PLACES, PEOPLE, EVENTS, GOOD FOOD AND MY LIFE

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of iSigned.com - Safe storage for your important documents. All opinions are 100% mine.

How do you keep your most important documents like records for education and contracts such as for insurance, employment, travel, healthcare, and more? Have you had an experience when your documents were lost? It's really discouraging, right? Some of you may have hard copies and back up files of your documents in your hard drive but what if your hard-drive crashed or your laptop or iPad was stolen? Storage devices like hard drives can also be burnt in fires or can be stolen by someone. Do you really want to keep your important documents secured? Well,worry no more! iSigned - secure online storage for legal and other important documents is the solution to your problem. With iSigned, not only are your legal and other important documents secured, but you can access them anytime and anywhere online. I actually signed up a while ago for a FREE trial. Once you upload a document, you can add comments to it and can receive notices wherein you will be notified by email when a party downloads, updates and comments on the document. You can also download, copy and update your documents. Plus, you have the privilege to share the document with other people if you need to. By the way, each document you upload can only be viewed by you and the persons you specifically share it with. If your document has an expiration date, you will be warned about pending expirations with plenty of time to take action. I encourage you to sign up too so you could find out personally how it works. You don't need special IT skills to use the service of iSigned. iSigned comes with UNLIMITED storage for only $0.26 per day (that is $7.95 per month only)! Businesses can also use iSigned. They can get extra features like fine-grained user permission controls and detailed reporting. It costs them $14.95 per month with a minimum of 2 users. The features of iSigned are great as well as the cost of it! So what are you waiting for? Sign up now and be secured!

Father's Day is just a couple of weeks away! For those who aren't aware when Father's Day is celebrated, it is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Anyway, have you had any gift ideas for Father's Day? Sometimes it's really difficult to find the perfect gift for your father, right? Aside from neck ties and saying "I love you", what else do you think is the best? Any suggestions? Thanks.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm now on my 33rd week of pregnancy! Not only are my husband and I so excited about the upcoming birth of our first baby but my family, relatives and friends are all excited as well. I already had my baby shower and received lots of gifts from my friends. Aside from the gifts, I also received advice and suggestions from them on what baby products are effective and best for babies based on the products they've already tried and used. One of the products they've mentioned is Boudreaux's Butt Paste. It's a diaper rash ointment and skin protectant which helps treat and prevent diaper rash, protects chafed skin, and seals out wetness. It spreads on easily, cleans off quickly, and has a pleasant scent. Some of my friends who used this product on their babies said that it's very effective. It treats the diaper rash of their babies, soothes irritated skin and it is pediatrician recommended too. Plus, this product is featured on shows and in magazines like the Oprah Show, Tonight Show, Today show, People Magazine, ESPN and While You Were Out on TLC. Anyway, they are very satisfied with this product so I would definitely try this product on my baby since this product is proven effective and safe.By the way, Boudreaux's Butt Paste is available in a convenient foil pack, 1oz, 2oz, 3oz, 4 oz tubes and 16oz jar. You can buy it in drug, discount or grocery store chains nationwide. You can also get a free sample for you to try! You can visit this link for more information in getting the free sample: http://www.blairex.com/BLButtPaste.php. What are you waiting for? Get your very own free sample of Boudreaux's Butt Paste now!

Hi guys! As I've mentioned to you a few days ago, I've made a Purse Cake for Mother's Day and would love to share the outcome with you as well as the recipe. I chose to make a purse cake as a theme since it's somewhat girly and perfect for Mother's Day. Anyway, for baking the cake, I used a Black Forest cake recipe since I like the taste of it but you may also choose whatever flavor of cake you prefer.

HERE'S THE RECIPE:
FOR THE CAKE:
*1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
*2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey's cocoa powder)
*1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup shortening
*1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
*2 eggs
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk (If buttermilk is not available, you can substitute it with milk and vinegar by placing 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one and 1/2 cup line and let it stand for 5 to 15 minutes.)
*kirschwasser (I substituted syrup from the cherry jars for this since brandy is not allowed for pregnant women like me).

FOR THE FROSTING:
*1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
*1/2 cup sugar (or confectioners sugar)
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*yellow food coloring

FOR DECORATIONS:
*licorice
*jelly beans (candy)
*decorating icing (green color) or green frosting

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round pans (or two 9 inch round pans) with parchment paper circles. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Pour into two round 8 or 9 inch pans
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake completely. Remove parchment paper from the cakes.
4. For frosting, in a mixing bowl, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla; cover and chill for 1 hour. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add 3 drops or more of yellow food color and mix. The food color doesn't affect the taste of the frosting. 5. Get the one whole round cake and sprinkle it with cherry syrup ( it adds a bit of extra luxury and richness to the cake plus extra moisture). Cut the one whole round cake into halves. Spread frosting on one side and at the bottom of the cake. Do the same with the other half to adhere 2 sides together. Let them stand in place together (same as what you've seen in the picture). Crumb coat the cake. Spread frosting on all sides of the cake using a spatula. Now, make the small purse shape from the other cake and sprinkle some cherry syrup on it too, and spread frosting on all sides of the cake. Then, chill the cake for 30 to 45 minutes to firm up the frosting. Do the final coat by spreading frosting all over the cake and smooth it out.
6. In putting on some decorations, add a little zigzag decorative border on the top of the cake using green decorating icing or green frosting. Use licorice for the handle of the big purse. For the smaller purse you can use the jelly beans and cut them into halves, making it look like an opening, like one you can fasten. Then decorate the purse cake with decorative flowers using jelly beans.

TIP: I suggest that you make the cake a day or so in advance with the frosting on it so it will give you plenty of time for the layers to soak through. Refrigerate it. Then just put on some decorations before presenting it.

I'm very satisfied with the outcome of this cake! Glad to hear from my hubby and my parents-in-law that my cake was lovely, pretty and delicious! Glad they liked it! ^_^ By the way, you can try this cake not only on Mother's Day but also on birthdays, tea party and other occasions as well.

My friend has two dining rooms in her new house. One room has complete dining furniture which her family used everyday while the other one is still empty and will be used whenever there are occasions to accommodate more visitors. She asked my help in picking out a Dining Room Furniture set online and I think I made the right choice! She agreed with the "Revelle Dining Room Set by Zocalo" which catches my eyes' attention. It looks elegant, is constructed from selected hardwood solids and cherry veneers and is completed by a dark walnut patina and low sheen finish. The table comes with two removable leaves that allow you to have an intimate dinner or accommodate a large group. A maximum of 8 chairs can be placed at the table.The chair seems comfortable to sit on since it is upholstered and backed with ribbed fabric. Plus the dining room furniture set matches the color of her dining room. By the way, if you are looking for dining room furniture, I suggest you check out spacify.com. They have quality dining room furniture with stylish designs to choose from. Spacify gives you the ultimate furniture shopping experience so enjoy and feel free to explore all the options available in their store.

Time flies by so fast! I'm now on my 33rd week of pregnancy. My baby weighs a little over 4 pounds now. Her skin is becoming less red and is rapidly losing the wrinkled, alien look. Her skeleton is hardening but still she has plenty of growing up to do. She is moving frequently and her pokes and kicks becomes more strong now.

Below is an image of what a 33-week old baby somewhat looks like(image source: babycenter.com)

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have a family member who uses a scooter or power chair? Are you a person who uses a wheelchair and wants to drive? Or are you a caregiver whose patient uses a wheelchair and requires help in getting in and out of the car? Maybe you find it difficult transporting a passenger using scooters and power chairs which are too heavy and bulky. There's a solution to this problem! Have you heard about NMEDA? NMEDA is a non-profit trade association of mobility equipment dealers, driver rehabilitation specialists, and other professionals who are working together to improve transportation options of people with disabilities.

If you are planning or deciding on purchasing an adapted wheelchair vehicle because you still want to drive despite being disabled or you want to get back onto the road of independence, or you are transporting a patient or passenger in vehicles, NMEDA will make it easier for you by educating you on buying products from a NMEDA qualified dealers. The NMEDA has DEALERS which should be your first stop in the process. They conduct on-site evaluations to custom fit vehicles to your specific needs or based on your specific situation. In that way, you can be sure you are getting the right driving solution customized to your specific lifestyle and needs. It would really be a big advantage if you will buy from NMEDA qualified dealer. Need additional training or product refinements? Your NMEDA dealer is there to help you!

Aside from that, NMEDA administers a Quality Assurance Program (QAP) which is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. This program was developed to promote quality, safety and reliability within the industry.

Being a caregiver is a tough job and you need to have your special needs attended to as well. You will find that scooter and powerchairs are heavy and bulky. It is important for you to be cautious and aware of your own limitations when trying to help your patient or someone else into a vehicle because lifting wheelchairs can cause potential backstrain and other injuries to you too. An NMEDA qualified dealer could assist in transporting your elderly or disabled family member. Plus, they too can help the elderly or disabled get back onto the road of independence.

I suggest you visit nmeda.org. On the homepage, hit the dealers locator and type in your ZIP code and see the qualified dealer nearest you! So what's the closest qualified dealer near you? Kindly leave your comment in my post, guys. Thanks!

Do you usually eat hot dogs, bacon, sausage or deli meats? Do know that these can increase the chance of heart disease by 42 percent? It was based on US research which was reported on Monday. So maybe it's time for you limit eating these tasty food if you usually eat them.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

For the past few months, I've been indulging myself with chocolates and ice cream since they're my pregnancy cravings. Good thing, when I had my glucose screening last week, it appeared that the result is normal. Meaning, I have no gestational diabetes and there is no need for me to diet whatsoever! Yipeee! Oh! I'm craving for chocolate and ice cream again right at this very moment! I might possibly buy my favorite cravings tomorrow- icecream, bars or miniatures! Anyway, speaking of chocolates and ice cream, do you know that Dove Ice Cream has launched the “My Mini Moment” contest? The said contest just begun on May 3 and will end on June 7, 2010. If you are a female, legal resident of U.S. and D. C. and 21 years or older as of May 3, 2010, you can join the contest for a chance to win one of three sensational mini-grand prizes- a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, Spa services for a year or a mini-home makeover. Fabulous prizes, aren't they? How to join the contest? Share your favorite mini moment of escape. You need to submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010.By the way, Dove Ice Cream Miniatures have only 70 calories each! They're the perfect guilty pleasure! So enjoy the little bites of this heavenly icecream wrapped in real Dove chocolate. Also, try the new decadent Café Collection which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors. The “My Mini Moment” contest celebrates the Dove consumers and ultimate multi-tasker's "Me-time", cherished moments of taking time for themselves each day.

You have your own idea of what your favorite min-escape would be. That’s why DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures has given you three luxuriously indulgent choices. So what are you waiting for? Join the "My Mini Contest" now! For official Rules of the contest just click the links in this post.

To all my friends and co-bloggers living somewhere in Quezon City (Philippines) have you seen the planet Venus visible on top of the Moon on Sunday, May 16, 2010? Some of you may have had witnessed it and took pictures of it. This rare occurrence is called the Venus planetary occultation by the thin crescent Moon. If you missed this nice scenery, here's the photo:

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of SEO 5 Consulting. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you a Canadian resident who wants to help children who are needy? I encourage you to visit http://bit.ly/hrRkR. You will then be directed to Plan's website. Plan is a global movement founded in 1937 who's main agenda is to improve the lives of children in need. You too can change the world and help improve the lives of children by sponsoring a child. By sponsoring a child you can bring hope to them and make a real difference, transforming their lives for the better. You can help through Plan in lifting them out of poverty by providing them life's basic needs, specifically education, health, water and sanitation, protection, economic security, emergencies, and child participation. This good deed of sponsoring a child is something truly beneficial and significant. If you choose to sponsor a child you show that you care about them. By the way, if you decide to sponsor a child, you can communicate with the child you sponsor through letter writing, which is encouraged. You can also share photos and even visit them if you choose to. It will then create a unique bond between you and your sponsored child. You will also have the benefit to learn what life is like for a child, family and community living in poverty, and witness how your support is helping to improve their lives.

Now is the time to make someone else's life different. Your generosity will make a lot of difference, so sponsor a child today!

Hi guys! How's your Mother's Day celebration? I just made a Mother's Day cake and would love to share a picture of my finished product soon! Happy weekend everyone!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Lunchables. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love my experiences when I was still a student and a kid in grade school. I remember going on a field trip wherein I can expand my learning beyond our classroom and enrich my understanding of a topic or subject matter discussed in our school. Some of the places I visited with my classmates were museums, zoos, historical places and a lot more which are really fun, inspiring and very educational experiences.

Unfortunately, most of the students today can't experience the benefits of having a field trip because according to a 2009 report from The American Association of School Administrators, it was estimated that over the course of the current school year, the number of school districts eliminating field trips will increase by 56 percent. But there's good news for all grade school students out there! Do you know that Lunchables Lunch Combinations wants to help deserving kids across the country go on a fieldrip? Field Trips For All is the first effort from the Lunchables Team’s new initiative called Project Potential”. Now, kids can experience unique opportunities for learning that are not available in the classroom.They can easily make connections between the focus of the field trip and the concepts they are learning at school. By the way, I want to share with you an "alien field trip" video which is an out of this world experience for lucky 5th graders from Los Angeles. Lunchables Teams are sending deserving classrooms on fieldtrips that they will never forget!

What to do to join the contest? If you are 6 years or older you can nominate a classroom which you think is deserving to have a field trip by visiting http://www.lunchables.com/potential/. Simply register by providing a login name, password and parent's email address. Then fill out the form nominating a class in 1st to 8th grade. Tell where this class wants to go to and why. Also, explain why you think that class deserves a field trip, then submit. It's pretty simple! From all nominations, 50 classrooms will be selected to go on a field trip. Who knows, the one you nominated may be one of those lucky classrooms to experience an educational and inspiring field trip!

So what are you waiting for? Enter someone you feel is deserving of this award! You can also help me spread the word about the contest by leaving a comment in my post for whom you want to nominate. I just nominated the class of my friend's son because they haven't experienced having a field trip yet. How about you? Who do you think this prize should go to? Nominate
now!

Yesterday, I had my prenatal check-up and I'm glad that my glucose screening is normal! I'm really worried about it since I ate so many sweets like chocolates and ice cream for the last few months. Now, I lessen eating them since my craving for ice creams and chocolates has gone down. As of now all the results of my exams are pretty normal. Weeeh! Less than 2 months to go and I will see my baby.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes it's really hard to think of what to give to your friends or family members especially if you already gave them almost all of their favorite things and all that they would like to have on their birthday, on holidays and other special occasions, isn't it? Are you running out of gift ideas? Thankfully, there's a website called FriendGiftr! I suggest that you visit them too. Now, you can purchase and send giftcards to your friends or family through FriendGiftr where you can choose from over 120 of the participating retailers, restaurants and online stores listed on their site. Hmmm...what if you are not sure of what merchant to choose or what your ricipient prefers? No worries! What makes Friendgiftr special is that your friends or the recipient of the giftcard can redeem at any of the 120 stores or even split it across multiple merchants. So no matter which merchant you select, it's not a problem at all since your friend can swap the giftcard out for a different merchant for no additional cost! They then get what they really want! How great is that? Merchants include two of my favorite stores: Kohl's and Macy's. Other stores and restaurants are GAP, Applebees, Red Lobster, Bass Pro Shops, Marriott Hotel & Resorts, CVS/Pharmacy shoebuy.com and a lot more.

Oh! now that I have found FriendGiftr, I don't have to think too much of what gift to give to my friend on her birthday next month since I'm running out of birthday gift ideas for her. The FriendGiftr gift card is the best gift idea and I'm sure she will like it since she can pick any merchants and get what birthday gift she really wants.

How does Friendgiftr work? Just follow 3 simple and easy steps. Select a merchant, customize your gift card (you can select a gift card amounting to:$10, $20, $25, $35, $50, $75, and $100 ) and then send it to your friend! How simple is that! By the way, aside from their website you can also use their service from Facebook, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and other mobile platforms.

Tell your friends to send you gift cards too and don't forget to "Like" Friendgiftr on Facebook or follow them on Twitter!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there especially to my mom! There's never been a minute I wasn't glad you were my mom. I also want to greet my beloved and sweet mother-in-law as well as my eldest sister and my sister-in-law.

"Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love has guided me and gave me wings to fly." - Sarah Malin

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Spa World Corp. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have senior, handicapped or disabled family members, relatives or friends? Or do you own or are working in a nursing home caring for elders? Maybe some of them experienced inconvenience in taking a bath. It would be a lot safer and more comfortable for them to use walk in tubs when bathing. Plus, they can do their daily bath independently. Since most elderly are experiencing arthritis, muscle and joint strain and pains, walk in tubs offer several benefits for them. Walk in tubs relieve body aches and pains, eases muscle strain, reduce arthritis pain, increase circulation, soothe nerves, calm the mind and promote elimination of impurities via the skin.

There are several walk in tubs on the market today but we must consider several factors in buying walk-in tubs for disabled individua'ls and elder's safety. We must choose only high quality, safe and comfortable bathing tubs for them. There are US made walk in tubs that pass these standards plus they offer a warranty and are guaranteed products. I've seen walk in tubs online that match all of my descriptions above that you might like. I really like the features of these tubs such as easy entry doors to enter and exit the tub effortlessly and safely, safety grab bar, anti-slip floor, high quality construction with it's highest grade materials, low step-in thresh hold and more. It also has life time warranty on the door seal. These walk in tubs are sold at Costco US and Canada.

Only choose and buy the walk in tubs which are high quality, safe, with a warranty that offer reasonable prices as well.

I felt my baby's first kicks and punches when I was still in my 16th week of pregnancy. Since then, I felt her strength become more intense everyday. Her first moves are the best feelings that I have ever felt as a first time mom and I never thought I'd be happy to be punched! LOL!

I think it would be nice if my baby will see what she's doing while she's still inside my tummy. Wouldn't it? So I decided to take a video of my pregnant belly while she's moving. I wanted to share this video with my friends and family as well so they will know what my baby has been up to.

Btw, thank you to all my friends and co-bloggers visiting my site. I'm not back yet with bloghopping...but if I feel like it I will visit you often. Again, Thanks!!!!

My cousin has used eyeglasses for several years now but she got tired of wearing them so she switched to using contact lenses a few months ago. At first, she enjoyed wearing her contact lenses as they make her look younger than when wearing eyeglasses, but she finds them unmfortable to use and even made her eyes watery, itchy, and gave her a runny nose or nasal congestion as well, which are symptoms of ocular allergies. She was then advised to use daily disposable contact lenses, specifically the 1 day acuvue moist brand. As one-day use reduces the chance of building up pollen, mold and other deposits. The 1-Day Acuvue is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. It features Laceron which locks in moisture-rich ingredients for a fresh lens feeling and it makes you feel comfortable until the end of the day. It's lenses are tinted and designed to facilitate locating the contact lenses in solution. Furthermore, they will not change the color of your eyes. Anyway, my cousin is so excited to use this new product which will be shipped to their house soon. Plus she saved a couple of dollars with it too with it's discount price. She's so glad that she can still use contact lenses since she hated using eyeglasses.

Most of you may have noticed that many of my posts here are about baby stuff. Well, it's due to the fact that I'm so excited to become a mom soon! hehe!. I spend most of my free time reading about pregnancy, babies and watching baby videos online. Anyway, I have found this cute and sweet video on You Tube that I wanted to share with you. The baby mimicked her mother saying I LOVE YOU!

My friend's new business and office just opened a week ago and I'm so happy for her! She's the one whom I helped out with choosing and buying furniture online for her office which I mentioned in my previous post. Anyway, her office has a good location and it also has great ambiance too. So far the business is going smoothly and she has several clients now. She also showed me her business card that she ordered online. She customized them online with a good graphic design that matches the nature of her business. Btw, if you are looking for custom business cards, I suggest that you visit businesscards24.com. You can pick out hundreds of attractive designs within their gallery of pre-made templates then add information such as your name, company name, address, phone number and email address. But if you have your own design that you want for your business cards you can upload it too and customize it. What are you waiting for? Use business cards as a marketing tool to advertise your services. Order custom business cards now!

Just wanted to share with you the picture of an animated giant baby named Miguelín, 6.5 meters tall, can “breathe and blink at the World Expo 2010 held in the Spain Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo on Monday, May 3, 2010 as he greeted the visitors.