Free Budget Spreadsheet

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:



For mom's like me, this is a great help in budgeting our finances. And you can download this for free!! plus other helpful spreadsheet at vertex42.com. Happy budgeting!


In 1978...




In 1978 (the year you were born)



Jimmy Carter is president of the US

US Senate votes to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999

Israel and Egypt reach a peace settlement at the Camp David Accords

The US and mainland China announce that they will restore full diplomatic relations

Members of Jim Jones' People's Temple commit mass suicide in Guyana

Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pope in centuries

Ted Bundy is captured in Florida

The first computer bulletin board system is created

Garfield debuts in newspapers

Ashton Kutcher, Kobe Bryant, Usher, Clay Aiken, and Nelly Furtado are born

New York Yankees win the World Series

Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl XII

Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup

Saturday Night Fever and Grease are the top grossing films

"Night Fever" by the Bee Gees spends the most time at the top of the US charts

Diff'rent Strokes and Mork & Mindy premiere

Fabulous Favicon!

Like to add a little bit of YOU on your site's url? used FAVICON. Favicon or "Favorites icon" is an icon displayed next to the URL in a browser's location bar. Like what you can see on my url above ;)

Here's a site that offers FREE service in generating your personalized favicon. FREEFAVICON .

All you have to do is upload an image of your choice (on their site) and they will generate the favicon for you. You have to unzip it the file that they will give you. Be sure though to host the generated favicon to an image hosting site like photobucket. Once you unzipped the file, read the Read Me file to help you on the step by step on how to do it. FF will give you a link with rel="icon" href="animated_favicon1.gif" type="image/gif" . Insert this link between the and head tag(<> ). Be sure to replace the one I highlighted with the url from the image hosting site where you uploaded your image. After that you'll have the fav-icon for your URL!

Have fun!

Making Transparent Images

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!

All in One

Who needs the bulky desktop if you can have this?


An all in one PC! Once again an innovative space saving product...actually there is another model wherein the keyboard contains the connectors and CD / DVD ROM. Such a brilliant invention. Our company offers this product and the price starts at Php43,000. I wish I could get one but hubby already bought a desktop for me which he plans to send by December.

Arte Y Pico

Vannie generously gave this award to me and I'm just thankful also for the comment she added. Thanks sis!


So here’s the rule for this award sharing:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
Make sure you visit the link above.


I'm passing this to:

Nice - Her posts are a great read and i love the clean look of her blog

Milette - I also love the clean and organize look of her blogs

Vannie - Love how she describe herself on the look of herb log. Her posts are interesting.

Mai - I love how she deliver her posts and her digiscraps

Kitts - I like the approach of her blog and her posts.

Friendship Around The World

Got this tag from Milet :)


::Start Copy Here::

Rule:

1. Copy from ::Start Copy Here:: through ::End Copy Here::.
2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. Just make sure to post this to each of the blog you added in the list.
3. Tag other online friends you know.You don’t need to be tag in order to join. If you want to join just post this one in your blog.
4. Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving me a comment
HERE. I will add you to the master list.That way, everyone is happy and can meet new friends too!
5. Come back once in a while to get the master list! Let’s see how this makes our
Technorati and PR goes up!
6. DO NOT REMOVE THIS: scrap page made by
Yen. Using alphas and tapes from Kate H., flowers from Ida,paper by Catrine.


1. Me and Mine 2.Creative In Me 3.Little Peanut 4. Pea in a Pod 5. Sugar Magnolias 6.Because Life Is Fun 7. Piece o’Kaje 8. Mon a Bric 9. Celebrate Life 10.My Journey11. Deeply In Love 12. Pink and Brown Diaries 13. Happyheart 14. Wilstop 15. FunFierceFab 16. Nita’s Random Thoughts 17. Nita’s Corner 18. Thomas Web Links 19. Thomas Travel Tales 20. Make Money Online 21. Great Finds and Deals 22. PRC Board Exam Results 24. My Wandering Thoughts 25. Nita’s Ramblings 26. Just Me.. Eds 27. Etc Atbp 28. When Silence Speaks 29. Juliana’s Lair 30. Juliana’s World 31. Juliana’s Library 32. Blessed Chic 33. Can of Thoughts 34. Hailey’s Domain 35. Hailey’s Beats and Bits 36. ISL family 37. Arbitrary Thoughts 38. D’ Cooking Mudra 39. My Big Picture 40. Dancing in Midlife Tune 41. Blessings In Life 42. My Colorful World 43. Dare to Blog 44. Life Realities 45. WebGeek Journal DotNet 46. WebGeek Journal 47. Let’s Travel Philippines 49. MY DAILY THOUGHTS AND MOODS 50. A Sweet Taste Of Life 51. My Life in this Wonderful World! 52. Denz Techtronics 53. Denz Recreational 54. Surviving Deplyoment 55. Ester’s Raptured Dreams 56. Nipa Hut 57.Picture Clusters 58. My Wanderings 59.Maiylah’s Snippets 60. EuLehKulit 61. Life Quest 61.Being a wife. Being a Mom. 62. MoMie SPace 63.Woman Xplore 64. PinayWAHM 65. Agring’s Simply Digital 66. Agring’s Home & Garden 67. Agring’s Homecooking & Baking 68. Agring’s Electronics & Entertainments 69. Scrap Addict Sundays 70. Mommy Talks 71. Aggie Scraps 72.Teacher’s Corner 73. My Drift 74. lancernews 75. My so called Life 76. See Me for what You Will… 77. kathycot.com 78. buhaymisis.com 79. All about Mye life 80. Everything has a Reason 81. Life’s Impression 82. Some Thoughts I have 83. Life’s Lessons 84. Just Let Go 85. Pieces Of Me 86. Winding Creek Circle 87. BOTH SIDES NOW 88. Happy Life 89. Blessed Sanctuary 90.Confessions of an Army Life 91. moms….. check nyo 92. Mommy’s Little Corner 93. Wanna Be SuperModel 94. Gandacious 95. Jo-Jo’s Place 96.My Quiet Zone 97. Proud PINAY 98. Simply Jen 99. Jenny Said So 100. A Slice of Life 101. My Blog 102. TIP OF AN ICEBERG 103. Coffee Cup Princess 104. Deranged Insanity 105. Just Another Day 106. Stev & Emz Journey 107.Runaway THoughts of Emz 108. Heart of Rachel 109. Nora’s Notes 110. In the Life Of Mne 111. In my Kitchen 112. Nyumix’s Blog 113. Everything’s Here 114.Out of Nowhere 115. My Simple World 116. Seek Health. Feel Great 117. Smile Puppies 118. Almanacqueen 119. The Life of an Outback Pinay 120. Dancing With Butterflies 121. My Treasures 122. Everything Green 123. 124. Memoirs of a Filipina 125. The Pit Gadgetry! 126. My Daily Life Experience 127. Married and Happy About It 128. My Discoveries 129. iCreate+iDeas 130. My Healthy Living Journal 131. Busy Moms Cook 132. Christian Weekends 133. Reflexes 134. Caramel Corn 135. Sunny Side Up Foodie 136. A Mothers Horizon 137. Bits and Pieces 138. Whats Up! 139. Simply Me 140. Life and Me 141. A Handful of Surprises 142. Anything and Everything in Between 143. from here and beyond 144. The Nameless Blog 145. Exploring Asia 146. Malaya 147. Swan Portraits 148. BUSYNESSWORLD 149. Sprawt 150. Thinking Consciously? 151. BLOGSILOG 152. Cherry’s Comfort Zone 153. DigiScrapz: Captured Memories 154. Buzzy Me 155. Thinking Out Loud 156. Wishing and Hoping 157. Jobs for Davao 158. Jobs for Cebu 159. Filipino Jobs Abroad 160. PRC Board Exam Results 161. Nakedminds 162. Personal 163. Interesting 164. squeeshies 165. Shenzee’s World 166. Geekyology 167. Swanportraits 168. Rumination Under the Clouds 169. In My Home by Ria aka Msculit 170. It’s my Party (and I’ll cry if I want to…) by Ria aka Msculit 171. Malaya 172. Cheese: Jherson84 173. Beans: Jherson 174. EP Treasures 175. Republic of A 176. Nora’s Family Treasures 177. Points of View (Discussion Blog) 178. Gala Tayo! 179. Lucky Peso 180. Buhay Pinoy 181. Pinay Mommy’s Love Blog 182. MOMEMO 183. OnlineBiz and Resources 184. Lourdes’ Mia 185. Pinay Mommy’s DigiScrap and Musings in Life 186. Pinay Mommy Online 187. ‘nna 188. My Sweet Escape 189. The Next Chapter 190. Painted Life 191. Petty Ramblings of a Petty Queen 192. The Real Deal 193. My Beautiful Life 194. Berry Blog 195. A Tsinay Blog 196. A Celebration of Life 197. My love.mylife.my everything. 198. Gamay and Dako Adventures 199. Ester’s Daily Thoughts 200. Choc Mint Girl 201. I AM KCAT 202. RanZ-Goodies 203. RanZ-Famous 204. A Time to Weep and a Time to Laugh 205. Surviving the Circus of Life 206. The Nook207. Allen’Wifey 208. Fern’s Backyard 209. Amor’s Blog - My Place in Cyberspace 210. The Other Side of Me 211. Stylishbabe111407 212. The Inner Shopper 213. TheGeneralInfoBlog 214. my angels world 215. Pinoy Raket Online 216. My Life 217. BloggingInMyPyjamas 218. Baby Shern 219. Mariel 220. So Real 221. Okay, I am Arms and this is my blog 222.Lucid Creativity 223. Read my Mind 224.A Simple Life 225. My debt blog 226.1stopmom’s blog 227.Mommy Gamer 228. My First One Million Pesos 229. Mindless Thought 230. YOUR BLOG!

::End Copy Here::

I'm Tagging Jannese, Lilet and Melisse

Budgetting / Money Saving Tips

This week's Mommastuff Questions is:

Can you share any budget or money saving tips that you find effective?
Now that hubby's abroad and I'm the only one managing our home here's what I do with our finances/budgetting:

Note: Hubby's salary is bigger compare to mine so his sallary takes care of all our expenses and my salary contributes to the extras.

1. I found it easy for my budgeting to have an excel file of our finances and expenses so I can easily monitor where our money goes and the due dates of our bills. I pay on time to avoid penalties.
2. I buy our groceries every 3oth when I get hubby's salary. Jaden's milk is my priority so I buy for a whole month's consumption.
3. I cook viand for dinner and I set aside a portion for my "baon" so I don't have to buy my lunch. Also, I eat breakfast at home to avoid buying breakfast pa.
4. We don't use AC so medyo tipid sa electricity. We also set one day for ironing clothes and also one day for the laundry.



I Have Learned...

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.

Things I've 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

Dealing with Tantrums

I felt bad with the way I handled my daughter as posted on my other blog..so I searched for ideas about dealing with tantrums and the stage they call "The Terrible Two's"...

Dealing with tantrums

Tantrums in the two to three-year-old are fairly common. It is their way of protesting and signaling to us they really want to get their own way.

At this age children are just coming into their own and do not like to be thwarted. They are driven by inquisitiveness and strutting new skills. They have mastered walking and are ever increasing their motor skills. They are ready for exploration, but haven't yet internalized rules, so they think everything is fair game. And while we may think these young children can totally understand us, in truth, this is still a year and more away. So it is not enough that we tell them what to do, we must also show them and physically direct their play and areas for exploration.

When young children get involved in things they shouldn't, it is important to simply re-direct them to approved activities and areas of play. You may find yourself doing this dozens upon dozens of times per day! Once will never be enough at this age and this is why parenting two-year-old can be such a demanding time.

While redirection is the key for managing behaviour at age two, if tantrums persist at age three, ignoring such behaviour is the next strategy parents should try. Ignoring tantrums teaches the child that this behaviour doesn't work and so they often stop. Ignoring really means withholding attention for misbehaviour, but, and very importantly, it is also a must that parents do provide attention for appropriate behaviour. This is usually in the form of verbal feedback, praise, hugs and kisses.

If ignoring the tantrums isn't working at age three, you can start to use "time-out" as a consequence. Time-out means time away from anything reinforcing or otherwise pleasurable - like sitting on the stairs or in the corner, or quietly on a chair. While the general rule is one minute of time-out per age of child, time-outs that are much briefer and a matter of seconds, say 5 to 15 seconds are often MORE effective than longer time-outs. In the life of a three-year-old, 5 to 15 seconds is a long time, but it is not so long that they forget why they were sent to time-out in the first place. The key to effectively using this strategy is to apply a brief time-out each time the behaviour occurs. It is better a brief time-out follows at each instance of a tantrum, than only long time-out.

If tantrums persist even with the use of time-out, ask yourself if there are other stresses in the home. Issues of illness, marital discord, alcohol or drug abuse in caregivers all can affect parenting and child behaviour. You may also want to check your child's hearing. Many children at this age have had a number of recurring ear infections (otitis media). With each re-occurrence of an ear infection, fluid remains in the ear and diminishes hearing capacity. They will grow out of it, but in the meantime, your child may actually be hard of hearing and as a result, language delayed. Therefore even though a little older, they may not hear you or understand your verbal commands. This is something you should check out with your Doctor.

If all the above fails, fear not, but do ask for help. Call your Health Visitor, a local parenting centre if there's one nearby or even your family doctor. Odds are something is going on that probably because you are so close to the problem, you do not see. If ever you feel like smacking your child, then give yourself a break to stop yourself. Have a cup of herbal tea, warm milk, a hot bath, or go for a walk. Do anything that works to give you a little distance and a chance to collect your thoughts. Just be sure your child is appropriately supervised while you grab a moment alone. Sometimes this "parental pause" is just the ticket to regain composure and reenter more effectively.

Tantrums? Follow these steps:

  • Redirection;
  • Ignore;
  • Time-out;
  • Check for other stresses;
  • Check hearing;
  • Ask for help;
  • Take a break.

Lastly, you can't offer too much praise, love and affection to a child. Give generously throughout the day!

Got this from this site

Who is Oseola McCarty?

She has been a topic in our church for being a good example. A person with a good heart and a person of character.

Following is a simple biography I got about her:

Oseola McCarty was a washerwoman and at the age of 88 she was unmarried with no children. She did not even own a vehicle, but she gave a gift of $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi.

Oseola McCarty was born in Waynesboro, Miss., but moved to Hattiesburg at the age of 6 when her widowed mother remarried. Oseola had to quit school after sixth grade to take care of her ill aunt. When her aunt got better, she decided she was too far behind to catch up. Oseola dreamed of being a nurse but ended up joining her family washing laundry of Hattiesburg’s elite.

She lived in Mississippi all her life and washed clothes for over seventy years. Oseola McCarty donated $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi which was the largest donation ever given by an African-American to the University. She was able to make this large donation due to good work and saving habits.

Many people wanted to meet her cause of her kindness and wisdom. She would meet famous people and receive numerous awards, including a Presidential Medal and honorary degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and Harvard University.

Oseola McCarty became an author of one book, Simple Wisdom for Rich Living. She shares her ideas for being successful. Even though she was unable to complete school, she wanted to make sure that it would be possible for others with financial need to in the future.

Oseola died in her sleep September 26, 1998, of liver cancer. But most of her 91 years she let her work do the talking until 1995 she gave a powerful, persuasive speech upon donating the $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi.

Oseola will never be forgotten from the fact that she taught the world a lesson in selflessness. Oseola shows that everyone can help in philanthropic activity not just the extremely wealthy.

Mistakes Parents Can't Afford to Make

According to Dr. Harold Sala, the following are statements which should never--no exceptions--come from the lips of a parent.

1. "Do what I say, ot what I do!"
Forget it. Your example cancels out everything you say. Your kids need role models, not sermons. If you don't measure up, forget the rhetoric and concentrate on your example.

2. "Here's a gift--I can't be there with you."
Gifts are poor substitures for your presence. Being at the ball game or at the school function, even though it is a sacrifice of time and energy, meansmore than the reward you may give to yourson or daughter.

3. "If you do this again, you're going to get it."
A major blunder! Consistency is one of the most necessary components of parenting. When you do not deal with a situation and discipline a child right away--no matter how tired you are--you are sending conflicting signals. This produces uncertainty. Consistent and definite boundaries gives stability and security to a child.

4. "Because I love you, I'm doing this for you."
Love isn't the issue. Responsibility is. Failure to teach your children to assume responsibility for their lives ill prepares them for the future. Later on, college roommates, bosses or spouses won't do it for them. Teaching a child to be responsible is planting the seeds of future success.

5. "How could you be so dumb?"
Telling a child what he did wrong only certifies the obvious. It is better to talk about how to handle a troublesome situation in the future. Saying, "Let's talk about how you are going to handle this the next time" lets you deal with character building.

6. "If your older brother can get high grades, why can't you?"
Comparing children creates anger and defensiveness. Every child is different.Each has aptitudes and abilities which may be lacking in other children--even children of the same parents. Strive to recognize what each child does well and build on that. That's what the Scripture is driving at when it says, "Train a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6)

7. "If you don't stop that, I'll tell your father when he gets home."
Discipline should be administered immediately, not later when the other parent is around.

8. "If you are a good child, I'll give you some extra money!"
Rewards for doing the right thing teach the wrong thing. Doing right is a responsibility--yes, even a duty. It isn't always rewarded in life by pay increases or bonuses. Teaching children to do right because it is right is responsible parenting.

9. "God's going to get you when you are bad!"
Parents who use GOd as the "bogeyman"are teaching the wrong thing about God. Understanding that there is forgiveness with God as well as with each other is an important spiritual truth.

10."When you get old enough to choose for yourself, you can go to church."
Wrong again! A child learns half of everything he knows by age three, three-fourths by age seven. The spiritual training of a child begins at birth.

Nobody's perfect, but these are some mistakes you can't afford to make.

The 80's

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

I'm a child of the 80's and as I read these I can't help but remenisce the good old days :). I love seeing 80's commercials and hearing 80s music. But sad to say, I just discovered that unlike before, nowadays, wala ng bago...the fashion is still 80s medyo inayos lang ng konte...pati sa music, puro 80s revivals. But the 80s culture among our children, yunyung nawala. They missed tha joy of playing in the streets coz children now are more into PS, computers, cellphones etc.

Haaayyy...

Parenting

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....**

Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 03 May 2008

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. Believes in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog.
That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for posts or advertisements, The owner(s) will always give honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog may contain any content which might present a conflict of interest. Any question about this blog can be directed to the owner at mb_giray at yahoo dot com.


Google Books Library Project

I have seen a book about parenting when I was doing my book search. Unfortunately, the book is not available in the Philippines. :( I was disheartened...but I kept it to my self.

Few days passed but the eagerness to buy that book was still in me...Then a church friend told me that I can actually read it online, through Google Library! I felt a spark of joy within :) So I immediately searched for Google library, searched for that particular book title and voila!! It was there, right before my eyes! :D. I know maybe some of you will say..."ano ba yan....?" hehehe, eh sorry, I discovered it just now eh...:D

The catch: Although you can easily read the book you want... of course Google library are not always complete. Some pages of the book are not published so you have to really buy them if you want to read a complete copy! :D But still, you'll have a glimpse of the book.

As Mr. Google says on:
What's the goal of this project?

"The Library Project's aim is simple: make it easier for people to find relevant books – specifically, books they wouldn't find any other way such as those that are out of print – while carefully respecting authors' and publishers' copyrights. Our ultimate goal is to work with publishers and libraries to create a comprehensive, searchable, virtual card catalog of all books in all languages that helps users discover new books and publishers discover new readers."