Pictures speak a thousand words

As the saying goes, "Pictures speak a thousand words", that's why I like to carry my digital camera everywhere I go. I capture special moments, interesting things I observe and discover, places I travel, cool things, yummy food..etc.

It is good news for me to hear about a new photography website, PictPicture.com, a community site where you can vote for the best pictures you see on the web. And when you submit a photo, it links back to your site or blog. But be patient, it's not live yet so wait for the launch and send in your entries.

Sunflower Oil Therapy - A miracle therapy?

Have you heard of oil pulling therapy? If I tell you that this is a home remedy for many acute and chronic illnesses, would you be keen to find out more?

If your answer is YES, head down now to my organic and health blog to read about this wonderful therapy that has saved many from the agony and trauma of operations and surgeries!

Yes, it's just the simple use of organic cold-pressed sunflower oil!

A lousy spa in Starhill

I just got home from lunch from my good friend, Tracy. She had been asking me to write a complaint to the Spa Association of Malaysia about a horrific spa experience I had some months back.

The truth is I'm pretty good at such letters (lol) but for this one, I'm a little lazy to get round to it. I was seriously upset with the Spa Centre and what was worse was the fact that they charged sky high rates for their services. Being located at such a premium mall at Starhill, Kuala Lumpur, it was normal to expect top class customer and therapy service. But it wasn't close to that at all - at all!

The therapists were untrained with no sense of etiquette. They walked in and out when you were trying to have a change of clothes - how irritating! And the massage session was the worse I had ever experienced - she was kneading my head all the time that I was coming down to a headache - and I had to stop her and asked her to end the entire therapy session.

I tried complaining to the manager (a guy), (or is he a receptionist?) but he did not even take my feedback objectively. He only started to show me his 'ugly side' and anger when I threatened to walk out without paying. Even though I had the whole stack of gift vouchers with me then, I didn't think the service we received were up to standard at all. I would biase if it's only 'me' complaining but Tracy, my lawyer friend, felt the same way.

And know what, I threw my extra RM800 worth of vouchers away. I reckoned my time was more valuable than getting such a lousy spa service, which stirred me up in anger instead of providing me a relaxing time.

So tell me, should I complain or should I not? I feel for those who are made to think that the spa is professional because of its premium location and expensive interiors. But for the kind of service, this place doesn't deserve to be accredited because it fails to deliver the level of professionalism.

How is your heart today?

Alex and myself have been married for coming seven years. Is it a bed of roses? No. And many of you married women would agree with me that it usually isn't. I had a conversation with a close friend last week and she asked if I would still make the same martial decision 7 years ago. She told me she would think twice and so would some of her women friends. I thought about it and told her that I would because there would never be the perfect guy.

I'm a realistic person and will deal with relationship problems squarely and openly, I prefer not to hide and sweep under the carpet. I'm glad that there are more helpful resources in the internet offering Relationship Advice for Women. Basically, conflicts arise because women don't understand men and vice versa. As the saying goes, it takes two hands to clap so it does require efforts from both sides to make things work - in all relationships - husband and wife, and courting couples.

What are your thoughts?

Water Park @ Vivo City

We took Clayton to the water park at Singapore's latest mall - Vivo City and he had a ball of a time! He splashed, he jumped, he waddled and he refused to get out! He got all wet and we had to take off his pants because we were least prepared for a wet and wild trip! This place is a great place for toddlers and children - no kids would resist the fun in an open water park like this one! This is such a great place for families on the weekends - now you know why I adore my hometown!

Dating site for Jewish singles

Dating takes on a new approach with the internet becomes a common tool of communication in our lives and workplace. I got to know a couple of dating and matchmaking experts of late and am always intrigued in how this profession works. I can chat and talk to friends about love and relationships but coaching someone in a relationship situation is a different thing altogether.

What's new in the internet is also dating among the right racial and geographical options. Take for instance, there are dating sites catering to only Jewish Singles. It tends to be easier when you share common religious interests with an assurance of certain level likemindedness. This also means more topics to chat about as you know that the date has values similar to yours. So spread the word to your Jewish single friends about this new site in the web.

Cool Kids' Fashion in Singapore

Shopping in Singapore is still as enjoyable as it used to be. These days, I tend to shop for Clayton's necessities than for mine as the variety for children's clothing is better, and of better value. Two of the shops I would recommend would be LifeBaby and FoxKids. LifeBaby is hip, stylish, minimalist designs whereas Fox Kids is casual, affordable, modern, sporty and fun!

So if you are planning for a shopping trip to Singapore, make sure you get a pair of comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk and shop til you drop!

Used car versus new car

I've been persuading DH to get a second car. I don't like being stranded at home with no transport when he's outstationed. Then again, he prefers used cars as we both work from home and would not be using both cars unless the need arises.

Being a designer at heart, my dream car has always been a Volkswagen New Beetle but a brand new one will cost a bomb! I like the bubbly design and the fun look, not forgetting the colours for this model. So funky and hip! An used one that of 2006 will cost less than $19K, definitely a big cut from the brand new one.

My dear husband would definitely prefer a Honda Accord - sturdy, classic, elegant and stylish. Actually, I wouldn't mind that either. A 2006 used model costs around $20K, not a bad deal for only a mileage of less than 15,000 miles. That's a good deal for a one year old car and you don't have to worry about the quick depreciating value you get on new cars.

Food Products Recalled

While I was in Singapore last week, I flipped the newspapers and was surprised to discover a food recall from the US FDA. Some of you may know that I'm an organic and natural health advocate and as such, Clayton is more or less an organic boy. I like Earth's Best baby food and Clayton has pretty much grown up with that in his infant years.

Apparently the Apple Beach Barley was recalled and there were cases of botulism for babies who consumed the food, being contaminated with Clostridium botulinum,. So if you have this product on your shelves, do return it to where you bought it or throw it out.

Another recalled product is your familiar Peter Pan Peanut Butter which is suspected to be contaminated with a food-borne disease, salmonella. So don't take chances, dispose the product to avoid any ailments.

New Tech Blog for your reference

My postie friend, Jimi, started a new tech blog: JMH Techtronics. If you are like me with little knowledge on techie stuff, this would be a great resource to browse and learn a tip or two. In his post on Link and Blog Challenge, Jimi mentioned that "Getting links is great, but getting them from common keywords, and relevant blogs is much better." This is good knowledge for me which means I should focus more on keywords when it comes to any link exchange. Like to know more about this post, hop over to Jimi's.

5 reasons why I blog

I have been tagged earlier on this topic and somehow, this meme gets so popular that I'm tagged a few more times but different friends around the web. So I'm tagged again by Angela and Sweetpeamy. Thanks for thinking of me.

So the 5 reasons why I blog:

Self-Expression

Blogging gives me the opportunity to express my thoughts, opinions and insights. Being a sentmental person, I enjoy recording my feelings, observations and experiences.

Learning

My learning curve is moving upwards since I spend more time blogging. I like to read others’ blogs and there is always something to learn when I read other bloggers’ opinions, reviews, feedback and stories. I find myself growing in that respect.

Sharing

It’s fun to share knowledge and my passion with other like-minded people. When I receive a comment on my posts, it’s encouraging and uplifting. It’s good to know someone is reading and someone is getting something out of what I blog.

Network

I love making friends and building relationships. In the last 3 months, my circle of friends in the web has grown in leaps and bounds. There are so many wonderful people I ‘met’ and known. They have played a big part of my blogging life. There is no better way to network than blogging.

Growth

Learning and knowledge leads to growth. The process of growing should be continuous and you can’t do it alone. What better place to keep growing but the world of blog-o-sphere, where you create opportunities for yourself and for others.

Ok.. it's tagging time! This time I tag:
Adam
Violet
RL

Self Portrait Sunday

Participating in Self-Portrait Sunday at DigiCass is a break from the usual blog posts and writing. Though I do run out of poses at times, experimenting with different angles, effects and colours can be fun. Sometimes I feel vain doing this but then, nothing wrong being vain at times, isn't it? I got a haircut last week in Singapore and this is the evidence.

Have a great week ahead everyone.

A prepaid credit card for a gift

Do you shop with credit cards? I do. And yes, it can be dangerous too.

I must admit that with the convenience of credit cards, I tend to buy on impulse during a shopping frenzy. It does require lots of self discipline. Moreover, there are many types of credit cards being launched these days and sometimes, the card designs can be too attractive to resist for a new sign-up.

Have you seen the Mint credit card? It is a card with the bottom right edge being removed. This MC2 card was launched in 2003 which saw a transformation of credit card shape from the usual rectangular format. Much to my surprise, there was a pre-paid credit card being launched by MINT last September 2006. This prepaid credit card works just like a gift voucher for a special someone except that you can use it to make purchase in any shops that accept credit cards. Get it?

Amy at Whatever I feel like

I'm early for Supahstar Saturday this week at GeekySpeaky which features Amy at Whatever I feel like.

Amy is a lovely mum of two who blogs about her life, entertainment, family, friends and much more. She did a full review of what took stage on American Idol last week, which was a good update for me as I missed both the shows. I just found out we are both in the same year and coincidentally, we shared the same favourite RockStartup video.

Amy loves comments so do drop by her blog and greet her with a warm hello.

American posters of all sorts

I was doing my usual surfing on a lazy Sunday afternoon and came across a US website featuring patriotic posters of all sorts. From the stars and stripes of the American flag to the famous Statue of Liberty, scenic landscapes of Yosemite Park or panoramic views of American cities, historic buildings, contemporary art or vintage American art, there is a wide selection of quality posters of practically any theme under the sun.

Clayton is a fantastic traveler

Since we got back from Perth last November, Clayton had been a fantastic passenger on the car seat. Before that, I would have to sit at the rear passenger seat with him but since the Perth trip, he would be in the rear seat by himself.

He seems to be enjoying his car seat more these days. He would look around for cranes, construction vehicles, birds and everything that interests him. In fact, he sat 4-5 hours without any complaints or jitters during our last trip to Singapore - what an achievement! He was kept busy with his stack of construction vehicle cards, shuffling and reading throughout the entire trip, not forgetting his favourite music, biscuits and snacks.

Check out his smiles...

The Ultimate Gift

If you are a movie goer, I would assume you have already heard about "The Ultimate Gift". Starred by Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin, James Garner, Ali Hillis, Drew Fuller and Brian Dennehy, this is a special movie that has drawn much attention to its charity movements even before the launch of the movie.

This is the official site of the movie "The Ultimate Gift" and the grass-roots movement its starting to help charities and give to others. It all started out with a little big with a simple story but it has grown so big.

Look out for March 9th, 10th and 11th as the weekend screenings of The Ultimate Gift open, and you can play a part in raising donations for non-profit organizations – including the causes closest to your heart during this period. It is nice to know that you can be an inspiration and influence others to do the same by watching a movie.

Throughout this special “Weekend Of Giving”, $1.00 of every ticket purchased for The Ultimate Gift will be donated to the charitable group of your choice; this is a special partnership with the Fox Film Fund. This is also an opportunity to connect with family and friends through this powerful act of giving.

The website is filled with details about the movie, the movement, the story of how it began, the ways you can get involved and trailer of the movie. It is inspiring just to read about how this movement is touching lives and creating a good impact among teens and how this has created an awareness among young people. It is about educating this generation on the act of giving and sharing. I find it so noble and meaningful.

I encourage you to hop over to theultimategift.com and read all about the movie and all that is taking place in line with the launch of the screenings. Don't be left behind. Be a part of this special time of giving and sharing, and being an inspiration.

Special moments

I miss blogging. I took a break during this Chinese New Year festive season due to the hectic traveling schedule. But I was still able to check my emails via my new cell phone while I was on holiday. Thanks to the power of technology! It was nice to see my mother enjoying little Clayton and he was having so much fun with the 'new' toys at mum's. I could see that his smiles and quirky ways cheered my mum up in big and small ways. It was a comforting sight. I only wished I could stay a few more days to witness these magical moments. It is heart-warming for me, so sentimental and memorable.

Get wireless

Being a business hub in the Asia region, Singapore's wifi facilities are truly impressive. It opens doors for business or leisure connectivity and you can practically find wifi spots anywhere in town. For business travelers, this means effective communication with clients, partners and overseas network.

It is certainly affordable to register for wireless network and recently, a few telco providers were offering attractive promotions for new subscribers. The promotion included a FREE laptop or PC to be given away. It drew so much popularity that within a week, the telco provider ran out of stock!

When it comes to wifi networks, users seek for reliability, speed and security. With more than 90% of notebooks being wifi enabled, you can connect practically anyplace as long as there is a wireless network facility available. Wireless connectivity enables the user to connect anytime of the day and in a business environment, it helps to increase employees' productivity, mobility and effectiveness.

Back from Lunar New Year break

I'm back from the lunar New Year break! I didn't have my Macbook with me. It was a busy and hectic trip and having the Macbook means I won't be spending quality time with my family and friends.

It was good to be in Singapore again. Though Lunar New Year has always been a busy one yearly, I love the festive mood in Singapore than in KL. Besides catching up with my loved ones, I got around to see some close friends and did my shopping.

Clayton was such a wonderful traveler again. He ate with us, napped in his stroller, played his picture cards in the car seat and enjoyed our travelling schedule. We rewarded him by bringing him to the waterpark at Singapore's latest mall, Vivo city.

I haven't got round to download my pictures so more reports on the trip in the following posts.

It's good to be blogging again!

Online shopping for shades

Any woman has more than a pair of sunglasses here? I do and I know many of you women do too! My husband often complains about my love for sunglasses. I wear one to go with my business suit and another for my weekend casual attire.

I own many pairs but I haven't got any from Prada. So when I saw the Prada Sunglasses at BestBuyEyeglasses, I am all thrilled again! I have been thinking about a pair of broader shades like the one below. BestBuyEyeglasses offers a 5% off their discounted prices when you use this discount code for your purchase: ETP5P. Check out the nice range of quality and original sunglasses available now and all orders come with an easy return policy.

Self Portrait Sunday

I'm late for this. That is because I am all tired after returning from a hectic trip from Ipoh, my husband's hometown. Here's mine this week, feel like taking off the colours.. If you wondering what this is all about, check out Digi-Cass Self Portrait Sunday.

Road trip to Singapore

Well, I'm on another road trip again in two hours' time. It is a yearly tradition for us during Chinese New Year to visit our families and since I hail from Singapore, we will off to Singapore to visit my mother. Honestly, I'm excited about going home and I'm looking forward to meet friends, get a haircut, do some shopping... did you know that Singapore is a wonderful shopping paradise?

It's going to be another 4-5 hours journey and we will be away for 4 days. I am hoping to do some blogging and email checking in local libraries as Singapore is well equipped with internet connectivity. Bring my MacBook sounds like a great idea but with all the packing and other travel stuff to bring along, I'm rethinking this.

So if you don't see my regular posts, you know I am away and I haven't find time to post. Have a great weekend ahead, everyone.

UK Directory Site

What sort of website design captivate you? Are you captivated by colours, typefaces used in the homepage, name of the URL, photographs, images or simply the content? Personally, I'm often drawn to the name of the URL, content and colours. If you are like me, check out this UK classifieds and community site with fun, attractive colours with lots of interesting features awaiting you.

This is a site that not only offers FREE classified ads for your listings, it allows you to create blogs and you can find Community Websites, Local Dating, Local Weather, Traffic Updates and Cinema Listings. It is a fabulous directory for those living in the UK or simply a great resource if you like to find out more about UK shops, companies, news and local updates.

And if photography is your interest or passion, there is a archive of interesting photos from a few photo competitions. So whether or not you live in the UK, it is a good directory to reference and browse.

2nd day of Chinese New Year

Today is the second day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. We just got back from a 3 hours ride from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur. As usual, the traffic coming back was slow, tiring and heavy. But I was glad that it was better than our trip to Ipoh on Saturday, which took us more than 4 hours and that was because my hubby was on the shoulder lane most of the trip. For those who obeyed the traffic, the journey would take 6-7 hours, that was a really long one compared to the usual 2 hours to reach Ipoh.

This has been another tiring one for us but I am so thankful that Clayton has been a fantastic traveler. This New Year is also a sad one for the family as a series of unfortunate things have taken place amidst all these festivities. Yet, we try to keep our heads up high and look at the positive instead of sinking into deeper disappointment and despair.

The series of happenings lately remind me that we need to treasure hopes, dreams, happiness and all the wonderful things around us. We must not take life for granted but instead, we need to give thanks to God for the life He has blessed us with each day. I am reminded to:

• make everyday count
• appreciate and make the best of what God has given me
• keep an active lifestyle
• have an open mind
• don't be afraid to express yourself and speak your mind
• learn to forgive
• have a merry heart (for it doeth good like a medicine)
• be free to love

Happy Lunar New Year

I won't have any internet access in the next 2-3 days and I'm wondering how to get by. Oh dear, am I addicted to the internet or am I addicted to blogging? I can imagine the full mailbox when I get home on Monday. I'll be missing blog-hopping and sharing my thoughts and opinions in all my blogs.

I was tempted to pack my laptop in my bag but I might not even get any connection in my hubby's hometown. Besides, it's Lunar New Year and it would be good to just spend some quality time with the family.

Here's wishing all my Chinese readers a prosperous Lunar New Year. Eat, drink and be merry!

Online Power of Attorney

One of our cousins migrated to Australia few months ago. With the house pending for sale and other banking issues to clear, her husband and herself needed a Power Attorney to undertake all the affairs back here. Filling up a Power of Attorney Form is so convenient these days with the advent of internet technology. Most of the details and options are spelled out in the form and all you have to do is to answer the questions and choose your options accordingly. Doing this online a lot easier than engaging a legal assistant to prepare the form or contract.

Link Love - Skeet

I make many friends in the PayPerPost forum and one of them, whom I really like, is Auntie Skeet. Skeet is single, own a small termite inspection business and live on the Leeward Coast of Oahu, Hawaii. I thought this must be an interesting profession for a lady! Skeet's got a new blog. It's one where she moved from her previous blogspot and now, she's owned her domain. So do drop by and get to know her better. And if you are travelling to Hawaii, she might be able to give you a tip or two. She's promised to babysit Clayton if we confirm our vacation to Hawaii. Yeah, she's nice.

My 'say' on American Idol

Is anyone out there a fan of American Idol? Well, I won't say I am but I do enjoy watching snippets of it. Since becoming a mum, the pleasure of sitting in front of the TV is no longer a priority in the evenings. Clayton, my little angel determines the length of time I spent watching TV.

I was watching the Hollywood week yesterday and was quite upset with a couple of outcomes. How did Jarrod Fowler get sent home and this big guy, who went off tune in the high notes got into the next round? It was absurd! Then in today's show, the last 2 contestants (I forgot their names) were not chosen for the top 24 when they were the better ones. What's going on with these judges? Paula Abdul was 'being generous' for the whole time every season. It was plain annoying.

3 things I'm most thankful for

Jeanette tagged me on the 3 things that I am thankful for:

Jesus Christ
He saved me with His amazing grace and sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. He is God and the Son of Man, without Him, my life will be in a big mess. I am so thankful for His saving grace and His great love for me.

My Family
My parents, brother, husband and my dear son. They play such a mega part of my life. Though I haven't got a perfect childhood, I love my parents and brother. I'm thankful for my husband and my little angel, who never fails to bring a smile to my face when he wakes up in the morning.

Friends
My bunch of close friends in Singapore and a handful in Malaysia. Not forgetting my friends across the miles in Perth and the many others I meet along the way in my life, offline and online.

Now I tag:
Char
Gayla
Angela

Lunar New Year

In 3 days' time, we will be celebrating the Lunar New Year. It's a big thing here in Asia among the Chinese. It's a time of family reunion and celebration. Family members will make it a point to come together for a reunion dinner on the Lunar New Year's eve. This tradition has a long history of its own and the Chinese has regarded this occasion with great honour and respect.

For me, it's a busy time and a hectic travelling schedule - travelling to Ipoh, my husband's hometown and then to Singapore, my hometown. I used to enjoy the Lunar New Year alot more when I was a kid, when I qualify for red packets. As I grow older into adulthood, the excitement is not the same anymore. Now that I'm married, it's a tradition to distribute red packets to those who are not married.

Well, with the festive season coming, I won't be blogging like now... I don't think I'll have any internet connection in my in-laws' and it's too troublesome to bring my MacBook along.

It's probably a good time to take a well-deserving break too!

My Nokia 6300

Yeah! I got a new cell phone. My cell phone has been playing up in the last two days - blank scree, faded screen, I was frustrated with turning it on and off just to get it going.

Since it's a Valentine's Day yesterday, it became a convenient Valentine's Day gift from my other half. Good excuse, isn't it? Well, I got myself a Nokia 6300 - 2.0 megapixels camera features, 16 million colors interface... light, sleek, stylish... can I visual my excited face?

Thank you, darling :)

How is your Valentines Day?

How did your Valentines Day go? If you have been too tired up and have forgotten to send someone you care for a love greeting, it's not too late to hear Cupid's best pickup lines.

Hop over to eGreetings.com and send somefree funny eCards now! With the wide selection of funny animated cards for Birthdays, Valentine ecards, thank you ecards and much more, you will sure find something nice to send. A 30 day trial membership is available now and it's only a $13.99 when you decide to continue. The best feature about being a member is that you can schedule your ecard to be sent on the date and time you want. How easy it is to remember someone with a nice greeting.

I love my blackberry

Happy Valentines Day

To all my friends and readers:

Wishing everyone a day filled with cheer, joy and love. Thank you for dropping by my blog. Just like to say I appreciate every visitor and comment that comes by.

Happy Valentines Day.

Protecting your digital stuff

How do you Protect your Digital Media? By asking that, I mean your camera, your labtop, CDs, mp3 player, iPod or even cell phone. I am very careful when it comes to protecting such valuable equipment.

Being a woman and an avid shopper, I am attracted to stylish, cool, pretty, attractive, high quality cases. Recently, I bought a new MacbookPro and couldn't fit it into my old labtop bag so I'm waiting to purchase a new bag for my new machine.

I stumble upon SLAPPA which has a good and wide selection of quality cases for various types of digital media. I like the Fliptop Pro laptop case. The z-suede finish looks slick and the hard body ensures my laptop full protection from any knocks or mishaps. I am a careless person. Besides, it is fantastic for travelling too. The shoulder strap frees my hands for more convenience.

Out of curiosity, I check out SLAPPA CD cases and I am truly impressed by the clean, minimalist look. The platinum collection (in white and grey) is my favourite and the hard body Pro ensures that all Clayton's educational CDs are well protected when we travel for our next family vacation.

Don't miss the other collections for your favourite gadgets and digital equipment. Handle them with great care with SLAPPA.

Kudos to my dear boy!

Yesterday, my husband walked into the door after picking Clayton from his Mandarin Class and said, "Clayton has graduated from level 1". This means that Clayton can recognize and read 100 chinese characters. I was thrilled. In fact, I was overjoyed!

He has started going for Mandarin class since he was 19months and we did that for the purpose of giving ourselves some 'quiet' time to work. But it turns out that he is enjoying himself in the class and being the youngest (his classmates are 3 years and above), he is also the teachers' favourite.

This goes to show that the learning abilities of children are amazing. They absorb like a sponge - good and bad. Some time back, some professor wrote in an article that it would be needless for children below 3 to be exposed to educational programs as they would not learn or retain anything. I thought this was baloney! This professor needed to unlearn what he had learnt, to know that his findings were absurd and untrue!

Clayton is in level 2 now, that means 200 more chinese characters when he completes... I can't wait to chat with him in Mandarin soon.

Design-related resources in London

I've lost touch with the advertising and design industry in Singapore after being away for so many years. Yet, when I need some information or resources for such help, I would consult some of my designer friends. I was just thinking about my good friend, Janet who moved to London some years back. For her, the best place to flip for information with regards to the design industry would be via the London Advertising Directory. The listings in the directory includes advertising agencies, events companies, consultancies and much more.

Janet can just search the directory for the right photographer for her products or discuss her PR activities with a professional PR company to launch her new ceramic designs. This directory would be useful for anyone seeking for design-related resources when conducting business in London.

Dubai -the modern city

So much have been said about Dubai in the last few years. It has emerged into a business hub for multinational companies and a popular destination for business investors, as well as for leisure holidaymakers.

I do like to pay a visit to dubailand, after reading and hearing so much about it. Apparently, this mega project which began in 2003 will be twice the size as Walt Disney World Resort in the US. It's at a whopping of 3 billion square foot!

Self Portrait Sunday

It's Self Portrait Sunday at Digi-Cass. Clayton insists on getting into the photo, he likes to join in the fun too. To everyone participating and dropping by, have a fabulous week ahead.

Young adults running into credit card woes

I read in an article sometime ago that there has been a big rise among young adults who run into serious financial difficulties in clearing their credit card debts. As such, many have filed for bankruptcy due to their failure to pay off the debts. The common thing to do is to approach consultants who specialise in Bankruptcy Services as these bankruptcy service providers would guide and provide advice on the entire filing process.

New meme - Supahstar Saturday

Like this colourful logo? This is designed by Loretta for Colleen's new meme, 'Supahstar Saturday'. That is indeed a very nice logo.

I first dropped by Loretta's when she joined in the fun at Cass' Self Portrait Sunday. She is mom to 4 boys and it is amazing that she can do her stuff so well with 5 boys in the house. I can only two in the house and I'm spinning on some days! The best way to know Loretta is to head down to her Thursday Thirteen memes. Don't forget to complement for those beautiful TT logos too.

Coby and Bucket O'Bulletz

I like Suni. I just learnt that she has a dog, Coby who loves pizza! The Coby Chronicles: It's a Dog life is all about Suni's daily experiences and observations with her friend, Coby. The stories are vividly told and as I read the posts, I feel like I'm getting to know Coby too. And if you are a dog or pet lover, you may like to join Suni in her Carnival of the Dogs.

Suni also writes Bucket O' Bulletz where she records her findings, stories, articles and everything else that interests her. So go get to know Suni more and you may also like to know that she's got an awesome voice. This is one talented and helpful lady whom I like to know better.

Lead management software to support your business

You have a successful website and probably an online store. But how do you do about with tracking the visitors to your site and manage your leads? Those of us in business understand the importance of having a reliable and cost-effective lead management software.

Price for that matter, you want to ensure you are getting all the features you desire to improve your website analytics and lead support. Check out AIMpromote as it boasts an affordable system that can assist your business needs. The company believes in providing the best solutions to its customers in the competitive marketplace, while ensuring a good customer service platform and business consultation regardless of the plan you choose.

My new header at my health blog

My new header at my Organic and Natural Health Blog is up! I like this new look as it complements the theme of my blog:

It is refreshing - natural foods are refreshing to your physical and mental well being
It is fun - Eating whole foods are fun, not boring or tasteless like what some think
It is colourful - God created whole foods to be colourful and attractive - just look at the variations in colours in your fruits and vegetables

So much said, please hop over and drop me a comment or two!

Say it with flowers

There are some gifts that will never go wrong on any occasion and flowers being one of them. I love flowers and enjoy being near them. That is why I started FLUV with a couple of buddies 7 years ago, a premium flower shop in Singapore.

Valentines Day is drawing closer and there is no better way to surprise the person you love or care for with a lovely bouquet from online flower delivery. Bringing cheer and joy to someone is just a 'click' away with online flower delivery.

A much needed business system

No matter what business you are in, maintaining profitability will always be one of your key goals. But the question is do you have a system to manage your costs and measure your business performance to ensure an ongoing profitable outcome.

Even though my husband and myself operate a small business from home, we do face challenges on making certain sound decisions on operating costs, business analytics, cost allocation and reduction for the projects we organised.

Perhaps the problem we face is not so crucial given the scale of business but for larger companies, choosing the right IT value management software can mean higher profits and lower costs in operational channels. Professional consulting will assist in strategic planning and analysis of business performance and enable expansion in key areas of the business.

Internet. Serious Business.

There have been a series of hiccups in the last few days with PPP segmentation. Errors here, errors there... wrong host name, can't see opps, opps in red/pink, wrong PR... etc.

But amidst these unhappy sentiments, I am happy to know some nice posties and I would like to introduce one of them here. Jimi Morrison who writes "Internet. Serious Business." is for a moment a serious guy to me, but he truly isn't. His article "Those who think they are grammar police, but wrong" reminds me of a couple of occasions where I would be highlighted for little mistakes I make in conversations or writings. And these 'commenters' would end up being wrong themselves!

Hop over to Jimi's and I'm sure you will enjoy his posts on things happening on the internet. And you will soon find out why internet is a serious business too.

Disney World for you?

What do you think of when I mention Orlando? Disney World, of course! But that's not it? Do you know that this city has 52 theme parks? And it is home to the second largest convention center in the world!

I've never been to Orlando but with this attractive facts, and beaches within an hour reach, I should consider including it into our list of family vacations. Since we became parents, travelling to family friendly and child friendly destinations is priority. It is helpful to know that there are vacation homes near Disney, which is also my preferred choice of accommodation. Vacation homes are more spacious, have a homely feel, allows cooking facilities and less restrictions.

Now, we can't wait for Clayton to grow up so that we can get on in all those fun rides!

Vacation accommodation

My friend, Tracy had booked her ticket to South Africa for her vacation in May. I can sense that she is all excited about visiting Cape Town and most of all, meeting up with her good friends who are residing there. While South Africa is one of the places I would love to visit, my heart is still for Hawaii and its lovely beaches.

It many sound cliche to say I love to stroll along Waikiki beach and sip margaritas under the swaying coconut trees while enjoying the lovely, golden sunset. But this is exactly what I'm looking forward to do! I captured the most beautiful sunset photo more than 10 years ago when I first trod upon this beautiful island and I couldn't erase out of my memory.

With online hotel bookings these days, searching for a nice accommodation near Waikiki beach is going to be a cup of tea. Actually, I prefer vacation rentals more ever since becoming a parent myself. There is more space for Clayton and I like the home-away-from-home feeling. We did that during our 28 days of travel in New Zealand and never regretted since.

I enjoy the fun of selecting accommodations. In New Zealand, the bed and breakfast industry is huge and most of the properties are well-maintained with friendly hosts. This is a great way to meet the locals.

And again, if I can get a nice holiday apartment overlooking the idyllic beach, that would be most ideal! I just have to make sure it fits well into our budget.

I have checked out Hotel Reservations and it looks like a great site for bookings of hotels, motels, resorts or vacation rentals. There is a wide selection of accommodations to choose from, no matter where you are travelling to. To pick something you like and appropriate, you need to identify the features you prefer and consider your travelling budget. And I do believe Hotel Reservations rates would be competitive to some other online sites too.

I am putting a bookmark on this online booking website for our next family vacation. And it's happening soon. How exciting!

Buy a teddy bear with a cause

Any teddy bear collectors out there?

Clayton received a cute and lovely handmade teddy bear from our close friend, Bro Cheong and his dear wife. The truth was my eyes lit up more than Clayton when I unwrapped the gift. This must be one of the nicest, loveliest, crafted bear I have seen. These bears made great gifts for any occasion and what more, you are touching someone's life when you purchase a bear.

*From 100teddybear.com:

There is a mission for these teddies. These teddy bears are mascots for 100teddybear. They are ambassadors for returning moments and magic for these children. Children needing care, attention, love, food and most of all, to be given a simple chance to survive.

For a start, 100teddybear.com is dedicated to granting wishes of orphaned children listed in this website; children without the grace and fortune of ever receiving the joy of having teddy bears in their lives. 100teddybear.com makes it possible for you to provide one or more teddy bears for the children. Valentine's Day is approaching. It is an appropriate to send a child a special gift.

There are many children who do not have much of a chance to survive when they come into this world. 100teddybear dedicates 20% of sales revenue to provide food and medicines for the cause of hungry children in parts of the world where the contribution would matter most.

Funny eCards

I just put together a Valentines Day wishlist in my new shopping and fashion blog. What I should have included some of the free, funny Valentine's Day eCards on this beautiful occasion. I am impressed with the creativity found in all these
eCards these days.

Here are my favourites and you should check them out too:


ABCs of Valentine's Day - This one is so cute and funny. You just gotta see this for yourself!


Birthday Cleavage - The picture of this eCard puts me away, I was roaring with laughter with the animation.


Cupid's Pick-up Lines - Another funny one for someone with a great sense of humour.

With the convenience of eCards, you save time and money to keep in touch with your friends and loved ones. For only $13.99, you can send as many as you like with the flexibility of scheduling your eCards to reach the someone special at the time you specify. You can choose from the wide selection of animated cards - funny ones or just simply heart-warming ones. And what more, there is a 30 day trial period so there's really nothing to lose if you don't like it. Nothing to lose here, isn't it?

Go check it out yourself, you will be impressed!

Links, Links, Links...

This Page Rank issue has been discussed so often among bloggers. For those who do not know, one of the best ways to increase your PR is to have others linking to your sites and posts. My friend, Adam,who just won the SEO challenged tagged me with this interesting way to help increase you blog's PR.

**Instructions**

Write a post, and copy and paste my list from below into it. Make sure the links are active and correct. If your blog is on that list, remove it because your post isn’t about self-promotion. Don’t worry, because if your name is on mine, it’s on others and will spread. Add your favourite deserving blogs to the top of the list (not compulsory). Publish the post. People will notice the incoming links, and hopefully write their own z-list posts. The result will be that we all get more links pointing to our blogs, and more readers - got to be good!

Key Points
1) Create a new post on your blog.
2) Copy and Paste the entire list of blog links below
3) Add any blogs that you want to include near the top of the list. (Optional)
4) Include the blog where you first got the list from, on the list in your post.
5) Do not include your own blog links on the list in your post.
6) Make sure that all links are copied intact.
7) Publish the Post.

My Adds:
Jangbokjae
Suni
Skeet
Bubba Stuff
Samm

Originals:
Adam
Jangbokjae
Suni
Skeet
Bubba Stuff
Samm
Anonymous
Toil
Ah Pek
Blank Canvas
Home Office Women
Shoppingmum
PabloPabla’s Whatever
Blueapron
Make$ Money$
Owen of Ugh
Jules is Utterly Geek
Internet. Serious Business
The Sabahan
Critical Thoughts
Blog-Op
Carols Vault
Blog About Your Blog
Monetize Your Blog
Cosmin PTR
Make Money On The Net
Successful Online Money Making
Turn One Pound Into One Million$
Work at Home Blog
Blogging For Beginners
How to earn money online?
Dosh Dosh
Money Money Money
Money Making Quest
Connected Internet
Mike’s Money Making Mission
Time to Budget
Can I Make Big Money Online
Blogtrepreneur
Flee the Cube
Blogging Secret
Blogging to Fame
Million Dollar Experiment heads Down Under
Quest to make money on the internet
Kumiko’s Cash Quest
Calico Monkey
Internet Bazaar
Shotgun Marketing Blog
BrandSizzle
bizsolutionsplus
Customers Rock!
Being Peter Kim
Pow! Right Between The Eyes!
Billions With Zero Knowledge
Working at Home on the Internet
MapleLeaf 2.0
Two Hat Marketing
darrenbarefoot.com
The Emerging Brand
The Branding Blog
CrapHammer
Drew’s Marketing Minute
Golden Practices
Viaspire
Tell Ten Friends
Flooring the Consumer
Kinetic Ideas
Unconventional Thinking
Buzzoodle
Live Life, Organics & Natural Health
NewsPaperGrl
The Copywriting Maven
Hee-Haw Marketing
Scott Burkett’s Pothole on the Infobahn
Multi-Cult Classics
Logic + Emotion
Branding & Marketing
Popcorn n Roses
On Influence & Automation
Bullshitobserver
Servant of Chaos
converstations
eSoup
Presentation Zen
Dmitry Linkov
aialone
John Wagner
Nick Rice
CKs Blog
Design Sojourn
Frozen Puck
The Sartorialist
Small Surfaces
Africa Unchained
Perspective
gDiapers
Marketing Nirvana
Bob Sutton
¡Hola! Oi! Hi!
Shut Up and Drink the Kool-Aid!
Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together
The Pleasure of Being a Woman
Community Guy
Social Media on the fly

Gordon Max is here!!

Gordon Max has come to Kuala Lumpur. It's good news for the ladies as well as for men. If you have never heard of Gordon Max. It is the first company to delight consumers with a new type of simulated diamond from Europe that is virtually the same if not better, when compared to natural high quality ones. Making waves with the first outlet in Singapore, Gordon Max is now in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Jakarta, Hong Kong and now, Kuala Lumpur.

At Gordon Max, your desired 1 carat simulated diamond ring will only cost less than 10% of the natural-mined diamond one... do you think you can tell the difference between the two - I bet you can't. It has fooled even the jewelers before any tests are made.

So guys, you don't have to burn a hole in your pocket to impress your wife or girlfriend this coming Valentines Day!

Music can be beautiful as fashion

You have heard about Belisi luxury collection of ties, scarves and handbags, how about Belisi radio? Peter Belisi is not just known for his good taste in luxury fashion apparels, he is sharing his love for music by putting today’s hottest artists, music legends, progressive lounge tracks, jazz, and country and rock favorites in his new Belisi Radio. Peter believes that music, like fashion, can be equally sophisticated, classic and beautiful.

The holy grail of link popularity

Much have been discussed about page ranking, search engine optimization and link popularity. Personally, this is a new subject and I'm learning from articles, internet discussions and experienced bloggers. It may be too complex if you attempt to understand everything about Google algorithm unless you are a SEO expert.

Apparently, one of the effective ways to increase link popularity is through blogs. Search engines love content and blogs provide links within the posts when a website is mentioned. Such quality links may be favourble but you would need hundreds and thousands of that to see significant improvement in your rankings.

What about Italy?

One of my dream holiday destination happens to be romantic Italy. I have heard so much nice things about this lovely city. My friend will be heading to Italy for her honeymoon in a few months' time - how nice! Besides, I have always enjoy Italian fare - pasta, pizza and the yummy seafood in marinara sauce....

I have a little peek on some properties in Italy and they are truly charming! I am enchanted by the beauty and character of Italian architecture and surroundings. I must seriously plan for a trip for our next family vacation.

Power of online chats

I'm having a fun time tonight. The power of technology allowed me to communicate with two freelancers via MSN a while ago and we got all the project issues discussed and settled. There are still many who do not subscribe to online chatting - my husband is one of them. But the truth is it is a powerful communication medium when used efficiently and appropriately. Personally, I also use it to keep in touch with friends, local and overseas. It makes keeping in touch so much easier.

Few days ago, I chatted with a friend who was busy writing paid posts in the late hours. She commented that it felt good to be 'working with an online friend', she was writing and chatting with me at the same time.

Online chatting helps to build relationships too!

Gold coins - a symbol of wealth

My mother used to an ardent shopper for gold way back in the 80s. I recalled her buying gold coins for investment and she loved collecting the chinese horoscope gold coins every lunar New Year. She would check the gold price and flock to the goldsmiths when the price was low.

It has been a popular trend among Chinese to purchase these horoscope gold coins as keepsakes al these years. Some of designs on these coins are creative and intricately manufactured, which make them popular as gift items among corporates and well-wishers during festive seasons. It is also common for older folks to buy gold for wedding couples as a symbol of luck and prosperity in Chinese customs. Buying gold is often seen as a sign of wealth and prosperity for other cultures too as it is said that gold bullions have the power to change men's lives.

"Name Your Price" Web Hosting

What an interesting concept, 'Name Your Price' Web hosting! Yes, that's right. What this means is that you get to decide what you want and how much you want to pay for Web hosting.

This is truly a competitive marketplace for web hosting companies. In the last few months, Alex and myself have bought over more than 10 domains for our internet business. We know how important to host our domains with a robust and stable web hosting company. These are some unique features at Unified-Hosting:

99% Uptime
30 day money back guarantee (that's right, if you not happy within the initial 30 days, you get your money back)
24/7 efficient and friendly customer support
Online help desk and billing area
Fast reliable network and servers

It's definitely worth checking out if you haven't chosen your Web hosting or if you are thinking of migrating Web host.

My new header at Home Office Women

My new header at home office women is up! I'm so happy with this new look and Randa did such a lovely job. She was quick to grasp my style and this header is so 'me'. I particularly love the mother and child graphic which so clearly describe my life as a home office woman. The colours and the fonts just complement the entire header.

Head down to my home office women, let me know what you think!

Unique website for stock investors

There are few things that retain my husband's attention for a long stretch of time. Mention internet marketing, creative publicity, marketing strategies, investments, stocks and options trading, and you will get all his attention.

Being a fairly discipline person, he is one who will spend time to read, research and learn about business and financial subjects that interest him. Every morning, he spends the morning evaluating the stock market via the internet. I should let him know that he can now watch video tutorials on how to invest in Penny Stocks at Stockwire.com

This is a free interactive site with everything you need to know about Penny Stocks including investing video tutorials, a message board, stock profiles, a blog, and e-newsleters. With a high Alexa ranking, this site is growing with more members each day.

Are you afraid of the dentist?

Til today, I shudder at the thought of visiting the dentist. Drifting back to my childhood days, the female dentist in my junior school would give me a stern look and give me a long lecture on dental care.

Because of that, I strongly believe that dentists should be friendly and approachable. Treating the patient's dental problems with quality care and skillful hands would ease the fears and assure a smooth, painless procedure. Ask 10 people and it would be hard to find one who loves going to the dentist.

Charles Brown DDS PC is a sought after dentist in the Alexandria region. With proven track records and reputable credentials, he has performed countless of dental treatments including crown, root canal and surgical procedures. Being listed as a top dentist by the Washington Area Consumer Council, you can locate him in Hayfield Dental Care.

Introducing my friend, Stuart Tan

Last weekend, my husband and myself caught up with our friend and internet marketing expert, Stuart Tan to discuss our plans for some exciting projects coming up. We have never mentioned this to Stuart but we enjoy hanging out with this smart lad. If you haven't check out Stuart's profile and his company, please spend few minutes to do so. Stuart knows everything about getting an internet newbie started because he was one himself a year ago! Even if you are well-versed in the subject, you are sure to learn something from the resources he has put together.

Stuart put together a nice video for me, I'm so impressed... check it out, will you?

Are you with the ideal cell phone plan?

This is just getting me curious. When was the first time you owned a cell phone? If my memory didn't fail me, I got my first cell phone way back in 1991. And it was the heavy, bulky Motorola one, if you could still recall the first generation of cell phones.

During those days, people would stare at me when my cell phone rang, it was uncommon to own one. However, things were a lot different in Hong Kong as a lot of business people would walk on the streets chatting away with their cell phones. I remembered how embarrassed I would feel bringing out that bulky Motorola when it rang, it was just very unfeminine to be talking with that huge gadget.

In other words, I have been subscribing to countless cell phone plans. Little by little, as cell phones become part of our lifestyle in the last 10 years, it's also becoming cheaper to subscribe to a plan. No matter where you are, telcom providers are constantly launching new phone plans to encourage new subscribers or retain current ones. Therefore finding the right plan can be confusing and mind boggling for some. To find the right plan for yourself, you need to identify your cell phone needs. Many of these plans are categorized to appeal to different users - business or leisure. If you need assistance to find the right plan, there is a wireless widget tool available in Wirefly to answer that need.