learn real estate investing for FREE

As the popular saying goes, "Good things don't come for free". True? Not really. The online world has provided us lots of learning opportunities for FREE and some of these are the best material that are not easily available in the offline world.

Today, I finally had a chance to chat with my best friend whom I know for 23 years. She was telling me about her coming trip to Melbourne and that her husband is planning to buy a landed property for their coming migration. This reminded me that in a few years' time, DH and myself would need to think about real estate investing in Australia. And the time to learn real estate investment is NOW.

Learning how to invest in real estate, the techniques, strategies and tools are available to you for FREE at PEI University. With the step by step online program, you can be one of those who bought and sold over $242 million in real estate. Learn this at your own pace as the program shows and teaches everything you need to know to be a successful real estate investor. I know it sounds too good to be true that it is free so why don't you hop down and check it out for yourself?

August ends, here comes September!

Happy Merdeka... it's another holiday and as usual, I try sleeping in a little. For people who work from home, it's hard to tell a holiday from another working day. But somehow, when it's a holiday or a weekend, your mind tends to be more relaxed and it's normal to ease things a little. For a blogger, there is no holidays :) There are so much to report, share and tell everyday...

Being month's end, I sense a little quietness in my mailbox. Similarly, I slow down and spend more time with my boy. The month of August is ending soon... here comes September, another month of exciting things and great adventures!

Search information LIVE on My Live Search

As I'm writing this post, I have more than five windows open on my Mozilla Firefox of which two of them are online travel sites as I'm comparing hotel rates of a condo in hawaii. I realize that I have been relying alot on search engines in the last few years.

Whether it's finding information on children's products, resources on health, sourcing for business speakers for our events, recipes, shopping sites, blogs... I am so dependent on online information. It's fast, convenient and FREE! What if you can search LIVE for a particular product or news or information? Here comes the beta version of mylivesearch search engine where you can search for information LIVE and not that of yesterday, last week or month. All you need to do is to download the plug-ins to you Internet Explorer or Firefox in Windows Vista, XP and Windows 2000. Mac users like this would have to wait for the plug in :(

a glance at australia vacations

sunset at fremantle harbour

Some of my friends think that Clayton is a fortunate boy. He took his first plane trip when he was barely one year old and last year, we took him to Perth. Australia remains a country that is very close to my heart as I did my postgraduate in Curtin Uni for a year and a half.

My favourite past time was to have a takeaway lunch with my research books in South Perth, along the famous Swan River. On sunny days, I would take the bus to Cottesloe for a nice cup of coffee and on weekends, Fremantle markets was my favourite. The wildflower festival that takes place every year in Kings Park is worth a visit if you love exotic and wildflowers. It will be nice if I can revisit Perth during the International Arts Festival. For some reason, I'm always out of the country during the feb/march period.



As I'm writing this post, I'm missing Perth again. Alot of people have lots of misconceptions of this lovely city. They say it's boring, slow, too quiet... but hey, it's a great place to live! Unlike Sydney which has a lot more people, designer boutiques and definitely busier, Perth is less busy and should I say - peaceful - lol. I do like Sydney too. We did the Bridge Climb few years ago when we were visiting a couple of our friends. The Opera House and Sydney Harbour were my favourite landmarks. I only wished we had more time exploring New South Wales.

I haven't been to Adelaide and I should when we migrate to down under in a few years' time. Well, if you are visiting any of these lovely cities, hotels in Perth are categorized in various classes, depending on your budget and personal style. We prefer to stay in the serviced apartments as it's nice to have a kitchen where we can prepare light meals. Eating all three meals in Australia can be costly for a family of three :)

Travel sites like Cheaperthanhotels offers good deals for hotels in Adelaide, Sydney, Tasmania, Melbourne accommodation and all other suburbs and states. You can search for a hotel in Margaret River or a bed and breakfast in Victoria at the site, it is easy to navigate with the powerful search tools on the site.

Make money niche blogs, text link ads niche blogs... what else?

In the last few months, I have been visiting many niche blogs in and around the worldwide web. It looks like many bloggers are starting make money niche blogs, text link ads niche blogs and internet marketing niche blogs. While I find the topics of discussion insightful and informative in some of these niche blogs, alot of them have content that are copied or duplicated. What it means is that, some bloggers will follow some popular make money niche blogs and duplicate the information found on these niche blogs. There is no originality, only a little revision and rephrase on the content.

While there is no right and wrong in this manner of writing niche blogs (not considered plagiarism unless the entire amount or certain amount of content is copied), it gets boring after a while. Text link ads niche blogs are rising in popularity as more and more text link ads companies are launched. While everyone is geared towards making money from blogging, let us not forget to contribute quality content to our readers. This makes niche blogging more fun and meaningful. Agree?

online resource for life insurance matters

In the past, the subject on life insurance sounded foreign to our folks but not today. More and more people are aware of the important of life insurance and its benefits. The focus is not always on the person insured but caring for the needs of the person's family members. At least, that is the reason why I bought a life insurance plan.

It gets better when you can read up more information on life insurance and compare quotes before committing yourself to any. With questions like term life quotes, return of premium quotes, universal life quotes, whole life quotes and survivor life quotes, they can be confusing to a layman. Lifeinsure.com is an online resource to answer to all your life insurance needs. From the website, you can increase your knowledge in life insurance, compare quotes, get quotes and read articles on life insurance.

low fare guarantee at Cheapoair

For most vacations, the main cost of the trip goes to air fares and accommodations. So that explains why whenever there is a huge travel fair going on, the exhibition hall will be packed with lots of avid travelers, who are all ready to grab some cheap and discounted airfares for their trips. To be honest, I stay out of these fairs. I don't like the pushing and noisy crowd, not that kind, if you know what I mean.

What you may not know is you can also get cheap fares for your vacations online. This is another one to bookmark for you future reference - Cheapoair.com, a one-stop travel booking site for the lowest airfares. Cheapoair.com compares all travel sites to present you the best and lowest fares so that everyone can fly. The website features the Top 25 best deals in a glance or you can check on the specific travel deals for honeymoon, weekend getaways, student airfares, family travel and seasonal deals. For business travelers, search for your lowest business class fares right here.

Providing more than just lowest fares to clients, you can check out the searches for hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and other destination guides. Owned and operated by a team of travel industry professionals, http://www.cheapoair.com offers the best in terms of money and service. I'll heading down to check on some top deals now and maybe you should too.

a whole new vacation experience in The Bahamas

You can tell by my previous posts that I'm all passionate about travel. Every year, I will plan for a long vacation for the family and picking a destination is fun. For a long time, I have been thinking about a vacation to the Bahamas and the Caribbean islands, especially when I flip through those travel vacation magazines or watch the Top 10 best beaches shows on Discovery Channel.



Without much elaboration, most people know what to expect from a Bahamas vacation. Idyllic beaches, sweeping waves, clear blue skies, turquoise blue waters, golden sunsets, island cruising, all inclusive vacations, luxury resorts, snorkeling, diving trips...etc. What I really want is to do a Bahamas cruise. I have seen them the Bahamas cruise itinerary on some cruise sites and it looks like a real indulgence if you are a lover of the seas. Since I can't unwind the clock and plan for a honeymoon to the Bahamas, I can propose this for our 10th wedding anniversary. Being an ocean enthusiast, I don't think DH will mind a bit, as long as he is kept in the dark about how much a luxury Bahamas vacation will cost.

children and their powerful minds

I never know a three year old can pick things up so fast, sometimes it scares me. Something fell one day and I yelled out, "Oh My God!" My little boy was there but he said nothing except staying focused on his cars and train set. Few days later, his toys fell on the floor and I heard him exclaimed, "OMG!" I was stunned... and embarrassed. I felt guilty. From that day onwards, I'm careful about what I say and do as I have understood that little minds are like sponges... they absorb fast and well, both good and bad stuff. This incident has taught me to be a more responsible parent because our children look up to us and we are to set examples for them to follow.

expert tips to finding used cars

I smell a conflict in the air... every other month, DH and myself will have this conflict about "who gets to use the car". Since the beginning of this year, I have been talking him into getting him a second car to avoid this 'car' conflict and though he agreed at that time, he changed his mind not long after. DH is a great believer of used cars. He doesn't subscribe to the idea of fast depreciation on new cars. The thing is looking for a good and reliable used car dealer can be challenging at times.Well, I guess that's what a niche site like Auto Guide is for. This is the place to find the used car that fits not just your budget, but with its powerful Guided Search System, you can choose the colour, style, mileage, location, and even one that fits your lifestyle! How cool is that!

With colourful photos and sellers' details, you are not kept in the dark on the purchase. Whether it's a Honda or a BMW, it is helpful to get expert tips on advice on what to look for when purchasing used cars. The website is full of useful information including video and audio reviews by the automotive expert, Bobby Likis.

savouring on the luxury of Turtle Bay Resort

DH almost fell off the chair when I told him that I booked a beachfront studio suite that carries a nightly rate of $1,024 a night. Well, this studio room at the luxurious Turtle Bay Resort features five miles of beachfront that includes the beauty of Kawela Bay, Bay View Beach Lawn and of course Turtle Bay. It's at least 45 minutes away from the busy tourist scene of Honoluly and right here, you can enjoy the natural beauty of the North Shore and spectacular ocean views from every room.

But I am just teasing him. This rate is too much for our family's Hawaii vacation, won't mind it if it is a second honeymoon - lol. Hawaiian vacations can be enjoyed in many ways and styles. You can decide from a relaxing one or a high energy one that involves surf boarding or parasailing, which I will be doing. I have been spending my late nights reading up some Hawaiian Local Travel Information since my day is filled with too much distractions. The excitement is building up as the month comes to an end... that means we are closer to our Hawaii vacation!

great water adventures at the Big Island

Oh yes, we are going to Kona and I'm excited to take Clayton on this cool submarine expedition! This is an unforgettable 35-minute journey aboard an Atlantis 48-passenger submarine, and you may remember seeing it in featured in National Geographic television. Clayton will be so happy to see these colourful sea creatures at a depth up to 100 feet! He has seen it in Little Einstein's TV but very soon, he can experience it for real!



If you are planning for a trip to Kona, here are lots of nice Big Island vacation rentals to choose from. You can also find more travel ideas and tips at the Hawaiian Travel Blog if you are planning on your Hawaii itinerary. Some of these vacation rental homes in Big Island have the best oceanfront views and they do command a higher price. But the scenery of the Big Island is as dramatic as the setting sun, which glows with an enchanting beauty as the ocean beckons. This is what a real vacation is all about, isn't it? To behold the beauty of Mother Nature and all of its surrounds.

luggage online store for your travel needs

How timely! I was just talking to DH about buying a new luggage for Hawaii vacation this December. There is a difference between DH and me. He tends to go for 'no brand' luggage and I believe in quality and durable ones, even if they cost a little more. The problem with 'no brand' luggage is the quality of the material, zip and manufacturing process. And when you have a luggage with a broken zip during your trip, it is frustrating and annoying, and risky!

So, when I came across Innovation Luggage, I was delighted... just when I needed one for our Hawaii trip. The cool thing about this online luggage online store is that you can even find travel tips and articles, and there is one article that mentions Oahu... and that is where we will be based!


Since we are planning to bring only ONE luggage for three of us (we are advised to only bring one and buy one more in the US... our aunt knows that we will be returning home with two luggages - lol), we need one that has wheels, big enough for three of our stuff, easy to bring around and durable. The selections at this luggage online store is fabulous! There are all sorts of luggages - duffles, backpacks, hardside luggages, canvas luggages, garment bags, kids' luggages, totes, plus other travel accessories. You can shop by category or by brand. All luggages are displayed clearly in colour photos and detailed description and the best thing is the websale prices are alot cheaper than retail! Another thing unique to the site is that there are ratings to each bag and you get to read comments/reviews by real consumers. That is such a great idea. This helps to avoid buying a product that doesn't live up to its expectations.

blog directory by alive directory

I just had a discussion with my internet marketing coach about the new blog directory that is launched by Alive Directory. Unlike the thousands of directories in the web, this is one that is not free. With options of regular links, featured links, deep links, you can choose to pay yearly or place the links permanently. Permanent links will definitely cost more than the yearly ones so it all depends on what you need and your budget. My coach has submitted to hundreds of directories to gain my web presence and traffic for his sites. Well, if you are serious about being a pro blogger, directory submission is one area you need to seriously consider.

multiple niche blogs are fun and exciting!

This is getting more and more exciting! I will be receiving some natural make up sample from another online store. It is fun to do reviews like this - real reviews and I don't charge for it :) This, I guess is the perks of blogging and it's something not many people enjoy. But for a shopping like me who owns multiple niche blogs, including a shopping one - this is good fun!

So if you have a nice product which you believe will benefit my readers here, drop me a note and I may consider doing a review for you for FREE :)

attractive hotel deals in South Africa

When Tracy came back from South Africa few months ago, she had so much to tell us. She had taken lots of lovely photos of her trip, visiting the national parks, spending quality time with her close friends and enjoying fine taste of South African wines. I was told that driving in South Africa is rather safe as the roads are well paved and the transport infrastructure is well established. Like most countries, all motorists need to possess a valid driving license and they are not talked on the cell phone while on the road. Common sense and extra care should be observed to avoid any unnecessary mishaps or accidents.

South Africa remains a popular spot for international tourists and hotels in Johannesburg are in abundance. For budget travelers, the two and three star hotels are available around ZAR600 and most holiday makers would probably choose to stay near the city for easy accessibility. Hotels in Cape Town are just as easy to find and there are last minute and all years specials available at CheaperThanHotels. The online hotel booking site is easy to navigate and all the nightly rates of each hotel is displayed on the destination page. Whether you are searching for hotels in Sandton or other South Africa cities, you would have no difficulties finding a hotel that fit your budget.

search for discount hotels in London

London has so much to offer whether you are a first time visitor or one who has been there many times. Everytime when I hear friends talking about London and its attractions, I will nudge my DH and remind him that we must visit London one of these days. Few weeks ago, a good friend had visited London for the first time while her husband was sent there for work. She had such a great time that I knew she would like to book another visit soon!

There are lots to see and do in London. Choose from a driving itinerary to a shopping one, check out the cycling itineraries, history tours, spa and pampering packages, sightseeing and train itineraries, whatever you like - the options are limitless! For me, I will definitely make time to visit all the famous department stores and international labels, local designer boutiques and High Street chain stores. A shopping itinerary will include a visit to these streets: Oxford Street, Regent Street, Carnaby Street, New Bond Street and Jermyn Street.



When visiting Great Britain, look for great hotel deals at Cheaper than hotels, an online travel site offering hotels in London, from 1 star - 5 stars in all various locations. The options at cheaperthanhotels present both last minute and all year discounted deals that make shopping for your accommodation hassle-free and easy. If you are looking for hotels in Birmingham and hotels in Manchester, this is also a great site to start your search. I've recommended this site to some friends and they have good things to say about the hotel rates. Now it's yours to check it out.

submit your multiple niche blogs to directory

Directory submission is not a new topic among bloggers, especially active and probloggers. It is wise to submit your multiple niche blogs to directories, which will help to increase web traffic and your presence in the search engines. Submitting your multiple niche blogs or multiple niche sites is a great way to gain web presence. For companies who are marketing products and service, this is another cheap but effective channel of advertising and promotion. It increases your chances of being found by potential clients or customers.

Branching out from Alive Directory sees the introduction of Alive blog directory, a directory submission for blogs only. Like its parent source, you can submit your multiple niche blogs to the relevant categories and choose from the options of yearly or permanent listing. Deep linking options are also available at a fee as the SEO experts have agreed that deep linking is an effective way to optimize a site. Rates start from $29.95/year for regular with reciprocal submission and featured listings cost between $59.95 - $74.95, the latter one includes the addition of five more links.

Post on Multiple Niche Blogs ranked No.1 at Google!

I was shocked to see this last night but what a pleasant surprise! I have never looked seriously into monetizing on keywords on titles and blog posts but from now, I will! Thanks to my new friend, Vedis, who asked that I joined her for some good blogging fun on mutiple niche blogs and it worked. Here you go... this blog appeared No.1 on Page 1 on Google Search last night.

your one-stop resource for moving to an apartment

Has anyone moved to a new city or town by myself, whether it's for education, business or other personal reasons? Anyone gone through the process of searching for apartment, moving your things over, your car, finding a room mate, locating a good and efficient real estate agent?

I did that when I was moving to Perth for my postgraduate studies and the experience was frantic. At that time, there was no internet technology to tap on so it was very manual and time consuming. Moving to an apartment doesn't have to be difficult if you are equipped with the right resources and information. Here's is a useful guide for anyone who is planning on moving to an apartment or researching for a good house mate. There is even a page of helping you how to identify the right and suitable room mates! The website has more than 6 million apartments to rent all over the US so it won't be hard to find one that fits your budget and specifications. Let the moving guide help you to find the right mover, storage company, contractor and getting settled.

how about a luxurious Hawaii travel experience?

Would you spend $1,000 a night for studio suite for a family of three for a vacation? Well, I don't live in a lifestyle of the rich and famous so the obvious answer for me is 'no' :) But well, if you can afford a Hawaii rental house, whether it's owned by a hotel group or privately owned, go for it! For that cost per night, you can expect an oceanfront room with distinct standards in service, comforts and style. The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort offers the famous Heavenly bed with whirlpool tubs and a gourmet kitchen and luxurious amenities. I can only say that if you want to spend your honeymoon in a luxurious place like this, don't just book it for a night cos it won't be suffice to complete your experience.

For more Hawaii travel info on luxurious stays and selections in all the islands, read the blog at Hawaiian beach rentals.

love those maui vacation homes

Did I tell you we are heading to big bear cabin for New Year's eve? This is all going to be exciting. I believe the kids are going to have great fun as all four of them hang around in one big cabin. I can also imagine the kind of noise they will make. Well, how I wish Anne and Francis' family can join us for our Hawaii vacation. How nice if we can all rent one of the nice, cosy Maui vacation homes together? This is a wonderful way to catch up with each other since we don't see each other as often as we want to.

We will be visiting Maui via the cruise which means we don't need to worry about where to put up during our 2 days in Maui. I have read reviews in the Hawaiian Local Travel Blog about the beautiful waters and idyllic beaches at Maui. Many travelers from other travel forums rave about the friendly locals and relaxing ambience in Maui. It sounds like we are going to have a great time!

designer taps for new bathrooms

How many of you have husbands who are house proud? Sadly, mine isn't. DH doesn't quite bother about how things are like in the house as long as there is nothing major to be done, especially when it comes to furnishings. We are quite different in many ways :) I like nice furnishings whether it's for living room, dining area or bathroom. I've been hoping to change our bathroom design and that includes even the taps in all the bathrooms. These days, Taps come in all sorts of designs and styles, from minimalist to designer to classic to traditional ones. Here is one cool Amber Hola tap that will add such a nice touch to a contemporary bathroom. I would convince DH to install a new bathroom cabinet and a nice shower curtain will be great to dress up the entire bathroom.

I am hoping that DH will change his mind about furnishings after looking at these collections at taps4less.com... if you want a new bathroom, check out the online store for more.

How many Multiple Niche Blogs do you have?

It seems no surprise that more and more bloggers are starting multiple niche blogs these days. This topic by itself is not new but I have only come to notice this very recently... I'm a late boomer, you see :) Multiple niche blogs mean having blogs of specialized topic whether it's a blog on bags, shoes, fashion, shopping, electronics, beauty, technology, making money, internet marketing, pens, food recipes, digital gadgets, health and fitness, paying credit card debts (like my friend, Vedis), reviews, children, parenting, travel, home based business, relationships... the list goes on.

Personally, I have now 5 active blogs:
Home Office Women
Doris Goes Shopping
Passionate about Travel
Organic and Your Health

Plus this one.... I take my hats off those who can run 6, 10 and even a dozen blogs... 5 blogs and I'm finding it hard to manage. It's not easy if you are not doing this full-time. For me, I have a home based business, a parent to an active toddler so 5 blogs are plenty for now.

How many multiple niche blogs do you have?

check out this inspirational blog

Just as I am thinking of ways to spruce up my home office, I came across some great ideas at the inspirational blog of Karl Moore who shares about his love for his office. Well, this got me thinking... do I love working in my home office? Sometimes, we can get so used to the same table arrangements, the same wall colour, the mundane of work flow that we can lose the passion and love for our work space.



Well, Karl has some simple and wonderful suggestions in his post, 'I love my office' to inspire and motivate you to regain that passion again. Among all his ideas, I am reminded of how pictures of inspirational quotes can help me stay focused. Good ventilation is equally important to circulate air in the room and promote good health.

For more inspirational thoughts, check out Karl Moore's Blog.

Get those sexy legs with Leg Magic!

All in the name of fitness and vanity... last Friday, we bought the Leg Magic Machine. What is that? You wonder. Well, this is a machine that helps to work towards those sexy legs in a month! All you need is a minute, a few times a day on the Leg Magic and the lateral gliding motion helps to work the muscles on those inner and outer thighs as well as those hard to tone buttocks and abs!

At first, I found it hard to believe so I got on the Leg Magic and tried it out. In just 30 secs, I could feel that my inner thighs were tired. I was feeling a little embarrassed but knew this was one cool machine to tone up those muscles before I head to Hawaii in December!

For the past 2 days, I could only manage 2 minutes (with intervals) and I could feel the aches this morning - ouch! Unlike the stepper or a stationary bicycle which you can use for 20-30 minutes, it is not possible to do the Leg Magic for 20 minutes. You could not do the Leg Magic for 2 minutes. But what I like about it is you can do the Leg Magic with the TV, place it in the kitchen while waiting for your soup to boil or put it in the home office when you need that time out from the computer. Priced at $130, Leg Magic is portable and can be set up in seconds and be folded away for easy storage. If you are keen, Click on the Image below to learn more.

Hide Your IP Address for personal security

How many hours do you spend online everyday? If you are like me, sending lots of emails, visiting websites, blogging, uploading and sending images everyday, then it's about time to consider your privacy and security in the worldwide web! In the online world, our 'identity' is represented by our IP addresess which can led to a revelation of our identity, which includes personal details. After checking out http://www.hide-my-ip-address.com/, I discovered that my identity can be hidden by bothersome spammers and hackers.

One of the ways to avoid these risks and security problems is to install 'hide IP address', a software that hides your identity so that you can go online without being known. In other words, you can surf in privacy without any fear or worry that your profile will be tracked.

Hawaii cruise updates - Looking for Discount Cruises

After much consideration, I'm settling for the Oceanview Balcony cabin for our upcoming Hawaii cruise. The penthouse suite will cost twice as much so I thought that could be saved for a better accommodation in Waikiki. Just to give you an idea - the Oceanview Balcony one cost around $1099 per person and the cheapest suite will cost $1,699.

Also, one member of the cruise reviews forum had offered a great advice. He had reminded me that we would be exploring the islands in the day and be back in the room in the night. Thus, I don't need such a big space plus the three TVs in the suite. When I told DH that, he was so happy that this Hawaii cruise will cost much lesser now.

Since we are departing from Honolulu, the only Hawaii cruise for us would via the Pride of America, operated by the Norwegian Cruise Lines. I'm still looking for the a Discount Cruise to book with...

do u use natural skin care?

Are natural skin care products the answer to all of our problems? Different people have different answers to these questions. However, the reality is that due to presence of synthetic preservatives, itís really tough to find a natural skin care product that is 100% natural. There are natural skin care products that have natural preservatives, but be prepared to pay more for these since they would have a shorter shelf life.

You should still take heed of the following recommendations even if you are using natural skin care:

• healthy eating habits (avoiding oily food)
• regular exercise, drinking a lot of water (8 glasses everyday)
• personal hygiene.

This will then form a perfect and completely natural skin care routine that will help maintain a healthy beautiful skin for longer time.

the BEST in Dish Network Satellite TV

In our of my earlier posts, I wrote about the battle between the two 'boys' in my house, one is three years old and the other is in his 40s. Somehow or rather, they both were 'quarelling' over the satellite TV and insist on watching each's favourite program.



It's amazing how Dish TV has played such an important role in our lives today, especially if you are staying in a country with lousy local channels. But today, I was shocked by an attractive and 'hard to resist' Dish Network Satellite TV Summer Special. This company is giving away up to $1,399 freebies! All you have to do is to sign up as a first time subscriber with Dish Network and you can qualify for a $75 cash gift plus one of the five fabulous gifts including an Apple iPod, DVD Player, DVD Portable Player, a set of sleek Home Theatre System and a $50 Visa Gift Card.

These summer offers don't just end here though. You still get free installation, free HD DVR and Dual Tuner DVR Receiver upgrades, (savings of $1,000 in total), free activation, free HD Programming for 6 months, free Dish Network system and free HBO and Cinemax for 3 months! How do you resist a real deal like this? Satellite Solutions Network guarantees the best deal in Dish Network TV and stands by its excellent customer service and support.

To find out more or to order instantly, you can do so online or call 1.866.869.3109. Summer offers end on 31 August 2007.

orlando fun

Wyndham Orlando Resort

It looks like the budget for our Waikiki beach accommodation has to be raised. It's certainly not cheap to stay in a beachfront or oceanfront property in Waikiki! Unlike hotels orlando where hotels and resorts are more affordable. Even if you stay in a resort in the Walt Disney World, nightly rates are still around $150 and I'm referring to a 3.5 star hotel. I have heard so much about what Orlando offers, it's truly a city of fun, entertainment, adventures, activities and excitement. For the young and old, singles and couples, the theme parks and night entertainment are the main attractions at Orlando. This city is definitely in our travel destination list in the near future, hopefully before we move to down under :)

marc jacobs or armani?

Just got back from lunch and a little walkaround. DH was annoyed with the bad service from a staff at Deli-cious so there was my caesar salad. We headed to Sushi Groove, a new Japanese fusion restaurant at One-U - food was ok and I only wished they turned the lights brighter. That dim lighting was not suitable for mall diners at all :)



I almost bought a pair of new shades and while deciding between the Marc Jacobs and Emporio Armani, Clayton got cranky and DH's face was black. So that was it - no shades for me. I found these two pairs on the web... the prices listed was more expensive than the ones from the store in the mall, after discount, of course. Now, I can tell DH it's cheaper here... he was trying to convince me to buy it during our US trip - I can't wait!

getting organized

Are you an organized or neat person? I used to be but these days, I'm so swarmed with work that all my stuff are left lying around and it's getting too messy. When I was sewing crystals and beads on my wedding train and gown, I bought of lots of Swarovki crystals. After the wedding, they were left in packets and envelopes and I have forgotten to organize them properly in containers. Maybe, I should get one of these colourful storage bins then people used in garages. It is perfect for me to sort out all the coloured beads and crystals in different sizes. I can even keep my rolls of satin ribbons in the storage bin.

designer bag review coming soon!

I am all filled with excitement. I'll be doing a designer bag review in a few weeks' time! Well, the thing is it is truly a site worth spreading the word and I'll so pleased that I have the privilege to do the review. The bag is so lovely and I can't wait to receive it in the mail. Til then, watch out for the review, ladies!

THOOF - oh, what is that?

A new social media and personalized news site had been launched, I was told. When I went finding out what it was, my friend scribbled on a piece of paper - THOOF.COM. I looked at her and thought she might have made a mistake - what was she talking about>

Oh well, I went looking this morning. So she was right about how it was spelt - Thoof.com. But I wonder, why this name - why not something else? Looking at the logo design of Thoof, the 2 'O's remind me of the 'O's in GOOGLE. They are graphical representation of our human eyes. And that's what Thoof is about anyway - it searches for news, list them for your read and save you time from googling. 'Th' can be the short form to 'That', 'This', 'They, 'Them'... it's about 'Anything' - people, events, things, happenings, buzz... etc. 'F' - oh well, I don't mean to be rude but some people may think it means the big 'F' swearing word. But maybe, it's just there to make the term sounds good. Thoof is better than 'THOO', right?

But let's not worry about what it means... what's cool is the kind of information you can get at this social media site and from here, you can be kept up to date with what's going on in and around the web. So, what do you think 'THOOF" mean :)

last day of holiday!

Finally, it's the last day of school holidays and Clayton is going back to school next week. Sigh... it feels like a month though it's just a week. He's been playing non-stop and watching lots of TV that I'm feeling more and more guilty for not spending enough time with him. He's been so stubborn and strong willed that we can't help but to use the rod on him alot these days.

Last night, he got cranky again and I caned him on his butt (only believe in caning that part). In the midst of it, he cried out in tears, "Mama, why you beat Clayton?" When I heard that, I felt soooooo sad. I put down the cane and opened my arms and gave him a big hug. He calmed down right away as I explained to him what he did wrong. That was tough love...

HITS the SPOT

After reading the special 5-step HITS-THE-SPOT cleaning process at Quality Carpet Cleaning, I am convinced that I can have carpet for our new house! Due to my allergy and rhinitis condition, I get particularly uncomfortable with filthy and old carpets, whether it's found in a hotel room, friend's house, function room or departmental store. It gets worse if the carpet is damped and has a musty odour. Over the years, I have heard complaints from friends with carpet flooring that it is hard getting good carpet cleaners.

Well, I believe they won't have this problem if they make an appointment with Quality Carpet Cleaning who specializes in 'hitting the spot' for all cleaning jobs including carpet cleaning, pet odor control, tile cleaning, upholstery cleaning, rug and drapery cleaning and carpet repairs, for both residential and commercial customers. It is no wonder that the company received positive reviews from happy customers for their superior customer service, job efficiency and quality delivery. With this famous 5-step Hits-the-spot cleaning process, you can ensure that your carpet will be thoroughly cleaned and refreshed. What more, there is a 30 day no-hassle guarantee if you don't think the job is done!

Time out - do a tag!

I owe Shopping Mum many, many tags (pai seh lah)... but since I'm so stressed after a long day putting up with my boy's crankiness, this tag is a good break for me -:) So, this is for your reading pleasure....

Where is your cell phone? Next to me, in case Shopping mum alerts me for any opps - lol.
Relationship? Married
Your hair? Short, coloured, Trendy - yay!
Work? Yep.
Your sister? No
Your favorite thing? Travel
Your dream last night? Too tired to dream :)
Your favorite drink? Juices
Your dream car? The A Merc
The room you’re in? Home Office
Your shoes? Downstairs lah
Your fears? Creepy Crawlies
What do you want to be in 10 years? Lady of leisure who is a problogger too
Who did you hang out with this weekend? Family
What are you not good at? Numbers
Muffin? Depends who bakes it
One of your wish list items? Alaska cruise
Where you grew up? Singapore
Last thing you did? Put boy to sleep
What are you wearing? Errr... not telling you
What aren’t you wearing? Makeup!
Your pet? None
Your computer? MacBook Pro
Your life? Blessed
Your mood? Cool
Missing? Chocolates
What are you thinking about right now? Finishing all my posts
Your car? Nissan X trail
Your kitchen? Messy
Your summer? Huh?
Your favorite color? Black
Last time you laughed? Just did
Last time you cried? don't know
School? No
Love? Yes

luxury of waikiki

After some late nights of research, I've finally confirmed our Hawaii trip itinerary. We'll be spending 8 days (all in all) in Honolulu and another 7 days on the Hawaii cruise on Pride of America. Looking through the Wakiki hotels and Hawaii home rentals, it looks like I need to raise our budget if I like a condo with oceanview. The ones along Waikiki beach are exorbitant but the location is ideal. Imagine waking up to a golden sunrise or ending the day with a beautiful sunset... unobstructed ocean view! Outrigger has many luxury properties in Waikiki and the prices are nothing less than $250 for a one bedroom!

I'm still going to look through the popular pages atHawaii home rentals, just to reconfirm my selection and options. Well, I haven't revealed the rates to the man of the house... he may freak out - lol. Here are some pictures of the hotels/condos in Waikiki...

two boys fighting over TV

This must be one less productive week for me! Clayton is on holidays for a week and he's all over me. Momma has to play cars and watch Playhouse Disney with him. I feel sorry that I can't spend as much time with him as I want to as I have datelines to meet, work to do, posts to complete... for an active 3 year old, being stuck at home must be terribly boring! And they try not to turn on Playhouse Disney for the whole day as he's getting addicted. Can you believe the 'two boys' in the house fighting over the TV? It sounds funny but it's true! Both dad and son are fighting over the TV. One wants CNBC and the other is screaming for Playhouse Disney.

Anyone has this problem at home too?

truth on addiction

Whether you like it or not, we live in a drug-oriented society and it seems that there is a pill to settle any of our discomforts. It is not surprisingly, therefore, that many people have problems with drug addiction. When your body becomes accustomed to the presence of a foreign substance that it no longer function properly if the particular substance is withdrawn, you can said to have an addiction. So when a person who is addicted to a drug experiences withdrawal symptoms if he is deprived of it.

Many of these individuals who are suffering from drug addiction need the help of a Drug Rehab to help them overcome the excruciating pain of withdrawal. Besides, they need help to get back to normal life and that includes healing broken personal relationships, loss of employment and even criminal behaviour. The truth is that with some drugs, addiction becomes a matter of psychological dependence.

a peek at barcelona and madrid

There are various types of travelers - budget, leisure, casual and luxury ones. Before you plan for your travel itinerary, it's important to determine your budget and decide how much you would spend for your vacation. For instance, a train journey from Barcelona to Madrid may cost lesser than flying but imagine the 5.5 hours - 9 hours train journey. It's alright if you can afford the time but if you have only few days to spare, then flying will be the best option. Besides, with low cost airlines being the talk among leisure travelers, it can be less costly than you think. Air Europa flies daily from Barcelona to Madrid and it only takes 1 hour 15 minutes,. tickets may cost between 94 euros to 320 euros return, depending on flight time and schedule. It is normal to pay more during peak seasons too.

When it comes to choosing a hotels in Barcelona or hotels in Madrid, the options are limitless at Cheaper than hotels. If you are a backpacker looking for hotels en Barcelona, a hostel in Barcelona is available at 19 euros and for those who can spare a little luxury, a night at Arts Ritz Carlton is yours at 372 euros :)

For Hotels en Madrid, a 2-star Francisco I Hotel near Old Quarter may cost around 90 euros! And for another 10 more euros, you can choose to stay in the 5 star AC Monte Real Hotel at a residential area. So location plays a big part when it comes to hotel rates. Cheaper than Hotels provides hotel accommodations from 1-star rating to 5-star ratings, featuring all year round specials or last minute rates. Look out for daily specials for every destination. You can also find an overview and useful information for every hotel you are searching for. Bookmark it for your next travel to Spain!

travel from vienna to berlin

My good friend, Tracy, just told yesterday that she might be making a trip to Germany again this November - lucky her! I've never to Germany and would definitely like to make a trip someday.. I'm a travel freak :) I have heard about the high cost of living in Europe so I better be making enough money to make my vacation an enjoyable one.

There are many flights to Berlin and if you are in Vienna, Lufthansa takes you there from 168euros depending on season and flight schedule. There are other cheaper alternatives with low cost airlines such as Air Berlin, Germanwings and Sky Europe which requires some necessary transfers via the SkyShuttle bus. It all depends on your budget. Cheaper air travels may save you some money for better hotels in Vienna or hotels in Berlin. In Berlin, a budget hotel may only cost 10 euros with 5 star hotels starting at 100+ euros. Be expected to pay more for hotels in Berlin in better location, amenities and features.



Hotels in Vienna are cheaper compared to the ones in Berlin with hotel rates ranging from 39 euros to 300 + euros. It still voice down to your budget and preference. For instance, a night stay at 5 star Bristol Hotel Vienna near the City Centre is priced at a special discounted rate from EUR 332. For me, I probably go for the mid range ones located near the city. Convenience is important when you are travelling with a child. Cheaper than hotels offers lots of options for all year and last minute rates so you may like to check them out if you are heading down to Vienna or Berlin. Here are some pictures of Berlin and Vienna...