Just Saying

To be able to understand your financial standing, you must know exactly how much money is coming in (income) and how much money you're spending in a monthly or weekly basis. If you can, save 20% of your income and spend the rest for your needs and wants. Make sure that your needs don't exceed the wants.

I know someone knee deep in debt and he's regretting ever needing (wanting) all those credit cards which he could not afford to pay after months of over swiping. The trouble with credit is that you are fooled to believe you have more to spend than you actually have. That is why as much as possible I operate on a cash basis. This way I know exactly how much money I have and how much I can spend. If there's extra cash at the end of the week after buying all the necessities then that's the time I can use the money for my wants. It's as simple as that. So far, I have no money trouble.

Sad to say, this friend has closed his ears for some of my advice. I guess he's still in denial or something. Sayang. If he would open up his mind, I'd tell him to stop investing in shoes or clothes next time and start to buy gold coins instead. I've read that they are solid investment which appreciates in value over time. It is also easy to store and everyone knows it is a wise move if you want to protect your wealth. Just saying.

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Any News

Progress!

Usually, Ozzy never tells me anything about his school, what they did inside, whether he has friends or none. However, earlier today he told me not 1 but 3 names of his friends in school! He said, he and his friends Joshua Miguel, Nino and EJ went to the comfort room together to pee. He said their school yaya helped them.

I know it sounds silly, but when your kid never tells you anything about what happened in the 2 hours and 30 minutes that he's not under your watch you get curious.

You ask questions like;

Is he making friends?
Is he behaving?
Cooperating?
Keeping quiet or answers the questions?
What did he learn?
Did he have fun?

Anything about what happens inside is news to me ^-^ Better set up an appointment for a one on one with the teacher!

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Designated Driver

Initially, I chose Ozzy's school because of a very trivial fact and that is their school bus service. That is one thing that gave plus points to this school,now, ironically I don't even use the school bus service because I fetch the boy to and from school. Since the school is so near it takes me 10 minutes going there and 10 minutes back. Not bad.

I am trying out this set-up for about a month or so and check if the gas consumption of the car is lesser as compared to my expense if I let him ride the school service. Of course, it would have been better if we had a newer car, with newer air-conditioning system and radio, but that's fine; better than none at all! When I was young we used PUV to go to and from school. I turned out okay. But we always want to give our kids the best as much as possible. I guess what Whitey needs is to come in for some maintenance, have the engine checked, maybe check engine light and have one installed and have the necessary auto repair to be sure the car is good to go for everyday use. Ours is a 14 year old Toyota after all.

If money was not an option, a luxury car like this 2002 Toyota Camry would be a sweet addition to our family.

Actually, I enjoy our little trips to and from school. I love seeing Joshua's smile every time he comes out of school. He looks like he enjoyed his time away from home and yet he looks equally happy seeing me and his Shoti again. So for now, I am the designated driver and stage mom to one happy preschooler and I wouldn't want it any other way - well for now that is. =)

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An Update: Ozzy On Schooling

3rd week of school.

So far so good. Joshua has adjusted to school life and have gotten over his "crying and not letting go when being drooped off" stage.

I drop him @ the gate, wave goodbye and pick him up 2 1/2 hours later.

Whew.

What a relief.^-^
Earlier, after fetching him, he was telling me about his morning. He said their Teacher J talked about babies and showed them pictures. He said he was behaved all throughout. Hmmmm?

Also (naliwat gyud ni nimo imong anak Chi) he claimed he "hugged" a classmate in red earlier. The girl didn't get mad daw when he hugged her. O...kay....

During the weekend, he dutifully made his assignment without my help (he doesn't need it anyway) and without any complaints.=)

Oh well, this is a happy day, aside from the cooler weather, work is okay. Although the baby is a bit hot (I think its because his teeth are already gearing to erupt) I'm still hopeful its not anything serious because he's not weak or anything like that.

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Hazards Of A Touch Phone

Apart from the obvious fact that is it addicting of course...

Having a touch phone means you have to have shorter nails. For someone like me who doesn't like using a stylus, I find having long nails to be bothersome when tapping away. But not too short though because I have fat thumbs and I kinda have this standard way of using the edge of my nail. It is even more difficult to press the hardware buttons if you excessively long/short nails, it has to be just right.

Aside from that, I've been having wrist pains, I think its called - tendonitis. A wrist pain described as the pain at the base of the thumb from the strain of playing too much Nintendo DS/iPod touch or texting on your phone with your thumbs. :(

Talk about bad timing because of this wrist pain, I am having difficulty in carrying the baby (and finishing my ebook Twenties girl). Many I should consider an new unlocked phone; maybe a nokia or blackberry perhaps?

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50 Questions

It's been awhile since I've been tagged to answer random q's! Thanks Gracie for this one.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
5:00 AM. The baby decided to wake up so I had no choice but to follow suit.

2. How do you like your steak?
Well done.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Sex and the City 2

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Like Gracie, my ultimate fave show is F.R.I.E.N.D.S., SATC, Will & Grace and right now I love Gossip Girl, Greys Anatomy and of course, Glee.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Somewhere, anywhere in Europe. Right now, I choose Norway because Hubby is there.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
White rice and dried salted fish.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Thai and Filipino food.

8. What foods do you dislike?
I don't exactly dislike it but lately I have lost my appetite for Japanese food.

9. Favorite place to eat?
Cebu's Casa Verde (with their yummy and pocket friendly ribs),

10. Favorite dressing?
Ceasar Salad.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
A Toyota. Manual.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Casual graphic tee's with shorts or day dresses.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Paris. New York. Florida.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Half Full.

15. Where would you want to retire?
Cebu

16. Favorite time of day?
Night Time; I can finally get some peace & quiet ;)

17. Where were you born?
Davao

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Can I say none? None.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
Dunno

20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
Dunno

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Again, Dunno

22. Birdwatcher?
Oddly, yes. There's this 2 birds who live in the tree beside my room and I would always look for them when I go out.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Was this Q covered in #16? I said I was a night person.

24. Do you have any pets?
1 dog name Porkchop.

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?
Nothing exciting.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
A Flight Attendant.

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Summers. Street games like patintero, shatong etc. Simple, uncomplicated days.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dog

29. Are you married?
Yup.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Guilty. Nope, I don't. But thanks for reminding me.

31. Been in a car accident?
Uhmmm yeah, but nothing serious.

32. Any pet peeves?
Same with Gracie, those who jump the queue; I also dislike it when it rains and my shoes get ruined. What else...I get peeved with people who call, figure they have the wrong number and put down the phone w/o apologizing (never mind that the person who asnwered the phone was running to answer the phone!!!). Speaking of phone calls, I hate telemarketers! (Sorry, I know your just doing your job but..oh well). There's so much more but I am taking too long to respond.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Pepperoni, onions and bell pepper.

34. Favorite Flower?
Tulips and Callalily.

35. Favorite ice cream?
Cookies and Cream.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
McDonald's and Jollibee

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
Never.

38. From whom did you get your last email?
It was a work email from a colleague

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
...right now, I am so obsessed with stuff from TOPSHOP.

40. Done anything spontaneous lately?
NONE.

41. Like your job?
Yup. It's perfect.

42. Broccoli?
It's okay.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Hongkong. I love it there, the weather and the shopping!

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Highschool friend's for a baby shower.

45. What are you listening to right now?
Pyramid by Charice and Iyaz

46. What is your favorite color?
Pink.

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None.

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
None, everyone is welcome to snag.

49. What time did you finish this quiz?
2:54 AM (was in my drafts for 4 days..lol)

50. Coffee drinker?
Yup. I think I'm going to make me a cup right now.

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Gold.

Starting a family, having 2 kids does not come in cheap. Everyone knows that; that is why I've been thinking of how to invest our savings. Aside from real estate and insurance, what else can be get that would help our kids in the future? The answer came with buying gold coins. I've seen a lot of article highly recommending this but personally, I don't have any idea how this works. So for now, I'd read more about it first.

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Been Bad.

I've been cheating again.

...and the sad part is; I don't think I can hide the after effects of what I've done.

dum dum dum.............!

Actually, what I meant was, I've been cheating on my nightly regime - I've been forgetful and been skipping putting on my toner and night cream before I sleep. Because of that, fine lines around my eyes are getting visible. I've skipped on putting night creams after my bottle of Olay was consumed. Those things don't come cheap and I've been scrimping!! Tsk. So now, to atone, I may need to buy more. So I guess I'd be needing effective wrinkle creams too.

I am sorry skin. I promise to be good to you from this day on.

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Away.

Quoted from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ana_jst/4073859907/

© All Rights Reserved by Flickr member Ana

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Playing Dress Up

Looklet is so much fun. I am addicted.



...how I look like when I pick up Ozzy from school in a rUsh! LOL

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Organic and Eco-Friendly Eyeliners

I'm currently looking to buy a black and brown eyeliner when I saw my friends post on eco-friendly eyeliners!

Here are the list:

Sephora PURE Eyeliner

Sephora carries a number of natural and organic makeup brands from which to choose. They also offers the PURE Line, its own organic makeup line that is formulated without the use of Parabens, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, sulfates, and other harmful chemicals. The eyeliners are packaged using sustainable or recyclable materials. There are nine color choices, and each pencil costs around $6.00 (originally $12). These are sold online and in Sephora stores.

Organic Wear Eyeliner by Physician's Formula

Organic Wear is the high quality organic makeup line of Physicians Formula, and it is the first ECOCERT-certified organic makeup line in the Unite States. The eyeliners are 100% free from harmful chemicals, cruelty-free, and contain jojoba seed oil and beeswax produced from organic farming. These cost $7.95 and are sold in major drugstore outlets such as Target, Walmart, and Rite-Aid.

Sante Kosmetics Pencil and Liquid Eyeliner

Sante Kosmetics pencil and liquid eyeliners are made without animal testing and with no harmful ingredients. They are gluten-free, petrochecmicals-free, and do not use artificial fragrances, colors, and preservatives. Like their other products, these eyeliners, according to their website, "are certified by the BDIH, a German Natural and Organic certification body that issues its mark to approved products that satisfy its stringent criteria." The pencil eyeliners retail for $12.75, while the liquid eyeliners sell for $15.75 and are sold online in the US at BeWellStayWell.com and BeautyBazaar.co.uk in the UK.

PlantLove Eyeliner by Cargo Cosmetics

PlantLove carries both pencil (smudge-resistant) and liquid (smudge proof) eyeliners, and both sell for $16 and $22, respectively. PlantLove cosmetics are 100% natural products and are free from parabens, synthetic dyes, fragrances, and petrochemicals. Their packaging is revolutionary in that this is made out of corn. These are sold in Sephora, Ulta, and other independent retailers like Beauty 360. The website has a complete listing of where to buy in the US, Canada, Europe, and Middle East.

Josie Maran Eyeliner

Josie Maran Eyeliners, housed in wood that came from sustainable forests, are part of her natural makeup range formulated using natural ingredients and packed in recyclable, biodegradable packaging. The ingredients of the eyeliners include organic shea butter and organic jojoba seed oil, both to protect and condition the eye area. Their formula is free from petrochemicals, fragrances, and parabens. These eyeliners are sold for $18 online and in Sephora stores in the US and Canada.

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/72850.aspx#ixzz0pqvjp9Re

Read here full post here.

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The Gift.

An aunt just came back from her Euro trip and gave me a drool worthy bag!!! I was pleasantly surprised because I wasn't expecting anything really.

I'm just happy 'cuz I was it fits my personality so much.


Now, I have a bag that is light colored. I have something like this from Celine which is dark and has like an animal print and now I have a cream colored bag perfect for the summer/spring look. I just have to check looklet and put together an outfit perfect for this bag. I just hope I'd look as good as those models in looklet. Sometimes, looking at all those models make me want to buy diet pills but then again, I'm not too fat - I am happy with my body. It's not perfect but whose body is anyway?

Wait...Giselle Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Miranda Kerr...awwww. Models. Don't you just hate them?

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Lookless Yet In Looklet

While reading about my options regarding which safe diet pills out there is better among the sea of diet pills; I got distracted.

Why?

Simple. I found a very interesting interactive site for fashionista's like me! It's looklet.com! It's like playing with paperdolls as a kid, dressing the dolls up, putting together their outfit complete with background, some accessories, shoes, handbags etc.

It has so many options that I am still stuck with a lookless mannequin. Will be posting my look for our upcoming movie date with the ladies (and feeling ladies) later. Yup, you guessed it, we're watching SATC 2 this weekend!

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For The Budding Photographers

Here are 5 Elements of Composition in Photography by DPS. I am learning so much from this site, it is very helpful and gives newbies a lot of material to learn.

These are just 5 and the author, Darren has 10. I will post the next 5 later.

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Good Composition is a key element of good photographs yet is something that is hard to define.

Instead of looking at composition as a set of ‘rules’ to follow – I view it as a set of ingredients that can be taken out of the pantry at any point and used to make a great ‘meal’ (photograph). Alternatively I’ve often described it as a set of ‘tools’ that can be taken out of one’s compositional tool belt at any given time in the construction of a great image.

The key is to remember that in the same way as a chef rarely uses all the ingredients at their disposal in any dish – that a photographer rarely uses all of the ingredients of composition in the making of an image.

Today I’d like to look at five of the ingredients (or tools, or elements) of composition that I draw on in my photography. They’re not ‘rules’ – just things that I consider when setting up a shot.

Pattern

Image by actionlovr

There are patterns all around us if we only learn to see them. Emphasizing and highlighting these patterns can lead to striking shots – as can high lighting when patterns are broken.

Read more on using repetition and patterns in photography.

Symmetry

Image by straightfinder

Depending upon the scene – symmetry can be something to go for – or to avoid completely.

A symmetrical shot with strong composition and a good point of interest can lead to a striking image – but without the strong point of interest it can be a little predictable. I prefer to experiment with both in the one shoot to see which works best.

Read more on symmetry in photography.

Texture

Image by Grant McDonald

Images a two dimensional thing yet with the clever use of ‘texture’ they can come alive and become almost three dimensional.

Texture particularly comes into play when light hits objects at interesting angles.

Read more on using light to create texture in your photography.

Depth of Field

Image by orangeacid

The depth of field that you select when taking an image will drastically impact the composition of an image.

It can isolate a subject from its background and foreground (when using a shallow depth of field) or it can put the same subject in context by revealing it’s surrounds with a larger depth of field.

Read more on getting shallow depth of field and also this video tutorial on depth of field.

Lines

Image by stevacek

Lines can be powerful elements in an image.

They have the power to draw the eye to key focal points in a shot and to impact the ‘feel’ of an image greatly.

Diagonal, Horizontal, Vertical and Converging lines all impact images differently and should be spotted while framing a shot and then utilized to strengthen it.

These are just some of the elements of composition that I consider in my photography. They reflect my own style and personality but there are plenty more.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a continuation of this post and 5 more elements of composition in photography.

Read more from our Composition Tips Category

Darren Rowse is the editor and founder of Digital Photography School. He lives in Melbourne Australia and is also the editor of the ProBlogger Blog Tips and TwiTip Twitter Tips blogs.

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/5-elements-of-composition-in-photography#ixzz0pg4dIBXm

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