My Weekend Journal

The rainy season is here once again. It is time to bring out our raingears such as umbrellas, raincoats and boots. During this season, it is nice to sleep and just let the time pass by. Rainy days can make one feel lazy. Nevertheless, I suggest not letting the rain get you down. You do not have to be gloomy also just because the weather is gloomy. You can still do many things to brighten up those rainy days. You may cuddle up with a nice book you have always wanted to read and be swayed to another world when it is too wet to step outside your door. You may sit in front of your computer and watch TV Online, do some social networking or see your friends online. You may also take out your cards and board games and have fun playing with the whole family or friends. Go out, relive your childhood and play in the rain. (My kids love this idea! They always long for a rainy day so they could go out, run and play in the rain.) Just be sure to take a warm bath immediately after. Gather ...

After a very busy working day, we always look forward to getting some rest at home, climb into our bed each night, and let our tired and aching body relax. However, this could be quite hard if what we smell on our bed is body odor. We do not want that kind of smell especially when we are relaxing in our room surrounded with comfortable rustic bedroom furniture. There are simple and practical ways to keep the bed smelling fresh and clean. Occasionally changing the bed sheets usually helps in keeping that fresh scent and feel. If we do not wash the sheets regularly, they would eventually begin to smell like body odor. They would also begin to smell if we sweat a lot while we sleep. Hanging the bed sheets outside after each use is also a good way to remove the smell. They will be aired out and have that nice outdoor smell when we bring them back to our room. Aside from keeping the bed sheets clean, we should also try not to lie in bed when we are sweaty or dirty. It is best if we t...

A cup of tea contains 2 to 3 times more antioxidants called polyphenols compared to one apple. Make this a fresh fruit punch high in fiber and antioxidants by adding cubed apples, sliced grapes, and strawberries into the mixture.  SPARKLING TEA PUNCH Ingredients: 1/2 cup NESTEA Lemon 4 cans white soda drink 3 cups ice cold water 1 cup orange juice juice of 2 lemons 1 pc medium orange, sliced 24 pcs ice cubes Mint leaves to garnish Procedure: In a punch bowl, dissolve NESTEA in cold water. Stir in the next five ingredients. Float orange slices and mint leaves if desired. Add ice cubes just before serving.

Laminate hardwood flooring has captured the interest of homeowners for some valuable and essential reasons. Among the most influential factors to consider in choosing such type of flooring are durability, appearance, ease of maintenance, and cost. Manufacturers use melamine resins and aluminum oxide in processing laminate hardwood floors. These materials are bonded together with the use of extreme pressure and high heat and a much harder and durable finished surface is produced in the process. These floor surfaces are highly resistant to staining, fading and moisture. New innovations on a variety of wood types and colors create a flooring that look exactly the same or even more attractive than an authentic hardwood flooring. Its beauty is at par or even superior than real hardwood. You have two choices for installing laminate hardwood flooring - hire someone to do it or do it on your own. If you value time, the best option is to hire a flooring installation professional to do the w...

Planning the wedding, arranging for that big event and laying out plans for the future is so exciting for soon-to-be couples. However, after the magical honeymoon, true married life begins. Spending all day with the same person and doing daily routine activities could make married life less than exciting. Even if you have the most wonderful marriage, this monotony may drag your relationship and make you both feel unsatisfied with what is supposed to be a very loving relationship. It is very important that couples not just sit back believing that a marriage will remain exciting merely on its own momentum. Couples should take some simple yet effective ways to infuse their marriage with a bit of fun and excitement. One great way to infuse that bit of fun and excitement into your marriage is to take a vacation with just the two of you. If you already have kids, it would be great to bring them along and sneak out to find some moments for only the two of you. Isn't that so exciting? ...

Financial problem is one of the most common marriage problems that unnecessarily lead to an argument or even separation. Money matters are simple if you really think about it. Either you can afford something or you cannot. If you cannot afford it, you choose to either stop your unnecessary spending of money or earn more money by starting up a small business and letting your friends and other people know about it through computer business cards. Learning from experience, financial issues is really just a very simple concept. If we want something that is not very important at all, we wait for the time when we can afford to buy it. Many couples let themselves into financial problems because they sometimes ignore money issues. Like most marriage problems, couples should take their time to discuss financial issues before they become out of hand. You should sit down together, discuss the real cause of the problem and work together for possible solutions. Arguing or fighting does not solv...

After the house construction, we are now facing the need for the basic house furnishings. I'm more into modern furniture with a touch of classic design because aside from the great design and architecture they are manufactured and tested according to our present needs and tastes. Our living space is still bare. Aside from the TV stand and the baby crib, there's nothing there, really. I have always dreamed of having that perfect leather sofa for our living room. Leather sofas not only provide comfort for the living room but add a touch of elegance as well. They would be perfect especially when we have visitors.

It's Saturday once again, and the best thing to do first before enjoying the comforts of my bedroom is to clean all the clutters that has piled up during the weekdays especially our bedroom dressers. With two, busy kids who go to school, our bedrooms can easily be disorganized. They always end up looking like an unruly mess, particularly our dressers. Whew, you could just imagine what a sight it makes! It is as if a hurricane just passed our room leaving no mercy to those who came her way. Since I started working, I have not found any moment to do some general organization of all the stuff on our dressers but I always see to it that I return all the things to their places after using them and routinely sort them to see if there is anything I can discard. It is really very important for me that our things are organized. Besides looking neat and clean, it would be a great time-saver when I am looking for something. Well, I do admit, I could blast like an active volcano when I look ...

What's this van doing here? The country is saving electricity. Are we taking our part in celebrating Earth Day early? The answer is just a plain "No". The reason is too far from Earth Day's campaign. We are saving electrical energy for the coming election on May 2010. We have scheduled power interruption, - er not really scheduled because we don't receive any advisory from the provider - which happens almost everyday. As usual, I was burning my browses trying to beat my deadline. I'm on the process of quality checking my work when my monitor turned black. I thought there would be no power interruption today but why did this happen? We went out of the office trying to get some fresh air only to realize that we're the only one having power problem. Our line was dead because of overload. An hour or so later, a white van with a ladder on top on it came and we easily identified them as the power people. They effortlessly pulled the ladder from the van...

I was on my way home last night. Seated beside me in the multicab is a girl in a conventional hospital nurse uniform. She was excitedly chatting with another girl on her side. I know it is not good to eavesdrop but I could hear their voices without intending to listen to their conversation. They just came from a school-related activity. When I dropped my head trying to take a nap, I saw a hardbound folder on the girl's lap. I figured out they just attended her oath taking ceremony. When I was just a little girl, I have always wanted to become a teacher. I would insist I be one on role-plays in school or even at home. Most of my classmates and friends also wanted to be a teacher. It could be that our teachers had great influence on our childhood dreams. I have never dreamed I would be in a medical profession. The only times I have worn lab coats for doctors were on science laboratories. I have seen people on medical scrub sets but never imagined myself wearing one. Because of...

Electric fans accumulate dust and dirt quickly. This would greatly affect the efficiency of the fans. It is very important that we keep fans clean at all times. To clean your electric fan: Use warm soapy water to clean the blade cover, blade and front and rear outer cover. Make sure to remove the accumulated dirt in the fan motor itself. Use a paintbrush to clean it. Wipe everything ensuring they are all dry before returning the parts.

The 2011 Toyota RAV4 (Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel drive) is a leader in the compact SUV market. It combines the benefits of a fuel efficient car and the luxury and comfort of great interiors of an SUV. This car is best for people who crave for excellence, power, better fuel economy, higher visibility, maneuverability, comfort and safety. It has the vitality that matches your spirited enthusiasm. Its modern and powerful design leaves a lasting impression. The overall safety features of the 2011 Toyota RAV4 are much improved compared to its previous models. It is not a luxury model but it is well-equipped with three various trims offered with each powertrain possibility, covering a range from basic and fuel-efficient to luxurious or sporty and powerful. It is a modern, practical crossover choice and great for family-oriented shoppers on a budget. Owning a car is great but keeping up with car maintenance can be a pain. However, it is generally important to take the time ...

We may be distressed by what we see. We may be wracked in pain as we pray for insight to understand. God may grant us that wisdom. But how much better it is to have faith from the very beginning, to be confident in things we cannot see! We must recognize that God’s grace and justice are not absent because we cannot see it. Faith does not end our distress, nor does it abolish our prayers for wisdom and understanding; but it places a firm foundation under our knees as we pray those prayers. It gives us shelter while we pray for the rain to stop. It gives us strength in our times of weakness, comfort in times of distress, and hope for joy in times of great sadness. [A spiritual insight from Rev. Ken Collins]

The people of a country or organization are the most important assets in the world. Employment is defined as occupied in a job or the state of being employed. On the other hand, unemployment is being out of a job or the state of being unemployed. Although the United States is considered to be a country that is highly developed, over the past few years its unemployment rates have been increasing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor has reported that in January of 2011, the unemployment rate in the United States was 9%. The country is faced with an increase in unemployment rates because of competition and the growing population. There continues to be a need for people who are employed every time the population increases. However, the unemployment rate has increased, due to the fact that there are a few job positions available. Unemployment is also caused by competition of businesses that are managed by offshore companies. Additionally, the county i...

Free ads are a very well known and the easiest method to sell or buy goods or services and promote income and business opportunities. It is also a great way to bring traffic to your website and gain exposure for your business. The classified ads industry is flourishing, as it pave its way to becoming one of the excellent ways to find great deals on the internet. With free advertising, you do not have to pay to promote your business in front of a large audience. Do free classified advertising really work for a business? The answer is YES! Among the most essential factors to consider when posting free ads are quality and quantity. Create a variety of different ads and post often. Your ads should have a captivating headline to attract the attention of probable customers. A complete but short description on the product or service you offer is also valuable. Additionally, it is very important to monitor and test every advertisement that you run and identify the classified sites that pro...

Holy Week is known to be the last week of Lent and the week immediately before Easter. Some people consider this as the pinnacle time for the religious; as a means of escape to the beaches or mountains; or as a time in which they could get a head start at the office. The traditional values of the people engrossed in religion inspires for spiritual contemplation and renewal of faith. However, there are still those that manage to slip away for family vacations. The non-practicing faithful and those who are not associated with any particular faith are even more likely to take their leave for the comforts of their own homes or for the bliss of summer destinations. How will you spend Holy Week? Would it be a week of prayer, recreation, or preparation for incoming workload?

Carpet replacement should only be considered if, after a thorough cleaning by a professional carpet cleaner, you can still find mold or signs of mold, there are worn fibers, and the spots or stains cannot be removed or eliminated. If the carpet shows too much indication of devaluation due to frequent use, it is generally desirable to replace it with a new one with high quality, which could probably provide a longer life span despite excessive use. The condition and quality of the carpet can create a great impression of the whole room. A carpet is designed to be an appealing accessory to the furnishings of a room and should blend well with the decorations and background of the room to create an awesomely good ambiance. Regular professional carpet cleaning is necessary to ensure that the carpet will have a long and useful life and additional care and maintenance on our part is needed as well to preserve its appearance longer. This will save us from making the expensive move on complet...

The quality of the company logo design is of utmost importance for any business. Choosing between logo design samples can be simplified through these primary factors; it should express the nature of the business, what the business can do, and where the business is in the market. A company logo is a valuable feature of a company's image and it plays a major role in the success of a business. Basically, there are three categories of company logos, namely: Typographic Logos, Symbolic Logos, and Type and Symbol Logos. Each category has its own good and bad points. Typographic company logos help customers in remembering the company name, while the symbolic logos bring strong mental association to the people. There are a number of logo design samples in the internet. You can get various effective design ideas and use them as a guide in creating your own company logo. It is all-important for a business to take advantage of the many great logo design samples. Many successful businesse...

Congratulations to Angel and Warren!

Pay per click (PPC) is an internet advertising system wherein advertisers bid on keyword phrases that are relevant to their target market and pay their advertising host only when their ad is clicked. One of the key objectives of ppc search marketing , is to drive some traffic to a website and increase the number of potential customers and purchase opportunities through internet keyword searches. PPC search marketing also offers business partnerships through their affiliate program. With their affiliate program, affiliated partner sites were given financial incentives or commissions and the value depends on the equivalent percentage of the revenue. The affiliates provide purchase-point click-through to the merchant. It is basically a pay-for-performance scheme wherein an affiliate is only paid when a sale is generated. PPC search marketing varies from engaging in banner exchange, pay-per-click, and revenue sharing programs. Affiliate websites that participate in PPC advertising disp...