Retuned Check: Error in Check

Two weeks ago I’ve made payment in SM Payment Center and last Tuesday I received a call from my bank. Actually, I did not answer the first two calls because the number was not in my contact, good thing that they called me again. Yes, I have this bad habit of not answering a call if it is not listed in my contact because I feel that it is just customer sales rep who will offer a credit card.

The branch manager informed me that I have an error in my check and she confirmed if I really wrote the check. She said it will be a returned check but she was so kind to give me a chance to correct the error. I have an error in my date; she said I wrote July 12, 20113 and the date should be July 12, 2013.

I composed a letter, printed two copies and asked my husband to fax the letter the following morning and I went to the nearest BPI branch to let them send the original letter to my branch. I was really nervous because I don’t want to pay returned check fee which is not cheap, I guess P2000 + will be the damaged.

So lesson learned:

1. Always answer the call.
2. Be careful in writing checks

Green Products

Last week my husband went home with these products and I was surprised to see that these products are made of recycled products. It is really nice to know that more companies are giving importance to our environment.

Absorbent Sponge

*It is made with 23% recycled materials

*It is made from 100% plant-based fibers

*It outlasts 30 rolls of paper towels

*It is reusable and long lasting.

*It is compostable in a compost facility tracking ASTM D6400

Scotch Magic Greener Tape

*It is made from over 75% recycled or plant-based materials.

Post-it Greener Notes

They look and stick like your regular post-it but it is made of 100% recycled paper and plant-based adhesives. This means that no new trees were used to make the paper. The plant material used to make the adhesive is a non-food plant that grows annually. 

A repost from my old blog Michi's Home Sweet Home

Being Prepared For Every Eventuality When Camping With the Family

Camping equipment is only part of the process when planning the perfect camping trip with the family. You need to consider where you are planning to camp and the time of the year that you are going to be in the tents. Making the trip enjoyable for everyone will ensure that the children have a brilliant time, and everyone wants to go camping in the future.

Some parents find the thought of camping with the children far too daunting; however if you are prepared it can be a fun trip. You need to ensure that you have plenty organized and that everyone knows what is expected of them whilst camping. Planning is essential and will guarantee that you have everything you need before setting off on the trip.

Once the camping equipment is all packed and ready, you can begin to pack the other essential items such as spare clothing, food, and first aid kits. No one wants there to be an accident whilst away, but these things do happen, and being prepared is essential. There are several different first aid kits to choose from, and you need to consider where you are camping, how long for, and your budget.

You need to think about all weather conditions and be ready for the weather to change without warning. There is nothing worse than being cold and wet whilst camping, which is why you need to pack clothes for every type of weather. High altitude camping can cause sunburn, and at night the temperatures are likely to drop.

Staying safe is not all about having the best first aid kit, and you need to ensure that you teach your children about the dangers of the great outdoors. There are several plants and trees that are poisonous, and your children need to understand that not everything is safe to touch. Animals can also be a threat depending on where you are camping, therefore, common sense is needed.

Stocking up on essentials is a fantastic idea, as you will be surprised how much water, food and basic items you use whilst away. You are better to have more than you need of these items rather than not enough. You want your children to enjoy the camping experience not complain that they were thirsty and hungry.

Sleeping in a tent should be a fun activity, which is why you need to ensure that there is enough space and that the bedding is comfortable. Everything is far brighter after a decent night’s sleep, which is why you need to have lots of fun activities to tire the children out, and a comfortable place to sleep.

Pack games, toys, cards and coloring kits to ensure that everyone has something to do whilst camping. The outdoors are fun, but after a while laying and reading, or coloring may be appealing to your children. You want them to have fun, explore the wilderness, remain safe and want to go camping again in the future. 

Banana Float Recipe

These past few days had been very busy, hindi ko man lang naramdaman ang weekend. My son’s homework last Friday was to make a scrapbook from 0 month old till five years old so I spent most of my time looking for pictures. Spell S-T-R-E-S-S!

I have hundreds of photos and good thing that my folders are arranged per month and per year so it made my life easier but choosing pictures were not easy. After choosing the pictures, I write captions for each pictures #parangblog. =) We went to the mall to print the pictures and bought supplies for scrapbook. #napakagastosnahomework.

Anyway, sharing to you this easy dessert, actually I always use mango for this recipe but we only have banana at home.

Bananas or mango

1 pack of all purpose cream

1 can of condensed milk

Crushed graham cracker

1.Sliced bananas.

2.In a separate bowl, mix condensed cream and all purpose cream.

3.In a bowl, layer your incredients. Graham + banana + cream mixture.

4.Put it in a fridge.

5.Serve after meal.

My son helped me in making banana float so it is a great bonding too. 

Dinner at Yakimix

My mommy friend in school treated us last Saturday in Yakimix. Actually, we’re just teasing her last summer kung kelan ang victory party nila because her husband won last election. We’re not expecting na tototohanin naman niya so when she asked us if we are available for dinner in Yakimix, we immediately said yes.

She called Yakimix for reservation but no more reservation for the weekend so we went there as early as 5PM. Rain or shine we went to Yakimix – Alabang. I always hear and read mixed reviews about Yakimix so I never dare to try this restaurant. The branch in Alabang Town Center is not that big and I was not impressed with the food choices compared to other eat all you can restaurant. My son who only ate ice cream and ebi tempura were charged P380 already. #lugi

My plate, shared pa kami ng son ko sa tempura. Dessert: ice cream and leche flan lang.

smokeless grill

Verdict.

1. Though the restaurant is small, it is clean and organized.

2. The food choices are quite limited compared to the other branch. My husband tried Yakimix - MOA.

3. The service is quite different, the wait staff is only there to refill the food and your drinks. I tried other buffet restaurants and the wait staff will tell us pa, “Ma’m if you need anything, just call me, I’m (insert name)”. Then pag-nauubusan ka ng ebi tempura or fresh shrimp, mag-offer pa sila, “Sorry Ma’m bilis maubos, dalhan ko na lang kayo sa table niyo”.

Good thing that I did not pay anything for this dinner because P660 (dinner) and P75 (drinks) are not cheap. I do hope they will improve their customer service.

Read: List of Buffet Restaurant in the Philippines 
Birthday Celeberation at Yakimix SM Sta Rosa

Yakimix Buffet Rate

Weekday (Mon-Fri)

Lunch - Php 520

Dinner - Php 620

Weekends (Sat-Sun) & Holidays

Lunch & Dinner - Php 660

Kids Rate (Children below 4ft) - Php 380

Drinks – P75

The Best Movie I’ve Ever Seen

We’re supposed to watch movie yesterday but I wasn’t feeling well maybe because of lack of sleep and my husband wanted to rest too after their trekking last Friday.

So we had movie marathon yesterday, my husband chose “3 Idiots” and I was hesitant to watch this because I thought it was a nonsense movie and I don’t even know the artist. But after few minutes I got interested and hooked. It was just an ordinary story of three college students who wanted to finish Engineering but each student has different story to tell.

This movie is full of fun, adventures, touching scenes and life lessons. I laughed, I cried, I laughed and I cried again while watching movie and for the first time I watched a movie for three hours without boring moment.

“3 Idiots is a 2009 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Rajkumar Hirani, with a screenplay by Abhijat Joshi, and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It was loosely adapted from the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. 3 idiots is the "Highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time."”- Wikipedia

I do encourage you to watch this movie because you will learn a lot. It will inspire and motivate you. The best movie I've ever seen. Sharing to you some memorable lines and scene.

Photo Source

Give me some sunshine,

Give me some rain,

Give me another chance,

I wanna grow up once again...

We learnt something about human behaviour that day, It feels bad when a friend fails, but it feels even worse when he comes first.

A loud fart is respectable... A medium fart is tolerable... A slight fart is fearful... A silent fart is unbearable...!

"A for apple B for Ball, D for Donkey ....S for Screwed"

Farhan Qureshi: Today my respect for that idiot shut up. Most of us went to college just for a degree. No degree meant no plum job, no pretty wife, no credit card, no social status. But none of this mattered to him, he was in college for the joy of learning, he never cared if he was first or last.

Virus: Life is a race. If you don't run fast, you'll get trampled.

Rancho: All is well!

Rancho: Pursue excellence and success will chase you

Rancho: Make your passion your profession, and work will become a game.

Rancho: These engineers are very smart sir, they didn't invent a machine which can measure the pressure on the brain. If they had, we would have come to know that this was not a suicide but a Murder.

Raju: Sir, I have learnt to stand up on my feet after having broken both my legs. This attitude has come with great difficulty. No sir, I can't. You may keep your job, and let me keep my attitude.

Rancho: This is college not a pressure cooker.

Rancho: Cramming may get you past 4 years in college but it will screw your next 40 years.

Rancho: Grades create divide. A=Masters, C=Slaves

Virus: Life begins with murder. If you don't compete, you will die.

Rancho: That day I understood that this heart scares easily. You have to trick it, however big the problem is. Tell your heart, 'Pal, all is well. All is well.'

Raju: Does that solve the problem?

Rancho: No, but you gain courage to face it.

Machine Class Professor: Why are you back?

Rancho: Sir, I forgot to take something...

Machine Class Professor: What?

Rancho: Instruments that record, analyse, summarize, organize, debate and explain information which are illustrative, non-illustrative hardbound, paperback, jacketed non-jacketed with forward introduction, table of contents, index that are indented for the enlightenment, understanding enrichment enhancement and education of the human brain through sensory root of vision... sometimes leisure

Machine Class Professor: [confused] What are you trying to say?

Rancho: Books sir! I forgot to take my books.

Virus: On the first day, you asked me a question " Why did't astronaut use pencils in space. If a pencil tip breaks, it will float in zero gravity, get into eyes, nose, everywhere. You were wrong, you were wrong,  you couldn't be right all the time. You understand?

Rancho: Yes Sir.

Virus: This was an important invention. You understand? My director said, When you find an extraordinary student, (put the pen in Rancho's shirt) Go study. Pass your exams and leave.

I want to be...

I and my mommy friends in school had dinner last night and on our way to the restaurant we’re talking about our kids. One of my mommy friends shared that she is currently saving for her daughter’s on the job training next year. Her daughter will have OJT in USA and we all know that it is not cheap. This is the reason why I wanted to take Tourism when I was young because I wanted to travel. Some student travel as early as high school and I love the idea of exploring and learning while travelling. But I must admit that Tourism is not for me because of height requirement. #realitycheck

As of now, I never asked my son what he wanted to be when he grows up but I do remember that my mommy friend told me that my son wanted to become a “chef”. Ethan did not mention it to me and I was lucky that her son told her about the “I want to be” activity. Some of Ethan’s classmates wanted to become a soccer player, driver, vendor, policeman, fireman, cook and many more. Well, time will tell...

Customized Cabinet

Few years ago, we moved to our house even it is not yet fully furnished because we wanted to save. We don’t want to pay amortization and rent at the same time. Little by little we are doing some home improvement depending on our budget and time. Few months ago, we started customizing our cabinet to replace the old cabinet and to maximize our space. Our next project is my son’s room cabinet; we still have leftover materials like cabinet knobs, hinges, drawer lock and many more. I hope we could finish it soon but my dilemmas now are unpredictable weather and time. I hope my husband could take a leave to supervise it. 

Choosing the Best Airport Limo Service

Hiring an airport limo service in Houston used to be considered an experience only a select few could afford. These days, however, the limo rates are not as pricey, and many special deals and discounts are available. This allows more people to experience the luxury of a limo ride. The benefits of renting a limousine include a comfortable and relaxing drive, courteous driver, and snacks and refreshments, among other great features. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when choosing the best service to pick you or your clients up from the airport.

Licensing

The first thing you should do when choosing a limo service is making sure that the companies you are looking at are licensed by the state, meaning that they are in business legally. You should also check the company’s listing with the Better Business Bureau, to make sure there were no complaints filed against them in the past.

Experience

Check how many years the company has been in business. It is usually better to go with a more experienced service provider than with a start-up. If you find a newer limo company that sounds good to you, however, check the operator’s background. An experienced operator can make a huge difference and guarantee a high-quality service.

Experience

This step is particularly important if you are renting a limo for your business partners or clients. Ask to inspect the vehicle you are renting in person. If the company runs a small fleet and the limo is not available to look at, at the very least the company should provide you with the pictures of both exterior and interior of the vehicle.

Hours

Ask the limo company what its operations hours are. For airport pickups and drop-offs, it is particularly important that someone is on the phone 24 hours a day. You should always be able to reach someone during flight delays or layovers to make sure yours or your clients’ travel experience is as smooth as possible.

Fleet

When choosing the airport limo service in Houston that is right for you, check what the company’s fleet size is. A company with a smaller fleet usually specializes in a certain type of events, such as airport pickups or proms, and provides a more personalized service. On the other hand, the company with a larger fleet generally has more experience and is able to provide better deals.

The Benefits of Personal Concierge Services

For many sole proprietorships, partnerships, and even small corporations, hiring an army of secretaries may not be a cost-effective way to meet your office management needs. Luckily, there are businesses that offer personal concierge services for a fraction of the cost of a secretarial staff.

For Your Clients

All businesses want their clients to be treated well and to get the information they need when they need it. The truth is, however, that it isn’t always possible to be there personally for your clients. There are holidays, vacations, and the ever bothersome end of the work day that could keep your clients from receiving answers to their questions. This issue is especially problematic for businesses like dentists’ offices, doctors’ offices, and information technology companies. Most of the time, when clients of these businesses have problems, it is imperative that those issues be taken care of right away. By utilizing a company providing answering services, you can make sure there is always someone there to answer those late nights or non-business-hours calls. Depending on what your needs are, you have the option of having calls screened and emergencies sent through to you or having a customer service representative walk your client through their problem. The possibilities are endless and can be tailored to meet your needs.

For Yourself and Your Business

Another fact of office life is that mundane and time-consuming tasks exist. Take travel, for example. While going online and purchasing an airline ticket isn’t difficult, an involved business trip can be. You may have to schedule rental cars, hotel rooms, multiple flights, and other events; and a trip like that could take you days to get sorted out. Instead of wasting your valuable time making travel arrangements, let a concierge service do it for you. Not only does this allow you to attend to more important things, it also diminishes the probability of error. The people who handle travel assistance are experts in their field. They have successfully completed similar tasks a hundred times. They know what to look for, where to find the best deals, and aren’t distracted by a million other tasks calling their names.

If you feel that your time has become tighter and that you or your business may be suffering because of it, it may be time to outsource the more mundane aspects of office management to personal concierge services. 

Teaching a Pre-School Kid

I always say that I’m very impatient so I know that I could never be a teacher but when you have a kid, whether you like it or not you have to teach them. It is really stressful to teach pre-school kid just like my son because he’s not serious. For him, everything is play, play, and play. He will finish his writing exercises basta matapos lang. He doesn’t care kung maganda o panget sulat niya. I kept on telling him, blue to blue, red to blue but he doesn’t mind.

There are times na hindi ko alam kung maiinis ako o matatawa.

Lesson: is or are 

1.The Apples ____ red.

Me: Ethan, is or are.

Ethan: or

Me: No, or is not the answer, you have to choose between is and are. Is or are?

Ethan: are

Me: Ok, write “are”

My son wrote letter “r” not “are”

Lesson: Spelling

Daddy: Ethan, spell dog

Ethan: D-O-G

Daddy: Spell cat

Ethan: C-A-T

Daddy: Spell cow

than: C-O-W

Daddy: Spell lion

Ethan: L-I-O-N

Daddy: How about Carabao?

Ethan: hindi, animals lang.

waah! hindi na animals ang carabao?

Eye Redness

Last Wednesday, we went to SM to buy some stuff. My husband went to fitting room and there’s a big mirror outside that room, I noticed the redness of my eyes. As in red na red siya and my husband said baka dahil wala ka tulog. So I did not mind it at all but after two days, the redness is still there and I feel pain when I woke up last Friday. My mommy friends in school also noticed my eye redness and teasing me na baka sore eyes.

Honestly, I’m a bit worried because I’ve read that I need to call health care provider if the redness are longer than 1-2 days. I texted my husband to buy Eye Mo and the following morning no more redness. Yun lang pala solusyon, muntikan na ko magpacheck-up.

According to Medline Plus site, eye redness is due to dilated or swollen blood vessels which cause the surface of the eye to look bloodshot or red. It may result from too much sun, dust, dry air, allergies, something in the eye, coughing, infection or injury. For fatigue or eyestrain, try to rest your eyes and no need for treatment. If you have vision problem or eye pain, call your doctor. 

A repost from my old blog Michi's Home Sweet Home

Army Navy

After I accompany my son in his classroom, I always stay in the waiting area till his dismissal. This is my usual routine since last year, honestly waiting for 3 hours is no joke but I was glad that I met other moms because killing time is not a problem anymore.

Most of the times, we stay in the waiting area but there are times that we go to the nearby supermarket, do our grocery, buy school supplies if there’s any project, and pay bills. Once in a blue moon we eat our just like last Friday, we went to Army Navy. I told them that I’ll just stay in the school because I don’t eat burger and burritos but they still convinced me to join them. FYI, the only burger that I order and eat is bacon mushroom melt of Wendy’s.

It was my first time in Army Navy and as expected I don’t know what to eat so I just ordered Freedom Fries P75. You have to place your order and pick up your food. My mommy friends ordered burritos, burger, chicken and fries too.

Seasoned, thin-cut, crispy, zesty fries.

They all enjoyed their ordered but my verdict for the fries is “just ok”. I still prefer thick-cut fries. 

Pasalubong from Tuguegarao

I’ve meaning to visit Tuguegarao for the longest time because I wanted to see the famous Callao Cave. Last Monday was my chance to go to Tuguegarao because my husband had a business trip there but unfortunately, we could not join him because I need to rest and my son needs to go to school.

I hope there will be next time. Anyway, when he asked me kung ano gusto ko pasalubong? I said none, just be home safe and sound. Honestly, I don’t know any specialties in Tuguegarao except for Pansit Batil-Patong but since I’ve read mixed reviews about this pansit, I did not ask for it.

I was not expecting for any pasalubong but he brought some Chicha-rabao and Carabao milk candy. I brought this chicharon in school and let my mommy friends in school to taste it, then nung marami na nakakain, I asked them “masarap?” They said yes and I told him “Carabao Chips yan”. They were all shocked, some stopped eating the chips. Hehehe! I haven’t tasted the milk candy so I’m not sure if it is good. 

CHAMPS Vitamins

I kept on telling that health is wealth so I really make sure that my son is healthy and strong. Actually, my son’s pedia doesn’t believe in taking vitamins so he never prescribes any vitamins but of course as a mom, I know that my son needs vitamins and minerals so I prescribed my own food supplement. =) I’ve made my own research and asked other mom’s recommendation. As of now my son is drinking two vitamins every day.

A month ago I received a lunch invitation “CHAMPS Day” but unfortunately I couldn’t attend the event. As I always say, mommy duties first before blogging activities. But CCMIP is generous enough to send CHAMPS Vitamins.

“CCMIP or Chemical Company of Malaysia International Philippines, Inc. is the largest generic company in Malaysia. It has four big manufacturing plants in Malaysia that have been recognized by local and international bodies for its good manufacturing practices. They offer medications that are effective at an affordable price.”

CHAMPS is a chewable multivitamin preparations for children ages 1-6 years old and adult too. It comes in various shapes and tasty flavors. I do remember that I’ve tried Flintstones chewable tablets when I was young.

There are Five CHAMPS Chewable Vitamins

1. CHAMPS C Chewable Tablet

-Contains 100mg vitamin C, 50mg in calcium ascorbate, 50mg in sodium ascorbate.

-Natural orange flavor

-Shaped heart.

-Protection against illnesses

-P108 for 30 tablets

2. CHAMPS M Chewable Dietary

-Contains vitamin C plus 9 essential dietary nutrients.

-Natural pineapple flavor

-Triangle shaped

-Promotes general health.

-P180 for 30 tablets

3. CHAMPS Multivitamins + Lysine

-Contains lysine 50mg, folic acid, 9 essential multivitamins, vitamin C 50mg

-Orange flavor

-Donut Shaped

-Boosts Appetite

-P252 for 30 tablets

4. CHAMPS Omega-3 Plus

-Contains 9 essential dietary nutrients as vitamin C and B- complexes plus omega-3

-Tutti-Fruitti flavor

-Heart Shaped

-Boost development and performance.

-P252 for 30 tablets

5. CHAMPS C + Lysine

-Contains vitamin C and lysine

-Tutti-Fruitti flavor

-Donut Shaped

-Enhances appetite during sickness for fast recovery.

-P135 for 30 tablets

I’ve tried the CHAMPS Omega Plus first to check the taste. It passed my taste so I let my son tried it too and he enjoyed it. After trying the heart shaped vitamins, my son wanted to try the four remaining flavors but of course I said no, one tablet per day. Now, I agree that CHAMPS vitamins have good flavors and it really suit the taste of children. 

Three Events Perfect for Private Dining

Whether you’re planning a weekend work conference or a wedding, everyone needs to eat. Because planning expensive dinners can be expensive, one great way to hand over responsibility is to reserve private dining services.

Private dining ensures your location, décor, and menu will all be ready when you and your party come to dine. Here are three events perfect for hiring Boston private dining.

1. A Corporate Conference

A corporate conference in a new city can get expensive and complicated to plan. Take away some of your stress by hiring private dining services. This will allow your employees and colleagues to enjoy the experience of a weekend away with cocktails and an impressive selection of main courses.

Your hotel may even provide private dining services. Check with the in-house restaurant to be sure.

2. A Wedding

Many people hire caterers for their big day, but if you can afford the expense, get your wedding party together for a private dining experience.

By hiring private dining services, you don’t need to worry about decorations, music, or renting out a fancy location—it all comes with the package. You’ll have waiters and pre-arranged menus that you can choose to reflect your wedding theme and all your guests’ dietary needs.

3. A Big Anniversary

If your parents are reaching their 50th anniversary, this is not only a celebration for them, but for the whole family—maybe even friends. If your loved ones are reaching a momentous anniversary, celebrate the occasion the right way with private dining.

Private dining gives you a location and a menu for your party to reminisce and celebrate the past. Some locations may even have audio-visual equipment available so you can create a slideshow to watch while eating dinner. You can even hire a private band to play while you enjoy the occasion.

Hiring Private Dining

Unless you have friends or family able to give you advice, the best place to start is by researching options online. Make a list of local dining options and compare each one by pricing, availability, services, and menu. You’ll also want to consider your guests’ dietary restrictions when considering what your potential private dining provider offers.

If you do a little extra research in hiring Boston private dining, the hard work is sure to pay off. Your event will be a success, and your guests are sure to be impressed.

Acute Gastritis

I was diagnosed of acute gastritis last Friday. The doctor asked few questions and pressed my stomach to check where the pain is coming from. He  advised me to undergo some lab tests. After five hours, he prescribed medicine for 5 days and I was released in the hospital. He did not give me any information so I did my research and here’s what I found.

Acute Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. It is often result of bacteria that also cause stomach ulcers but it can also because of alcohol, pain relievers, or injury.

Signs and Symptoms are:

*burning ache in upper abdomen.

*nausea

*vomiting

*a feeling of fullness in upper abdomen.

But most of the times it doesn’t cause signs and symptoms.

Factors that increase gastritis are:

*bacterial infection

*regular use of pain relievers

*older age

*excessive alcohol use

*stress

*bile reflux disease

*own body attacking cells in the stomach

*other diseases and conditions

In my case, stress is the cause of my gastritis. If gastritis is left untreated, it will lead to stomach bleeding, stomach ulcers or stomach cancer.

Home Remedies

*Eat smaller and more frequent meals.

*Avoid eating spicy, acidic, fried or fatty foods.

*Drink alcohol in moderation

*Switch pain relievers

*Manage stress.

I was reading the foods to avoid and I feel that I would die of starvation because almost all my favorites are listed there such as meat, fast food, dairy products, cakes and pastries, ice cream, lemon and many more. #waah!

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastritis/DS00488