New look for old items

A faded pair of jeans turned to dark blue or a grey shirt made purple, this used to be an easy task for me and my sisters when we were still in college. We simply buy little packets of various colors of textile dyes, boil water in a big pot and mix it with the dye powder, then put the items in and after the specified time, out comes the newly colored piece! It’s pretty easy to dye clothes, and practical as well, if you want your old items in the closet to look different.
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Dealing with the M & A process

When I was still in the corporate world, our company faced its biggest challenge ever, that of being acquired by another competitor. Since they were the bigger and more stable company, they put their key corporate personnel to handle the merger and acquisition, or M & A, process. Some of their managers would visit our office to observe our technical operations and monitor how we go about our work. They also had regular discussions with the finance and administrative divisions and especially the human resources department. Sadly, some of the job positions of my fellow work mates were terminated. It really was a tough period for us.
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Business is doing good

A couple in our community is so blessed with a business that not only gives them fulfilment but increasing income as well. Theirs is just a small-size business for repair and made-to-order shoes but I saw that it can still grow and expand if given the proper marketing plan. I don’t know if they have plans of opening another branch though, but (more…)

Communication tools

My siblings are all based abroad and even if most of us communicate via chats or email, still I can’t help but miss them a lot. I long for the good old days when everybody’s present and we share silly laughs or cooking sessions in the kitchen. Sigh. Recently my cutie sis in Europe mentioned about spending the summer here in the tropics. There are no definite plans yet but she said if it would push through, they cannot stay for more than three weeks, which for me is too short for a vacation, considering that her previous one was about three months. Oh well, few weeks is better than nothing.
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Up in the cloud

Who would have ever thought that storing your files can be as light and easy as a cloud? Well, the cloud I meant here pertains to cloud storage, a virtual place in the Internet for keeping your precious files. There are many cloud storage providers nowadays, and this technology is already being employed by most big companies and even individuals who consider their files to be very valuable. There are many advantages offered by cloud storage, and the most important is that the files are not subject to physical damages and accidents. Also, they can be accessed anywhere in the world, anytime.
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File storage options

From floppy disks to CDs and DVDs and flash drives, virtual storage is an option that some techies prefer. Also know as online backup, this file storage option is becoming an indispensable alternative for file storage for most big companies these days. Why so? It provides some advantages that physical disks cannot do. For instance, online backup offers virtual storage that can be accessed anytime and anywhere via the Internet. This feature is a big plus for busy web admins who travel a lot or programmers who work in different places and need to access their files from where they are currently based.
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Providing high quality service to customers

Oftentimes I wonder if some businesses really do value their customers. Nowadays, I observe that few stand out and are proactive in dealing with clients. Sadly, some bank tellers or office personnel go about their daily tasks in an almost automated manner, not even a smile or helpful attitude to show that they are ready to serve you. I was in an eye clinic last weekend and one of the clients felt insulted that he was mistakenly reprimanded that he should pay in full when in fact he already did. What a bummer. He told the staff that he regret being one of their customers. Tsk. What an awful way to treat customers, right?
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Choosing corporate gifts

Choosing a corporate gift can be tricky. What you give could either ruin or build up relationship with the recipient, so choose wisely as your gift represents your business. Actually, there are lots of options for such gifts, just be sure about the quality even if it’s a simple item. One can choose from office basics (more…)

Personal management rekindled

I’ve installed the Evernote app on my phone, started using the Pomodoro technique, made a personalized monthly calendar where I can easily track my weekly goals, and recently bought a new organizer. But all this attempts at managing my time and priorities seem to be lacking. So, one fine night, I sat up and started to go back to basics. I reread Stephen Covey’s classic bestseller, the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”. 
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Name by the Goo Goo Dolls

One click leads to another! I don’t know how I ended up seeing a video of my favorite 90’s song “Name” by the Goo Goo Dolls, but it surely made me miss the good old days. Sigh. I love the lyrics of the song. According to some fans, the song is about losing your parents at an early age or something like that.

Personally, the lyrics speak to me in a different way though. It’s more about hiding one’s self, one’s identity and painful past and becoming much like “grown-up orphans that never knew their names.” A person’s name can give away a lot about him.
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Picture files deleted? Oh my…

Something weird happened to my laptop one time. I turned it on and noticed that it didn’t boot normally. Instead it asked for some scanning of another disk, and if I may continue or not. I was in a hurry and didn’t read carefully the alert, I just clicked yes to continue scanning. After that, the Windows OS displayed its usual desktop screen. I was relieved about it, but imagine my surprise when I tried to access my external USB hard drive, it was unreadable! It was the disk that was scanned when I turned on the laptop earlier. I almost cried. The files I had there were precious documents and photos. Accidents do happen when one is careless in using computers and another lesson was learned. Oh well.
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Holiday promos here and there

I just downloaded my credit card bill statement now and find it amusing to see lots of promos for dining, shopping and even for an iPhone 4s installment at 0% for 24 months. Yes, temptation is everywhere! *wink* These promos offer 10% to 70% off on this and that item, BUT only if you purchase a minimum amount. So there goes the catch. Now, if I only have a budget for this much, and I want that promotional discount or freebie, then I have to purchase more, right? And this is where credit card companies lure you into shopping more! Oh well…

Now I am not giving in to these tempting offers, okay? But thumbs up to businesses that always market their products and services aggressively, such as offering promotional items and discounts. These truly lure and attract shoppers to them. If you’re a business owner, you’d better come up with special offers as well. The best is to give out promotional items as these bear your company’s logo and information and act as passive advertisements not just to your clients but their friends too.
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Waiting to be wrapped

How many more days to go before Christmas??? I haven’t been counting yet and I am not yet thrilled about Christmas countdowns but I am sure I will be getting excited when it would be a week before that day. Well, at least, we already have prepared and bought gifts and they are just waiting to be wrapped.
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Guard on errand

Last weekend we went home late after attending a Christmas party. Being tired and all, we were so eager to rest after the drive going home, but to our dismay, the subdivision gate was closed and a sign greeted us which said, “GUARD ON ERRAND.” Ugh. What sort of errand at this late hour? My sis-in-law who was the driver had to blow the horn just to get the guard’s attention.
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What would you do with a million dollars?

If you were to wake up with a million dollars beside you, what would you do with it? This question was part of an anecdote I heard recently which made ponder a bit. I have so many plans not just for myself but for others, especially my parents and family, so it got my attention despite its being a cliché. If I were to answer this question, I would simply reply with investing the money in stocks (I have been doing this since last year although not regularly), put some for our family business, invest it in marketing my websites and save some for the rainy days. So, it would be more on saving and investing the money including setting aside some of it for tithing.
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Christmas travel wish

Sigh. I could have gone to Bohol with my mom today. I so wanted to tour this charming and laidback island famous for its Chocolate Hills and tarsier, but unfortunately my budget just won’t allow me. There are just so many unexpected expenses that came up this last quarter of the year, plus the holidays are here again and it’s the gift-giving season. Anyway, I am just consoling myself with some future travel plans.
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A happy and successful life

My dream job used to be so clear when I was a kid, to be an architect. But as I grew up, there were many options that came up, and my big sis suggested I took up electronics engineering instead. The reason? According to her, architecture students sleep late working on their design plates, so it would be such a difficult course for me to handle. Well, after many years in college, here I am with both courses tucked in my arm. LOL. I guess if one cannot have one or the other, then it’s best to have them both!
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Just some updates

We are now still here in Cebu, spending a little more time for bonding with our brother’s family, though he is at work in China. Our trusty van is as always the dependable one, with my dad, still strong at 76, driving us around. There are times though that we get lost what with our unfamiliarity with the roads, and the traffic rules. But this is only if we have not yet taken a certain way, meaning only in our first time to traverse a particular road.
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Happy celebration

Isn’t it that weddings are always a happy celebration, and a reunion and bonding for the family especially with siblings living far away? And that’s why we are so blessed to be able to attend this special occasion of the eldest son of our eldest bro here in Cebu. We traveled to another province just for this event.
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Business and investing lessons in the family

Choosing a career can be confusing especially if one doesn’t know what she really wants. This is why some of the fresh high school graduates would simply follow their parents’ wishes when deciding on what course to take up in college. There are some though who have already made some clear-cut plans on which career path to take, be it in medicine, engineering or law, without relying on their parents’ preferences.
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Another upcoming road trip

We’ll be off to another province for some important family event and life is getting busier again for us. Whew! From one important event to another… Life is really like that. It’s like the days are getting shorter for me, I don’t want them to end without finishing my scheduled tasks. But then sunset comes, gently reminding me to wrap things up for the day, to give my soul that much needed rest, to recharge myself  with a good night’s sleep. Sigh.
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On nurses and lawyers

Recently I heard a conversation between two friends about nurses and lawyers. According to Friend 1, her father was a nurse who didn’t want any of his children to follow in his footsteps, because it was a job that’s very demanding and laborious. Friend 2 also shared how her father, a lawyer, didn’t want his children to be lawyers themselves. Now, this is quite interesting, because some parents would like their children to grow up and decide on the same careers they chose.
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Sleeping late again

Whew! It’s been two straight days that I’ve been sleeping past 3 AM already catching up on some urgent tasks which have overtaken their deadlines way ahead of me. Ugh, I know it’s not good for my health. I noticed that I’ve been sneezing and showing signs of getting colds lately. Thanks to my sodium ascorbate (Vitamin C) capsules though, I am still up and about.
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God bless Thailand

These past days, our family has been worried about my bro who’s currently based in Thailand regarding the shocking news about the country’s flooded cities and provinces and how the waters already reached the campus where they are staying last Friday. Everybody in the campus had to evacuate as per instruction from the institute President, the photos my sis-in-law uploaded on Facebook were heartbreaking, I could only cry looking at them, so shocked to see my former school and workplace inundated, the second floor of some buildings are almost reached by the flood.
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Caring for the elderly at home

Most parents are separated from their children who are already married and have families of their own. The single ones, unless working abroad or based in another state/province, are usually the ones living with them, caring for them, giving them the much needed attention and meeting their needs. Most families have some agreed setup regarding financial contribution from the children and how the elderly parents are cared for by the ones living with them.

For the elderly parents who are already physically weak or suffering with illness, they are usually confined in their beds as advised by their physicians. When my late grandma suffered a stroke, she was bedridden and was even fed via NGT attached to her nose. It was such a sad situation for us to see her suffering. She would oftentimes attempt to take out the tubes from her nose. I’m sure if she had the strength and energy, she could have sneaked out of the bed as well. I understand that she felt bored and uncomfortable with being in bed all day.
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Credit card advice

I have credit cards from two banks currently and one of them is due this week. I hate to admit it but I am having difficulty catching up with both. I was not able to use one for the past month and that is a good thing, but then some things came up that needed to be invested in and I used it again for this month. Sigh. Anyway, I resolve to make things better this time and will purchase in cash instead of card.
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On power outages

The recent weekend was a busy one for us. We had a community affair on Saturday and needed to prepare lots of stuff. To top it off, dinner was served here at home, so we did a lot of cooking and cleaning. Whew! We cooked sweet and sour fish, mixed veggies, pork with pineapple and lumpia (spring rolls). Other community members brought some dishes as well for dinner.
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Helpful tips for planning trips with your RV

If you’re the type of traveler who’s fond of being on the road, then most likely you own an RV as well. If you don’t have one though, you can rent or borrow from a friend. Anyway, to make an RV trip fun, it is best to be prepared and to carefully plan your trip. Here are some important RV tips to guide you, to make sure that your next trip with your RV would be just as how you dreamed it to be.

First of all, you need to make arrangements where to get your vehicle, most likely by renting. Get recommendations from friends and do a bit of research from local RV rental businesses. Make your reservations as early as possible especially if your rental options are limited. (more…)

Dropping by the furniture shop

Despite the heavy rains this afternoon, we dared to go to the furniture shop just to take a peek at the chairs we ordered. We were not disappointed with the result. The customized chairs look sturdy and I’m glad the design turned out great. The chairs are already tinted with mahogany finish and tomorrow they will be topping it off with a semi-gloss top coat. I just hope it won’t be raining tomorrow when we pick up the finished chairs.
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Home renovation updates

The past days we’ve been busy scouting for home renovation supplies and even some power tools for our current project of sprucing up the house. Dad is pretty happy with his loot from the hardware store during our shopping last Wednesday. LOL. We have some important guests next month and we want the house to at least be at its best. Thus some repairs have to be done.
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