Off to the Jellicle Ball

If you're not into Cats, the musical, you probably didn't get the title - sorry about that, hehe

So I ended up fusing a couple of elements from my cat costume (yesterday) to that of Marguerite's for her final costume.

 

She's not going trick-or-treating. We've decided to stay put at home today, mostly because of Santi, but also because I still have to find a good justification for going trick-or-treating  when we don't really observe Halloween. ;p I did let her wear a costume (dress-up/costumes have always been our thing, mine and Chip's, lol). It was actually Marguerite's request to put on her cat costume (btw, it doubles as a unitard when she's dancing to Glee Kurt's Single Ladies) today. I thought it would be cute anyway, so I got the costume (modified) on her, did her cat face, and up we went to play with her friends.

 

Midgy Cat

Today I got busy making a costume for Marguerite. I didn't want to buy one, unless it cost as little as this one. I decided to make a kitty cat costume for her since Marguerite's lovey is this bedraggled stuffed cat that she schleps around everywhere. So I was going to make a leotard from an old pair of tights, but saw Marguerite's black tank top, so I ended up just adding sleeves and patches of black fur to it.Basically, my materials were my old black tights, my old faux fur stole, and an old plastic hairband. There were Marguerite's own top and tights, of course, which I just embellished with the stuff I mentioned.

=>

I let Marguerite try the costume on and we ended up spending the afternoon as cats, as evidenced in the following (technically, I'm some sort of leopard as per my hairband and scarf):

The thing with Marguerite is that she knows how to internalize the roles she is given. Um, yeah, that's her eating her snack.

Here is a picture of Marguerite convincingly acting like a feral child.

Two Contests (Rice Awareness and Ovi)

For those of you who are into contests, here are two you might be interested in:

From the NATIONAL RICE AWARENESS MONTH COMMITTEE

Be part of the many Pinoys who will express their love for rice through a fan sign. This activity aims to instill the importance of rice in our lives, in celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month this November.The most creative fan signs will get a chance to win prizes!

Mechanics:

1. Create your most creative way of saying how much you love RICE. For example, you can snap a photo of yourself while holding a piece of paper with the “I love rice” phrase. (You can use your photography and Photoshop skills. Manipulations of photos are accepted.)

2. Email your digital photo/artwork at [email protected] and write"I love rice Fan Sign" as a subject. Include your nickname and contact details in your message.

3. Remember: BE CREATIVE!

This contest is open to all rice lovers! You may forward this message to as many friends and contacts so they too can join. View submitted entries below:

http://riceawareness.multiply.com/photos/album/1/Fan_Sign

Start sending your entries now. Deadline is on November 20, 2009. Winners will be announced on November 23, 2009. The organizers will contact the winners through email/text messages. Selected photos will be displayed at the Experience Rice Exhibit at the Mall of Asia from November 23-26, 2009.

DiscOVIries Contests from Ovi by Nokia

Here's a chance to win a 1000 pesos Ayala EGC from OVI by Nokia!

If you’re a foodie, you can share your best food discOVIry to [email protected].

If you’re into fashion/beauty, you can share your best fashion/beauty discOVIry to [email protected].

If you’re a techie, you can share your best tech/gadget/game discOVIry to [email protected].

Contest period is from October 27 to November 20, 2009. There will be 10 winners per category, and each of them will win P1000 Ayala EGC!

Important:

1. You must first open an OVI Mail account at www.ovi.com.

2. You must put the following details in your email entry: (a) Name, (b) Address, (c) OVI Mail Address, and (d) Mobile Phone Number.

3 Meal Magic

It pains me to admit it, but I do have a weight problem. Ever since I had my baby, I’ve been a good 10 pounds overweight. I’m 5’ tall (well, 4’11.5”, but nobody would mind if I round up, right?) with a small frame and for 3 years now, I’ve constantly been in the vicinity of 125 lbs. Have I tried to diet? I announced it and then never got around to actually starting. Have I tried working out? Lots of times, but I’ve never been able to follow through. I just seem like such a far cry from the person I used to be. That person ate healthy, that person walked/jogged miles up and down the river daily, that person felt light. I don’t really have the luxury of time or money to get into a program that would help me stay on track with the weight loss, so when I was offered to review Tricia Greaves’ “3 Meal Magic - The Amazing Non-Diet for Emotional Eaters”, I grabbed the opportunity, ever hopeful that this might just be the system I could work with.

The thing about me is that I’ve recently just discovered the greatness of food. I didn’t really care too much about it when I was younger, hence it was pretty easy to stay away from it. As I grew older, had more experiences, faced bigger problems, my perception of food shifted. My enjoyment of it also magnified. I noticed that good (and when I say good, I mean great tasting) food affected my mood positively. It was simultaneously superficial and unhealthy. It was just too easy to temporarily assuage frustration, loneliness, despair, even exhaustion and boredom by indulging a food craving. However, I never really associated all this with the term emotional eating until I considered signing up to do this review.

The CD runs a little over an hour and is certainly very informative and easy to understand. It explains a lot about how the body functions and reacts. It espouses self awareness and how if we recognize what is going on with ourselves that causes our urges to indulge in emotional eating, it would be easier to control them. Tricia Greaves tackles the subject thoroughly and speaks with empathy. The 3 Meal Non-Diet is certainly something I haven’t tried yet. It’s definitely not the usual diet tips and tricks we normally hear about and spout ourselves. In the first place, it does veer away from even calling itself a diet. It also goes against usual weight loss mantras we are exposed to such as the small, frequent meals and the drinking water to feel full trick. Tricia explains why they aren’t effective in the CD.

A limit of 3 meals a day is not going to be easy. It’s not natural to my culture which requires both morning and afternoon snacks. It’s not going to be natural for me personally as I’ve always been a grazer. It’s certainly going to require me to exercise restraint and discipline, but Tricia said many things in the recording that I intend to write down and strategically post around my apartment. I know keeping those points in mind will help me overcome potential inner struggles. Having said that, I do intend to give this system a try. At first, I could hear all the usual objections in my mind, most of them concerning the list of things I need to accomplish in a day and how the system wouldn’t fit. However, even as I enumerate the arguments, I also recognize excuses for what they are. I do have to put in some conscious effort to better care for myself and this program is definitely worth a try. I’ll give you an update as to results.

You can learn more about this CD at healyourhunger.com.

Disclosure: I was given a free copy of the recording for the purpose of writing this review.

Breaks Mean Reading, Knitting and Lots of Tea

So, yesterday, given my lack of functioning keyboard (and my laptop placed somewhere beyond my easy reach by my almost a foot taller husband - I could have stepped on a chair, but that apparently required too much effort on my part, sigh), I took a semi-break from working on the computer and my online presence was reduced to minimal (I can only do so much copy and paste - letter by letter in some instances - take note of this entry; I usually try to be witty in my titles and descriptions, but my wiseacreing had to take a break yesterday, lol). Anyway, I wasn't feeling all that well either (that time of the month), so I mostly lounged. I did the usual arts and crafts, reading, and play with Marguerite, but most of it in bed. I also put in some knitting time. I think this one's going to be a blanket. However, it's pretty much just one square; it can easily evolve into something else.

Anyway, when I'm feeling a little under the weather like now, if I can afford to, I really try to give myself a break. That monthly visitor can also make my immune system all whack (my allergies go berserk, my bones temporarily age it seems, migraines occur...), so I try not to take my chances and gulp down some Ruby Reds (I mix it with water, kind of like powdered juice) and take copious mugs of hot tea. And like I said, I lounge. As best as I can while taking care of a three-yr-old.

Guess Who's Not Handy Manny

Do you want to know what other dumb stuff I've been up to lately? There's a reason why I've always been under the impression that I'm a tech spazz (the direct opposite of a techie in my mind). It's because I don't know beans about technical matters and because I'm a thoroughly spastic klutz (redundant? just wanted to stress how clumsy I really am). Anyway, Marguerite knocked over my hand while we were watching Glee performances on YouTube. Incidentally, it was the hand that was carrying a spoonful of oatmeal to her mouth and all this resulted in oatmeal seeping through the keys of the PC keyboard. I wiped up what I could but I could still see a nice puddle of porridge forming at that place below the keys. I thought the way to remedy the situation was to open up the keyboard, so I got out the screwdriver and feeling all Handy Manny, I got to work. Um, it turns out, the oatmeal didn't reach that area (given that I'm not familiar with the workings of anything mechanical, technical, electronic, etc, how was I to know that?) and before I even completely opened up the thing, these little rubber cups came tumbling out and Marguerite started grabbing them to play with and in the face of a tech crisis compounded with Marguerite getting in the way, I just sagged resignedly and watched control spiral away from my reach.

In less klutzy news, Marguerite and I finally finished the "Harvest" bunting we were working on. Look above and below.

A Daily Dose of Midge Pics

Hi. I'm sorry to go on and on about Marguerite's photo blog, but would you be kind enough to go over to her calendar page and look at her pictures (no voting involved, just look at a pic or two - leave a comment if it's not too much of a bother)? I'd really appreciate it. The contest is based on the number of hits the page gets and with just a week left for the contest to run, I'm trying to direct as many people as I can to the page. The pictures mostly show moments from our daily activities and homeschooling endeavors. Hope you could come visit.

Terrific Viewing Possibilities

Are those of you with Charter digital aware that you are automatically able to freely access On Demand? On Demand offers a veritable entertainment trove of more than 6000 movies and shows that are yours to watch any time you want to. You do not have to wait for regular schedules as many of your favorite TV programs are available to you for free the day right after they were aired on TV. This is perfect for families with kids who would love to watch just their favorite shows over and over again. This is even more perfect for people who do not have the time to squeeze in a trip to the video shop to stock up on shows or movies to watch. It definitely beats waiting for the DVD in the mail, especially if you are just dying to see an episode you missed for some reason. It certainly diminishes these little frustrations one might experience wanting to see something and not being able to. It also does a lot for those who have to work around scheduling. Those who are interested can learn more at charter.net/ondemand. Having all these viewing options, hundreds of which are available in High Definition, right at your fingertips is nothing short of terrific. You can also get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page.

Go Fly a Kite (in a Tiny Apartment)

Ah children. Must they harm themselves just for the sake of making us age ten years ahead of time? Do you remember taking pictures of your babies unknowingly flipping off the mobile, the camera, you, or the entire world as they knew it (all 8-15 inches of it). Anyway, this (thanks to a seemingly harmless pencil sharpener - seemingly to the dumb mom... it was in a toddler art set!). Dumb mom does know how to take care of superficial wounds, even while racked with guilt and serious doubt regarding her competence. There was bleeding, but no crying (she didn't seem to feel anything) and Marguerite does love her bandage.

We're supposedly in the middle of making halloween/harvest bunting, but Marguerite was throwing all kinds of fits about making a kite. She remembered to throw another kite-related tantrum today again, which successfully broke me and made me give in. I wasn't sure how to go about it. I didn't have sticks, which I thought were a necessary material in kite-making, or a field, in case Marguerite had a concrete idea about this project. As in any other situation that demanded answers, I turned to Google and found this video on making a paper kite. We got to work (should have walked the ten paces to Marguerite's room to get better paper and string, but whatevs, the tracing paper and spool of thread were within arm's length) and had us a paper kite in no time. Marguerite found it satisfactory and flew (more like swished around) it in our apartment. I intend to make a more elaborate kite and fly it in a proper field next time. It's funny how I always have flying a kite in my 365 Things to Do This Year, but never get around to doing it. I've been an enthusiastic spectator in the past, of course. I know - doesn't count. Maybe I'll finally get to do it this year. :)

Travel with Baby

BabySafeTravel.com is a site that’s designed to cater to parents who travel with their babies. It has reviews on resorts and hotels written with the family with a baby in mind. It also offers tips on how to make travel with baby easier and more fun. There is a baby boutique that carries all sorts of cool baby travel gear. You should also check out the blogs, which have posts from site users, featuring notes and pictures from their personal travel experiences. I believe posting a pic there automatically enters it to their cute baby contest. You can even book hotel rooms, flights, and/or rental cars on the site. The good news is that they’re currently offering a 10% discount at the Baby Boutique to Spinning Lovely Days readers. Just use the coupon code “holidaytravel09” at checkout to have the discount applied to your purchase.:)

If You Don't Want the Entire World to Have Access to Your Videos

If you have videos you want to share with a few chosen people and not the entire world, Motionbox is a great site for you. Motionbox allows you to choose from three privacy options and it can guarantee that your videos will not end up in a list of recently uploaded videos or be accompanied by choices of related videos. You can sign up for a free account or go for premium membership (they’re offering a $10 discount at this time). Besides these two types of account, they also provide professional service for business or commercial content. To learn more about Motionbox, visit motionboxnews.com.

Marguerite's Felt Board

We took a break from the playhouse project (although it's really already done) to work on another one. Here's Marguerite's homemade felt board.

I had scraps of felt, but they were at my parents' house and were consequently lost/damaged in the flood. I had this felt paper. I cut out a portion of the box Marguerite's restaurant set came in for the board part. I then wrapped it with the felt paper. It's not as effective as the cloth, but things still stuck to it. Felt on felt worked, of course, but the most effective was gauze. For figures, Marguerite and I cut out pictures or drew and colored them ourselves (actually, she more of just dictated which figure to draw, but she was cutting and coloring away with me). We glued the non-stiff figures onto this week's cereal box. We then glued pieces of gauze on the figures' dorsal side. Pieces of thread might come off, so glue really well, lol.

Marguerite's having fun with the thing. She won't let me tell a story using it though.

Avoid Unnecessary Duplicate Files

Of late, I had been getting little pop-up messages from my computer saying stuff like “your virtual memory is getting small” or “you are running low on disk space, better delete some files” or words to that effect. I checked my drive C and I do have a lot of useless stuff in it. I deleted what I could (and should have a long time ago), but that barely augmented the amount of free disk space. I grudgingly deleted or uninstalled some programs that I rarely used. That did help, but apparently I did not even need to resort to that. Upon further inspection, I noticed that several picture folders were duplicated, and in some cases, even triplicated. That was really annoying to discover. It seems my husband and I had been saving the same files from our memory cards in the desktop. Now, I normally would not mind duplicate files. My philosophy would be “better to have saved two files than to not to have saved at all” since I am ever the packrat. However, when the computer starts to complain about the clutter, I really do not have much of a choice but to delete. I am paranoid about accidentally deleting non-duplicate files though and that is why a duplicate file finder, like Clone Remover, really comes in very handy. All the searching and deleting one normally has to do is simplified.

Some More Playhouse Midgy

The above slideshow is an update on the playhouse we're making. The curtains are up, added some chimes, turned the lower part into a kind of stone wall, hung a sign (the thing is supposed to be versatile - it's mostly Marguerite's "apartment", but it can be a bistrot/cafe, a tea shop, a trattoria, etc. If it's my turn, I'll probably be playing English pub with my imaginary friends, hehe, jk)... I'll be adding door and window knobs. My dad made the floor part for Marguerite (since the thing travels to distant corners of our place when Marguerite's inside and wriggling away, the floor will hold the structure in place - it's also supposed to cushion falls - my dad usually has that kind of thing in mind), which I'll probably paint to make black and white tiles. My mom also got Marguerite a darling little broom, a miniature walis tambo for sweeping her playhouse.

Btw, more pictures of Marguerite playing inside her "apartment" here.

Playhouse Midgy

Marguerite and I are currently working on a project and it's halfway done, voilà!

She loves those little playhouses, but it's not practical for us to get one. Anyway, my mom recently bought a washing machine to replace her old one that was submerged (or maybe it floated, I'm not really sure) in the flood. I asked her to save the box for me so I can make a playhouse for Marguerite and it has been a hit so far. Even with just the structure and no paint yet, she already loved cozying up inside with her stuffed toys and books. Last night, I got the painting part out of the way and today I'm working on the little accents that will make the thing more attractive. I'll post more pics when it's finished. Right now, it's still a work in progress.

Btw, sorry to nag, but I'd like to remind you to visit Marguerite's photo blog this entire month of October. Comments would be greatly appreciated too (also so I'd know that you visited and I could thank you accordingly ;p). I update it regularly so there's a new pic to see everyday. The following are just a few that I've already posted:

- Dangly Earrings

- Midge's Trattoria

- Fall Colors Paper Chain

Where to Find Diesel Parts

With diesel being much cleaner now than it used to be and with the continued innovation of car companies to make cars that run on diesel more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly, diesel cars continue to gain popularity among the driving public. If you own a diesel car and need to replace factory-fitted diesel parts, Diesel Parts Pros is the place to go. It has a wide selection of diesel parts for a wide variety of car marques. It offers reliable OEM and aftermarket parts that are under warranty. Its customer service is also commendable - friendly and available 5 days a week.

Blog Action Day - Climate Change

Climate change has happened in the past and will probably happen again. There is no reason why it should be hurried though. It can be caused by natural incidents such as solar output, volcanism, orbital variations, etc. However, there is the human element as well. Because of the things we do, we’re making the pace toward climactic change more rapid and its impact on all of us will be disastrous.

Recently, my hometown of Marikina City was flooded by the descent of an incredible amount of rainfall. In about six hours, more than thirty days worth of rainfall materialized in our area. Everybody was caught unaware, hence the subsequent range of devastation. Many lost their homes and possessions and a good number also lost their lives. Several components probably led to this calamity, not just the bizarre volume of rainfall. Marikina is a river valley. The overflowing of the river, the basin-like position of the city, the development of the mountains surrounding the valley, etc. probably compounded to the effect of too much water pouring down from the heavens.

Now, could this rainfall phenomenon be attributed to climate change? The experts are shying away from making any such proclamations. They say that more study needs to be done, that technically it was still the rainy season, that this has actually happened before, etc. I’m no expert, of course, but I think climate change is a very real threat. Even if it did not directly cause the excessive rainfall, it could still have contributed to the occurrence. I’ll wait to hear the results of the experts’ studies, but in the interim, I’d like to take a more active stance in fighting climate change at a personal level.

The following pages offer tips on personal contributions to this fight:

What You Can Do
Youth Climate Pledge
Green Tips to Fight Climate Change

Infant Formula Sale at Walmart

With the changes made in the Women, Infants and Children program involving the funding for currently provided foods, which include infant formula, parents should be aware that all formulas are required to meet specific nutritional standards. This means that expensive brand name formulas produced by large pharmaceutical corporations offer the same benefits as store brand formula, which can cost as much as fifty percent less than the former. Dr. Barbara Levine, an expert from Weill Cornell Medical College, explains that all formulas sold in the United States are nutritionally equivalent. This is pursuant to the Infant Formula Act of 1980, which dictates that formulas meet the required nutrient specifications.

The modification in the WIC program could indicate a reduction in formula subsidies. This means that more and more parents may have to pay for their babies’ formula on their own. Those who are affected by this change and other parents who want to exercise thrift would probably be interested to learn of Walmart’s infant formula sale. If you want a really great deal on cans of the store brand Parent’s Choice Infant Formula, Walmart is offering two cans for just $10. You can get a 15.5 oz (440 g) can of Parent’s Choice Milk Infant Formula or a 12.9 oz (366 g) can of Parent’s Choice Gentle Infant Formula (for fussy babies suffering from gas) at $5 each.

Vintage Sunday School Quiz

I started teaching Sunday School when I was 15 years old. From then until now, I've used just one Bible: this. It used to hold all sorts of things in between its pages, anything from important stuff (forms, programs), to sentimental stuff (pictures, souvenirs), to pure junk (candy wrappers, receipts). When Marguerite was big enough to ransack, er, rummage through my purse, I got tired of picking up all these things every time she flipped through my Bible. I thought I'd put all these pieces away until Marguerite found this last Sunday. Reading this quiz I'd made for my Sunday School class (circa 1998) really took me back. I remember how much fun I had coming up with silly multiple choices. I did the same thing with my Religious Studies class when I was teaching at Brent (I mainly taught Spanish, but had one or two Religious Studies classes a year). I can be very flippant about quizzes and I really try to make them fun to take (When I was teaching high school English, my quizzes were peppered with Rob Thomas this and that and snippets from matchbox20 songs). I don't know if you can read the quiz I posted above, but I'm sure it warranted a few giggles from my students at that time. Maybe I should go back to teaching Sunday School. Nah, I'll probably just end up chasing after Marguerite, the way I do now. Maybe when she's a bit older.

Btw, as I write this, it just started raining again. Has the rainy season always lasted this long? When will it end? Also reminding you about Blog Action Day tomorrow. If the connection is not obvious, the topic is climate change. Um, weird rain? Climate change? Get it now?

What Every Mother Should Know About Infant Formula

I was one of those mothers who were not able to breastfeed their child for the entire first year. In my case, I did not know how to go about it. My own mother did not breastfeed, so I did not get any guidance regarding this. I did not know about lactation consultants until much later. I combo fed right off the bat and my baby experienced nipple confusion, ultimately preferring the artificial one at the end. That is one of my biggest regrets. Sometimes I long to have another baby if just to experience doing the breastfeeding part right, lol.

The main guilt over not being able to breastfeed stems from the benefits the baby is missing by not consuming breast milk. The other regrettable thing is the cost that could have been saved from having breast milk as the baby’s main source of nutrition. My daughter’s first pediatrician prescribed her one of the most expensive formulas on the market, but, hey, if it is one of the best, we would not mind spending. However, formula is formula and will never be equivalent to real breast milk, no matter what pharmaceutical companies say. This is according to Dr. Barbara Levine of Weill Cornell Medical College. With the recent modification in the Women, Infants and Children program reallocating funding for infant formula among other things, non-breastfeeding mothers should know that expensive brand-name formula is nutritionally equivalent to store brand formula There is definitely no need or reason to spend more for something that you can get for much less.

5 Things I Love

Got a Getting to Know You Award/Tag from Mabel. Thanks for the interest, M. :)

This award comes with a tag of telling your five things you love to do & passing it to 5 friends.

5 Things I Love

I love the usual things that people hold dear, such as family, friends, church, country...
I love storybooks.
I love whimsical things.
I love vintage stuff.
I love music, almost all kinds (I don't care much for some genres, but I usually still find some song that appeals to me.)

I'm passing the award to Annika, Christine, Czaroma, Chell, and Kaye. :)

Cleaning Hair Sans Water

I first heard about dry shampoos on TV (I can't remember if it was on Fox, the Today Show, or E!). Anyway, when my sister stayed with us, she had this with her:

She was able to use it once. I don't think it's the same as a dry shampoo, but you can also clean your hair without using water. This one, however, gave her hair a wet look which makes it seem as though she had showered. I think our mom got it at Watson's. I don't know how much it costs, but the thing is, my sister used up this bottle in just one go (she has shoulder-length hair). I guess, it's really just for those special instances when you want to clean your hair and you don't have access to a shower.

Anyway, I'm still intrigued by the idea of dry shampoo. I googled it and found this recipe for making dry shampoo. I like my showers, but dry shampoo is supposedly good for those with dry hair since it would lessen the hair's exposure to drying elements like water and the usual shampoo chemicals. In any case, I can think of several instances from the past when a dry or no-rinse shampoo would have come in handy. I'll make sure to carry one the next time I backpack or have to take a 20-hour-long flight.

Marguerite on Puzzle Mat with Rhinestones

Marguerite has discovered "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and loves the song. I have a knee-jerk problem (not a real problem, but one that is brought forth by years of conditioning) with this. As a kid, I attended youth camps that held symposia on the evils of "secular" (aka "worldly") music. Naturally, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was one of the songs discussed, first, because it allegedly promoted drug use (LSD - *eye roll*) and, second, because the Beatles said they were more popular than Jesus Christ (gasp!). Anyway, it seems the song was actually based on a drawing that Julian Lennon made of his childhood friend, Lucy O'Donnell. I'm not saying that the songs that were included in the talks were all okay (back-masked "Stairway to Heaven" said "o, sweet, sweet Satan" - honestly, they tell you that before making you listen to something that really sounds like aauuugh, auuugh, auggghst, you'll be convinced you can hear it too -, "Hotel California" being about the Church of Satan, etc. And did you know that Alice Cooper was possessed by the spirit of some earlier century - meaning I can't recall which century- witch? These were all very impressive to teenage ears. I'll have you know I surrendered all of the New Kids on the Block - those cheesy teenyboppers of darkness!!! - pictures in my wallet to the bonfire!), but I've become very impatient with hype, with being easily swayed with talk and not having a probing enough mind to question the veracity of certain claims. Anyway, for now, I find "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (a song I've always found to be beautiful, btw) as safe listening for Marguerite despite any twitch my knee may feel.

Tales That Should Be in Kitchen Newbie

I'm really good at this housekeeping thing, eh. Last week, I got a potato from the fridge and noticed that there might be a green growth thing. It was minuscule, but I didn't want to risk it, of course, so I set it aside (aside being the window sill) and a week later, it's still there, poisonous green stuff sprouting all over it. You might ask why I don't just throw it out and I could tell you I have the workings of a mystery story (death by tuber a la that maruya tragedy in Bohol a few years ago) or I could admit that it probably has something to do with me being a packrat and how I am always loath to throw anything out (even dangerous substances?). The thing with poisonous potatoes is that they supposedly can be restored to their non-poisonous state by putting them back in the ground. Maybe that's what I intend to do although how soil is going to materialize in our 7th floor apartment is a reasonable question. On the other hand, many say, just cut out the sprouts and their eyes and the potato is still safe to eat. What will probably end up happening is that the potato will stay there for a couple of more weeks and when it starts growling or lumbering about, I'll finally have the good sense to dispose of it.

More exciting tales from the kitchen: I got splattered by cooking oil while frying tuna loaf this morning. Look. It's that microscopic thing at the base of my thumb. It hurts like the dickens even if you can't see it. I spent 15 mins just soaking my entire hand in a bowl of water before I could dare to start ignoring the pain. Please don't think "wuss".

And then I belatedly realize that this entry might have been better off posted in my cooking blog. Whatever. In other news, Marguerite's photoblog has some new pictures since my last post. Please visit and leave a comment if possible. Thanks. :)

You Know Whom to Blame

I'm continuing Marguerite's photo blog over at Mom Center. The blog with the most number of visits wins a prize. I really hope you could visit. Just click here to get to the calendar page. I'll be adding at least 1 picture everyday, so you can count on it being updated. I'm also doing a video blog, but I've missed a day, I think, so I don't know if that's still eligible for the contest. Anyway, I think you have to be a member to view the videos. Let me know if you visited the photo/video blog so I can thank you. :)

My sister stayed with us last week and she commented to me that Marguerite talked as though she was in a musical (she should know; we're musical fiends - grew up thinking Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke were the most important stars in Hollywood). Chip was all, "Where did she learn that intonation? From TV shows?" I certainly hoped not or that would mean that she's watching way more TV than I'm comfortable with. Later, she concluded that Marguerite learned it from ME!!! Apparently, I've been talking to Marguerite like a character from a Disney animation and Marguerite has picked it up. Nobody else has made this observation, so I'm not sure how accurate this is, lol. However, I, myself, have noticed that Marguerite can be very theatrical (fake sobs with questions of "Oh no! What happened?", wide, sweeping gestures while saying "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness" - the second one's from Annie - and a very affected "Thank you, Mother")...

Last Sunday while preparing to go to church, Marguerite was pulling all sorts of stunts to make us even later. I was prodding her to go to the bathroom, but she was too involved with making things just more difficult for me (I semi-kid, lol). I tried being more forceful and she said, "Wait, Mom!" I said, "Don't make me wait." She walked past me, throwing her hands up in the air, exclaiming, "Fine, fine!" I happen to know she got that from me, so I can't complain, lol.

Also, I was expecting a lot of "Why" and "What is it?", but I wasn't expecting, "Why did you do that?" and "What does that mean?" (!) I really have to be careful. The child mimics me perfectly.

WAHM Investment

As a WAHM, I am always trying to find ways to make a reasonable (although sizable is preferable) income working off of the internet. I have dillydallied about this for the last 3 years or so. While I have been earning a little from a couple of gigs, I have not really done much except to dip a toe to test the waters. It’s high time I tried harder. With money so hard and the question of working outside the home and leaving my child to somebody else’s care practically slaying me, the answer is to just go hardcore on this work-at-home thing. I think some investment may be necessary if I were to get serious about it. I shall definitely look into web hosting. For my own elucidation on these matters, I shall check out Webhostinggeeks.com. It has all the necessary information on webhosting services. It has up-to-date reviews, ratings, tips, news, et cetera. If you are looking for the right webhosting service for your online endeavors, the site can properly guide you in choosing the one that is best for you. Apparently, there are different types of webhosting and its blog has several posts that can enlighten us with regards to this topic.

Photo and Video Blogs; September Top EC Droppers

Btw, I'm continuing my photo blog over at Momcenter. I'd love for you to come and visit. I've also added a video blog. The videos mostly show homeschooling scenes, so if you're interested in that kind of thing, pls come check them out. Show some love and leave a comment when you visit. :)

I'd also like to thank all of my Entrecard droppers for the month of September. The following are last month's top droppers (the top ranker, Augustinians - 28 drops, is not included here, but is instead featured on my side bar):

Search Made Simple

Are you one of those people who download a lot? I can’t blame you. The idea that anything, from movies and music to books and images, etc., has become easily accessible to anybody from all over the globe (providing they have an internet connection) is just mind blowing, especially if you grew up in another time when the current internet was but a concept found in science fiction novels. Anyhow, with the popularity of download engines, search has become a bit complicated, considering the number and variety available. For an easier searching experience, use a Search Engine that is effective, regularly updated and very much relevant. This way, you can maximize your time online.

The 2009 Blog Action Day Is About Climate Change

At the end of the day, you're very thankful that you are okay, but there are moments when sentimentality threatens to take you over. It's not the expensive appliances that do you in although the thought of their loss can also literally weaken you with regret, it's the pictures, the cards, the little mementos, the scrapbooks (FYI, most of our books were spared, thanks to high shelves), the collection of all my published works from my days as a 2bU! (youth section) correspondent to the more recent ones from my stint as a Moms & Babies contributor(!!!), etc. No point dwelling on that though. For now it's all about cleanup. As I write this, my parents' area still does not have power. My husband is finally taking a day off work, so we can go there and help out.

Anyway, I'm also writing this post to inform all of you that this year's Blog Action Day theme is Climate Change and Ondoy/Ketsana was certainly a wake-up call. 30 days worth of rainfall in 6 hours!!! This is my third year to participate in Blog Action Day and while I had really been concerned about the previous topics, this year's is definitely the one I can most personally relate to, thanks to the recent typhoon/flood. To learn more about climate change, you can go to this site: