thoughts on blog advertising

A few of my internet marketing friends have been asking to interview me on the topic of blog advertising but I have turned them down. The reason why I refuse is because I don't even know how long this trend will last so not sure if it's even good to promote heavily about it. Perhaps the recent slowdown at PPP has also affected my decision. This month, I didn't even reached my desired target and for whatever reasons, a lot of the opps last week have been targeting US bloggers. Why is that so, I wonder? Have this advertiser who is releasing these opps think that only US bloggers can write quality content?

Tell me about it.

a fruitful day with Jill Lowe

I had the privilege to sit in a close door workshop on Color and Style, conducted by Jill Lowe, a well-known image consultant cum coach today. The workshop was attended by a group of 18 top management corporate men and the session was simply amazing.

Though I have been a designer for years, I never know that all of us have a color season linked to us. In other words, the workshop taught that each of us could be a spring, summer, autumn or winter person and once we know that, there is a set of colours that either 'make' or 'break' our first impression and image significantly. This colour matching system is an eye opener for me as I have never thought that our business style and lifestyle patterns can be influence by the colour of our attire.

Jill has taught people from all walks of life from high flyers to front liners, from the simple real estate broker to the CEO of a MNC. It is also nice getting to know Jill since I'll be organizing a workshop for her in October. This has been a fruitful day for me. And I must thank my good friends, Yarris and Mike and her girls for babysitting Clayton. Without them I wouldn't be able to attend this workshop at all. Thank God for wonderful friends like them.

moving guide

Making a decision to move out of your parents' house can be a big decision for some. Why? Moving out to live a life of your own means doing your own laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, tidying, cleaning, washing and many DIY experiences. I move into an apartment many years ago with a class mate during my design college years. As much as it was fun to be independent, I was getting bored with too much housework after a few months. And the truth was I had no experience with moving to an apartment and spent alot of time finding the right place, getting organized and doing things right.

If you are planning on moving to an apartment, take heart! Here is a site that provides all the resources, tips and pointers on everything that involves moving into a new place. Whether it's hunting for an apartment, finding the right roommates or getting in the right mover, you can read about how all these things are done while planning for your move. At least, you will be more well prepared and even end up with some savings with careful planning and research.

short trip to Singapore

I'll be making another short trip to Singapore again, this time, alone with Clayton. I know he's all excited to see grandma, take coach, gai gai and have fun. For me, it's a full day workshop with Jill Lowe tomorrow and a little shopping here and there. The nice thing is I'm still wired up in Singapore, unlike the previous trips where I had to run to the library for an internet connection. It is great to have my MacBook traveling with me, though my luggage will be heavier than usual. Til then, more updates on the way this weekend.

jay and jeannie

Our event with Father of Guerrilla Marketing had finally happened on 24 July. Jay and Jeannie flew to Manila for another event after ours. It was a good event and like I said earlier in my previous post, we are thankful to make a profit when we almost thought we were only breaking even. Jay and Jeannie had a great time and we were happy to know them. Here are some smiley moments...

internet and blogging addiction

My internet connection has been down since 1.30am last night. I woke up with a hope that it would be restored but NO! As usual, something went wrong with TM Net's connection and I could only wait for the connection to be restored soon.

I got so restless that I had to pop by Starbucks for a quick connection, since I didn't know when it would be fixed. With some pending reviews and a mailbox full of unchecked mails, I was a little desperate. This was when I realized that my life was becoming more dependent on technology - how scary!

I tried to take it easy, did my other stuff that didn't require the internet, spent more time with my boy but I had to admit that I was feeling anxious and restless. I wondered to myself, "Am I addicted to the internet?" or "Have I been addicted to blogging?" Oops... internet and blogging addiction!

a new blogging community

Anyone likes a free trip to Las Vegas? Well, if you do, then it's time to check out this new social blogging network at thoughts.com. This free blogging community allows you to create
blog posts, upload your photos, videos, podcasts and share them with your friends. The uniqueness of thoughts.com is that you can rate the blog posts of other members and include your comments or feedback.

Coming back to the FREE trip to Las Vegas... first of all, you need to be a member and start playing an active role in the community. Once your total rating is 4.0 or more, you can be an active postie in the forum. Staff members of thoughts.com will select 5 most active members who post and update their blog posts, photos and videos on a regular basis. So who knows, your active participation may win you a trip to Las Vegas. Did I mention that the trip is not just for yourself, you actually get to invite a guest to travel with you and receive a roundtrip airfare no matter where you are in the continental US, 3 nights' stay at a 4 star resort, complimentary dinner for 3 nights and 2 nights of complimentary shows! Wow!

The thing is, it's not about winning a trip, but to get into the blogging community to network and get to know more friends and people. Head down to the beta site now and sign up for your free membership and start posting!

would you buy furniture online?

Since I'm on the subject of office furniture, here is an online store for those who are keen in getting some new bookcases, new desks, computer tables or chairs for your office. Though I don't know if I like to buy furniture online, some may have no problems with that. Personally, I prefer to see the 'real' thing, feel it, touch it, test it before making a purchase. But then, if you can get a better price online, it may be a good decision to shop that way.

What about you? Would you buy furniture online?

time to get organized

It feels like a big stone has been lifted off my shoulders. After 9 months of planning and anticipation, our event has finally ended. It's time to reorganize the home office, clear up some paper clutter and get ready for the next event in October. Though it's not a big one, I am all excited to market a new topic on Image Management.

I'm dying to change some home office furniture and been thinking of some of these modern and stylish executive desks for myself. It feels good to have a nice working area since I am spending more time in the home office than anywhere else. This St Paul desk is tempting but I need to convince DH for a splurge like this - $2,340, even at sale price - whoa!

Top 10 Urban Adventures

Thinking of a holiday in the next few months, here are some ideas of the Top 10: urban adventures for those who fancy the city life and modernity. Slinky nightclubs, historical wonders, cultural oases, dining decadence - the lure of the big city is that you can have it all.

See what makes these U.S. cities legendary:

1. New York City
2. Las Vegas
3. Orlando
4. San Francisco
5. Chicago
6. Myrtle Beach
7. San Diego
8. Los Angeles
9. Boston
10. Honolulu

updates on our event

The day started out early and it felt great to expect another big event. This year, we are expecting about 260 pax and I can't wait to hear what our speaker, Jay Levinson has to impart to our participants.

As usual, the ballroom was freezing cold and at 9am, the room was 85% filled with another 15% streaming in at 'rubber time'. I was enjoying Jay's teaching and wouldn't want to step out of the room. It was insightful. Jay was a great teacher with lots of stories and illustrations to share.

With all events, we would be making sure that all participants are happy and comfortable in the learning environment. I am writing this while the seminar is still going on. Very soon, we will be having our afternoon break and then, the seminar will come to an end.

It's another spectacular event of the year - and we are so grateful.

God blesses our event

We are filled with excitement as our seminar is happening tomorrow. After the 9 months of preparation, planning, marketing and promotion, it is finally here. Looking back, we were concerned about breaking even 2 weeks ago. We didn't understand what was causing the slowdown in sign ups but as we continued to have faith and trust God, He opened doors and the sign-ups continued to pour in.

We are truly thankful for exceeding more than 200 paid participants compared to the 150 we had 3 weeks ago... it's the Lord's blessings and we thank Him for making it happened for us again.

how about teak furniture?

With Clayton growing up, I am getting concerned over the glass dining table top in the dining area. I told DH that I would like a teak furniture set for the house and he gave me a stare. Personally, I always like teak wood furniture for its durability and quality. It is resistant to termites and adverse weather conditions and simply ideal for humid climates like ours.

The teak furniture featured at Yahoo has won raving reviews after a month of going live at the webstore. What makes this site stands out is the fact that the teak wood manufactured are harvested from sustainable forests which means the company is active in its role to save the forests and lessen deforestation. With part of the proceeds from the profits to save the rainforests, it goes to show that the company is serious about doing its part to save Mother Earth.

So if you are looking for good quality teak furniture, check out the wide selection at Teakwood Patio Furniture... I'm already looking :)

*This is not a paid post

a moving directory

If you, like me, has moved several times internationally in the last ten years, you know the importance of finding a good and reliable mover to facilitate your relocation experience. Looking for the right mover can be a daunting task if you don't know where to search and locate the right resource.

What if there is a moving directory where you can search and find a mover for your moving needs? Topmovingcompanies.com is the place to start your mover search and get quotes whether you are planning to move locally, interstate, internationally or even just renting trucks for your moves or finding storage rentals. Even though the site has a simple home page, what's important is that it can direct you to the right movers that can solve your moving concerns and needs. The best thing about the directory is that you can get FREE quotes online by just entering your moving specifications, location, and contact details. With this, you don't need to waste time calling moving companies for quotations.

the internet makes online learning possible

For so long, I have been thinking about online education but with my current schedule, it's simply impossible. But it's good to know that online learning is now made easy with the super internet technology and it provides more opportunities for working people to further their studies in subjects of their interests.

When it comes to quality online learning, I have heard about the repuation of capella university who provides graduate, bachelor and postgraduate degree programs for various subjects including IT, human resource, communications, business, public safety, education and much more. With its network of 19,000 students from all 50 states and 56 countries, it has more than 10 years experience in running its online learning programs for students worldwide. With 89 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 16 certificate programs, there is no shortage of subject to pick from.

Aren't you thankful that the internet has made online learning possible?

what do you do with your digital photos?

I believe most bloggers do own a digital camera but my question is do you guys develop your digital photos into prints? I know that are lots of cheap inkjet printers out there in the marketplace that allows you to print your own photos. Though the quality seems fine but I still feel that nothing beats the conventional prints. But perhaps I would consider getting a digital frame since this allows me to show my digital photos (I have alot of them) to my mom and friends. Best of all, I can tuck it into my handbag and bring it with me everywhere I go.

Anyone got one of these?

do you travel with medical?

I seriously can't stress enough why it's important to travel with a travel health insurance whether you are on family vacation, student travel or business travel. I was traveling without an international travel insurance many years ago during a study trip to Australia and ended up spending more money on medical fees when I fell sick. The thing was it wouldn't have to be so if I had bought myself a travel medical insurance. Basically, there are several types of travel medial insurances - short term that is suitable for vacationers and longer term for those who live abroad. While the policies cover different details, it is worth finding out more each of them and ensure a protection on all your travels. If you have never bought any travel medical insurance, it's time to do so in your next vacation or business trip.

What will I do with $1 million?

Here is another tag but thankfully it is not a hard one :) My JieMei, Shoppingmum tagged me on what will I do if I have 1 million. Wow... time to fantasize again! It's nice to do that every now and then, dream and fantasize. So, here's what I will do with 1 million... err, is it ringgit or US dollars? Let's assume it's Singapore dollars - kakakaka...

$100K - pay my tithes
S$500K - Buy a house in Australia - probably cost me so much that I won't be left much to do the things I want!
S$200K - Save in fixed deposit or invest
S$50K - For my family (mom and brother)
S$10K - Goes to Charities
S$20K - Vacation
$100K - Will KIV and see what I need to use it for

OH well, now I like to hear what would these blogging buddies of mine do with $1million!

Bokjae
Judy
Vedis

for those who live in Oregon

It is the dream of most people to own and build their own homes. Yet, owning a home for alot of people especially for those who just started their careers or families can be a daunting task. I am surrounded by many couple friends who are first time home owners and every couple has a mortgage to take care of. Whenever the topic of buying a home or remodelling a house is raised, everyone will be discussing about mortgage issues.

Well, here's some good news for the Oregon community when it comes to mortgage application. While you may have a daunting task in the past of finding the best Oregon home mortgage and mortgage company, you can now receive help from Oregon Best Mortgage, who has 25 years of experience in serving the Oregon residents. Whether it's Oregon mortgage refinance or getting a mortgage quote, the people at Oregon Best Mortgage will help you find the best mortgage rates at the lowest fees to match your credit profile and requirements.

It's good to know that help is just a phone call away.

deciding on blinds

After all the months of deciding what kind of blinds to install in our bedroom, I'm still so undecided. With so many nice option around, it's hard to pick one kind - how nice if I get to redo all the curtains in the house! Maybe I should consider the faux wood blinds since it is easy to clean, durable and present a stylish finish and appearance. Besides they are cheaper than real wood ones :)

Battle with a 3 year old

Lately, I have been battling with my soon-to-be 3 year old. He is learning to push his boundaries more than before, throw tantrums and pull up a fuss over the smallest things. I make it a habit not to reward bad behaviour which means if he kicks up a fuss about something, I would not give in to his demands and walk away until he stops and changes his behaviour.

This afternoon, he insisted on sitting on the couch for lunch. I refused and told him he had to be on his feeding table. He started pulling up a fuss, cried, threw tantrums, raised his voice...etc. We were running late for his nursery session but I had to tolerate the lost time and stick to my rules. I refused to feed him and was ready to send him to school without lunch. It felt 'cruel' at that moment but I knew it would be worse if I gave in to his demands and bent my rules.

I left him alone to whine and cry and walked away. He finally calmed down a little and then I explained to him in a firm and calm tone that feeding had to be done on that table. He finally realized that mommy won't give in and agreed to sitting on his table again.

He was late for school. I didn't like that but it was necessary. For me, I called this tough love but I was truly glad that I stuck to my principle of not rewarding bad behaviours.

iContact email marketing software review

A couple of years ago, we invested in an email marketing software to help us communicate efficiently with our clients. If you run a business where building clients' relationships is key, then regular communication is crucial to maintain that relationship with your clients. And I must agree that the internet has sped up this process and helps business people to communicate better with clients and prospects, thus creating more options to grow businesses.

But the question is how do you go about it? Since I'm doing a review on iContact Email Marketing Software, let's take a look at the software features. I did a quick comparison with the software our company is currently using and noticed these differences:

1. iContact has an auto removal of emails that bounced back more than 5 times - til today, we are still getting repeated bounced emails, this is especially when we forget to delete the bounced email address.

2. iContact has a forward -a-friend feature which can be a good viral and referral tool for your business.

3. It has a powerful list segmentation feature that helps you focus on loyal customers and allows you to send messages to this specific list.

4. There are more than 300 templates that can help you design attractive newsletters to your subscribers.

5. There is an in-built online survey form should you need it for your marketing campaigns.

6. You can analyze your marketing campaigns by tracking who is reading your marketing messages.

7. You can send your message to your clients via email, RSS feeds as well as blogging!

8. iContact allows you to create quick invitations to your subscribers' list where you can send further messages to follow up closer to the event.

Well, if you would like to try out the software to fully experienced the user-friendliness, iContact is offering a 15 day free trial so that you can take time to decide if this email marketing software is suitable for your business. If you like more info, the introductory video is available at the website - check it out now!

*Sponsored*

the coolest golf shoes on the planet

This is a fun contest even if you are not a golfer! Let your creative juices flow and create your own pair of golf shoes and see if you can win the title of MyJoys Coolest Pair on the Planet! Now, all you have to do is design the golf shoes and post it on your site (like what I'm doing) and let your readers vote for you. Call all your friends, loyal readers, create the buzz and if you win the most votes, you walk away with a $1000 gift certificate to GolfBalls.com - Vote for me!

LolaPop Boutique

This is one girly site with one of the nicest greeting home page. LolaPop Boutique is a cute and lovely stop for customized sweet jewelry treats for babies, toddlers, cool moms and grannies. I find it a great stop for gifts too. Choose your character, bracelet, necklace, personalized it for that special someone you have in mind. Check out the site - you will love it for its whimsical graphics and little characters.

for those who love fitness

You are fit, loves exercise, gym, weights and find it weird if you don't get to move use those muscles and stretch those joints. You love fitness, hang around friends and people who talk and discuss about keeping fit, eating right, toning the body, you like to make like-minded fitness personals and friends, then this fitness dating site may interest you. This site is for individuals looking for dates who have keen interests in fitness and health. With the photos and description on the site, you can decide who you like to befriend or get to know and send a message via the site. Definitely an interesting niche site for those who like to look and stay fit all the time. Now they have more things in common and talk about, that's quite a good idea.

my thoughts on PR updates

Looks like active bloggers and webmasters are awaiting eagerly for the next Google update, said to happen anytime at the end of the week. With this regular news that keep everyone curious, excited and 'on the toes' (for some), you will also see more comments left in Do Follow blogs and new directory listings in the internet and blogosphere. We who blog actively like to see an increase in PR rankings or for the very least, keep the rank if it's high - what are you hoping for this coming Google PR updates?

personalized gifts for kids

Ha! Finally there is a real cool site that sells personalized gifts and books for children. Identity Direct is an online store that stocks more than 400 gift ideas for children. We parents know how kids like their favourite Disney characters and cartoons on their stationery, T shirts, mugs, cups, cutlery sets, bags, caps... etc. What I like in the store is the Adventure book series where you can personalize your child's name, birthday and details on the book chosen. Choose from all the interesting titles such as Winnie the Pooh, Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Disney Princess and Cars and much more. This is one gift idea I would highly recommend!

7 random facts/habits about myself

OH.... this is a belated tag I got from Janice at This is a miracle. Tell ya, I have many outstanding tags and this is but one... so please don't be upset if I take too long to do your tag. I have been real busy, so busy that my mind can go blank sometimes. Well, let's get back to the tag... it's on Friendship! Though the topic is about friendship, the content of the tag isn't. I think the tag should be "7 random facts/habits about myself"...

The rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog post with their 7 things as well as these rules. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. Remember to leave a comment for them letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog.

So here I am writing 7 things about myself :

1. I am one busy work-at-home mom that never steps away from my MacBook except when I need to fulfill my duties as a wife and mom. I am always doing something!

2. I am a natural health junkie - tell me anything about natural health and I'm all ears!

3. I love shoes - good shoes, nice shoes, quality shoes, cool and unique shoes... expensive shoes!

4. I would like to be a full-time blogger - a profitable one... someday.

5. I am the outgoing sort who would sneak away for a meal by myself. A nice mocha in Starbucks all by myself is one of my favourite things :)

6. I love chocolates - quality ones but I haven't touched them for the past 2 months - I miss them!

7. It took me a while to appreciate my motherhood status - it is such a change for me but watching clayton grow is one great pleasure - He is a blessing!

Ok.. I need to tag 7 people - wow that's alot to tag. I'll come back to that later...

let's got sports shopping!

This review for Webbyplanet footlocker brings me memories. Footlocker was one of my favourite sports shop way back in the 80s and I bought most of my aerobics sneakers and gear from the store until it ended its operations. So when I saw the review for the online store, I was thrilled.


Being an outdoor and athletic person by nature, I appreciate quality sports gear that is stylish, fashionable, functional and attractive. So now that I found footlocker's online store which offers more than 17,000 products, this will be my first stop when it comes to my sports wear shopping. You can find all the leading brands here in Footlocker including Adidas, Timberland, Nike, Jordan, Brooks, New Balance... even Birkenstock! With the user-friendly store design, you can search for apparel by brand, price or by category.

From men and women's shoes, clothing, accessories, equipment for all sorts of sports and occasions- basketball, soccer, baseball, cross training or just for fashion sake! And if you are a fan of a sports team, find your fan gear right here at the online store. Basically, there is something for everyone at Footlocker. This makes it a cool one-stop shop for all athletic and sports gear needs.



You can shop with confidence with the 24/7 customer service support and if you like to see some savings while shopping at Footlocker, there are a couple of coupon codes available at Webby planet for your use:

Get a $10 discount on orders over $50 at FootLocker - Coupon code: EMCP7BLY

FREE SHIPPING on orders over $99 at Footlocker.com! - Coupon code: LKS1PP99

travel guide by real people

No advice beats those who have 'been there and done that'. Whether it's an advice on what to do with your business, how to renovate your house, what to do with a fussy child or where to stay for your family vacation or honeymoon - it is always good to receive advice from 'real' people.

So here is a another travel guide by real travelers where you can find out where are the best destinations to visit, read travel stories by real travelers, visit featured blogging travelers and plan your future itinerary. What's great about the site is that you get to see photos of travelers and read real their personal reviews. You can even rate the review and comment on the travel tales. Real travel is all about real people with real experiences... bookmark this for your personal travel guide and if you are a travel freak (like me), sign up as a member and share your travel tales to the world.

A new look on this blog

I finally gather enough courage to upgrade my old blogger template to a new one. You may wonder why it takes more courage. Well, that is becos I fear scripts and HTML and am worried that my codes will be lost during the upgrade... but thank God it did not happened as you can see. I have wanted a new look for a long time, infact, this is not even the template of my choice. I pick one from another source but honestly, I don't even know how to install the codes so well, this is not too bad for a start. The next thing is to work on the header which I'll probably take a closer look after my event next week. Til then, hope you like my new look :)

lists at rental.com

Since I am talking about houses for rent, I take some time to check out the features at rentals.com and hey, that is a great stop to search for a rented home, apartment, townhouse of your choice. Simply choose the state and your desired location, the type of home you are after and the listings appear right in front of you. Not only do you see photos of the property, the rental rates are displayed too for your quick reference.



This nice apartment, TRIO, appeals to me for its retro and simple elegance. After reading the overview and description of the property, it is even more tempting! With 61" Plasma TV and a neat gourmet kitchen, a clubhouse to enjoy some recreation and most importantly, in a convenient and modern location, this nice property in Pasadena seems like a cool haven to hang out.

Besides being a popular home rental site, the website also provides resources and tips for families and individuals planning on a move. So the next time you need to rent a place, look no further, start with rentals.com

old chang kee

If you are in Singapore and you really want a home grown local snack to munch on, stop by one of the Old Chang Kee kiosks or stores for some hot, steaming, yummy curry puffs. I have been eating them since I was a little girl and the curry puffs just got better! Another of my favourite is the cuttle fish balls in a stick (sotong ball)... I love the chewy, crunchy texture.

Old Chang Kee has added so many items to their menus over the years but no matter what new items are added, nothing beats the traditional bite of the original curry puff.



I'm hungry now...

when money cannot buy you more donuts...

I wanted to write about this for a long time but never got to it - finally, I found the photos and here you go...

These are a couple of signs found at the basement of Raffles City shopping centre where the F&B outlets and dozens of cool retail stores are found. You won't believe it but there is a never-ending queue at one of the little shops at the basement of this big mall called the Donut Factory.



Everyday, people will be queuing just to buy one or two dozens of soft, melt-in-the-mouth donuts, a close resemblance of the famous Krispy Kreme in the US. According to my friend who works around the area, this queue never dies off until the shop closes.

Well, this is when money cannot buy you more donuts... will you join the queue?

i hate mozzies and ants

Don't ask me why but since young, I have this nagging fear when I see ants in the house. I remembered crawling away when I saw those ants in the corner of our old house or I would avoid any spots with ants. Of course I would grab some insecticide if I'm desperate or else, I would rather leave them alone. The thought of getting rid of them with my hands just run a funny feeling over me. Ya, it sounds weird, being fearful over one of the smallest insects around, but I don't know why.

But I'm glad at least I don't have an ants problem or some other pests situations, I know of others who do. Don't underestimate roaches problems or mosquitoes or termites in the house, they can pose threats, risks and dangers in your abode! I dislike mozzies. I have sensitive skin thus I get very comfortable when stung by these hateful mozzies, which can cause dengue. And I have read from a chicago pest control website that cockroaches can worsen asthma conditions due to their excrement and cast skins which contain allergens. Whatever it is, if your house has one of these pest problems, it is important to seek help to rid them off. For more information on pest control, check out Rose Pest Solutions.

shop, compare and find the best!

Who wouldn't want the best in everything including subscribing to the best credit card? Let me ask you: how many credit cards do you own? And do you think they are the best credit cards in the marketplace? Well, here is CardFusion.com who brings to you what is best in the marketplace. Whether it's business credit cards, instant credit cards or airline credit cards, this is a site lists more than 100 credit cards which allows you to do your comparison and make an online application.

This is definitely better than calling each bank or surfing respective bank's website to find out what is offered. At one glance, you can view and compare the credit cards without leaving your computer. I believe this is a fantastic service for busy working people who value their time and Cardfusion.com helps to shorten the long process of credit card shopping.

a trip to brisbane, australia

It just occured to me that alot of travelers, even experienced ones, do not know what they are missing out. I have been booking online for the past 8 years in all my vacations and I am enjoying every bit of this sheer convenience and online hotel shopping experience. But til today, I still have friends who think that online hotel booking is not reliable and trustworthy.

One of the hotel booking sites I have personally used is Asia Hotels which offers competitive rates in all parts of Asia plus Australia and other parts of the world. Not only do you find attractive deals of a wide selection of hotels in the Asian cities, the website provides detailed information of the city, with overview and traveler's stories and reviews of the destination.



Next year, I will be searching for hotels in Brisbane as we are planning to Queensland to check out the possibility of settling down in Brisbane in a few years' time. Since our cousins are all based in the Eastern state, this gives us a reason to consider Brisbane over Western Australia. Taking a quick peek at the hotels in Brisbane, they can be sorted by price, name or star ratings and each hotel presents a photo with detailed information of its location, description, customers' reviews and rates. To check availability, simply enter your travel dates and the results can be viewed instantly, though some hotels may need a further confirmation for special travel dates. I have handpicked a few for our future bookings: Quay West Suites, Saville SouthBank, Stamford Plaza or the Oaks Lexicon Apartments. Or maybe I'll plan a short getaway at Peppers Hidden Vale in South East Queensland.




I'm amazed and equally impressed that you can find an accommodation in almost any part of Australia at the website. If you don't know where to begin, the hotels Australia page provides full listings of the hotels in every part of the country from a ski resort in Mount Gambier to a luxurious apartment in Whitsundays. At Asiahotels.com, you are so spoilt for choices that you will be spending most of your time deciding on where to lay your head. Besides, one of the perks of booking with Asiahotels is that you get to earn members dollars which provides you more savings in your next hotel booking. I enjoy accumulating these member dollars and use them to offset my future stays in my desired hotel.



So, if you haven't tried online hotel booking for your vacation, you should give it a try. In no time, you will discover the flexibility and sheer convenience that you won't want to call your travel agent or make those expensive phone calls again... with online booking, travel is made easy :)

keep a spreadsheet of your earnings

Being a designer, I confess that I'm not a fan of numbers and figures so when my blogging buddy, shoppingmum asks me to keep a spreadsheet of my monthly earnings, I give all sorts of excuses. I know it is necessary to stay organized and maintained a system for myself but somehow, it seems too time consuming for me and the truth is, I am too lazy to give it a try :)

Well, after much careful consideration, I decide to take her advice, since keeping a spreadsheet is nothing near to downloading any financial consolidation software. And to my surprise, a decision like this eases my mental stress and opens up my mind in my current performance in paid blogging. This slow month in PPP is presenting some stress but the simple spreadsheet eases that. This is because I, like shoppingmum, realize that I am doing reasonably well with other blogging networks that they are contributing to my monthly target. The figures on the spreadsheet surprises me. From the look of it, I am not going to worry too much about the slowness at PPP but directing my focus on other blogging networks.

As the saying goes, "Never put all your eggs into one basket". Don't you agree?

addicted to shoes

"Which is your favourite walking shoes?", someone asked me. Well, it's hard to answer to this cos I have more favourites - hehe. From the expensive and artistic Camper to my rubbery Crocs, I have an new fave now which is my Birkis by Birkenstock. I used to have a friend who fancied Air Jordans and had a full collection of them. If you ask my hubby about shoes, he's probably going to say 'Bata'! Even though I have many pairs of walking shoes, sometimes I still feel as if I need another new one. Ever had that feeling, ladies? Maybe I'm addicted to shoes - kakakaka.

sleek supercar wallpapers and screensavers

I was brought up with lots of independence by my working parents. As a young girl, I played with my brother and his friends - marbles, spinning tops, train sets, racing cars, remote control fast cars... everything else which some people termed as 'boys' stuff'. My dad was a fast car driver and he adored cars. Though we weren't wealthy, my dad had this habit of changing cars every 6-9 months and he just loved stylish sport cars. I supposed his passion for cars had influenced me in a mild way as I did enjoy fast cars too.



This explains why I tend to give nice cars, fast cars and racing cars a second look. Unfortunately, contrary to my dad, I have a hubby who doesn't adore cars. And he's at an extreme of not appreciating nice cars at all. So I can only dreamed about having one of those cool looking cars of my desire one day. But before that day arrives, downloading one of these high quality supercar wallpapers and screensavers is a good start. If you are a car lover, check out these high resolution wallpapers of car illustrations including Bugatti Veyron, McLaren, Ferrari, Saleen, Pagani, Porsche... and alot of other sleek, fast and supercars from other big brands.



These wallpapers are found at VCars, a site that sells new and used cars in the UK. Not only is it a great site to search for cars but car lovers can read up motoring news updated on a daily basis. What I like about the site is that there are nice photos to complement the information which gives the site a friendlier and attractive appeal. A nicely designed home page tends to say alot about the company and its products and services and VCars' home page has a stylish and professional header. Don't just take my word for it, head down to the site and check it out!

your thoughts on weight loss

The common reply when I told friends that I was on detox last week was, "You so slim, why did you need a detox?" or another friend commented, "Detox ah, can lose weight or not?"

So I figure out that many people associated detox with weight loss and not the primary reason of health maintenance. I suppose the media and slimming marketing had distorted this picture and it is necessary for people to know that the primary purpose of detox should be geared towards health and not losing weight. When it comes to weight loss, you hear from hoodia supplements to slimming tea, to high tech slimming equipment to all sorts of plastic surgery. When really, why would people just consider first changing their lifestyle habits but the short cut to losing those extra pounds.

What are your thoughts on weight loss?

all things taps!

One of the things I like to do is to visit the bathrooms of luxury hotels and actually Singapore new shopping malls have some nice restrooms which are installed with modern and stylish sinks and taps. Even when it comes to my own house, I would love to change certain bathroom fixtures if I could. But perhaps I'll save my ideas for our new home in years to come. I'm a fan of minimalist or designer designs such as the Hudson Reed Cera ones or this cool Aqua 1 Glass waterfall tap / bathroom mixer - wow, I think I'm in love with the style of this glass tap!



The Hydra's Designer waterfall mono basin mixer tap is unique too which adds a touch of style and class to a simple no-cluttered bathroom. Those who favor luxury at its best, Gold Taps may be something to look at. If you are shopping for quality and nice taps, check out the wide selection at Taps4less.com. Not only are there heaps of tap designs to pick from, there is a wide range of bathroom furniture, shower equipment, toilet doors, bathtubs, whatever you need to design your dream bathroom. Starting your shopping online now!

sunday summary

I don't like to talk business on Sundays so it is likely that I will be carrying business cards with me when I'm out. These days, I like to a little more with Clayton on Sundays, even if it's just tossing the ball to and fro, lounging on our couch together or attending to his snacking needs.

This boy is beginning to know what chocolates taste like - thanks to the school, and he will ask for chocolate this, chocolate that. I don't want him to take after me in this respect, being a chocoholic won't do him much good - I know it, cos I am a chocoholic!!

Actually, I have heaps to do this weekend but I decide to give my body a little break. So, I'm taking it easy for 4 Sponsored Reviews to complete, some others from other blog advertising networks. So glad to keep busy with these ones since I've had many quiet days at PPP. Just hope that things are picking up a little more with summer holidays moving closer to the end...

Sunday twitters

It's a lazy and rainy Sunday. I tend to take things a little easy on a Sunday. Sometimes, I prefer to just laze around, snack on some healthy 'junk' and do a little more for the house. Other times, I wish that I can sit at the patio in an Orlando vacation home , sip a cocktail, laze in the sun, take a walk at the beach or enjoy a BBQ with the family. I'm an imaginative person and sometimes, it feels good living in a temporal world of fantasy.

In less than 2 weeks' time, we will host our first public event and I can't wait to plan our year end vacation after that. How is your Sunday?

search and compare credit cards

I don't know if you experience this in the shopping mall but I have always been approached by credit card companies to sign up for new cards and sometimes, the promotions offered by the companies can be fairly attractive - rewards, gifts, prizes, freebies...etc.

Sometimes I wonder who is offering the best credit card offers and what is the best deal in the marketplace since there are so many different kinds of credit cards these days, from sports credit card offers to airline credit cards. Actually, you can even search and compare credit cards now at CreditCardSearchEngine.com, which also allows online application. Can't believe how convenient it is these days to own a credit card.

snacking on goji

The other day, I bought a pack of goji berries after reading so much about it. All these years, I have seen them in my mom's herbal soup, my favourite dessert and some authentic chinese dishes but I never thought they would carry with them huge benefits and goodness.

So being a health freak, I would try anything that is natural and beneficial. I started snacking on the Goji Berries and Clayton was greedy to want some. Surprisingly, he liked it and we both started snacking together. That was my first time eating goji berries as a snack. In fact, I should try Goji Juice one of these days, since it claims to strengthen the immune system and boost energy levels. Anything to do with immune strengthening, count me in... this is current health goal.

When buying goji products, do try to buy organic or natural ones, ensuring that they are free from chemicals, preservatives or additives. And if possible, check the source of the products and buy from a reliable health store.

I am a Rockin' Girl Blogger again!

This cool award is being passed around in the blogosphere and well, it's so cool cos it's only meant for us 'girls' or 'ladies' :) I was tagged twice on this - truly glad I am regarded as a 'Rockin Girl Blogger' - hehe. I like to thank GirlieGeek for awarding me with this... you made my day!

So, in love and the true spirit of sisterhood, I would like to pass this on to these few others who are rocking the blogosphere and the lives of those around them:

ShoppingMum
Tracy Tan
Jenny
Tricia
Angela Stevens
Clonic

monovision lasik

Sounds like a procedure that will interest my beloved who started wearing reading glasses last year, much to his dismay. For many years, DH has been thinking about lasik but up til today, he still has alot of reservations after his brother had a bad encounter with an irresponsible eye surgeon 2 years ago.

Monovision Lasik, as explained in the article, is well recommended for people with reading glasses or contact lenses - DH fits in both. Monovision is apparently able to correct presbyopia and thus, eliminates the use of reading glasses. As people reach middle age, it is common to be diagnosed with this condition and sometimes, it can cause much inconvenience if you are an active individual, like my DH, or if you are short-sighted. I'm certainly going to point DH to the article and have him find out more about monovision lasik. Who knows, he may seriously consider this now, since he's sick of not being able to read food menus whenever we are out for dinner, and he's still too embarrassed to be seen in his reading glasses.

get free samples here!

I don't know it's a ladies' thing but we ladies do like receiving free samples of the things we love and have particular interest for. The fun thing about visiting department stores is that you do get offered beauty and cosmetic freebies for trial and sometimes, counter promotions also give away complement products too with a certain amount of purchase.

Now, you don't need to leave your home to receive free product samples that you love. MySavings.com is a one-stop site that provides lots of free samples, coupons, freebies, printable online coupons and special deals on wide selection of categories. You can click on your favourite categories - beauty, bath, babies, health, food and cooking, home and garden, books and magazines and alot more! By simply registering as a member, you can get access to all the links and request for your desired freebies or print out special coupons for your purchases.

Being a new site, selected merchants will send out these free stuff to designated countries, namely US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, until the site expanded its network to other countries including Asia. You can choose to browse the products by categories or merchants.

Besides free samples, the site also provides free services, software downloads, graphics and fonts, cell phone downloads, free ringtones, free games and lots more. On the overall, this is just a great site to find FREE stuff. And FREE means no cost to you - totally FREE. What are you waiting for?

lead management

This year, we did lots of new things for our upcoming event with Father of Guerrilla Marketing. One of which is to conduct email campaigns with marketing firm is responsible for sending our event information to members in its database.

While having a discussion with the company, we learnt about how lucrative lead generating companies can be these days. More and more companies are looking for leads and databases to promote their products and services and one of the options is to seek these companies with big list of leads. But it is equally crucial that these companies manage their leads well by having a reliable software as these leads, in business sense, mean assets to the company.

Besides generating leads, the company we work with also sell leads to lots of companies in retail, products and services, technology, health, and many other industries. Well, we know how valuable leads can be but for the first time, we are asked if we are keen to buy leads for our campaigns.

I guess one of the software that provides all the features for CRM and lead management for this business is the one available at AIMpromote. With its Lead Management CRM Software, these marketing companies can run and manage their leads conveniently on one screen in one software. This increases productivity for companies and enables them to sell more leads with the automated feature.

last day of detox

Know what? Today is my last day of my detox - woohoo! I did it!

Tell ya, I wasn't having the best days of my life last few days. I lost my voice since Sunday and still croaking now. I have been coughing badly with alot of phlegm, had fever chills for two days...etc. Well, I'm not saying these things to put you off detox but this is just how 'sick' my body is.

The interesting thing is I haven't been eating much during this time and I don't feel weak or tired. In fact, I'm more energized and alert - this is the upside of detox! If you don't have respiratory ailments like I do, it may not be that bad, really. Anyways, I have every good reason to break a nice fast tomorrow .... we are having a business meeting in Mandarin Oriental... that is definitely a great way to reward myself - lol.

I did it!!

more workshops on the way...

I am so glad that we have finally broken even for our July seminar, after much anxieties, waiting and prayers. What is exciting is we are organizing 3 more workshops after July and it is always great to look forward to new projects. One of them is an internet marketing workshop targeting the corporates and it is also the first time we are doing this.

We are contemplating if we should rent a training room with computers but it isn't easy finding a place equipped with at least 30 -35 computers. Since this is a hands on and practical workshop, having computers for the participants is crucial to maximize their learning experience. One of the solutions will be to consider computer rental with providers like CRE Rentals who specializes in renting computers, labtops, AV equipment, Mac Pro rental and MacBook Pro rental. The nice thing about renting computers is that the technical person will deliver the equipment and ensure that the systems are in good working order, have everything properly set-up before leaving the venue. The final alternative is to request that all participants bring them a labtop to the training.

Having said that, working with CRE Rentals would mean convenience for the participants and the assurance that the computers are reliable and in good working order.

realms of wealth

Do you want to be wealthy? Or do you prefer to be healthy? What about having the best of both of being wealthy and healthy.... and wise, if you can? My husband has a wide collection of books in his personal library on all sorts of topics - self help, motivational, marketing, financial, sales, business, entrepreneurship...etc. So tell him about Anthony Robbins or Napoleon Hill, and he will start a conversation very naturally.

Lately, he's been reading alot more eBooks and physical ones and of course, his library is growing fast. I am thinking that he may be interested to check out Realm of Wealth: The 9 Cycles of Prosperity, a self-help book that focuses on teaching people how to live life in abundance and be prosperous in wealth, health and every other areas of your lives. While trying to find out more about the book, I hop over to the 9 Cycles Prosperity Site and read more about what this book is really all about.

I gather that the book teaches on mindset shift and how one person can achieve anything just by applying the proven strategies and concepts expounded by the author. The one that probably attracts most readers will be the ability to 'attract and accumulate' riches and wealth. As this book is also available in Amazon, buying it online from the website comes with bonuses of up to $411 in value.

searching for baby names?

This baby name site brings me memories. About 3 years ago, I was excited about picking a name for my baby boy I was expecting. I bought books, searched the Net, spent hours and hours thinking, looking and searching. Baby Names 1000 is an interesting site that allows all parents to be to search for baby names in a number of options - find new baby names, find names by letters, by gender or just simply checking on top baby names in the year you specify. The search tools are versatile and easy to use. My only comment would be a more prominent and attraction header as the current one has an illustration that appears a little weak and lost.

Wordless Wednesday - Batman

Clayton came home with 2 birthday gift packs last week. One of them was full of quality chocolaty goodies and one of them was my fave but I put them back as I was in the midst of my detox :(

It was good that he didn't asked for any of the chocolates cos he didn't know they were chocolates - lol. The only thing that fascinated him were the party toys and after much struggle, he allowed me to put this on for him... it didn't last more than 5 seconds but I caught it fast on camera!

seeking for love

My DH keeps me abreast with current and social news as he knows that I hardly have time to read anything else other than the local newspapers, blogs and emails. The other day he mentioned me that many men from US, Canada, Australia and other parts of the world are seeking russian girls as life partners. Besides being attracted to their good looks, they are chosen for their feminity, maturity and individuality. That's why online dating sites like Lovers Planet is becoming a popular stop for men looking for single Russian companions or wives and similarly, it's a place where Russian girls find their potential husbands or partners. Well, I must say these Russian girls have such great features that I almost think they are fashion models!

A new card hits town today

Something new and cool is launched for our teens today. Announcing the PAYjr Visa Buxx, the first ever reloadable prepaid card that allows teens the opportunity to be financially wise and to express their creativity. In line of the launch, entries of personal designs can be sent and the winner takes home a new Apple MacBook and other cool prizes. Sounds like a cool promotion so if your creative juices is flowing - send in your creation and stand a chance to win!

updates on Shearwey

You know, the story about the 4 year old sweet little girl who got killed. I guessed I was wrong. Earlier on, I wrote that I felt sorry for the mum but yesterday's papers shocked me with the news that the mum was connected to the little girl's murder. Now, I was wondering how merciless could a mum be and how could she do such a thing to her little girl - it was hard to accept.

She and her jobless boyfriend are both under arrest for investigation while the family mourned for Ying Ying's demise. One thing I know, she is the hands of the loving Father above.

all scales

I'm one of those who hop on the weighing scale every now and then so it annoys me if the scale is not accurate or not functioning properly. I spotted a friend's stylish matte-silver digital scale once and had been looking for something as cool as that.

So the discover of this site that specializes in digital scales comes in handy. There are all kinds of digital scales available - nutritional ones, bathrooms ones, pocket and portable ones, food scales, fish scales, you name it, they have it. Maybe it will be a good stop for me to shop for one I desire.

summary of my day

I haven't had time to blog today. DH was out for an exhibition and I needed to send Clayton to Mandarin class, fix breakfast, lunch, send him to school in the afternoon... then carry on my detox, do my juicing... and I wasn't feeling my best. Coping with an active 3 yo was surely not that fun when I was all alone and feeling half sick.

My healing reactions still persist and I almost thought I was going to pass out in the late afternoon. Thank God I was fine and it looked like the healing reactions were coming to an end. This detox process isn't just about cleansing my body, it's about a time of spiritual healing for me. My friend from Singapore said a prayer with me via MSN and that was so meaningful to me... thanks, Winston.

Well, I was glad DH came home early and took over disciplining Clayton though I was left to deal with his crankiness half the time. He was at that age where everything got to be 'mama' and would cry sadly if his requests were granted. I had work to finish for our July seminar and finally, they were completed.

Finally, I can now sit down and finish off the summary of my day - whew!

on colloidal silver: do you believe in alternative medicine?

Do you believe in alternative medicine or natural health? For many years now, I have been a believer in alternative health issues and sometimes, I get sneers by my friends for being a health freak. Then, the irony is my health is not that great afterall. I suppose that is where genetic come into play.

For instance, whenever I'm down with an ailment, I will look for natural therapies or alternative health remedies instead of running straight to the doctor or pharmacy. You may have remembered my post on colloidal silver which has been well accepted by members of natural health as an alternative to conventional antibiotic. The difference is that conventional antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria but colloidal silver does not interfere with intestinal floral.

Reading through some of posts in the colloidal silver blog, it reminds me of how the people of old had used silver as a protector for their food and produce. Those were the days where there was no invention of antibiotics and our forefathers had understood and practised what they knew about natural protection from diseases and sicknesses.

If you like to know more about colloidal silver, read more about it at the blog at http://www.colloidal-silver-blog.com/

blog on alcoholism

Take a look around you. Do you know of anyone who gets violent and start assaulting people when drunk? Chances is the person may be suffering from alcoholism or alcohol abuse.

Growing up as a little girl, this scenario didn't come new to me. Unfortunately, I grew up with a dad who was alcoholic and that affected our family relationships and wellbeing as a whole. There were countless occasions of dad returning home drunk, uttering nonsense, going haywire with his behaviour as he lost control of himself, physically and mentally.

Well, I only wish I was old enough to understand what alcoholism or alcohol abuse was all about earlier. Reading through a blog focusing on Alcohol Rehab, testimonies and stories of individuals share experiences of this social problem and how some had found help through alcohol treatment centers or rehabs. It was understood that alcoholism was not the end of road and when help was sought, this addiction problem could be addressed and the sufferer could have a normal life again.

for latinas and latinos

Anyone loves spanish music, latino culture, hispanic women, latin men... believe it or not, I'm only to tell you about another dedicated latina dating site and this time, it is for latina singles, latin girls, latina models, latino guys... etc.

I always think latin babes are beautiful and sexy especially with their olive skin and slender figures. I can only see more advantages with niche dating sites as people tend to know what to expect and thus, will not be greeted but certain surprises such as finding out that the other party is a goth when he/she prefers latino stuff. It will be quite a mismatch! So niche dating site like this eliminates mismatch possibilities of interests, culture and hobbies... it's still up to every individual to find his/her match. From the brief profile on the site, you can very much decide if this is whom you like to befriend. Personally, I've never joined any dating site but it's rather straightforward, I suppose.

Err... this is not a dating blog, I promise... it's just another dating site review :)

Do your toddlers get fussy?

I don't know what is going on but my little 3 year old (coming) is getting fussy and cranky these days. He will insist on what he wants and if you refuse, he will kick up a fuss. Well, it doesn't work on mama. I am a firm believer of not rewarding bad behaviour though it is hard to stay firm at times. When he kicks up a fuss, stamps his feet, rolls on the floor, I will look at him and walk away. Then when he realizes that his actions aren't getting my attention, he will stop - so it worked!

Somehow, DH isn't coping well with this behaviour. Mama is more patient and tolerates better. I wonder if most three year olds are like these. At this age, he's becoming more destructive too. Leave him alone and you get all sorts of awful and shocking surprises!

Do you toddlers act up like this? Anyone? Would love to hear some opinions.

Goth dating site now

Last Novemeber, we were in Perth for a vacation and I met up with my Uni professor and was invited to his home for a get together dinner when his son, Luke came to visit from England. Interestingly, that was my first encounter with a Goth... yes, Luke is a Goth and he is one cool one!

He showed us some of his Goth photos and honestly, I was a little scared and horrifed by the makeup and attire. Well, you wouldn't think I'm serious but there is a dedicated goth dating site, just like the bbw dating site I mentioned in my earlier post. This one is for gothic singles looking for like-minded friends who are in the goth movement. The thing is making friends on a niche site like this means they can share similar interests - music, fashion, ideas, preferences...etc. You must agree that gothics are easily accepted by some others. They are a group with special interests and likes. If you still don't know what gothic singles are or look like, go check out some of the photos on the site.