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Get your own Belle De Jour and Navi Planners for FREE

Win Vibram Five Fingers Footwear! -- Ends 1/15

Don't you just love walking in the beach and feeling the sand between your toes? Or the mud squishing around your feet? It's just not the same even when you have your favorite flipflops on. Even at home, I prefer walking around barefoot rather than slipping on some fuzzy house slippers. After being cooped up in structured shoes the whole day, going barefoot is just liberating.

Vibram Five Fingers is the perfect footwear for people who would like to go barefoot as much as possible but couldn't due to various reasons, one of course is the danger of injuring our feet. It's even giving away two free pairs to two winners!

This is for the Female Winner

This is for the Male Winner

The Mechanics:

1. Leave a comment in this post by answering the question "How do you intend to maximize the use of your Vibram Five Fingers?" Multiple entries are accepted, but you may win only once.

2. Be a fan of Hit a Bargain and BarefootWear Inc. in Facebook.

3. Share this freebie with 20 friends. More is better. You can do so thru blogs, social networking sites, forums, etc.

4. Include the pictures and the link of the original blog post in your post.

5. Email the following details to hitabargain@gmail.com

1. Full Name
2. Birthday & Age
3. Email Address
4. Delivery Address
5. Contact Numbers
6. Occupation / Company
7. URL links where you shared Vibram FiveFingers’s freebie promo of Hit A Bargain! (Please make sure that your shares are on public mode and can be viewed by anyone).

This contest is open to residents of the Philippines, aged 18 and above. Deadline for entries is January 15, 2011.


UPDATE: DEADLINE IS MOVED TO JANUARY 31, 2011

Drowning Equilibrium's Great Holiday Giveaway! - Ends 12/31

Drowning Equilibrium is having a Holiday Giveaway!

I love browsing through her blog posts which are replete with pictures. It showcases her knack for putting together outfits that I couldn't even imagine would go together. Her style is quirky, laid back fun. But of course, I'm only speaking as a fashion bystander, so I don't know if these are the right words to describe her style. :)

Her blog is also one of those blogs that I regularly check for giveaways. This last quarter alone, she must've had around two giveaways, if I'm not mistaken, excluding this current holiday giveaway. Last time, I won two cute necklaces and a pair of dangling earrings! Although I would have wanted the maxi dress she was giving out as part of a the First Prize Package (yep, package! lots of stuff!)

This time, I would love to score some shoes from Pill Footwear. I rarely buy shoes and the ones that I saw from Pill are versatile and cute!




The Nuat Thai Massage GCs are also worth coveting. These would make a perfect post-Holiday Rush relaxant, donchathink?!




And what about the accessories from Trinket Royale! They're just to die for! They have an old world feel that appeals to me. :)


The giveaway is open until December 31. You still have THREE DAYS to join in. CLICK HERE.

Here, Tishie Tishie's Christmas Giveaway!

December 25 may have just passed and people are already gearing up for the New Year but Here, Tishie, Tishie is still in the gift giving mode. For all the beauty junkies, here's you're chance to score a really nice beauty package from the giveaway sponsored by Avon.

When the Smiling Death Visited Us

No one ever thought that at this day and age, one can still die from tetanus. I, for one, didn’t think it possible. It’s like tuberculosis. An old but deadly disease, preventable at this age, but somehow, someone still dies from TB. But unlike TB, whose medication needs six months of consecutive pill-taking, Tetanus can be prevented with just a shot, a vaccine. Unlike TB too, once tetanus hits you, few people escape from its death claws.

Last September, the Smiling Death visited our family. It was so called because the tetanus bacteria affects the muscles, including facial muscles. The pain, besides the uncontrollable spasms, is said to be so gruelling that patients grimace in it. Unfortunately, the bacteria paralizes the muscles, leaving the patients in perpetual smile-like grimace.

Ma and I, 1984

My lola died on the 18th of September, but only after suffering so much. Let me take you to the journey our whole family went through. This is as much as a remembrance of our departed this Christmas season, as an eye opener on the quality of healthcare we have in the Philippines, especially for those who cannot afford the best private hospital care.

11 September – My mom received a text message my lola is sufferring from high-blood pressure. She was rushed to the nearest hospital which is the district hospital. She lives in Orani, Bataan. My lola stayed there the whole day, from around 7 am until 9 pm. She was given two emergency tablets for high-blood pressure, the kind that you put under the tongue, to bring her BP down. By 9 pm, they discharged her, her BP already normalized. They gave her a diuretic which my cousin said kept her awake all night, going to the bathroom to take a pee. It was only fortunate that my cousin was in between jobs at that time so she stayed a little longer than she usually does in the province.

12 September – My mom received another text that they’re taking my lola to the hospital again, because her BP shot up. From my understanding, they first took her to the district hospital before taking her to a private secondary hospital, Bataan Doctors Hospital, in the provincial capital. A midwife-neighbor accompanied her to the hospital.

I only found out a piece about this journey when my lola was already dead. According to my cousin, my lola and her neighbor went to the hospital riding in a tricycle only! It was a good 15-30 minute ride from Orani to Balanga, and the patient was riding on a tricycle, screaming with pain the whole way. I don’t understand why the district hospital didn’t bother to send her away in an ambulance.

They arrived at the hospital around 12 noon. With my lola already in so much pain from the long bumpy trip, she had to wait for two more hours before a doctor attended her. It was in internist who took a look at her, seeing that her face is twitched up in a a grimace, concluded that an EENT doctor was needed, not an internist.

After two more hours, at 4 pm, the EENT arrived. The doctor reportedly held my lola’s face and pinched her frozen cheeks and realized a grave mistake. This is not a case for the EENT, it is Tetanus! Again, the internist was called to attend to her. My lola was finally diagnosed correctly at 6 pm, six hours after they arrived at the hospital!

Ma, as we call our lola, was sedated and given muscle relaxants among other things. These are too help with the muscle spasms connected with tetanus. There were times that she was awake and can be spoken to, but these were few and far in between.

14 September – Ma apparently had another seizure and had to be revived back to life. The doctors said that the muscle spasms are still so powerful that her lungs and heart wasn’t able to keep up with it at that time. Since that day, she never woke up again.

At this time, we were busy researching about this illness. We weren’t sure at first if it indeed was tetanus even if we were told that Ma’s face was already frozen into a smile. We were under the impression that tetanus attacks ver fast and the unfortunately victim dies in 24 hours. Our research showed that it was partly true.

Apparently, the tetanus bacteria upon contraction has 7-14 days before any symptoms appear physically. In my lola’s case, it has been more than 7 days. The days prior to her rising BP, she has been taking pain relievers for muscle sores and taking naps in the afternoon.

It was also an eye opener for us that the tetanus bacteria can be contracted only through rusty nails, but through any open wound. My lola once dealt with leprosy which deformed the small finger in her right foot. It smells bad and sometimes, the wound would still open and become fresh. That’s where the bacteria could’ve gotten in. She also lives near a rice field and the tetanus bacteria is very active in cultivated land. One plus one.

So, her BP must have been rising because she is fighting off some intense pain inside her.

On 18 September – the whole family decided to gather and visit her. It would also serve as a family meeting, primarily for her children, to decide whether she would be taken off the lung machine that’s keeping her alive. She hasn’t been awake for almost 5 days. A CT-scan was scheduled that day to see whether she has suffered from stroke during her massive seizure and is in a coma because of this and not merely under sedation.

That afternoon, my mom and my cousin who has been in the hospital the whole time my lola was there decided to take a rest and relax a little, since all her siblings have arrived and were willing to take their posts.

At 9 pm, they left the hospital for home and had dinner. The house was ringing with laughter and high spirits. Good news came before that my lola’s vital signs have improved and she even peed and pooped after almost 5 days of not relieving herself.

Around 10 pm, a text message arrived from my mom’s two siblings in the hospital. The machines are beeping like crazy and nurses are rushing in. After 15 minutes, the message said to come as fast as they could if they still want to see Ma alive as she might not last until morning the rate her vital signs are falling. My mom and the other who went to the hospital arrived a few minutes too late. Ma was already gone.

Incidentally, before her death, Ma and her sister she has been at odds with for the longest time made up. Her prodigal son, who hasn’t seen her for at least five years, and has not been on talking terms with her for longer than that, was also one of her children by her bedside when she expired.

Contrary to the pain that one would expect following the death of a family member, we were sad but also relieved. We were worried that she would suffer so much more if she survives tetanus. The doctors implied that at her advanced age, full recovery is impossible. Furthermore, Ma saved her children from the very difficult decision, and guilt, of taking her off the resuscitator.

It is a sad thing indeed that death visited our family this year, but it is an inevitable truth that sooner or later everybody would have to come to terms with. And it is not without lessons either. Lessons that can be as serious as life and death, and as funny and controversial as those found in Ded na si Lolo movie.

Today, we share nothing but fond memories of Ma. But the ordeal also left an indelible blot in the kind of healthcare that provincial hospitals can offer.

This is just one of the things that happened to me this year. But the others are not as “bloggable” as this. Some things are better left unsaid. Thanks to Jehzeel Laurente for sponsoring a contest that will get this incident of my mind and chest.

I am the IdeaPad S Series!

Which Lenovo Ideapad Am I? There's no question that I am one of the laptops in the S Series. We share the same characteristics.

Portability: Hay naku! You can take me anywhere, from the sosy malls to the lowliest tiangges. I don't have a problem communicating with other people so I feel right at ease wherever I am.

Affordable: Naman! Let's just make tusok-tusok the fishballs for dinner! I can live with that. :) Bet, my hubby's so glad I've got such cheap taste. haha!!!




Simple: I maybe a typical Taurean who loves everything sensual, but I am also practical. Oh and yes, I accept gifts in cash or in kind!



Bluetooth, Wifi: Now, now. this probably refers to my ever attentive chismis-antenna! I travel a lot but I make it a point to update myself on everything, especially my friends' lives. This I do thru Facebook, text messaging and good old chikahan!

Hi-def graphics: Ask anybody and they will tell you the same thing, I am such a bad liar.




I can't tell a lie with a straight face even if my life depended on it (knock on wood). My face is so transparent that my emotions show even if I try to hide them. Most of the time, my facial muscles operate independently and betray my feelings.

This is my official entry to the Lenovo-PTB Great Laptop Giveaway

So Chic Bag Botique Giveaway!

So Chic Bag Botique is having a Pre-Grand Reopening Giveaway! Up for grabs are gift certificates worth Php 2000 plus.

Deadline for entries is on December 21.

Mili Power Solutions for the Techies!

In this day and age when posting an update status and pictures of everyday activities constitute a normal virtual life, a multi-tasking phone going low-bat on you is enough to drive someone crazy. Imagine a riding on an elevator going down very fast, that sinking feeling in your gut is the same thing a virtual-life deprivation can cause you to feel. All because your batteries gave up on you.

I have personally experienced this and it feels so awful. Within an hour of disconnection, my fingers start to itch. My thoughts constantly dart back and forth to my email and facebook accounts. Are there new emails I’m supposed to receive? New updates from my friends? I dunno. Just some stuff I need to check. Again.

So anyways, my cellphone battery just couldn’t take it and died out on me. What do I do now? I can go hunt for that certain burger joint that offers free charging stations. It was a good idea, until somebody decides to pick up a cellphone or gadget plugged in for charging that’s not his. I’m not saying that it has happened to me but that’s not a far possibility. You leave your gadgets there, for pete’s sake! You can’t very well keep an eye on them all the time, even if you’re only a couple of feet away.

For my dilemma, which I’m sure I don’t have a corner on, Mili launched a number of products that cater to the gadget-loco generation. Mili Power Solutions introduced three chargers that are very sleek and portable.

Power Crystal

Power Miracle

The Power Miracle and the Power Crystal are chargers designed for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod series and most other mobile phones. They are only as big as a touchscreen phone! You just plug this in the USB port of your laptop and you’re good to go. They also come in a variety of adaptors so you can charge whatever gadget you have that needs charging too.

On the other hand, the Universal Charger has the essential 4 worldwide adapters and a car charger. Now this is perfect for the globe-trotting, island-hopping techie! It also comes with a set of adapters of your different gadgets.

But for little ol’ me, I can settle for a Power Crystal in white (I love white-colored gadgets!) which I can wear dangling from my neck! How cool is that!

Three Blackberry Curve 3G Up for Grabs -- Ends 12/22

I just found out that three different blogs are giving away a brandnew Blackberry Curve 3G this Christmas! Isn't this super?

All are photo contests on how badly you want to have a BB this season. I am not sure though if the blogs would accept simultaneous entries, meaning, one picture taken and submitted as entries for all the contests. Just to be on the safe side, I suggest that you take THREE different pictures. Nothing would be more heartbreaking than finding out that you've the BB only to be taken away on grounds that the picture submitted should be a unique entry.


Check the links for each blog's mechanics.

Animetric's World: Have a Blackberry Curve 3G Snap and Win!

Blackberry -- Yugatech Giveaway

TechPinas Gadget BONANZA: TP Gives Away Blackberry Curve 3G!


Happy Snapping!

Win a Lenovo Ideapad from Yugatech and PinoyTech Blog! -- Ends 12/24

Yugatech has given away 2 Lenovo laptops this last quarter alone. I'm sorry I never chanced upon it so I could've have had a shot in it and also, shared it with you. This time, my nosey nose has caught its scent!

The mechanics are simple enough:

For YUGATECH's CONTEST:

Write about the "10 Fun Things that you can do with a Lenovo Laptop"

Post it in your blog. OR if you don't have any, you can post it in the comment section of the official contest page.

For complete details, see the original post.


For PINOYTECH BLOG's CONTEST:

Answer the question, "Which Lenovo IdeaPad Are You?"

Post it in your blog and leave its link in the comment section of the official contest page.

Both contests will end by December 24.

Another Cloth Diaper Giveaway from The Cheap and Choosy

This time the cloth diaper is from Sprout Change that The Cheap and Choosy reviewed. It is one-size cloth diaper, meaning, it's more expensive than other cloth diaper types because you'll be using this for a long time.

I am really thinking about switching to cloth diapers this time around. Call me the New Age mom, but I think the convenience of disposable diapers comes at a very high price, one that our children will have to pay for in the future.

To read the whole review of the product and participate in the giveaway, go to The Cheap and Choosy.

The Lazy Mama is Giving Away a Unimom Allegro Breastpump

Noticed any trend in my previous blog entries? Most of them are about cloth diapers and other maternity stuff. Just goes to show how preoccupied I am with my second pregnancy. Also, I wasn't given this kind of opportunity to be online and scour for promos and giveaways in my first pregnanccy, so this is kind of a delayed reaction of the excitement of motherhood.

Anyways, The Lazy Mama and Baby Mama is kind enough to give away an electric breast pump. Baby Mama provided the pump, and the Lazy Mama provided the review in her blog.

This is the first time that I've seen a giveaway like this locally, so I am jumping at the chance. So can you! Deadline is on December 25.

My Daughter's Journey Towards the Top of Her Class

My daughter is one very active child. She can go on and on just like the Energizer Bunny as long as people around her give off the same amount of energy that she does. And at seven years old, this hyperactivity can have undesirable effects on her study habits. To work around and with this, I utilize her interest in a wide variety of things to educate her.

She is currently in grade one at a private catholic school. My mother transferred her there after a year in kindergarten in a public school. This I think is one cost-saving measure of middle-income families. Enroll your kid in a public school for kindergarten education which costs considerably less and then transfer them to a private school for elementary. It only cost us about two thousand pesos for her books and notebooks, excluding other expenses like uniforms, which is not mandatory in public schools.

Having high expectations of my daughter and wanting to provide her with quality education, I wanted her to take an exam in UP Integrated School, but she didn’t reach the age cut-off yet. UPIS is accepting only kids that would be 5.5 by school opening. My daughter will only turn five that summer. Fearing that she will be late in entering school, I enrolled her in the kindergarten program of a public school near our home. This I think would be dual in purpose. For one she would be learning the basic skills needed for the big school and for another, this would help her have an advantage over the other kids taking the UPIS qualifying exam next year because she has already attended school.

First day of school

I was away during the greater part of her kindergarten years. It was my mom who stood as her guardian and attended the school activities in my place. She was so happy with my daughter because she always brings home a star, stamped on her hand. Her exam papers were also very high. Most of them were perfect and with “Very Good!” remarks written in her teacher’s legible handwriting. By the end of school year, they were informed that my daughter is among those who would receive a silver medal. That was a happy day!

My daughter in one of their school activities

Another "Very Good!"

But it was shortlived. After graduation, my mom found out that my daughter still couldn’t read and can barely write her own name right. How could this have happened if my daughter received a silver medal on her graduation, symbolizing in the least, that she has learned the basic stuff of A-BA-KA-DA reading and writing her own name completely, if not excelled in the class? We were disappointed. Please, understand, that this is blog is in no way written to put down public schools per se. I am only sharing what happened to my daughter.

That summer, my mom decided to move her to the private school she is attending now. The guidance counsellor who administered the entrance exam told my mom that my daughter had difficulty answering the questions. She even found the Alphabet confusing! To make the long story short, she passed the entrance but only with great difficulty.

This year, I had limited out-of town engagements, so I was able to personally monitor her progress. I am not really a strict mom when it comes to her study habits. I do not force her to study when she is not in the mood to do so because I think that would only be futile. But I do take advantage of the times when she is more than ready to listen and study her lessons.



As part of her learning experience, we take her to libraries, particularly The Children’s Library, where there are lots of activities for kids. There she can play with educational games on the computer, browse various books, listen to a storytelling and interact with other kids.

I am also quite lenient when she asks us to buy her a book. As long as the book has a good theme, fits her age and learning requirements, and is reasonably priced, I buy it for her.




I also encourage her to utilize the internet for her learning needs. There are lots of educational sites that provide online exercises on reading and activity sheets for free.

During the first quarter of the schoolyear, she pulled a decent average of 83%. Although we are still struggling with her reading in Filipino, her highest grades were in math and science, while the lowest were in religion and english.

The english language is her waterloo, I must say. She is having trouble with phonetics, interchanging it with how the Filipino language is written and read. Her grade in religion is not a surprise either. I am not an active Catholic and she only has the her formal class in school to teach her this. But the math and science, I must say, surprised me. She must have taken after her dad, who is more analytically inclined.




By the start of second grading, she has already mastered reading in Filipino and is excited to be finally able to. “Ang sarap palang magbasa!”, she exclaimed. I was happy too, for that meant that the books she keeps on asking us to read to her she can already read by herself.

She is also showing a keen interest in science and math, more than in any other subject. She loves watching the science videos in Encarta, especially the one about the migrating salmons. I also bought her a visual encyclopedia at a bargain price of Php 100 in a bookstore sale! It wasn’t the latest edition of course, it was already a year behind, but I thought, she could still learn a lot from it.

Watching her Encarta science videos

Her studies though are not limited to academics only. I also encourage in the arts. She loves to sing and dance and to draw stuff too! My mom gave her a homemade sketchpad, made up of regular bond paper pasted together, for her to draw in. She also likes to dabble in watercoloring and clay sculpting.

One of her artistic endeavours

Last October she joined in a drawing competition sponsored by the Citizens Disaster Response Center. It was open for children aged 6-12 and had two categories. She joined Category A and drew about earthquakes. I am mighty proud of her because she did the drawing all by herself, from the concept until the execution. She didn’t place as a major winner in her category but she did land as one of the finalists, one for each of the twelve disaster in their catergory. She is the contest’s youngest winner!

My daughter is the first one from left, the smallest one, with her winning "obra maestra".
Oh, and yes! The one in far right is Maverick Legaspi. :)

Her obra maestra that will be showcased in CDRC's 2011 calendar

Now for the entire second grading, although her english plunged by 4 points her science shot up 7 points! Overall, her average went up from 83% to 84%. It wasn’t bad, not bad at all.

All these time, one thing that I ensure is that she studies only when she is ready to, at her own pace and time. I am never one to force someone into doing something they are not ready or do not want to do. That has not been my attitude towards by study and towards life itself, so I take care to teach this to my daughter too.

Doing her homework while I work in the kitchen.

This week, from December 12-16, is their third grading examination. I am confident that she will do better this time. She is not exactly at the top of her class (yet!) but she has surely come a very long way.

My Christmas Wish This Year: A Nokia C7

“Would I want a Nokia C7 this Christmas?,” the email asked. I thought, is this a trick question? Who wouldn’t want a brand new phone this Christmas? Not to mention that it’s from Nokia, the maker of the most user-friendly phones and the undeniable leader of the pack.

Why would I want a Nokia C7 this Christmas? Well, because it is the perfect gadget for a mom like me.

I am a typical mom and I love to document every milestone in my child’s life. It’s a very good thing too that I became a mom when digital cameras are slowly being introduced and cellphones have already become equipped with a basic VGA camera. I must have taken a thousand pictures of my daughter and have not spent so much on having them developed in print. I can store the pictures that pass my judgement, print those that I really love and want to put in a conventional scrapbook, and delete anything that is unflattering and best left forgotten.

I also have a videos that capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments. Some I’ve gotten around to editing so it would come out more nicely. The others are still very, very raw.

The only problem is, the quality of the pictures and videos leave much to be desired. And this is where the Nokia C7 would come in very handy! With an 8 megapixel camera, which by the way a higher resolution than my cheap digital camera, I can capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments I told you about and not have to suffer watching the pixelated version of it! Don’t you just hate it when the moments you sooo want to keep alive and vivid through videos and pictures are made all the more blurry and fuzzy?!

I noticed that as my daughter grew up and learned more “tricks” that amuse us and endear her to us, still pictures weren’t enough. The VGA camera in my phone can capture a certain scene clearly, provided you don’t zoom in on the subject and have the perfect lighting, but it just couldn’t keep up anymore. I want to video my daughter on and on and on!

But with the Nokia C7’s HD video, I expect this won’t be much of a problem. The photos AND videos would surely turn out great!

I am especially excited because I’ll be giving birth this coming January, which means I’ve got a whole new life to document!

Another thing that made Nokia C7 my cellphone choice this Christmas is that I can watch my favorite TV shows in it. I can watch CNN, BBC and other channels, but most especially I can tune in and watch Glee! I so love Glee! I’ve downloaded its albums and even my 7-year-old daughter knows the songs by heart and loves rolling her hips to Proud Mama.

Madam Cory, a gLeek even before it became popular!

I don’t have a car of my own but I can surely appreciate the Nokia Mini Speaker MD-9 that comes with it. These are perfect for those times when I am cleaning the house, preparing food, washing the clothes , those times when I usually play music to keep the mood light and fun. I’ll turn the music up, playing my current favorites and do my chores more energetically!

I am even planning to load some classics and lullabies for my baby to listen to. Too bad this come a little too late for some prenatal Mozart or Beethoven to stimulate his brain development. But, hey, I‘ve still got a good 7-8 weeks to go! I can still make him listen to some before he ventures out into the world.

I can't wait to have this little trinket that it'll probably never leave my bag. This Nokia C7 will be a wonderful device to record and immortalize all our family moments.

Having a Nokia C7 this Christmas would indeed be the best gift, second only of course to my bundles of joy!

The Cheap and Choosy: Nifty Nappy PeachyKeen Pocket Diaper- Review and G...

The Cheap and Choosy: Nifty Nappy PeachyKeen Pocket Diaper- Review and G...: "Nifty Nappyis an amazing family owned business that is known for the quality cute diapers they provide! The seamstress of Nifty Nappy diaper..."

Cloth diapers do not come cheap and this is one good giveaway I wouldn't want to miss!

Deadline is still on Dec 31, so there's still plenty of time to join in.

My life with Rats is Giving away a free EReader!

This contest is open WORLDWIDE until Dec 17 (DEC 18 - Phil. time)

You only need to subscribe to her blog to be officially entered in the contest. BUt if you would lik to earn mo entries, there are lots of ways how!

Check it out!

MaAga ang Pasko sa OMF Lit Bookshop : OMF Literature - Evangelical Christian Books Philippines : Events

MaAga ang Pasko sa OMF Lit Bookshop : OMF Literature - Evangelical Christian Books Philippines : Events

Life Can't Wait Giveaway

I know this is kinda short notice, but I hope you can join anyway!

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Only P99 for choice of Nuat Thai Foot Massage or Thai Body Massage for 1 hour at Nuat Thai Libis (valued up to P250)

This is one deal that no one should pass up! I am a practical person. I don't like giving away gifts that I think the other person won't need or enjoy. I am also a Taurean, so this massage appeals to my sense of pleasure. And it is on both levels that I find the compulsion of puchase this voucher.

For one, I think this would be a very nice gift this Christmas. Anyone can appreciate a good massage after the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Or if you'd rather avail of this post-Christmas, a relaxing massage would be a great opener for the new year.

For another, the Php 99 deal is really a steal. The only catch is this is redeemable in only one branch. But it's still a very good bargain!

In Detail:

• Choice of 1 Hour Nuat Thai Foot Massage or Thai Body Massage
• Voucher is valid from December 15, 2010 to March 15, 2011
• Purchase limited to 6 vouchers per person
• Vouchers may be combined to avail of both services at the same time or for group use
• Paper vouchers only
• Standard Ensogo terms:
- Voucher is transferable and may be given as gift
- Price is Net (includes all service charge and VAT)
- No cash back or credit for any unused amount
- Voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any discount card or promotion
• Service Hours: Monday-Sunday 12:00PM to 2:00AM
• Additional Payment required for massage upgrade
• RESERVATION required for assured slots (especially on weekends and holidays). Cancellations must be made at least a day prior to scheduled appointment. No Show would result to Forfeiture of Voucher. Please contact 02-4775004 for reservations

Highlights

• The combination of energetic and physical aspects is what makes Thai Massage unique and so effective. Traditional Thai massage is really a deep, full-body treatment, starting at the feet and progressing up to the head
• A sequence of gentle, flowing exercise movements, the recipient's body is moved, loosened and stretched (some stretch applications linked to Yoga) of the joints and the muscles
• Unique type of massage influences the energetic side as well, restoring the flow of energy throughout the body with applied acupressure on the zen energy lines of the body, aimed at harmonizing and energizing.
• Thailand trained masseurs to provide calming massage
• Valet Parking and Wi-fi available within the area on Nuat Thai

If you would like to avail of this wonderful Thai Foot or Body Massage, CLICK THIS LINK.

Disabled Shop Blogging Contest Entry.”

A friend’s mom recently died of Alzheimer’s Disease. This is the closest I’ve got to this disease and her stories alternately shock and surprise me. It was only two years after the initial diagnosis that her mother is suffering from it. She never expected that it’ll all be over this quickly. Me neither. To tell you the truth, my working knowledge of this disease is so limited and being exposed to it made this “knowledge” all the more insignificant.

Memory Gaps

I know that Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, meaning it has no cure and it worsens over time. I had no concrete experience to back this up until my friend’s experience. First it was her mom’s memory, then progressed on to her inability to care for herself.

Little by little her mom’s health dwindled away. It wasn’t serious at first. Just small things. She would get up from her seat and say she’s ready to eat her lunch now, when she has just taken lunch. Sometimes she would call her children by her siblings’ names or mismatch the name with their faces.

One recurring incident is with the statement shirt of my friend’s sister. Both girls, by the way, are lesbians. Her sister has this statement shirt that says, “My daughter’s a lesbian and I’m the last one to know about it!”. Their mom would stop in her tracks, read it and then laugh out, saying “Talaga, anak? (Really, child?)”, then she would walk away. When she passes by her daughter again a few minutes later, the same thing would happen. Her mom would read it, laugh and say the same comment! This happened at least five times in a span of an hour or two that my friend’s sister decided to change into a more “neutral” shirt.

What amazed us though was the disease’s effect on my friend’s mom’s high cholesterol and diabetes. Prior to her diagnosis of having Alzheimer’s, she is taking maintenance medicines for her cholesterol and diabetes. But after a while, her lab tests showed normal results! It’s as if she has forgotten she has any health problems at all! This cheered my friend up a bit.

Behaviour

My friend’s mom also underwent a change in her disposition. They keep a small store in front of their house to help with the income and to keep her mom busy and productive. People in the neighborhood noticed she started becoming more aggressive. This was before she was diagnosed. Or she would pick a fight with their helper who has been with them for more than three years. Other times, she would just wander out of the house bringing her entire money with her and lend or give it away to people, who sometimes she doesn’t even know!

Hygiene

A year or so before she died, her daughter’s started putting her in adult diapers. She couldn’t contain her pee or poop anymore and always had to be up after. Her hair is unkempt if no one is kind enough to comb it for her. In thses times, she has turned into such a baby, literally! Ultimately, she had to be spoonfed with rice gruel or soup, because her muscles have already atrophied.

Love and Care

A useful product that would have been very handy for them is this Magnetic Door and Window Alarm from The Disabled Shop. It would alert everyone if anyone who's not supposed to be outdoors is opening a window or a door. This would also minimize the accidents that could occur if their mom wandered out of the house without them knowing it.

As her disease progressed and she became difficult to deal with, my friend and her sister decided to transfer their mom into the care of her siblings in the province. Both sisters can’t stay around permanently because their jobs call for a lot of travelling. Their relatives welcomed their mom wholeheartedly and cared for her until the very end.

It was a good thing that my friend brought her mom to a doctor and was diagnosed. Otherwise, all these symptoms would just be chalked up as the generic “pag-uulyanin” and not given the attention and understanding that the patient deserves.

Trip or Treats is Giving Away Free Chocolates!

I for one couldn't resist joining this blog giveaway from Trip or Treats! The mere fact that it is chocolates that she's giving away is enough to send me clicking away to blog about this. But, boy, she described each bar with lusciousness that makes you want to reach into the screen, rip the packaging apart and take a bite our of it!

And here's the best part, the winner takes all of four of theseVosges Haute Chocolat Bars!

You can join in too! Deadline isn't until December 12.

Please Help me Win this Watch for Hubby!

I want this watch not for myself but for my husband. I have been
wanting to give him a nice watch. But as always, the finances get in
the way. I would rather spend a thousand pesos on food than on a piece
of accessory no matter how essential. "He has his cellphone naman," is
my quintessential reason or alibi.

Also I am giving birth this coming January. He can sometimes be so
engrossed in whatever it is that he's doing, work or play, that for a
while the world around him vanishes. And these are the times when he
forgets to charge his mobile. This frustrates me so much! He has to be
here when I give birth, and with this K-swiss watch, hopefully, he'll
be reminded to file his leave of absence and get by my side IN TIME!
:)

This is my entry for Buyonline.ph's All I want for Christmas.

I am asking you to please help me win this watch for my hubby. You can do this by:

1. 'Liking' the Buyonline.ph Fanpage and then Clicking 'LIKE' in my entry, and,

2. REGISTERING in Buyonline.ph and Putting my Email, EleanorGanda@gmail.com in the Referred by field

This would mean so so much to me. Thank you!

By the way, you can still join the All the I Want for Christmas Contest Promo and I will gladly return the favor.