I Dream of Kissimmee

A friend was raving about her recent vacation, and I could only sigh over the detailed account of her seemingly marvelous trip. While a break for me right now is in order, not to mention long overdue and truly deserved, I have to think of priorities that need immediate attention. Well, they never go away, do they?

In times like this, I couldn’t help but wish for a generous sponsor who can send me off somewhere out of town or to be lucky enough to win a trip through a free drawing or sweepstakes. Why not? Although I’m aware that finding a sponsor maybe hard these belt-tightening days, one can always find generous companies or groups holding fantastic giveaways.

As you all know, I’m a freebie fanatic and luckily, I always stumble upon opportunities that can be had absolutely free. So here’s a hot tip, Kissimmee is holding a sweepstakes for three (3) getaways and two (2) weeklong vacations!

I've only read about Kissimmee, but my imagination had already wandered off to sunny Florida. Their fabulous theme parks like Walt Disney World® Resorts' Magic Kingdom® Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios™ among others, are perfect not only for my 7-year old, but for me as well, who never really stopped being young-at-heart. Moreover, I’m excited to check out the antique shops for great bargains and discover some new cuisine at the local restaurants. I’m sure that the moment I set foot there, there will be a lot more exciting things to do.

There are three (3) draw dates for the Kissimmee Freedom Sweepstakes scheduled April 1, May 1, and June 1, 2009; so if you missed the chance to win earlier, don’t hold back and take a shot at winning a FREE vacation now!

I’m a Pirate and I’ve Joined the Mafia

My Mafia stats

Yes! Are you either, or both?

I’ve been giving my Facebook account some lovin’ lately, and along with it inadvertently came the opportunity to become a pirate and join the mafia. Who doesn’t need a breather, eh? I’m turning a year older in less than 2 weeks, and in between personal and career stress, there are a thousand things running through my mind that I’d rather not disclose. I’m sure you know the pressure of growing a bit older each year, so I think you get the idea.

While I'm counting the days until the day, if you’re already on Facebook and you feel like plundering and doing some hitlist jobs in your free time, then why not join my Pirate Crew and Mafia Family? Just drop me a line here or click on my Facebook badge to add me up.

This should be fun. :)

Charter's April HDTV Giveaway

How would you like to take home a lovely 22” flat screen HDTV for FREE? Better yet, set aside some space in your home’s entertainment area for a brand new 52” LCD flat screen HDTV and a Home Theater System?

Sounds too good to be true, but it’s not! You can actually own these, when you join Charter Communications’ HDTV-a-Day Sweepstakes, where there are 30 units of 22” Samsung HDTVs to be given away daily for the month of April, plus a 52” Sony Bravia HDTV, Sony Home Theater System and one year free Charter Digital Cable® with HD programming for one lucky grand prize winner!

Charter Communications, in its continuous effort to adapt to new trends and cater to the growing needs of consumers, regularly offers its customers quality services with extra perks that make purchasing their products truly, money well spent. They gave away laptops, game systems and a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid last year, so it’s not really surprising if they’re back with another fabulous contest for this year.

The giveaway is open to all new and upgrading customers. All orders for the month of April will automatically qualify for the giveaway upon installation. Hop on now to their website to know more about this generous promotion.

Enjoy 75-80% Off from Sears

I am not called a bargain hag if I don’t have the eye for a good clearance sale. As with most online and offline finds, I always try to share with you, dear friends and readers, how to spare some cash - even cents for that matter, by giving sale alerts whenever I can.

It’s always a pleasure to search for fab finds at more than half the price slash that translates to great savings. Well today, Sears takes this sweet spotlight because they have an ongoing sale happening at their stores. Yes, they are taking away a hefty 75 up to 80% off original prices on their fall and winter apparel until April 18, 2009! As any smart shopper would advise, it’s always best to do shopping during season sales, so stock up and hoard if you must.

I browsed through the selections and here’s a favorite pick for my little girl - the Southpole Girl’s Velour Butterfly & Logo Hoodie. As you all know, I love pink in all forms, and this girly piece is quite irresistible with the soft fabric and pretty butterfly embroidery all for only $3.99 - definitely a steal from its original price of $36!

You too can penny-pinch while picking a little something for the whole family from a wide range of categories, so visit them now before stocks run out.

The Complete Guide to Botox Injections

In less than two months, I’m going to turn another year older. Again. Time indeed, flies so fast! I’m sure most women my age are already panicking about facial lines, wrinkles and anything that sags. Well, who doesn’t? In this day and age where the enhancement and preservation of youth and beauty can be conveniently found over the counter or in thousands of beauty clinics under the able hands (and knives) of beauty experts, there is absolutely no reason for anybody not to look their best.

One of the beauty miracles that successfully hit the market is Botox Injection. I've been curious about this for the longest time. When facial creams fail, this formula proves to be a better and more popular non-surgical alternative to slow down the signs of aging.

Do you know that medical doctors can actually train on this beauty procedure through the botox injection training DVD? "THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BOTOX® INJECTIONS" instructional video is professionally demonstrated by Dolores Kent, M.D., an experienced Beverly Hills-based cosmetic surgeon, where she shares her expertise on botox guidelines, techniques, precautions, contraindications and more.

Interested? You can visit www.VideoShelf.com for more information on how to order your Botox DVD copy now.

Botox Injection Video

Botox Training | Botox Injections

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?

“Smart Girls” Rock!

As a working mom like majority of women today, one of the things that I feel most guilty about is the fact that I’m not spending enough time with my daughter. No matter how I make up for lost time whenever I’m spending extra hours in the office, when I should already be home doing homework with her and watching her go to sleep, I feel the bonding activities that we do on weekends are not enough.

That is why when we do have time to spend together, I make it a point to maximize the quality of the moment with fun activities she like and a hundred hugs and kisses with constant assurance that she means the world to me.

Our typical bonding moment consists of dressing up Barbie dolls, playing with her other toys, reading stories, painting, singing, dancing, going to the mall, watching TV and playing games in the computer. I try to participate in every activity because I consider each one a good opportunity to motivate her to always do her best.

Speaking of motivation, I’m also planning to let her watch Amy Poehler’s newly-launched show, “Smart Girls”, through the Cozmo TV player. The show "celebrates extraordinary individuals who are changing the world by being themselves." What a great concept to feature talented young individuals who are big stars in their own right! I believe this show will inspire kids to discover their own passion and pursue them early, no matter how young they may be.

You can get your own widget here and post it to your blogs or other social networking sites. This is definitely worth sharing, so spread it around and inspire more!

A Vacuum for Christmas

The Little Lady and I both have allergic rhinitis; we sneeze in the presence of dust, powder, smoke or strong perfume. That’s why it’s always important to keep our room dust-free to prevent undesirable allergic attacks.

Given our condition, I find solace in the company of one of my favorite dust busters - the mighty vacuum cleaner. Ours is already generations old, and it already fails to render optimum performance when needed. The choice is now for me to decide if I will just purchase new parts to have it up and running smoothly again or be worry-free and buy a brand new model.

Either way, I’m glad that over at EZ VACUUM, they have a wide range of selections on affordable vacuum cleaner parts, accessories and brand new units as well. Currently, they are offering 10% Off Coupon EZVAC10 on vacuum cleaners bags belts filters brushrolls machines and on all orders over $20. What’s more, they charge very low shipping charges and even free shipping to US orders over $50!

I checked their Clearance Rack and found a couple of discounted units in cool designs. Now, the dilemma goes back to buying parts or getting the whole thing. Well, maybe I might just end up tossing this to the “gifts for myself” list for Christmas. :)

Stylish Prescription Glasses from Zenni

The ‘red eye’ hit me again for the third time this year. Well, I’m not even sure of that because it happens so often that I already lost count.

I noticed that my eyes are becoming increasingly sensitive lately that even an exposure of a couple of hours in front of the computer monitor makes them easily exhausted. I have seriously taken this is a sign that I need to change my eyeglasses.

Given that I’m aware of how expensive it is to have custom made eyeglasses at local optical shops, I turn to online shopping in search for one that has good quality at an affordable price.

I’m lucky to stumble upon ZenniOptical.com; they have an extensive array of stylish prescription eyeglasses online that are unbelievably low priced. They manage to sell them for as low as $8 a pair, because unlike others, they don’t use middlemen. They sell their own manufactured frames directly to the customers, giving them quality products at a price everyone could afford.

Furthermore, Zenni Optical has been getting positive raves from all over. In fact, they were featured over the radio, on Fox News TV, and even garnered a recommendation from the popular U.S. talk radio host of The Clark Howard Show.

Currently, they have new arrivals in various colors and designs with single vision lens, sunsensor (potochromic) lens, tinted sunglasses lens, bifocal lens and progressive lens.

With online offerings like this, it won’t be hard to beat the economic crunch!

Gadgets and Useful Consumer Advice

If you’re a non-techie like me, I’m sure you’ve had your moments of confusion and difficulty over having to keep up with the rapidly evolving world of technology today.

Just recently, I needed to search for sensible reviews on which brand of universal remote control would last for many years. After throwing a couple of units in a span of one year, I spent a lot on poor-performing brands due to lack of knowledge on the products that I bought.

In times like this, I find ease and comfort turning to the internet for information, especially on technology news and updates that may not have reached my side of the world just yet.

A technology site like Gadget Advisor is a good resource for computer hardware, software, gadgets and tech news. It presents in-depth reviews on not just any kind of gadget, but rather focuses on the useful and noteworthy products found in the market today; like network media player and online backup services, to name a few. No need to search through a bulk of mediocre news and products; only significant ones are presented.

So before making any kind of purchase, it’s always wise to consider a little bit of research first before parting with your cash. It will surely spare you from both headache and money going down the drain.

Well, I must say I already learned that lesson earlier. :)

Sale! Sale!: 80% Off at Swimsuits For All

I love a great BIG sale! *giggles*

Given that I seldom buy regular-priced items when it comes to branded clothing/apparel, I wait for the opportunity to purchase what I like at a lesser price (better if it's slashed down to less than 50% off). Never mind if I wait for a little while, as long as I'll save more - that's the idea.

Swimsuits For All is currently holding a clearance sale with discounts up to 80% off! They carry a wide range of hard-to-find swimsuits for women, men, teens and kids; but best of all, there are a lot of styles that will suit any kind of size and budget.

I browsed the selections and picked 2 items that have been super marked down:

The brown ensemble has a suggested retail price (SRP) of $78, but now it's on sale at only $19.95! The printed swimsuit's original SRP is $98, now you can have it for as low as $14.48! You get up to 85% savings from these beauties.

If you will notice, both styles have a slimming effect. A solid top and bottom color gives the illusion of length, while prints take away attention from problem areas. Both are great for those who want to make their tummy area look flatter.

You may want to take advantage of these additional promos as well:

50%-70% on Liz Claiborne
50% on Longitude Swimwear (use code: LONGITUDE50)
Extra 20% off on hot sellers (use code: SAVE 20)

Win $100 Gift Certificate Towards Next Purchase at SwimsuitsForAll.com! Click Here for More Details!
Win a FREE Swimsuit at SwimsuitsForAll.com!- Enter Yourself into a MONTHLY FREE SWIMSUIT Drawing- CLICK HERE!

Now, that's what I call a SUPER sale! :)


P.S. Check out other SALE items here!

Diet and Me

I’ve been on a diet forever. It’s actually a mixed diet that makes me gain and lose weight alternately, depending on my appetite and metabolism. :)

Hah. So my body is not perfect and nowhere near a bony and catwalk-worthy physique, and more on the curvaceous-voluptuous side. But I love it!

Yes, I get tired of hearing comments about losing weight and gaining weight from some of my friends whenever I see them; as if the world revolves around the numbers on the weighing scale and there’s nothing else seem worth conversing about. But of course, in my mind, there will always be a permanent yearning for me to trim down a bit and to look my best in all aspects.

I want that to feel good about myself and not to please anyone else. I want it for me.

It will be utterly hypocritical to say that looks don’t matter. Looks DO matter. It’s one’s tangible representation to others. You need not be gorgeous to look good. I guess the effort to be clean, healthy and to carry a positive outlook is enough to exude the look that you are taking care of yourself.

Some work their tushies off the gym to get Madonna muscles, stone abs and rock-hard butts. I admire women who have the patience to sweat it all out just to achieve their desired shape.

I, on the other hand, don’t like to exercise much. I'm more comfortable doing regular activities such as walking, sleeping or singing, to burn off calories.

Yeah, sleeping and singing also burn off calories!

The greatest effort that I did was to enroll myself in Tae-bo class, and that was it. I figured there must be some way to shape up without getting all that sweaty (except for sauna and something else ^_^ of course). After all, it’s not my goal to have a body-building-competition-worthy body; I’m just interested to target and manage the usual problem areas that are always eager to grow faster than the rest of my body parts.

So I searched and read about diets that might help me achieve the body that I wanted without heavy exercise involved.

I tried the high protein-low carb diet, and it really worked for me. But after a few months of eating no sweets and bread at all, I started having dreams about Cinnabon rolls and Auntie Anne’s pretzels, so I snapped out of it.

For a couple of years I also went on a no-rice diet, but whenever I face ‘Binagoongan’ (shrimp paste with veggies/pork), ‘Laing’ (Gabi leaves in coconut milk), ‘tuyo/daing/danggit’ (dried fish) and other dishes in coconut milk, my willpower gets thrown out of the window.

When a diet deprives you of certain food, most especially your favorite food, it usually doesn’t work.

To be on the safe side, I always try to go for natural products. So I tried green tea, apple cider vinegar tonic, chili (which is normally a part of my daily diet) and other natural thermogenic products that aid fat burning without side effects.

Yes, they helped me manage my weight, but I’m still on the lookout for other products that are natural, and yet have faster slimming effects. Then I found this:

LOSE WEIGHT NATURALLY!
Risk free trial of Brazilian Weight Loss Natural Supplement

Tempting, huh! Especially if you're just like me who loves free trials - the kind that won't cost you a cent if it doesn't work out.

So I checked it out and true enough, it's 100% natural (derived from the Hoodia plant) with no side effects, and anyone can try the product risk-free for 15 days. One just have to pay for shipping and handling; if after that period you're not satisfied, just cancel it anytime.

Well, they must be really confident about the product to have a deal like that.

Anyways, this diet supplement already got featured in the news (CBS, Today, BBC) and also in Oprah's "O" magazine, which makes it more interesting to try.

Hmmm. I guess I need to decide before the free trial runs out or I'll just have to go back to singing and drinking gallons of green tea to lose a pound. :-)

Finding Great Deals Online

I always find it quite exciting to see great deals on the internet that are priced much lower than those being sold at the regular shops. These online shops do not maintain physical stores, thus saving a lot on rentals, staff cost and other overhead expenses. This is the reason why they are able to offer budget-friendly products, to the advantage of its patrons and consumers.

Lately, I am contemplating on buying myself a new mobile phone. I have been searching online for good deals that will not only suit my budget and preference, but of course, the safety of my potential purchase as well. Safe shopping is always of utmost importance to online shoppers that is why we should try our best to make sure that we are buying only from trusted merchants.

Luckily, I came across Tiga Dua Cellular, a recognized online distributor that specializes in selling a wide range of wireless phones, accessories, gadgets and various consumer electronics. This is where I found the cheapest deals on brand new and unlocked mobile phones, all in one stop!

Although now I am still quite ambivalent as to what brand and model to choose (oh, they have glorious selections!), it is comforting to know that I could always get my dream phone online anytime, without having to look further or leaving the house for that matter. :)

Curious? You can check out their cool offers at http://tigaduacellular.com.

SaLe! SaLe!

INTERNATIONAL ONLINE SHOPS

Please visit the links for promotion details.

SWIMSUITS FOR ALL


Shop the Super Sale at SwimsuitsForAll.com- 40-90% Off Top Brands! Shop NOW & Save!

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LEVITA


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BIGGER BRAS




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40-50% off the latest swimwear styles at BiggerBras.com


ESTELLA-NYC


Annual Clearance Sale....Save Up To 75% Off Designer Childrens' Clothing At Estella-NYC!

Take An Extra 15% Off All Sale Items....Use Code pjjuney15 At Checkout!


ALL ABOUT DANCE


Save up to 35% off Retail Prices @ All About Dance + Save 5% on All Orders w/ Promo Code: AADFIVE


BEAUTY CHOICE





Prom/ Formal Event Contest

$5 OFF any HAI Hair Tool. Coupon Code: HAI9999. Expires: 6/31/09

Braun Shaver Super Sale

Jessica Simpson Hair Extensions + Free Gift + Free Shipping

Discount Beauty Supplies


BOOKS FREE


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COSTUME KINGDOM



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SESAME STREET

Shop the Sesame Street Store and save 10% on all orders over $50!

PHILIPPINE SHOPS

OCTOBER 2008

*VMV Hypoallergenics Skincredible Sale*
~ All weekends Sept.-Oct. Up to 25% off on VMV Hypoallergenics products (except Armada) only at Watson’s and Landmark Department Stores.

*Top Shop Mid-Season Sale*

*Rockwell's Pre-Christmas Sale*

*Robinsons Malls October Super Sale*
Oct. 17 (until midnight)
Oct. 18 and 19 (Weekend Sale)

*SM Megamall 3 Days Sale*
Oct. 17, 18 and 19

*Robinsons Group Big Brands Sale*
* Topshop * Topman * Dorothy Perkins * Wallis * Warehouse * ToysRus *
* True Value *

Simply present your Go! Mastercard or Metrobank credit card at the gate.

October 25-26, 2008
10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Trion Towers Showroom
8th Avenue cor. Mckinley Parkway
Bonifacio Global City

More Pre-Christmas Sales!
*Ensembles * Freeway * Solo * Shoppesville * The Body Shop * SM Kids Sale * All Out Fridays Sale at Glorietta 1 * Rockwell's Urban Bazaar *

Rockwell's Urban Bazaar: Holiday Series

Luxe Shopping Soiree at the Rockwell Tent

30-50% Off at Robinsons, Debenhams and Manels!