I have been meaning to participate in the Sunday Stealing Meme again, especially since I read about this Disney Meme two weeks ago. I finally have the time to do this albeit two weeks late.

Sunday Stealing: Harriet’s Choice: The Disney Meme

1. Which non-Disney Princess Disney Film is your favorite?
Too many! Hercules, Jungle Book 1 &2, Lady and the Tramp 2, Toy Story 1&2, Emperor’s New Groove, Konk’s New Groove, Lion King 1 &2, Monsters Inc, Tarzan 1 &2, Dumbo — can you tell I have watched almost all of the Disney Movies? Of course, High School Musical 1, 2 and 3 are on the list – it is a DISNEY movie, ya know

2. Which Disney film makes you cry the most?
Bambi and Dumbo made me cry.

3. Which Disney film makes you the happiest?
Konk’s New Groove, that’ movie is so light but with real lessons. I also love The Parent Trap

4. Which Disney film has the best music?
That would be hard – Little Mermaid will always have a special place in my heart because that’s where animated Disney movies started the best musicals. But I also love Hercules’ and Mulan’s soundtrack.

5. Which Disney film has the best love story?
Aww that would be hard, but I love Beauty and the Beast best (for love story).

6. Who is your favorite Disney Princess?
It’s a tie between Mulan and Cinderella.

7. Who is your favorite Disney Prince?
Of course, Mulan’s Prince – Li Shang. I get twitterpated (Bambi anyone) everytime I see/hear the "I’ll Make a Man Out of You" soundtrack!

8. Who is your favorite Disney animal sidekick?
Flounder and Sebastian

9. Who is your favorite Disney main character animal?
Scamp (Lady & the Tramp), Simba (Lion King)

10. Who is your favorite villain?
Ursula!

11. What is your favorite Disney song?
Littler Mermaid’s whoooole soundtrack
Princess and the Frog’s too

Special mention:
I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)"  — Hercules
"When She Loved Me" – Toy Story 2

12. What is your favorite Disney villian song?
The songs of Hunchback of Notre Dame were pretty intense. I love Scar’s songs though (Lion King).

13. What is your favorite Disney animal song?
Hakuna Matata!

14. What is your favorite Disney Princess song?
Mulan’s songs

15. What is your favorite Disney Prince song?
Shang’s songs

16. What is your favorite Disney Prince/Princess duet song?
If I Never Knew You – Pocahontas

17. What is your favorite Disney love song?
From the Lady and the Tramp 2:

"I Didn’t Know I Could Feel This Way"
Music and Lyrics by Melissa Manchester and Norman Gimbel
Performed by Roger Bart and Susan Egan

This took me a long time to answer!

What are your summer plans? My fellow mommy friends are up into their arms looking over cheap but great vacation package deals and summer lessons for the kids. We are still undecided and everything is still on the planning stage – but we have agreed to take time off to go on vacation, just us family. So I am looking for an affordable but nice place to take the family to, if only we can afford the Outer banks foreclosures on houses, we have a summer house to go to every year!

Any suggestions?

When I was young, there was an old practice passed on to me. It said that whenever I want to feel or call on the wind, all I have to do is whistle and I will instantly feel a breeze. I don’t know why but it has worked every single time. Now, it has been said that wind chimes bring the same kind of thing, only it comes with luck too. As far back as the second century, wind chimes were being hung on Japanese pagodas with the intent of scaring away evil spirits and birds. They are considered to be good luck charms, and are used often in Feng Shui.

What is great about wind chimes is that it can be placed indoors or outdoors and not only prettifies a place (be it a garden or patio), it can be quite considerably cheap too. You should also take note that wind chimes, for it to be effectively used, needs to be placed in an area  where wind blows from moderate to slightly frequent. You can bamboo wind chimes placed on trees or along lamp posts in your lawn or garden area.

There are a lot of types of wind chimes. The bamboo ones are considered the cheapest while aluminum wind chimes can be customized to mimic the sounds of sweet Corinthian Bells, traditional Irish airs or the tinkling keys of a piano.

Metal wind chimes will be the most durable, and will produce the best tones. They’re weather resistant and won’t rust, and can even be tuned to produce specific melodies. Ceramic or glass chimes will be the most aesthetically pleasing, but better suited for indoor or decorative use. Bamboo chimes aren’t as durable, but will produce very soothing, deep, resonant tones reminiscent of rain or rolling thunder.

One would never think that investing in gold would yield such high results. After all, women buy jewelries and stock them (hoard is another term) and chances are, they never will sell them. But if you buy gold coins, there is a big chance you will be getting back your investment quickly if you sell. Gold has been the investment of choice by many financial advisors these days. They say the gold and the US dollar are inversely proportional with each other, and with the dollar on a slump right the gold is rising up. Gold is also considered a liquid investment, so you will never go wrong with it, you can dispose it quickly with no depreciation!

These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections — sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent — that happened after I was gone. And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it. The events my death brought were merely the bones of a body that would become whole at some unpredictable time in the future. The price of what I came to see as this miraculous lifeless body had been my life.

The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from heaven as her family and friends go on with their lives, while she herself comes to terms with her own death.

True to my word of trying to get back into reading, I finished the book The Lovely Bones about two weeks ago. I actually just grabbed it after debating to get another Sparks novel or try a Sophie Kinsella book (That’s how far behind on reading I am!) when I saw it, and the name had movie recall. I saw it was on the bestseller list and thought maybe I’d try it, after all, I was trying to reach out from my usual romance novels.

OMW. That’s Oh My WOW for you.

I could not, would not, put the book down in its first half. I was one with the family, trying to make sure the suspect gets caught and yet I feel for Susie too. The concept of heaven is not meant to be religious and I love how they perceived heaven to be everything you want it to be – which is exactly I believe heaven would be, anyways. It has a happy ending, not the typical ending happily ever after though – but the type when wounds heal and the family moves on. I also like how the world is not in black or white but lovely shades of grey – you get to understand why her mother strayed away but it didn’t justify what she did, you just understand her. You also understand how each of the family dealt with grief (how her father was a ghost of himself and almost needed disability insurance after an accident) and it portrays how serial killers really get away with murder. Ironic but true.

Book and time well-spent. I won’t regret recommending this to people.

Summer weddings have always been thought of to be destination weddings. It has all the main ingredients to make it happen – gorgeous weather, vacation time for most kids, not to mention discount packages on travel tours. The beach has always been one of the top dream locations of soon-to-be-brides and the amazing location of the Caribbean tops the list. The shores of Riviera Maya are never the same once the Karisma line of hotels were built. Finally, there is a resort that caters to all walks of life – couples, honeymooners, families with kids, singles, even the more eclectic ones.

"Kill Them With Kindness," from Douglas Wilson’s photostream. (more work on his website)

Finally got myself an iPhone – can you believe it? I can’t either. I haven’t been (that much) lusting after this freaky gadget like I do used golf balls (sorry, bad joke there). But after a brief rundown and iPhone 101 talk by friends, I’m won over. Sold. Fell in Love. Obsessed.

And I know I am going to be addicted to this baby (see I refer to it as my baby already!) and this will go high up there together with my basic needs, like the internet!

So tell me, what apps should I use? Any tips? Any accessories I should add?

"Our story has three parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end. And although this is the way all stories unfold, I still can’t believe that ours didn’t go on forever."
— Nicholas Sparks (Dear John)

So I finished the book. It seems John is quite the character, the type you only read about in books, the total self-sacrificing reformed rake. Disclaimer: I haven’t seen the movie, which I was told had a better ending. Hey, life doesn’t always have happy endings, they should not have ended up together – because honestly, I think Savannah was really weak. But then what they really had was pure teenage love (and it comes quick like allergy relief and sadly disappears as quickly too).

I might be writing in Greek here, for those who haven’t read the book. It’s an easy light read, it gave my heart a little hurting thump, but that is the die-hard romantic in me.

"I finally understood what true love meant…love meant that you care for another person’s happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be."
— Nicholas Sparks (Dear John)

"It’s possible to go on, no matter how impossible it seems, and that in time, the grief . . . lessens. It may not go away completely, but after a while it’s not so overwhelming."
— Nicholas Sparks (Dear John)

"And when her lips met mine, I knew that I could live to be a hundred and visit every country in the world, but nothing would ever compare to that single moment when I first kissed the girl of my dreams and knew that my love would last forever."
— Nicholas Sparks (Dear John)

We all enjoy BBQ parties – the camaraderie, the weather (if it’s done outdoors) and of course the food! I especially like grilled food because it is so easy to cook that you can pass the responsibility to your husband. And the fact you can cook everything on a BBQ grill – meat, pork, chicken, corn, veggies (kebabs!), hotdogs, seafood, the list is endless.

It’s no surprise then that there are families who would invest on lynx grills, the best grills in the market according to reviews. Having a BBQ grill saves time on last minute dinners, entertains guests easily at home and not to mention, gives a great feast.

Some take into consideration cost, functionality, ease of cleaning and taste when buying a grill.

Cost:
Most families take this as the top most consideration when buying grills. Gas grills cost more than electric and charcoal grills. Many families buy charcoal grills as it is the cheapest, but charcoal won’t save you money in the long run. Charcoal is more expensive than fuel. You will spend much more money on charcoal than you will on gas down the road when you are having a BBQ. Electric grills are not that expensive and most families with a small space in their house use this.

Taste:
There are people who say grilled food taste differently depending on how and where it is grilled. A charcoal grill or pellet grill should be your selection if taste/flavor is at the top or your list. It is even said that choosing a certain type of wood to smoke or a certain type of charcoal that will give you the flavor you are looking for. Ever read "smoked" ribs or salmon when dining out in restaurants? Consider a gas grill though when you need quick cooking.

Additional Features:
Gas grills like fire magic grills can have side burners, rotisserie kits, and multiple burners which allow you more cooking space and the ability to cook other types of food at the same time.

Happy grilling!

One of my dreams for our home is to have a home theater system. As I’ve mentioned before, our family are huge movie buffs and couch potatoes. We can watch TV all day – having a home theater will be a great experience for us!

I just do not which one would be better – a plasma LCD TV or a HD TV. I’ve read many home theater buying guides and found out the ff:

LCD HDTVs work by shining a light behind an LCD panel made up of a fixed number
of pixels. Each pixel is either red, blue or green and is switched on or off when a
voltage is applied to it. When voltage is applied to a pixel, it is switched off,
meaning that light can’t shine through it.

The main advantage of LCD vs plasma HDTV is that LCD panels don’t suffer from
what’s called burn-in. This is a feature of plasma TVs where they are used to watch
TV stations with logos permanently displayed on-screen or where they are used for
video gaming with games that have static images such as a cockpit on flight
simulators. The image literally ‘burns-in’ the screen meaning that even when the
image is not present you can still see a faint trace of it on screen. So for video
gamers in particular, LCD is a better choice than plasma.

Plasma HDTVs have over a million chambers which house one or a combination of
gasses. When a voltage is applied to one of these chambers the gas ionizes and
emits ultra-violet light. This light strikes red, green or plue phophors coated on the
inside of the chamber and a pixel emits this color light.

Plasma HDTVs tend to have better contrast than LCDs because, even when a pixel
on an LCD panel is switched off it doesn’t block all the light coming through and
therefore the pixel isn’t completely black. Plasma HDTVs also tend to have a wider
viewing angle than LCDs, as on LCD HDTVs the contrast and colour of the image can change when the screen is viewed from different angles.

It is safe to say that plasma TVs are the choice for screens 40 inches or less but as new technology comes in, this is bound to change!

Asian countries like Taiwan, Japan and Korean make the best drama and comedy series. And I say that without bias. Most of their series have already been shown in different countries and I can name three Hollywood movies that were made based from their movies as well. It is too bad that their country isn’t really keen on the English language and translation needs to be done all the time.

I am sure translators at Translia Services do not have a hard time translating these. They can translate almost any language. And you are guaranteed that they can deliver on time, with almost 0% errors.

I am sure most of us have struggled with Math homework during our school years. It doesn’t help that we have a lot of Math to cover – Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Calculus and Physics! It is a good you can get Free math homework help at Tutor Vista.

Free math tutoring online is a feature you can get at Tutor Vista when you sign up or want to try it out first. You can get a feel on how they do their online tutoring sessions with their Free math tutoring sign up.

Calculus help can also be sought with Tutor Vista. They can give you a Calculus tutor that can provide you one-on-one help so you can Solve calculus problems right away!

I was browsing some diet supplements when I chanced upon this article defining the 00’s. I thought it was a nice read.

No one is quite sure yet what this last decade will be called as we move forward and start trying to define, understand, and compartmentalize it. The ’80s were all about big hair, glam rock, and general excess. The ’90s were the decade of grunge, flannel, and angst. What will we collectively decide the ’00s were all about? And how will we pronounce it?

I say we should all band together and call this departing decade the "ohs." None of this "noughties" or "two-thousands" nonsense. Who’s with me?

On that note, here is my non-comprehensive list of items that have characterized the ’00s. What would you add to it?

1. The cell-phone explosion. I got my first cell phone in 1999, and I knew plenty of people who were still vehemently resisting the trend. "I’ve survived this long without one," they’d say, just before capitulating and becoming instantly dependent.
2. Closely related to item #1 is the rise of texting. It’s so convenient. So pervasive. So annoying.
3. Text and e-mail shorthand. LMAO! ROFL!
4. Capri pants. How I shall be sad to see them go away. (Or have they already? Not in my wardrobe.)
5. Apple mania. The iPod, the iPhone, the iMac, the iEverything. I’ve heard it suggested that we call the ’00s the iDecade (for more reasons than Apple alone).

6. Customization. Get your purple iPod, your designer M&Ms, your photo on a Kleenex box.

7. Google and the verbification thereof. "Hang on, let me google that for you…"

8. High heels with jeans. In particular, ridiculously impractical pointy-toe high heels.

9. The rise of the entitled generation. Go ahead, google this phrase; you’ll get 14.6 million results. (Members of the entitled generation do NOT realize that they’re entitled, so shhh…)

10. Empire-waist tops and skinny jeans. I hope empire-waist tops stick around for another decade. For once, there’s a trend that flatters my body—and pretty much everybody’s body.

11. The return of bangs. Come on, how many of us finally tried some softly sideswept bangs after eschewing them for two decades because of the bang nightmare of the ’80s? Thanks Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner!

15. The rumpled, tousled look in men’s hair. (And I’m not just talking about Robert Pattinson. Think Jason Bateman, Matthew McConaughey, Prince William.)

13. Self-publishing. Everyone’s blogging, vlogging, posting to YouTube, broadcasting who they are and what they’re doing at every minute of the day.

14. Along the same lines as #12, we have: connectivity. Cell phones, Blackberries, iPhones, laptops, linkedin.com, myspace.com, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter. The ’00s were all about being plugged in and hooked up.

15. Red Mini Coopers and lime green VW Beetles: the iconic ’00s cars. Right?

16. Out-of-control neologisms. (Neologism = newly coined word.) You know what I’m talking about: "metrosexual," "Bennifer," "Brangelina," "fugly," "staycation," "womenomics," and the list goes endlessly on.

17. Domesticity, ruffly aprons, everyday gourmet, Rachel Ray.

18. Oprah verging on becoming a supernatural being. Back in the ’90s, who could have predicted the power Oprah would one day wield? (Besides Oprah herself, that is.)

19. Environmentalism. Green is the new black.

20. The cult of creativity. Everything’s handmade, homemade, self-made, DIY. I place scrapbooking firmly in this category, thanks in part to the proliferation of digital cameras. Go ahead, embrace that inner artist!

I have my Canon Digital Rebel xTi since 2007, and until now I still have the basic kit lens (18-55mm). I do not have any lenses, I have not invested on one. Now that I’m involved with Project 365 – shooting random things creatively such as a stack of books, scalp pimples or me in glasses have become a challenge. I think I am ready to invest in one.

Here are the lens recommendation from I blog I always read (and yes, she is a great photographer!)

For indoor and low light shooting, nothing beats a 50mm lens in my opinion.  You can pick up the following 50mm lenses:

- 50mm f1.8 (Canon $100/Nikon $120.  This is a great lens for the price but if you can swing the price of the 50mm f1.4, you’ll find that it focuses quicker and sharper and produces better color.)

- 50mm f1.4 (Canon $350/Nikon $300 for the 50mm f1.4D and $430 for the 50mm f1.4G AF-S.  The Nikon 50mm f1.4G AF-S is a MUCH higher quality lens than the 50mm f1.4D and is worth the extra expense.  In addition, the Nikon 50mm f1.4G AF-S has an autofocus motor built into it, making it the ONLY 50mm lens that will autofocus on the Nikon D40, D40x, D60, D3000 and D5000.)

- 50mm f1.2 (Canon $1500/Nikon does not make this lens.  This is a great lens but is ridiculously priced and is overkill in my opinion for anyone who’s not shooting professionally and anyone who is working on a budget.)

The 50mm lens is also a great ‘everyday’ lens and can be really great for portraiture too (if you’re NOT using it on a full frame camera).  If I could only OWN one lens, this would be it.  Keep in mind that this lens does NOT ‘zoom’…you are the ‘zoom’.  Walk forward to ‘zoom in’ and walk backwards to ‘zoom out.’

If you shoot in a lot of cramped situations though, you might actually like one of these lenses BETTER than the 50mm:

- Canon 28mm f1.8 ($450.  Canon makes more expensive lenses that are similar, like the 24mm f1.4 and the 35mm f1.4 but they’re really spendy.)  This lens does not ‘zoom.’

- Nikon 35mm f1.8 ($200.  This lens will NOT work correctly on Full Frame cameras like the Nikon D700, Nikon D3, D3x or the D3s.)  This lens does not ‘zoom.’

For outdoor, everyday shooting, I recommend a zoom lens like the 24-70mm f2.8.  (Tamron makes a REALLY high quality version of this lens at the most affordable price, the Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 for about $450 – this is the ONLY lens I owned for 3+ years and I think it’s wonderful.  Canon and Nikon have much more expensive versions of this lens; Canon $1400/Nikon $1800.)

For sports, recitals, theater (and any other subject that is far away from you while shooting), I recommend the 70-200mm f2.8.  (Unfortunately, this is an EXPENSIVE lens and a very HEAVY lens, therefore, you want to put a lot of thought into whether or not this is the right lens for you – maybe even trying it out at a camera shop.  Again, Tamron makes the cheapest version of it, the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 for about $750 and both Canon and Nikon make more expensive versions of this lens that are closer to $1700.)

For portraits, the 50mm lens I mentioned earlier is a great lens (unless you’re using it on a Full Frame camera) and so is an 85mm lens (these lenses create some of the most beautiful images you’ll ever see).

- 85mm f1.8 (Canon $440/Nikon $450)  This lens does not ‘zoom.’

- 85mm f1.4 (Nikon $1230)  This lens does not ‘zoom.’

- 85mm f1.2 (Canon $2000)  This lens does not ‘zoom.’

A few friends have been talking about setting up a dreamboard for themselves this year. Many have been saying it has been quite effective in making “their dreams come true” – and it is something worth trying. Not even the best fat burner can help me lose weight – maybe a little more motivation and inspiration will help?

Setting goals is something we are all familiar with. In fact, it’s almost become a cliche that some people no longer pay attention to. Making a dream board can take the cliche out of setting your life goals, and can even help you to accomplish those goals.

1. You can either gather use magazines or image websites. If you choose to use magazines, you should use different types, covering all the topics that you are interested in.

2. Go through each magazine and cut out any random pictures that appeal to you. Allow your mind to wander and follow your instinct. Find bright, colorful images that make you feel fantastic or get you thinking about what life could be like if it were you in that picture. Try to minimize the words that you cut out.

3. Purchase a magnetic board or a large blank painting canvas that is pre-strung on a timber frame and paper glue. These are inexpensive and available at a local art store. (A good size is 1m x 1.5m.)

4. Cut out the pictures neatly and stick them on your board.

5. Place the dream board beside your bed or in your office and look at it at least twice a day for about 5 minutes. Enjoy the images, enjoy your work and imagine yourself leading the life that is in your dream board.

6. You will notice in the following 12 months that you are starting to achieve some of the dreams you have stuck on your board.

Of course, you knew I would say I want one right? I think I can buy this once I deliver the best hgh supplement my cousin needs.

National Book Store and Collezione-C2 partner with Moleskine
for the limited edition My Pilipinas Moleskine

Celebrate the joy of being Filipino with the My Pilipinas Moleskine, designed by fashion stalwart and Collezione-C2 Creative Director Rhett Eala.

The result of a partnership between top Filipino brands, retail giant National Book Store and Collezione-C2, and the famed Moleskine brand, the limited edition Moleskine Classic Notebook features the iconic Philippine map on the cover of the legendary notebooks.

For two centuries now Moleskines have been the notebook of artists, writers, intellectuals and travelers, and have become synonymous with centuries of culture, imagination, memory, and personal identity. Famous users of the Moleskine include Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Bruce Chatwin.

The notebooks are available in large and pocket size, and plain or ruled pages for both sizes. All Moleskine products are thread-bound and feature acid-free paper, and come with a bookmark, elastic closure and expandable inner pocket detailing the product’s unique history. Available only in soft cover, the My Pilipinas Moleskine Classic Notebook is the ideal companion in creating and capturing life stories.

With the introduction of the My Pilipinas Moleskine, a symbol of nationalistic spirit and heart, new legends are expected to be created from the passion, mind and limitless creativity of Filipinos.
My Pilipinas Moleskine is available exclusively at selected National Book Store and Collezione-C2 branches.

If you believe in horoscopes or are curious as to what lies ahead for you this year – look no more. Whether you are a celebrity, housewife or energy auditor, you can see what is in store for you in this year of the tiger! 

TIGER
1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

Zodiac’s Nature:

Unpredictable, rebellious, colorful, powerful, passionate, daring, impulsive, vigorous, stimulating, sincere, affectionate, humanitarian, generous. Can be restless, reckless, impatient, quick-tempered, obstinate, selfish, aggressive.

2010 is the year of the Golden Tiger so people born in the year of the Tiger are said to be offending the Grand Duke (Tai Suey Wu Hang) of the year and this will usher in inauspicious and difficult periods from time to time throughout the year. It is important that they should try to avoid going to funerals or attending wakes. If it cannot be avoided then they should not go home or go back to the office directly from the funeral or wake. Instead, they should stop by a restaurant or a crowded area along the way like a supermarket or a shopping mall. This is symbolic of shedding off the bad luck or negative energy in another place and not bringing it back to home or to the office. Then they must bathe with water that has been boiled with pomelo leaves to minimize their bad luck.

Tigers are offending the Tai Suey this year; scientifically they are affected by the unseen negative force from Jupiter on the Earth at 60 degrees Northeast. So, there are many unlucky stars that are gathered under their sign and present in their life cycle in year 2010, there is also a lack of lucky stars. They will face many problems and persecutions both in their work and private life. Thus, they should handle their work cautiously to avoid great failures.

In general, 2010 is not a good year for Tiger people, due to the influence of the planet Jupiter, thus Tigers should be flexible to cope with the sudden changes during the year. They have to mind their own business to avoid getting involved in disputes. They should steer clear from rumors and gossip. Beware of road safety to avoid accident. They will have some movement this year which translates as a chance to move house, change career or travel etc. However, it is important to keep in mind that they have to be more patient, keep a low profile and avoid conflict with people. Tigers should try to be humble enough to accept advice from older people because they must understand that experience cannot be purchased. A Chinese proverb says: “With one careless move, the whole game is over” and “There is always a person above the other”.

Although Tigers offend the Tai Suey this year, they will have a Powerful Star under their sign so that they can delegate and they will have more authority in their work. Conversely, they will face more challenges and annoyances that will cause them to have more stress and pressure. To conquer all the coming challenges, they should relax more and lift up their fighting spirit.

Financially, money luck is easy come and easy go; they can hardly save money this year. Therefore, they should be more conservative in handling their business and financial affairs especially in the lunar months of January, April and July. It is not a good year to start a new business or undergo expansion unless they are Tigers born in the lunar months of July, August, September, November and December. For these Tigers, they will have better luck this year and their chances of success are big.

Thus, these Tigers should treasure the timing and be alert to grasp opportunities to exhibit their talents throughout the year. Tigers should not be greedy because as I’ve said every year “Being too greedy will cause one to be poor” and will also cause bad luck to follow soon after. You can see in the year 2009 Year of the Earth Ox, if people were not too greedy for high interest returns then they would not have lost all their money in the stock market and other investments which in turn greatly contributed to the global crisis. So, it is absolutely not lucky for Tigers to invest in the stock market. Keep away from gambling and beware of money traps especially when engaged in contract signing. It is important not to lend money or be a loan guarantor otherwise they will suffer in the months to come. Instead, Tigers have to march, step by step to be successful this year.

In love affairs, this is not a romantic year for Tigers and they should not expect too much. They will easily have misunderstandings. Apart from this, they are quite emotional, jealous and suspicious. So, they should keep a clear mind since this will help them have a stable relationship. They have to be especially cautious in the lunar months of January, April, July and August. Regarding health, due to the influence of the unlucky stars; they should keep away from sharp objects and beware especially of road safety. Pay special attention when driving in the highway and avoid talking on the phone or texting while driving. Try to avoid any dangerous sports. Be cautious in the lunar months of January, April, May, June, July, August and October. It is important to do more exercise and be patient to avoid struggling with people. The younger generation of Tigers especially should avoid having too much nightlife since this is the way to avoid unnecessary troubles. Apart from this, Tigers should avoid visiting patients and attending funerals or wakes. For their protection, they have to carry a “Safety Medallion”, and a “White Jade Gourd” to avoid accidents. Try to have a blood test or donate blood in the beginning of this year after February 4, 2010. Do more charity. If possible, eat more vegetables than meat. Keeping happy always will help Tigers have better luck.

Read the rest of this entry »

The husband has been buying me one book of Nicholas Sparks at a time. While you might immediately gush and say that is the sweetest thing, it has selfish reasons too. He is done reading David Baldacci books so he thought Nicholas Sparks might be interesting.

I got a complete list of his books here. He has around 16 books so this will be a lot to buy in one go. One book every two weeks would be fine with me. I do not really want to collect books now since I can read e-books (They are free!). But I have to agree – nothing beats reading and turning each page. Since we only buy paperbacks we do not need to splurge so much that we need to apply for payday loans online!

Here is the list of his books:

The Last Song
The Lucky One
Dear John
The Choice
At First Sight
True Believer
Three Weeks with my Brother
The Guardian
The Wedding
Nights in Rodanthe
A Bend in the Road
The Rescue
A Walk to Remember
Message in a Bottle
The Notebook

Where I have been the past few weeks?

I was busy reconnecting with this sociopath genius of a diagnostician – House. I am currently on Season 4 and I need to pace myself or else I would not get any work done this week. While on a medical point of view, House’s antics, stubbornness and even his way of diagnosing spells lawsuit and unethical practice of medicine (the diseases are also out of this world), I love the show. It makes me live and practice medicine vicariously through them.

I won’t be buying the DVDs because 1) I dont want to apply for a payday loan for it and 2) Everything can now be found online! After House, I will be watching Grey’s Anatomy next. Nothing beats medicine melodrama with such a McDreamy on the tube! After that I might try Lost (it’s on its final season and I haven’t even tried watching it!) and One Tree Hill. Let’s see.

Have you watched the movie Everyone’s Hero? It is the first animated movie dedicated to baseball! Here is the summary: “"Yankee Irving" is a heartwarming comedy-adventure, telling the story of a young boy’s thousand-mile journey to help Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees win the World Series.” I’m going to let Matthew watch this movie.

The last baseball movie I actually enjoyed was way back 1994 – Angels in the Outfield. Remember that movie? Here is the summary: “Roger, an 11-year-old foster child, hears his dad sarcastically say the chances of the family reuniting are as good as the California Angels winning the pennant. Roger interprets his dad’s comments as a promise and prays that God will help the Angels win the pennant. Following the prayer, a star winks back in agreement and angels unknowingly begin to help the ballplayers play better and win more games.”

That is why I want to have Matthew watch sport-related movies. I feel that they convey a moral lesson to be learned at the end. It helps me teach him the values of teamwork, hard work, sportsmanship, discipline, passion for something and camaraderie. After watching the movie – can you guess what he now wants? Yep. He wants Baseball Equipment!!! Can you imagine?

I might just get him this one:

I love that he would be interested in baseball. It will train his eye and hand coordination movement, teach him the value of teamwork and sportsmanship and it is not much of a contact sport for me to be worried so much. Baseball equipment are also not that expensive, considering they have equipment specifically for kids – Kids Sports Inc has a variety of quality equipment that not only will interest the kids but give them the chance to play. For kids six year old and under, batting tees made of plastic would be safer.

This is a sponsored post.

Source.

Science and technology has been so far advanced already that cures for diseases, illnesses or disabilities have been discovered and have helped millions of people lead better lives. A Cochlear Implant is going to be one of them.

Whereas hearing aids only work for outer and middle ear problems, Cochlear Implants can now be implanted inside the ear, and now can help those who have severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Hearing aids cannot help these kinds of loss.

Cochlear Implant Surgery is safe – do you want to know a trivia? Political commentator Rush Limbaugh received a cochlear implant in 2001.

One day my eldest goes up to me and says, “Mommy why have I never seen snow? I want to play in the snow!”. Trust my son to come up with weirdest, out-of-the-blue ideas. We live in an area where snow never happens. If snow did happen, I am going to be so scared for the future of the planet because that would be climate change at its worst! We would need to travel far to experience it and for now my son believes Lake Tahoe is the place to go.

Ski resorts in Lake Tahoe are very popular with people from the West Coast. You get the perfect scenery, the awesome slopes for skiing and resorts, inns and hotels that meet different needs of the family perfectly. It has places that are for advanced and beginner skiiers alike. There is plenty at Heavenly designed to keep advanced skiers happy and Kirkwood and Squaw Valley also have some spectacularly challenging skiing. The Gunbarrel on the Californian side of Heavenly for a chairlift is a tourist attraction so are the diamond blacks for which Squaw is famous.

There are also skiing lessons for the kids who are called Sprites and I am sure my kids will enjoy that one!