Getting serious on budgeting and planning our finances is getting in to me..Really! I am thankful for finding this Free Monthly Household Budget Spreadsheet!

It actually looks like this:

I found this useful website in making your photos transparent. I believe many bloggers who has colored background sites hate it when they uploaded a photo because it shows a white background around it.

Here's the solution from TransWeb!

Follow the steps and you'll have nice looking blog photos!

Who needs the bulky desktop if you can have this?

Got this tag from Milet :)


::Start Copy Here::

This week's Mommastuff Questions is:

Can you share any budget or money saving tips that you find effective?

I always hear this aired in my favorite radio station and I've been searching for this because I love the quotes. Finally, I found it and will post it here so I won't forget.

I've learned....
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned....
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned....
That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned....
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned....
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned....
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned....
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned....
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned....
That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned....
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned...
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned....
That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

I've learned....
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned....
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned....
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned....
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned....
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned....
That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.

I've learned....
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned....
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned....
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned....
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned....
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned....
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned....
That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.

I've learned....
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned ...
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

I snag this from Vannie's blog. I found it fun! :)

Highlight the ones you've done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath (yeah because brownout)
08. Said I love you?and meant it (many times)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise (college days)
14. Seen the Northern Lights
5. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars =)
20. Changed a baby’s diaper ~ yes,2 years na.
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (actually that’s how I feel now.)
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was too drunk
42. Had amazing friends ~ i still have ‘em!
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip (with hubby)
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played a Computer game for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (still a child)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth (yes! a dog)
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (gave birth thru CS)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper (our high school news paper as the E-I-C)
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (native chicken that is!)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

You Know You're a Kid of the 80's if...(Compiled by Filipinos around the world)

1.) You have scars on your knees and elbows.
2.) You owned a bike.
3.) You had a barkada around your neighborhood (all of you had bikes).
4.) You loved climbing on your house's roof (and your neighbor's roof as well).
5.) You went inside an abandoned house in your neighborhood just to see what it looks like inside.
6.) You ate all the aratilis in your neighborhood.
7.) You plucked all the gumamelas in the area for soap bubbles.
8.) Your parents forced you to take afternoon siestas with the threat that you will not be allowed to play outside.
9.) You are never found in your house in the afternoon. You are often found playing in the street with your neighborhood friends.
10.) You loved exploring vacant lots for hidden knick-knacks.
11.) You just can't resist jumping in a sandpile.
12.) You know all the street games (patintero, agawan base, langit-lupa, etc.).
13.) You owned a Nintendo Family Computer.
14.) Your hand-to-eye coordination is terrific due to this Nintendo Family Computer.
15.) You'd rather go outdoors in the afternoon than play Nintendo Family Computer.
16.) You gleefully boast that games today are so easy because of the character's life bar. (Remember when we used to play Mario? We die the minute a Goomba hit us.)
17.) You know this code by heart:UP-UP-DOWN-DOWN-LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT-RIGHT-B-A-B-A-START (SELECT-START for 2 players)
18.) You owned a superhero costume (especially a Superman costume).
19.) For the girls: You dressed up like Punky Brewster, Madonna and Debbie Gibson. For the boys: You dressed up like David Hasselhoff's Knight Rider, David Bowie or had Clarke Kent's little bangs. And now you think that the 80's had the shittiest dress sense.
20.) You had a denim jacket.
21.) You had a sticker book especially that Age of Dinosaurs sticker book.
22.) You were addicted to Rainbow Brite, Carebears, My Little Pony and Friends, Thundercats, Bioman, Voltes V, Mazinger Z, Daimos, etc.
23.) You played PC Games like Tapper, Moonbugs, Alley Cat and Prince of Persia.
24.) MS Word did not exist in your vocabulary but Wordstar did.
25.) You love 80's music even if you don't want to admit it.
26.) You've climbed up mango trees to catch salagubang, tie a sting around its neck and let it fly around in frenzy.
27.) You've spent hours in the afternoon catching tutubi. Yellow-green was the easiest to catch, blue being finicky, and red being a rare breed.
28.) You used to take Flinstones vitamins (which you didn't mind 'cause it was yummy) and Scott's liver oil.
29.) You know the catoon show "Beverly Hills Teens."
30.) You know Kuya Bodgie from Batibot.
31.) You watch Uncle Bob's Lucky Seven Club.
32.) You used AQUA NET to fashion your 4-inch-high bangs.
33.) Your blouses had paddings.
34.) You owned wide-studded colorful belts.
35.) You watched some of your favorite shows on betamax or even UHF 17 (the channel from Clarke Air Base, or was it Subic?).
36.) You collected and "swapped" perfumed stationeries with your classmates and friends, but followed the unwritten rule that you never write on them.
37.) The only place you go to for summer vacation is Baguio.
38.) On that note, Camp John Hay served best ice cream.
39.) Most of us were brought to the EDSA Revolution.
40.) You remember what Ricky Martin used to look like back then.
41.) ...when you think that Julie Vega is a better actress that Judy Ann.
42.) You get confused playing Playstation because of all the buttons on the keypad (Nintendo only had the direction pad, A and B buttons, and the Start and Select keys).
43.) You know all the Bagets and Ninja Kids.
44.) You got to ride the train ride at Greenhills Shopping Center.
45.) Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the players at the time.
46.) ...when you know more 80's music than the song "Buttercup."
47.) You were allowed to bathe in the rain.
48.) You were taught to comb your hair one-sided.
49.) You've collected matangpusa and mongo beans so you can have ammunition for sumpit.
50.) You knew who Madang Bola and Sitsiritsit and Alibangbang was.
51.) Every Christmas, you anticipate going to Big Bang sa Alabang - with the giant slide.
52.) You know the Ewoks.
53.) You had Mighty Kid shoes and Greg shoes.
54.) You know what Time Space Warp means (and you know who Fuma Lae-Ar is).
55.) You and your playmates had a specific Bioman name.
56.) You sipped all the nectar from the santan plant, hence your mother got really pised at you for destroying the santan plant.
57.) You played with marbles and tex and you count cards like this: I-SA, DALA-WA, TAT-LO, A-PAT...
58.) For girls: You wore denim miniskirts with rubber shoes. For guys: You had those bitin na pantalon which you wore with high-top rubber shoes.
59.) You loved Cheezels and Chickadees because of the great prizes it had.
60.) Puffy Cone still existed.
61.) Magnolia Drumstick.
62.) Twin Popsies were meant to be shared with a friend.
63.) Ice Drop was the cheapest treat.
64.) You have those Disney Bow Biters for your rubber shoes.
65.) You know who Alf is.
66.) You're familiar with the show "Perfect Strangers."
67.) McGyver is your idol.
68.) That's Entertainment is "The Bomb" during those days.
69.) You were considered a techie if you knew Wordstar and Lotus 1-2-3.
70.) Your phone numbers were just six digits back then.
71.) You only needed three 25 centavo coin to call from a pay phone.
72.) Aiza used to be so cute in Eat Bulaga.
73.) Amado Pineda was the most popular weatherman.
74.) You drank chocolate milk from the Magnolia glass bottle which you kept for holding water in your ref.
75.) Brown Cow tasted better than Hersheys.
76.) Shake Rattle and Roll 1 was the most horrifying movie for you then.
77.) The most comfortable shoes for you is still Sperry Topsiders.
78.) You used to wear Loafers as your dress shoes.
79.) The best movies of all time are Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club, 6 Candles and Some Kind of Wonderful.
80.) You show off your pencil case which have hidden compartments that pop-out at the press of a button.
81.) You have Bensia pencils which are refillable.
82.) Fiesta Carnival was the place to be (like Enchanted Kingdom in the 90's).
83.) You were afraid of the year 2000 because it would be the end of the world.
84.) Goya and Serg's were your favourite.
85.) You were able to get on a car without aircon.
86.) You know the lyrics ng "Tinapang Bangus" at "Alagang-alaga Namin Si Puti" ng Batibot.
87.) You know these commercials:
a. YC BIKINIBRIEF - Remember this one? "Yc bikini brief / Yc bikini brief / Ycbikinibrief for the man who packs a wallop / YC had fashion / YC has style..."
b. RA Homevision - those guys from Cash and Carry Makati couldn't have done it better. Sports. Adventure. Cartoons. Award Winners and More. Featuring the voice talent of Frankie Evangelista. I will never forget the creepy hand at the start of the ad. Parang ET na nasa spaceship!
c. Arthur's Legaspi Towers - 'nuff said.
d. La Germania Mama Mia commercials - ditto!
88.) You bought , Texas or Bazooka Bubblegum, Tira-tira, at Tootsie Roll in a sari-sari store.
89.) You had held a flower-shaped 5-centavo coin.
90.) You're familiar with this song: "Si nena ay bata pa, kaya ang sabi niya ay um-ah-um-ah-ah... Hanggang patanda siya nang patanda...
91.)You love watching Video Hit Parade
91.) You used kilometrico and Haba Ballpen

Some nuggets I got from the book:
Raising Great Kids: A Comprehensive Guide to Parenting with Grace

Parenting:

• The only relationship designed by God that measures success by how well it ends.
• Parenting is investing in helping your child leave you.
• When you help your child develop character, you are addressing the heart of parenting.
• You can give your children all the "advantages"-security, good schools, churches, camps - but if they don't develop character, they can quickly lose the advatage of the advantages.

** more nuggets to come....**