When I was a little kid, all I ever wanted was a grand birthday party. I was envious of my cousins whose parents could afford to spend so much on birthday parties of their kids. I would ask my mom for one but then we couldn’t really afford it because I also have other siblings they needed to think of. Good thing I was a kid who never held grudges.

Now that I can already afford it, even for the past years, I didn’t once threw a birthday party for myself. I do not like the unnecessary attention. My boss and my co-workers once threw a surprise birthday party for me. It was totally awkward for me because I didn’t like the attention. I am better off giving the attention than receiving it. I don’t know why but for the past decade, I have shunned the attention given to me by others. I am quiet content being in the background. Which was the opposite when I was in high school. I loved the attention back then. I was always the life of the party. I would even find ways for the spotlight to be trained on me.

I don’t know what happened. Except that I probably got tired of it all.

We went to this vacation rental almost a year ago. You wouldn’t believe the one complaint I have of the place… faucets! The place has the worse faucets you can find! I told the manager of the place to change their faucets to ones that can easily be used even by kids. The ones they have are old and rusty looking already!

There are Discount Faucets for those who need it. Kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets… you can buy discounted faucets and even faucet accessories at FaucetOnsale.com wherein quality is not compromised with the discount in prices.

A family friend went there and she told me that the faucets have been changed, not the ones I told them about anymore. Hygiene, more than anything, is what I am concerned about. You know when you go on vacations, check the place. Check the faucets, the water, the bedding and linens, even the phone. These are the things which can easily tell you the place is really clean. If you see dust accumulating on the receiver of the phone, it’s a warning that the staff probably does not employ efficient personnel. And you might be better off in another place.

Anyway, for faucets, you need not look far and wide for it. Go to FaucetOnSale.com now for your quality made yet low-priced faucets!

Whenever I visit my aunt, she’s always in her terry bath robe. She bought this really soft bath robe and whenever she’s at home, you can find her in it. It’s most convenient also since she has a daughter she takes care of personally while at the same time doing some house work. I just love how good moms are at multitasking!

Anyway, back to her soft bath robe… I have a waffle bath robe myself. She gave it to me since she knows I stay home a lot and would just put on whatever I found on top of the drawer. I think I am acquiring her habit of being in her bath robe at home.

If you feel like you want a soft bath robe of your own, go to Posylane.com and find the one for you. You can also find a bath wrap there if you are looking for it, too. Don’t forget, Posylane.com where you can find the things you are looking for. And a soft bath robe at that!

A friend of mine posted something on my Facebook wall. It was a social living question that goes like this…

Does (my name) own anything that you wish you had? — She answered: “A Family!”

It really broke my heart to see this. She’s one of the closest friend I have and she’s been there during the tough times. I’ve always considered her more of a sister than a friend. She’s very much welcome at home and is also close to my family. I know her strained relationship with her mom. Her father has another family of his own and they were never close. She lives all alone. I also know that her deepest desire is to have a family of her own.

She’s hoping to start a family this year. Hopefully, the man she found will turn out to be a good man that she deserves. So that she gets to have the family she’s always wanted.

Now, being beautiful is no longer an impossibility. Thanks to sono bello!

Let me tell you a story about a schoolmate of mine in high school. She’s on the heavy side ever since we were in pre-K. She was often teased about it. But she bore it all until we reached second year high. It was vacation and we couldn’t visit or even see her because we were told by her grandmother that she’s sick. Come first day of school, we were shocked to see her! She’s slim and glowing! Turned out she availed of some services to make her slim.

You can be like that, too. All you need to do is drop by at Sono Bello and permanently reshape your body in just one session! Avail of the Sono Bello’s Laser Assisted Liposuction and Body Contouring technology. Imagine the problem areas in your body like your tummy, thighs, chin, back, hips… these parts can be reshaped for a slimmer you! Sono Bello uses laser assisted body contouring procedures and are being administered by board certified physicians. No need to worry about taking a lot of time to get beautiful. Just go to Sono Bello now by visiting their web site for more information and then avail of their services afterwards!

I have my family for motivation. But there are days when I feel like maybe I need a little bit something more. What’s that something, I don’t really know.

I need that marathon-writing day again!

Having the best things is no substitute for having the best life.

- Oprah

Money isn’t everything. Sure, it buys and gives us comfort. But it can’t buy us happiness. We can get happiness in so many different ways, even in ways where money won’t matter.

Live the best life.

This year, I intend to do that. I intent to live healthy as well. Slowly until it becomes a habit and a lifestyle.

We all make rash decisions at one point in our lives. A friend of mine had his girlfriend’s name tattooed on his left arm. He was madly in love that time and he wanted to show the world how much he loved her. Unfortunately, they separated after two years. Now, he’s getting married to a great woman and he wants to undergo a tattoo removal in Los Angeles before the big day. It will be a surprise to his bride.

My friend can get the procedure done at Celibre, a company offering tattoo and laser hair removal Los Angeles services. Through laser, unwanted hair as well as tattoos can be removed easily. No need to live with a tattoo you regret getting inked on you. Like what my friend want done.

Go to http://www.Celibre.com if you want a tattoo or hair removed through laser. And check with American Academy of Dermatology for more information on laser hair removal and the like.

I agree!

Nigella Lawson said in an episode of her Forever Summer series that yellow is the color of summer and happiness. Don’t you just love the surroundings during summer? Everything is submerged into a golden halo of yellow light. All seems to be alive and on fire!

During summer, even though it’s hot, I feel extremely uplifted. Happy!

Yellow is summer.

Yellow is happiness.

It was reported in the evening news that online backup will be the trend this year. I don’t know about this but I do think that there are so many people out there using an online backup for safety measures. You know, when the hard drive crashes, at least they have their important files elsewhere.

What I find interesting on an online backup is that, you need not bring your laptop or external hard drive with you when you travel. You can easily access your files just by going online. Interesting, don’t you think? I just might try this out.

Would you?

As early as last week, my aunt was already scouting for the best graduation announcements she can find for my cousin. She thought my cousin would flunk one of her subjects. It turned out that my cousin is actually part of the honor roll! What a pleasant surprise!

Ever the proud mama, my aunt is already planning on throwing a graduation party for my cousin. And before that, she wants to announce to the whole world how proud she is of her daughter!

I am feeling down today. In fact, I am not feeling 100% super since this afternoon. My mind and my body scream for sleep but I couldn’t give in yet because there’s so much work to do, so many things to attend to.

Sometimes, I feel like disappearing for a day, packing things and going to one of the Outer Banks vacation rentals. And then just sleeping, eating, lazing around and doing nothing but rest! I do feel like I deserve it. But when I think about the plans I have for this year, plus my brother’s college fees… rest flies out the window and I am back to working doubly hard once more.

I remember while aboard the cab going home from work, the cab driver was listening to a mellow radio station. The song was Usher’s version of Superstar. I was probably too tired already or I was just emotional that time. But when I heard the song and while I was looking out the cab window, I started crying.

I didn’t know exactly why. I just thought that I was extremely tired already, stressed out, frustrated. It might be the cause or just hormones affecting my emotions that night. Regardless, every time I hear Usher’s Superstar, it reminds me of that sad night I was aboard the cab…

My friend is very particular when it comes to taking care of her shoes. She only have a few pairs so she’s bent on making each pair last. She has a Stuart Weitzman and a couple of other brands hat she puts inside a shoe box. One pair, one shoe box. You can see that the shoe boxes occupy a special place inside her bedroom. We would often tease her about it, her shoes being more important than clothes and any other item in her life.

My friend is a very superstitious person. When they moved to a new office, he was wary because he got seated right directly to where one of the exit signs are. And for him, it can be an omen of bad things to come to him in the office. Which is what exactly happened to him!

He clashed with his new boss. They got into several arguments about how the department was run and how some issues are being resolved. In the end, he really made an exit from that company.

Of course, the exit sign has nothing to do with it. It’s there to point people to the right direction when there’s an emergency going on.

I love watching cooking shows. Ever since I was a little girl, I remember I always looked for a cooking show I could watch. There’s this one cooking show featuring a Chinese woman. It’s in Chinese and even if I couldn’t understand a thing she’s saying, I would still watch it.

Now, my all time favorite is Jamie Oliver! Yes, the naked chef! I love watching Jamie at Home because it really makes me feel at home. I love the way he cooks and how he’s so unassuming. I also love Curtis Stone of The Take Home Chef. And Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations.

AND Nigella Lawson of Nigella Bites! Nothing beats her cooking show! No other one-woman cooking show can beat that lovely lady!

What’s your favorite cooking show?

Credit: Photo from Jamie at Home

I always say that it doesn’t matter what brand of clothes, shoes, jewelry or accessories you are wearing. Or if it is original or not. It’s in the person who’s wearing it. Does he or she gives the piece or item justice? Is he or she carrying it well? That’s what Holsted Jewelers probably has in mind as well. Wear the sapphire earrings and make your friends’ eyes pop out of envy! Sure, it’s not real. But can they spot it? Unless you tell them so!

Holsted Jewelers offers not only beautiful earrings but other perfectly matched jewelry wardrobes, too. Go to HolstedJewelers.com now and find one for you.

Have you seen it yet?

Avatar is by far the most amazing movie I’ve ever seen! I’ve seen it twice, both in 3D, and the movie never ceases to amaze me! I am going for a third screening with my friend within the week. I think I can watch it some more times in the big screen. That’s how much I love the movie!

And I think I also love Sam Worthington already!

I am craving for a seafood pasta! When I get these cravings, it is really uncontrollable. I need to find it and eat it or I would be consumed by my craving. I swear I am like that! Ever since!

I remember there was this one time I was not feeling well. I was probably around 7 or 8 years old that time. I really wanted a choco drink and was asking my mom to buy me one. My mom was busy with something and was ignoring me. To get her attention, I threw a humongous tantrum! Of course, I got what I wanted and was even pampered a bit then. Yes, I was a brat! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Now, I want my seafood pasta!

Every year, my dad, my sister and I would attend the feast day of the Black Nazarene. We would attend the first mass. It has been a tradition already that it is automatic come feast day, we would wake up very early to go to Quiapo. Tomorrow is no different. We would get up very early again. We have an addition to us three. My brother, our youngest, will be joining us. I am really hoping we could get inside the church. There will be a huge crowd tomorrow for sure.

In the afternoon tomorrow, I will be doing something for a neighbor. She’s our laundrywoman actually. She’s asking if I could check where she can get emi shielding. I don’t know where she’ll use it but I’ll gladly do it for her. She’s one of the very few good neighbors we have. One whom we can rely on when we need an ally.