Top 5 Sports Gifts This Christmas

If you’re like the rest of us, then you probably struggle every Christmas when it comes to buying gifts. So let us help make things a bit easier for you, and take a look through this short list of top gifts for sports fans this Christmas.

Pinemeadow Pre 16-Piece Complete Golf Set: Golf is one of the most popular solo sports in the world, and more and more people are taking it up. If you know someone who’s interested in golf, or even someone who has just started playing but still doesn’t have much kit, then the Pinemeadow Pre 16-piece complete golf set could be just the ticket.

This set includes 11 golf clubs, a bag and a few other bits. The quality is great for the price, and is ideal for beginners. It’ll definitely make whoever receives it happy!

ASICS Men’s GEL-Neo 33 Running Shoe: This is a great choice for both dedicated runners and those who just do a lot of cardiovascular training. It’s a lightweight shoe with a great design that helps protect the legs from too much damage through training. 

Asics is one of the top brands of running / training shoes, and this is another example of their excellent standards. All runners would be delighted to find this under the Christmas tree!

Fitbit Ultra Wireless Activity Plus Sleep Tracker: An innovative little tool for those who take their health seriously, or who want to get more into shape, the Fitbit Ultra Wireless Activity Plus Sleep Tracker helps users to monitor their daily cardiovascular activity. This is a great way to gradually build up your fitness, by making small increments to your daily activity which can easily be monitored.

This device lets you keep tabs on your daily steps, stairs climbed, distance, calories burned and activity level, and also provides information on your sleep patterns. This information is then automatically uploaded via Wi-Fi to a database which lets you look at your statistics and track changes. It’s also small and can be clipped onto the body in several places. Overall, this is a brilliant little gadget for sports fans looking to stay fit.

INSANITY: 60-Day Total Body Conditioning Workout DVD Program: If you know someone who’s been talking about getting into shape, then this DVD set is guaranteed to make them happy. It’s a seriously intense workout program that covers an 8 week period, but the results are proven to be effective. Whether it’s for someone looking to drop weight, shape up or just get healthy, this program will give them everything they’re looking for and more. A sure fire thumbs up.

Zumba Fitness Total Body Transformation System DVD Set: For anyone looking to get fit while having fun, Zumba is a fantastic choice. This exercise system started in Brazil and has become a global phenomenon, mixing Latin dance styles with working out. This set includes 4 DVDs which cover a whole host of dance moves and have great music to really up the motivation. Whether the person you buy this gift for is a complete Zumba beginner, or already knows a bit about it, they’ll definitely have a great time getting into shape with this workout system.

Happy Christmas shopping! ^_^

Remembering My Dad on His Birthday...

It has been almost three years since his passing (January 26, 2010), but he's still very much remembered. For all the things that he taught me and for all that I am, it's like he's still very much around. It would have been his 68th birthday if he were still with us. Happy birthday, Papsy! 

Somehow the passing of a loved one is a personal experience. It changes your own perspective about life and living. At least that was the case for me. I have indeed grown to appreciate people more and material things less. 

I do believe that wherever my dad is now, he's in a far better place. Consider yourself lucky if you still have both of your parents. Do me a favor, if you still have your parents around, hug them, thank them, and show how much you truly appreciate them. Don't wait until it's too late!

Till next time... ta-tah! ^_^

Winning Solos Text Ad Exchange One Year After

Yup, yup, yup! How time flies by so fast and it has been a year since I became an Admin/Owner of Winning Solos Text Ad Exchange! Wow! For me that's a major milestone! After all, it's the first time ever that I became a program owner. 

I've learned so much but still lots remain to be learned. I'm just thankful for a year full of blessings! ^_^ I'm also praying for more and more blessings in the days, weeks, months, and years to come!

Since I became Admin/Owner, I've added Winning Solos T.A.E. to two network solos groups -- OZ Super Solos and Ultimate Ad Sites. I'm still planning for more improvements for the site too. One at a time... I know I will get there too! ^_^

If you're reading this post and you're a Winning Solos T.A.E. member, here's your special anniversary special promo code to redeem: happyanniversary

Keep on reading! Keep on being active at Winning Solos T.A.E.! Happy anniversary to all!

What's For Lunch and 2012 Word of the Year

Indeed! How random can I get? LOL! So what's for lunch? Today I decided it's going to be Pancit ni Mang Juan. It actually comes in 3 flavors -- adobo, tinapa, and barbecue. 

It's worth trying, if you still haven't. It seems noodles have become a craze locally. Besides, it's nice seeing the leading brand have a new competitor. That's actually good for the market and the consumers!

2012 Word of the Year

Well, according to this article I read, it's GIF (graphic interchange format). If you're not familiar with it, it's those moving avatars or photos that you may have already encountered, esp. if you like reading blogs and articles. It seems that the word has evolved from a noun to a verb!

GIFs are now used to accompany sports and news articles. They're cool is all I can say!

Google, podcast, tweet and blog are the other technology terms that have been named word of the year in the past. ^_^

I gotta learn how to make GIFs! They make your photos really come alive with all those movements! 

Top 5 Gadget Gifts This Christmas

Apple iPad 2 MC980LL/A Tablet (32GB, Wifi, White) 2nd Generation

If you know someone who’s really into gadgets, and are totally stuck for ideas this Christmas, then take a look at the following few gift ideas for gadget fans. Although none of these gadgets are cheap, they’ll put a big smile on a face and be used for a long time to come.

iPad:  Tablets are getting increasingly popular, and none more so than Apple’s iPad. Apple recently released the iPad 3, which is the reigning champion of tablets right now. It’s sleek and snazzy, ultra-fast and trendy too. However, if the iPad 3 is a bit too expensive, the iPad 2 is still a great product that really delivers and won’t leave anyone disappointed.

Kindle Fire: The Kindle Fire is Amazon’s own tablet – or range of tablets. Just recently Amazon released a new range of Kindle Fire HDs, which come in two sizes to meet the demands of various users.

If you’re looking for something portable and effective, then the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD is a great option. If you think that’s too small, then the 8.9-inch device might work better. And, although none of the products in the Kindle Fire range are that powerful, they’re the cheapest tablets on the market right now which makes them almost irresistible. Great design, great usability and at a budget price. There’s no doubt that this is a hit product.

Kinect: One of the biggest developments in video game technology over the last couple of years has been motion control. Once, this was the sole territory of Nintendo’s Wii, but it’s hard to top the unique Kinect motion control on the Xbox 360. This is the only device that lets you interact with games without any hand-held controller whatsoever. Instead, it detects full-body movement which lets you interact with games in totally unique ways. This is the most popular motion control device on the market right now, and is sure to please both serious and causal gamers!

Sonos PLAY: 5: An increasingly popular technology for both music and gadget lovers is wireless speaker systems. The Sonos PLAY:5 is probably the king of consumer wireless speaker systems right now (without spending many thousands of dollars) and it’s easy to see why. 

Not only can this system eliminate ugly wires from your living room speaker system, but it can be used to control streaming media services connected to your TV, and can also link up with other Sonos wireless speaker systems around the house to control music in each and every room! This is a serious piece of kit, and will definitely go down a storm on Christmas day!

Apple TV: A great choice for any gadget fan, and a top choice especially for fans of Apple’s products, the newest Apple TV box is a fantastic bit of kit. It includes full iTunes music, movies and TV shows integration, as well as Netflix, Vimeo and more, all in HD. It can also stream content stored on other Apple devices, like iPads and iPods, direct to your TV, and can be controlled using an iPad, iPod touch, iPhone or the included remote. This is a fantastic product that delivers one of the best end-user experiences of any streaming media home setup. A truly excellent gift for any gadget buff!

I Love KC Concepcion -- Tanduay Rum 2013 Calendar Girl

Well, KC Concepcion is my favorite local artist and I've written a few posts about her in the past. The moment I saw the photos on Facebook, I knew I needed to know more. What was I talking about? Well, someone shared her photo as Tanduay Rum calendar girl 2013. There was a link to the Viva Entertainment website as well for the rest of the photos. 

I just knew I had to pin KC's lovely calendar girl photos on my pinterest board "I Love KC Concepcion!" Then KC shared some tweets on her Twitter account. Just had to share them here.

Thanks Bang!!Filipino brand, Filipino pride ;) RT @bangpineda Tanduay launch! @kc_concepcion @xtina_ontherocks ❤👍❤👍❤ twitter.com/bangpineda/sta…
— KC Concepcion (@kc_concepcion) November 15, 2012

Nice to see u at the launch tonight!💋 RT “@mjfelipe: @kc_concepcion the new endorser of Tanduay. Congrats cassandra! twitter.com/mjfelipe/statu…”
— KC Concepcion (@kc_concepcion) November 15, 2012

Apparently it's Tanduay Rum launch party for the 2013 calendar girl -- KC Concepcion! ^_^ I love the photos.. but I have two favorites! I'm trying to find out how to get all four calendars if possible. It would be a great addition to my KC Concepcion collectibles. <3 <3 <3

My favorite poses for the Tanduay Rum 2013 Calendar...

                                                        Source: viva.com.ph via Rosyel on Pinterest

                                                        Source: viva.com.ph via Rosyel on Pinterest

Craving Cappuccino and Cheesecake

cappucino at Mary Grace

I don't know why but I'm suddenly craving for cappuccino and cheesecake. 

And the story goes... There we were at the Lucky Chinatown Mall. It was the last day of the Trick or Treating so I naturally want to take some photos. 

Mom and my aunt went to watch a movie that my daughter and I have already seen. So after our meals, we accompanied them to buy cinema tickets then went to look for a place to hang out where we can spot and take photos of trick-or-treaters. 

We decided to try Mary Grace. We've seen its outlet at Robinson's Place in Manila but haven't really tried it. Since the kiosk is right in the middle of the busy third floor at the LCMall, we felt that it was the perfect spot. 

cheesecake at Mary Grace

My daughter and I are rather selective when it comes to cheesecake. But we both decided to give it a try and ordered a slice to share. Mmm... yummy! So glad we weren't disappointed at all! I recommend you give it a shot as well. 

How to Make Brownie in a Mug

My daughter found this recipe on Facebook and saved it so we could try making it. Well, that time I just signed up with Squidoo and had been looking for ideas for my next lens. I thought it was the perfect home project to work on.

We did try to re-create this recipe using our own blends and ingredients. You can read it all at Create Your Own Brownie in a Mug a la Mode. It came complete with pictures on the step-by-step process. 

The verdict: We need to tweak it some more. My daughter didn't think it tasted perfect. So we'll definitely need to make new batches till we get the perfect blend. Well, don't just sit there looking at the recipe. Go and try to make it yourself. It's fun to make, esp. when doing it with family. It's another great family bonding experience. ^_^

Till next time... ta-tah! Enjoy what's left of the weekend! Tomorrow is back to school!!! 

On Parenting and Raising Children

Yeppers, I'm usually a person who tries hard not to be controlled by my emotions. I've had quite a few years of practice already and I know I've always been able to control and handle anger or irritation. Perhaps it's that time of the month... but I do feel like writing just about now. Maybe I just wanted to vent or rant. Maybe that would help make me feel better. I don't know. 

You can say emotions are delicate. You don't want to say or write something when you're mad or you'll regret it later on. Oh believe me, I did try counting backwards from a million to one. It usually works to curb my anger. And now, I'd say it's working a bit.

I'm no guru when it comes to raising children, but I'm a mom of a teenager myself. Most of the things I knew as a parent, I learned either from reading parenting books or websites or through trial and error. My teen is not the most perfect kid in the world. Neither am I the perfect parent. But I would like to believe that I raised her rather well. 

I certainly didn't give in to her every whims and whams and what have you. Sometimes, it just totally pisses me when I see parents who just can't say NO to their children. Sometimes, children need to learn to handle it. Otherwise, you'll end up with a totally spoiled rotten child! ^_^

As a parent, you naturally want to give your child the world, if that is even  possible. However, doing that doesn't always guarantee that they will grow into well developed and well rounded individuals. So if you're a parent who sees no wrong in your child and just automatically gives in to everything, STOP! Do the world a favor.. learn to be a better parent and raise better children. I think that's what the world needs right now. 

Till next time... I will try to write about happier stuff next time around ^_^