Slim your way to a clean home!

As the eldest among 14, I grew up being responsible in doing household chores. So with my sisters. Don't you know that a day of simple household chores can help you burn around 500 or more calories and work your core, arm and leg muscles, leaving your body better shape? Maybe this is the reason why we all grew healthy and slimmer (in my case, I used to be slim...LOL!).

Now that I'm working mom, because physical fitness through sports and training sessions at the gym can require time I don't have, I see to it that I complete a few household tasks to serve as a stimulating workout while accomplishing a day's chores hoping to see my body and our home in better shape.

Here are some of the household chores that could help keep stress and unwanted weight at bay:

1. Washing dishes. Taking time to wash dishes, scrub the pots and pans for 30 minutes on average burns about 80 calories (for a 160 pound person). While scrubbing you're also strengthening your arm and back muscles. Burn extra calories by cleansing the sink after it's rid of the dishes.

2. Making the bed . Changing sheets and folding blankets can burn about 94 calories (for a 160 pound person)on average, thus making your day off to a good start - clean and organized room plus getting rid of unwanted calories. Isn't that a sweet deal?

3. Mop the floor. For a 150 pound person, mopping the floor burns about 140 calories. It also is an activity where you can strengthen your core and your arms by repeatedly maneuvering the mop.

4. Dust surfaces and furniture. Dusting is beneficial for your home by ridding it of dust mites and allergens. It's beneficial to your waist line by burning 120 calories per 30 minutes (for a 160 pound person).

5. Mow the lawn. Mowing the lawn for an hour burns the most calories at about 340 for an 150 pound person. Pushing the mower works your leg and back muscles while beautifying the yard. Riding on a toro zero turn mower may not be useful to you if you aim to work out while mowing.

There are still more household chores that could help you slim down like ironing, folding clothes, picking up toys/clutters, doing laundry and much, much more! So instead of murmuring or complaining for piles of household chores that awaits on you, treat them as opportunities to slim your way to a clean home!

Let me leave you this word of wisdom from Nancie J. Carmody:

I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.... I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.

How to Pick a Blog Niche

When I started blogging way back 2009, I don't have any idea about the importance of picking a blog niche. The term "niche" basically means focusing your blog on a specific target market or group. I just blog all the things that fancies me. All the stuff under the sun. Later on after months of blogging and bloghopping, I realized how important it is to pick a blog niche if you have a service or product for sale. 

When you decide to focus on the whole world, you might not get anyone at all. This is because the ‘whole world’ has a thousand and one other blogs they are already reading, why should they decide to read yours?

The answer to this problem is to pick a specific target group and focus on them so that you provide unique solutions to their problems and they can find a place where others like them hang out. This is what is referred to as finding a niche.

To find a niche, several factors need to be considered. The first and most important is that it has to be something you are really passionate about. How are you going to be blogging about the same stuff every day for years unless you are passionate about it? Thus, after this blog which house my everything under the sun, I pick a kid and family blog- Adventures with Hyzyd and Beyond. I wouldn't run out of topics in this niche because my son is continuously growing and it's a joy to journal his milestones and our thoughts as parents.

The second factor is to make sure that your target is not too general. For instance if you are blogging about moms, you might decide to focus on moms of autistic kids especially if you already have one. You know where they are at and understand what they are going through. For me, I focus on how a working mom cope with juggling career , motherhood and as a wife.

Thirdly, you need to be sure that the topic you are focusing on is one that people are interested in. This can be discovered by checking Google Keywords tool. Just put in the keyword and find out how many people are searching for that keyword. That should give you some idea about whether your blog would be relevant to more than a handful of readers.

A practical example of this is if you have decided to run a Family blog. Family is a niche by itself. But it is too broad a niche. Just use the Google Keyword tool and find out how many ways family is being searched for. Pick a specific sub-niche and focus your energies on that niche. That way, you get visitors who are specifically searching for what you have to offer( let's say tips on surviving parenting with the house intact , some sanity and a sense of humor!) and if you have a service or product, guess who your customers will be?

It is important to pick a niche for your blog even before you begin blogging...that's what I learned after over 2 years of blogging.  But if you have already started your blog, do not despair. You probably have a niche, or several niches and just need to narrow down the subject of your blog. Like me, after years of blogging, I discover that I have 7 more blogs living right inside me (aside from this mixed bag blog) - Family, Fashion, Travel, Food, Education, Home and Health & Fitness!

Finding your way in the blogosphere as a niche blog takes some patience and some good old-fashioned detective work to find your spot within it.

As a final note, I’d like to point out that my hubby is unbelievably patient and tolerant of my dedication to my blogs. He realizes that I really love doing it, and allow me to stay up half the night, or sit infront the computer for hours on end especially when I have lots of online tasks while he babysits our baby. So, if you’re like me I hope you remember to let your loved ones know how much you appreciate their tolerance and support on your blogging career. 

Next post will be about How to get Paid for Blogging . I especially made it for my friends who just started blogging in order to encourage them that they could EARN while LEARNING the way of BLOGGING!

4 Tips to Beat Writer's Block

For those who's into writing and blogging,I don’t have to explain to you what writer’s block is. You’ve almost certainly had it. I know I have. It's so evident on how frequently I updated this blog nowadays. I know I need to get my blog updated and I've attempted several times to do so but… nothing.

When you have too much to do and a blank page stares back at you, how do you start to fill it?

Here are 4 tips and tricks to help you beat writer’s block:

1. Close your computer , stand up and get moving. Getting your blood flowing is a good way to try and activate those creative juices. Take a walk, stretch, maybe even do a couple jumping jacks to reactivate your body and your mind.

Go back to your computer after a day and two and start writing what you have done for the past days. It's a test to show if your passion for writing has gotten back to you. One secret to blogging that a lot of bloggers have come to realize is to blog frequently. Not too often (like 10 times a day for instance) as that would be considered spamming, especially if you have people who are subscribed to your feed. But you should update your blog preferably no less than thrice a week.

2. Spend time rewriting your favorite topics from Reader's Digest or any magazines and articles than fancy you. Choose a different point of view.This gives you the chance to let your playful side out, which is especially useful if you’re struggling with a demanding project.

3. A third option would be to pay a ghost writer to come up with custom articles for you. A lot of top pro bloggers do this and it works just fine for them. But ghost writers do not come cheap; at least not the type that will give you articles you are satisfied with. If you are a work at home mom, or a home business just starting up, you need all the spare cash you have for advertising and that sort of thing. Spending it on a ghost writer might not be a wise decision.

4.You could buy Private Label Rights or PLR articles. When you buy something that is PLR, you can use or re-use it for your own purposes. Where articles are concerned, when you purchase PLR articles, you have the rights to use these articles any way you want. Here are some ways you can make great use of PLR articles:

1. Use them to get ideas for your own articles. These articles have been researched and a lot of work has gone into them, so you could take the ideas and use them to get past the writers’ block. It saves you the time as the research and most of the writing is already done.

2. Re-write a PLR article even just a bit and you have a unique custom article ready for use on your blog. Once again you have saved yourself time and stress.

3. Use parts of it in your article.

4. Re-purpose the article. This can come in many ways. You can turn your PLR pack into an e-course, turn it into audio for a podcast, use it for video, for an e-book or report… the possibilities are endless.

NOTE: You can claim PLR articles as yours because you have already BOUGHT the rights to those articles so for all intents and purposes, they are yours (subject to some exceptions of course :) )

For those who do not have a lot of money to spend but still need to get articles out, PLR is definitely the way to go. Visit WAHM PLR. Each article pack is created with the work at home mom in mind. They know that WAHMs work with several niches and they cater to that. They have articles packs on travel, baby and even on massage and skin organic care.

What is more, WAHM PLR makes only 50 packs available for sale so that the internet is not proliferated with their articles. This is almost as close to unique as you can get because there is no how 50 people can have the exact same articles that you have if you do a little re-writing. If you would like to try out their PLR packs, visit WAHM PLR's store HERE. It’s only $5.50 for a pack of 5 articles.

I purchased PLR packs , re-written them and voila I incorporated my thoughts and views on each article and I did come up with a post for few minutes! I tell you their articles are superb; easy to understand, fact-filled and I really did exclaim "Yes, this is totally true. Why haven't I thought about them before!" I love the Basic Blogging PLR pack because I got friends who are motivated to start blogging and they wanted me to write a tutorial for them. WAHM PLR's packs are heaven-sent! I've published two of them and two friends are now into blogging using the published articles as reference!

Have any tips for beating writer’s block? Share them in the comments please so that you can help someone else.

P.S. If you'll purchase PLR packs, don't forget to mention that you know them through ME. Thank you:)

Songkhla Zoo- Part 1

We're about 30 kilometers away from Songkhla zoo but the last time I've been there was year 2008- few days after that I gave birth to Hyzyd. Songkhla Zoo is the first zoo in the southern region of Thailand. According to their website HERE, the zoo was founded on May 23rd 1989 within over 1.4 millions square meters of jungle over the elephant-shaped mountain in Mueng District, Songkhla Province. A day is not enough to explore the zoo! We're glad that the man in the house scheduled a field trip to the zoo yesterday.  Here are just few of the shots we had and the highlights of our zoo trip:

the entrance of Songkhla Zoo...we're amazed of the life-size carvings of animals. Did you spot us?

The first thing we wanted to experience is to ride on the elephant! My sister and I were giggling when we finally ride on the back of the ten-year-old elephant.

For 50 baht each we're able to experience elephant-riding...our first ever!!!

We're glad that we arrived earlier so we got the chance to watch the seal presentation! There were three of them and each of them showcased different talents:

The big, fat seal could jump high enough to reach the ball! Awesome. It's the best "clapper" among them all. Yes, it knows how to applaud for his job well done..sooo cute!

the other one balances ball...

and balances the rubber duckie..i think its whiskers help hold the stuff to balance, right?

the other one could grab paper money...my Hyzyd can't wait to give his 20 baht bill to the cute fella:)

...and my brave boy experienced his first seal kiss which other children on the queue dare not amidst their parents' persuasion...and we fall in line twice just to have this seal kissed him again! Bravo!!!

More details and photos will be posted next time.

My share for:

Jes is 30 Party Giveaway!

What is your most memorable birthday experience ? How did you celebrate it?

Your birthday will be most memorable if love ones and friends got surprises for you, right! I couldn't forget year 2010 where I received a special cake from people I haven't meet yet but close to my heart-the Marce Club! You can read the details HERE.

the pretty and yummy Rose Basket Cake from the Marce Club

...and now we're all invited to Jes 30th birthday party! Click on the banner to have the details on how to celebrate the party with her. Please note that she prepared cool prizes for everyone to enjoy. See you there!

Thanks to the following sponsors for realizing the birthday celebrant's with to celebrate her birthday in a more enjoyable , unique and cool way!

*Occasions of Joy*New Home Sweet Home*My Little Angels in America*Kitchen Explorers*Mamee and Me Fashion*The Wonderlusts*Hobby Lovey*

*Flakes and Nuts*Pink Memoirs*Life According To Me* Corsame Lane*Delight my Appetite*I Love Darly*Kerslyn's Comfort Zone*Random Thoughts**Treasure Box*Zowanderer*

* Rabago Family Escapade*Pink Fortune*

* Little Yzzy*Kizuna*Nshima Servings*One Proud Momma*My So-Called Life*Little Zoie's Steps*From Asia and Beyond*My Oweinilife*A Heart Full of Love*Written by Mys* Buzz Online*A Wife's Dream Nest*One Proud Mommy*Sitback and Relax*Certified Photo Addict*Loose It Up*

My So-Called World*Levyousa*Pensive Thoughts*Home Buddies* I Love Hues*The Life Encounters*Music, Movies, Stars Etc.*Jared's Little Corner*Mum Writes*Oh Gosh Gulay*Filipina Blogger*Mom Writes*Kitchen*The Tottering Mama*

a birthday gift to Doxa

Our youngest will be 9 this coming August. I wanted to surprise her on her birthday. I hope to see how delighted she'll be once this customized bag will reached her hand. This is made with love as I design this bag exclusively for her. There's a promotion over at Artscow.com and availed this larger one for only $16.99 include free international shipping too! I saved around $15. I'm sure with a bag like the one I designed, the moment she'll step in school, it won't fail to give the other kids at school the look of envy!LOL!

Coupon Code: SCH11BGS

Expiry Date: 7/27/2011

After I checked out the bag and paid through paypal, I stumbled upon a site that sell disney jewelry for children. I bookmarked this site http://www.joyjewelers.com for future reference. I still have many sisters to celebrate their birthdays this year. Who knows one of them could own this Sleeping Beauty Dress on a 16in Adjustable Chain - Sterling Silver?

this Sleeping Beauty Dress necklace is part of the Disney Precious Collection. Gemstone details: .06ct tw genuine diamonds. Adjustable necklace length grows with your daughter. Fancy lobster clasp. Includes free Disney keepsake storybook box.

Top Blog Niches for Moms

If you are thinking of starting a blog you are probably wondering what niche will be best. For those who already run an online business, you already have a niche and your blog should be tailored to the people you create your products for or those you offer your services to.

Choosing a blog niche is important so that your blog is targeted at a specific audience and not left to address no one in particular. But before you decide on a niche you need to know what you are passionate about and then make sure it is something other people would want to read about. Some of the top blog niches for Moms include:

1. Recipe Blogs: These can be further broken down into several sub niches such as crock pot recipes, 5 minute recipes, menu organization and several other areas that most women especially work at home women are concerned about. Most moms want their kids to eat well and to eat healthy meals so this niche is in great demand.

2. Work at Home Opportunities: It doesn’t really matter that you are pretty new to the work at home business. What you can do is that whenever you research work at home opportunities for yourself, you share them on your blog. If you need good, quality opportunities that are not scams, you can be sure that more women out there also need them.

3. Parenting: This is a top niche that gets a lot of readers, especially if you focus on parenting for new moms. But parenting is a niche you should only touch if you have any experience with being a parent. People tend to look unfavorably on a non-parent telling them what to do with their kids.

4. Pregnancy: There are a lot of pregnancy websites and blogs out there but they do not seem to be enough. It is an evergreen niche because women are always getting pregnant and some of them are totally clueless. If you want to work with this niche though, pick an angle and deliver unique content that they might not get elsewhere.

5. Babies: Babies are a top concern and every parent wants to do the best they can for their babies. A lot of new and even experienced parents search online for useful information to help in raising their kids. You could focus on doing reviews on baby products or give tips on baby care.

6. Travel: Vacation is an important part of every mom’s life and many need to know the DOs and DON’Ts of travelling with kids. A blog in this niche would get a lot of interest. Also you could focus on cheap vacation destinations or how to have a budget vacation.

7. Beauty and Style: Especially if you tailor it for the busy mom, this niche is one that gets a lot of attention. Most moms are really busy and have no time to learn all the intricate makeup application processes; if you can create a blog that makes the whole process short and painless, several moms will thank you. This could also be used for a fashion blog.

There are several niches out there that get a lot of attention but before you pick any though, just make sure it is what you are passionate about because you are going to need to blog regularly for an extensive period on that subject.

Aside from your blog niches, it's also a good idea to own a general blog.You will not run out if ideas. You can write anything, from health to automotive, from food to title loans raleigh. You also can rank well on unlimited keywords. However, this also has minus. Your blog homepage will not rank well easily because it is not focus. Then, inter-content linking will not run well because the niche is different. Then, it has few loyal readers because the niche is not specific.

How to Set up a Blog

There are many things you can do with a blog. If you are a stay-at-home mom and are searching for an extra income, your blog is the first place to start. If you are already a work-at-home mom with your own little (or not so little) online then you need a blog as a marketing tool and also to give your clients a little peek behind your business.

Setting up a blog has never been easier. There are several free hosts that would willingly set up your blog for you. However, if you are planning to submit your blog to a paid blogging network, you would need to buy your own domain name and set it up on a paid hosting site. Most of those paid blogging networks do not like free-hosted blogs and some of the free hosts don’t like the paid blogging networks too.

If you are just searching for way to market your business and get the word out there, here are some options you could consider:

Blogger

This is the blog service run by Google. It is fast and efficient and incredibly easy to set up. You just go to blogspot.com and sign up for your account. If you already have a google account, that makes it much easier.

They have several templates you can choose from and you are guided through the set up process from picking your blogname to how you want your blog to look like. It has an easy interface that is perfect for those who are new to research.

Wordpress

This service is run by Automattic. It is a sophisticated blog interface and provides great search engine optimization. What this means is that when a keyword that your blog falls under is typed into a Google search, your blog shows up among the results.

It is used by people who understand blogging a little bit because it could be a bit complicated for a novice. However, there are several stunning templates you can use and if you are willing to put in the extra time to figure things out, just go to www.wordpress.com.

There are other free blogging networks, but these two are the top services.

If you want to set up your own blog, you have a few options that won’t break your bank account.

Buy a Domain Name

This is the first rule especially if you want to take paid blog posts. Domain names are quite affordable. If you are looking for a .com, you can get that for less than $12. Godaddy.com is a favorite for a lot of folks. You can also try Name.com.

Get Hosting

If you are using blogger, you can easily buy a domain name for $10 and it would be hosted for you free. This is an option a lot of people use. The only problem with that is that with blogger, sometimes there might be a glitch or something and then you lose all your hard work. You really can’t complain, after all you are being hosted for free.

The other option is to make use of self-hosted WordPress. This means that you buy a domain name and buy hosting. Then you get a WordPress blog installed and you are ready to blog.

If you need hosting and other blog services I could recommend PM Blog Network. This is where I have all my 8 blogs hosted and so far I'm one happy and satisfied customer for over a year already!

If you are ready to begin blogging, it really does not take much. Examine your options and happy blogging!

Pinay WAHMS' $800 Birthday Giveaway!

Three work-at-home moms jointly celebrated their birthdays through hosting a fabulous birthday giveaway with a total of $800 worth of prizes!

Click the contest badge below for more details. Come and join the fun! Contest runs from July 1, 2011 and ends on July 31, 2011.

GENEROUS CONTEST SPONSORS:

Baguio Girl · Filipina Blogger · Places and Plates · Vector Dad · Pinay Mommy Blogger · Tsinay Travels

Expressions and Thoughts · Delight My Appetite · Me, Myself and Jes · Fishy Talks · Oh Gosh Gulay · Mommy's InfoDose · Advocating Breastfeeding · The Oblepias Family Blog · Gowns and Heels · Nshima Servings · transforMAYtion · Pinay Mama · The Bloggers Journal · A Network of Entertainment · ZoWanderer · LEVYousa · {cherry} everyday · Dreamworld Traveler · Samut Sari Etsy Store · Her and History · Beauty and Fashion Diva · Mye de Leon · I Embrace Life · From Asia and Beyond · Jared's Little Corner · My Tots Exactly · Barbie Dress Up Games · Written by Mys · Hands Full of Life · The Life Encounters

So what can participants look forward to in this giveaway? They have cash, gift certificates, domain names and blog hosting in store for you!

FIRST PRIZE - $230

$100 CASH

$90 WORTH OF GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM WAHMAHOLIC BLOG DESIGNS

$40 WORTH OF .COM DOMAIN & 1 YEAR OF FREE HOSTING FROM PINAY MOMMY ONLINE

SECOND PRIZE - $175

$80 CASH

$60 WORTH OF GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM WAHMAHOLIC BLOG DESIGNS

$35 WORTH OF .COM DOMAIN & 1 YEAR OF FREE HOSTING FROM PINAY MOMMY ONLINE

THIRD PRIZE - $140

$60 CASH

$50 WORTH OF GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM WAHMAHOLIC BLOG DESIGNS

$30 WORTH OF .COM DOMAIN & ONE YEAR OF FREE HOSTING FROM PINAY MOMMY ONLINE

5 CONSOLATION PRIZES - $45 EACH

$20 CASH + $25 WORTH OF .INFO DOMAIN & 1 YEAR HOSTING

FOR EACH OF THE FIVE (5) LUCKY WINNERS

EARLY BIRD PRIZES

1ST TO SUBMIT - $15 BLOG HEADER FROM WAHMAHOLIC BLOG DESIGNS

2ND TO SUBMIT- $10 CASH

3RD TO SUBMIT - $5 BLOG BUTTON FROM WAHMAHOLIC BLOG DESIGNS

• Winners will be chosen randomly the traditional way (print , cut entries, video while drawing winners)
• Winners will be announced on August 5, 2011.

High Dynamic Range imaging (HDR) fad

The following are photos taken by my hubby using Sony A200 for the first time. My brother who's into photography and media arts commented that the photo could be improved using the high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) technique to enhance the color of the scene-the railways, steels and steel buildings found in the background.As newbies in photography we don't have any idea about HDR so we googled for it. HDR is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range of luminance between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wide dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight.

Here's an example of a photograph processed through HDR:

Sun on the steel building by Dave DiCello

My hubby's determined to learn the art of HDR. The tools needed are a RAW editor such as Aperture, RawShooter, or Photoshop. Secondly, the HDR program. We've been told to use Photomatix. Using software like Photomatix you can create images with a more detail in the highlights and shadows than you can with a normal photo from today's digital cameras. Its similar to the old technique of exposure blending. Taking one photo for the sky and one for the ground, then merging them both together in Photoshop. HDR takes it a step further by increase the amount of detail in the image and allows you to create some unique photos. You can use it carefully to create natural looking photos or you can use it creatively to create atmospheric and emotive photos. The choice is yours as to how you process the end result.

on car racing and wii games

Every time we'll bring Hyzyd to his favorite play station at Skippy's Wonderland, his favorite game to play is car racing : Burnout 3: Takedown-the new king of arcade racers. Because of him, I also got addicted with this game that I can't help playing and enjoying taking down cars. I'm sure that if we got our own home video game console, one of the wii games that we'll choose has something to do with car racing.

But before we'll join the bandwagon of family playing Wii, will somebody enlighten me what benefits could we get from playing Wii games aside from having fun?

Weegols and Benefits of Gourmet Barbecue Sauce

If you happen to visit Butuan City, don't miss dining at Weegol's Grill Haus where you get the chance of experiencing the way true-blooded Filipino way of eating-  using one’s bare hand to feed himself. This is a normal thing to see and do when you go to this place. Just look around! As such, this native restaurant allows diners to have a pleasant all-Filipino dining experience. They even give you the option of having your meals prepared and placed on banana leaves instead of plates. You would also see that they have the usual condiments to add flavor to a meal according to your preferences.

photos not mine

Located in Montilla Boulevard, their specialty is grilled chicken. I wonder what Gourmet BBQ Sauce they used that makes their grilled chicken exceptional-temptingly tasty! By the way, did you know that gourmet barbecue sauce is extremely healthy and powerful sources natural antioxidants? Researchers explain that these foods that are extremely rich in antioxidants play a very significant and nutritionally essential role in preventing such dangerous maladies as heart disease, cancer and several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and various inflammations and degenerative ailments closely associated with cutaneous maladies and the accelerated aging of the skin.  How cool is that! Now, I'm not guilty of pigging out there in Weegols...LOL!

photo from googles.com

With rates below US$10, you can choose among the usual favorites of diners like the Kinilaw, Pancit Canton, Calamari, Seskabichi and Lumpiang Shanghai. My favorites are the Calamari, Chicken BBQ and Chicken Inasal.

Birthdate Trivia

Girls Talk hosted by my ever-creative Marce Kaye has fun digging history about the girls' birthday. I don't want to miss the fun, so here's few interesting things that happen on the 25th of April:

April 25 is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 250 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events:

• 1981 – More than 100 workers are exposed to radiation during repairs of a nuclear power plant in Tsuruga, Japan.
• 1982 – Israel completes its withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula per the Camp David Accords.
• 1983 – American schoolgirl Samantha Smith is invited to visit the Soviet Union by its leader Yuri Andropov after he read her letter in which she expressed fears about nuclear war.
• 1983 – Pioneer 10 travels beyond Pluto's orbit.
• 1986 – Mswati III is crowned King of Swaziland, succeeding his father Sobhuza II.
• 1988 – In Israel, John Demjanuk is sentenced to death for war crimes committed in World War II.
• 2003 – The Human Genome Project comes to an end two and a half years earlier than expected.
• 2005 – The final piece of the Obelisk of Axum is returned to Ethiopia after being stolen by the invading Italian army in 1937.
• 2005 – Bulgaria and Romania sign accession treaties to join the European Union.
• 2005 – 107 die in Amagasaki rail crash in Japan.
• 2007 – Boris Yeltsin's funeral – the first to be sanctioned by the Russian Orthodox Church for a head of state since the funeral of Emperor Alexander III in 1894.
• 2011 – At least 300 people killed in deadliest tornado outbreak in the Southern United States since the 1974 Super Outbreak.

Majority of the events that happened on my birthdate is depressing-so many deaths! Hope my birthday is not as depressing as those events:(

Births:

• 1214 – King Louis IX of France (d. 1270)
• 1228 – King Conrad IV of Germany (d. 1254)
• 1284 – King Edward II of England (d. 1327)
• 1775 – Charlotte of Spain, Spanish Infanta and queen of Portugal (d. 1830)
• 1776 – Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (d. 1857)
• 1843 – Alice of the United Kingdom, Grand Duchess of Hesse (d. 1878)
• 1849 – Felix Klein, German mathematician (d. 1925)
• 1850 – Luise Adolpha Le Beau, German composer (d. 1927)
• 1874 – Guglielmo Marconi, Italian inventor, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics (d. 1937)
• 1897 – Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood (d. 1965)
• 1900 – Wolfgang Ernst Pauli, Austrian-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
• 1940 – Al Pacino, American actor
• 1941 – Bertrand Tavernier, French director, screenwriter and actor
• 1941 – Princess Muna al-Hussein, of Jordan
• 1969 – Renée Zellweger, American actress
• 1970 – Jason Lee, American actor
• 1970 – Jason Wiles, American actor
•  1987 – Jay Park, b-boy & musician, part of Art of Movement 
• 1996 – Allisyn Ashley Arm, American child actress

It's inspiring to note that great and legendary people shared my birthdate-Kings, Princess, Nobel Prize Laureate, composers, mathematician and artists! Wishing here that I could share with their fame and wealth...LOL!

Here are some Interesting Facts About My Life (according to PokeMyBirthday.com)

1. Your lucky days are Saturday (Conceivement date, Your parents decided to not to have an abortion, You were born) and Sunday (Your first cell is built, Your mother suspects she is pregnant, Your heart beat for the first time).
2. You are exactly 30 years 11 weeks 4 days 15 minutes 21 seconds old.
3. You will receive your next birthday gift in 41 weeks 4 days 22 hours 44 minutes 39 seconds later
4. If your hair were never cut since 25.April.1981, it would be 4.401 m. today.
5. If your nails were never cut since 25.April.1981, they would be 1.092 m. today.
6. An apple tree seeded on 25.April.1981, bore 2,682.198 kg. apple till today. Its contribution to economy is $10,702.0 and it fed 4,500 people. We hope that in your life you, as a human being, achieved more than that poor apple tree. 

Why would my life be compared to that poor apple tree?..he..he....

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Bank on Yourself

Are you happy with your current financial status? Honestly, I'm not...not yet. I don't have yet plenty to spare for spontaneous treats and occasional emergencies. I have so many desires in my heart for my family's sake and the welfare of others. Isn't it great to be financially blessed and extend the blessings to others? After reading this “As a man thinks (believes) in his heart (mind), so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) it dawned to me that if you think negative thoughts… you will have a negative life overall… and if you think positive thoughts, you will have a positive life. I think positive. I try to get in the right mindset about our finances and business pursuits and BELIEVE in ourselves that one of these days we'll be wealthy! Presently, we don’t have the “right ingredients” to become financial successful and wealthy but it doesn’t mean we can’t become wealthy, does it?

I don't need 4-year business degree or a M.B.A. to start a multi-million dollar business? If I'll ask college dropouts Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft) or Steve Jobs (founder of Apple)… I'm sure they'll tell me otherwise!

To start with my way to be wealthy, let me write down few simple goals to manage our money efficiently and to  keep myself accountable:

1. Put aside money for tithe (if you’re not religious you could put aside money for charity) in an envelope each month.

2. Properly pay myself at the start of each month (let me say a Sanity Allowance for me), and then use only that money for the weeks coming.

3. Save at least 10% of our income.

4.  All passive income through my blog must be transferred straight to my savings card rather than straight to my wallet ( to avoid increase in spending power).

5. Review spending fortnightly, see if I’m spending under what I earn, review where to cut back if needed (I already record my expenses).
6. Schedule a monthly review to see how it’s working and what needs to change.

Furthermore, we need to invest our savings to something worthwhile. A friend was considering buying into "Infinite Banking" or "Bank on Yourself", which is a sort of whole life insurance policy that allows you to borrow on your own money once you're fully vested. I think it's a really cool deal! Why borrow from a bank when you could borrow from yourself, paying yourself interest rather than the bank? Bank on Yourself is the best way to invest money, if your goal is to safely grow and protect your hard-earned money and have a secure retirement you can predict and count on.

Have you heard about this savings method? If so, would you mind sharing your thoughts about Bank on Yourself. I would love to know how this method can be used to accomplish a wide range of financial goals.

Aromatherapy on Weekend

Friday night...the idea of waking up the next day without the need of going to school is a relief already but I didn't know there could be more soothing and calming effect by adding natural scents and aromas to inhale throughout your room especially in your bedroom while sleeping. 

Last Friday we're out for a night market to buy some essentials for my little sis. We passed by one of the stores and a sweet-smelling scent took my breath away. It was like I'm transported to a heavenly realm- felt so lighthearted, my headache reduces and was like I could sleep right then and there! The sweet mixture of scents brought me to Baan Din Horm- a shop where you could buy all the aroma products you need at your home, restaurant, spa,etc.

scented Votive candles for 95 baht each

Aroma wax candle for massaging

aroma tea light candles for 55Baht (10 pcs), 100 baht for 20 pcs

aroma oil in small container (i bought 4 for 100 baht)

aroma oil in bigger container

kawaii smoke generator for 950 baht only!

AS a new fan of aromatherapy after a brief acquaintance with those scented candles, burners and smoke generator, we came home with the following: scented candles, burner and aroma oils (lavender, relaxing spa, ocean, night Jasmine)

the aroma oil that was burnt from this cute burner with frangipani flower design was able to emit sweet scent  that help ease tension and create a soothing haven over  our weekend.