Archive for Things & Stuff

My [New] Toy Boy

September 10th, 2010 Things & StuffTags: , , , ,

My older bro bought this Astroboy doll the first time he went to Hong Kong. It’s a genuine collector’s item made by Tezuka Inc. I’ve kept this doll (and Uran and Dr. Elephant) for many years, virtually untouched. It was only yesterday that I decided to unearth Astroboy from the box, remove him from the plastic bag, and call him my Toy Boy. It’s been years since I had one. Hee hee.

astroboy: my new officemate

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Avent Baby Bottles

September 5th, 2010 Things & StuffTags: , , , , , , , , , ,

We’ve made the big switch – from Pigeon Baby Bottles to Avent Baby Bottles. I would’ve chosen Pigeon again for my second baby, but since the Japanese brand hasn’t issued BPA-free bottles in the Philippines, I decided to go for Avent Baby Bottles.

What’s so nice about Avent Bottles?

Aside from being BPA-free, it’s easy to clean. I can’t tell yet if Stella likes the teat. It seems she’s having a hard time latching on it. She gets milk through direct breastfeeding most of the time. I wonder if that’s the reason why it takes a while for her to get used to the Avent teat. It could be just a case of nipple confusion.

So far, Mum and Dad are highly satisfied with Avent. We might get more bottles when Stella’s milk intake increases.

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Positive Visual: The Dream House

August 12th, 2010 Daily Living, Things & StuffTags: , , , , ,

Late last year, my husband emailed a link to this article about positive visuals. It was a short but focused article on the good side of having a visual inspiration. The article suggested that you must have a photo of something that makes you happy or inspired, or of something that you want to have in the future. My husband has a picture of a BMW on his laptop. It took me a while to choose my own positive visual, not because I don’t know what I long for, but because I have so many design ideas in mind.

Just one thing for me: a house


It doesn’t have to be big. But I want it built on a nice neighborhood with lots of trees and birds and well-educated people. I’ve yet to finalize some Home Design Ideas, but I’m leaning towards Victorian design and architecture. Or something like the one in the picture. Quaint, isn’t it?

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“Printing Project”

July 12th, 2010 Things & StuffTags:

This was sent to me via email. It’s unsolicited and it’s rather funny. Hee hee.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Good day!

This is Pinky from Philip Cheng Printing Co., Ltd of China.

From your company web, we got to know that your company is an influence company in your business. We are
pleased to approach you in the hope of developing business for mutual benefit.

We are a leading manufacturer and exporter of printing services in China. Our products have good markets in
Europe and North America.

1. Products: picture albums, magazines, catalogs, labels and stickers, hang tags, packaging boxes, booklets,
flyers, playing cards, calendars etc.
2. Printing Price: Only 40% cost of you printed by local printers.
3. Advantage: perfect quality, competitive marketing prices, good services.
4. Guarantee: If you were not satisfied with our products, we should refund you or reprint it.

Any question? No hesitation to contact us. It’s our great honor to work with you for our further cooperation.

Yours Sincerely?
Pinky

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Special Discounts on Neoflam Cookware

May 16th, 2010 Events & Holidays, Things & StuffTags: , ,

Got this from the mail. I have never tried any Neoflam product in my life. (The Venn Casserole looks good, though!) I’m into Pyrex, Sunnex and Corning. But in case some of you are Neoflam fans, you might want to take advantage of this offer from SM.

Get SPECIAL DISCOUNTS in selected Neoflam Cookware at SM Homeworld inside SM Department Stores from May 1 to 31, 2010.

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On Choosing a Good Web Host

April 14th, 2010 Things & StuffTags: , , ,

Is it time to upgrade to a better webhosting package? I’ve been thinking about it of late. But for practical reasons, I often find myself dispelling the idea and sticking with what I’ve got. After all, it’s the content that matters. As long as I have my content published without glitch, I’ll be fine.

I was supposed to mark this journal’s first anniversary last December, but for some reason, I’d forgotten to do so. I launched this blog in December 2008 after getting the domain – a birthday gift from hubby — the month before. Since then, this site has slept, winked, yawned, resurfaced, and received countless makeovers.

I have a variety of reasons to justify the inadequacy, and one of them is my awful initial web host which didn’t do a good job at all. I don’t want to go into details. Let’s just say that while I was under the mercy of their services, I was 24/7 worried about the availability of my site on the Web. And, as I nursed my worrywart self, I simply let time pass me by and temporarily abandoned my journaling duties.

floating milkmaid

In the middle of 2009, I decided to move this site to another local host. It was just as cheap as the previous one, but a lot better in terms of technical services. I read a lot of reviews on web hosting packages before I made the decision to migrate. It’s something that I should’ve done more thoroughly at the onset. But, ah, we learn from our mistakes, don’t we?

I’m still with the same web host and will probably stick with it for another year. Except for some occasional downtime in the past, the service is good enough. I actually have very limited bandwidth allowance and storage. But I haven’t gone overboard, so I’m not upgrading or getting another hosting package that will give me unlimited enchiladas. As long as my journal is up and running, I will have no reason to change web host.

As I write this post, I have a web hosting invoice waiting for me on my email inbox. It’s due on the 20th. And how much do I owe? Only PHP252 for 3 months worth of hosting. Beat that!

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The Blogger Template Designer

March 31st, 2010 Things & StuffTags: , , ,

Have you tried the Blogger Template Designer yet? I’m loving it. I played with the features the other day and had awesome time redesigning one of my blogs at Blogger.com.

The Blogger Template Designer, launched via Blogger in Draft, has the following features:

  • 15 new, highly-customizable templates from our design team, split into four families: Simple, Picture Window, Awesome Inc, and Watermark
  • One-, two-, and three-column layouts for each template, with complete control over the size and arrangement of the columns
  • Hundreds of background images and patterns from iStockphoto, the leading microstock image marketplace

One of my longtime online buddies has already tried it on her writing webzine. I’ll probably redesign my niche blogs when time permits.

If you’re on Twitter, you can show off your new Blogger design by tweeting your blog’s URL with the hashtag #newbloggertemplate. You just might be featured in Blogs of Note.

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Scrapbooking, Take 2

January 22nd, 2010 Memories, Things & StuffTags: , , , ,

I started scrapbooking in 3rd grade. At that time, I didn’t even know it was called “scrapbooking”. I was into a lot of art projects in grade school, and one of the things that we did in art class was the collage. After making perhaps a dozen collages, I got bored with the flat surface and thought about putting other stuff on paper like old buttons, ribbons, cut-out fabric, etc. I wanted to feel some texture, some bumps, some form. So I got hooked for a while and did a few more pages to complement my school projects.

In fourth year high school, we were required to make a scrapbook that was to highlight our high school years. We were supposed to put in there all the achievements we’d made and then present the scrapbook to our parents during the Rigodon de Honor. Unfortunately, my parents did not even bother to look at my scrapbook. (It was a stressful time for our family, so I couldn’t really expect much from my folks.) After that event, I threw away the scrapbook and lost all interest in scrapbooking.

Last year, at Candice’s 1st birthday celebration, we received a scrapbooking kit from a friend. I made plans to start a scrapbooking project, but never got to do it until only last week, when I realized that it’s been more than a year since PJay gave us that kit. Sayang naman. And I know I’ve always wanted to give scrapbooking another try even though I’m busy raising a toddler and writing on the side. So, one quiet afternoon, while Candice was asleep, I went down to the basement and looked for the kit. I brought it to my desk, got my Bic glue stick and scissors, and began my first scrapbooking project for this century!!! I was able to do 2 pages in about half an hour. I still need to get more pattern paper and embellishments, so I can’t take a picture right now.

Look, Daddy!

My first digital scrapbooking project, made using Scrapbook Flair

While waiting for my chance to visit a crafts store, I thought about doing some digital scrapbooking just to keep the enthusiasm going. I’ve been curious about digital scrapbooking for the longest time but never really bothered to click on any related link. A few days ago, I searched the Web for some freebies and found this free scrapbooking software called Scrapbook Flair. It’s a simple drag-and-drop software that lets you create digital scrapbooks in a jiffy, patterns and embellishments included. You can download more add-ons from the developer’s website. I’ve yet to explore the Scrapbook Flair’s other features, though. I hope to make more projects as I poke around the menus and all.

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Allergies

January 14th, 2010 Things & StuffTags: , , , , , , ,

I wish I could easily replace my nose at this time of year. I’ve been dealing with a clogged nose since November. (Well, since I was young, actually.) Apparently, I suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis. My nose reacts strongly to everything once the cold weather sets in. I normally abuse myself with antihistamine drugs and my trusty nasal spray when dealing with this dilemma. This time, though, I’ll have to skip the usual prescription and just bear with the discomfort. Why? I’ll explain later.

And speaking of allergies – Candice’s eczema is trying to make a comeback. I’ve been at war with this skin disease since November. It seems that my little girl has inherited her dad’s sensitive skin. I’ve had her on salt baths (NSS compress), antibiotics, antihistamine, and steroids for almost 2 months. Her skin got better for a while. But just a few days ago, I noticed some chapping again. And then, the wounds are there again. What’s a mother to do? I’m giving her steroids + antibiotics again. And, yes, the usual salt bath. I hope the wounds heal soon. The poor girl’s been rubbing her itchy right pinkie on every surface. Kawawa naman.

Hypoallergic Fabric Softener

Upon the dermatologist’s recommendation, I got hypoallergenic bath and body products for Candice. I use Cetaphil cream and Nivea hypoallergenic soft cream to moisturize her body. I use Cetaphil gentle facial cleanser on her face. Her clothes are rinsed using Pigeon’s hypoallergenic fabric conditioner. I’ve yet to find a hypoallergenic detergent at the hypermart, though. Maybe when I get the chance to visit stores in Alabang, I’ll be able to find one.

Some moms have recommended Aveeno and Dove products. Unfortunately, they’re not available at the nearest supermarket. Have you tried Aveeno/Dove on your babies? Is it better than Cetaphil? I’d appreciate your feedback. In the meantime, I’ll have to stick with whatever I can get.

Now, for my nose replacement …

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Crocs for toddlers

September 24th, 2009 Things & StuffTags: , , ,

My little girl loves her lavender Crocs. But they’re getting smaller for her growing feet. Should I get her a new pair? I know that Crocs are comfy shoes, but they’re a bit pricey. And Candice would probably use them for just a few months. If I could get a discount coupon, I’d probably consider getting her a cute pair of toddler Crocs.

Look at these!

At one time, I thought about getting her imitation Crocs. But I’m afraid the rubber might be too tough or the paint might contain lead, ‘di ba? Anyway, if you know of any Crocs store going on sale, please send me your fastest owl!

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Hi! I'm Connie. This notebook is mostly about daily living, working from home, family, parenting, kids, food, books & whatever I might fancy.


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