Tuesday, October 11

Where Did Time Go?

I cannot believe it that time literally flies so fast! We have reached a few milestones this month of October. For one, this is our second year anniversary of being former OFWs in Dubai. Can you believe that? It feels like it was just yesterday but we have already survived the smog, the "extrajudicial" killings and more here in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, I also have a personal milestone for me as I have officially completed three months in my online work as a web writer. I have to be honest that I am still at that point where I am relearning the ropes of writing. I know what they say, "once a writer, always a writer" - right? However, I don't think that is the case for me.

https://twitter.com/ChrisDavidGill/status/785714496660578304


It is a good thing that my editors are patient with me with every revision that they need to do with my article.

Right after my shift, my editor and I had a chat and she mentioned that my writing has improved! Finally, all the hard work has paid off. However, not all of it was good news because she also mentioned that based on her edits, my common mistakes are still the same.

I am mindful about it but as I have told her, when you keep on reading your work, you think that everything is right even when some of it is wrong (makes sense?). I am challenging myself to be careful but also be mindful of the deadline. Yes, she has highlighted "time" to be me as well because I have been submitting my work late!

Reading this blog post right now, I think there is a shift on my tone and with how this blog is written. Hopefully, this new "writing" will bring in more viewers for me.

See you soon, okay?
 

Tuesday, August 30

Checking In

Hi guys! I know it's been a while since I have posted an entry to this blog. I want to blame my work for it but of course, that is not really true :p Aside from work, I am also busy with my dogs and of course, my husband.

However, I do feel guilty because I manage to focus on work and the dogs but not on the husband. I hope I can think of something to make up for lost time soon because his birthday is coming up. I don't have an idea on how I can surprise him! Yes, me! LOL!

I guess this is because most of my ideas requires me to spend a certain amount of money that we currently don't have. We are saving up so that we can do the finishes for our home. We got this very nice place down South and we want to start living in it! Like right now!

It is not going to be easy but we are determined to relocate some time this year. I hope we will meet our target date. Okay, my time is up to stay in this blog. R has already prepared dinner so I need to say bye for now.

Let me leave you, my viewers, a cute photo of my cute Shih Tzu, Herb. Smile!

Hi to my mom's friends :) 

Monday, August 1

Worklife is a piece a cake if...

You got a super supportive husband! =) 

When my husband said that we have to pack our bags to come back here in the Philippines, my first question in my head was, will I get work there? It took a while for me to adjust being a working girl to becoming a full-time housewife. 

I knew I was not born to just bake and cook so I thought of pursuing what I want to do and that is to write. I applied for writing gigs online hoping to just take it easy and work from home. 

Little did I know that working from home is no different when you work in an office. Since I was without work for a year, it took a while for me to get into the groove of things. I get so stressed with the deadlines and workload. It was a lot of pressure for me that I got sick on my first work week!

I knew I had to shake it off and my husband's sister recommended taking Fern-C as a vitamin supplement. Vitamin C? Hmm.. I am acidic so I was not really keen in drinking it until I found out that since it is not Ascorbic Acid but rather Sodium Ascorbate! I decided to give it a try and noticed a few changes after a week or so. I felt like I got an immunity boost. 

For a few months of taking Fern-C, I noticed that I am not sickly anymore. Also, my focus on my work is better though there are still days when I feel stressed especially when you are given a lot of articles to write. 

What I do is I plan my day ahead. I make a list of what I want to accomplish for the day so that I am focused to complete the task given to me. Since I work from home, my source of inspiration is just nearby, my husband. If I feel too stressed and would want to have a bit of a time-out. I will just ask him for a "power hug" and I feel energized again. 


My ever supportive husband!
Weird as it may but it really boost my energy level from zero to full charged. Of course, any kind of power hug will not protect your body from pollutants and bacteria lurking in or outside your home which is why I have Fern-C to thank on that. 

Hope you can try out Fern-C today because Worklife ay Easy with Fern-C! I am a testament to that and I can say talagang subok na

Need or want to know more about Fern-C? Follow their social media accounts 

FERN-C Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernconline/
FERN-C Twitter: https://twitter.com/FERNCOnline
FERN-C Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferncofficial/ 

Thursday, June 16

Oh my Papa!

How are you planning to spend Father's Day this year? I am not sure as well. You see my dad met an accident just last week and he is still recovering from it (can't show you a picture because he does look terrible but in case you have a vivid imagination, think about a panda and then look at his eyes, that's what my dad looks like right now).

Just to give you a picture of what my dad looks like (photo grabbed from marketingtechblog.com)
However, if we were to spend Father's Day, we would definitely be having a feast! My dad loves to eat and he does really have a big appetite. He actually does not say 'no' to any type of food at all (unfortunately, I am not that adventurous).

Luckily, my online viewers in the World Wide Web, SM Supermalls have something in store for dads out there. If your pop is just like mine, a Foodie Dad well, from June 17 to 19, you can surprise your dad by taking him to a culinary journey within the walls of any SM Supermalls. There will be a wide variety of restaurants and food stops that will offer family packages and special treat to the man of the house on his special day.


If your dad is a beer enthusiast, World Brews will be the best place for him. This is where premium beers and liquors from around the world will be available. Enjoy the vast selection of food at the SM Foodcourt while your dad enjoys the discounted brewskies that various establishments have on offer!

Now, if you're dad is a die-hard Fast and the Furious fan, he can have a chance to view the cars in the City Motor Show in the SM Supermalls. Fast cars, vintage automobiles and concept cars will be part of the showcase.

For dads who are into gadgets better known as Techie Dads, they will have a chance to win cool prizes by posting their funniest #DadJokes and #DadQuotes. 

For every kind of Dad, there's a perfect activity for the whole family to enjoy and remember for a long time afterwards. Because this June, it’s all about Dad this Father’s Day at SM Supermalls!

With all these treats, my dad and I will try to see if he can go out with his sunglasses on. LOL! 

Happy Father's Day Pa! My favorite photo of us
For more details, visit www.smsupermalls.com and follow its social media accounts at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 


Thursday, June 9

What's in your Kikay Kit?

I have been seeing a lot of Facebook articles and Instagram feeds of friends about what's in their beauty kits. I had to stop and ask myself, do I have one?

If my memory serves me right, I did get curious about astringents, lipsticks and blush on when I was in my tweens. Unfortunately for me, the internet was not a sensation just yet. We did not have all these YouTube videos giving you instructions on how you can have a "barely there" make-up or how to do those cat-like eye liners (I still can't perfect mine. Bummer).

Eventually, life went on and I got stuck with just using a pressed powder and lipstick. Lucky for me, I did not have any acne breakouts! It is convenient for me because I am always, always late for meetings even on coffee dates! So not having to worry if I am made up or not is not really a big deal for me.

Though when there are special events, like when my boss decided to get married, I usually go to a salon to have everything done - my hair and make-up. Easy peasy. *giggle*

I looked through my stuff and this is what I have in my beauty kit (or also known as kikay kit). My current fave, Maybelline White Superfresh Powder.

photo grabbed from http://www.anneclutz.com
I have been using this for quite some time now. I saw this in one of the TV commercials and I think it was on an introductory price (Php 299). I like the fact that it does not make my face look oily after a few hours. 

Proof:- 

It was extremely hot that night but no signs of me being oily teehee
Next item on my list is Happy Skin's crayon lippie. 

photo grabbed from Happy Skin's official website
This lippie really is a lip saver! Looking at the photo, it looks pale but when I have it on me, I think it blends well with my lips (just go back to proof photo, I was using the same lip crayon there). 

When I was still in Dubai, I would use a lip and cheek tint to serve as a blush on but now, since it's hot and humid here, I do not need to apply it. 

Oh! Lastly, this is my go-to scent. 

photo grabbed from Avon's website
This was actually a surprise for me. I knew Avon was selling perfumes and all but I did not expect to like their scent. I also do get a lot of compliment with this scent. Even my mom was surprised to know that the perfume I was using is from Avon. I think Zalora do have a whole page dedicated for Avon products. Click here to shop for Avon at ZALORA.

That is what's in my kikay kit. Surprised? Well, I don't really like bringing big bags so I try to minimise what's in my bag and just bring stuff that I really, really need. 

How about you? What's in your kikay kit? 

Hope you can write a post about it too so that I can see what's in your kit :) 






Monday, May 16

I skipped a month!

So a lot of things have happened (imagine I skipped a month without blogging).

Some of them were good (like my aunt coming home for a short vacation), some were bad (my puppies died of Parvo) and some were exciting (got a job).

If I have to describe how April and a bit of May went? Wild.

Yes, that is my word.

Hope you can wait up on me while I try to figure out how to blog all about it (mental note to self: I think I still have a few more stories that I wanted to share... Need to get a notebook to list them down).

Also, I am thinking of revamping the look of my blog. A lot of things on my list (that's good) but I hope the weather cooperates because it is way too hot :/

Sunday, March 20

Your Kindle Needs an UPDATE!!

Since I am obsessed with books and I was literally hoarding them (background story: when we were still in Dubai, I would go to different bookstores or secondhand bookshops to purchase at least one book in a week. Also, I am updated whenever there would be any book sale).


A photo posted by R@chiel (@rach_alarcon) on


R was very forgiving about this obsession that I have. I think he doesn't seem to mind because it feeds the mind and always makes me preoccupied on days when he wants to go mountain biking with his friends then.

To be honest, I can be left alone in the house and I can read all day.... yeap, all day.

Over the years, I think I have accumulated close to a 100 books in my then 7-year stay in Dubai but most of them accumulated for 2 years really *gulp*.

R had to kindly ask me to send my books home because for the remainder of our stay in Dubai, we have been moving a lot. We kind of find it a bit difficult to pack our stuff because of my books! I understand the situation so instead of getting more books, I thought of getting myself an ebook hence I searched and a friend suggested that I get a Kindle.

Back then it was not that easy to buy a Kindle because first off, it was not readily available in Dubai. Only a few shops cater to the device because I guess, they too do not see the benefit of having an ebook reader on stock.





Slowly, it has slowly gained its popularity and I was able to secure one for me (thanks R, again!).

I used it to its maximum capability until I got myself a tablet. The Kindle and I parted ways.

I kept it in its box up until I saw series of emails from Kindle and also reminders from web articles online about the need to update my Kindle device or else it will not be use at all.

So, today I got reunited with it. We actually had a bit of a hiccup awhile ago because it was not booting and I was only getting the "empty battery" page. Fortunately, it still is alive and kicking! :p

I have now updated my Kindle device and rather than keeping it in the box, I have decided to use it again. This is so I do not get distracted from other apps which is very tempting when you are using a tablet.

You still have until March 22 to do your update, Kindle lovers. You can read about this article from Good Housekeeping on how to update your Kindle.

**Note: You can also click here for another news link related to the Kindle upgrade 

Update: 52 week challenge

So, it was during this month last year when I have made a decision to take up the 52 week challenge (see my post here).

I initially thought it was easy but....*drum rolls please* I failed. Initially I was diligent in putting money in the pouch where I have kept the monies. However, I have noticed that I am getting delayed in remitting my challenge and would at times, do a one month deposit so as not to miss out.

I guess the inevitable happened, I was not able to deposit anything at all :(

It made me think of how I manage our finances and made some alterations to also accommodate this challenge but still all plans went in vain :(

In the end, I was not able to continue with the 52 week challenge. I think I was only able to save up a few thousand pesos which I was slowly using to pay off our snacks when we go out or some of the groceries, etc.

Now, I am determined to do the 52 week challenge again. I am still thinking if I should retain what I have decided as a contribution. I will re-start on the month of April.

I realised this exercise is like keeping your New Year's resolutions. You are so psyched to start and then determined to keep your resolution only to realise at the end that you have completely forgotten about it.

Let's do this 52 week challenge! :)


Wednesday, March 9

NSO Helpline - a fast and reliable service!

First off, I just want to let you know that this is not a sponsored post. I just wanted to write about it because I am so pleased with their service. 

If you have been a reader of my blog, you know that I still use my maiden name. I will not bore you of the details why but you can read it here. I know I needed to do something about this (R to be quite honest, is not offended in any way because he also likes how unique my last name sound). I was meant to do it last year since it was part of my "to-do" list then (Hmmm, makes me wonder where I have kept that list - probably buried somewhere if it was written in pair or deleted just like the rest of my files - boo!).

However, I was not able to do it because a lot of things took place that it got sidetracked. I told myself that it has to be this year because I plan to at least book a travel vacation for R and myself (a well-deserved vacation, believe me). Also a good opportunity because R's passport is already expired and needs to be renewed.

I checked online and was about to go through NSO's website and make the necessary payments but I came across this blog post of frustrated billionaire about getting his birth certificate. We have our passport renewal application soon and because of the upcoming Holy Week holidays, I thought we might incur a problem.

Reading through his post, he offered different options on how you can get a faster response and I found it in NSO Helpline. I checked the FAQs and they also process marriage certificate requests. Since I prefer using my online payment, I was a bit disappointed that they do not have any tie ups with my bank. Though they do have an option to make you pay using your credit or debit card as long as it has the Master or Visa card logo. Other payment options were also discussed like the Bancnet ATM payment and lastly, the over-the-counter payment.

Grabbed from their website


I did the latter since it will not be deducted from my account, I am confident that seeing someone do the transaction for me makes a difference! :)

They have a page where in you can check the status of your request

After that, we went home (but of course since we were out already, we also had a quick but meaningful stroll) and I checked the status online. To be honest, I was not that confident that it will be updated but I was wrong.

And today? We got it! *dancing around to Dawin's Dessert* ----> just kidding!

Though when I opened the package, I saw that I was only charged Php 140 for my request. I paid Php 350 over-the-counter. I guess the remaining pesos that was not mentioned on the receipt is their charge covering processing and delivery.

It was fast and reliable! In any case, I would recommend their services to you, my readers. :)
 


Wednesday, March 2

Summer on my mind

In a few days, summer will be hitting the country or it did already because of El Nino). I remember when we were still in Dubai, I would always look forward to the early days of summer.

Coming from a weather that has been windy and all too cold, the warmth of the sun is being embraced, literally by everybody. You will definitely see more people frequenting the beaches than the parks!

Taken at one of the public beaches in Dubai, Jumeirah Open Beach Park

R and I would always schedule a beach visit then because it's nice to just hang out and enjoy the scenery, the waves of the water, the sound of people's laughter around you because of either great conversations or they have been playing around.

I am not sure if this is the biggest but it sure is huge (Zabeel Park, Dubai)

UAE, though small gives a lot of importance on where families can enjoy and have a good time. That is why they have big spaces when it comes to parks, beaches and theme parks. For water theme parks, they have Wild Wadi and Atlantis in Dubai. I have only been to Wild Wadi once (yes, it is a bit costly to go in) and it was the height of summer so a lot of people were there to enjoy the water and the different slides they have to offer. Just a few years back, Atlantis opened and that was massive.

Atlantis Hotel promo (sadly I can't go back, just yet)
Sadly, I was only able to visit Atlantis to eat buffets in their restaurants and not experience their theme parks and hotels. Friends have mentioned the rooms that they have wherein you'd be like in an aquarium surrounded by different fishes i.e. sting rays, Nemo's Dory, dolphins and sharks!

They do offer a day pass as they call it wherein you can try out all their slides, rides and experience a tour inside with guides giving you different trivia about our water friends. Unfortunately, R's schedule did not permit us to do so and well, we were not really bothered to do it that time.

I haven't unsubscribed to Atlantis' newsletter so I still see their hotel or park promos for the tourists and residents. Definitely makes me want to go back to try it out.

Be still, my heart. I am pretty sure we would be able to do it soon :D

Friday, February 26

What's your Cravings?

Have you had one? I don't think cravings are only related to pregnant women. I mean anyone can have one right?

I think whenever I'm about to get my monthly flow, I always crave for something sweet and salty (weird right?).

Well, Chrissy Teigen, the beautiful wife of the famous singer John Legend has authored a book to satisfy the cravings that you might want to satisfy.


I have been a follower of her Instagram account and I can see that she really loves to cook. I know she is still human after all but a model who can cook? That's a keeper right? :) 

I have seen videos of her and her mom or her and John preparing meals for their friends or family. I think there's a recipe or two that she has posted on her website that I want to create on my own kitchen. 

There was a video or a photo post in her IG feed that she is testing recipes with her mom for this cookbook. Thanks to Amazon, I am able to browse a few pages of Chrissy's cookbook and I am intrigued to cook these dishes myself. 

Amazon have both the Kindle and hardbound edition. 

I will save up for this but will most probably get the Kindle edition because I am not sure Chrissy will have a worldwide signing tour for her cookbook. What do you think?

Blogopolis 4D

My name is on the list! My name is on the list! *dancing*

Can you see me? I'm rach_alarcon :) 

I am psyched because I got picked to have a chance to get invites for the upcoming Blogopolis 4D which will be held this Saturday, Feb 27 2016 at Green Sun, Makati.

I am taking the hubby with me... I hope this will also interest him because I think we can pick up a few ideas if we intend to have a business right?

So psyched! I hope that I will be able to document and blog about the event tomorrow! :)


**photo grabbed from Nuffnang (http://blog.nuffnang.com.ph/2016/02/19/blogopolis4d-ticket-giveaway-winners/)




Thursday, February 25

Which team are you?

R and I have been coffee lovers ever since. The weather in Dubai gave us the opportunity to enjoy a cup or two, most especially when the winter season comes. There is no doubt as to why cafes in Dubai are a hit (even during summer)! 

Here in the Philippines, though we are a tropical country, I have seen a lot of people hang at coffeeshops for most of the day - rain or shine. This actually kind of surprised me because I can see that most of the people head to coffeeshops more than the restaurants! Anyways, I digress. 

A cuppa with my then fave pastry, apple fritter

I stumbled upon this post from Rowena's blog regarding Starbucks creating an online buzz by making their customers vote which flavour of macchiato do they prefer - Team Roasted Caramel or Team Chocolate Hazelnut. 

According to Starbuck's website, their roasted caramel macchiato has a rich caramel taste and its of course topped with roasted caramel drizzle as for their chocolate hazelnut macchiato, the drink is incorporated with a delicious hazelnut flavour with a chocolatey nutty drizzle. Both drinks have the top quality espresso from the Starbucks brand with velvety steamed milk to complete the drink. 

They are letting their patrons vote till the 4th of March. After tabulating which is the coveted drink of their customers, the coffee franchise will celebrate this by introducing a buy 1 take 1 offer on the 7th of March for all their customers in the Philippines. 

I am not going to mention what drink I voted for but I know it will go well with Starbuck's cinnamon sticky bun (heaven for me) and my latest discovery (thanks to my good friend, Carlo), their calamansi cheesecake. 

Go and vote! :)  

Image from http://www.starbuckspromotions.ph





Wednesday, February 24

No movements at all

I think ever since I have started with this blog, I have linked it to my Google Adsense account. I remember when I was personalising the blog, I was asked if I want to have it linked so that I can earn a profit by blogging (why not right? It felt like hitting two birds with one stone at that time).

Completely ignored the fact that the blog was not earning because I wasn't writing then. Work took over and of course the "intend move" also preoccupied my time so I was not that bothered about it. Last year, I made a conscious effort to keep on checking my Adsense account so that I can make sense if I was earning anything or not.

Checked it out and I think from $0.03 it went up to $1.00. I gave myself a pat on the shoulder and said that this might be a good sign because it also means, I will slowly gain revenue with the blog. I also changed the layout so that whenever I end a post, an ad will be there for people who visits my blog to click and explore.

Since I was not that busy, I kept checking my Adsense account. Lo and behold, the earnings were as slow as the turtle (or even more). I have earned $2.57 for two years!

Not that I am super proud of it but just to give you an idea :p 

This cannot be true....!

I was searching and checking online on how to boost my Adsense earnings but some articles were a bit technical for me that I dropped the idea of looking. One night, I stumbled upon the Freelance Blend Facebook page and joined the group. They had a webinar last week and I joined them (first because it was free of charge - Thanks Marv! and secondly, I want to understand the online world when it comes to earning).

During the webinar, one of the insights provided by Marv de Leon was that Google Adsense does not do a website any good. There's no benefit to it anymore and at times, can be the cause of distraction on your blog or website.

With this information at hand, I am now considering to remove Google Adsense on my blog... though I am challenged if I can make it reach $100 so as to be able to cash out. Also, this kind of challenges me to push myself more to write and see which topics of mine click with Adsense.

My fellow bloggers, do you have Adsense too? Any tips for me? :p

Thursday, February 11

I just have to blog about this....

I am soooo p*ssed and soooo want to bang my head right now.

Yes, bang it. Because I have been so relaxed thinking that after my good friend repaired and resuscitated my laptop to life that I have tucked my files safely in one of my hard drives. How poor of me to not even check on of them or at least do a back up for safety purposes.

I was too proud to even do it.

Now, I am knocked out of my head because I can finally confirmed that I have lost them. The important files that I have been keeping on my laptop. I was able to save my pictures (I would really cry if these too were lost), my music, movies and books but not those files.

What the heck happened to me?!

*chill* *chill* *chill*

Aaaaarrgggghhhh!!!!

Badtrip talaga :,(

Sunday, January 31

How do you Read?

This question crop up in my head literally a few seconds ago.

Why?

I was reading an article online and when I got kind of bored reading, my mind suddenly made a switch and decided to just scan through the article. Yes, I do this most of the time and when my interest is re-grabbed by the article, I go back to the top and read it properly.

Do you the same?


Thursday, January 28

Tips on Moving on after Losing or Leaving your Job

I knew back reading would make sense! :p

A few minutes ago, I have been reading an email that I have received last 2008! Imagine, I still have an unread message from 2008. Either I was really busy or I have completely ignored my email because of my love life (hahaha!).

Anyways, when I opened this email (unfortunately, I cannot provide the link because when I tried opening it from the website, it gave me the error 'page cannot be found' anymore so I will just give you the gist and in case...just in case, you want to have a copy of this email, I can forward it to you - just drop me an email about it).

The article was from Colleen Eddy regarding moving on after being laid off. In my opinion, her notes and comments about moving on can also be applied for people who left their jobs without any replacement as of yet.

Colleen on Careers from Poynter.org

I was reading this and thought if I do start looking for a job again this can be a good basis on how I should approach potential employers about what I can offer. 

The question that stuck with me is this :- What work would you be happy doing?

I would definitely be happy working as a novelist if I can and be a baker on the side (yes, that will definitely be ideal for me). 

More from the email article is this:- 

Ask yourself what you have to offer: 

  • What are your accomplishments? 
  • What strengths have you developed as you met challenges that seemed overwhelming? 
  • How have you survived in such a changing world? 
  • What technology has become part of your repertoire? 
  • How have you cultivated teamwork, leadership skills, learning on the fly? 
  • What were some of the results of your work and how did they help the company? 
  • Who at your company would speak well of you? 
  • What would your bosses say?
I know that it is very hard to find a job and just like me, when I was still in Dubai, I would rather apply internally for any new opening than venture out of the company. I guess one of the reasons was the hassle of having to submit requirements for a new working visa. This task is something that I am not very happy about (yes, so that is the reason why I stayed xx amount of years in my company... Kidding aside, I did like where my career path led me). Another reason, I think, more than the job were about the people that I have met and worked with on my tenure in the company. 

Hopefully, this will be helpful to people who scan through my blog :) I plan to keep this email as it has great insights and questions which can be of use when you are on a lookout for a job. 

Happy reading! 



Monday, January 25

How Trusting are You?

This question is actually posed to people who use online shopping sites to buy stuff that they want at a discounted price or getting deals to try out restaurants or hotels.

To be quite honest, I have been an avid supporter of websites that offer discounted deals like Groupon when we were still in the UAE. I would buy deals and surprise R with a sumptuous meal or at times, a blah meal.

Now that we have moved back to the mother country, I thought why not give these websites a try here. I am now subscribed to Deal Grocer, MetroDeal, CashCashPinoy and more (I just cannot let a good deal pass...).

Bright Lights in the Resto

We have dined at Greeka Kouzina from the Metrodeal website that I got and it was a great experience.
Satisfied customers
However some of my friends were not that 'lucky'. A friend of mine said that after paying off for the deal, they got the voucher a month after (this is frustrating especially since he is an OFW and usually when you see something, you want to get it. Now). Others say that there were undisclosed costs that they have to pay which was not mentioned in the deal (this I am unsure if it's the fault of the merchant or the website itself).

For shopping websites, I have only tried Lazada and they seem to be okay in terms of the product they sell and the delivery (though I had a not-so-good experience with the item we have delivered over the holiday season... worth another blog post).

With all these websites, I only get to buy stuff that are less Php 1,000 because at least in case something happens, I won't feel that bad (but of course, Php 1,000 is still big but you know you can recover from the loss :p).

What about you? What have you tried?

Friday, January 22

When I was Offline...

I don't know if you have been dropping by my blog often that you have seen me complain about the lappy for a few times (should I give it a name so it does not sound too general... teehee). At times, it becomes difficult to be separated from the blog (naks!) however because of my ordeal, I had to part ways with it for a while.

So instead of letting my mind be idle, I busied it (and my hands too) by learning how to bake! :) Ever since, I always wanted to bake. I like the smell of chocolate being cooked in the oven or the sweet aroma of banana... *sigh*

I really have started a love affair with my baking pans and is also slowly becoming best friends with my measuring cups and spoons. R is not jealous of course because he is usually the first person to taste of my concoctions (unsure though if he really likes it but from time to time, he would request for my cupcakes!).

How I wish I can show you all my finished products but I am still trying to find the perfect photo sharing site for me to use (now this will be on a different post).

This makes me excited to bake another batch of cupcakes or cookies! :P

Thursday, January 21

Readings

As I have posted last time, I have been missing out a few things on my online life and that includes reading articles about writing and how-tos (like improve your presence online, gripping stories and more).

I have been a follow of Poynter online. This website is a place where journalists and students can get useful resource materials about Journalism. They also have a sister website, NewsU that allows you to take a crash course about Journalism and they also have special courses from various resource person to discuss more about the subject and I guess give their first hand experience.


Hopefully I can now join more classes

With the lappy, still besting its previous performance, I am now able to read articles published in Poynter. Sweet. I know.

Not related to Poynter but just addressed to my lappy, I want to do jumping jacks and somersaults right now because of the way it's performing. I initially thought I had to replace it or just let it dust in the corner... I am wrong.

So, as I have said more of me (especially late posts!) online... Okay, I have to breath :p


N.B. image courtesy of http://ftvlive.squarespace.com/?offset=1416312354310 

Thursday, January 14

I'm back online... I think

So! The laptop was visited by my Apple doctor / friend and now, it's fixed! No pinwheel seen for the past few hours :) :D :)  ====> can you see the smileys? Yes, that is me smiling incessantly because of this very, very good news!

I hope this remains because I am waaaaaayyyy delayed for the things that I want to accomplish with the laptop. Yep, that would be:-


  • reading / catching up on friend's / people's blogs
  • do our expense tracker 
  • update my blog 
  • start working on an ebook 
... to name a few ;) 

This is a great Thursday!!!! :P