Having Your Cake and Eating it Too

What if your family loves spending the summer in a particular place (say, Baguio or Palawan or Batangas or even abroad?) and do not really like having to compete with others for the nicest, or the most affordable, accommodations?

You think, why not then buy a house there instead? But then you realize that it wouldn't be really practical, having to spend on taxes, maintenance, and housekeeping when you only need it for several days once or twice a year.

That's where asset-sharing properties come in, where fractional ownership of a house or condo unit or resthouse allows you to enjoy the perks at a fraction of the cost. In Manila, business aviation is one of the things being tapped for fractional ownership (since the assets usually have to be these really expensive ones).

So yes, you just might own a mansion after all. Do your research now.

Manage Your Storage

Be it the closet by the door or a vacant room upstairs or several shelves in your garage, it is always wise to manage your storage space.

Keep it clean. Keep it dry. Keep things in boxes and properly label them. Invest or make racks, shelves, drawers and hooks to keep things organized. Make sure you won't trip on things. Make sure kids will not be able to easily wander in, or if they do, won't get seriously injured by protruding poles and heavy-duty equipment. Make sure to stack dangerous substances (like poison and paint) well out of children's reach. Dispose of anything and everything you need not keep.

And make this as something you practice everyday so it won't be a big chore you would resist doing. Things have a way of piling up so it's best that we do it right from the start. Less work in the long run.

This way, when your husband comes home on a Friday night with the HDMI cable he'd be installing the following Monday, your family need not be tripping over it the entire weekend. And finding things would be easy, even in the dark after a stormy night led to a blown fuse.

Cheaper Furniture

Filling up your new nest and finding that you don't exactly have the budget for it?

Maybe it's time for you to check out discount furniture in garage sales! Haunt especially the ones in exclusive subdivisions and villages where leaving expats sell their slightly used ones at great prices. If you're lucky, you can even get complete sets and matching accessories and trimmings for the furniture you want.

Plus, since these are previously-owned by the can-afford, they are more likely to be of good quality and in good condition.

If, however, secondhand doesn't suit you, then maybe Tiendesitas is the place for you. Or Market, Market (I forgot which floor). Or even village bazaars and multiply sellers (I missed on a great changing table there once!). Stay away from boutiques in malls because they are more likely to also get you shouldering the space rent. Which brings me back to garage sales, those who do hold one need not pay for space as it's their own garage. So you get your buys as cheaply as possble!

Franchise Instead

Say you have some money you can invest in a small-time business, but do not really want to think up an original one, do the market research and feasibility studies for it, get patents and SEC registrations and licenses for it... consider investing on a franchise instead.

It need not be Jollibee big (where you'd need millions for a franchise). It can just be a hit food cart or a baking supplies store. You can even look to your neighborhood to see what's missing there (a fishball stand? a decent Japanese kiosk? an ice cream parlor? a computer surplus shop?) and take advantage of the residential market you can tap.

If you chance upon a service that is really good and isn't that popular yet, chances are, the franchise cost will be smaller. Of course, there will be that risk that the return for your invesntment may take some time, or that it would go bankrupt... but that's where location will really come into play. A stall selling affordable pastries/baked goodies would most probably be a hit near bus/jeep/fx depots since people will be enticed to bring some home to their loved ones. Street favorites like kikiam and fishball will always sell where there are kids. Merienda food will always in office buildings. And then, of course, there are food items you can sell in the streets/malls of Manila which would be just out-of-place in Makati.

Is Glutathione the Answer?

... or merely a shortcut?

In this day and age of fast and junk food, where everything is extra creamy, salty and fatty, it is really important to liver cleanse. Because of the liver's very important role in metabolism and detoxification, it's really our life on the line when our liver gets comprmised with too much fats and toxins.

So, does glutathione really help? The oral kind?

Googling for answers, I was left unconvinced. Most sites would say that glutathione in the liver is what helps in the natural detoxification process, but oral glutathione never (or does not always) get to the liver because it is desroyed in the stomach (in the process of digestion). In fact, it seems what actually has been to work is intravenous glutathione, not oral.

But I guess the Filipino celebrities taking it aren't really after the liver cleansing but the fairer, whiter complexion it brings about as a side effect.

Anyway, one good read to boosting glutathione in our bodies naturally can be found here. And really, a lifestyle change is in order, not over-the-counter pills.

Back Up Your Files

One investment you can probably make yearly, or every two years (depending really on how much electronic files you accummulate) is extra memory.

I know that MyBook offers this in terrabytes, but that might not be a wise move also since if that hard disk becomes compromised in any way, you'd have lost all your files. Be vigilant in backing-up your files and deleting unwanted ones. Where applicable, have separate hard disks for your pictures (which are the must-saves for me!), music/video, programs, etc. If you digiscrap, have a separate disk for your kits for that too. Trust me, you can never be OC enough about this especially when everything we are and do are stored in gadgets (computers or celphones).

For realy important files (like PIN numbers, policy numbers, etc.), have them all stored in a separate memory stick.

Experience the Fiestas of Mindanao for only P899!

That is the subject of the promotional e-mail I got from Super Ferry. You now have the sweet option to join the merrymaking in the Kadayawan Festival in Davao or partake in the Tuna Festival of Gensan for only P899 because their Todo-Todo SailSale Promo is back!!!

Selling dates (buy period) : July 30 - August 05, 2008
Sailing dates (travel period) : August 11 – September 30, 2008

For more info, visit their website.

Contest for Milk Machines Like Me

LATCH, in connection with many others (like Baby Magazine), is currently holding an essay contest. Topic is, of course, breastfeeding and deadline of entries is this weekend.

For more info on how to join (the prize is having your article published in the magazine), click here.

Earn More from Google Ads

I know, earning from Google Adsense isn't really that easy, unless you have a really high-traffic site. But, it is doable.

Two things you can do to boost your earnings include:

1) Placing the ads in a prominent place, like before every blog entry or at the top of your sidebar.

2) Limiting the ad spaces in your blog. Learn from the law of supply and demand, the more space you make available, the lesser the (demand) value will be put in it since advertisers need not compete anymore for that place of honor.

Make the necessary changes now. And 'label' your adsense codes appropriately so you can easily see which ads are generating income and which ones should be 'hidden' already.

On Health Insurance

Few people really contemplate on getting sick. But getting a health insurance or the services of an HMO is one of those really good investments that we should always prioritize.

At worst, if you don't get to use it, you can just think of the money spent paying the premiums as money thrown in several calorie-ridden Starbucks frappes that you really can do without.

At most, it may just very well save you from:
1) worrying about where to get cash in emergencies
2) dipping into your savings in cases of emergencies, and
3) borrowing money or pawning/selling property in cases of medical emergencies

People would also be foolish to think that just eating right and sleeping right will do the trick in keeping illnesses and accidents at bay. The truth of the matter is, we can be as hygienic and carefull all we want but others' who are not will still affect our health, not to mention the gift/curse heredity brings to our lives.

You can start small. It may not be as comprehensive as a North Carolina health insurance but Philhealth will save you a lot of money already from confinements. And do ask your HR if you can enrol your immediate family members in the HMO your company uses. This saves you on costs because the HMO is likely to be offering the insurance at corporate rates and your HR can just deduct in from your paycheck in staggered basis.

Old Swiss Inn Annual Price Rollback

It's only a month to go before Old Swiss Inn's Annual Price Rollback. This year, old favorites (like Hungarian and Veal Sausages) will be sold at only P11 to celebrate their 11th Anniversary. Corned Beef will be sold at P14 while Gnagi will be sold for P17!

However, Old Swiss Inn will be using their Grüzi card as basis in accepting reservations. The Rollback night will be on August 25 so better contact the branches nearest you asap for more details:

Makati: G/F Somerset Olympia Building Makati Ave. T: 818-8251. Open 24 hours, Mon-Sun

Paco: G/F Garden Plaza Hotel & Suites, 1030 Belen St. T: 521-3002. Open 7am-11pm, Mon-Sat

Alabang: 2/F BMW Autozentrum Showroom, Commerce Ave. T: 809-2326. Open 11am-2pm, 6-10pm, Mon-Sun

For sure, their Rollback night will be the perfect opportunity discussing the Philadelphia jobs you're currently considering with your partner/friends. Good food and great prospects usually go hand in hand, after all.

Start Small

Before getting carried away with all your grandiose plans to get rich,save,invest, etc., before even considering the services of a futures broker or considering the merits of mutual funds, think about starting small where savings and some sort of financial security is concerned.

Get an insurance plan from a reputable company. Be it a life insurance or some pension plan. Usually, premiums are negligible (especially if you consider how much you actually spend on just eating out yearly) and you are at least guaranteed of a certain amount in a future year, or a certain service someday. Insurance plans are also throwing in other incentives with their plans which you would be wise to take advantage of.

As much as possible too, try to pay off these premiums on a yearly basis, instead of the staggered quarterly payments, to make sure you have more savings (plus,you need not worry about coming up with a certain sum every quarter).

It goes without saying, however, to read the fine print all the time before committing yourself into anything.

Starting your own business

Businesses do not really start with a good idea. Not even with great ideas. After all, ask any common man and he's likely to have several good ideas. But ideas are just that. And besides, many people can come up with the same idea anyway. What's more, if we're to believe the gossip (?) in IT, Microsoft wasn't Bill Gates' idea... it was somebody else's (or was it internet?).

Anyway, the point is ideas are just that, ideas. What matters is what you do with an idea, be it your own or the neighbor's.

So, to start your own business, you have to do your market research first. It doesn't even have to be anything fancy and exhaustive. Some even have started businesses that just came to them after realizing what isn't being made available in the neighborhood. And that's where you can start your research. You can either sound off your ideas with friends and family, or ask acquaintances for some leading questions.

Of course, you can also google a lot of things nowadays, and maybe even check for patents. But usually, you can do with just asking the right questions from the right people.

And even after you've started your business already, be it a soft opening or already a full-scale launch, it wouldn't hurt to continue asking for feedback and more ideas. Always, the biggest room in the house (and in any business) is the room for improvement. take care to occupy it and maximize it.

Keep the Weight Off before Christmas

Christmas is around five months away still, but we all know what happens around Christmas. When December falls upon us all, we seem to forget to watch the calories and binge, binge, binge.

And I know that we should all exercise because we want to be healthy, but if you still haven't reached that level of awareness and responsibility just yet, then think about this instead: exercise now and get fit so you won't put on so much weight around Christmas.

So get on your treadmill or your elliptical, and control your portions now. Come Holidays, you'd at least feel less guilty and more entitled to all those cakes and pastries and the baked goodies that are showered to us by relatives.

Keep the TV Away

When kids are already toddling around, and the TV is usually on, they are sure to gravitate towards where it is. And if your unit is like ours that's around waist level, and your baby insists on dancig to commercial jingles in front of it, then his eyes may be in trouble.

So before the baby requires eyeglasses, get your TV to a better height. And make sure you are consistent with your "NOs" when the baby insists on holding onto the TV and watching it that close.

Employ the use of a play pen or crib if you can't always hold the baby. And of course, make sure to have specific TV time and monitor the programs your tot is watching.

Maybe you can also consider a No TV Policy or a NO TV LIfestyle.

Earning from Home

1) sell things on multiply.com

If you have contacts, or you make them yourself, for anything and everything, from bags to clothes to shoes to accessories to cakes and cupcakes... all these can now be sold via multiply. That saves you from paying for your own website.

You can attend some Negoskwela or Tesda or Heny Sison training/seminar to get yourself started. Start a business from what you learned that won't take you away from home so much, like making chocolate goodies or cooking lunch and supplying a whole department/office or doing balloon set-ups.

2) sell things on ebay.ph

Again, be these new things you scoured from flea markets or stuff your husband/relatives were able to get cheap abroad for you (like Nokia N95 8GB) or used stuff (somebody else's garbage can be someone else's treasure) you have at home... sell these on ebay...

Even if your used stuff don't sell for much, at least you got some extra bucks for it which you can save to replace the space the used stuff occupied before.

3) go into paid writing gigs

Paid blogging are for those who basically blog for money. They either post the paid posts in their own blog (and would thus have to be affiliated with paid blogging services like Payu2blog, PayperPost, Blogsvertise, etc) or write for someone else's blog (like in BabiesOnline... or check HubPages, BloggerJobs, and Craigslist for opportunities).

Other paid writing gigs involve writing, improving, translating academic papers (like those available at Academia-Research.com) or transcribing (as in medical transcriptions).

4) online English tutor

Take advantage of the Chinese and Korean's demand for English proficiency. You can even do this part-time (4 hours everyday) and all you'd need is a PC with fast internet, a webcam and mic.


other ways to earn online/from home:

ads in your site - in cases where your website/blog generates a lot of traffic, advertisers will pay for ad space in your blog. Google's Adsense, Project Wonderful, BlogHer and paid blogging sites/affiliates all offer this opportunity.

online jobs - find them at Odesk.com or GetaFreelancer.com or Ifreelance.com or Rentacoder.com

Make sure to google first the site's name and check for scam reports because there are many. Also, opt for those who will only require samples of your work and not ask for two or more original outputs because some advertisers might not pay you. Paid blogging service providers get commissions/cuts for every post (30-50%) but they at least provide a steady stream of advertisers/writing jobs.

web development, design, layout artist, etc - if you're creative, know your way around Photoshop, or other programming languages, etc.

events planning - this will require you to go out sometime, for meetings and on the day of the event but all the organizing and networking can be done at home, using your phone and computer. And since most events happen during the weekend, you'd have most of the week free to do other things (like your full-time work, study and attend classes, homeschool your kids, etc)


Will think of more job opps from the home.

LIFE Seminar for Women Loving Women

Helping Fionski help her friend spread the word...


LIFE Seminar for Women Loving Women

Start: Aug 15, '08
End: Aug 17, '08

A talented team of women, leaders, entrepreneurs, psychologists, under the name of Quanta are producing the Ultimate Life Seminar for Women. The designated participants in the upcoming weekend experience are lesbians and women who love women. It will be held August 15 - 17 at the AIM Conference Center Manila in Makati. The object of the seminar is achieving the life balance that is just right for each participant. Each person will be led to accelerate the discovery process of "who you are and how to become all you want to become." Each person finds their shortcut to enjoying and thriving in their chosen relationships -- personal and romantic, family and business. The dynamic interactive three-day seminar has three stages beginning with the discovery stage -- discovering one's true passions, one's really treasured values and beliefs, one's true friends, and one's self-imposed obstacles. The result is: at long last "you become an expert on you." In the second stage "you become the architect of the life and life balance you have always wanted. In the final stage of the Life Seminar "you see through the obstacles" and utilize the your new insights, along with a life coach, by which you actually begin to focus on attaining the change and achieving the Life Balance in the person who will be the "new you."

Event details:

Title: LIFE Seminar for Women Loving Women
WHERE: AIM Conference Center Manila
Benavides cor. Trasierra Street,
Legaspi Village, Makati City
WHEN: August 15-17, 2008
Seminar Fee: Php 5,500.00Enroll before August 1, 2008
to avail of early bird discount.

To Contact us and Register:

Blu Ignacio (0915-9949299)
Yvette Salcedo (0905-3531828)

Email: quantaseminars@yahoo.com
quantaseminars@gmail.com

It's Toni's Birthday

... so she is celebrating with her readers by making it into a contest. The prize at stake is a Flickr Pro account or a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

What are you waiting for? Tell her where the party is!

Keep Edema Away During Pregnancy

First, lessen salt intake. Avoid sugary treats as well because they are also usually high in sodium. Salt makes you retain water and it's something you really don't want happening, pregnant or not.

And if your pregnancy isn't a high-risk one, or you have your OB's go signal, get a massage (light/pre-natal) regularly. Massage has been proven effective in reducing edema as well as helping with the pain (and at the third trimester, a woman usually deals with back and hip pain from carrying all that extra weight).

Making Measles Easier to Bear

Measles is one of those dreaded childhood diseases thatcan get perents panicking. Usually, it takes around two weeks from exposure to the virus before someone gets high fevers, and after three days or so, the rashes will break out.

Thanks to modern medicine, measles isn't anymore the fatal disease it once was. Most kids nowadays are vaccinated and therefore protected. But just in case your child was unlucky enough to have contracted the disease, there are some things you can do to make him feel more comfortable.

First and foremost, of course, is that your child's pediatrician is consulted and kept abreast of you child's progress.

In the meantime, do not feed your child with highly-allergenic foods (like nuts and seafood and dairy) eventhough he hasn't shown allergies to them before. Babies with measles have compromised immune systems so they might just react to these foods a little too sensitively and that might aggravate the rashes.

Make sure your child gets enough rest, so lay off roughhousing and really energetic play. Make sure to keep the surroundings clean, check the filters of your Blueair air purifiers and avoid other things that might trigger or aggravate coughs and colds.

If the itching is bothering your baby, consult your pediatrician about giving antihistamines for relief.

Managing measles nowadays is easy. But still, make sure you work with your child's doctor and report other symptoms or really high fevers asap.