If there was one other thing which surprised me when I held my blogversary contest (apart from the fantastic turnout), it was a sponsorship pledge from Clarissa or Clang (as people in the blogosphere fondly call her) of Kizuna. It came as a surprise because throughout the entire time that I’ve been actively blogging, we never really got the chance to engage in serious conversations although we’ve gone past the usual exchange of pleasantries. That goes without saying, though, that I am a regular visitor of her blog. I may not make my presence felt when I visit, but I do. 

Clang is a Filipina living in Japan with her husband and kids. I love the story behind her blog title which she proudly shares in the Get to Know Kizuna page. She shares that Kizuna is her favorite Japanese word because of its meaning: TIES and BONDING.

The title choice for her blog is apt because it is where she shares snippets of her bonding time with her family whom she considers her passion. It does seem that her world revolves around her family because she makes sure that she’s involved with her kids’ everyday lives. So much so that she has volunteered to be a crossing guard for kids (hers included) who walk from their homes to their school. What better way to contribute to the community, right?☺

Like me, she also joins the weekly Girls Talk meme. Reading her entries, you can see that Clang is someone who knows how to take care of herself. I drooled over the stuff in her vanity kit because I personally have a meager supply in mine. I guess she loves shopping for cosmetics because that’s what she gave to my contest winner.

She joins other memes like Couple’s Corner, Food Trip Friday, Nostalgia and Mommy Moments. These memes are just clear indications of how much she values her family.

Get to know Clang more by visiting here blog.

(So sorry for the late review Clang. I'm barely able to manage my time because of work.♥)

*This review of Kizuna is part of the many SPONSOR REVIEWS I will be doing for the next couple of days, weeks and months. The reviews will be done in random order.*

Someone told me that she just had to add my blog to her list of blogs she recommends because my blog was, in her words, "Wayyyyyyy too pretty." I agree. Call me a narcissist but I love my blog especially after it was given a major makeover by THE BLOG DESIGNER PAR EXCELLECE Kaye.

Don't get me wrong. Of course I love my blog. But I fell even more in love with it after Kaye shared her stroke of genius to it. Kaye surely has what people call Midas Touch. She was also the one I turned to when I needed a banner and badge for the blog contest I held last March.☺

So who is Kaye? Aside from being loving wife to her hubby she fondly calls Paulie and mom to her lovely "piglet" Svet, Kaye is a savvy blog designer, for lack of a better word. Have you seen her designs? If you haven't, you're missing one half of your life. Her online portfolio boasts of the many blogs that were fortunate enough to get a makeover courtesy of Kaye. Just look at the waiting list to see how many bloggers want a Kaye makeover. If that list doesn't convince you of just how good Kaye is, I don't know what else will.

Apart from being a blog designer extraordinaire, she also have a generous spirit and that is evidenced by the blog makeover giveaway she hosted for two consecutive months. She plans to do it a monthly thing so keep your eyes peeled for her July giveaway.☺

Is that all about Kaye? Not likely. She also shares the same fascination about vampires, particularly one named Edward Cullen, as with other women won over by Edward's charms (me included). She's also the spanking new host of the super famous Thursday meme Girls Talk, of which I am a proud "member" and her baptism of fire was supported and witnessed by many girl talkers. Proof that Kaye can take on anything thrown her way.

Not to mention that Kaye is also an excellent writer. If you want to know just how, visit her blogs and indulge your eyes in fine reading. Writer, wife, mother, blog designer...those are just some of the things this talent-laden lady has in her JD. Who knows what she's going to add there next? I can only imagine.☺

(Kaye dearest, I'm sorry for this very late blog review. This should've been done months ago but it's only now that I was able to squeeze it in to my schedule.)

*This review of Wahmaholic is the first of the many SPONSOR REVIEWS I will be doing for the next couple of days, weeks and months. The reviews will be done in random order.*

Almost every night is a DVD night here at home. All of us, including almost 3-year old Keoni, love to watch movies. A few nights ago, we watched this Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson movie, The Tooth Fairy. I've been a fan of The Rock even when he was working as a pro wrestler. Yes, I love watching WWE, no matter how scripted the whole thing is.

Anyway, the Tooth Fairy is a very light and funny movie. Or maybe it's just very easy to please me that's why I enjoyed the film.

The Tooth Fairy is about a minor league hockey player, Derek Thompson, who earned the moniker "Tooth Fairy" for his penchant of separating his opponents' bicuspids or premolar teeth. He has a girlfriend, played by Ashley Judd, who has two kids and one night, Derek baby sat for his girlfriend's young girl. That same night, the young girl lost her tooth so she was expecting money from the Tooth Fairy. Derek, however, discourages the young girl and almost told her the truth, that Tooth Fairies don't exist. Because of this near-slip, Derek received a summons late one night from Tooth Fairyland. He was transported to Tooth Fairyland complete with the requisite wings, tutu and magic wand.

Derek then receives the news from the head of Tooth Fairyland, played by Julie Andrews, that he has been sentenced to almost two weeks' hard labor as a real Tooth Fairy as his punishment for being such a dream crusher. Derek's struggles as he tries to train as a tooth fairy follows suit and in the course of his slow adaptation to his new role, he starts to rediscover his own forgotten dreams.

It's a feel good movie, although not in the "chick flick" sense. It's a great film to watch with your kids. Or like me, if you're a kid at heart, you'll enjoy this film.☺

The mimic bands the keyword opposite the given earth.

 

Meet Darren Shan. He's 16 going on immortal. 

That's the catchphrase of the movie Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. This movie is based on the 12-book series by Darren Shan (yes, the author named the movie's protagonist after himself). It tells the tale of an ordinary teenager who decided to throw caution to the wind and watch a freak show with his bestfriend. Unbeknown to him, the final act of the sideshow, Mr. Crepsley (brilliantly played by John C. Reilly), was actually a vampire. Mr. Crepsley's show involved a huge spider named Octa and since Darren was obsessed with spiders, he was mesmerized by the red & blue spider so he decides to steal it.

Things take a turn for the worse when his bestfriend Steve got bit by the spider and only Mr. Crepsley had the antidote. Darren goes to Mr. Crepsley but the latter made a deal with him: he would give Steve the antidote but Darren has to agree to be a "half vampire" and become Mr. Crepsley's assistant. Darren agrees to this but the thing is, it was his bestfriend Steve who dreamed and actually wanted to be turned into a vampire. 

Anyhow, Darren becomes Mr. Crepsley's assistant and starts to live with the freaks. Steve, on the other hand, became envious and decided to join a vampire faction known as the Vampaneze. Simply put, Mr. Crepsley and Darren belonged to that vampire faction which didn't have an evil purpose in life. Meaning to say, they sip human's blood without the intention of killing. On the other hand, the Vampaneze were the type of vampires who killed to eat. The entry of Darren and Steve to the two factions signaled the end of the truce between the two factions and the start of an immense war. 

I'm thinking this movie will be sort of like the Harry Potter series since they didn't compress the entire 12-book series into one film. I'm already eagerly anticipating the next installment. I can't believe how these vampire movies that have sprouted like mushrooms left and right can give insightful details about vampires. There always seems to be something new that could be learned about these fanged beings.☺

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

Although I only started working as a full-time Freelance Writer in 2007, I’ve been writing stories and articles for more than 2 decades already. So you can just imagine the reams of articles I’ve accumulated over the years. That was one reason why I was looking for a website where I can submit my articles for free. Good thing I came across Articles Zoom. It’s a free general article directory which allows its members to submit their articles, originally written of course, to the whole world.

Articles Zoom has a diverse assortment of categories from Arts and Entertainment to Computers, Technology and Gadgets or Fashion to Environment Issues. So whatever niche you’re writing for, you can definitely submit your articles to the site. What’s more, a writer has nothing to lose by joining the site because article submissions are free. In fact, by submitting articles to Articles Zoom, a writer can even increase backlinks and drive traffic to his own site. Their submission guidelines are very simple. All they need are originally written articles which are 200 words or more, free from grammatical errors and are placed under the correct category. Another thing I like about it is that I can use my smartphone to access their website so I can write articles on the go. Also, all articles submitted and approved by Articles Zoom get promoted via twitter. There’s definitely nothing to lose and lots to gain by joining them.

I have already signed up for the site and can’t wait to start submitting my articles to them. I’ve already browsed the site and have taken note of the categories I can write under. I know that Articles Zoom would allow me to be as creative as I can be with my writing and since they have a lot of categories, I can definitely write an article that a lot of readers can relate to, whatever a reader’s interest may be. So if you’re looking for an article directory site, try browsing Articles Zoom.

Ah! It's that time of the year again. I can smell the sweet scent of romance wafting through the air.☺

In just 4 days it's going to be V day already. So have you got plans for that special day already? More importanlty, do you a date for that special day or are you still looking for one?

Well, if you're from Taiwan, then you'd be glad to know that there is a taiwan online dating site where you can find potential dates for V day. You can now experience taiwan dating at its finest. If you're interested, then maybe you'd want to visit Taiwan Personals. Happy searching!☺

Didn't we all, at one point or another in our lives, dreamed to become a famous "something"? I know I wanted to be a famous writer when I was growing up. Well, I did become a writer. But I must admit I'm still eons aways from being famous. Be that as it may, my writing skills have been adequate enough to land me a decent paying homebased job.

I'm sure lots of you, especially those from younger generations, are still trying to find your niches in this world. That's not very much hard to do especially now that there are websites which help you become what you want to be. One such site offers a vast directory of articles dedicated to various careers. So if you want to learn something about a particular career, you can always visit this site. Or if you have an interesting career, you may even Submit Your Own Careers Articles and help others find their place in this world.☺

Last Monday evening all four of us (myself, my brother, my SIL and their 3-year old son) watched Daybreakers on DVD. It was a suspense-thriller starring Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill. It was a vampire movie so I was hooked from the get-go.

The premise was something foreign, to me at least. It was set in the year 2019 and during that time about 90% of the earth's population have already been turned into vampires and since the last remaining humans were diminishing fast, the vampires are about to face their biggest fear: BLOOD SHORTAGE. So they tried "farming" the humans that they already have in their possession while a vampire-cum-hematologist, portrayed by Ethan Hawke, was trying to come up with an able substitute for blood to meet the vampires' needs. Otherwise, if the vampires suffer from blood deprivation, they will evolve into wild, vicious creatures that would attack anyone and anything, fellow vampires included, in order to survive.

Incidentally, Ethan Hawke's character is sympathetic to humans since he was turned into a vampire against his will that's why he's trying to conjure a plan to find a blood substitute to alleviate the chances of humans falling prey to vampires. However, in Ethan's quest to find the perfect blood substitute, he stumbles upon something which was better than any blood substitute he can create - a chance to become HUMAN again.

The unusual plot got me focused on the story. Plus, I love Ethan Hawke so...and it was funny because even my 3-year old nephew was watching and he obviously could folow the story because he was asking questions. We can't force him to sleep because he loves watching scary movies.☺

I'm not sure if it's already been shown here in the Philippines. I'm not even sure if others who saw the film liked it, too. But I did that's why I thought of sharing it with the readers of this blog.☺

In our house, I’m the designated dish washer. It has been that way for almost 20 years already. Believe it or not, I enjoy dishwashing even if I do it the old fashioned way - manually. It is one chore I can do with a smile on my face. However, I have to admit that dishwashing can be a very taxing thing to do especially after you’ve had guests over for lunch or dinner. I should know because we recently had guests and after they’ve all gone home, I found myself with piles and piles of dirty dishware ready to be dealt with. Then there are days when manual dishwashing leaves me with practically no time to deal with other things.

That’s when I realized it’s high time we installed a dishwasher at home. Good thing I learned about Semi Integrated Dishwasher. It’s where people can get the best deals, discounts and prices on semi integrated dishwashers. That’s great news for me. Now I just need to browse through the site to find the dishwasher that would fit perfectly in my kitchen.

So if you are having problems dealing with tons of dirty dishes too, head on over to Semi Integrated Dishwasher to find the best deals on dishwashers.

I recently watched a film on DVD entitled "The Box". I guess many of you have seen it already. It was release in the USA last November and it stars Cameron Diaz (Norma Lewis), James Marsden (Arthur Lewis) and Frank Langella (Arlington Steward).

The movie is about a suburban couple with a child who wakes up one morning to discover a small package at their doorstep. They open the package to find a small, wooden box with a button on top and there was a note saying someone would call on them that same evening to discuss what the box was about.

When Arlington Steward pays a visit that same evening, he tells Norma that she and her husband can become $1 million richer by simply pressing the button on the box. However, doing so would lead to irrevocable consequences since somewhere in the world, someone they don't know would die. The couple decide to press the button, they get the million bucks and someone dies. But what follows is the couple's constant struggle with their moral dilemma. 

Although the film was part science-fiction, suspense and mystery, I liked it because of the lesson it imparted. The movie itself tests the true nature of a person's humanity. It also tries to impart a strong lesson about greed and materialism. The way I understood the film to be, it was like trying to show all of us the possible consequences, not necessarily of reaching for our dreams, but lacking contentment in life.

Incidentally, the movie was based on Richard Matheson's short story, "Buttons, Buttons" which also was the basis for a Twilight Zone episode in 1985.

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

A few months back, I bought myself a BlackBerry Curve 8900 and although it’s such an amazing smartphone, I realized it needed a make-over. I bought for it a silicone case but it still looked drab and it lacked personality.

Good thing I found out that I can now order personalized Apple & BlackBerry cases for just $5.00 and dig this, the item will be shipped FREE OF CHARGE! Isn’t that great?

What I like about the personalized case was that the backside of the silicone cases for BlackBerry phones can even be engraved with both a logo two lines of text which can be up to 20 characters each. So I’m definitely planning on having one engraved with my name. It doesn’t even cost extra to have those engraved. Best of all, the cases come in fabulous colors, including purple so now I really am sure what I’m going to order. Also, they offer a fast turnaround time of 1-3 business days with no setup costs and no minimum order quantity so I’m not going to wait long. The case is also perfect to give away as gifts.

There are plenty more personalized items being offered by Pexagon like thumb drives, portable hard drives, pens and more. So go check out their site now and order your own personalized iPhone or BlackBerry case now.

I was rummaging through one of my drawers the other day and I saw a stack of articles I’ve written long ago that have been laying there, gathering dust. I felt sad because I know those were good articles (I have to say so because they were actually articles I wrote for class and I got good grades for them) and the thought of them going to waste pinched at my heart. I’m getting to be overly dramatic, I apologize.

Anyway, I recently came across a website where I can actually submit these articles to! It’s an auto approve article directory site where you can submit your articles for free. They’ll instantaneously include your articles in their vast archive thus exposing your articles to the whole world in minutes. That’s great news, right?

If you have articles waiting to be published, I highly recommend Article All.

There’s nothing better than to watch your favorite shows while lounging in the comfort of your home or bedroom. One great way to make this even more exciting is with a 22 inch LCD TV. Good thing I came across 22 LCD, a website which provides consumers like me the best prices and deals on top-of-the-line 22-inch LCD TVs. With the help of 22 LCD, I can now compare prices and view consumer reviews on all the top models and brands of 22-inch LCD TVs.

The holidays are here and with that come a deluge of parties and vacations. What better way to immortalize them than with snapshots of you with your loved ones, right? However, that’s normally where the big problem comes in. That’s because there always has to be someone, anyone that’s left out of the picture because, you guessed it right, he has to be the camera man. Just imagine a perfect set-up for a photo opportunity but then one has to miss out all the fun because he’s the one behind the camera!

That’s where XShot comes in. Xshot is a telescopic camera extender which you need just attach to your digital camera and hold at a distance so you can take a picture of your family, a great view or even capture films with YOU in them! It’s also very great for taking pictures of you when no one is around to help you. It’s very handy and weighs just 5 oz. and extends up to 3 feet. XShot is made with a durable metal shaft and other high quality components so you can consider it a very great buy. It’s kind of like a tripod, only it’s not too bulky and you don’t have to set it up and risk having someone run away with it!

XShot is great for people who love to travel and also perfect to give as gifts to your friends and relatives. You never have to miss another photo opportunity again. As their product slogan goes, "Extend. Aim. Smile."

As a Journalism major, I know how important press releases are since they attract favorable media attention and provide publicity for certain products and events and they provide reporters with the basic information they need to build up a story.

Now, accessing ground-breaking news stories is a cinch with the help of Free Press Release. It is a website that has been running since 2003 and considered as the topmost distributor of free press releases.

So if you’re a freelancer hoping to score on the freshest news to use in your articles or you have a business that you want to promote widely, visit Free Press Release and reap the benefits of being a member.

Back when I was still in highschool, I considered math as my waterloo. It wasn't that I flunked the subject. I just wasn't as good at it as I was with my other subjects. Whereas in my other subjects my average grade ranged between 98-95, I averaged around 90-92 in my math subjects. Math and I have no love lost between each other. LOL! That's one reason why I majored in Journalism. Nyahaha!

Imagine my surprise then, when I learned about a website which offers an Algebra solving software. The title of the website Algebra Cheat says it all. It gives you tips and tricks on how to solve algebraic equations in 5 minutes flat. Whew! Algebra assigments back in hisghschool almost always made my nose bleed! The software they're promoting also gives step-by-step solutions to each problem a student enters - yes, a student needs just enter a problem and the software actually solves it and then it provides an explanation as to how the answer/solution was reached. Cool, huh?

If you know anyone who, like me, wants to maintain a striking distance from math (but then has no choice but to still study it), try to suggest this site. I'm not suggesting an easy way out, but then if they get to understand how to solve an equation throught the explanations given, maybe they'll realize it wasn't so hard after all.:) Oh, how I wish this was already available back when I was still in highschool.

Nowadays, people prefer staying and earning from the comfort of their own homes. It is justifiable if you think about it. You spend less in terms of car fuel, you save from spending money to buy lunch and you’re spared from other stuff which may trap you into shelling out some hard-earned cash. You work at your own time, you have no boss to answer to, you can work leisurely and the best part of all, you get to save more.

Add to that, you can work and have fun at the same time. Well, at least, that’s what I do. I work from home as a freelance writer and I also get to do some other fun stuff while working like blog, blog hop, join forums for earning extra cash, and look for other ways to earn a few extra cents and play. Yes, I love playing online games.

Primarily, I was relegated to playing games online through my Facebook account. There are also several websites where you can download games into your computer. But one type of online game I found, which may win me somewhere around $100-$150 a day is online roulette. I am no gambler, mind you. But it’s very easy to see why more and more people start playing online roulette. It’s because it’s fairer than if you play the real thing and I personally think it’s easier.

Like I said, I’m no expert in casino gaming. However, I have found a very good source for information about online roulette systems. I’m still trying to digest everything in that website about roulette systems and once I’ve fully taken them in, look out world, here I come a-conquering the world of online roulette gaming!

I think one of the things on a writer’s "anytime" wish list is a netbook. I, for one, have listed it at the top of my list. I’m sure that most work-at-home mothers who try to augment the family income with some web content writing wish for one, too. Of course, a desktop PC is still tops. The one I use at home is still in good condition because we regularly update the hard drive and we just bought a new flatscreen monitor.

But you can't contest the portability of a netbook. It’s very small, compact, and lightweight so you can easily bring it along with you especially if you want some inspiration but can’t seem to find it in the comfort of your own home. Ideal for people on the go, a netbook can easily be stashed away in your bag or purse.

One particular netbook I have my eye on is the HP Mini 1140NR 10.1" Vivienne Tam Netbook. It is the first digital clutch designed by no less than the famous Vivienne Tam (it’s in floral red!), but the specifications of this mini notebook computer competes well with others: 1.0 GHz processor speed, Pentium III, 1.0GB memory, 60GB hard drive size, 10.1” display size, and all these in a very compact 2.4lbs mini notebook computer! It also comes in built with the Windows XP Home operating system.

With all those specifications, how can you go wrong, right? Also, look at that photo with the woman. It's compact enough to pass for an elegant clutch bag. Geez. I like it! I need it! I want it! That’s why this is at the top of my wish list for this year.☺

In my other blog, I featured my favorite accessories. Most of what I featured are jewelries because I really love jewelries. It doesn't matter if the piece is simple, as long as it's elegant. Pretty much like this freshwater pearl jewelry set I saw online. A dainty, gorgeous heart-shaped design with the button pearls set on 18k white gold with cubic zirconium down one side. 

Or this pair of elegant drop earrings in butterfly design with cubic zirconium embedded on the wings.

                                           

Now I wonder, should I get the set or just the pearl earrings? Or maybe I should just get both or better yet, ask my parents to get them for me. Better idea, huh? Anyway, the e-commerce site offers great discount pearls, either loose or made into sets already. What do you think?☺

Do you have articles that are unpublished? Maybe you haven’t had the time to submit them or can’t find the best place to submit them. I know I do. Well finally, there’s a solution to that problem and that is Free Article Submission Service. What are the benefits of joining Free Article Submission Service? You get to publish your articles online instantly, you get quality backlinks and targeted traffic! Visit their site now for more information.