Savings Through Coupons!

I love to shop. I'm not a shopaholic (though I wish I could), but there's something about shopping that's really exciting. I guess I'm not alone in this area since intuition tells me every other girl would just love to shop till they drop (if only money is not a problem) not just to window shop and drool over the things that takes their fancy.

Since money can be an issue, I really appreciate the fact that one can still shop and save at the same time not just on discounts available in stores but especially when you have coupons with you. I've been hearing about coupons but I was not actually using or even clipping any available coupons I came across with. Then one day as I was in a supermarket and waiting for my turn to pay, some people in my line were kind of irate since the particular lady paying her groceries brought out a handful of coupons!!! Irate since it took longer than expected for that transaction to end, but I was surprised how much she saved for that one! Imagine, her groceries (including several clothing) were worth around $82 but she only paid almost 60% of it! And that's 40% off already, just because of those coupons!

Because of that, I became vigilant with coupons. One good thing too is that you can have it online, print it and present it. Or, use it online when buying clothes. I have a couple of Aeropostale coupons I found in a very reliable coupon site and can't wait to use it for that cute polo shirt!

Sinus and Health

Finally went to a doctor and have my sinus problem checked. I was given antibiotics for my throat (which I hope will finally heal after several weeks of being sore) and Mucinex-D (with a coupon). He told me there's no need for me to go back to him since what he gave will solve the problem. And as usual, paying the check up was the most worrisome part, $190 to be exact. Whew! Wish I was a doctor!!!

With the health services here in US, all I can say is that if after being diagnosed with something, you really have to strive to prevent it from happening again on your own. Like in my case, it would helped (and I would be more grateful with the doctor) if he would have suggested and recommended preventive measures like gargle with salt and warm water, apple cider vinegar or something like that. It would help too, to drink a lot water to flush and cleanse the body.

Then again, I think that its true that the number one culprit to all our physical problems are stress and dehydration. Stress can be managed if you want to and if you can recognize your stressors but drinking 8 glasses of water a day is such a hard feat for many of us (including me). And if dehydrated, fatigue and bacteria can flourish inside us making us sick and God knows what else. Drinking/taking probiotics helps too since it helps our intestinal flora by providing good bacteria (my choice is Yakult).

Right now, I'm doing these things and I feel it helped, A LOT.

Back To One!

Sigh, being away from the pc for just a couple of days gravely affect one's pagerank. I was stupid enough to get engrossed with a game whom hubby and I shared. Now, when I was about to do my homework and try to be as much as I want to get involved with my blog, I was shocked to see I again went down to one!

Okay, okay, I get it. Now I have to endure this rank for a couple of months till they update it again.

Sinus Problems

I have this really tender eyebrow right now that I think is brought about by a sinus problem. How I was able to determine that it is a sinus problem? A sinus problem (especially a chronic one) has the following symptoms (excerpt from Mayo Clinic):

Chronic sinusitis symptoms include:

• Drainage of a thick, yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat
  
• Nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose
• Pain, tenderness and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead
• Aching in your upper jaw and teeth
• Reduced sense of smell and taste
• Cough, which may be worse at night

Other signs and symptoms can include:

• Ear pain
• Sore throat
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Fatigue or irritability
• Nausea

All the highlighted ones are what I have at this time. I haven't seen a doctor yet and I'm longing to see one. I do hope I can find a doctor who accepts payments on installment basis since I really am going hypochondriac again.

I don't have fever and this problem occurred just this month. I'm not sure if this is an allergy since I read that it is common especially in spring and summer and to carpets. What can I do about that? The house we are renting got a wall to wall carpeting.

I hope that this would be ok. Can't afford going to the doctor too often so I'm looking for alternatives. I still have to buy apple cider vinegar because they said it helps a lot. Yesterday, I even made a candy out of ginger because of it's anti-inflammatory properties.

My nose is not congested but because of the weather here, it's too dry. Now, I have a humidifier to help maintain the moist, and I am now avoiding the habit of nose picking (pardon me for saying that) since my mucus get crusted, too dry. I still have to steam and try to avoid stress since I think my immune system is down and I really feel fatigue here and there. But I know, and hope, it gets better.

Good Library System

I love books and I love libraries. Back home, libraries are very strict in loaning their books and most of the time, it's limited to just several books per day. Then, they have this 'exclusive' thing about videos - and I can't exactly remember if they loan music cds, or even movies.

A few weeks after I arrived here, I went to the nearest library and became a member. I thought it's all about books here and stricter (is there such a word?) but I was wrong. The library system is amazing!!!

One, aside from books, they have music cds (I borrowed Britney Spears Blackout, imagine that?), they have movies (one time I borrowed Clueless - and they even have Confessions of a Shopaholic - well, still on process, but they have it!), audiobooks (if you're the type who doesn't like to read but loves a good book, then this is for you), ebooks (or electronic books you can just download), magazines like Good Housekeeping, and what else? If whatever you are borrowing is not available in your nearest library and available in another library, you can still loan it! How? Online.

Yeah, that's one thing I love about it, instead of spending hours hovering from shelves to shelves looking for a good book, you can just go online and order it. You just have to wait a few days and when it's available for you, you can just pick it up. No sweat!

Another good thing about it is that you can borrow up to more than 50 books and 10 movies at the same time! Sigh, I wish Philippines can do that too, because I do not know any public library in our country that does exactly that. Here, it is a public library. I just love it! And by the way, I'm talking about the Harris County Public Library.

Obama and Health Care

It's all over the news! There's gonna be a revamp on Uncle Sam's health care. Some say it's absurd and some say it's okay.

As an observer, I really think that it's one of the most expensive expenses made here. Every month, you expend a part of your income to pay the bill on health insurance because if you do not have health insurance, I tell you, it can be very expensive.

I, for one, am is still looking over the options for health insurance, not for myself but for the kids. If you allow living here without that, a mere check up can cost A LOT. That I think is one of the reasons why Obama is trying to do something reasonable (or otherwise) to health care, since the number of people without the health insurance here is definitely rising.

As for the big changes, it still being lobbied, God knows when it's done, I hope it's for the people's benefit, not the other way around.

Quick Payday Loans Online

I've been trying to consider the idea of studying again in a community college nearby but I don't want hubby to shell out money for it (well, not instantly). You see, studying here for college or just even to enhance your skills is way too expensive and the only means to get that is to get a loan, in any firms accepting short-term loans.

Then I've heard about Online Payday Loan and I was thinking of giving it a try since most of it, aside from being prompt, they accept part-timers! Isn't that nice? Application can be online or by phone, they don't do background check, they don't call employers, and they accept loans as long as there is a proof of steady income. And guys, they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Cloudscape

Some beautiful looking clouds I saw in Wikipedia. Since I entered SkyWatch (although I was only able to submit one post), I've been on the lookout for unusual looking clouds and I really appreciate how imaginative cloud photography can be. I have had the privilege of capturing some clouds and I've put some of it in my photoblog!

Hummer Time

Hummer that's once was hot, with GM bankrupt, where will Hummer go?

Some Wallpapers From Deviant Art

Nice contrast




Mystical Evening Glow


Wanting to capture something like this too!

When You Marry A Foreigner

A Polish man moved to the USA and married an American girl. Although his English was far from perfect, they got along very well. One day he rushed into a lawyer's office and asked him if he could arrange a divorce for him. The lawyer said that getting a divorce would depend on the circumstances, and asked him the following questions:

Have you any grounds?
> Yes, one acre plus half and nice little home.

No, I mean what is the foundation of this case?
> It made of concrete.

I don't think you understand.Does either of you have a real grudge?
> No, we have carport, not need grudge.

I mean. What are your relations like?
> All my relations still in Poland , hers in Mitcheegun.

Is there any infidelity in your marriage?
> We have hi-fidelity stereo and good DVD player .

Does your wife beat you up?
> No, I always up before her.

Is your wife a nagger?
> No, she white.

Why do you want this divorce?
> She going to kill me.

What makes you think that?
> I got proof.

What kind of proof?
> She going to poison me.She buy a bottle at drugstore and put on shelf in bathroom.I read good. It say: 'Polish Remover'.

Moral Lesson? ......

The Potato Garden

An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work.

His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his situation.

"Dear Son,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. I hate to miss doing the garden, because your mother always loved planting time. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot.If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren't in prison.

Love, Dad"
.........

Shortly, the old man received this telegram:

"For Heaven's sake, Dad,don't dig up the garden!! That's where I buried the GUNS!" At 4a.m.

..............

The next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police officers showed up and dug up the entire garden without finding any guns.

Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened, and asked him what to do next.

His son's reply was: "Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad. It's the best I could do for you from here."

********

Moral Of the Story:

No matter where you are in the world, if you have decided to do something deep from your heart, YOU CAN DO IT.

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two CUps of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."


One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Good Rates for Cash

Hubby and I are planning to borrow some money in any good bank to augment our saved money for the processing of the house we are planning to buy (and it costs a lot). But with the economic crunch we have right now, it's hard to find a bank with the lowest rates available.

So what we did on the net is find best mortgage rates and there we compared results. Now, we have a very good idea where to go. I found this very good site on staying up to date with how the bank do rates and it is clearly going to be one of my banking and finance info sites.

Natural Ways to Heal an Irritated Throat

Don't you just hate a sore throat? I do. I have this persistent sore throat (a minor irritation) that I wanted to go away for good. So I surfed the net to look for alternative because I'm out of my reliable Strepsils and going to the doctor is a no-no when they have the tendency to rob you of your hard money. So, I listed down suggestions I found on the net and some of the things I thought of as natural remedies which I think I should try:

1. Gargle with warm water and sea salt (not table salt).
2. Drink hot beverages like tea (chamomile) or soups.
3. Chew either garlic or ginger (ginger is anti-inflammatory).
4. Make salabat (salabat is ginger boiled with hot water) and drink the beverage.
5. Gargle with apple cider vinegar.
6. After brushing teeth, gargle with a mouthwash (follow specific instructions).
6. If you eat sweets, make sure to drink water (warm is better).

Another good suggestion to relieve sore throat can be found here.

A Dog Named Faith

This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which need to be amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.

His first owner also did not think that he can survive. Therefore, he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'. By this time, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him. She is determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself. Therefore she named him 'Faith'.

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfing board to let him feel the movements. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him to stand up and jump around. Even the other dog at home also helped to encourage him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jumped to move forward. After further training in the snow, he now can walk like a human being.

Faith loves to walk around now. No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him. He is now becoming famous on the international scene. He has appeared on various newspapers and TV shows. There is even one book entitled 'With a little faith' being published about him. He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.

His present owner Jude Stringfellew has given up her teaching post and plans to take him around the world to preach that even without a perfect body, one can have a perfect soul'.

=========


In life there are always undesirable things. Perhaps one will feel better if one changes the point of view from another direction. Faith is the continual demonstration of the Strength of Life!!

=========

Faith's Official Website
Faith in Wikipedia

Shows To Watch in Las Vegas

It's been sometime now since we've stayed here in Houston, and I've been wondering when will we go back to Las Vegas. There was a time that hubby went there with my grandmother and aunt and they had a good time staying in Bally (my grandmother got a free stay there - I don't know how she does that).

In our opinion, Las Vegas is what Uncle Sam is all about, beautiful and alive, one of the most beautiful places one earth with everything an individual can imagine a place could ever be. Hubby told me he wanted us to go back there and enjoy the sites and shows as a family. I can just imagine how the Las Vegas girls look like with their headdresses and their long limbs swinging in the air as they dance with the famous Las Vegas music.

I hope we can go there soon because the Las Vegas Shows that is airing there is the Phantom (from The Phantom of the Opera) which is one of my favorite of all times (I still remember the movie and I think it was aired as a series before) and I just love the mystery and the songs that came along with it. And, I still remember the charisma that this phantom guy has.

One other show that I wanted to see is the Cirque du Soleil which is said to take your breath away with their antics and stunts. And there's the Blue Man Group that which does not speak, but definitely amuses you (so to speak).

We'll be there soon. Just have to make the schedule available for all of us (it's summer you know!!!).

My Appreciation of Philippine Health Services and Disappointment with Uncle Sam

I'm having this abdominal pains for quite sometime now that I'm suspecting appendicitis (I can't think of anything else since I'm cleared through barium enema and ultrasound and everything came back normal before I came here in Uncle Sam), and now, I'm experiencing low grade abdominal pain that I'd like to get check. So, I assume to contact the nearest community health center here to get an appointment because I thought that's the cheapest possible alternative I can get.

So I called their number and they asked me if I have a call card (which I do not have) and they told me it would be cheaper to have a call card with me so I applied for it which unfortunately will only be available during Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays early in the morning because by 10am, call cards is no longer distributed. But since I really wanted to have my abdomen checked as early as possible, I told him that I think I'll have an appointment without the call card (check up fee is $76, excluding doctor's fee T&%$&) and you know the next scheduled appointment available??? JULY 20!!!! MY GOD!

My disappointment with the health services Uncle Sam has to offer was really way, way down the drain already (don't believe what you see on TV). It made me appreciate the health services Philippines has to offer to its patients (including doctors and nurses) because you can just go to the clinics and hospitals you choose and even if you have to wait whole day to talk to the doctor, AT LEAST the doctor talks to you one on one, not just attended by a technician. You can even text your doctor and follow up check ups most of the time is free. The way they check your background on symptoms and pains is more reassuring than what they do here in US.

I know Philippines may not have the best equipments nor the best hospitals, but I know with all my heart they are more humane in dealing with patients because they extend their hands to help and they are really there when you need them. I'm not giving up on Uncle Sam, but I do hope that they do better (I expected that and it was a disappointment) since what I see on TV dramas and reality shows can be quite amazing, but in real, real life - it's not.

This goes to show not to expect too much, even from a giant.

GM Bankruptcy

As GM filed for bankruptcy today, the biggest company to ever file for bankruptcy, with 2,600 dealers closed; 21,000 individuals might lose their jobs (with big cuts from their health insurance and other cutbacks), government will support GM with $20B investment and $31B from taxpayers. That being stated, it would mean increase in the unemployed - hopefully not. And of course, Obama said what he would not do is takeover GM. Full details here.

MM: Only Hope by Mandy Moore

I opened my Jango account and the system automatically played this song. I love it because it reminded me of the movie Walk to Remember (who doesn't love that movie?) and up to now, I still love watching it and yes, it still make me cry. Kudos to Nicholas Sparks for that book!

- Mandy Moore Lyrics

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Laid Back

AM: Woke up around 10am this morning and still wanting to doze off to sleep, but then again I have to prepare my kiddos and breakfast since we have an appointment with a weekly gathering alternately with fellow Filipinos here in Houston. But hubby got up and was more energized than I was, went downstairs and done what I was supposed to do. So, I was up here lounge in our bedroom skimming the net for opportunities for extra income (let me tell about these surveys, they can be overwhelming that makes me scream NO MORE!!!).

PM: Went our way to Ate Fe's house (their turn this week for this weekly dine in) and learned a thing or two about taxes and audits here and how Filipino-born children can be so airy (these Pinoy teachers were complaining about it and imagine the rolling of eyeballs). Not to mention there are times Hispanic and American students alike would ask these Filipino teachers cuss words in Filipino so that they can tell their friends the cuss words and they would get away with it not being understood (good to know what they usually teach was mabait ka (you're kind), mabuti ka (you're nice) - hahahah).

Then went home and doze off again. The heat is really on and that makes you want to sleep more when you had you're siesta. Then again, hubby after waking up, made his way downstairs and prepared our food (paksiw and this big steamed lobster that I prepared and he cooked - which was in the freezer for a couple of weeks now so we decided to cook it). The lobster was donned with Sprite, garlic, onions and bell peppers with a dash of fish sauce to taste (try it!). Tasted good even with the freezer thing.

What did I do? I cleaned up the mess made after supper, I washed the dishes. And hubby was off to work (his working at 12mn) with this harvesting thing in telecoms. It's AM now and I'm ripping and burning CDs as requested by a newly found friend. So laid back, actually.