from the toilet and I saw my baby on the floor facing down. Luckily, there was a blanket on the floor so she had a bit of cushion when she fell. However, when I saw her on the floor, my heart almost leapt into my mouth and I quickly scooped her up and hugged her to calm her down.

I made a quick inspected her to check if she suffered any injury. The first thing I checked was her head. Gently, I pressed all parts of her head, looking for any depression, soft spot or swelling, I then checked her face. I saw a red mark on her left cheek that later turn slightly bluish. I also checked whether her pupils were even and whether her pupils followed my finger when I moved it. I also moved her limbs to see if there were any broken bones (she laughed when I moved her limbs). Except for the red bruise on her cheek everything seemed OK. Thank God!

US Address For International Buyer

My sister-in-law loves to browse through ebay. Sometimes if she can find something that interest her with a good price she will bid for it.

The other day, I received a phone call from her. She complained to me to vent her frustration about not having an US address. Apparently, she saw her favorite books were on auction with a good price and the bidding time was almost over. She quickly put her bid down with the hope that she could win the bid. To her surprise her bid could get through with a message that said that they cannot receive a bid from an international buyer.

However, it seems her frustration is over because shipito.com provides an US address to use. To date they have over 1,400 clients that use their us mail forwarding service.

Saving Tips

Always make a list of what you want to buy before you go shopping. Avoid any impulse buying. If you see a big discount on items that you use regularly (soap, shampoo, milk powder) by all means, buy as many as you can to stock up, but make sure you check the expiry date of the items.

Sometimes when we see pretty dresses, handbags, or shoes which are on sale, we are tempted to buy them. My trick is to go home first and think it over. Most of the time after I have arrived home, I forget about it.

Another Choice

I would like to wish a big thank you to all of you who participated in my previous poll. I like the Toyota Land Cruiser but my husband told me that this car is quite difficult to handle. He suggested the Lexus GX instead. After looking at the photo, I don't really mind getting this one, but I still need your opinion one more time.

Powered by vLane.com See more Create your own!

Note: Note: If you want to conduct your own poll about cars like above, you can go to vlane.com. That site was created to help people go through the car buying process by helping them make good decisions.

Sold

After almost being 2 months on the market, I have finally sold my house. Within these 2 months, 25 potential buyers come and saw the house. The ones that finally bought the house were the 25th viewers. They came at 7 pm at night, and closed the deal at 9pm.

From all these 25 viewers, only 6 gave offers, but 2 cancelled their offers. The final price is not as high as our expectation at first, but we could not wait any longer since we really needed the money to pay for the new house.

Gift

If you are sick and tired of receiving gifts that you don't really want, then you should go to Wisheo and create Group Gifts and Wishlists so that people know what you want and give you part of the funding to buy something that you really want.

First you create a group gift, then invite friends and family to participate, collect contribution, and voila! You can buy the thing that you have always wanted.

About Cleaning

My youngest daughter is now in the “sucking fingers” phase. Not only does she like to suck her own fingers, she also likes to suck everything that she can grab. Here are four simple tips to help keep a healthier home with a baby around.

1. Make sure you clean and disinfect.
I have a TV inside my room and I put the remote control on the bed. I don’t know why my baby likes to play with remote control. Although, remote controls may look perfectly clean but actually they are full of germs. I normally clean it with an alcohol swap.

2. Clean as you go.
With a new baby, time is precious. Make the most of every minute by spot cleaning and disinfecting throughout the day.

3. Sanitize daily.

4. Wash your hands frequently.
Experts say this is the best way to get rid of germs. Using warm water and soap, scrub your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds.

Second Hand Car

Regarding the pool that I conducted yesterday, it seems out of the total 15 people that vote, 12 peoples think that Toyota Land Cruiser is a good choice. However, since I think the price is quite expensive, I will buy second hand car.

When looking for second hand car, always check the car's papers. They will show you records of any accidents. Avoid buying a car that has accident report, since there is probability that they didn’t select a good auto body shop, although nowadays finding a good auto body shop can be done online, you even can get the estimates online. One of the example is yorba linda collision repair.

She Can Rollover

My youngest daughter can rollover on to her tummy now. She surprised me one day, when suddenly I saw her on her tummy, just like that without any warning. She looked around her with interest at first, however after trying numerous times to roll back over she started to complain as she has to hold her head up high and it is quite strenuous so I have to help her to roll over on to her back again. Then after she regained her strength, she rolled over onto her tummy again. Hahahaha. Very cute!

I Am Tired Waiting On The Phone

"Your call is important to us, but all of our customer service representatives are currently busy, so please wait and we will attend to you shortly."

Sounds familiar? I got that kind of automatic answering machine way too many times, especially when I call up customer service during office hours. Sometimes I get so irritated that I just hang up the phone. The problem is that when I call again, I will get the same experience, and I won’t know how long will be the waiting time.

I just learned today that Elitetele.com has good Phone Systems, one of the systems is called Orderly Call Queuing. When there are too many inbound calls, callers hear a message to stay on hold or call back. If they call back they will regain their place in the queue. Orderly Call Queuing helps to answer more of the callers, slashes abandonment and eliminates time spent waiting on hold, in addition to improving caller satisfaction and agent morale.

Now, I hope every company uses this phone system, so I don’t have to waste my time waiting on the phone.