It’s the culmination of the Lenten Season in my side of the world. That means most businesses will be closed for a couple of days in observance of Holy Week. That’s also why our boutique will be closed for 2 days, this Thursday and Friday. My brother and SIL are both looking forward to their short “vacation” so they can rest and recharge. Unfortunately, there are a lot of chores waiting to be done at home so I’m guessing that before my brother gets to take his much needed rest, he’d have to work on those chores first.

Among the things he needs to get done is the mini basketball court for him and his son. He wants to turn our pocket garden into a small basketball court so they can play together. We haven’t really used the area since none of us have green thumbs so he decided to just convert it into a play area. The materials are already there, he just needs to complete his tools. My brother is so fond of his power tools since these make his life easier. But I think he still needs to buy saw blades because the ones we have are dull already. I just hope he gets the job done right away so my nephew can start playing.

Before I decided to work full time from home, I was working in an advertising agency. It was fun, exciting and it was such a fast paced environment. I belong to the accounting department so I was always up on my toes trying to get work done. One of our major clients is a world renowned manufacturer of milk, coffee, cereals and what-have-yous so you can just imagine how busy we were because they were constantly having promotions which required our agency to supply manpower and other things pertinent to the promotion. I was in charge of processing the invoices, as well as coming up with cost estimates for our client’s projects.

I remember that there was one incident when one of our merchandisers suffered an injury while working in one of the supermarkets where our client’s products were sold. The merchandiser was busily stacking boxes in the store room of the supermarket and he didn’t know there was an exhaust fan behind one of the boxes. So when he reached for the box, his fingers got caught in the fan. The poor merchandiser had to stay off work for a long time and it was such a shame because financial aid took a long time to come. I remember that the process prior to his receiving what was due him was so rigorous and time consuming. If only there was something like No Win No Fee to help him out then. I'm sure help would've come sooner.

To my dear friends, I'll be going on a brief hiatus from the blogosphere. I think I need to take a break for a while and I think it's rightly so since it's the holy week. Well, at least here in the Philippines. I will just try to come up with scheduled posts.☺

I'm just working on a couple of things right now while on transit because I need to submit these no later than this afternoon. As soon as I get back, I'll be posting a contest update. Why? Because I have a new sponsor. Yes! Clarissa of Kizuna will be sponsoring make up goodies for my contest! Isn't that grand! So when I get back, I'll be posting about it.☺

I wish you all a good week. Also, I know most of you will go on vacation as well so to those of you who are going out of town for the holy week, take care and have fun!☺

I’ve always dreamt of having a garden wedding. I don’t know why but I just think there’s something surreal about getting married in an open space, with only the sunset as the backdrop and only a few close friends and relatives in attendance. I guess most single women go through that phase, right?

Of course, I also think about what my married life would be. I wonder how it would be like waking up each morning with the man I love lying beside me. I also wonder how I would feel looking at our children and watching them wreak enjoyable havoc in our small house. I want to have three children. Have I told you guys about that? I don’t think so. Anyway, I want to have three kids since that’s how many kids my parents have and I think that number is quite manageable. Of course, it’s something my future husband and I would have to decide on and plan. If there’s one thing I wish for, though, it’s that my husband won’t have any need for Levitra. No kidding. I really wish for that. I love children and I relish the thought of taking care of my own children someday. So I hoping against hope that my "would-be" won’t need it in any way imaginable.

Hi guys! I just came home from the mall. I was finally able to buy a pair of red sandals for the event I'm attending tomorrow evening. I had no idea choosing the perfect pair would be so taxing (yeah right! As if I'm not a shoe-holic!). I went to several stores, found many great styles, only to come out of the store broken hearted and empty handed. Why? Because no size would fit my feet! Geez! I was finally able to find a pair of red velvet sandals, size 34, at one store and although it wasn't the style I wanted (gladiator), I bought the pair nonetheless because I needed red shoes! Also, I think the style was good enough.

I also had my hair relaxed. Actually, the stylist said it was "semi relax and semi rebond", whatever the heck that means. All I know is that my hair is now sorta straight. Yipee! But after the treatment, my stylist was too adamant to cut it short so he just trimmed the edges.

I'll try to see if I can create a blog post tomorrow, much less blog hop. I still have to have my nails done so I'm not sure if I can visit your blogs. Anyway, I wish you all a good night, or day, wherever you may be!☺

When I was a kid, I had a pet dog which my mom named Koochie. She was a mixed breed of Poodle and Japanese Spitz and she was adorable. I was responsible for her so I bathed and fed her. Unfortunately, she got ill and died. Then my dad bought me a Labrador and I named him Pepper. Sadly, he died due to an accident. Since then, I never got myself to take care of a pet dog again. I guess losing them was somewhat traumatic for me.

But what if it was the pet dog who suffers from the loss of his or her master? That's what the film I watched last night was all about.

Hachiko is a 2009 American adaptation of a Japanese tale. It's about a dog who was so loyal to his master. In the film, Richard Gere plays a professor, Parker Wilson, who travels to and from work everyday by train. One night while he was leaving the train station, a dog came up to him and since the dog looked lost, he decided to take it home with him. Parker instantly fell in love with the dog but his wife was against them taking in a stray so they made fliers so that anyone who becomes interested with the dog might contact them. However, Parker's wife saw how much happier her husband became when Hachiko entered their lives so she let him keep the dog.

As Hachiko was growing, he became so attached to his master that everyday, he'd see his master off to work. He'd walk with his master to the train station and wait until he goes in to board the train, leave for home and then come back every afternoon, around 5 o'clock, just in time to greet his master as he comes in after work. That was Hachiko's daily routine. 

Sadly, his master died while at work. Of course, Hachiko wasn't really aware of it and because he was so loyal to his master, he still went back to the train station to await his master's return but he never came back. Hachiko faithfully came back to the train station the next day, still waiting for his master, and every day after that for the next 9 years. Most of the people working in or near the train station was amazed at how faithful he was. Can you imagine the dog's loyalty to his master? 

After the film, a short paragraph came up the screen saying that the film was based on the story of a Japanese professor at Tokyo University who found Hachiko in 1923. The professor passed away in 1925 and everyday for the next 9 years, Hachiko waited on his usual spot just outside the train station. The real Hachiko died in 1935 and today, a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside the Shibuya station in Japan as a permanent reminder of his devotion and love.

I had tears in my eyes as the climax of the film was unraveling. It was really moving and touching, well at least IMO. If you're a pet lover, you might like or love the film.☺

Wow! I can't believe what a day it's turning out to be. I've been online but with no pressure of any sort - just chillaxing.☺ I've no work today so I was able to just kick back and relax while surfing the net.

Anyhoot, I just want to update you guys again with the points for the week that has passed. As I mentioned the other day, there hasn't been much movement in the points. As you may all know, your accumulated points will determine for which drawing you would qualify for.That's why if it's possible for you to reek in more points, all the better. If you want to find out which steps you've already taken or have missed in order to earn more points, please click HERE.

Well, here are the points as of today, 27th March:

Kasai	966
chris	649
sherrygo	378
deann	359
kayeshayne	359
mhaye	353
Ellen Joy	351
jules67	343
kikamz	342
Gene	340
redamethyst	320
Bunak	306
mizhelle	305
Joanne Gonzales	304
K	303
yuuki	303
levy	302
Silvergirl	302
shal	301
willa	292
Joy	215
Hyanne	202
vernz	201
a military wife	201
mariel	190
thinay	180

These already include the points you earned for leaving comments on my blog posts this past week.☺

Well, that's all for now. Still got to get back to Sunshine's Deli over at Facebook. Wouldn't want my dishes to get spoiled. LOL!☺

Oh dear! Thank goodness it's Friday once again. I can relax (a bit) tomorrow. I really think I need to relax. I've been through so much the past couple of weeks and my mind has been working more than double time. It's exhausting! =( I think I need a massage. Any type of massage would do, heck, even a portable massager would do. 

By the way, I'm going to try and post the updated points again tomorrow. There have been some movements in the points but unfortunately, most of the participants haven't reeled in as much yet. Anyway, there's still a long way to go. I'm hoping to come up with the list of prizes for each winner by tomorrow or if not on Sunday. What ever happens, I'll keep all of you posted.

I plan to hit the sack early tonight. With early I mean around 1 or 2 in the morning, instead of my usual bedtime which is 3AM. I hope nothing good is on at HBO.☺

Oh well. Happy weekend everyone!☺

I'm confused over a number of things. Well, at least I think I am. LOL!

First off, for the past couple of days, I've been trying to register for dNeero. That's after I read several blog posts about the site. The concept of the whole site, as well as the earning potential, piqued my interest so I tried to sign up. But it won't let me! I was able to enter my necessary information but the reCaptcha code doesn't show so I can't continue with the registration process.

I then saw that they have a Facebook application so I tried to join dNeero through it. I was able to start, finally. But when I replied to my first conversation, I later found out that it's a non-paying conversation. Oh man! Now I don't see any available conversations that I can join.

Secondly, I have a formal event to attend next Tuesday. I already have a dress - it's in black and white - and I want to match a pair of red shoes to it. I'm planning on getting a pair of red gladiator shoes, pretty much like this one below, from Michael Antonio.




Incidentally, I already own a pair of Mary Jane platforms, also from Michael Antonio. But so far, the pairs of red shoes I'm seeing are all stilettos or pumps. So I'm confused as to what I'm going to get.

Third, I don't know if I should cut my hair short or have it rebonded and styled. I want to look my best on Tuesday and I don't know what to do to my hair. Part of me wants to have it rebonded and another part of me wants to have it cut short.

 This is the length of my hair now.

This was my hair's length in October of 2008.

So what do you think? I'm really confused. Which is which?

I watched a 2009 film of Uma Thurman the other night entitled Motherhood. I don't know if you guys have seen it already. Anyway, I liked the film although I later found out that it was a flop. In fact, in a review he made for the film, Philip French described it as a trite and tiresome movie. Nevertheless, I liked it. I guess I did so because I could somehow relate to Uma's character, Eliza Welsh.

Eliza is a mother of 2 kids and she juggles her time between being a mother, a wife, a homemaker and a blogger. Writing is her passion and in fact she went to an Ivy-league school where she practiced her writing skills and even became an apprentice. She knows she would've made it big if she hadn't gotten married and started having children. She can't work outside the home so she tries to make up for this and still give in to her passion by blogging. She's actually known to the blogging world as a "mom-whiner" because she constantly whined about her life. You can see through her posts that she was trying to work on 'motherhood' but at the same time, she wants the world to know that she has dreams and she wants to realize these dreams.

The movie happened all in one day and seeing how Eliza tries to manage her day was quite tiring. She actually has a list of to-dos and in her list, you'll see "blog?" fitted in her itinerary a couple of times. It was screaming time management and multi-tasking. She had to wake up early, prepare breakfast for her husband and kids, take the eldest to school, shop, blog, take the youngest to the park, shop, blog, plan and prepare for her eldest's 6th birthday...the list goes on.

I said at the outset that I can somehow relate to Uma's character. I AM NOT A MOM YET. But I've taken care of 2 nieces and am taking care of a nephew and I know that it's not an easy task. I work from home while taking care of my nephew and trying to squeeze in blogging bit by bit. However, watching the film made me all the more appreciate the mommy bloggers I've met during the whole year that I've been actively blogging. I salute all of you! Nobody else can do what you all are capable of doing and to think that you do what you do because you love doing them. God bless all mothers!☺

This is going to be a short post. I just want to say hello to all of, especially to those who have already partaken of my blog contest. I have worked on the mechanics, everything you'll need to earn points, and I've linked back to them HERE.

To those who are wondering how many points they've earned so far, I have posted the run-down of points (from 27 participants) yesterday. The points are all as of 21st March. So if you made a review today, left a comment in any of my posts or did some other tasks, they're not included in the update yet. You can read the points update HERE.

I'll try to update the points tomorrow. But if I can't squeeze it in to my schedule, I'd work on updating your points on Saturday. That way, points update will be posted on a weekly basis and cut-off for points will be every Friday.

Well, that's about it. I have to get back to work. Still have 3 articles to work on. Ta-ta for now!☺

As promised, I am now posting the points each participant has accumulated so far.☺

These points are based on the steps each of them has undertaken as part of the mechanics to qualify for the contest. I have condensed all the mechanics, both REQUIRED and OPTIONAL HERE to allow the participants to have just one post to look at in case they want to find out how else to gain points.

The points will also reflect points from comments since I have decided to award 1 point for each comment the participants has left and will leave on my posts (duration: 15th March - 15th April).

So far, only one participant has written a review about Niko's Girls Rule blog and that's Sherry.☺

Anyway, here are the updated points as of 21st March 2010:

<><>  Kasai 931 kayeshayne 357 mhaye 353 Ellen Joy 351 sherrygo 347 chris 344 jules67 342 kikamz 341 Gene 339 mizhelle 305 Bunak 304 zoan 304 K 303 levy 302 redamethyst 302 Silvergirl 302 deann 301 Joy 213 yuuki 202 a military wife 201 Hyanne 201 vernz 201 willa 191 mariel 190 thinay 180

So these are all the points the 27 participants earned during the first week of the contest. It took me a day and a half to verify the points but rest assured that these points are all based on what steps you've done so far. What seems like minute details of the contest corresponds to a certain point and that's what I did in tallying your points.

Again, all the mechanics are HERE so if you want to gain more points, head on out to that post or enter your other blogs.☺

When I was younger, I told myself and my friends that I wanted to get married by 23. That was 10 years ago. Now at 33, I am still single, and well, happy with it. It would’ve been ideal for me if I was already married and raising my small family by now. But I am not. Is it my choice? I honestly don’t know. What I am sure of is that I have not yet found the right person. I know that looking for Mr. Right is an oft used cliché. But come to think of it, marriage is serious business. You can’t just go out and grab the next person you see and marry him (or her).

A lot of things need to be considered before plunging in to marriage because when you marry, you’re basically tying yourself to someone who’s a totally different person from what you are. Marriage is a fusion of two human beings with differing traits, characteristics, attitudes and maybe principles in life. For a marriage to work, two different people need to work hard in complementing each other – what one lacks the other fills up and vice versa.

But there are people who find the loves of their lives through online dating. It’s what some people consider to be the next best thing to traditional courtship. If these people end up finding their perfect match through online dating, I’m left wondering, “Is it really possible?” Looks like I need to delve deeper into this matter and find out how to succeed with online dating. However, since I belong to the old school, I guess I can say that I’d still go for the traditional way.

I checked my inbox earlier than usual today and guess what I got? Got a comment from Chris of Chris Chronicles. She honored me with the following awards:

I must say that I thrive on awards because they make me feel special and loved. So I want to say "Thank you!" to Mommy Chris. I truly, truly appreciate these awards. Incidentally, for the Beautiful Blogger Award, I'm supposed to list 7 random things about me but since I was already tagged for this, I've given my random 7 before and you can read them here.

I'm passing these on to the following blogger friends of mine, some old and some new, because they deserve these.☺

♥ Joy ♥
♥ Bunak ♥
♥ Levy ♥
♥ Zoan ♥
♥ Ellen Joy ♥
♥ Gene ♥
♥ Redamethyst ♥
♥ Kayce ♥

My work entails spending very long hours seated in front of the computer. I normally start my day checking my inbox for e-mail correspondence from my employer. I also get tons of work requirements from clients who want this and that article to be written, proofread or edited by me, often all in the span of 1 day. I must admit that the prolonged exposure to the computer often makes my eyes hurt. What’s worse is that aside from my hurting eyes, I also find the temples of my head throbbing in pain each and every time.

I consulted my doctor, crossing my fingers that she won’t give the worst diagnosis. Well thankfully, it wasn’t. According to her, the glare from the computer screen is causing me migraines and add to that, my vision has been affected by the long hours I spend working on the computer. So I had to visit an optometrist and I found out I needed eyeglasses. Actually, I already have them but I stopped wearing them a long time ago because I kept on misplacing them.

It’s sad that I don’t have 20/20 vision anymore. But I guess that’s part of life. I know better now so I’m really going to have to take care of my eyes from now on. I’m going to be looking for affordable and high quality eyeglasses now so I know which style to get for myself although I already have my eyes set on this one:

Hello people! It's Friday! TGIF!

I just want to thank those who have joined my blog contest already. Don't worry girls, your efforts are not in vain. So far there are 23 participants who entered their links on the MckLinky in the main post. As I mentioned before, only those who entered their links there will be considered as the official participants and will qualify for the drawings. If I get my work done early today I'll be tallying the points you've earned so far. If not, I'll do it tomorrow (hopefully my boss won't ask me to write some articles for him). Either way, I'd also be posting the run-down of points per participant for transparency.

Oh, as for the prizes each winner will get, I'm still working on it. LOL! It's so hard to distribute the prizes so I'm kind of in a fix. But not to worry. Potential winners will definitely know what's in store for them sooner than SOON! ☺ 

Isn’t it funny how pressured and too tied-up you feel when you’re working? Whether you work in an office or you work from the comfort of your home, you can’t deny the fact that there are times when you feel as though you have so much to do, yet so little time to achieve everything. I often feel that way and yet I work from home and I hold my own hours.

There are days when I just feel so bored over what I think (at least for that particular day) are mundane tasks. Of course, I can’t just up and leave. My online job is too important. But I still need to unwind every now and then lest I want to go crazy. So what do I do when boredom strikes? I look for a diversion. I stop for a while, read a few chapters of my favorite book or, since I’m already online, I visit social networking sites, check out forums or play online games like poker or bingo.

I guess the saying, “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy” still holds true, even when one is way past her youth. Yes, work is important. However, work is not the end-all and be-all of it. It won’t hurt to have fun once in a while especially when boredom strikes, right?

Most of you know that my diversion from work, apart from blogging and blog hopping, is logging in to my Facebook account and playing games. One of the games I'm hooked on is FarmVille.☺ I just love planting seeds and trees, harvesting my crops and produce and taking care of my animals. Of late, I've been obsessed with filling up my pot with all the gold possible and building my Maison Frame. Those are my present "babies" after I've finished building my horse stable and bigger chicken coop. I've yet to harvest my fruit trees today. 

Anyway, here's a screen shot of my farm.☺

It's not too big...the field where the plots are plowed I mean. I didn't want to plow fields on the entire farm because I wanted my farm to be organized. I can't upgrade my farm yet. I think the farm expansion option is still unavailable. But once I'm able to, I'd rearrange my farm again.☺

When I was younger, my dad would take the whole family on vacations. We’d travel to different tourist destinations within the country every time there was a break from school and during the Christmas break. Then on summer vacations, we’d travel to other countries like Hong Kong and the U.S. On each trip, we’d take the plane. Even if we were just traveling within the country, my dad always booked domestic flights because he wanted us to experience plane travel. My siblings and I did enjoy each and every flight. We always looked forward to those trips because they didn’t only allow the family to bond but they gave us the chance to explore new places and meet new friends.

Now that I’m older though, taking time off from work to go on vacations is a luxury I can only wish for. With the demands of this busy life, I can’t even remember when I last took a really long and relaxing vacation. But I’m making a promise to myself. Before this year ends, I want to travel some place but this time, I won’t book any flight. Instead, I would prefer to ride a cruise ship. Yes, I want to experience something different and I feel that being on board a cruise ship would do the trick. I can only imagine the breath-taking sites I’d see once I’m on board a luxury liner. Just the thought is making me so excited!

Most of you have already posted the lists of Major and Secondary sponsors and followed all the required steps in the main mechanics. Thank you so much for doing all the steps.

(By the way, I forgot to mention one important thing. You can enter as many blogs as possible, especially if you maintain multiple blogs. Just make sure you undergo all the necessary steps like you did the first time.) 

However, since the contest will run for a month, you actually still have tons of chances to pile up those points. Please take note, however, that these steps are optional. If following all the steps below would demand too much of your time, you may opt to just follow a select few (or none at all); it’s your call. I know that just like me, you are busy as well with your secular work and managing your respective families.

Additional Ways to Gain Points:

1. Subscribe to I Am a Princess, All Girls Are, please confirm your subscription. Non-confirmation will mean no points earned. (5 points)

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

2. Follow my secondary blog. (5 points) *If you’re an existing follower already, well and good, no need to go through the trouble - you’ve already earned 5 points.

3. Help me spread the word by posting about the contest on your Facebook page. (10 points)

4. Share this contest with your followers on Twitter. (10 points)

5. Digg this! (10 points)

6. If you belong to other social bookmarking sites, please feel free to post about the contest. (2 points for each site)

7. Include me in your blogroll, if you haven’t yet. (5 points) *If I’m already there, thanks! The 5 points are yours to keep.

**For items 1-7, please enter the necessary information (i.e. e-mail address, username, Facebook link, Twitter username & tweet link, etc.) here.

Again, these steps are optional. Once you've completed all the steps, please leave a comment on this post.

Easy as pie, huh? More ways of earning points coming pretty soon. Oh, by the way, SPONSORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN TOO!
  

If you’ve followed the required steps I’ve given in the main post and posted the list of MAJOR SPONSORS, congratulations, you already have instant 200 points!

To gain additional points, I would have to ask all of you to display the list of SECONDARY SPONSORS this time around. Posting the list is worth 100 points as well.



<br /> <li><a href="http://myjourneytolife.info/">Babies and Contests</a> - 2,000 EC credits + 1 month 125x125 AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.chrischronicles.com/">Chris Chronicles</a> - 2,000 EC credits</li><br /> <li><a href="http://cornymans-blogreviews.blogspot.com/">Cornyman's Blog Reviews</a> - 2,000 EC credits</li><br /> <li><br /> <a href="http://cornys-moneypage.blogspot.com/">Cornyman's Money Blog</a> - 1,000 EC + 10 x Spikes from CMF Ads worth 1$ (250 visitors)</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://redamethyst.blogspot.com/">Earn Money Online with Red</a> - 2 months AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://earthfriendlymomma.com/">Earth Friendly Momma</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.fashionexplorer.net/">Fashion Explorer</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.gene-experiments.com/">Gene + Experiments</a> - 1 month AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.healthandbeautydiva.com/">Health and Beauty Diva</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.genejostory.com/">Her and History</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://hereanythinggoes.info/">Here Anything Goes</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://fedhz.com/">Home Buddies</a> - AD spaces in her PR3 (2) and PR2 (1) blogs</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://iempowermyself.net/">I Empower Myself</a> - 1 month 125x125 AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://chrisamador.blogspot.com/">Inspirational Insights</a> - 2,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://mizhelle.blogspot.com/">Life Can't Wait</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.pinayjade.com/">Life of a Filipina Blogger</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://lizacastronuevo.blogspot.com/">Liza's Online Journal</a> - 1,000 EC credits + 1 month 125x125 AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.mymariuca.com/">Mariuca Wishing on a Falling Star</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://mariucasperfume.com/">Mariuca's Perfume Gallery</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.meowdiaries.com/">Meow Diaries</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://momswritestuff.info/">Moms Write Stuff</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://wcstock.net/">My Daily Thoughts and Ramblings</a> - 2 months AD space (winner can opt to have 1 250x125 AD or 2 125x125 AD)</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.melandriaromero.net/">My Journey to Life</a> - 1 month AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.lizmagikera.info/">Pinkville</a> - 1 month 125x125 AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://proudmommyandwifey.blogspot.com/">Proud Mommy and Wifey</a> - 1,000 EC credits + 1 month 125x125 Ad space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.runawayblogger.com/">Runaway Blogger</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.syppera.blogspot.com/">Samantha’s Own</a> - 2,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.redismarose.com/">Simple Pero Rock</a> - 1 month AD space and 2,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.wordyliz.com/">Spread the Word</a> - 1 month 125x125 AD space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://jennystastyexploration.blogspot.com/">Tasty Exploration</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://teacherjennysdiary.blogspot.com/">Teaching Moments</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://theoneminuteguide.blogspot.com/">The One Minute Guide</a> - 1,000 EC + 10 x Spikes from CMF Ads worth 1$ (250 visitors)</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.thepinayblogger.com/">The Pinay Blogger at Home</a> - 1,000 EC credits</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://upnowandwhatsnext.blogspot.com/">Up Now and What's Next</a> - 1 month 125x125 Ad space</li><br /> <br /> <li><a href="http://www.prosperitymelandria.com/">Wonderful World of Peachy</a> - 1,000 EC credits + 1 month AD space</li><br /> <br />

I'd be posting additional ways to gain more points tomorrow. But those steps would be optional - you may or may not follow all the steps. I know that most of you just recently reviewed a lot of websites for Kaye's and Pehpot's contest so I don't want to be redundant.☺

Please leave a comment on this post once you've posted the list so I can add the points to your names. Thanks much!

Yes, I made a boo-boo with the code for the list of MAJOR SPONSORS. So sorry to those who updated their posts only to include a list which didn't link back to the sponsors. I blame it on my melancholy mood yesterday. Something happened and I couldn't totally put my game face on so there...it led to my committing a mistake. =(

Again, I'm so sorry. I've already updated the code in the main contest mechanics post. The major sponsors' list should be working fine now.

I'm going to be posting the second batch of sponsors today, so to those of you who pledged their sponsorship and didn't see their blogs in the 1st list, don't worry. I just divided the list of sponsors to give the participants more chances of earning points. Hope you all understand. Thanks for the patience!

This is it! It’s now or never!

Today marks the beginning of MY THOUGHTS, MY HEART, MY TURF’s 1st anniversary contest. I never thought I could last this long with my blogging. What started out as a platform for expressing all my pent-up feelings has turned into a much-loved career. This contest is to thank all the new friends I’ve met and made through this blog. ☺

Like I said yesterday, I’m not going to set or place strict rules for this contest. Joining the contest is easy-peasy. The mechanics are given below. Please take note, though, that following these mechanics IS A MUST. 

Contest Mechanics:

1. Blog about the contest and enter the link to the post on the MckLinky Below. (45 points)

2. Please include the contest banner on your post. It doesn’t matter whether you place it before, within or after your post as long as it’s there. (additional 15 points)

3. Wear the contest badge anywhere in your blog, left or right side bar, as long as it’s on a readily visible spot. (20 points)




<a border="0" href="http://theroaditravelon.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-thoughts-my-heart-my-turfs-first.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd166/bamiecutie/contestbadge.jpg"/></a>

4. Subscribe to my feeds. Please confirm your subscription; otherwise you won’t be credited with any points. (10 points)

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

5. Be a follower of this blog. [The FOLLOWERS widget is near the bottom of this page] (10 points) *To those of you who are already following my blog, you get credited with points, too.*

6. Kindly copy the code below and include it in your post about the contest. (100 points)


<a href="http://serenityoverload.blogspot.com/">A Woman Remembers</a> - 1,000 EC credits, 1 month AD space and $5.00</br><a href="http://www.labambita.com/">Azumi...Lil Dolly Princess</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://bestvacationplaces.info/">Best Vacation Places</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://www.brisbaneaustralia.com.au/brisbane-hotels">Brisbane Hotels</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://divafabulosa.com/">Diva Fabulosa</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://anneblythe.blogspot.com/">From this Side</a> - 3,000 EC credits</br><a href="http://www.nikoganda.com/">Girls Rule!</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://www.kikamzpera.com/">Just About Anything</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://silvergurl22.blogspot.com/">Live for Life</a> - 4,000 EC credits and 2 months AD space</br><a href="http://livinglifetodfullest.blogspot.com/">Living Life to the Fullest</a> - $5.00 + 1,000 EC credits</br><a href="http://www.mommawannabe.com/">Momma Wannabe</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://www.titik-atibapa.com/">My So-Called World</a> - $5.00 + 1 month AD space</br><a href="http://www.nikoganda.blogspot.com/">Niko's Blog</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://vladimyrbotones.com/">Stalking Minds</a> - $5.00</br><a href="http://www.hungergamestrilogy.net/">The Hunger Games Trilogy</a> - 3,000 EC credits</br><a href="http://www.mommyjourney.com/">The Mommy Journey</a> - 5,000 EC credits</br><a href="http://thesnoringqueen.blogspot.com/">The Snoring Queen</a> - 5,000 EC credits</br><a href="http://travelwithmarie.blogspot.com/">Travelin' with Marie</a> - 8"x8", 20-page Photobook ($20.00 value) and two 1 month AD spaces</br><a href="http://wahmaholic.com/">Wahmaholic</a> - Wordpress or Blogger template based on the winner's choice of theme and color

**For items 4 through 5, you can provide the e-mail address you used to subscribe and username used to follow my blog here.**

See? I told you there won’t be regimented rules for the contest. But of course, since this contest will be based on POINTS SYSTEM, there are additional things you can do to gain more points. Remember, your accumulated points will determine for which drawing you would qualify for.

The contest will run from March 15th – April 15th so there’s enough time for you to pile those points up. How do you gain more points? I’ll keep you posted so stay tuned. ☺

The day has come!

Okay, so I’m getting ahead of myself here. Actually, there’s roughly 15 days more to go before the actual anniversary of my blog. Be that as it may, I’m getting the party started TOMORROW because the idea behind this merrymaking is to celebrate not only my blog’s birthday but mine as well (post celebration) and I want all of you to join me in celebrating.

Cash, EC credits, AD spaces, a month’s worth of advertising on ADGITIZE, and other surprises (blog layout, trinkets, accessories, etc.) will be up for grabs. If there are any of you who want to sponsor any freebies or services or what-have-yous, big or small, please feel free to contact yours truly. I want to be able to give away as many prizes as possible because I want all the participants to get a little something from the contest.

So, what will the concept of the contest be? The usual, I suppose. But don’t worry, the rules for joining are simple. The contest will be based on POINTS SYSTEM so that means there are several things each participant must do not only for me but for the sponsors as well to gain more points. Why will it be based on points? Well, I’m planning to hold several drawings for the grand winner and the runners up. The points gained by each participant will help me determine whether he or she qualifies for the drawing of the Grand Prize Winner, the drawing of the 1st Prize Winner, and so on.

I’m still finalizing the mechanics (thank God it’s my day-off today) so I will be posting the mechanics tomorrow. At the same time, I’ll be posting the official list of sponsors and prizes too. Sponsors may join the contest. The more the merrier, after all. Please help me spread the word. I need your support with this endeavor.

Happy Sunday guys!

I'm having mixed emotions as I'm writing this post. The reason is...well, I sort of have a very serious personal problem and even if I sort of feel sad (I should be friggin' sad, mad and depressed actually!), I'm excited at the same time. Giddy with excitement and happy because my blog contest is starting soon and when I say soon, I mean this Monday!

Yeah, I know. You guys think I'm going nuts. But to tell you the truth, my excitement for the contest far outweighs my sadness or whatever it is I'm feeling right now. Ugh! I can't quite put my finger on this other emotion I know I should be feeling. Whew! When my mom said I was a strong woman, I had no idea I could be this strong.

My heart, I reckon, should be crushed right now. But NO! As a matter of fact, I'm already finalizing the details for the contest so I can post it early Monday morning and I've never been this powered up.  

I was giving my 3-year old nephew a bath this morning when he told me he’s going to ask his mom and dad for a pet. I asked him what pet he had in mind and he said, “I want crab”, to which I replied, “But crabs will clip your fingers!” Of course, I didn’t win the end of the conversation. He was determined to ask his parents for a pet crab so I had no choice but to show him the different types of crab he can choose from. Guess what he chose? A hermit crab!

Of course, I can’t crush my nephew’s dreams so I had to go along with his choice of pet. I know that we need to learn a lot about hermit crabs first before we get his parents to say yes. After all, since I’m the one who mostly takes care of my nephew, I would be sharing responsibility for the pet, er, hermit crab. I think one of the most important things to consider when setting up a terrarium is the humidity. The proper level for Hermit Crab Humidity, I reckon, is about 70 or higher. Well, we enjoy tropical weather where I live so I guess Mr. Hermit Crab will surely love the tropical feel in his would be home. Of course, there are still plenty of thing I would need to learn when it comes to maintaining temperature levels if I want to work on proper Hermit Crab Humidity. So I guess that’s my assignment for the weekend. Oh, the joys of being an aunt!

My sister, who lives in Vista, California, is so busy with her job that she asked me to help her out with something. She wanted me to go look for DIRECT TV Packages in their city because she was no longer satisfied with cable TV. According to her, cable TV limits her viewing pleasure.

Fortunately, I found out about DirectSat TV. They offer DIRECTV Packages at affordable prices and the good thing is, they lay out several options a subscriber can choose from as far as programs are concerned. Since my sister wanted all the local channels and excellent movie channels, I told her to sign up for the DIRECT TV Premier Package since it’s the one that offers the most channels, more than 285, and the subscription rate is just $61.99 for 3 months.

I sent her my findings last night and she just told me that she already requested for a quote from DirectSat TV. I reckon that as soon as she receives the quote, she’ll readily fill up the subscription form. Oh well, that’s another younger sister task ticked off from my to-do list.

I am so glad that I blog hopped today. Otherwise, I wouldn't have learned about a blog makeover giveaway that's on-going at one of LadyJava's blog. This is the contest/giveaway I've been waiting for! I've been meaning to give my blog a makeover in keeping with the blog contest I'm hosting soon and of course, it was intended to be a birthday gift for myself.


Unfortunately, I never got to  working on that because I've been busy with a lot of things. It's a good thing LadyJava is holding a blog makeover giveaway to celebrate her own birthday and wedding anniversary.☺ If you want further details, head on over here. The contest will run until 25 March 2010 and the winner will be announced on the 31st.

This is the first blog makeover I'm joining and I'm keeping my hopes up!☺

I had extra time on my hands today so I decided to go over the pledges for my upcoming contest.☺ To date, wonderful bloggers have contributed a total of 49,000 EC credits, 25 months of AD spaces, $60.00 in cash, and others: Spikes from CMF ADs worth $2.00, a 20-page photobook worth $20.00, and Wordpress or Blogger template. Of course, there will be other prizes. Probably some goodies. *wink* That's what I'm taking care of as I write this post.

I'm planning to start the contest on the 15th. I originally planned it for March 1st, but I had a lot going so I couldn't handle the pressure. LOL! I'm thinking of running it from the 15th to the 30th and identify the winners by the 31st. BUT, I may also extend it until April. The 15th probably. That depends on the number of participants. Or how well the contest will be appreciated by the blogosphere. Tee-hee-hee! Me and my wishful thinking. I'm open to suggestions. What do you guys think?

I don't even have a decent banner and badge for the contest yet! A-ya-yay! OH...I need to breathe.

My Journey to Life is hosting another giveaway, on top of the contest that's on-going. This time, she's going to give away an e-organizer.

That's just perfect for me considering that I juggle a lot on my hands each and every single day. I'm still single yet my hands are always full and I think I just need to organize my life better this year if I want to accomplish a lot. I just turned a year older and if I want to turn a year wiser too, I better start keeping my daily schedule and what-have-yous on the right track.

A backgrounder about the e-organizer:

As seen on TV, the new Organize Your Life e-Organizer is a fantastic tool for keeping all your Household information together in one place.  Download to your computer and type your information into the templates or print out into your own folder.  Never lose an important piece of paperwork again.

There are over 300 ready-made lists, Journals, Planners, Records & Calendars covering Your Home, Self, Money & Family.  You can buy all together or get them separately.  A great way to get your life organized and create more time for yourself. 

If you're just like me who's always busy and who can't seem to fit all you activities in one whole day, then you might want to join this giveaway so you, too, can start organizing your life.☺ Giveaway mechanics can be found here.