No Fuss Viewing with Direct TV

Last night my beloved husband Vince was busy watching the Philippines vs. Korea basketball game of the FIBA Asian Championships 2009 in Tianjin, China. He was initially viewing a free live video streaming over the internet but of course the feed was too slow. Then, he saw on local television a live telecast but the reception was not very good. At that time, it made me think and wish that we had Direct TV at home so that he could have watched his favorite basketball games with no fuss and no problems at all.

That’s why I immediately did my research to check out the best deals and packages I could find. I came across Kaptain Satellite during my search and saw the DIRECTV Benefits over local and cable television. The site and information provided here made my quest for finding the best Direct TV and Satellite TV easier. With the many options available, I am sure to find one that would suit our needs and budget the most. And watching our favorite TV shows anytime especially my husband’s live basketball games would just be a breeze.

Storage Companies: Do You Really Need This Service?

Storage companies are not a common thing where I am from. If you want to move and you need help, the best next thing to do is either call some family, relatives or even friends who are more than willing to help you. The only extra service you would actually need to pay is hiring a moving van or truck with movers who will help carry the big items. As for extra items that you are no longer interested in bringing with you on your move, you either give it away, sell it second-hand, donate it, or throw it away.

What do you do if you need to move? Would you need a storage company's help for your extra things?

Preparing for the Storm

I received an SMS message from my aunt earlier that the storm with the name "Feria" will be hitting the city tonight. If it gets hard enough, the power may go out. I am hoping that does not happen but we never know.

Of course, being the girl scout that I am. I always like to be prepared for situations. In this case, the situation would be that there might be loss of power or electricity. So, while I had time and not busy with work I prepared:

Here are the things I did:

1. I went around the house to check that all the doors and windows were locked and all wa ssecure. Better safe than sorry right?
2. I placed the candles and matchsticks in a location that I can easily find them when needed.
   
3. I looked for a flashlight with working batteries and put it within reach if in case the lights suddenly go out.
   
4. Lastly, I got our trusty rechargeable light and made sure that was fully charged and working.

With all this done, I felt more secure and ready for anything. Haha. I am exaggerating but you know what I mean.

How about you? What do you do to prepare for a storm or bad weather condition in your area?

No Place Like Home and Brewed Coffee

I think this is one of my guilty pleasures - just being at home with a cup of brewed coffee, being online and listening to hip music streaming in the background..

Yes, I have been out for awhile..or you can say I have been out for a vacation and just bumming..well not really but how I wish :P

I did a little travelling to visit some really close friends and relatives who I have not seen for years as well as attend my little brother's wedding. It was actually a very short vacation but for a mommy like me, it felt like forever! After the first few days, I was starting to feel so homesick and just wanted to go back home immediately. All the more I felt so homesick when I was able to go online and see my baby and hubby on cam and chat with them..sigh..

I guess no matter how busy we are as moms, we just need a break from everything and have some time to relax and enjoy ourselves. It may not be as extravagant as going on a vacation but a simple trip to your favorite coffee shop, spa or salon or even maybe a joy ride in your car with your favorite music playing in the background is the perfect break that you need from your busy day.

We all need a breather from time to time to help us get through our hectic daily schedules.

How about you, what's your favorite "time out treat"?

Spring Cleaning

Roberta and I are busy on a Saturday night doing a little "spring cleaning". I know it is a little odd doing such a chore at night. I guess you can say we are night owls or we work better at night. During the day the weather is just so warm, it just zaps you off your energy and makes you so unproductive. Well, that's how I feel.

The "computer room" or the pink room has long been waiting to be tidied up. This is the part of the house where I spend most of the day because my work station is here. This is also the place where you can see Vince, Roberta and I busy doing our own little things at our own little corners. I say little because the room is not exactly big but it's cozy and conducive for working.

As they say, if things around you are in order, your life will be too. I agree with this thought. Life is easier when you can find everything in its right place.

While I was researching on spring cleaning tips or advices, I came across this very informative site: Organized Home. It gives lots of ideas, tips and advices on how to clean your house, cut clutter and organize your home. This is just perfect for what I need right now. Why not check it out, you just might find some useful tips you can use in your own home.

Children and Their Hobbies

It's six days and counting until the big day of Roberta's first ballet recital - Little Mermaid!

This whole week, hubby and I will be busy being stage parents for Roberta's ballet practices since it will be everyday until the big performance day this coming Sunday. Whew! Imagine nearly three hours of ballet practices everyday for a six year old prima ballerina wannabe. It's a good thing that she is enjoying all this and doesn't mind the hectic schedule.

I personally think it is important for kids to have extra curricular activities outside of the regular schoolwork that they normally get. This is a good way for them to relax and recharge from the daily "kiddie" stress that they have. It is also a good way to find our children's different talents based from the hobbies or things they like to do and develop them.

Roberta at the moment enjoys doing many other things aside from her school work. She likes to sing. She likes to dance. She likes to paint, draw, make crafts, build or create things. She likes to write and read. She also enjoys different sports such as swimming, playing softball, volleyball, basketball and wants to try taekwondo. She also likes to cook though of course she can't yet since she's too young so she just pretends she does and likes to watch me in the kitchen. At her age, it's like she wants to do so many things at the same time but that's okay because later on she will discover one or two things that she likes to do more than the other and will focus on it.

I would like to share this informative article I read about Childrens Hobbies and how we can help our children discover and enjoy their different interests.

How about your little ones? What hobbies do they like to do?

Household Chores Online ?

How I wish!! It's online banking that I'm raving about.

This is a really neat innovation! It is very convenient for busy people like us moms who don't have the time to go out of our way and run to the bank to do some transactions. I know it's not like new or anything but it was only today that I really appreciated it.

Since I am online the whole day everyday because of the nature of my work, doing online bank transactions is undoubtedly the more practical thing for me to do that will not throw me off my crazy schedule. Imagine, I was able to check my account, update information and pay some bills in less than 15 minutes!

It takes forever in the bank to do all these since there are other people in line and you need to wait for your turn. Not to mention the hassle of travelling to the bank and finding a parking space. Lastly, I did not need to spend anything! Now that's the best part of it all. Right?

Now if only someone can find a way making household chores accessible online, that would just be so cool!!

Are you a CMT?...

...a Certified Multi-Tasker =) hehe..got you there didn't I?

I'm sure all your eyebrows were raised trying to figure out what that acronym stands for. It's just my own term for us busy mommies or should I say SAHMies and WAHMies...

People think that staying at home to work is a piece of cake but reality says otherwise. We all know very well that there are a lot of distractions when you have a home office. It's not just about accomplishing your work duties but trying to juggle it with mommy duties too such as watching your kids, preparing lunch and dinner, answering the door, attending to calls, doing the laundry, doing homework, naptime and the list goes on and on.

It's so easy to get caught up with all the activities that you need to do at that moment. And by the end of the day, you realize you really did not end up accomplishing the important tasks you set out to do for the day. This has happened to me often.

That's why I try my best to keep track of all the important things I need to do in my planner. Yes, it's still the old school way that I got used to doing ever since I was a kid in spite of having gadgets that can also do the job.

Here are things I do to manage my time and organize my day:

1. Make a list. - I list down all the things I need to do for the week. These would include appointments, things to do, reminders etc.
2. Prioritize. - I take note of which things in my list are urgent, have deadlines and needs my immediate action.
3. Plan it out. - I plan out my week. I write out in my planner the things I need to do according to the day it should be done. This way I will not feel so overwhelmed that I have a lot to do since it has been spread out through the week.
4. Color code. - I like to color code the things I need to do so that it will make the tasks seem lighter when I look at the colorful page in my planner as well as making it easy to spot.
   
5. Check it off. - This is my favorite part - checking out from my list what I have finished doing already. It gives me a sense of accomplishment especially when all I have set out to do for the day are done.
6. Be flexible. - There are some things that you just can't plan like a surprise visit from your in-laws or having to run to the grocery coz you ran out of oil for cooking. No need to panic or get all flustered since things did not go as planned. Just try to get back on track.
7. Be positive. - If at times it seems things are not going as planned, just always look on the bright side and keep trying. You will get it done - eventually. =)

Do you have any tips that you can share with me?