Thursday, August 29, 2013

Teaching Kids to Help in House Chores

Doing chores at home is something we need to teach kids but sometimes it's hard for adults to engage them in helping us.

One positive thing that I learned to keep my niece help me with simple house chore is to talk to her calmly and motivate her. The trick is very effective so whenever I need her to help me, I just talk to her and she'll do it without hesitation. I'm also lucky because there are many instances that she helps without me telling her to do so.

I guess, we need to reinforce to kids the value of helping and having a responsibility at home. Putting away her toys and cleaning her cluttered stuff can be done without resistant if you instill in them that they need to do it all the time. I know most of the times kids will  not do it but they will surely learn and follow in the end and this will surely test your parenting skills

Taking Care of Your Carpet

When you take proper care of your carpets, you are also taking care of your wallet and your health. Replacing carpet can be expensive, but may be essential for the health of those living in a home since harmful germs and bacteria can live in a carpet that is not being properly maintained. Here are some tips for helping you properly take care of your carpet in Chandler, AZ.

Taking Care of Your Carpet

The first step in taking care of your carpet is keeping your carpet properly cleaned. Obviously it is important to regularly vacuum your carpets.Experts recommend that you vacuum highly used areas of carpet at least twice a week, possibly even once a day (if they are walked on a lot). Other areas of the carpet that do not receive as much traffic may only need to be vacuumed once a week. In addition to vacuuming, it is important to have your carpets cleaned regularly. Though vacuuming may be effective in pulling out the dust, hair, and odors living on the surface of your carpet, deeper cleaning is necessary to make sure that your carpets are really clean deep down and aren’t holding onto any mites or allergens. How often you need to have your carpets cleaned depends on the quality of the carpet. A cheaper-quality carpet should be cleaned less often as cleaning can break carpet down a little bit (causing cheaper carpet to wear out faster than a thicker carpet). For a basic rule of thumb, experts say to clean your carpets once a year. You can ask a profession about your specific carpet and environmental factors of your home that may necessitate more frequent cleaning.

When You Need Carpet Replacement

Because carpets are constantly subjected to a lot of traffic, they wear down with time. Usually when you have your carpet cleaned, it makes your carpet look as good as new, erasing the signs of everyday wear (which is another reason why it is so important to clean your carpets). After a while, though, a carpet has simply been worn down to a point where it needs to be replaced. If your carpet is completely matted down in the walkways, permanently stained, or over 10 years old, then it is probably time to have a professional replace your carpet in Chandler, AZ.

National Geographic Kids


These days, majority of the children now use computers and other gadgets to research for their school homework and play games. While the internet is very accessible by the children, parents should always see to it that they only go to trusted sites. But how can they do that?

Parents need to set a time for their kids to use the computer in such a way they can supervise their browsing time. We'll never know what they are seeing and browsing if we don't supervise them at all times. The internet is a big place for all sorts of good and bad stuff for the children that is why we always need to know what they are doing online.

There are many websites that are kids friendly and one is the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS. It's very informative and education and kids will learn many things like about animals, science and lot more. The website has games, homework help, video galleries and other fun activities that kids will love.

Check out the site NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The Best Places to Live In Australia 2013

While people will insist that location is the most important aspect of home buying, the quality of your home should never be underrated or compromised: Coral Homes offer high quality homes at reasonable prices, wherever you should choose to settle across this sunburnt country.

Byron Bay: Image via Wikipedia

Byron Bay

Byron Bay was named by Captain Cook after John Byron, circumnavigator of the world and grandfather of the poet, Lord Byron. This poetic heritage, however tenuously attributed, is the only explanations available for the prevalence of fun, sex, sun and narcotics. Yoga retreats, pagan gatherings and a medley of world-class events such as the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival, Splendour in the Grass and the Byron Bay Writers Festival will leave you with little opportunity for lounging on the beach.

Fremantle

Nothing says cool like a microbrewery and Fremantle is home to many, as well as laying claim to the nationally popular Little Creatures Brewery (try the Bright Ale). During the late nineteenth-century West Australian Gold Rush, camels and their Afghan drivers were familiar sights, and the place continues to offer up a sense of Oasis in the desert. Fremantle has a thriving arts community exemplified by the Fremantle Festival (first held in 1906, it's Australia's longest running community festival). Freo even has a public statue of Bon Scott; but don't let it put you off.

Glebe

A'glebe' is an archaic word for the land on which a church is built. Glebe, Sydney is named such because the area was a gift to the chaplain who came with the first fleet: now the area is a gift to yuppies, students and those from all walks of life who enjoy its beautiful surrounds and convenient location. The central thoroughfare of Glebe Point Road has unbroken stretches of Victorian-era shop fronts and is host to the weekly markets at the local public school: the entire township is a stones-throw from Sydney University and the CBD yet still maintains its warm, village atmosphere.

Anywhere in Melbourne

If you identify as a hipster, no doubt you're reading this from Brunswick Street already, irresistibly drawn there as if your beard were made of metal filings to the pulsating magnet of all things Now. Regardless of what your tolerance for trendiness is, Melbourne asserts itself as the most European of Australia's city, and has good grounds for doing so. Gentrified to the tipping of the 90's recession it is now safely back in the hands of young social innovators who jitter in and out of boutique art galleries on a caffeine-high and weave into and out of small live music venues by night.

Central Coast

Almost anywhere on the Central Coast, it seems, is dream-like in it's loveliness. Who would have thought there could exist a place with lush, rolling green hills without endless Celtic drizzle, and endless sea and sun without Gold Coast-like sprawl? There are innumerable small towns along this stretch, Narooma, Tilba, Kiama, to name a few. Each has it's own unique character and some are slightly larger than others, but each seems untainted by a consumer drive to capitalise on the serendipitous surrounds.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Kids and Career Choice

What do you want to be when you grow up??

I can still remember this question when I was still young.  Some adults , mostly my relatives often ask this question to me and that time I'm always telling them that I want to be a "bank teller". It started when my sister and I used to play and I was a bank teller and she's my customer. Counting paper money and typing at my invisible computer seem to excite me and I guess being a bank teller is so cool. Unfortunately, when I grew up and went to college my choices changed so I end up taking BS Medical Technology. Twist of fate, now I''m have a different career.

Anyway, I've been throwing back that same question to my nieces and nephews up to now. I have 2 nephews who'll enter college next school year 2014 and I'm sure they already have ideas on what course they want to take up. I know it may change or they are not decided yet.

One nephew wants to take up Computer Engineering since he is inclined to Math subject, computer and analysis.

Another nephew of mine said that he wanted to take up Conservatory of Music. It had left me quite concerned at first for I'm not quite sure if he really wants that. I have no position to tell him what to take up in College but if that want he wants then what can I do. His parents is not against his thoughts so who am I to hinder what he desires. All I know is that he loves to play the guitar, tinker with his laptop to mix some music and sing.Who knows one day, he'll become a musician or with authority in the music industry? And with the technology today like the new recording interface for ipad at musician's friend, mixing and creating music can be a piece of cake.

Wishing that whatever career choice they want to have, they need to study hard and be focused on it.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Kids and Art

 Every kid in the world knows how to draw, doodle and paint. I remember when I was growing up, I have those days when I just need to doodle or draw anything even if I only can draw stick people that time.

Through art, kids can show off their creativity. This is where they can show what they have in mind, what they feel and how they see the world. Through art they can express their emotions and if they are so inspired they can make beautiful artworks and craft.

If parents can see that their children are leaning towards art, encourage them to be good at it and support them. Give them papers, crayons, pencils, and other materials that they can use and experiment and you'll be amazed on what they can create in the end.

Reign loves to draw and create crafts with any materials that are available at the house. She can draw on paper, canvas using oil paint, and lately she loves to draw her fave cartoon characters using the Paint program in the computer.

She loves My Little Pony so much that she is creating various characters in Paint using only a mouse. I was amazed at her creativity. Right now, she's bugging me to teach her how to use Adobe Photoshop everytime she sees me using it. There's no doubt that she can even draw more beautiful drawing using it.


Not only she's interested in drawing but she can also create crafts using old cartons, scrap papers and more.  I even heard her saying that she also wants to be a designer some day. She got her talent from her father who is also visual artist and can make wood sculpture. imageIt's always fun to see kids showing off their art and as a family you can't help but to feel proud.

Super Long Weekend

Wow, it's been how many days now since school classes and even some government offices have been closed.

Storm Maring and Habagat wreak havoc since last week in Luzon area.
August 19-23 - no classes for students mostly from Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Pampanga, and other neighboring cities and provinces.

August 26, 2013 (Monday) - will be our National Heroes Day so again there will be no classes.
Some people will also take this opportunity for their anti-pork barrel protests that will happen nationwide.

I just hope that kids will take advantage the days where they have no classes to not just play but also read their books because for sure they will have make up classes in the coming days.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

DIY Tips for Floor Tiling

image source: buildingsheriff.com
You don't need to be a floor tiler to tile a floor in your house. Anyone can do it as long as they have the right tools and equipment. There are some important things to think about before embarking on your floor tiling venture. Here are 5 tips for doing your own floor tiling in your home.

Take Your Time

One of the most important things to remember is to take your time. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was your home, so take your time and allow yourself to do each step with care. If you rush ahead and do not follow instructions properly, or do not think the job through then you may end up with a situation where you will need to redo the floor at a later date, or won't have the job done as well as it could be. So relax, take your time and enjoy the process.

Ensure that floor is firm and dry

Preparation of the floor that you are going to tile is such an important part of the job. If your floor has lumps, or hard bits then it may cause the tiles to crack. Also if there is any dampness in the floor then this will also cause problems and the tiles may not stay in place as you would like them to. Make sure the floor is lump free by checking the whole surface and grind down parts that are sticking up. If there is dampness then you might need to apply a water proofing compound to treat the area.

Make sure both tiles and floor is clean

For the best tiling job, ensure that both the tiles and the floor is clean before you start. Also do not leave the tiles in the sun while you are preparing the floor, as this could cause uneven discolouration which will be very noticeable once they are laid on the floor.

Always start from the centre of the room when laying tiles

When laying the tiles, always start from the centre of the room. This is to ensure that the tiles are laid evenly in the most conspicuous part of the room, which will be the centre. No matter how small the room is, if you start at the centre then you will end up with a good looking tiling job because they will be laid evenly and will look good in the parts where people will mostly be seeing them – the centre. For cutting the tiles, you could look at the different tools available which could range from anything to STIHL chain saws.

Leave tiles for 24 hours before applying grout

Once you have tiled the floor ensure that you wait at least 24 hours before applying grout. Most manufacturers of adhesive will supply instructions as to the length of time you need to wait before grouting, so always follow those instructions for the best application of the tiles to your floor. You will want to make sure that they are dry before applying grout as you won't want to put pressure on them if they are still drying as this may cause an uneven surface.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Typhoon Maring and Habagat (Soutwest Monsoon) Bring Severe floods in Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces

Oh dear Lord, our country is faced with yet another calamity and we humbly ask for your mercy. !!

It is sad to note that  typhoon Maring and Habagat (Souhtwest Monsoon) bring severe floods in Metro Manila and nearby provinces here in Luzon..

ALL CLASSES and all GOV'T office are suspended due to heavy rains and flood in:
Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Pampanga, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro and some more part of Luzon.

Here is an image that I found at Yahoo.com
along Espana and Morayta :(
My family are very fortunate for our house is not affected by any flooding for our place is on a higher ground. However, I just learned this morning that my older brother's place is affected by flood and they have no choice but to put their stuff on their second floor.

The streets are flooded and if the rain will still continue until tonight, chances are  the water will still come up. As of this writing, the rain already stopped and we're praying that the typhoon and monsoon rain will also come out of our country for there are too many already who are affected. Many houses made of light materials are washed by the floods and many infrastructures are damage.

I just hope that we continue to pray for everyone's safety as we can never really tell when high floods will arise. And before you even sleep at night on your dry and comfy bed (some with mattress latex materials), let us pray for those that don't have no more homes and only staying at relocating sites.

Go away Maring and Habagat, we don;t need you here in our country!

How to Be Good in Budgeting

It’s really difficult to manage our budget for that period of time. Aside from the important things needed to be prioritized, we just can’t deny the fact that there are some stuff and such we happen to purchase or accidentally include in our list. With that, we end up going beyond our limitation, which in other hand is not a good practice at all. Thus, learning how to be good in budgeting is really important.

No one is really good at it, in the first place. However, it can be applied by anyone despite of the difficulty it gives. In fact, it is also applied in handling businesses especially if you’re in the finance industry (try reading more about forex at https://www.varengoldbankfx.com/en/cfd/). Moreover, the only thing you need to do to be good at it is to be wise enough in spending money.

There are different ways on how one spends his or her money wisely. The steps are the things you can do and might help you:

1.       Savings is for savings only unless if it’s emergency already. Note: accidentally purchasing unnecessary stuff is not valid as emergency.

2.       List all the necessary goods and other things needed to be bought. This will save your time doing the grocery and shopping. It will also help you avoid buying those unnecessary ones.

3.       Avoid using credit card. If you really want to save, stop owing money from the bank even to your friends.

4.       Don’t be fooled by those offers offered in markets. They may be tempting but always keep in mind to secure the important ones. If there is enough change to purchase other things that are not included in your list, then feel free to buy it. Just make sure you don’t go excessing from your budget.

See it for yourself. In the end, it’s all your choice either to apply it or not. But if you really want to be good at budgeting, then be disciplined in handling and managing it. Whatever you do, if you do have the discipline in using your money, you can do whatever you want without breaking the rule and at the same time enjoying what you love to do.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Blog Make Over

Here I am again trying to upgrade the look of my blogs.

I've been so inspired changing the headers and color schemes of my blogs lately and I'm loving it. Actually, it's taking me hours to make new headers because  I keep on making several headers before I finally decide what to put.

Just this afternoon, I was so in love with these pink and green combinations so I thought of using them. I guess it's after a year or so the last time I had my old header so it's time for a new change..

Fresh and clean colors.. i love it!


Oh...by the way, expect  more changes on my other blogs too!!!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The Essentials of Choosing a Great Garage Door Repair Company

Your garage door is more than likely an essential part of your home. This structure is what allows for people and objects to be able to access your garage. It can also help to provide security and an extra layer of insulation for your home. While garage doors are important, and they seem like fairly simple structures, they can be extremely dangerous. These doors can way over a thousand pounds, being able to crush even large vehicles if they are caught under the door as it is falling.

Most garage doors also will use a variety of different springs that are placed under a great deal of stress. If a spring somehow comes loose or breaks, it can easily kill someone. This is why it is important that you use a great local company that does garage door repair in Lexington, NC, to repair and maintain your garage door.

Here are some of the essentials of choosing a great garage door repair company.

The Services

When you are looking for a great garage door repair company, you are going to want to make sure that the company you choose offers the services that you need and want. The first service that you might want to consider is an emergency service. This will make it so that you can have your garage door repaired no matter what time or day it is. This can be helpful so that you can have the security and protection that you and your home need. You might also want to look for a company that is able to perform regular maintenance and inspections on your garage door.

Ask Around

More than likely, you know several different people that have garage doors. Instead of searching through a phone book or on the Internet, ask one of these people for help when you are looking for a local company that does garage door repair in Lexington, NC.  These people will be able to give you trusted reviews of a company’s service and you will also be able to see the work that was done on these people’s garage doors.

A Different Career

I had the chance to work in a hospital while I’m still training as a Medical Technologist. It’s pretty chic wearing our white uniforms as it exude professionalism and dignity. Working in a medical industry where everything needs to be precise and at times hectic and busy, all we need is comfortable working clothes. It’s very impossible to work well if you have ill-fitting and poor hot fabrics on your skin.

There are times that I still miss working in the hospital. We had tons of works like getting blood samples of patients, interacting with patients, "reading" various samples, recording and reporting the results. We need to be careful in doing all the procedures because it is where the doctors will base their prescription. Bad result can even lead to death and that is sometime that no medical professional wants to happen.

I have a different career now but still love the education that I got back in college.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Renting Books: An Alternative to Save More Money

I guess a great number of students dreamed of finishing their studies up to college level where they can take up the course that they wanted. However, not all can go to college because it’s expensive. Tuition fees, daily allowance, extra expenses on projects and college text books can be a burden to many parents and students.

I was one of the many students who finished a 4-year Medical Technology course many years ago and it was the fulfilment of my parents and my dreams. Though I have not been practicing my profession right now due to some reasons, I am still very thankful and lucky to have experienced studying in the university. I still feel blessed to have earned a medical degree.

Just one of the many ways on how to save extra money while in college is just to rent a book. Some books are way too expensive and you only need them for just a term or two and there it goes to the shelf.

If you are a college student, you can rent books at Campus Book Rentals. They have over thousands of college text books that you can rent where you can save 40-90% off on bookstore prices. Fee depends on how long you want to keep the book.

Watch the video and see how it works.

Another great thing to note is that, Campus Book Rentals has a new program called Rent Back that allows students to rent their own textbooks to other students. Another great option to save more money!  I know how it feels to have limited budget while in college so these wonderful opportunities can greatly help students.

Aside from giving students a chance to save on textbooks, Campus Book Rentals has partnered with Operation Smile, an organization that is performing various cleft lip surgeries on children worldwide. They donate money at Operation Smile so they can continue their mission and for me it’s a great mission!

I was delighted to know that for I have also seen how Operation Smile does their surgeries because when I was still in my Med. Tech internship in one of the hospitals here in our country, we helped them in getting blood samples of children.

With all the various ways on how to save on textbooks, I guess some college students will have the chance get the books that they need for their studies at low cost.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Random Thoughts on a Stormy Monday

August 9 was the end of Ramadan for many of our Muslim brothers so it was declared a national holiday. Due to that, we had a long weekend that many of us liked. I guess many of you went to an out of town vacay with your family or for us we just stayed at home.

Today, it was declared no classes again because typhoon Labuyo is wreaking havoc in in Northern Luzon and nearby provinces. Our province is no exception and that only means that NO CLASSES forboth elementary and highschool students for today.

It was gloomy and rainy since yesterday and the weather is just too conducive to sleeping.. yay!

Made lugaw this morning as am not also feeling well. My stomach is just not in its normal state since yesterday and I am thinking that the water and a certain food triggered its mayhem.

Ahh... wish I can just sleep but I can;t .. need to finish some online works

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Let's Help Prevent Fire Incidents

Lately, I've been seeing on news about the various residential and commercial establishments fire incidents in the country and it's not even summer anymore. It only shows that fire incidents are also higher anytime of the year. Fire chooses no season or any property, if we are not careful about how we use fire or how our electricians installed our electrical wiring then chances are we can experience fire.

No one wants to have a house or any establishment burn for it is a nightmare. You could lose everything: material and even lives can be taken. Those that can afford can buy fire safety equipment where they can put important documents or money. I saw some fire safes at http://www.crownsecurityproducts.com/ while I was browsing online and it is something that I can consider having in the future.

Even if it's not fire prevention month, we should always check our wiring and gas system if there are leaks to help prevent fire from occurring. Don't let our children play with matches, burning candles and anything flammable. Keep them out of their reach.

One Fab Dog House

Just love this outside dog house when I saw it on pinterest!

Source: Pinterest


My own dog would definitely love this as she will feel like a princess on top of her house. However, at first Sophie will be hesitant to climb the stair as it will be new to her. Lately, I noticed that she loves to sleep inside the house and not on her cage because I guess she loves the soft cushion on one of the sofa that we have.

This house dog is quite big though and will require a big space in the front or backyard so if anyone is thinking of creating a dog house like this one, better allocate a big space in your garden.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Hiring a Pest Control Company

Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibility. One of those responsibilities is to make sure the home is pest free, as far as possible. Certainly there are a lot of pests that invade a home that cannot be completely stopped. However, there is a difference between the normal amount of house pests and an over-abundance of pests. Knowing when to contact a company doing pest control in NYC is really about your own comfort level with pests as well as maintaining a regular schedule to keep pests at bay before they become a problem.

How Pests Invade Your Home

Some people wonder how pests get into their home in the first place. Pests come into the home through any opening they can find. While there may not be a large hole in the side of your home, there are many little holes in many different places you may not think about.

First off, many pests come in through your front door, even when it is closed. This is because they are very small and there are generally small cracks between the door and the frame that they can come through. Other pests may come in through a small hole in the home where other things protrude out of the home, such as the dryer vent, plumbing pipes, through the roof, and others. In the end, they can find their way into your home if they want to.

How Do Pest Control Companies Help?

When you understand how easily pests can come into your home, you may wonder how a pest control company can help. They do not close up all the holes in your home (though they will plug any unnecessary holes in your home).

However, the chemicals they use when spraying your home forms a barrier around the home and in the holes that the pests typically come through. That barrier will last for a certain length of time before its effectiveness begins to wear off. This is why it is important for you to contact and hire a good company doing pest control in NYC and have that company come on a regular schedule. The proper schedule for a pest control company to come is usually two to three times a year.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Hanging Picture Frames of Various Heights on the Wall

I'm in the process of improving our house and I'm seriously thinking of making our drab wall to a fab one. One of the things I thought about is putting picture frames of various sizes with our faces on it. Initially, all I wanted is to hang just 2 big blow up photos of me but I thought that the space will be wasted if I will only put two photos of my own picture.

Thinking it would be nice to make a collage or sort, I found this nice picture frame set up. Now, I am thinking of having some of our photos printed and buy some frames at the bookstore.

I know this will be a challenge for me but I will do my best not to make the wall messy.