I'm posting through Blogger Buddy!

I have been using Vista since I have this laptop (around February) but never really gotten to use it's extra features whatnot. I think Vista and I started on the wrong foot.

My husband, with his laptop more powerful than mine, and with nothing else to do but tweak the tweakables (his computer crashed on him later -- different story) introduced me to the sidebar gadgets like eons ago. I remained unfazed, trying to hold on to the familiarity of XP on my Vista OS, until he told me there's a Blogger gadget that will enable me to post from my desktop. "Hmmm, cool," I thought. Interested and now ready to let go of the littlest familiarity of XP in my computer, I started customizing the sidebar.

Even though I was impressed (where was I when this rolled out?), I kept the sidebar to a minimum. My gadget list includes sticky note, weather forecast, calendar, watch, and of course the most important, Blogger Buddy.

The only thing that I wished it should have is the categories list. You have to get inside your blogger account to append the categories for your posts. Other than that, I think Blogger Buddy rocks!

Report those annoying calls

Thrice, not just once, did I receive that very excited SMS at different occasions telling me I won some hefty cash. The first one, I replied with a question, curious cat that I am. Turns out the person on the other end of the line wanted me to deposit some cash in a bank account so they can "process my winnings." That right there is spelled S-C-A-M. The second message I ignored. The third I answered (just because it gives me the giggles) to go hit their head silly until blood comes out or until they realize how lame their scam is, whichever comes first.

Also, I've received several calls wherein the person on the other end of the line seemed to be experiencing a fatal attack of asthma he can't stop wheezing. A couple of calls accused a member of my family of a misdeed. Then, who here didn't receive that annoying, persisting call of credit card agents and telemarketers?

Report Phone Numbers is a site that allows you to report those annoying phone numbers and comment on them letting other users know what to expect from that call. You can also search for numbers and see what other people say about those numbers. If you've had bad experience with a specific number, I encourage you to click on that link above and report those calls.

We survived the week!

Or at least most of it yet, without the househelp. Today's still Friday and I am optimistic.

When the help insisted on going home to her province even after we offered to bring her to our family dentist, I knew there's nothing more my cajole, bribery, pleading and whatnot can do to alleviate her toothache. So I let her be. Part of me is wondering if she's still coming back because I wasn't quite sure how to go about the daily home grind without the extra help to do the cleaning, laundry, and ingredients-prepping.

Since I don't have the luxury of a help to prep the ingredients an hour before I get home to cook, the members of the household made an agreement. The arrangement was for me to cook huge batches of food that will last a fortnight day, preferably stews and pastas that get better with age; and for them to eat whatever it is that I cook. For times that I needed to prep the ingredients for the meal that needs to be eaten right away, I should make nothing fancy, and nothing that lasts more than 30 minutes prep and cook time. Here's this week's menu which the household members are more than happy to have in their meals:

• Humba (or pork belly stewed in dark sauce)
• Traditional Meat Sauce Spaghetti
• Stir-fry foot-long beans
• Spicy fish tinola (or super-simple fish soup in lemon grass, tomato and chili)
  

Friday was eat-out day, and KFC it was.

I think this family can go through another week with the same menu. I'll be sure to vary the schedule, though.


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image from www.thisoldhouse.com/

Find your family tree

Have you ever wondered who you're distantly related to? Or if you have somebody famous buried under the family tree? Or simply just want to know your long lost relatives. Fret not. Here's FindFamilyTree.org that allows you to dig deep down your own family roots. The site boosts of a state of the art ancestry archive. Their archiving system enables you to find all the information you need, and in no time, you'd be creating your very own family tree.

A family tree based on documentation and facts sure is a treasure generations after you will cherish and appreciate.

Another one about househelps

The househelp is not yet back, and weirdly, I like it better without her.

Maybe because Xofia's nanny is still able to keep things tidy and orderly. I never liked how she works in the first place. I should know. At days that I am at home, she'd just lock herself up in her room most of the time, and I'd feel it wrong to disturb her for an errand. I am weird like that, that's why I prefer househelps who keep themselves visible so I don't have to come looking for them. It just doesn't feel right. I see her clean up the house, or at least attempt to. Contrary to popular belief, I am not that hard to please when it comes to cleanliness. I have long learned not to expect much from somebody other than myself. The thing is that even my husband who doesn't care stuff like these notices.

And surprisingly, Xofia's nanny, with even Xofia around, is still able to do the laundry. I'd like to think we'd be okay even without the extra help. It will definitely be good for my budget.

Looking for air purifiers?

We use air filters at home. Not because I am anal and have OCD streaks, but because we have a baby daughter that might probably benefit from it. I hated it though, when it’s time to change the filter. With all the soot and dust, it’s likely that I get to touch them, and in the process, transfer a considerable amount onto my shirt or pants. Clumsy me!

We once considered buying an air purifier but we hit a roadblock. With all those models available in the market, it’s not that easy to decide. We consumers have to consider all factors before investing on something that we might regret in the future. Thanks to the Internet, we consumers can always find something to help us out with deciding. Personally, I find AirCleanersGuide.com a very helpful site.

The site offers information on different kinds of home air purifier and their intended use. If you’re looking for an answer to long-lasting odor problem, they’ll list out the products that suit your need. Personally, I only want something that removes allergens and pollutants from the air. Here, I get to compare prices on models with that functionality, plus choose the one that answers my specific needs.

Butter pecan cookies

The kitchen has always been my refuge. In times that I get super inspired or depressingly low, the kitchen has never failed to give me something to keep the balance. Yeah, OK, I cook or bake mostly at times when I am at the extremes of an emotional pandemonium. It gives me something else to think and care about at the moment--away from whatever that's currently bothering me. And if time won't permit, I leaf through my old recipes and vividly remember the most treasured moments attached to those flavors. Here's one that never fails to trigger those pleasant memories just by looking at the photos and rereading the recipe. I hope this gives you the same warm memories as it did me.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped roasted pecans
• 2 sticks or 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  

Procedure:

1. Roast the pecan nuts for 1 minute-high in microwave oven. Roughy chop and set aside.
2. Cream the butter using electric mixer. Add sugar, and cream together.
3. Add flour, salt and nutmeg. Mix well. Add the lightly beaten eggs and mix well.
4. Fold in pecans.
5. Using your bare hands, make a ball of your cookie dough. Arrange in cookie sheets 2 inches apart, and flatten using a fork. Shape the edges if necessary.
6. Bake in a 175C preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
7. Serve warm, fresh from the oven.
   

This is by far, the best butter cookies I've had, and it's not commercially available anywhere. I thought pecan nuts would go well with nutmeg, and I was right. With those portions, you get the right amount of nutmeg aroma and the exquisite flavor of pecan. Just pure cookie heaven.


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Eyeglasses at $8

Turns out that that migraine I kept on experiencing was because I have myopia. I have long been suspecting that. But because frames and lenses are so pricey here, a working mom has to set priorities, financial priorities that is. Until that migraine attacked and left me with no choice but part a hefty sum for my eyeglasses.

Little did I know that fashionable eyeglasses can be had for a price way cheaper than what I shelled out. Zenni Optical offers eyeglasses as low as $8. Unbelievable, but please, can I have 5 of those? Well, okay, I can settle for a fashionable piece like this one here:



Very recently, The Clark Howard Show, the nationally syndicated consumer advocate program even recommended Zenni Optical. If you want to check that out, click here.

A huge selection of frames is available together with any type of lenses of your choice. You may be wondering why their eyeglasses are cheaper than what most shops are offering. This is because ZenniOptical.com sells their own manufactured frames direct to customers eliminating the profiteering middlemen.

New frames have just arrived, and if I were you, I’d head over at Zenni Optical and start clicking on those pieces.

Prayers, more than ever

I talked about this in my previous blog, albeit heavily laden with emotions -- emotions of a mother who just learned that her precious baby has a congenital heart anomaly.

We had our second 2D-echo today to assess Xofia's heart. The first one was done when she was yet 2 months old. On her 2nd month well-baby checkup, her doctor noticed murmurs. The 2D-echo confirmed what the doctor doubted: Atrial Septal Defect.

Her cardio expressed that the hole should've shown improvements now that she's 1 year old. It did not, however. This tells us that surgery is the way to go, and we should be doing it the soonest possible time. Xofia remains asymptomatic as of date; but we are unsure what the future holds, and I don't wanna wait until after something has happened, God forbid.

Her cardio tentatively scheduled the surgery to happen when she's 1.5 to 2 years old, which is 4-9 months from now.

Between cardio-cath and open heart surgery, my own heart is leaning towards the cardio-cath. This is possibly a life-altering decision we're making. What's making it more difficult is that it's not our lives that depend on this decision, it's our daughters'.

In my own little research, the benefits of cardio-cath procedure outweigh that of an open heart surgery. I can't imagine how my daughter, young as she is, can go through the after-surgery pain and recovery. But she still has to undergo tests to determine if she's a viable candidate for the cath procedure. Right now, that's the only things I'm praying; that the remaining muscles around the hole are strong enough to hold the amplatzer. That she's a viable candidate for the cath procedure.

I did not ask for a genius, gifted, advanced baby, all I ever asked was a normal, healthy baby.

As I've always appealed to friends and family, Xofia needs your prayers. Now, more than ever.

Who called?

Your cell phone has a caller ID. Your land line may have as well. But that doesn't stop pranksters from bothering you, does it? I should know, some people are crazy enough to leave disturbing messages on my office voicemail. And if I happen to be around during the call, I'd either get pretty pissed or weirdly amused. Pranksters aren't right up there. They get a certain kind of kick when they get people scared or surprised. And the anonymity that the telephone affords boosts their confidence. The best thing to do with these people is to confront them on their own game. Let them know that the veil of anonymity is no longer available for them. LookupByPhone.com can very much help you with that.

LookupByPhone.com offers reverse phone lookup service for numbers from United States and Canada. You can search for the owner's name and addresses and trace those harassing or annoying calls. The service is not only limited to land line numbers but is extended to cell phone numbers as well. Additionally, the lookups are 100% confidential and the owner of the number you've looked up will not even know it.

Of course, with this kind of service available to you, you're not only protected from pranksters, but also from annoying calls and harassing telemarketers.

If you're happy and you know it...

Early this morning, I noticed Xofia dancing every time she hears danceable songs from Dora the Explorer. I was so amused and wanted so much to capture the moment but left my digicam upstairs. Didn't want to miss the moment, I stayed and watched her sway that booty to Dora singing "Come on, vamanos..."

After her afternoon nap, I had her upstairs for some playtime. Had nursery rhymes in the background, and this time, I had my digicam ready, waiting for the right moment to get her shaking that booty. However, I got more than I expected. My baby was singing along "If you're happy..." with a little stomping of the feet (albeit with so much effort), clapping hands, and shouting hurray. Here's her version of the nursery rhyme, and a little booty shakin':

I'm right here wishing I'd still be young enough to shake booties with her when the time comes, and her willing to do that with her mama. Funny scene, but I'd understand if she'd only wanna do that at the privacy of our home. I'd be embarrassed to see me that old hitting bars and grooving to the music. Ack!

Insurance hub for dentists

Last week, our house help told us that she needed to go home to Cagayan de Oro to have her tooth extracted. And since I was way over my deadline to see my dentist this year, I offered to take her to my dentist and she doesn't have to do heavy tasks the week after for her to recuperate. She gets to have her salary intact, and she doesn't have to pay for a boat fare. She agreed, at least last week. This week, you guessed that right--she changed her mind and insisted on going to Cagayan de Oro anyway. Aaaaah, house helps! You can only do so much for them, be extra nice and accommodating, and it's still not enough.

Anyway, my impending trip to my dentist reminds me of this one-stop insurance resource for practicing dentists, www.edic.com. Eastern Dentists Insurance Company or EDIC offers professional dentists, student dentists and aspiring dentists a huge array of insurance packages including insurance malpractice. I know that a lot can relate to me that the reason that we buy insurance is security; such that we can go live our life daily without doubts and worries of the future. EDIC, together with their affiliates, gives dentists that sense of security to practice their profession without that gray cloud of malpractice suit hovering over their heads.

Different insurance packages are available for different levels of profession. The company aptly calls the program EDIC Life Cycle. EDIC Life Cycle provides different packages for dentists in varying stages of their career:

• Student / Resident
• New Professional
• Owner / Partner
• Mature Practitioner
• Retiring Dentist

If you're a student, a practicing professional, owning a clinic, or a retiring dentist, head over at EDIC. Their packages are worth a peek and consideration. They even have Estate Planning Education and Funding for Children as part of their packages, to name a few. This might just be the insurance for you.

Scrapbook Saturday: Play

The pics were taken when Xofia was about 4 months old. Her Tita Bang gave her K's Kids portable musical mobile with those colorful cloth dragonflies. I guess she must have been wondering why those bugs kept on hovering above her, she won't stop grabbing them.

Click on the SS button for more scraps from SS participants. Happy Saturday, everyone!

Grilled cheese and egg sandwich

Grilled cheese and egg is this household's favorite sandwich. And I like it that I can make this filling meal FAST. I use oven toasters in making my sandwiches. I cannot count in my one hand how many oven toasters crashed on me in this lifetime. That's why I find Toaster Ovens Guides very useful. For reviews on toaster ovens, and for helping you out on buying the best toasters, hop on over to www.toasterovensguide.com.

Anyway, for the recipe:

• 4 pieces sliced bread
• 4 slices Quickmelt cheese (or velveeta cheese)
  
• 2 eggs cooked sunny-side-up
• a dash of cinnamon (optional)

Place the cooked egg on top of a slice of bread. Arrange two cheese slices on top of the egg. Cover with another slice of bread. Finish with a dash of cinnamon on top. Repeat the process for the next sandwich.

Place the sandwiches on the toaster oven. Set the timer on 3, or according to your toaster's sandwich setting. When the timer's up, you're ready with your tasty sandwich meal.

Serves 1-2 depending on your appetite. Enjoy!


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That chronic migraine

That chronic migraine I experienced awhile back, glad to report that it's no longer bothering me. I had my eye checked and got myself prescription glasses. I also needed the migraine to stop before I can have my eyes checked just to remove any other variables. I know I should have checked with a neuro, but I think I'm not quite sure if I was ready for that yet. Aside from it's almost that hard to find time to pee with the current demand of my work, how much more a neuro appointment and all the tests.

So I took the most obvious path.

Turns out I have myopia on both eyes. I had been looking at object at a blur for so long. Imagine my joy when I finally can see things clearly, with well-defined edges. I actually went out of the shop and looked all the way back to the end of the mall and shouted, "I can see!" Yes, I did shout, but went right back in when I realized the weird looks I was getting.

From then, I noticed the migraine did not recur. Hopefully it's just my nearsightedness that's causing the migraine attacks, and nothing more serious.

And because I did not take the medicine the doctor RXed me, I have here Sibelium and Myonal for disposal. I can give you a discount if you're interested. These meds are pretty pricey if you buy them from the pharmacy.

Kidding.

If you need it, show me your RX, and I'll gladly give it to you for free. Otherwise, I hear there are charity drives where we can donate unexpired medicines to the poor. These medicines are properly dispensed by physicians to the less fortunate, of course.

Are you tired of telemarketers?

I don’t know about you, but when somebody calls me selling something, I’d instantly tell the person that I’m not interested and if I can, politely end the conversation and put the phone down. More often than not though, I’d end up aggravated because the person on the other line simply refuse to stop the conversation and continue to yak away with his spiel. That’s irritating. And when I can no longer take it, I put the phone down while cursing under my breath. Some people just can’t take rejection – or they’re trained not to take them. On the other hand, I’d be really pissed because I took that call that was completely useless, and would feel bad for being so rude.

Now, I don’t have to take those useless, time-consuming calls blindly. Thanks to Who's Number Is This, one can have their personal information erased from public data. All annoying telemarketers will get is a big No Call List Information. Bye, bye, annoying callers.

Who's Number Is This also provides free phone number lookup that tracks the phone call information. You can then determine if it was a call you needed to take or not. How stress-free can answering calls be?

Ampalaya and my cooking secret

Do you know what a bitter melon is? Sometimes it's called bitter gourd. It's called different names in different regions but here in the Philippines, we call it ampalaya.

Yes, it's bitter and lots of people hate it. I'm not one of them. I love, love, LOVE this bitter fruit! Mostly because it's got loads and loads of good stuff in it. Partly because I know how to perfectly cook it and get rid of the bitterness. Ah-huh, bet my neck on that!

I can make ampalaya dishes without a hint of bitterness in the cooked dish. Oh, wait, I said that already. Time to spill my secret.

The trick is super simple. DO NOT MIX. That's right. Once the ampalaya slices are in the pan, leave it there, but be sure they're evenly distributed to get equal heat from the pan, though. Then, just very simply, leave it there to cook on the sides. Resist the urge to stir. Something with the stirring in the heat releases the bitter ampalaya taste. And to make sure they don't scorch, leave it in low-medium heat. After a minute, briefly flip the whole thing to get the other side a chance to cook. There, ridiculously simple. I hope restaurants learn to cook ampalaya this way so we don't have to eat bitter ampalayas anymore.

Here's a pic of an ampalaya dish I did awhile back. I like this vegetable best when cooked like this, and when pickled.

Here's the recipe (in case you're interested):

• 2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 medium sized ampalaya, sliced (how thinly is up to you)
• 1/4 cup meat broth, or as substitute: 1 pork cube, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
• 3 medium eggs, slightly beaten

Heat the oil in a wok or pan. Saute garlic and onions. Add ampalaya, do not mix.

After about a minute, add broth. Give it another minute then pour over the slightly beaten egg. All this time, keep your heat in low-medium. Wait until the egg has set slightly, then flip over the vegetables to properly cook the other side.

I love this on breakfasts.

image from http://en.wikipedia.org/


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MMR, to have the shot or not

Because your thoughts are important to me, I'm making this into a sticky post, please scroll down for the most recent entries. And since you're already reading this, I hope you'll comment if you have something to say on the MMR issue -- Is MMR worth the risk?

You heard me talk about Xofia all the time. What can I do, I'm one inlove mama who can't get her grubby hands off her daughter. I'm happy to report that she feels the same way towards me as well. At least for about 15 minutes seconds, then afterwards, she'd want me to put her down so she can continue exploring her world without me. Such is a fact of life. :-)

I will do anything for my daughter. I wanna give her the best care I can afford. I bet all moms feel the same way. Since her birth, I've never been amiss on her vaccinations. See, my daughter has a heart anomaly, but that's a totally different story. Part of me wanted to be an activist and wanted my daughter to get immunity the natural way, a big part of me doesn't want to subject her to the aggravation of getting the disease just so she gets the necessary immunity. Though she's been asymptomatic so far, I don't want to compromise. Up to now, I had her shots complete and on time. Until it's time for her to get the MMR shot.

MMR is a single shot composed of three live attenuated vaccines: Mumps, Measles and Rubella, thus the acronym. At least in my own little research, never has a vaccine so abundantly littered with controversies than MMR. There is a very big controversy on it's relationship with autism. Autism was non-existent before MMR was introduced. Of course, I am not discounting the fact that time and again, scientists claim that there is no link between the vaccine and autism. I am also aware that because MMR is administered at approximately the same age babies who have autism manifest the disorder, thus the fires of doubts were stoked even more. On the other hand, the companies that fund these researches that prove no relationship between the two are allegedly the companies that make the vaccine. It is of no secret that the vaccine business is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Go figure.

As you can probably see by now, I'm all for shots. If you look at my daughter's baby book, you'd be amazed by how perfectly I followed the vaccination schedules. Now it's all about weighing the risks. Autism is a lifelong threat. Giving my daughter the MMR shot does not guarantee a 100% immunity from the three diseases. Mumps is not that threatening to girls, and even to boys if they had it early in life. Measles, she's had a separate (individual) shot of that. Rubella is not life-threatening unless she's pregnant (by then, fatal to the baby).

Now the question is am I willing to take the autism risk just so my daughter gets her chance of immunity from the three diseases? Our pedia has been very understanding, and has been very patient in answering my questions. She has scheduled Xofia twice for the shot, twice I expressed my fear and told her that I'd rather wait up and delay it, if I ever should have Xofia have it.

Evidently, the jury is still out on whether she'll have the MMR or not. Right now, I am at a point where I am unwilling to compromise in as much as I am unwilling to take the risk. If you're a mother who has had experience or know something about the issue, your input will greatly help me in arriving at a decision. If you're a parent faced with the same dilemma, what did you do? Do share?

To all sports fan!

I've always been a sports fan. Anything that gets my butt off the couch, burn calories while having fun, I'm all over it. I can go on and on here about the benefits of sports, and I will never run out of something to say. That is why, even before Xofia was born, me and my husband already envisioned her playing whatever sports we fancy—or she'll fancy, rather. We intend to keep Xofia active and engaged in sports and martial arts. Exposing her on sports is never too early. SportsVids is a site that hosts sports videos for free. Members can upload their own sports clips and share it with fellow sports fan.

Right now, there's a great contest waiting for members right at Sports Vids. The prizes that await the lucky winners are:

1. The new XBox 360
2. Tickets to Michigan vs. Penn State, Saturday, October 18, 2008
3. $100 Gift Certificate from Dick's Sporting Goods

You have to be a member of Sports Vid to join. I encourage all sports fan to head over there and join in. You don't only get to watch free online sports videos, you also get the chance to win all those amazing prizes above. Click here to start the fun.

PR 3, is that really you?

I just found out that Google gave purpledsky.blogspot.com a page rank of 3!!! I mean really?! Could I be dreaming? Or maybe it's because I haven't checked my PR for the longest time? Whatever, I am thankful. Really, Google, you rock! Thanks, guys!

Excuse me while I bask in this PR glory, teheee! How long this will last, I really don't know. That's why I'm snagging that cute SEO counter on the right. ;-)

*doing the happy dance*