MacBook Pro is the name

I went here:

...... ang bought this:......



Whew! after months of contemplating, I finally bought my first ever MacBook. I'm enjoying it! Spent a lot for this baby, for the amount I paid, I have to use this for years to come before buying new one. This is a gift for myself. I don't usually buy this much for a gadget but this time I splurge!
My husband had been asking me if I already bought one but I kept on saying I'll take my time. When he came home, I was so excited showing my toy. He was so excited too! I might buy him an iMac since his desktop is a bit old and needs an upgrade, instead of buying another pc, an iMac is a good choice since he is using the computer for stock trading so it is the best thing I can give him for our anniversary.

Hiring the Perfect Cake Decorator

Contribution by Terrance Kirby

I know it sounds rather cheesy and corny but I really did think it was love at first site with my husband. We met in a math class. How nerdy of us, right? I wanted our wedding to reflect that nerdy love we had right from the get go.

The main centerpiece that I really wanted to focus on and make sure was perfect was the wedding cake. I didn't want the typical boring white cake with flowers. I wanted something that reflected the nerdom that was between me and my husband. Thankfully I had hughes broadband because I was opening so many pictures of cakes it would have taken a week if I was on dial up. Heck I probably would have broken the internet if I was on dial up for that! I found a bunch of cakes that looked good, cakes I would actually be excited to call my own.

I was so glad I found a few sites that listed local cake decorators and they even gave ratings from customers.

I took those and some sketches of my own and emailed them to local cake decorators. Without all of that research and communication I never would have found the amazing cake artist I ended up hiring.

Safety Rules for Summer

Author: Willard Roberson

Summer vacation often proves to be a challenge for working parents for older kids. The kids have outgrown daycamp and babysitters and are old enough to stay home on their own during the day. Here are some simple rules to help keep your child safe while they are home alone.

First of all, check with the laws in your state to determine if your child is legally old enough to stay home without adult supervision. Most states do not allow this until a child is between twelve and fourteen.

Second, make sure your child knows how to work your home security alarm system. This can both help your child in an emergency and prevent setting the alarm off accidentally as well. If you don't have a security system, then find out how to get a first alert alarm in Ohio.

Third, set very clear rules about what is and is not allowed. Make sure internet settings and V-chip settings are at levels you are comfortable with. It's also a good idea not to allow your child to have friends over if you are not there as you are responsible for anyone in your home.

Fourth, let your child know they are not to answer the phone or door to anyone they do not know or without your permission. The UPS man doesn't need to know they are alone.

Entrusting your child to be home alone is a big step, but can be a safe one.

The BOARDS and etcetera update...

I'll be taking my boards in less than a month, and I am cracking up right now! I believe I can make it, yet I know 30% is the most I can get from all the preparations and studying the rests, I leave it up to God. If its for me then I am willing to take the next step, for the meantime I'll do my best preparing for my 30%.
Our house renovation is still going on, for this week they're going to demolish our kitchen and install new floors and cabinets. This means I can't cook nor do the dishes for how long I can't tell. I will leave the house during the day and stay out since the chimney will be knocked off and I can't afford to breathe all the soothes, dusts and all other particles on air plus they said our central air will be shut off too, I can't bear the heat, I'll be cranky, believe me its not gonna be funny.
I got up early today cause the counter top guy said he'll be around between 8-9 am to install our bathroom vanity but for some reason up to this very moment he hadn't showed up yet. I hope he'll show up or else I will never ever allow him set foot to our house and lose his accounts with us. LOL, I never knew I could be this strict to people who worked all the projects we have had. First, I had yelled the door guy for his inefficiency, I even told the contractor I dislike him and don't want to see his face again! Well, I am nice to our contractor its just that the suppliers are giving me headaches. Funny because they can't believe I could be very meticulous. It's my money and not cheap to spend all these things and they better do their end of the bargain because I paid them right and never stiff them.
That's all for now, On Monday, expect me at barnes and noble or at starbucks doing my studying. Wish me luck and please pray for me for my upcoming board exams.

Family Bonding with "Wheel of Fortune"

Contributed by Alec Bates

One of the most thrilling programs to watch with my family is Wheel of Fortune. Once a week, we all gather around the television to compete against one another and partake in all the fun that "Wheel of Fortune" has to offer. The show is basically a staple in American pop culture, and my family appreciates it more than any other family I know! Gathering around to watch "Wheel of Fortune" on the channels we get with cable tv deals in NC is definitely a treat and reward for a week's hard work.

On "Wheel of Fortune," the contestants have to guess the letters that make up certain words or phrases. I think this show is great for families, because it teaches kids how to think on their feet. Also, I truly think the verbal skills of my kids have improved greatly due to this program. My kids can piece together words and think of virtually any phrase due to this program! I think they have become better readers too. I love that our family bonding program is also a program that somehow involves critical and active thinking skills, rather than passive behaviors. There is an educational aspect to this program that makes it worthwhile to watch this program.

I love "Wheel of Fortune" because it is a family friendly program that anyone can enjoy. It also improves the literacy of kids, which can't be a bad thing!

The Most Intense Show On Television

Guest post written by my buddy Franklin Davenport

It might not be the standard family television night, but my family sure does enjoy it. Every Wednesday night we make our popcorn - lime and regular - sit down with our drinks in hand - soda, water, and milk depending on the person - and watch Locked Up Abroad on direct tv satellite. If you haven't seen Locked Up Abroad before, you have no idea what you're missing. It's about people that attempt to smuggle drugs from one country to another. These are true stories that are reenacted and they're done extremely well. Time magazine has even labeled it the most intense show on television.

As you might have predicted based on the title, the people in these shows get caught while trying to smuggle the drugs. They end up in prison in a foreign country and usually serve multiple year sentences. Some prisons are much tougher than others, but none of them are pleasant. You will always find yourself rooting for them to find a way out, whether it's by escape of legal avenues. Believe it or not, one guy did pull off an escape. In most cases, though, they receive reduced sentences for good behavior. Still, though, three years instead of five is still pretty rough.

If you enjoy rise and fall shows, then you will love Locked Up Abroad. Definitely check it out if you get a chance.

Domain registration renewed

Yay! I almost forgot to renew this domain which expires tomorrow. I can't believe its my blog's first anniversary tomorrow with its own domain. It seems that I had just registered yesterday and before I knew it 1 year had already passed.
I have nothing to say for today but I made myself 10 bucks poorer today. Anyway, there are some paid posts here so there's nothing to lose!

DVR

I am in my busiest schedule these days because I have so much to attend to. I have an exam for my license to be a nurse in few weeks thus, I need to do a rigorous review. I also have a wedding to prepare which will be in Philippines. I have to be updated with our house renovation in the Philippines too. With all the things that occupies my time, I can barely have time to sit down, relax and watch my favorite tv shows. I am just glad that my tv service has DVR to record the shows that I miss. One of these days when I am not too busy I will watch them for sure.

Right now, my tv service is Direct TV and the DVR for Direct TV was free when I purchased a package in Direct TV. Freebies like this can entice customer to purchase a tv service. I really have nothing to complain with my DVR as it really serves it purpose.

I know there are different tv services that are available in different areas. One that I have known to have a good and reliable service is the Time Warner Cable. The DVR for Time Warner Cable will allow you to search for shows easily using the on-screen programming guide. It can also let you set Parental Controls and decide what your kids watch — and don’t watch. On the other hand, the DVR for Dish Network can't be left behind with its features too. Dish Network offers a new Slingloaded DVR which allows user to watch TV everywhere whether its in their computer or its in their mobile. With the sling technology, you can enjoy the pause, record and playback tv features.

Installing a Satellite Dish

I live in a community where there are certain rules to be followed. I think all communities has its own rules anyway. I guess most of these community rules is most likely to respect your neighbors which is really great. When it comes to installing a satellite dish, there are government dish rules. I am just glad that we don't install satellite dish personally as I am scared that I might break government rules. I really don't want to be penalize for it.

One of the best things that I like living here in America is the convenience. Like for example, when you want to purchase a TV service, it is very easy to do so because you can do it online and their customer support will attend to you right away. When I purchased one of the Direct TV packages by DirectSatTV, I didn't have a hard time with it. They offer a very excellent customer service. They installed the dish very quick and I am satisfied with the reception of our HDTV.

I am loving my Direct TV service because so far, I never experienced problems with it. The channel guide that they gave us becomes very handy for my husband who likes to change channels every now and then (which by the way annoys me). If you are looking for a good TV Service then you should consider checking out Direct TV by DirectSatTV. They have a great offer the Free HD for Life for their new customers. This is a limited time offer so call them now.

Facebook trend

I admit I like the features in facebook. I can keep track my friends especially from back home and from time to time chat them whenever our schedules permit. But for some reason, I hate those people who are registering just for the sake of having one and besides I knew it's kinda off to their kind of lifestyle, call me stereotype but its just my take. Okay granted they have their right to do whatever pleases them anyway its a free service for everyone but come on at your age you should have to stay foot to whatever things that fits you. Yeah, it is a new tool to socialize but come on act like normal. You look so trying hard holding on to your youth! In my words "masyado kang koka". I got horrible headaches whenever I see your face on that site, and adding me on your friend's list??? Hello!!! we're not even close when we were kinda neighbors and now befriending me??? What have you eaten lately???

Staying in Touch with Family: Skype

Thanks to my friend Mayme Snape for the guest post

I love staying in touch with my family using my hughes internet satellite. It is phenomenal how easy it is to stay in touch with family these days, for a small cost. Whenever I travel to different countries, I am always sure to take my laptop with me. I have discovered a variety of ways to communicate with my family rather than spend hundreds of dollars making long distance phone calls.

Skype is a video chat system that I frequently use when connecting with my family overseas. This program is completely free to use and available with alaska satellite internet! Isn't that amazing! I love using this free program because it also allows me to see the faces of my loved ones and to hear their voices. Many people may wonder if the reception of such a program is okay or if it is choppy, since it is available for the public's use free of charge. The truth is this program is amazing and there is never a moment when it is choppy or I am disconnected from my family. I use Skype to instantly be in contact with my family for celebrating their birthdays and other holidays while overseas. One Christmas, I even remember when I had the chance to open a present over the program Skype! It was the best experience of my life and I will always remember that day!

my allergy story

2 years ago I was diagnosed with severe allergy, I went through a couple of test, initially was 20 shots then a week later another 20 shots, both shots determine the type of organisms I am allergic to. Then I had a weekly allergy injections which is 1 in each arm. Exactly 1 year and 6 months I kept on going to my allergy doctor for the shots then I asked the doctor if our school nurse can administer the shots so that I will not make a trip to their clinic which cost me 1 hr of my time on top of my already busy schedules in nursing school. The doctor agreed, I only have my injections at school during school days and during vacations, I asked my girlfriend to do it for me.
Since the beginning of this year my shots is reduced to 2x per month which I am glad at least I knew I'm almost done with my immunoglobulin injections. Just lately I felt my allergy exacerbates primarily due to the construction of our new bathroom and some other renovations done in my house. It is close to 10 days now that I barely got a good nights sleep because of the hacking cough enough to wake me up several times at night. Now I went back to my old routine, taking allergy medications, nasal sprays and water therapy. I can't exercise due to the fact that our basement is under-construction and gazillion dusts is floating on air. Plus it's time of the year where my allergy hits to the highest level. As far as I can remember, I never have allergy problems during winter time that is why its my favorite season. Last spring we went to AC shopping I knew I am allergic to something because I've been sneezing all over, little did I knew there's a construction going on in the next block.
And now I'm worried when I go home this August, I am sure Manila has tons of pollution that I can't bear, Will I survive? How about the lubak-lubak (uneven) roadways in my island? I think I have to bring tons of medicines when I go home.

Prepping our home for the market

Guest post written by Rick Beck

Before we put our house on the housing market, I knew we would have to spruce up its exterior. But we didn’t want to go to the trouble of getting a new roof or siding. That would just be too much for something that we were going to sell off anyway. So we followed our real estate agent’s advice and decided to replace our windows.

Our Realtor told my wife and I that an energy-efficient home would be a big seller and that replacing the windows with that intent would be a huge selling point she could really play up.

So I started doing my research and found Sears Home Pro in Maryland to do the work for us. The exterior of our home not only looks so much better, but I noticed a little difference in our electricity bill for the past month.

We’re still doing a few things here and there, like replacing door knobs and drawer pulls before we officially put our house on the market. But our real estate agent seems to think that we’ll get a warm reception from buyers.

Macbook or Ipad?

I had been meaning to buy a new toy, but I kept on contemplating which one should I get. For some Ipad is the choice because its the latest and is considered the "in thing". Price wise, its almost 50% cheaper than macbook but I'm not worried nor concerned of the price, what I am after is the functionality.
So, I went to the apple store earlier today and spent my 30 minutes checking the features of the Ipad just to take the feel & touch, one thing I realize it is not for me for a number of reasons, yes it is sleek and cute but it seems that its a bigger iphone minus the calling features; it requires a case + keyboard dock + camera connection kit for an easy way to import pictures and many more accessories to be able to attain the ease of using it therefore every time I travel I definitely need a shopping bag to carry all the accessories. Typing on screen is not me, how much more when I use photoshop and one more thing it doesn't come with a built in webcam which is very important selling features for me because I'm a constant bragger with all the fortunes I have, LOL!
Since I have more negative thoughts of the Ipad, I finally decided to get the macbook, I don't know when but I'm pretty sure its going to be macbook.

Lock the Doors

Thanks to blogger Laura Hilton for the post.

Every time my family leaves for a vacation, I always make sure the doors are locked before we leave. Unfortunately, this is something that many families forget to do amidst the stress of planning for a vacation and making sure that everything is set for the vacation. Locking the doors is equivalent to having a home security alarm: both actions protect the home. If you don’t have an alarm already, you should look for a security alarm company around St. Paul. It was only after I suffered a tragic burglary, that I learned the true important of consciously making sure the doors are always locked.

One time before I left my home for a teacher's conference, I forgot to lock the doors. I was in my twenties at the time, and I did not have a family at the time. When I came back to my home after the conference, I was distraught to see my entire apartment trashed. The television was stolen, and everything in the kitchen was thrown on the floors. I ended up losing electronics, purses, and clothing that was worth thousands of dollars. I felt emotionally scarred and very vulnerable.

After experiencing this horrific event, I can not emphasize how important it is for people to lock their doors. You never know who may try to enter your home while you are gone. But, if the doors are locked that provides one extra obstacle a thieve must face in trying to break into your home.