Weight Loss

Getting back into shape after pregnancy takes time. If you want to loose weight, aim to loose one pound a week. Even after you lose weight, your body may not be the same shape as it was before you had the baby. But don't worry, you can always do some exercise to help your body after your doctor has given you the OK.

• Get comfortable. If you're breast-feeding, feed your baby right before you exercise. Wear a supportive bra and comfortable clothing.


• Start slowly. Begin with light aerobic activity, such as walking, stationary cycling or swimming. Avoid jumping and jerky, bouncy or jarring motions.


• Break it up. Exercise in short sessions throughout the day. As your stamina improves, gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts.


• Include your baby. Take your baby for a daily walk in a stroller or baby carrier. If you prefer to jog, use a jogging stroller designed for infants. Lay your baby next to you while you stretch on the floor. Hold him or her in your arms and dance to your favorite music.


• Target your abs. Losing abdominal fat takes dietary changes and aerobic exercise, but abdominal crunches and other ab exercises can help tone your abdominal muscles.


• Remember your Kegels. These exercises won't help you lose weight, but they will tone your pelvic floor muscles. Simply tighten your pelvic muscles as if you're stopping your stream of urine. Try it for five seconds at a time, four or five times in a row. You can do Kegels while standing, sitting or lying down — even while breast-feeding your baby.

Be realistic
Most women lose about 10 pounds during birth, including the weight of the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. During the first week after delivery, you'll lose additional weight as you shed retained fluids. But the fat stored during pregnancy won't disappear on its own.

Through diet and exercise, it's reasonable to lose about half a pound a week. It may take six months or even longer to return to your pre-pregnancy weight — whether you're breast-feeding or not. In the meantime, take pride in your healthy lifestyle and your role as a mother.

All Weddings Are Similar But Every Marriage Is Different

I once read “All weddings are similar but every marriage is different. Marriage is an interpersonal relationship with social and religious recognition, usually intimate and sexual and often created as a contract or through civil process.

Civil marriage is the legal concept of marriage. The most common form of marriage unites a man and a woman as husband and wife. Other forms of marriage also exist like polygamy, in which a person takes more than one spouse. In some jurisdiction it has been expanded to include same sex marriage.

The reason many people marry vary, but usually for public declaration of love, economic stability, legality, formation of family, procreation and legitimizing sexual relations. The act of marriage usually creates obligations between the individuals involved and many societies, the extended families.

Friends I've Missed

To all my friends who remembered my birthday.. thank you very much... you all made my day... i do appreciate it a lot..

The Current Readings Tag

This tag came from Ate Liza. Thanks for taggin me Ate Liza.

The Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people.

Okay, the book nearest to me is my sociology book. I was in the process of "trying" to read for my sociology. The title is SOCIOLOGY - A Down To Earth Approach. It's actually pretty neat and very imformative.

"Impersonality and replaceability. It is the position that is important, not the individual who holds the position. You work for the organization, not for the replaceable person who heads some post in the organization."

Now isn't that interesting? :)

Okay, now I'm tagging Farah, Liza, Jocelyn, Cathy, Meliza. Just share your favorite book, or something that you are reading and let's have some fun.

"Baby Blues"

Many women get the "baby blues" after having a baby or weaning a baby from the breast. It is often caused by hormonal changes and is very normal. Symptoms may include crying for no apparent reason, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, and impatience.

Talk with your doctor or nurse if you experience any of these symptoms for more than a few days or if you feel very troubled after having your baby. Medical attentions is very important.

I decided to check some information about this because I couple of weeks ago, I started weaning my daughter from breastfeeding.

If you want more information on the "baby blues" you can get in touch with the following agency:

• Postpartum Support International
• http://www.postpartum.net/


• The Online PPD Support Group
• http://ppdsupportpage.com/
• Click on "postpartum" at the top of the page.
• 1-800-PPD-MOMS


• National Hopeline Network
• 1-800-SUICIDE


• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• 1-800-273- TALK

If you are feeling unsage or uncomfortable with your partner, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or on the web at http://www.ndvh.org/

Taggies and Awards

I'm kinda new to this blogging and still getting the hang of it. I've visited some blogs and saw some tags and awards that are being posted on their site. One of new blogging friend gave me one of this.

Thanks to Farah for the award. I sure do appreciate the award. :)

Vacation time is over

Okay, now that our vacation is over, it feels like there's more to do in the house. Not to mention the stuff that I have to do with school. It seems like its a never ending battle. But I guess that's a good thing. It's keeping me busy, it means I'm still alive, I still have a house to live with, I can go to school, I have my husband and my daughter, etc. etc..

I think I'm gonna have to check out more information about blogging today. Oh, that is if I get a spare time. I have to do my school work first and then finish my laundry.

San Antonion here we come!!!

Tomorrow we are heading off to San Antonio for a weekend get away. It is actually my birthday getaway. I just turned 30 years old and I dont feel like it.

Don't know exactly where to go there, but hopefully we are going to have a blast.

I'd like to see the famous riverwalk, althought my sister has been discouraging me about it, she said it wasn't really good, but that's for me to find out. It may not be nice for her, but it might be for me.

Okay, its time for bed now. Its 4:50 a.m. I only have 2 1/2 hours of sleep, I have a class at 9 in the morning..

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... sleeping time.

Get paid to blog at PayPerPost.com

If you are trying to think of ways to channel those thoughts in your everyday life and at the same time get paid doing it, then blog network is the best option that you have. Hitting two birds in one stone as they say.

There are a lot of ways to get paid for blogging and one of them is by writing short articles as well as reviews about different advertisers. First, do some search online for websites that is mainly for advertisers and for blogger. This is what I did and one of the website that I found with my search is Payperpost. This site is one of those blog network that will pay you for your honest review and article about a particular advertiser. It's really easy to apply to the site. Once you fill out the application you will then need to register your blog. Registering your blog is their way of knowing about your blog, it's just like the getting to know phase. So after you're done registering your blog, you will then have to wait for the approval. During the waiting period you can actually go ahead and start with Payperpost Direct by installing the PPP Tools. Payperpost Direct is a way for blogger to monetize their blog outside of the PaPerPost Marketplace. By installing the code and badge on your site, you can negotiate directly with advertisers on price and scope of the review or article. Now, who doesn't want this idea, you have control over the negotiation. And by the way, did I mention that the account is free. Now, there's another thing to love about this site.

The site is also user friendly and easy to navigate. The blogger dashboard is also pretty neat. It highlights the "opportunities" that you can write about. You can also see the top earner which gives other blogger motivations to do well with the review and article. Then there's also the "Open Opportunities" area which I really love because it list all of the advertisers that you can write about, all in one place.

Since I started with Payperpost, I actually read a lot of the articles which has given me a lot of good ideas for my blog. Overall, I think the website is really neat. Recommending it to my friends who blog is the next best thing to do aside from the reward that you get of course.

Ramiele Malubay - Proud to be Filipino - Top 24 contestants for American Idol

Short Bio for Ramiele:

Age: 20
Hometown: Miramar, FL
Favorite Quote: "If you're hated, you're doing something right."
Audition City: Miami
Musical Influences: Aretha Franklin, Jackson 5, Mariah Carey, Lani Misalocha, and Regine Velasquez.

Okay, I think you can say that I am a fan of American Idol. Well tonight, I've watched American Idol and one of the contestant for the top 12 girls is pinay, Ramiele Malubay. You can check out her video here.

Do keep an eye on her, better yet vote for her. She is really good. If you want to leave some comments for her, you can check her website at, http://www.ramiele.com/index.htm

Im sure the pinoy's in the US will cheer and vote for her. We will cheer for you! Go Ramiele!!!..

How to renew your expired Philippine Passport?

For a while now, I have been contemplating and hesitating on renewing my Philippine passport because I dont know where to start. I've checked some information online but I never really got the chance to do it. So if you lived in Texas and you need to renew your expired Philippine passport here are the steps and documents you need. Thought I shared it with you.

• Download the passport application form from the Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles site and fill it out completely. If you are applying by mail or not in person the application must be notarized by a local Notary Public before sending the application.


• Expired passport must be submitted for cancellation. Photocopy of the page showing the applicants picture and personal details, including the latest arrival stamp by the US Immigration must also be submitted.


• Proof of residence (e.g. driver's licence, state id, employment id, or other similar id, showing the current residence)


• 3 identical passport photo -1.77" x 1.37" (3.5 x 4.5 cm)- taken within the last six(6) months. Photo must show the applicants front view, with decent attire not sleeveless and without eye glasses. Digital photos are not accepted.


• Original or authenticated copy of birth certificate issued by the National Statistic office.


• Other supporting documents which will establish the applicant identity as Filipino citizen (e.g. marriage certificate, school records, professional ID, social security ID etc).

In the case of applicants holding a brown colored passport documentary proof of middle name (e.g. birth certificate, marriage certificate, social security card, etc.) must be submitted. The applicant should spell-out his or her middle name (not middle initial) as this will be reflected in the new passport. Now if your passport is green colored, you dont have to do anything special unless you were asked by the Consulate.

Application by mail: Passport application by mail is accepted, provided it has to be notarized. The applicant can make arrangements for the return of the processed application. If the applicant wishes the Consulate to arrange for the return of documents, an additional fee of $6.00 must be paid to cover for mailing expenses.

Application fee:

• New/Renewal -32 pages passport booklet -$50.00
• New/Renewal - 64 pages passport booklet - $60.00
• There is a fax fee of $10.00 but im not sure what it is for. Just to make sure you can call in the Philippine Consulate office to verify, (213) 639-0980 to 85.

You have to note though: It says that the Philippine Consulate General is not responsible for any delay or loss during transit by mail or by any courier services.

Now if you want to change your last name because your old passport still shows your maiden name, that's a different process. It looks to me like it's a little tedious, but if you want to do it, you can check the site for more information.

You can also call them at (213) 639-0980 to 85.

Now that we have the basic information, go right ahead and renew your passport. I think i'm going to start mine too.

Grab them while they are hot

I just signed up for an online community and they have these area where you can get discounted products. Some of the stuff are really nice and I'm going to list some of the discounted product so you can check them out.

Handy
Chocolate Dots Diaper Bag From Dwell
Save 20% on all diaper totes. Regularly $184; CanofThoughts.com price: $147

How to get it: Go to dwellshop.com and enter "TOTE08" at checkout.

Purity
Skin care from Pangea Organics
Save 20% on all skin-care products. Regularly from $23; CanofThoughts.com price: from $18

How to get it: Go to pangeaorganics.com and enter "PCD7" at checkout.

Aromatic
Spiced Tuberose & Orchid Bath and Body Products from Potter & Moore. Save 25 % on the entire line. Regularly from $27 each; CanofThoughts.com price: from $21 each

How to get it: Go to beautyhabit.com and enter "COOKIEPM" at checkout.

Exquisite
Stacking Rings from Melissa Joy Manning
Save 20 % on all stacking rings. Regularly from $290 each; CanofThoughts.com price: from $232

How to get it: Go to melissajoymanning.com and enter "CD0208" at checkout.

Comfy
Kids' Basics from Lifesize Fred Segal
Save 25 % on all styles. Regularly from $14 each; CanofThoughts.com price: from $11 each

How to get it: Go to ronrobinsoninc.com and enter "Cookie" at checkout.

Blanket for my daughter

Ok, this is one of those things that I started and haven't had the chance to finish it. Either due to no time, or im just procrastrinating. Ok, there goes the word again.

I started making crochet blanket for my daughter and until now, cold season is almost over and I haven't finish it. I can't make up my mind on what design I wanted to make. I have few ideas, but nothing seem to look appealing to me. Plus I still have to make 16 different pieces and attach it together. With how it looks now, I would say I'm almost finish but making the remaining pieces and deciding on what design I will make is the though part.

I think my little one has a few suggestions of her own. She even played with the squares after we took the picture.

Freebies anyone????

If your like me who like freebies, this is a good site that you can check out.

Dryel is giving away $4.00 off coupon. Click the image above for more information. You can also visit this site. http://www.dryel.com/

Finish what you start

Do you have a pile of unfinished projects that is gathering dust at the back of your mind, reminding you everyday of all the things you never completed?

Do you wonder what might have happened if you actually completed those tasks? Why is it hard to maintain momentum? Starting a new project whether making some scrapbooks, crocheting a blanket or running a business can be very exciting (for me anyway). But once the initial excitement has died down and its worn off and the "newness" has gone then the actual effort and grind can just seem like a thankless task.

The trick to finishing what you start is to undertake the task for reasons other than the excitement it carries. And to actively avoid getting 'paid early'. That is, gaining some sort of benefit such as attention or congratulations before the project is complete.

Anyone whose ever achieved anything could have got bored, given up too soon but they knew how to keep at something doing it and doing it because their goals were non-negotiable in their own minds. Self discipline allowed them to keep their promises to themselves.

After all, if you are creative enough with your procrastination you'll always come up with what seems like a good reason not to do something.

I know I have a lot of stuff that needs to be done but for some reason, I just cant seem to find time to do it. However, yesterday I started making a scarf and I didnt stop until I finished it. I slept at about 3:00 am just to finish it. It seems like tomorrow is not going to come anymore that I really to finish it. I guess when Im into something I wont stop until its done.


But here is the finish product : My new scarf!

Purple shoe anyone?

I absolutely love this shoe, not for me but for my little one. And you can find it at Duck Duck Goose Boutique.

They carries a variety of unique children’s clothing, toys, gifts and accessories for children from preemie to size 10. The store also specialize in the best American and European designers like Catimini, Room Seven, Le Top, Kate Mack, Biscotti, Mimi & Maggie.

There is also a large selection of Crocs and Uggs for the whole family.

You’ll definitely fall in love with the huge selection of imaginative and educational toys, games and activities,fun novelty tees and snapsuits for kids. Some of their best sellers are: "My Moms a Fox", My Dads a Hunk", "I Party Naked" and "Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner". The best thing about these is they offer Free Shipping on all orders over $100 and a good customer service possible because they are committed to making sure every order is packaged with care and shipped promptly.

So check this one out and you'll definitely find something for your little one. The website is DuckDuckGooseBoutique.com

Rate your professor

I was in my Humanities class tonight and we were talking about this site RateMyProfessors.com .

If your a student like me, you will definitely love this site. Not only you can check out some ratings for your current professor but you can also check the ratings of other professors that you might want to take in the coming semester.

So when I got home I check out the site and navigating through the site is really easy. First you have to click on the your state, then look for the name of your school. As for me it was Collin County Community College. Click on the name of your school and it will tell you the website of your school, the location, how many professor, and then you can search the professor by department. The website also has a forum that you can check out and you can send the site address directly to your friend if you want to.

So I tried searching for my Humanities professor because that were it all started. I choose the name of the department then just hit SEARCH and it will give you a list of all the professors on the particular department that you have chosen. Then I looked for the name of my professor and there it is, the ratings. Viola!

Some of the ratings that I saw with my previous professor was really good and there are some that are not so good. But in a way, the ratings will tell you if the teacher is good enough or perhaps it will give you an idea. You can also create an account if you want to or just be an anonymous one.

I actually did leave some rating for one of my previous professor and you'll just have to make sure that you know the subject and the code for that particular class. But overall, the site I think is helpful.

As I browse further on the site, I also noticed that there is an area for the professor. The only bad thing about this site is that anybody can pretty much leave a comment even though you dont have a registered account with them.

But for me, I will definitely use it again to check for instructors before I sign up for my classes and I better search for good ratings for professors that are teaching Sciences Subjects so I will learn.

Disclosure Policy

14 February 2008

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact labyouqt@canofthoughts.com.I accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, or other forms of compensation but it never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. Those sponsorships and advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements. As always, I try to give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on topics or products that I review and post here. This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Parthenon in Nashville, Tennesse

The Parthenon - a temple built for the Greek goddess Athena and is considered the most important surviving building of Classical Greece.




If you're like me who loves anything about Greece, you will surely enjoy looking at the Parthenon without going to Greece. This was presented to us in my Humanities class.

The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville's premier urban park. The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals.

Originally built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, this replica of the original Parthenon in Athens serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. The plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles found in the Naos are direct casts of the original sculptures which adorned the pediments of the Athenian Parthenon, dating back to 438 B.C. The originals of these powerful fragments are housed in the British Museum in London.

Drinking Problem

This was sent to me by one of my friend and I think it was funny.. thought I might share it..

Click on the image to see full conversation.

Feeling sick?

Have you ever been so sick that you look so gloomy like the clouds in the sky?








Well a couple of days ago my daughter started vomiting and having diarhea. We went to her Dr. the following day and she said it was some sort of stomach bug and just to keep her hydrated and let all the toxins get out of her system. So we just went home thinking that it would be okay.

Guess what?? The following day me and my husband starting vomiting and having diarhea. It was so bad, that we just lie down all day at home not knowing how to care for our sick child as well. Fortunately, after vomiting all our guts out, we had little energy to go to the Dr and find out what happen to us. So we went with our sick child and come to find out we had FOOD POISONING. Our white blood count was high and we have some infections that we have to take some antibiotic.

We didnt know where we got the food poisoning, at home with some pork that we had cooked or chinese restaurant. We went out friday and saturday to ate and it was our first time to go to these two restaurant.. PEI WEI in Eldorado and PANDA'S BUFFET close to 380 both in Mckinney, not recommended to go to.

Today, we are feeling much better (atleast not vomiting/diarhea) but still dozzy. And in the next coming days when we both feel better, we are off to cleaning the fridge and making sure it will stay clean to avoid this and I think no chinese restaurant for a while.




She definitely feels much better today, she even ate a little bit of banana this morning and 'she and dad' feel asleep on the coach.

Going Bananas

Banana is one of my favorite fruit. It contains three natural sugars- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a 90 minute workout. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help the body overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it an essential part of our daily diet.
In addition to our physical health, bananas are a boost to our mental health. According to a recent survey among people suffering from depressio, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain trytophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

When you compare it with an apple, it has four times the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well known phrase to "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Kitchen Ceramics

We started our business online last December, 2004. It doesnt feel that long. First, we just started selling bunch of different stuff.. we were still trying to find the products that is going to "click" with our audience. And now here we are with our kitchen ceramics.. If you have some time, check us out at VillasDecor.com. We offer variety of designs to choose from. One of our newest design is the western one which is displayed below.

We are also open to link exchanges and advertising, if you are interested you can visit this area. Or you can type in www.villasdecor.com and scroll all the way down of the page and you will see the link Advertise with us and Link Exchange.

Compliments from other people..

We make it a point to go out for dinner when we have extra funds... :) Well tonight we went to one of the chinese buffet over in Mckinney. The place wasnt too bad. It was actually our first time to go there, our first choice was close because they were renovating it. So we went on got our food, and of course my husband got some nooddles for my daughter (she loves noddles for some reason) We were there for maybe 30 minutes and some lady just went to our table and told us how adorable and cute my daughter was. Of course, me and my husband just said thanks, what else can we say if other people would give comments like that to our daughter. And then maybe, 20-30 minutes more, another lady came to our table again, and just gave my daughter a compliment. She was saying how she was so independent eating her ice cream. Well, we just said thanks and smile..

For some reason, we get these compliments from people and it just makes you feel good being a mom.

How was your day?

My husband would always ask me, how was your day? And I would always answer, well you know, the usual... it is the usual.. we wake up, turn on the tv, eat some breakfast. Then put my baby to sleep for her naptime.

Well today, we actually had some time to go outside the house because it's not so cold. So me and my daugther went to get our mail (usually my husband would get the mail) then stay outside for a little bit. I let my baby play with the rocks on our little fountain outside and took some pictures while my daughter was playing.

While my daughter was playing I was reading my parenting magazine and came across a topic which I thought was interesting. Its called Wedded Bliss.

Top Three Factors in a HAPPY MARRIAGE:
- Faithfullness
- Good Sex
- Sharing household chores

Well the first one is of course top priority, faithfullness. If your husband/wife is not faithful to you anymore, whats the reason in staying married. Lets face it, if one is not faithful, marriage is pretty much a waste already. Then there's good sex... hmmm.. do I need to elaborate further on this? Personally, the reason people get attracted to each other is because of good chemistry and one of that chemistry is sex. Let's all face it, why would you be married to someone who cannot satisfy your physical need. And then there's the third one, sharing household chores. This one is really important as well. It doesnt mean (specially for men) that because guys are the one working (wife being a stay at home) its automatic that us women will do all the household chores, nope.. its a no, no, no.

Okay, that was interesting. To think that was just a couple of minutes sitting outside reading some magazines.