Sunday, November 29

"I Am Nicely! is Giving Away a Vintage Stylish Cellphone Mobile Design Watch Necklace on Her Birthday"

By    12:02 PM // No comments
Nicely Rom, of I am Nicely, is holding a birthday blog contest and I am joining. Please read on to see the mechanics on how you can join, too. Up for grabs is a Vintage Stylish Cellphone Mobile Design Watch Necklace!
Hi, guys! I would like to invite you to participate in another blog contest that I am holding in celebration of my birthday on December 7. It is so easy to join!

Here's the mechanics:

1. Copy and paste this entire post (including the necklace photo below) in your websites, blogs or facebook notes.
2. Kindly fill in the blank: All I wish for Nicely is _____.
3. The title of your post must exactly be "I Am Nicely! is Giving Away a Vintage Stylish Cellphone Mobile Design Watch Necklace on Her Birthday"
4. To validate your entry, please leave a comment and your entry's link on this post so that I can check and get back to you as soon as possible. Please don't forget to include your full name and e-mail address, too ☺

Deadline for submission of entries will be at 11:59PM of December 6, 2009. The winner will be drawn by an online raffle device and will be announced on my birthday.


The lucky one will then receive a Vintage Stylish Cellphone Mobile Design Watch Necklace, courtesy of my eBay.ph sponsor, Tinatindera. The winner will be informed of his/her winning through e-mail and the item will be sent to his/her preferred mailing address not later than December 14, 2009. The prize is not refundable for cash.

Good luck and thank you for your continued support to I Am Nicely! ♥lots!
All I wish for Nicely is health and happiness in all the days to come.

Happy Birthday, Nicely! May you have more nice days to come. Hope I win this contest! :)

Tuesday, November 24

Look, A Belen!

By    8:40 AM // 3 comments

Here's what my houseboy's been busy at for the past few days. Aint it nice? Guess what, everything's made from scrap material. The nipa hut was made with scrap aluminum metal that he picked up from a neighboring construction project and dried grass from the vacant lots here in our village. As you can see, he's still making the other paper maché characters that will complete our Nativity scene. My husband will do the painting of the figures once they're complete. We still have some bottles of poster paint from my son's past projects. The only thing that we bought from the store was the big bottle of white glue that the helper used for the paper maché figures.

Who say's we can't make a humble Belen without buying new materials. Well, we were not planning to make a grand one in the first place so there's no need to spend for expensive industrial supplies. This one's A-OK, don't you think?

Saturday, November 21

How To Enroll Under PhilHealth's Individually Paying Program

By    3:24 PM // 1 comment
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my plans of changing my SSS status from employed to a non-employed spouse. I still haven't found time to visit the SSS office which is just nearby because I'm swamped with work. I'm planning to do this during my son's Christmas break.

To make the Christmas break more productive, I am also thinking of enrolling myself under the PhilHealth program. I have never been a member of this health program since we use my husband's PhilHealth coverage when one of us gets admitted in the hospital. I believe that I should also get one for myself. My sister-in-law, who is a food caterer, enrolled in one. I just need to register as an individual payer. I confirmed it after doing a little research.

Here are the steps on how to enroll under PhilHealth's Individually Paying Program: (Source: www.philhealth.gov.ph)

WHO CAN ENROLL:
  1. Self-employed individuals;
  2. Those who are separated from employment;
  3. Employees of international organizations and foreign governments based in the Philippines without agreement with PhilHealth for the coverage of their Filipino employees in the program; and,
  4. All other individuals not covered under the previous categories mentioned.
REGISTRATION PROCEDURES:
  1. Fill out M1b Form (in duplicate copies)
  2. Attach clear copy of supporting documents for qualified dependents to be declared
  3. Registrant will be issued his/her PhilHealth Identification Number or PIN and the Member Data Record or MDR and shall be asked to pay the required premiums to the PhilHealth Cashier or at any of PhilHealth's accredited collecting banks.
PREMIUM REQUIREMENTS:
  • Health insurance premium for Individually Paying Members is fixed at Php 100/month payable in quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
  • Schedule of payment: Quarterly, Semi-Annual, and Annual.
One hundred pesos a month is just a small amount to pay for being under the program. At least, I can enjoy a discount for hospitalization bills. I am not planning of availing for a health insurance coverage anymore aside from what my husband's company is providing for us. I think having that, PhilHealth, and SSS is already okay.

Winnie Monsod, during one morning when I was able to watch Unang Hirit, said that PhilHealth is one of the few good things that we Filipinos can thank Mr. Macapagal-Arroyo for. I agree, PhilHealth is really a good and affordable program. I am not sure if it is at par with what other countries have to offer to their citizens but it's still better than none at all.

What do you think about PhilHealth and its programs? If you are living in the US, can you give me an idea on how your government's health insurance is like? Is it as good as bcbsnc's health coverage? Let me know what you think.


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Thursday, November 19

Why I Dread General Cleaning

By    7:45 AM // 2 comments
I think we've all read and heard it before: Cleaning up is a dirty job but somebody's got to do it. But I dread the thought that it's general cleaning time once again. Believe me, you can count on me to do every household task including those that include fixing appliances but it will take me weeks before I do a general cleaning. Don't get me wrong. I love a clean house but it's the dust that's turning me off. Expect me to have a wheezing cough after doing a general cleaning. That's what I don't want to happen. Once I get the cough, it will take months before my system totally gets rid it even with medicine and all.

My sister-in-law and her kids are coming over for the holidays from the UK so doing a general cleaning is inevitable. I have a male househelper who does almost everything in the house even the cleaning. But you know, and I know the ladies will agree with me on this, that it is totally different when girls do the cleaning. We ladies can really CLEAN! Besides, I rarely ask the houseboy to clean my stuff and that's the reason why my work area is the most cluttered place in the house and my husband can't do anything about it, haha!

During the occasional times when I do the general cleaning, I use a damp rag to wipe away the dust and mop away the floor. I don't have a vacuum cleaner yet but I think I will have to buy one. Probably, I can get a steam cleaner that is compact and lightweight but it's pricey and I still have to save up for that. The other day, I saw a gel-like cleaning tool in the hardware that worked like a blob sucking the dust from surfaces. The printed text on its cover says that the dust will stay inside the blob and it will not touch the cleaner's hand unlike when you use a regular rag. The name escapes my mind at this moment but it's a good option for me. I just hope that it's not that expensive.

Do you have cleaning tips to share for dust-allergic people like me?


Saturday, November 14

It's Here!

By    2:00 PM // No comments

We finally bought the DSLR of our dreams. We got a Nikon D5000 that's just a notch below Nikon D90. Not bad for a beginner's camera, don't you think? We were supposed to get a D40 but our supplier told us that it's already phased out along with the D60.

I just tried shooting some shots this morning and I really have a lot to learn using a DSLR. It's very different from using a point and shoot camera because a DSLR provides so many options for the photographer. For instance, I can adjust the aperture and shutter speed to give the effect that I want in the photo. My husband has already given me the go signal to take basic digital photography classes by December. I upgraded my Flickr account to Pro, too so we can have an online storage for our photos. Ooh... and I think I will need to set up a photoblog for the husband soon.

I guess, the miscellaneous expenses that's linked to owning a DSLR never ends because we're saving up for more powerful lenses, too. No problem with me, I can be lavish when it comes to gadget. By the way, I'm not the type of girl who can spend thousands of bucks on Contemporary Jewelry but can do so without batting an eyelash when it comes to gadgets. Yep, that's how I am.


Tuesday, November 10

Signing Up as an SSS Voluntary Member

By    8:23 AM // No comments
I know I should have done this back in 2006 when I stopped teaching. I planned to do so immediately after we moved here in Cainta with the SSS branch just a 5-minute drive away. I suddenly realized the need to update my membership status and start paying my monthly dues when my father's disability claim was approved a month ago. Having an updated social security membership status does have its perks.

I am planning to update my membership status from Employed to Non-Working Spouse. I think that this type of voluntary membership suits me well since I am not really self-employed. There's no difference in the benefits and monthly contributions anyway. By being a Non-Working Spouse SSS member, all I need to do is fill up the NW-1 Form and submit it with a copy of my SSS identification card and our marriage certificate. The form has to be signed by my husband, too. I hope I can have enough time to do this next week.

When my father received his social security disability claim, I realized that the system does work for us. I guess we all need to put a little faith in our government agencies once in a while.

Friday, November 6

Entamoeba Coli Cyst - What It Is and What It's Not

By    7:57 PM // No comments
I had the biggest scare of my life last week when I brought my son to the doctor. I brought him to have his lungs checked since he was having his cough for more than two weeks already. That day, he also started to have loose bowel movements. I thought that it was just the natural reaction of his tummy because I changed his meds from Solmux to Ascof Lagundi syrup. The doctor ordered a fecalysis done just to make sure. And there it was, printed in bold and all caps: POSITIVE FOR ENTAMOEBA COLI CYST.

The doctor was explaining the condition using the term e-coli so I felt concerned and surprised at the same time. E. Coli is something you wouldn't want to hear since it is associated with food poisoning. I was wondering how it got inside my son's intestines. He brings food to school and I prepare that every morning. We also drink distilled water at home.

The doctor explained that E. Coli is supposed to be part of the natural flora of the intestines and is generally considered harmless. However, it is associated with amoebiasis and other diseases. It should not be confused with the Escherichia coli, that is also called E. coli, that causes gastrointestinal infection, urinary tract infection, and neonatal meningitis.

Since Ralph needed to have antibiotics for his worsening cough, the doctor prescribed Co-trimoxazole to also tame the E. Coli in his intestines and regulate his bowel movements. It was effective, by the way, because the LBM was gone after his first co-tri dose. The only downside is, I had to set aside my plans of buying a USB drive to buy the antibiotics. :( Oh well, it's almost Christmas anyway and I'm sure a lot of companies will be giving out free Logo usb drives as give aways. Health should always be the top priority.

To date, Ralph is well and his cough is almost gone. He's also more conscious now in washing his hands not only before every meal but every time he feels that he has touched something dirty. I guess, he also got scared of the E. coli event he had. By the way, the doctor advised me to wash fruits and vegetables with baking soda dissolved in water before eating or cooking. She says it's effective in getting rid of bacteria.

I think the recent flooding is also to blame for what Ralph had since the doctor also related that there's rise of gastrointestinal infections among her patients at the moment. Seems that we can never be too sure of what's safe and what's not nowadays so we better be careful than sorry.


Thursday, November 5

Buying a DSLR for Christmas

By    9:30 AM // 1 comment
Aaaah! This is it! Can you imagine me jumping for joy? Finally, we're gonna buy a DSLR for Christmas. It's actually my husband's gift to himself as he's really the one who has the skilled eye in taking photographs. I'm still excited, though, because I will also get to use that for sure!

We're contemplating on buying a Canon or a Nikon. Most of my blogger friends use Nikon DSLR cameras. They even showed me where to buy one in Quiapo.I really am still a newbie when it comes to DSLRs and I'm not familiar with the techie terms listed in the specs of camera reviews.

We're actually leaning towards getting a Canon since our digital camera is a Canon and I find the brand very reliable. Our video camera is not a Canon, though, but a Sony. I have yet to try a Nikon gadget for me to trust the brand. Canon is more pricey from what I gathered but I don't want to scrimp on the cost and sacrifice the quality.

I initially thought that buying a DSLR is just an easy task. Now I know that there are lot of things to consider before getting one. Do you have any tips and suggestions? I would love to read some from you.


Sunday, November 1

Any Problems With Acne?

By    10:38 AM // No comments
I am glad that I don't. In fact, I didn't have acne problems ever since. I guess it helps that I seldom wear make up. The worst I got to have is a pimple or two when I am ovulating. Acne can be a big problem for diabetics and it's not just for aesthetic reasons that I fear having acne. Having acne means having open wounds and you know how slow it is for my wounds to heal.

What I do to avoid spending hundreds of bucks on an acne treatment session or acne treatment creams is to avoid rupturing the pimple. I don't care if my face looks ugly for weeks with a big pimple on it but I patiently wait for it to dry and peel off by itself. My skin care regimen includes washing my face with a gentle facial foam and water then moisturizing afterwards. My moisturizer is grease-free too because you wouldn't want something oily if you want to avoid having acne. I seldom wear make up and, if I do, I go for the simple look. I just put on liquid eyeliner and mascara on my eyes, tint my lips and cheeks, and loose face powder.

I've read some articles that link acne with Type II diabetes especially when the acne sufferer is beyond 40 years old but this has yet to be proven with scientific research. Diabetic or not, having acne is still a big problem for anyone. I hope you're as lucky as I am.


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