Sink or Swim

I was looking for the right way to describe a floor similar to the picture to the right.  Our floor inside the master’s bedroom have been destroyed due to constant moving and pushing of furniture so I’m planning of having it done. Thanks to the Internet, I learned about discount laminate flooring. I love how cheap it is, only $1.29 per sq. ft so it fits my budget perfectly. The color is nice too but I’m choosing between this or OAK retro which is similar to what we have now. The new floor will complement my new computer table and our sofa bed – giving our old, battered room a new makeover. After visualizing how it will look like for days, I now can’t wait to get a quote from our contractor.

I was supposed to buy a new ceiling fan but I learned that we’re expecting four typhoons in the next few weeks or so. Whenever there’s a typhoon, a blackout almost always follows. And if we’re really unlucky, water supply goes away as well. So instead of purchasing the ceiling fan that I’m eyeing on at the mall, we decided to invest on three rechargeable fans/radios instead. With the baby in the house to think about, we just can’t leave it to chance anymore. I just hope that when the power goes out, we’ll still have enough water supply. If not, we really have to book in an affordable hotel just like last year during a huge storm. This will be way too costly if we’re talking about more than four typhoons this year.

It begins with a creak. You hear the springs of your child’s double bed from across the hall, that restless rattle. Every toss and turn is captured, turned to a rickety sound. There’s the fumble of covers, the discard of a sheet. And then… there are footsteps against the floor, padding eventually to your room. You’re already waiting with open comfort and a patient sigh. Your child will share your bed tonight and you will wait for morning. 

Sleep is a vital thing. This is a truth none would deny. But, often, that truth is forgotten in the sag of a double bed. Comfort shapes every night and children require more than a sheet to ease them into dreams. They instead need a mattress that will suit their needs. It’s finding the perfect match to create perfect harmony.

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You’ve saved up enough money and had the vision of what your backyard would finally look like with the right pool. You’ve settled on the style you want for you backyard and have already told guests and friends about the type of gathering you’ll be having. The weather is just right and the menu is being prepared in your mind. You’ve even taken a couple of laps in your brand new pool. The family and you agree—you’ve made an excellent decision in getting that pool of yours finally put in just in time for summer fun.

There’s just one snag: you need pool supplies to keep your pool clean and always ready for use. There is nothing worse for pool owners than getting ready for a dip and knowing that you have to get the leaves out, the chlorine levels aren’t quite where they should be, and that you need to take a brush to the inside of the pool in order to get the natural stains off of the sides. Now, you can’t throw a pool party with cleaning you need to have done, can you? You’ll be busy with guests and folks swarming around so be sure to get the pool supplies that you need now.

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They’ve become engaged! Whether it was a romantic proposal over wine and candlelight or a picnic in the mountains, the happy couple has decided to tie the knot. She’s received a ring designed by Scott Kay or another favored jeweler, and she’s showing it off to all her friends. He’s proud and happy and slapping his friends on the back. 

What better way to celebrate your friends’ engagement that throwing them an unforgettable engagement party. With a few simple tips you can make sure the party is a success. 
First, ask the couple. Make sure that another family member or friend has not already started planning a party. And keep the couple’s wishes in mind during the planning process. You’d don’t want to throw a formal dinner or cocktail party if they would prefer something more casual. 

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Looking after a pet can be an expensive process. Pet insurance and trips to the vet can soon cause costs to add up. However, for the majority of diseases that your animals can catch, there is a simpler solution than going to the vet. Pet meds are a great way to help keep your animals healthy.

Hygiene is an important part of keeping your pet healthy. As well as special tooth pastes for eradicating plague, there are a number of shampoos on the market that can help keep the coat of your cat or dog clean. Most people wash their animals at least once a month to remove dirt and help fight against ticks and fleas.
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Just for fun, I’m thinking of giving my husband some pink ties for Father’s day. I know how he hates wearing pink and doesn’t subscribe to the idea that men who wear pink are secure in their masculinity. But do you know that pink is considered the most masculine of shares? It is also known to have calming effect and goes perfect with all kinds of colors from a man’s wardrobe such as grey, tan, black, blue.

Anyway, I wouldn’t ruin his day by giving him something that he doesn’t like. We don’t really give expensive gifts during Father’s and Mother’s day but we’ll just probably go have a nice dinner and buy him something at the mall for $30. At least, he can choose for himself and I’ll be assured that he will use it.

With that said, here are some really cool gadgets that you can give to your husband or dads for less than $40 from findgift.com.

Credit Card Wallet with Built in Money Clip | Laser Pointer Spy Tool | 7-in-1 Safety Tool

Coffee Cup Warmer | iPod/MP3 Shower Radio | Personal Airconditioner

My brother-in-law is graduating at the end of this month. I wonder what I could give him? My husband wanted to give him a watch but we learned that my mother-in-law has already bought one. Someone suggested a leather briefcase because it’s something that he can use for his first job. However, I don’t think briefcases are still in when there are so many messenger bags and other more hip alternatives to choose from. Even some of the CEOs that I know don’t use briefcases anymore. Anyway, I guess a pair of leather shoes or leather messenger bag will be a great accessory to his first day in the real world.

My husband and I was watching a home makeover show when we saw this really cool eagle weathervane. At first, I didn’t know that it has a purpose but according to my husband who loves all kinds of trivia, I learned that it was used in the earlier times as a tool for indicating wind direction. When designing a weather vane, the ornament must have unequal area on either side of center and must have equal mass on either side of the center. For someone who has no sense of direction such as yours truly, this could serve as a great resource for determining which direction a wind is coming from.

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Now that my husband is serious in getting back into shape, his wish lists have changed. From gadgets and electronics, he now wants a pull up bar, work bench, and several plates in different weights. I want to encourage him by getting him one of these. After all, he’s doing me a favor by exercising. I don’t have to worry about his health plus he’s getting stronger which will be helpful later on when the new baby is here. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why he decided to lift weights again. He felt like he was getting old because he kept having muscle pains and discomforts after a 20-minute basketball game. Now that he’s back to eating healthy and getting some muscle definition, he feels like he can run for an hour and still have strength to enjoy the rest of the night either with the kids or with his friends. Good for him and I hope his determination to stay fit will rub on me as soon as I give birth.

Last weekend, my family and I rented a beach vacation house at Punta Fuego. The house was huge and complete with amenities from the bathroom to the living room (home theater and all that) to the outdoor kitchens. At first we were worried about the cooking and grilling capabilities but it turned out that we don’t have to worry at all. I checked their kitchen first and saw that they have high-end appliances that by the time I reached the pool area, I wasn’t at all surprise to find not one but two very expensive grills. Suffice it to say that my husband couldn’t help but ogle them from the first day until it was time for us to leave.

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The hot weather is killing me. Literally. Not only that, my laptop is suffering and that was even after we bought a new and supposed to be powerful cooler. I can’t turn on our air-conditioning unit for hours anymore because of the price increase on electric bills. I’m thinking of having a ceiling fan installed just as a back up for our electric fan and aircon. OR, I could just go ahead and work in the downstairs office where it’s much cooler. The thing is, now that I’m pregnant, going up from time to time to use the bathroom will be too tasking for me. So I’ll consider this as my last resort. I’ll need to ask my husband how long it will take to have a fan installed. If we have time, perhaps we can have one up over the weekend. I’m really hoping this will solve the heat problem because I don’t think I can work in this condition anymore.

My brother’s latest pastime is reading muscle supplement reviews. Ever since he gained 40 lbs, losing weight is all he can think about. When that failed, he distracted himself by buying fast motorbikes, joining air-soft games and basically spending money on expensive gadgets. However, after watching a few episodes of the biggest loser, he suddenly had the need to get fit again. He said he doesn’t care about the weighing scale anymore. He’d rather start by building muscles, hence the muscle supplements and then by the time his extra flabs are all gone, he’d feel good about himself to start eating right. I’m sure there’s a wrong logic there somewhere but I’m glad he found something that inspires him to get back into shape again.

I love looking at wedding web sites. Everything is just so white and clean no matter what color I’m looking at. I enjoy browsing through them that wedding web sites are one of the categories that I like to design. Along with parenting / baby online shops, computer / gadgets and fashion.

But back to weddings, when my friend asked me to help her source for wedding accessories, I immediately agreed. I can’t think of anything better to do in my free time than look at nice little tiaras, fabulous bride jewelries and lovely shoes and purses to complete the look of the “blushing” bride.

I heard my neighbor discussing about septic tank cleaner with her friend via phone and all I can think about is how suburban and domesticated I’ve become. Mind you, I still have a helper to cook and clean the house but gone are the days when conversations range from music, art, foreign films and travel. Lately, it has been renovating, lot hunting, recipes, baby-proofing and finding the right preschool. I am not complaining however. Life just gets better each day and I’m glad that I’m earning enough money without leaving the house. Thank God for those who made telecommuting a trend.