Wishing all of you the Best of Holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

An Inspirational Quote

“ Don’t tell your problems to God but rather tell your problem that you have a Great God.”

Oh! this is the exact inspirational quote that I’ve heard from our Boxing Hero Champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao when He uttered this in his speech at the Thanksgiving Mass held at the Quiapo Church and during his courtesy visit to our President

The true message He wants to convey is that most of us we only remember our Great God in times of problems but have we ever thought that we have a Great God whom we should think first above all other things in our life?

Let us always remember that problems will come and go. Everyday we are facing problems but if we have Him in our heart and soul everything will be in right thinking and come up with the right decisions to solve our problems. The inspirational quote above will give us the strength and the wisdom to face all life’s hardships.

To all, Think only of our Great God and everything will be at peace.

God Bless us all!

My Son has a letter to Santa

Last Friday night my son and I are in the mall to get some grocery stuffs for the house. Since it’s already time for dinner I decided to just have a Happy Meal at McDonald's. While eating I asked him what he want for Christmas. He immediately replied and said, Mommy I just want a toy car and a robot- that’s his favorite toys actually so I won’t wonder why those were the ones that came first in his mind. I remember I would like to teach him to write a letter to Santa and so I told him someone out there would make your wish come true if you would be good. He replied, Yes Mom I will and who will that be? I replied, later you would know.

After we ate we walk around the mall and He saw a Big Santa with his reindeers, hang in the ceiling of the mall’s atrium. I asked him, do you see that? That’s Santa and He is coming to town this Christmas to give presents to all the children who were been good and if you write a letter to him, he will surely grant your wish. I saw the smile in
his eyes and said, Mommy when we reach home please guide me on how to write a letter to Santa. I said, Yes I will and I loved too.

When we reach home, even yet without dressing down and change his clothes. He pulled out a pencil and a paper inside his bag and started to write a letter. He asked me how to start it off and how to spell the words. I guided him and so he was able to write a simple letter to Santa telling that he wants a toy car with a remote and a robot. After, He went to his room and gets a stocking (His old sock) and put in the letter and hangs the stocking on the Christmas tree.

He was in silence for a minute and I thought He would stop asking me about Santa, I was wrong, he then asked me, Mom what is the date today? I showed him the calendar and told that today is Dec. 5 and 20 more days to go and its Christmas and Santa would bring you your wish of a toy car and a robot. His face immediately turned from happy to sad emotion and said, Mommy it’s too long to wait for 20 more days and started to count his fingers. I laughed and told him to have patience and Santa would not give your gift if you were in a hurry. Oh! I love his innocence but I’m glad my objective to let him write a simple letter was accomplished.

There you go, every morning when he wakes up he would go and see our Christmas tree. He promised to wait until the eve of Christmas. So to my Dadnificent start to wrap our gift to him and be a Santa on Christmas.

A Letter to Santa Claus

Does your child love to write? If yes, this coming Christmas Holidays why don't we sit down and guide your child to write a letter to Santa Claus and put this in a stocking on a Christmas tree.

Why to Santa? Well, Children believe that Santa Claus exists and if they are good they will surely receive a nice present from Him. This is what most parents would say to their children when in time for Christmas. Not that we are telling a lie that Santa Claus do exist but we just want them to know that someone out there appreciates a child who is kind, respectful, helpful and obedient.

I remember when I was a child, My Mom and Dad would see me hanging a stocking on the Christmas tree and they would guide me to write a letter telling Santa the gift I want for Christmas. On Christmas morning, I’m so excited to see my stocking and to my surprised I got my wish. I thanked my Mom and Dad of helping me to write and prayed of my wish to Santa. And as I grow up I’ve known that Santa does not really exist and only my Dad and Mom was the ones who put in the gift inside the stocking.

I planned to do this with my child. The idea and objective is not that I’m teaching of a character that does not really exist in real life but I want my child to learn how to write simple letter and to express himself of what he want for Christmas and that if He is good, wish will be granted.

So to all Moms and Dads, this is a perfect bonding time and perfect present we could give to our children this Christmas. Let’s teach them how to write a letter to Santa Claus.

Decision Making

Have you ever had wrong decisions in life? Well, you may say Yes and a lot of times but have we ever thought to analyse, evaluate and reflect why we end up making wrong decisions? Here’s a very interesting story I received in my email box. The story gives us an insight into Decision Making.

Group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.

The train came, and you were just beside the track interchange. You could make the train change its course to the disused track and saved most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make.......

First, analyse the situation
Think, evaluate and reflect…….
Assess risks and
Decide your answer!

Now … go ahead….

Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. To save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally.

But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place? Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was.

This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are

(Just last night in the news here in our country, the majority of the Congressman won over the Minority one in fight for not pursuing the Impeachment case of the President. How about the very controversial envelope during the Impeachment trial of a former President? “To open or not to open” well, as expected “not to open” won the majority of the votes).

To continue the story…

The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.

To make the proper decision is not try to change the course of the train because the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train sirens.

If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe.

If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one. "Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."

Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils (lol!)

It's Joke Time again....

To all my blogsphere living in the U.S.A.

What key has legs and can't open doors?A turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

For 10 minutes I was a Teacher!

It's English Week at my child's school, parents were invited to volunteer and participate in the class to “Read Out Loud” and be the storyteller.

It was actually my co-mom Amy, who is also a friend, the one who volunteered to “Read Out Loud” a Story to the kindergartners. She asked me to help her and was tasked to do the Icebreaker. I have chosen to teach children of a song about emotions.

So I start the ball rolling. To the tune of a Nursery song “If you’re Happy and You know it Clap your Hands” I have changed the three last words of the lyrics of the five emotional reaction. Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared and Surprised. The kids love it and enjoy the song and have followed me on the different emotional reactions.

When it was Mommy Amy's turn to read the story, I have observed that children do really love storytelling. They were very silent and attentive -it shows in their eyes the excitement of what will happen next. Amy was able to cover all the important tips on storytelling. With just few trainings, she can be a Teacher. After all she graduated college with a degree of B.S. English.

1. First, she reads the title of the book and explain that the title of the book is the name of the story. The author and illustrator were told so.
2. She had fun reading the speeches of the speaking animals.
3. A word with Big Letters was emphasized.
4. She has asked the children of questions like who is the main character to test if they were able to understand the story.
5. And last, she gave the moral lesson of the story and has explained to the children that a moral lesson teaches something.

It was indeed a great fun teaching experience for both of us. We learned how to interact with a big crowd of kids and now we can relate to what the Teachers are going through. If I would be asked if I want to be a “Teacher” in the true sense of its meaning, I prefer to be a blogger(lol!)

I had a miscarriaged

Having a miscarriage, even at a very early stage in pregnancy, is traumatic. Guilt compound my misery - seems like a miscarriage is my fault that everything I did and ate had caused the miscarriage... My case is missed abortion, the fetus dies and is not spontaneously expelled so I had to undergone dilation and curettage. It was one of the difficult times of our lives, it was a planned pregnancy and we saw it developing through ultrasound until it was 8 weeks old when the doctor told us the bad news.

I allowed myself to grieve, I was never over it until after 4 months after when I learned that I am pregnant again. Although, the fear of miscarriage keeps my joy guarded, I can not deny the fact that getting pregnant again as soon as it is safe is possibly the best therapy I had.

Some expectant women like me refrain from spreading the happy news until the fourth month, when we begin to feel secure that the pregnancy will indeed continue. But I have learned that though its hard for parents to accept it at the time, when a miscarriage does occur it is usually a blessing. Early miscarriage is generally a natural selection process in which a defective fetus is discarded, probably because it is incapable of survival or is overwhelmingly defective. Most women who have had one miscarriage do not become habitual aborters. In fact a miscarriage is an assurance of fertility, and the great majority of women who lose a pregnancy this way go on to complete one.

My doctor suggest waiting three to six months before trying to conceive again. I took advantage of this waiting period - I spend it improving my diet and health habits, hoping that this time around I'll have normal pregnancy and a healthy baby. I am on my third month and counting and crossing fingers and leaving it all to Him...

Annoying Phone Calls

One busy day, as I was attending a big client call and expecting to close a sale, my phone keep on ringing that I have to ask an excuse from my client to answer my phone. To my dismay, it was just from a credit card company offering me to apply and giving other loan options that they have this personal loan salary etc. I told the girl on the line that I am not interested and so I hang up my phone and put it off. Same number called me for several days, same credit card company and same thing I told them that I am not interested and ask them to stop calling me.

As I am on my way to my prospect client to finally close the sale my phone rang, it was again from that credit card company informing me that they approved a salary loan for me and check was sent to my residence address. She further told me that if I wish to return the check it would just be fine and I will have no obligations with them to pay other charges and just deposit back the check to their account. With this, I got irritated and immediately complain the matter to their customer service and fortunately I happen to search this site where you can report annoying phone calls. I want others to know what to expect from that number.

It won't work out.

About a year ago had passed since a husband and a wife had an amicable divorce. The wife then decided that it is time to start dating again. Unsure how to begin, she thought to scan the personals column of a local newspaper. She came across three men who seemed like they'd be promising candidates.

A couple of days later, She was checking the answering machine and discovered a message from her ex-husband. The husband said, "I was over visiting the kids yesterday. While I was there I happened to notice you had circled some ads in the paper. Don't bother calling the guy in the second column. I can tell you right now it won't work out. That guy is me" (hehe../lol!)... OK fine!

How to feel happier?

Here are some few tips to put on a happy Face and feel happier from the author of Life's Little Instruction, Mr. H.Jackson Brown .

1. Skip stones across a creek.

2. Comb your child's hair.

3. Count your blessings.

4. Tape ten favorite photos to your kitchen cabinets.

5. Make yourself some cinnamon toast.

6. Ask your parents to tell you again how they first met.

7. Whisper to your spouse, "I can't believe how lucky I am to have found you!"

8. Get your car washed.

9. Make an anonymous donation to your favorite charity.

10. Give someone a backrub.

11.Have someone give you a backrub.

There you go.... Be Happy!

I was tagged!

Mom of Four (Liza), who is one of my favorites Blogsphere tagged me and asked to list down 8 Things about myself.

Well, I know I’m special. In entire world, there is nobody like me. Nobody has my smile, my eyes, my nose, my hair, my hands, my voice, my laugh etc.. Now let me see Things about myself? It's actually more than 8 Things.

1. Of course I’m a Mom, that’s why blog’s name is Momnificent, is it obvious ?
with a loving and super supportive Dadnificent and super dooper “kulit” Sonnificent (hehe)

2. I am a Filipina and a native of San Fernando, Pampanga, Phils. We migrated in the Land of Promise, Davao City in 1989. As a “Kapampangan” I love good food. My favorite is “Kare-Kare”.

3. My son and I love to go to Mall every Friday or Saturday and eat fish ball, shrimp ball and the like.

4. I love to check out new stuffs in “Ukay-Ukay” because its cheaper and if you just have a patience to dig, for sure you can buy a nice stuff and with good quality despite it’s a second hand.

5. I love to read books with my son and pretend to be a teacher. Frustrated Teacher huh?

6. I love to Dance rather than to sing. Why? Bad tune hehe.

7. I love watching “ Chef to Go” not just because Chef Rob is cute but I really love cooking and like to learn more new food.

8. I like friendly people like Mom of Four, Blessed Life .

There you go….now I am tagging my other favorites blog roll here:

1. Blessed Life 2. D’ Cooking Mudra 3. Fil-Am Journey 4. Coffee-tea-n-me
5. A Pinay' s Endeavor in America 6. Free Trip to Japan 7. Excess Baggage 8. Kumagcow

And the tag rules to follow are:

1 - Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves.

2 - People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3 - At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their name.

4 - Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

Happy Tagging!

"Sight Words".... made all the difference

I consider myself a hands-on-mom when it comes with my son’s lessons in school. I didn’t hire a tutor for I still believe that mothers can manage to teach lessons in Kindergarten.

Teaching lessons in Kindergarten is very challenging. This is the level in learning where they are being taught to read phrases, sentences, reading comprehensions etc. and so we parents should be there to guide and support them in this process.

I love teaching my son to read and have found out that for a child to develop his reading skills he or she must learn of sight words or the so-called high frequency words. In the Reading subject of my son, they are now being taught of these sight words by level.

One day a friend gave me a copy of a simple story “ The Best Thing in the World” which comprises of 220 Dolch Word List. This is a story of four brothers wherein their father who is an old king told his sons that He will not live long anymore and so He asked them to bring Him the Best Thing in the World and the one who can bring the Best Thing shall be the new King.

The four brothers started off to find the Best thing in the world. At the end of the story the last brother was the one who have brought the king of the Best Thing in the World. Guess what’s the Best Thing in the World? That is to all the mothers out there to find this out. Click the internet and search google and print a copy. Read this with your early reader child and ask simple questions after reading to test if your child was able to understand the story.

Edward William Dolch, PH.D in his book, as searched in the internet published Dolch Word List. He is also the author of “Problems in Reading”. With Dolch word no need for extra practice, as they learn them by reading them repeatedly in context.

Integrating these sight words to your kids reading lesson will really supplements their strong balance reading. It boosts every child’s motivation and confidence in Reading. Sight word integration truly made all the difference. My son can read a story with three long paragraphs now. My continuous goal is to practice Him to read and read more and of course another important thing is to teach of reading comprehension.

What is Two and Two?

One day, a company was busy interviewing applicants. A boss asked four job applicants of the same question: " What is two and two?" The first applicant was a journalist. His answer was "twenty-two". The second , an engineer, calculated the answer to be between 3,999 and 4,001. The third applicant, a lawyer, cited a court case in which two and two was proved to be four. The last applicant was an accountant. When the accountant heard the question, he leaned across the desk and said in a low voice, "How much do you want it to be?" hehe..(lol!)

Kidding Around...

Why does the Mummy keep his Band-aids in the refrigerator? Why?

She wants to use them later for cold cuts! (lol!)

Who's your Perfect Guy?

My cousin from Chicago sent this funny email to me. Sharing this and please choose your perfect guy

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.
2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.
3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to You.
4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.
5. It is important that these four men don't know each other. (lol!)

Stay Sexy, Guys

To all the guys out there don't you know that you will stay sexy if you follow these simple tips from "Manners of Moving Up".

Stay Sexy Guys......

1. Jeans are Yes to you especially if shirt is tucked in and if you have a tight butt to show.

2. For neckties, keep one for power lunch and one for dating.

3. Color of the socks- you need only two colors, are black (for your black shoes) and white (for rubber shoes, tennis shoes, golf shoes,etc.)

4. Socks must stay high enough above the ankles to cover your legs when you cross them.

5. White handkerchiefs are better than colored ones.

Call of the Child

One day, a mother have found his three-year-old son with the telephone, which the son quickly hung it up when he saw his mother. Mother asked, "What were you doing?". The son replied, I had called my Aunty Tara. " You don't even know her number", mother said. Son replied, "I do, I just called her.

The mother have wasted a lot of breath trying to convince his son that he didn't know his aunt's number, but his son insisted that he had made the call. "OK," The mother finally said. " What did you say to your Aunty, if you have really called her?" His son answered, "She told me I had the wrong number." (hehe.. lol!)

Myths and Facts about Mayo

I rarely bought mayo, unless if really needed or if there's an occasion and the desert to be prepared needs mayo then I have no choice but to buy it. Because, mayonnaise is usually associated with gaining weight due to its oil content. Carbohydrates, protein and fats are all sources of calories.

A spoonful of mayonnaise can go a long way. However, many people are under the impression that the longest way it can go is from the jar to their waist- a misconception that needs to be cleared for the sake of nutritional information. In fact, mayonnaise can be one's source of essentially dietary fats that the human body requires. As such it would be beneficial to know important facts about mayo and junk the myths that give it a bad name.

Fats play important roles in the body. For one,it is a source of energy. "Good Fats" coming from vegetable oils have been proven to be essential to one's growth and development. Foods like mayonnaise use vegetable oil or read the label to make sure such brand use vegetable oil, as its main ingredient. This oil is derived from soybean which is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, or good fats.

Dietary health myths also suggest that mayonnaise is a kind of food that can be harmful to one's heart. This, too is unfounded assessment. As seen on the label of brands, mayonnaise is a good source of Omega 3 which is essential fatty acids that helps lower cholesterol. Omega 3 can not be produced by the body and can only be obtained from the diet.

Well, for one it is important to read the label first. Good mayo should uses vegetable oil. And it is also important to note the moderate consumption of mayo, as too much of good things can sometimes be bad. When calories are taken in excess beyond the recommended intake per day, then it will lead to weight gain.

Obedient Customer

One busy day in a phone company a customer-service representative attended a phone call from a customer who wish to order for new services.

The customer-service rep gathered all about the customer’s personal information, and has advised the same to submit electric or water bill, rent receipt if renting, credit card bill, or whatever proof of residence.

A few days later, the customer-service rep have received a picture in the mail. It was a man pointing to the house behind him. The customer-service rep laughed and said what an obedient customer! (Lol)

Furniture Store

There is no excuse for a bedroom that puts your teen to asleep-well, style wise. So, a stylist and interior designer in the area turn my teenage nephew's boy's room into a restful haven that's also a study area and entertainment center rolled into one. For makeover starters, they took out stuff that served little purpose, like a bulky black sofa set that was casting the room in gloom. They want to bring in Modern Furniture. Out too went an antiquated cabinet and an extra electric fan. the Bedroom Furniture which they ordered online were moved around to create a lounge area.

The chill central of the room are all in Italian Furniture, the modern Italian sofa with large back cushions propped against the wall. Adding a variety of colors woke up the sleep area, Contemporary Furniture for bedroom set were used. The color combos and texture mixes make the room pretty groovy, but still masculine.

I don't know which one is responsible for turning my nephews room a fabulous room, is it because of the interior designer? or the Furniture Store where the furniture came from? All the furniture used in his bedroom came from the same Furniture Store online.

The secret of success is "Hardwork"

One Sunday evening while I am doing my son’s pointers for review on their upcoming Periodical Exam, I am watching a special show in ABS-CBN entitled " Walang Iwanan" (Don't Leave). The show featured the stories ofwell-known business tycoons in the Philippines namely Lola Socorro Ramos of National Bookstore. Henry Sy of SM, BDO,China Bank. Lance Gokongwei of URC, Cebu Pacific, Robinson, Sun Cellular. Lucio Tan of Fortune Tobacco, PAL, Allied Bank.Manny Pangilinan of PLDT and Smart, Dr. Pedro of Lamoyan Industries maker of Happy Toothpaste, Raul Concepcion of RFM and Oscar Lopez of Meralco and ABS-CBN.

From this mentioned business tycoons, the one that inspired me a lot is that of Lola Socorro’s story. She was born out of silver spoon and has finished only High School in a public school and was not able to take up college due to financial hard up of the Family. She worked as a sales lady at her uncle’s bookstore “Goodwill”. While working she finds time to learn the ins and outs of the business until she got married and taught of putting their own bookstore and they named this “National Bookstore” The very first National Bookstore was established in the late 1930’s in Escolta, Manila as a small stall selling school supplies and textbooks.

When the business was starting to be made-well known to the people, the Japanese Government invaded our country. During this time the Japanese Government has many strict rules to be followed and one of these is Filipinos were not allowed to sell and patronize products made or that came from the USA.

Lola Socorro and husband have no choice but to follow rules and have kept all their books and school supplies and displayed only slippers. Though the signage of “National Bookstore” was still there they continue to open the business.

At the end of the Japanese Occupation the whole Escolta area in Manila was burned and the store was destroyed The Cancio-Ramos family, the owners, were able to rebuild National Bookstore at the corner of Avenida (now Rizal Avenue) and Soler. National Bookstore was able to recover due to the post-war boom selling school supplies, mostly books and Stationary. After this the Family faced yet another disaster. Typhoon Gene strucked the Philippines and destroyed the store and all of their merchandise were soaked but the Family didn’t lose hopes and have reconstructed another building that would serve as their base operation and the rest is history.

Today, National Bookstore is the largest bookstore chain in the Philippines with more than 90 branches nationwide. It also continues its corporate social responsibility through its foundation where they build a Library for the children of school aged and thus donating books to some public schools.

When asked of her secret, she says... “Hard Work” is the secret of the success of National Bookstore.

Best gift for my nephew

My 6 years old nephew, Bien, wont stay home before. My sister in law had asked everyone's advised because when Bien arrived from school, he would just leaved his bag and would go out again. He was running and playing in the streets with neighbors. Worst on weekends because he was only be seen home during meal time and would go out again after eating. My husband suggested giving our nephew a playstation or video games on his birthday. There are actually available video games for sale on line.

We chose and bought Playstation 3 for him. The Playstation 3 is the newest craze from Sony and it even comes with a Blu-ray DVD player. After a week, my sister in law called us and thanked us because after Bien had that Playstation 3 he is always home bringing along with him his friends.

Video games or playstations can be a lot of fun, but our children can get addicted to it and easy to take over our child's life, so be careful. At an early age we parents should be there to guide and monitor them.

Joke time

One sunny Sunday, a six-year old boy was brought to a store by his parents to buy him a watch for he is always reminding them to buy him one. He likes to learn on how to check the time for they are being taught in school. The boy have picked one of the watches on displayed and the sales lady demonstrated the features to him: This is the hour hand, the minute hand, and this is the second hand. With that, the boy’s face fell., and said Mommy why
“ Secondhand” I thought we were buying a new one”.(lol)..

To answer or not to answer....

I am a sales person by made for 16 years now and have been giving my calling card to my prospect clients. Phone numbers of my clients are listed in my phone list so that I can easily know who is calling me.

Everyday I am doing a sales call activity and whenever my mobile phone rings I wished that it would be from one of my clients who I am expecting to close the sale. At times if I saw that the number is not listed in my phone book I won’t answer and just ignore it but sometimes the calls that I ignored are from my clients using a new number that I don't know of. That then is considered a missed opportunity. Not until I have found this website who can help us track where the calls coming from or if that call is intended for me.

Who's Number is That provides me an answer to my question, I was able to trace whose calling me. They also have this special added value service " Reverse Cell Phone Lookups" that I was able to trace where all my "missed calls" came from.

Another thing, have you been disturbed by telemarketers? that even if you don't want to buy their product they still keep on calling you? we can actually blocked phone calls from these telemarketers. In October of 2003, the federal government made it possible for subscribers of both cell phones and land lines to block unwanted calls from telemarketers. By registering your phone number, you are effectively removing your number from any database telemarketers may have. To accomplish this just register your number to "No Call List Information".

Parents: Best Teacher

We parents are so proud when our toddler of aged two recognizes two or three letters of the alphabet. What if your child recognizes all the letters of the alphabet before he or she turns three? Isn’t that an exciting reward for you as a parent as you have started to teach this at home before school? A child whose parents have guided him or her with the basics in learning will have no trouble-understanding teacher’s lecture when he or she enters school. Parents are the “Best Teacher” to their children. A child learning ability will be more develop if parents are there to guide and support.

Here are some ways to develop your child’s learning ability with or without school yet.

Start with letters recognition and then encourage phonemic “awareness”- the ability to recognize a word’s separate, distinct sounds by reciting nursery rhymes and jingles. Teach letters and sounds with fun songs, stories, games and object lessons.

Teach your child to rhyme words like naming words that rhyme in cat. A child who recognizes sound differences would quickly responses “ bat, “hat”, “rat”, “mat”. Teach them of the blending concepts- putting letters together to sound out words.

Keep magnetic letters on the refrigerator, move them around and have the child sound out the words. Trace the letters on food packages like his or her cereals, sounding each letter as you do. Continue reading with your child even when she can read on her own. Make kids mathematics problems your kitchen helpers. Have them count how many bananas are in a fruit basket, eggs in a tray or the sausages, being cooked. Double recipes, cutting apples in half or into four to teach fractions and multiplication.

Getting ready to write, encourage them to practice using buckles, snaps, hooks and zippers as well as teaching them to tie.

Use the 3rd Generation Technology- The world of computers of language and spelling assume less importance-can give a big boost to the confidence of kids A computer allows a child to change words around as he or she writes; spell-checker points out and correct errors.

Bonding Time: Storytelling

My 6-year- old son loves story telling. This is our bonding time during weekends when I have no work and would just stay in the house. I do find an hour or two to sit down with him and create a simple story. He loves to hear about my childhood experiences, how my husband and me met as well as finding out about him.

Recently I was puzzled when he ask me “ How did I met his father” It took me awhile to realize that I have once told him of a story that I’ve met his Dad when I arrived in the city way back 1989 and that he was the one whom I have asked some informations of the whereabouts of my mother who is working on the same building where he works. I would showed him an album where pictures of his Dad and me were engaged and tell short story in every picture.

Parents are encouraged to read their kids. Telling stories does not require special skills or a powerful imagination. It simply demands using your memory. I remember the teacher who was not hired as kindergarten teacher maybe due to her lack of memory and was not able to tell even a short story to the children (hehe..)

Children are hunger to hear about so many things about their parents. They want to hear also all our "firsts" like the first time we went to school, if we behave or always being scolded by our teachers due to our naughtiness.

Oral storytelling can really makes a difference. Start this early with your child. Here are some tips on storytelling that I have read in one of the articles in Parenting.

1. Keep the storyline simple and short
2. Use a lot of detail – “ I wore a red blouse”, etc..
3. Be prepared to answer questions. Children have lots of questions and we must be prepared to answer this.
4. Don’t worry about using words with which children are not familiar. Just be ready to explain this.
5. Always give a clear ending.
6. It doesn’t need to contain lesson. It’s enough for children to feel part of something real.
7. It needn’t be a big event- how you lost a favorite toy or handled a scary situation is great.
8. A photo album is a wonderful prop for getting started of your story telling.

The Fugitive

Everyday we can see and hear in the news about the most wanted bad guys who have murdered a family, raped a young girl around the city. One night I was watching a TV show tagged as “Scene of the Crime”. The show features the real scene where the crime had happened. Some of the featured crimes would be solved immediately, some cases the prime suspect has gone escape and policemen are still hunting to them and some went to jail and escaped. After the show they would show the name and picture of the criminal. I took time to watch and remember the personal informations of most wanted guys.

One day, I was cleaning in our yard and have known that there is a new neighbor. He looks familiar and suspicious. Every time he passed by in our house he walks fast as if someone followed him. Then I came to know his name, I immediately went inside and secured my son. I checked the website that a colleague suggested to search. Prison Inmate Locator locates nationwide prison inmates records fast with direct data retrieval. True enough, after series of searches, I have found out that the man was a fugitive. I informed the authorities immediately. Thanks to Prison Inmate Locator.

Fast and easy research

I have a sideline job, doing mostly research on businessmen in the US, and their businesses information and locations. I will be given another paid research of person task once I have completed it. So the faster I completed my research, another work is given to me and that means I will be paid more. Area Code Locator, one of the website I use, locates area codes and look up phone numbers.

Research is fast and easy now a days, no longer we need to thumb laboriously through the phone book or any library books to search out information. Today we have the whole world at our fingertips, and that has made all the difference.

Family History

Would you not want to know your family history? Who would not want to know your forefathers stories? Would you not want to know some interesting facts happened to your ancestors?

We once had a homework back in college to make and trace our family tree and highlight interesting facts happened in the family. It was then I knew that my grandmother was a product of an affair to a married man. My father helped but not much because of limited information. I had gone to the Census and other agencies that I knew who can helped me but it took so much of my time, effort and not to mention cost me a lot too and still I was not able to submit my homework on time. Now, Internet has done so much for us. There is already a website where we can retrieve such information quickly and accurately. Public Genealogy not only help us get in touch with our family roots but also help create our genealogy family tree quickly, easily and cheaply as possible. They have a state of the art genealogy database, we will be able to find all the pertinent documentation we'll need to begin creating our very own family tree!

Dog Boarding

Our family is planning a one week vacation out of town, what keeping us to pursue this plan is our Banny. We owned a mixed-breed dog, who has been with us when she was still days old and we fondly call her Banny. She is not only our pet, she is considered already a family.

We can not bring along Banny with us and definitely we can not leave her alone at home. Until a friend suggested a dog boarding, a service aimed at dog owners looking to give their respective pet a home while dog owners are away. There's a dog boarding directory online that contains a registry of dog boarding facilities. It is guaranteed that we dog owners will find what fit our needs. It's like giving our Banny a mini vacation also.

The smartest boy in first grade

Just something to perk us up, read below and share the chuckle that I had while reading it...

A first-grade teacher was having trouble with one of her students, the teacher asked the boy, "What is your problem? "Boy answered,"I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third-grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the third-grade too!" The Teacher had enough. She took the Boy to the principal's office.While the boy waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told the teacher he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the first-grade and behave. She agreed.Boy was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal: What is 3 x 3?

Boy: 9

Principal: What is 6 x 6?

Boy: 36

And so it went with every question the principal thought a third-grade should know. The principal looks at the teacher and tells her, "I think this boy can go to the third-grade. "The teacher says to the principal, "I have some of my own questions. Can I ask him ?" The principal and the boy both agreed.The teacher asks, "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?" Boy: after a moment, "Legs."

Teacher : "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?"

Boy: Pockets

Teacher : "What starts with a *C* and ends with a *T*, is hairy, oval,delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?"

Boy: Coconut

Teacher: What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky? The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer, the Boy was taking charge.

Boy: Bubblegum

Teacher: What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer...

Boy: Shake hands

Teacher: Now I will ask some "Who am I" sort of questions, okay?

Boy: Yep

Teacher: You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I get wet before you do.

Boy: Tent

Teacher: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored. The best man always has me first.The Principal was looking restless, a bit tense.

Boy: Wedding Ring

Teacher: I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow me,you feel good.

Boy: Nose

Teacher: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver.

Boy: Arrow

Teacher: What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means lot of heat and excitement?

Boy: Fire truck

Teacher: What is it that all men have one of, it's longer on some men than on others, the pope doesn't use his and a man gives it to his wife after they're married?

Boy: SURNAME

Teacher: What part of the man has no bone but has muscles, has lots of veins, like pumping, & is responsible for making love?

Boy: HEART.

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and said to the teacher: Send this boy to College!, I got the last ten questions wrong Myself!!!

Computer History Lesson

One sunny day, a father was trying to explain to her five-year-old daughter how much technology had changed, the father pointed to there brand-new personal computer and told her daughter that when he was in university, a computer with the same power would have been the size of the house.

Wide-eyed, her daughter asked, “ How big was the mouse? LOL! (The girl is thinking of a big house and a big mouse (rat)…What an innocent imagination? (hehe)......I remember when my son started to learn about the parts of the computer and have asked me once, Mommy, why is it Computer has a mouse? Wondering what is a mouse(rat) doing in the computer (hehe.)..Kids would sometimes be confused of some words with same spelling but with different meanings like bat of a toy and bat of a mammal. Well, we parents are here to explain further of the difference.

Perfect Relationship?

One day a man visited a match-making agency for marriage, and requested "I am looking for a spouse. Please help me to find a suitable one." The agency officer said, "Your requirements, please." "Oh, good looking, polite, humorous , sporty, knowledgeable, good in singing and dancing. Willing to accompany me the whole day at home during my leisure hour, if I don't go out. Telling me interesting stories when I need companion for conversation and be silent when I want to rest." The officer listened carefully and replied, "I understand you need television."

There is a saying that a perfect match can only be found between a blind wife and a deaf husband, because the blind wife cannot see the faults of the husband and the deaf husband cannot hear the nagging of the wife. Many couples are blind and deaf at the courting stage and dream of perpetual perfect relationship. Unfortunately, when the excitement of love wears off, they wake up and discover that marriage is not a bed of roses. The nightmare begins.

Phrases to Avoid in Telephoning

I was connected before in a Paging company and we were taught of proper call handling like what to say and not to say on Professional Telephoning, characteristics of a good speaking voice, etc.. I'm sharing here some phrases recommended to use.

Instead...

1. In the comfort room... "IN A CLOSED DOOR MEETING"
2. Being scolded by the Boss " IN A MEETING"
3. Out of the Building.... " OUT ON AN APPOINTMENT"
4. Asleep.... " IN A CLOSED DOOR MEETING"
5. Was fired..... " IS NO LONGER CONNECTED WITH THE COMPANY"
6. Wait for a while/hold on... " ONE MOMENT PLS."
7. Come Again...... " WOULD YOU MIND SAYING THAT AGAIN, SIR/MA'AM
or "PARDON ME SIR/MA'AM"
8. Who is this? ....... " MAY I ASK WHO IS CALLING PLEASE?"

TRIVIA :
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO USE "HELLO" AS A GREETING OVER THE PHONE IN THE OFFICE?

" Hello" is only used at home. When answering the phone, always use your standard spiel. When placing a call, start with a greeting (eg. Good Morning/afternoon/evening) and state your name, the person you are calling and your purpose.

Eg. "Good morning. This is Mr. Lim, I wish to speak with Mr. Ranches regarding my orders."

Blame it on the rain

We all look forward to being loved and respected. Many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are pointing at ourselves.

A man asked his father-in-law, "Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?" The father-in-law answered in a smile, "Never criticize your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you."

It's never good to blame our partner for the wrong things that happened , instead blame it on the rain, accept the outcome, and focus on the positive side. Talking it over will always help fixed the problem.

The Interviewer

One February of 2007, a school is in time to hire new preschool teachers for the next school year. Those who have applied were asked to go to the board and deliver any topic to kindergarten students.

An aspiring teacher started to introduce herself and was discussing a subject. While, everyone were listening and school officials were asking some questions, a kindergarten boy raised his hand and asked, Can you please tell us a story?

The teacher was disturbed and felt uneasy and replied the boy, Yes sure, I will tell everyone a story but maybe later. When she speaks up again she continues to tell something about herself and so the boy stands up again and said…“Teacher that is not a story”, we want a children’s story with a moral lesson. Ooh…. the Principal and some staffs of the school were surprised of what the boy have said to the teacher.

Can you guess what had happened?, Yes dear, poor aspiring teacher she was not able to deliver even a simple and short children’s story to the students. She was not prepared and so the member of the screening panel have decided not to hire her. The most tough of all the interview questions was remained unaswered, and that is the one that came from a boy. (he-he).

Lesson Update: Polite Expression

My five-year-old son, likes to smile and strike conversation with everyone he meets. It was one Sunday afternoon after we’ve got our grocery stuffs we ride a taxi. In our way home he asked me what is “Maligaya” I answered back it means “Happy”. When we have reached our house and as I pay our fare and pocketed my change, my son leaned forward to the driver. He smiled and said “ Thank you, Sir” . There was no reply.

Thinking he hadn’t been heard, he repeated his polite expression but again the driver was in silence. As I pulled him away, he said to me “ We don’t have to ride anymore here in “Maligaya Taxi”, you know the driver is not happy to have us as his passengers. He didn’t smile and say “You’re Welcome” What is his problem Mom?

At times, children are more likely educated with these polite expressions than adults. Don’t you think so?

What you said will matter...

A friend and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted,"Hi, Emily! Remember me? We used to date in the secondary school." On the way home, her millionaire husband teased her, "Luckily you married me.Otherwise you will be the wife of a construction worker." She answered ,"You should appreciate that you married me. Otherwise, he will be the millionaire and not you."

Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad relationship. It's like a broken egg - cannot be reversed.

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation." Many relationships break off because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other,we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything without considering if it would hurt the other party.

What is the First Aid?

Childhood injuries are inevitable. Are we prepared for these and provide the First Aid before having your child seen by a doctor?

Most common injuries are minor cuts and scrapes, severe bleeding or deep cuts, nosebleeds, poisoning, and burns.

Children are very curious in everything they see, hear, smell, taste and feel or touch. They want to explore all things around them not knowing that some of those are dangerous on their body senses.

I remember my friend story when her daughter holds a hot iron inside their room. Her daughter is crying in pain and she had no idea why she is crying and so she asked the yaya and have known that her daughter holds the hot iron that she puts in the corner of the room after she has ironed some of the clothes.

They were all in panicked and were advised by his husband to immediately wash it with running water and so her child was temporary relieved but still you can see on her face the pain. Good thing, on that day was her daughter’s scheduled visit to her Pediatrician and so the mother narrated the incident and asked the Doctor what is the first aid for burns. The child Pediatrician immediately asked her who left the hot iron in the corner of the room. The Mom replied, me Doctor. The Doctor said, well the First Aid is you, then the yaya and whoever is around in the house to look after your daughter. After this simple sermon or advice from the child’s Pediatrician they all laughed and accepted the fact that they are all should be blamed of what had happened.

With this, the Doctor reminded her that the First Aid for minor burn is to immediately flush the area with cold running water for several minutes.

We, parents should be more cautious. Kids are growing fast and the more that they get curious of everything they see around and they would want to explore these immediately. It is now our responsibility to double check harmful stuffs we put in our house. We have to educate our children that some stuff is dangerous to touch, see, hear, smell and taste.

Is it 30 or 31 days?

My significant other would always asked me Darling, how many days do we have this month is it 30 or 31 days? I would then replied him wait Darling will check it in the calendar (he-he.) I also can’t remember the number of days in a month.

Until one day, as I was checking my old files during my college days I found and read of the information that would give me an answered immediately to my better half common inquiry. I memorized it and from then on, I can answer him immediately without checking the calendar if the month has 30 or 31 days. He was amazed as I was able to give him the information and have said WOW! Darling, how did you know that? Thank you my Alzheimer’s was cured because of that. (l.o.l)

So, for the information of everyone here it is,

30 days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 days except February which hath but 28 in fine, till leap year gives it 29.

Sometimes simple information like this can give humor to a couple’s relationship. So, to all mothers out there let us show to our significant other that we are not only good in our common domestic duties but also very smart in cases like this.

i do blog

In my blog hopping I have come across this blog, written by a 24-year old Indonesian whose passion evolves around his computer and his work. i.do.blog is about the writer being expert in his field being a web programmer and course instructor. And is currently teaching Internet Marketing. He is also available for private class sessions.

He had this interesting post about “How to search on Google..” I thought then that you just simply write the terms or keywords you want to search on at Google. But there’s actually tips on how to optimize the search result on Google. So you’ll get exactly what u want. Like, using (-) for each word that you want to avoid [some] words on your search result. Example: type ‘BMW 318i -red’ then all the search result wont contained ‘red’ word. Another one is using ‘filetype:’ to find information based on a file type. Example, if u want to search an information about ‘ridho’ and u want all the result is a pdf document, then u should type ‘+ridho filetype:pdf’.

There are a lot more things you’ll find in his blog, check i.do.blog and see for yourself!

Change for the better

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another,or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person's character."

It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness. It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations..

My Wish List.....

As the song goes… When you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come to you.

Have listed part 1 of my wish list. I know some of these are so crazy and still very impossible to fulfill it now but I believe fate is kind and in God’s time it will surely brings sweet fulfillment of my wishes.

I wish to…

• meet Daniel Steel my favorite romance novelist and ask all copies of her novels (of course first to my lists are Remembrance, To Love Again, and Kaleidoscope)


• meet Jo Girard- (top car salesman in the world).I love his “Ferris wheel”.


• own a fun playhouse business ( so that my son will not go to the mall and pay a per hour basis )


• have our second honeymoon in Santorini, Greece ( have watch “For the First time” love the scenic view, great for honeymoon destination.


• go back to Sta. Mesa Manila particularly in Bacood (where I grew up) and meet old friends


• go to the roof of our old house again in Manila and eat “Kropeck” with spicy vinegar plus Bayabas for constipation he-he…


• play again “Tansan”(softdrink cap) , “Text” cards and “Rubber band” with my uncles.


• join house to house Christmas Caroling ( 100 days more before Christmas)


• be a Chef and cook my favorite comfort food, mashed potatoes (he-he)


• meet my idol Chef Rob of “Chef to Go” ( He’s so cute)


• have a new house on top of a hill … maybe in Chocolate Hills in Bohol (he-he)


• have my own car ( Porsche ?) ooh… wishing only.


• meet my classmates in Grade School and High School again. ( most especially my crush -our President in the class)


• have a fine dining restaurant and learn the etiquette in fine dining.


• bring my son in Disneyland ( Hongkong will do since there’s no visa )


• get to have a Carribean tour with my Family. The ship is Royal Carribean ,my brother is working here.


• learn to sing “ I am your Brother , Your Best friend Forever” American Idol (lol)


• meet J. Lo, and Angelina Jolie


• win in a game show “ Deal or No Deal”


• learn to bake my favorite blue berry cheese cake.


• get the old recipe of Goldilocks sans rival (my Dad's “pasalubong” when am still small)


• eat again Halo-Halo with my Dad in Escolta


• own a property like a farm lot so I can plant my favorite fruits and vegetables and build a nipa hut. For Retirement purposes (he-he)


• eat kiwi fruit and try dragon fruit shake.
  

On Part 2 ... More wish lists to come. There's no harm in wishing . Anybody can make a wish (he-he)

Happy Wishing to all..

Trust

Trust is a very important factor for all relationships especially for married couples. When trust is broken, it is the end of the relationship. Lack of trust leads to suspicion, suspicion generates anger, anger causes enmity and enmity may result in separation.

One day a taxi operator received a phone call. She answered, "Holiday Taxi" There was silence. She repeated, "Holiday Taxi" There was still no answer. When she was going to cut off the line, she heard a lady's voice, "Oh, so this is Holiday Taxi. Sorry, I got the number from my Husband's pocket but I do not know whose number it is."

Without mutual trust, just imagine what will happen to the couple if the taxi operator answered with just "hello" instead of "Holiday Taxi".

Patience

This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, " Daddy,I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home & committed suicide. Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge.

Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

Force Feeding

My child is such a picky eater that we sometimes resort to force-feeding. Is there a better way to make our child eat? Is there an appetite stimulant to make a child gain weight?

Force feeding method might be effective for a while, but it will not make our child healthy eater in the long run. An appetite stimulant should be recommended by our child's pediatrician, who can assess our child's actual need for it. Here are some recommended tips by an expert Mom:

• Prepare creative recipes. Mealtime can be a source of fun too! With a syrup or milk, put a happy face (smiley) on your hotcakes, topped with a slice of fruit. There are recipe books that specialize in this .
• Make sure our child rested before they eat. Tiredness can depress one's appetite.
• Keep toys away while they eat.
• Discourage snacking just before mealtime.
• Be a good example. A picky parent sends the wrong signals to the child.
• Create a friendly atmosphere. Avoid discussing negative matters or, having arguments at the dinner table.

Lets avoid power struggles which tend to promote pickiness. Instead, decide what food to offer and when. Let our child decide how much to eat.

A Touch of Love

Here’s a very touching poem that I received from a friend in email. Every parent can surely relate in every word written here.

Time goes so fast so let’s treasure every moment of being with our kids. We will surely miss all their "FIRST"..... the innocent smile, the laughter that sounds just like sweet music to our hears, the first step of walk that they are very dependent of holding our hands so tightly and afraid to fall and can't rise back again, and hearing the first word that they uttered be it "Dada", "Papa" or "Mama", "Mom", "Dad" made us so proud.

These are worth remembering, for One day, a Man or a Woman is in front of you leaving you for a while and be having a Family.

A TOUCH OF LOVE

You were six months old and full of fun,With a blink of my eye, you were suddenly one.
There were so many things we were going to do,but I turned my head and you turned two.
At two, you were very dependent on me,but independence took over when you turned three.
Your third birthday; another year I tried to ignore,but when I lit the candles, there weren't three, but four.
Four was the year that you really strives.Why, look at you now, you're already five.
Now you are ready for books and for rules.This is the year you go to school.

The big day came, you were anxious to go.
We walked to the bus going oh, so slow. As you climbed aboard and waved good-bye, I felt a lump in my throat and tears stung my eyes.

Time goes so fast it's hard to believe that just yesterday you were home here with me.
And tomorrow when the bus brings you home and you jump to the ground you'll be wearing your cap and graduation gown.
So I'm holding to these moments as hard as I can,because the next time I look, I'll be seeing a man
(Author unknown)

Goodbye lines....

“ If I would love a man, half as wise, half as good as you are” (woman)
“ Why set for half, If you could have it whole” (man)
“ Could I? (woman)

Oh! These goodbye lines strikes to the deepest part of my heart when my former board mate who was working as a telephone operator had confided to me her problem on how to say goodbye to someone you shared a love with for more than two years. I told her that it’s really hard to say goodbye to someone who have brought so much love, joy and fulfillment in your relationship. I asked her why? Are you not in love with him anymore or maybe the other way around. She cried and told me that we’re still both in love with each other but the relationship was wrong since the very first time we’ve met. I said why? She then admitted to me that his boyfriend is married and she has finally decided to end up the relationship even how painful it is and how much she loves the guy.

Her lines above were the last lines of goodbyes and let go of that which she once held.

Blog Nation

In only a few short years, Blogging has become a vital part of many people around the world. According to a survey in US I read, here are some of the highlights:

80% of Americans know what a blog is, 50% regularly visit blogs, and 8% publish their own blog. The survey also revealed that more women than men are bloggers, with 20% of American women who have visited blogs having their own versus 14 % of men.

When asked about the types of information they get from blogs, 65% said they get opinions, while 39% get news and 38% get entertainment. About one in three people read gossip on blog websites while only 2% use blogs to cach upon news about family and friends.

Loyalty to specific blogs is also fairly strong with 46% of blog readers saying that they visit the same blogs regularly versus 54% who instead usually surf for new and different ones.

Awareness blogs strongly correlates to age, with younger people being much more active. Nearly 90% of those aged 25 to 34 know what a blog is, compared to just 65% of those aged 65 and over. Similarly, 78% of those aged 18 to 24 who are aware of blogs say they have visited a blog, compared to only 45% of older Americans.

As blogs have gained in popularity, so has the frequency with which they’re read. Though the majority of blog readers (39%) view them less than once a month, another 28% visit them monthly, 15% visit them daily and 5% read them several times a day.

Political and journalistic (or pseudo journalistic) blogs have been in the spotlight recently, but study found that 37% of bloggers cite "My Life and Experiences" as what they blog about, while only 11% cited public issues as typical topics.

Also, 60% of bloggers are white, while remaining are of different races, according to the data

And 55% of bloggers write under a pseudonym, thats a key difference between bloggers and most journalists.

Potty Training

Does your child shows signs of easily being disturbed and upset when his diaper is wet? Hiding at the back of the door and feeling very uneasy and shows in his actions, postures, gestures or facial expression that he wanted not to be disturbed and would like to go on a comfort place like, bathroom ? If yes, then these are some of the signs for you to start to potty or toilet train your child.

When my son shows these signs, I must admit at first I didn't feel so relax thinking how to start to educate him on his experience in acquiring a skill like this. When he has started to walk and has reached the age of 1 year and 6 months, I started to introduce colorful potty seats. During those times, we will go to the mall and bring him with us. Before buying our personal stuffs we would get first of his stuffs at the toddlers section. I will show him colorful potty seats and let him seat on it just like sitting on an ordinary comfy chair. I bought one for him and upon reaching in our house I sat on the potty seat and demonstrate how relaxing to sit on. I got some children's books to read. After awhile, he's pulling me to get off and he wants to sits on it and so I gave him some educational toys too. He then started to imitates my actions and sits on the potty while looking at the big and colorful pictures in the book and then playing with his toys.

My husband and I, have learned to have tons of patience as we go through this toilet training. We praised our son whenever he does right and reminds him always about using the potty. When he reaches the age of two, to our surprised we saw him inside the comfort room and sitting in his throne like a prince (lol) . He will call me for an assistance to hold him for he's still a little bit afraid that he might fall down.

To all Moms and Dad .....Be the Best Coach to your Child and The # 1 Super Fan . Always be there to support and guide them as they passed through this kind of experience.

Green Tea and Weight Loss

Months after pregnancy, my weight did not go back to normal instead I was getting heavier and bigger. It was then I followed a friend's advise of not buying a new clothes to fit my new figure rather use the old ones to help me remind that I have to loose weight or else I have nothing to wear in my closet. That helps. Also what really helps me in loosing weight is mine being a green tea drinker.

Study after study has proven the health benefits of green tea, including fighting heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Now a new study says that drinking green tea may also help fight fat! Researchers say that substances found in green tea known as catechins may spur weight loss by prompting the body to burn calories and by reducing body fat.

Catechins are a type of polyphenols, plan-based substances that have been shown to have antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral properties. New research findings, however, show that catechins may also help burn calories, cut low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and slightly trim body fat.

The freshest and best-quality tea is said to be brewed from whole, loose leaves rather from tea bags. Usual tea to water ratio is about 1/2 teaspoon of loose leaves per six eight ounces of water.

It has been said that to get the maximum benefits of green tea, drink at least four cups a day.

My Love

I once met you.....
Then I felt something I can't deny.
My heart leaping with joy and happiness
and all of a sudden I know you were mine.
I am happy whenever I see you each day.
You and I may not be the perfect pair.
The kind most people dreamed themselves to be....
Just as long as you and I are both aware that life is what we make it to be...
Then we won't care what others have to say. Our love will guide us and show the way.
There could be no one for me but you.
You're the best thing that ever happened to me.

Is Child Education Important for you?

One of the best gifts that a parent can give to her child is education. I believe that being able to provide for a proper education to my children is one way of building a legacy for the next generation. With a spiraling cost of school fees these days, we need to save enough to provide for the education of our children.

While the high cost of going to school poses increasing problems, some parents prepare for it by acquiring educational plans others opt for bank savings to help defray tuition and related educational fees. Whatever our ways are, as long as we Moms are ready and be able to sustain our child's educational needs be it financial, emotional or social-- nothing could go wrong.

Innocence

Once in my life that I've met someone... He came like thunder and lightning that suddenly stroked my heart leaping with joy and happiness. No matter how innocent I was then, good memories with him will linger forever....

I was innocent until you came;

I love nobody until you came;

I knew nothing about love;

I knew not how to care.

I was thoughtless when you came;

I knew not where to go, i was living yet without a goal;

I kept on waiting for nothing every morning and you came and helped me change my being.

You taught me how to miss you;

You taught me how to long for you, you made myself entirely new.

You are not at all perfect yet I thought you were an angel.

You are a fraction evil yet i know I vow to love you forever.

Could you blame me? ...you came and taught me everything

Some ways to protect your child

Almost everyday we can hear in the news on TV and radio and can read in the newspapers that a child was kidnapped and abductors were asking ransom money before they will release the child and threatened parents to kill the child if they can’t raised the money. The worst scenario is what if the parents of the child have no money to release? What also if these kidnappers mistakenly have abducted your child? With this happening in our society, parents should be more cautious and should start to educate their children to be careful in talking to a stranger because they would not know if this stranger is a friend or foe.

I know that it is very difficult to talk and warn your child for he or she can’t still distinguish who are dangerous people and who are not. Whenever my child and I will go to public places I see to it that my attention is more focus in him. My child is so friendly to people that he can see and would even smiled and say Hello! or Hi!. One incident that had happened is when a teen-ager boy has approached us in our sit while eating in the mall. The boy sits with us and was showing me a paper to read. I read the paper and he was just informing that he’s a student and has no money to pay for his school. Although I did not believe him I still gave just a small amount of money so that he will just leave us. I stand up for awhile and get water to drink. When I got back to our sit the teen-ager boy is still around and was talking already to my kid and they were both laughing out loud and was so very friendly to my kid and so I immediately called my kid’s attention and explained to him that being friendly to other people is not bad but you should know that not all people are the so-called “friends”.

Here are some ways to protect your child

1.Teach your child to say “NO” if a stranger will approach and will invite to go with him. Immediately Go and Tell to a trusted adults.

2. When in school emphasize to your child never to get into someone’s car and wait until you arrive. It is better stay and wait inside the classroom.

3. Don’t leave your child unattended especially on public places e.g.. malls, parks, etc. Always accompany your child even in public toilets.

4. Have always a plan in case she or he gets lost. (e.g) when you’re in the mall or in any public places stay where you last saw your child. Have also a secret word that only the two of you know.

5. If your child is big enough, teach to ring the emergency number to ask help.

6. Put in your child’s wallet your card with your name, address and phone # on it. If he or she is still small sew it into his or her jacket.