Cryo-Cell and February Babies

I got in touch with my mother’s instinct the minute my little girl was born. It’s a part of me that just came out of nowhere. All I knew then was that I had to protect the precious little human being from any kind of harm at all cost.

As she grew older, I realized that I can only do so much to shield her from getting sick. The most that I could do is to give her supplements to boost her immune system and to let her undergo scheduled shots or immunizations. Other than that, I would give anything to ensure her health and well-being not only today, but in the future as well.

Lucky for parents whose children will be born in this age of advance technology and science breakthroughs, they have a better chance of securing the health of their offspring.

Stem cell preservation of the umbilical cord blood is now an available option for families who wish to save them for future use. Stem cells have the potential of curing over 75 kinds of diseases, while a host of other medical miracles are still being determined through continuous and rigorous research.

Backed by quality certifications and accreditations, Cryo-Cell, the company behind innovative stem cell solutions, is one of the most stable family cord blood banks, servicing more than 175,000 satisfied clients worldwide. Enrollment is free, and there are flexible payment plans to accommodate any budget, which gives everybody the chance to benefit from this potential life saver.

There is even good news for parents who will have February babies this year! Cryo-Cell is currently running a special offer on UCORD at $300 off and Protect Baby, Protect Mom at $400 off! All you have to do is to enroll now and deliver by February 28 to avail of this promotion. This limited offer is only valid up to 12 midnight on the said date, so check it out now and take advantage of huge savings on a lifetime investment.

My Valentine's Day and Shopaholic Loot

Belated Happy Hearts' Day!

Sorry, I let Valentine's day pass without the customary V-Day post and greetings. I wasn't able to partake in one of the most commercialized holidays of the year. So?

I didn't want to bore you with the story of not having someone to be with on that day. Well actually, I didn't make plans because I had to work. I came home from work early that day to do some more work at home. I would've dropped everything for a date, but, I absolutely had to attend to something um, rather important.

Bored you already, huh. I told you! ;P

Anyways, I was able to attend Nuffnang's awarding ceremonies for the Confessions of a Shopaholic Contest at Heaven 'n Eggs. It was great to meet fellow bloggers I only know through their respective URLs and a couple of photos in their blogs.

Lizz, Annabel and I weren't able to join the rest near the "stage" as it was already full. The program was short, fun, and quite surprising because we each had to talk about our entries. I also learned that my post was among the Top 10 because apart from the advance screening tickets, I also got premium Shopaholic items. Thanks, Nuffnang!

• The Top 15 best entries from the top 20 will win advance screening tickets for 2
• The Top 10 best entries from the top 15 will each get a “Confessions of a Shopaholic” premium items
• The BEST ENTRY will win the limited edition “Confessions of a Shopaholic” Gucci bag.

Even though I did not get the limited edition Gucci bag (only 100 of them in the whole world!), knowing that I'm in the Top 10 among 70++ entries is more than enough.

The Loot

These are the stuff I got in my lootbag: 2 tickets for the advance screening, pink Shopaholic wristlet pouch, Shopaholic charm keychain and Shopaholic cube pad care of Nuffnang, freebies from movie sponsors Meiji, Astringosol Specialist, Ipanema and OK! magazine from Frances, the Best Entry winner. She was so nice to bring back issues for all of us. :)

Obviously, I forgot my camera, so no photos here of the event. I won 2 tickets, so I was able to watch the movie and had the overdue post Valentine's date by myself at the same time. Too bad no one is available to use the other ticket, but I had a blast, nevertheless!

The movie is not just another chick flick. It's a story of a woman who had overcome an addiction and turned her life around. And just when things are going great for her, career-wise, Derek Smeath turns up with the help of Ms. Spider Long Legs to pull her down. Ahh, what is life without the presence of green monsters, eh? They are just everywhere! I can't help but relate with dear Becky there.

Pretty much the same scenario with my shoes!

There are a couple of lines in the movie that I wish I could have jotted down, but they all point to the lesson that we are not defined by the things we possess. I'm definitely going to get this in video and watch it all over again. I believe the original book version is better though, if only I can finish the E-Book of the series sitting on my hard disk for ages now. But if you're on for some feel-good stuff with a moral lesson, don't miss this movie. You'll surely enjoy the ride! You can watch the teaser HERE.

The Dance

P.S. Hugh Dancy is a revelation! ;-)

Be Protected, Get Vaccinated!

I’m glad that the cold month of January is finally over. Although it was refreshing to feel the cold breeze outdoors, to sleep and wake up without the need for extra air from the fan or the AC, the downside of it was the cough and colds it brought to half of our family members. These are common illnesses, I know, but when they inflict children and the elderly, they become a serious cause of concern.

My parents who are both senior citizens, caught the virus last month. I was particularly worried about my father who is suffering from Congestive Heart Failure, when his cough lasted for weeks despite the aid of medication and natural supplements.

During a follow up check up with his doctor, he was advised to undergo Flu vaccination to protect him from the Influenza virus before the onset of Flu season, which is from June to November. Apart from being 72 years old, his chronic heart disease and weakened immune system put him highly at risk of contracting the disease.

I admit it was a wake up call.

What is Influenza?

We commonly refer to Flu or Trangkaso as the combination of colds, cough, persistent fever, coupled with muscle and joint pain that just goes away in a week or two on its own or with the help of some fever medicine and increased fluid intake.

Little do most people know that Influenza, a communicable viral respiratory illness caused by a virus that attacks primarily the upper respiratory tract, poses a serious risk to very young children, elderly people and those who suffer from medical conditions such as Diabetes, Cancer, lung diseases, kidney and heart problems, as it may lead to critical complications and even death.

Why get a Flu vaccine?

Given that Influenza (identified as the 5th leading cause of illness in the Philippines in 2006) is indeed life threatening, we need all the protection we can get to ward off the risk of catching this fatal disease. Aside from strengthening one’s immune system by taking vitamins, other health supplements and leading a generally healthy lifestyle, it is also imperative to get a Flu vaccine every year, for optimum protection against the varying virus strains that circulate every Flu season.

Except for those who are allergic to eggs and other components of the Flu vaccine, I believe that not only senior citizens, very young children and individuals that are most at risk need to get vaccinated. Everyone needs to be protected. That’s why just like my Mom and Dad, I am definitely getting the vaccine for both myself and my 7-year old daughter.

The cost of a flu shot may cause a slight strain in the family budget, but consider its long term benefits of not worrying over hospitalization and medication bills that eventually drain the family savings, missing out on work and the physical and emotional stress that goes with an illness. It is one of the best investments a person can make to secure his health and well being.

Stop Flu now!

Sanofi Pasteur Philippines, manufacturer of Vaxigrip - one of the best Flu vaccines in the market today, is one of the leading advocates in the ongoing nationwide campaign against Flu. You too, can be a part of this campaign by talking about the disease and the significance of getting vaccinated against Flu to your family and friends.

To get to know more about Flu facts, visit http://www.bakuna.ph and consider getting Bakunado now!

My Shopaholic Confession

My own Cinderella glass slipper!

Hi! My name is KCee and I’m a shopaholic!

I can’t really remember when I started being a shopaholic. All I know is that during my childhood, my sister and I always spend weekend shopping with our Mom.

Yes. Mom.

So it must be Mom

Our mother is a classic model of a compulsive buyer slash hoarder (in a positive way, if I may add). If she finds a top she really likes, expect her to have it in all colors available. She seldom stumbles upon stuff that suits her taste, so she compensates for it whenever she gets lucky.

Mom is also in the habit of stacking our kitchen shelf with grocery items like there’s going to be a food shortage anytime soon. Well, not only the kitchen shelf, but she buys almost everything in bulk. The good side of it is that we never had supply problems; everything is well provided, and always with a little extra. From rice to scotch tape, you name it, she never runs out of it. She even pays everything in advance. The concept of cash flow for her is um, utterly ridiculous.

It’s still a mystery how she managed the family budget well, given her purchasing passion and generosity. We are a middle class family that doesn’t own a single credit card and yet we survived.

She’s my idol.

My genes undoubtedly have it.

The Hoarder in Me

Shopping gives out a different kind of ‘psychological high’ I’m sure most women can relate to. It turns into an addiction nobody wants to be cured of; and what’s pleasantly worse, the presence of sales even turns it into an obsession.

The only time I allow myself to splurge is whenever there’s a sale. It excites me like crazy; everything with the “% OFF” sign makes my eyes sparkle with glee while my knees go wobbly. But it also brings out the hoarder in me; buying stuff meant for future use – toys, clothes, knick-knacks or other potential gifts. I always rationalize that splurging on discounted items is actually practical, as it saves one a lot of time and money later on. No, I don’t have loads of cash to spend or a single credit card to swipe, but when I do spend, it has to be in the form of an investment.

Sometimes, I get 3 of the same stuff in one go. Then I check out if they have it in my Mom’s, sister’s, aunt’s, cousin’s and friend’s size too. I leave the store looking silly with big shopping bags like I spent half of my paycheck, when it only cost me so little. So whenever a birthday is coming up, regardless if it’s my little girl’s classmate, a friend, cousin, officemate, or Mom’s friend's-son's-daughter, I just dig in my stash and choose an age-appropriate gift. It’s like a one stop mini store in my room where anyone can get gifts for all occasions. Just tell me your budget and I'm sure to have the perfect gift for you, complete with gift wrap!

Now, that’s how hoarding becomes an investment. You don't realize it until you need it. :)

I love buying my little girl sparkly blings!

The Wiser Shopaholic

I remember when I was 8 years old and my Dad promised to buy me a shoulder bag. He was a military officer always on provincial mission, yet he spared some of his free time to take me to the mall to choose the bag that I want (yeah, behind the uniform is a really sweet man!).

He still smiles at the memory both of us vividly remember. We spent most of the afternoon mall hopping, not only because I loved checking out every bag design there is, but I refused to choose a bag that I thought was expensive. He said that at 8 years old, I already knew how to shop wisely and untiringly at that.

He saw the sign.

They say shopaholics don’t have a budget; sky is always the limit even if it means a busted credit card and a hole in the pocket. This is a fallacy and so not true.

I always advise people never to buy branded items at regular price unless they really have to, because there will always be a sale. Patience is not only a virtue, it’s also rewarding.

Well, it really takes some energy and patience to be the wiser shopaholic. For someone like me who can spend the whole day visiting shops, bazaars, haggling or flipping tags to check out the prices, it’s an easy feat. That's how I get the best deals even without the big sale poster flashing across the shop window. I love it so much I can make a career out of it.

This bag makes me feel like a celebrity! Got it on sale for only P380

Let me share one of the best shopaholic moments I had: I got Florsheim shoes for kids (you know that those babies normally cost up to P1,500 the most) at the mall unbelievably priced at P100 each! There was no sign whatsoever that they were on sale; all I did was to flip the shoe and read the numbers.

Opportunities like this don’t come everyday so one has to decide quickly on the spot while it’s still there waiting to be grabbed. I left the store doing the happy dance carrying 10 boxes (for 10 lucky kids - I still don’t know who!) while the rest of the shoppers were left in awe, probably thinking I’m rich to buy that much. ^^ If they only knew, it just took a little effort to find that treasure.

Some of my good finds:

Memo bag from P1,350 to P350!

Authentic Fila sporty bag from P800 to P229!

Brand new pink Jordache top for the unbelievable price of P35!

My Shopaholic Fantasy

The ultimate shopaholic fantasy for me would be shopping like royalty in a big mall closed exclusively for me. I get to pick whatever I want without checking the price and I will have no worries of credit card bills because a prince in a faraway kingdom will take care of the tab. Or, to win a shopping spree where I can have all I can grab inside a big department store under time pressure. Some fantasy huh?

Well until my fantasy comes true, I’m going to fulfill a more realistic one first, because the well-loved-famous-book-turned-movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic” is hitting the theaters soon! I’m so excited to see Rebecca Bloomwood in action! Care to join me?

Catch “Confessions of a Shopaholic” in Cinemas on February 18, 2009!

Affordable Glasses from Zenni

If you’ve been a regular reader of The New York Times online, then surely, you will not be one those who will be surprised to ask this: Zenni Optical in the New York Times?!

Yes, most readers must have stumbled upon the article Seeing Clear Without Breaking the Bank. The said article which tackled eye care and its financial aspect, mentioned Zenni Optical as a source of Prescription eyeglasses for only $8!

I’ve shared about Zenni Optical last year, and I’m glad their prices remain affordable. Take a look at this lavender beauty, the frame sells for only $8 including lens. Stylishly cheap, huh?

The Little Lady’s Got Some PR

The Little Lady was born brimming with PR.

Oh, I’m using the acronym PR (Public Relations) in the context of being sociable, friendly or outgoing. Well, she’s all that and more. She is never the shy type.

In the last quarter of 2008, she got another "PR"; the PR every blogger aims for – the elusive Page Rank.

It actually came as a surprise. I wasn’t even convinced at first, but when the PR checker kept on going green for DeCaFFeiNaTeD, it was confirmed. The funny thing is that she started with a PR3, then after a week it turned gray or NA, then back to PR3 again after 2 weeks. I figured “G” must be undecided then what to give her.

Opportunities came to her blog and I did a few of them. But when I later read in the terms that it’s okay to make the links no-follow for those opps, from do-follow, I changed the links to no-follow. After another update, the provider wrote that all opps must have do-follow links, so I had to change them all back again. Whew!

A few days after that, her PR went a notch down to PR2. I remember what I read somewhere before, that bloggers should not confuse the big “G” by changing templates too often or probably, by doing what I did. “G” is like a little child who doesn’t like being confused, because whenever that happens, he is sure to penalize.

I know that now.

Looking at the bright side, I’m still thankful that it’s just a level down and not back to NA, huh. :)

P.S. Don't forget to check out DeCaFFeiNaTeD's new look!


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Play Free Games at Kids Zone!

Whenever I need a breather from both online and offline work, I search for computer games to play. It’s a favorite de-stressing activity that relaxes my mind and keeps my thoughts away from work, even for a little while. Good that there is a wide range of games available online that can be played for free, so no problem with spending extra money for this kind of entertainment. The choices are virtually endless!

I just learned that the Mega Brands website (home to the best toy brands) has its own Kids Zone section, where one can play different kinds of games (multiplayer, quests, battles, shooting, racing and drawing) for free. I tried to play Neo Shifters, Magnext, Drawing Game and shooting skeletons in Treasure of the Lord Pyrate, but I like Legends King Arthur most of all because I enjoyed searching for the hidden shields scattered throughout the land.

Everytime I stumble upon a cool gaming site, I make sure to share it with my little girl. I'm pretty sure she will love all the games at Mega Brand's Kids Zone, especially the Drawing Game where she can sketch her own images and color pictures by using the different tools on the right side palette.

If your family is in the mood for some serious fun, try the colorful games at MEGA Brands Kids Zone and play as much as you want for FREE!

Yellow Beauties

This is not an entry to LP (Litratong Pinoy). How I wish! But I only took these shots from a point and shoot pink Fuji camera I promised to tell you the model last year, but still was not able to. Do you still remember? No? Oh, goodie. :)

I passed by these yellow beauties on my way to the front door, when I came home from work the other day. This Hibiscus aka Gumamela flower is big, and it would be a waste not to take some shots. So here's what I got. I didn't realize there was something caught crawling in the middle. Can you see it?


There were actually two flowers, but the other one is already starting to wither. Just sharing one of the times I'm literally stopping by not only to smell, but to take pictures of the flowers as well. It even rhymes!


Speaking of flowers, please don't remind me that Valentines Day is just a few days away, unless you plan to send me some okay? ^^


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The Wonder that is C’elle

Preserving one’s health is becoming one of the top priorities in our society today. It’s a good thing that people are more health conscious now and turning to a healthier lifestyle, while Science continues to search for innovation and options for sickness prevention and cure – from strengthening one’s immune system to treating life-threatening diseases.

One of the brand new discoveries that graced the health scene lately, is C’elle. Its patented technology lets women collect potentially life-saving stem cells that are found in the menstrual blood, through a safe and non-invasive easy-to-use collection kit.

According to recent findings and ongoing pre-clinical trials, menstrual stem cells have great potential in treating diseases such as Heart Disease, Breast Cancer, Diabetes and Stroke, among others. With additional therapeutic developments, it could also be instrumental in treating major diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Consider the future benefits it will bring to our families when one of them gets inflicted with any of these serious illnesses - it might just save their lives.

Still in doubt? To know more about C'elle, watch real people share their experience in C'Elle Testimonials.

This miracle is now available at the special price of $499 (Annual Plan), which gives you a total of $200 retail savings, plus a limited edition rhinestone engraved C'elle satchel. Just use the code: CNB200 upon ordering.

The special offer is for a limited time only, so take advantage of this promotion and Order C'elle Now!