While choosing a costume can be a fun and exciting time for children, it can also be a very stressful and frustrating one for their parents. We all do it, we start asking our kids what they want to be for Halloween, as soon as it’s October first. Most children already have an idea what they want to be, whether it’s a favorite movie character or super hero, they know without a doubt. Then there are those children that have no idea what they want to be. They will decide on a costume and two days later, they have changed their minds. Inevitably, they end up picking the first of the ten costumes they decided on.

I try and steer my children away from the popular character costumes, and try and entice them to be creative with their choices. I have her pick out different pieces, that can be put together to make a princess or fairy costume. This way, they might be able to wear them again. It’s difficult not to get carried away when looking at costumes, especially the baby or toddler Halloween costumes. I do most of my shopping online; I find that there is a much larger variety of children’s costumes

Excerpt from Vic and Avelynn Garcia’s book entitled Kontento Ka Na Ba Sa KaPERAhan Mo?

Ano ‘yung Kurot Principle? Ay, ang ganda nitong Kurot Principle na ito. To better understand this, I will tell you a story of a person na balak bumili ng cellphone worth P1,000. Nagkataong mayroon siyang P100,000 na savings. Puwede ba siyang bumili ng cellphone? Puwede, kasi yung P1,000, kurot lang ‘yon sa kanyang savings.

May pangalawang taong balak bumili ng cellphone. Ang bibilhin niya ay worth P1,000 din. Mayroon siyang savings sa bangko na P1,000. Bumili siya ng cellphone. Anong tawag dun? Dakot na ‘yun! Dinakot lahat ang pera niya!

May pangatlong tao, balak bumili ng cellphone, pero walang savings. P1,000 lang naman ‘yung bibilhin niya. Bumili siya. Anong tawag ‘dun? Utang na ‘yun!

Ang tanong: ano’ng prinsipyo ang ginagamit mo sa buhay mo? Kurot, dakot, o utang?

Magtataka pa ba tayo kung bakit tayo naghihirap o baon sa utang? Ang gagaling nating dumakot! Ang gagaling nating umutang! Gusto mong yumaman? Starting today, matutong kumurot. Kapag may bibilhin, dapat kinukurot lang! Nagkakaintindihan ba tayo? Kapag ginawa mo ito, pangako, yayaman ka.

Pag-aralan nating muli ang mga pinakamayayaman sa Pilipinas, ang Chinoy. Again, bakit sila mayayaman? Ang gagaling nilang… kumurot! Tayo ang gagaling nating… dumakot! Sasampolan kita…

Pinoy vs. Chinoy Businessman

May dalawang negosyanteng nagsimula ng kanilang negosyo, isang Pinoy at isang Chinoy. Ang capital nila pareho ay P100,000.

Sa unang buwan, si Pinoy, kumita ng P10,000. Ano ang iniisip bilhin? Cellphone. Si Chinoy, kumita rin ng P10,000. Ano ang gagawin niya? Idadagdag niya sa puhunan.

So magkano na ngayon ang puhunan ni Chinoy? P110,000! Si Pinoy, P100,000 pa rin, pero may bago siyang cellphone. Ang ganda!

Ituloy natin. After a few months, maganda ang takbo ng negosyo. Si Pinoy kumita ng P50,000. Ang Pilipinong may P50,000, ano ang balak bilhin? Bibili siya ng home theater, DVD, at LCD TV! Si Chinoy, kumita rin ng P50,000. Anong gagawin niya? Idadagdag uli sa puhunan niya. Magkano na ang puhunan niya? P160,000 na!

A few months later pa, ang Pinoy kumita ng P150,000! Ang Pilipinong mayroong P150,000, ano ang balak bilhin? Second-hand na kotse o pang-downpayment sa bagong kotse. Ang Chinoy, may P150,000. Ano’ng gagawin niya? Idadagdag sa puhunan! Magkano na ang puhunan niya? P310,000!

Buwan-buwan, si Pinoy kumikita. Dagdag siya ng dagdag ng gamit. Magkano ang puhunan niya? P100,000! Si Chinoy, buwan-buwan kumikita. Ano ang ginagawa niya? Dagdag ng dagdag sa puhunan niya. One day, Chinoy was able to save P1 million! So ginawa niya, he approached one supplier and said, “Supplier, kung bibili ako sa‘yo ng worth P1 million, bibigyan mo ba ako ng discount?” Hulaan mo kung ano ang sasabihin ng supplier. “Of course, ang dami mong bibilhin, kaya bibigyan kita ng additional 5% discount!”

Ngunit naisip ni Chinoy, “Hindi naman yata maganda na sa akin lahat ang 5%. Ang gagawin ko, bibigyan ko ang customers ko ng 3% discount at sa akin na lang ‘yung 2%.” Ibig sabihin, bababa ang presyo ng kanyang mga ibinebentang produkto.

It just so happened na magkatabi ang tindahan ni Chinoy at ni Pinoy. Pareho sila ng mga produktong ibinebenta. Given the situation, kanino kayo bibili? Kay Chinoy, because it’s cheaper. Ano ang mangyayari sa negosyo ni Pinoy? Malulugi na. Kasi mas mahal ang kaniyang produkto. Ano ang gagawin niya? Ibebenta niya ‘yung kotseng nabili niya ng P150,000. Sino ang bibili? Siyempre, ang maraming pera, si Chinoy. Tatawaran pa ni Chinoy ang kotse ng P80,000. Dahil gipit na si Pinoy, kahit palugi ay ibebenta na rin niya. Si Chinoy ngayon ay nagkaroon ng kotse na murang-mura lang!

After a few months, mauubos din ang P80,000 ni Pinoy. Ano ang susunod na gagawin ni Pinoy? Ang home entertainment niya ay ibebenta na rin. Magkano? P20,000 na lang. Sino ang bibili? Si Chinoy. Darating ang araw na pati ang cellphone ni Pinoy ay ibebenta na niya. Magkano niya ibebenta? P2,000 na lang! Isang araw, magsasara na ang negosyo ni Pinoy. Ano ang gagawin niya? Malamang, magtatrabaho na lang siya kay Chinoy. Ito ang kuwento ng bansang Pilipinas!

Naalala mo pa ba noong araw, mas mayayaman ang mga Pinoy kaysa sa mga Chinese. Bakit nagbago? Ano ba ang problema natin? Dakot kasi tayo ng dakot! Sila, kurot lang ng kurot!

Mayroon kaming naging participant before na nagsabi, “Sir, hindi naman totoo ‘yan! I know a Chinoy, he drives a BMW. That’s a P5 million car! Kurot ba ‘yun?” Malamang kurot ‘yun! Noong binili niya ‘yun, mayroon na siyang P100 million na savings! So kurot lang ‘yun! Nandiyan ka pa ba?

Isang Kahig, Isang Tuka

Saan ka makakakita ng mga taong isang kahig, isang tuka? Saan? Sa squatters area? Magtigil ka! Gusto mo’ng makakita ng mga taong isang kahig, isang-tuka? Sa Ortigas, sa Makati, may makikita ka.

What do I mean? Kapag hindi ka sumuweldo ng isang buwan, mabubuhay ba ang pamilya mo? Kung wala kang credit card, kung mawalan ka ng trabaho ngayon, ilang araw ang aabutin para mabuhay ng matino ang pamilya mo? Kapag nawalan ka ng suweldo, patay ka!

Ang mga Chinoy, kahit hindi muna kumita o magnegosyo, mabubuhay ng maganda. Bakit po? Kasi many years ago, kumahig sila ng kumahig at tumuka lang konti. Kaya marami sa kanila ngayon, tuka na lang ng tuka. Maraming Pinoy, kapag hindi tayo kumahig, wala tayong tutukain.

Ito ang masakit–sometimes, kahit matanda na tayo, kahig pa rin tayo ng kahig. Gaano karaming Pilipino ang 60 years old na ay trabaho pa rin ng trabaho? Puwede ba, simula ngayon, kumahig ka nang kumahig at iwasan munang tumuka. I-deprive ang sarili ng kaunti.

Ang pinakamasakit sa lahat ay ito–one day, you want to work, but you cannot work. You are already old. Why? Nagpakasasa ka kasi noong bata ka pa. Inubos mo na lahat ng lakas at kalusugan mo sa bisyo.

Tanong: Masama ba’ng bumili ng mahal?

Sagot: Hindi! Basta kinukurot lang! Kapag nakakita ka ng kasamahan mong naka-Nike shoes, huwag mong husgahan kaagad iyong tao! Malay mo, kinurot lang niya iyon. At the end of the day, what is happening to other people is not important. What’s more important is what is happening to you.

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.”

Tip 1: Created Custom Party Invitations
If you want to create a lasting impression on your guests, then you need to create custom party invitations for your special event. This is a great way for people to save the date so they’ll be able to attend your party. You can create customizable birth announcements, birthday cards, diaries, journals, note pads, calendars, activity books and more when you head over to the online retailer’s website. You can even create personalized gifts that your guests can take home with them after the party is over.

Tip 2: Choosing Affordable Gifts
The next thing you should know how to do is how you can choose affordable gifts that your guests can take home with them. If you want your party to be as memorable as possible, then look through the online inventory of products that can be personalized. Everyone likes to own an item that has their name on it. You can buy wooden puzzles, drink bottles, silicone placemats, lunch boxes, party straws, and much more on the internet that your guests will enjoy.

I’m taking some time off from work (local leave) and planning to spend quality time with my blogs and other things. I also want to travel, do some meditation and praying (for the holy week), go to the gym and have detox diet, volunteer on some worthwhile events, re-arrange my bedroom, introduce friends some financial concepts, etc. Whoa, that’s a long list and I only got 2 weeks!

I need to prioritize and trim down my list otherwise I’ll end up more stressed than the usual.

First, I do research. I check for reviews, complaints or rants over the internet. Because I blog about both my good or bad experiences I also expect others to do the same. But still you have to discern all the information you will get on the internet which is the hard part. Second, is by their payment facility. You can gauge if it is a reliable site if it offers bank supported payment facilities like Visa, Mastercard, Paypal and such.Third, if it has chargeback protection. It gives the customer the ease of returning the goods once deemed inappropriate for use and receive the back the payment sent. It would be really great if all shops whether online or regular ones to offer the same customer protection.

I had a similar experience against a game company. I didn’t purchase anything but I was charged $75. I filed a complaint against the payment facility where my money was deducted. In 7 days, I got my money back, though no explanation of how it happened on the first place. I was really grateful since I had already given up and thought there was no way the money will be returned. So the next time I need a cash back I know how to do it and what to expect.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

Though everything does have risks including driving, I suggest my friends to have a cushion or a back-up plan. There are a lot of cheap car insurance or cheap auto insurance available depending on your requirements. If you need a car insurance quote I could refer some acquaintances and discuss their services. At the end of the day, it’s not enough just being safe and but one should be prepared as well.

So how is investing cool?

1. You don’t need hundreds of thousands or millions to start

2. You can do it online

3. You don’t need a degree in finance

4. All you need to know is available in the internet

5. You own a piece of those big corporations and called stock holders

6. Peace of mind, that you will have something for the future (whether it is for your kids education or your retirement)

Since the info/ knowledge was 10 years late, I need to act quick and seize every opportunity I can get. Time is running and indeed gold.

Investing is something new on my plate and I’m very excited. You’ll hear from me about this topic quite a lot in the next days, weeks, months. I hope you too can be inspired and start investing for you and your family’s future.

I’ve read in a couple of manga, seen in various Korean dramas, heard from various love guru that you want to be together with your crush or boyfriend forever you should ride the ferris wheel and kiss while on the top. Sounds funny right? Am I a teenager to really believe that? Well honestly I never tried but maybe I should

So Mr. Ferris Wheel or rather George Ferris who invented the thing was born on Vday 154 years ago.

Whether the myth is true or not, we should always celebrate love.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

love love love

Stuffed Animals for Boys
Boys love to cuddle with stuffed animals as much as baby girls do, so it’s bonus when you purchase a diaper cake with a cute, boyish stuffed animal attached to it. Some of the most popular stuffed animals include blue bears, monkeys, lions, and cute little monsters.

Gentle Bath Soaps
Spit ups, diaper explosions, and more are common parts of a newborn’s life. This means that a lot of soap is needed to wash all of it away. Having a small or medium bottle of gentle baby soap comes in handy during those messy times.

Wash Clothes
Babies will need to be wiped down countless times a day. Providing the new mom-to-be with a supply of wash clothes will help her and baby stay clean.

Baby Powder and Lotions
After all of the cleaning mommy and daddy will do, keeping baby fresh and clean for as long as possible is important. Baby powder and lotions are perfect for that, which make them an appreciative addition to a diaper cake.

Pacifier
Babies love to suck. They also love to lose their pacifier. Get the new mommy-to-be a pacifier to add to her collection, so she’ll always have one handy when a meltdown happens.

A Tip for Choosing the Color
When you’re shopping for a diaper cake for a boy, keep in mind that you don’t have to choose blue. You can purchase a mixture of colors, as long as it doesn’t have the classic girl colors of pink and purple.

More than Just Diapers
The diaper cakes at http://www.diapercakewalk.com/ aren’t just diapers wrapped up into a cake shape. It’s a masterpiece with decorations that aren’t just beautiful, but functional as well. When you purchase a diaper cake, you’ll receive many gifts in one. You’ll be amazed at how much value you can get from buying one of these for a baby shower gift. What’s more important is that the mommy-to-be will be just as shocked and happy.

My blogs’ badges/ links can be seen at the bottom, you might want to check them out! Thanks in advance