It has been years since we have gone on a vacation and hubby and I think that right now is the perfect time to go. I know I’m currently pregnant but the addition in our family this coming December will make it impossible for us to travel so why not do it now?

That is why I have been browsing Branson vacation packages and I can say that I like what I see. At Branson you can enjoy doing different things all in one place. You can freshen up your knowledge of history by visiting the different museums or exercise those lethargic muscles by exploring the caves and caverns. I’m sure Z would love riding in the Go Kart, my hubby would love to try out the miniature golf courses, and I would love to go shopping at the different malls.

If you’re also looking for an ideal vacation destination then do consider Branson.  You’ll never run out of things to enjoy there together with your family.

Self-esteem is an important element in maximizing the potential of children in school performance, social success and personal happiness. That is why my husband and I were really conscious that our son doesn’t suffer from this. Studies show that children who are criticized, bullied, or ignored during their childhood have lower self esteems than those who were praised, encouraged, and valued.

I’m glad that I’m always at home to give my son the support that he needs. Although I am sometimes busy working at home and can’t attend to him I explain to him what I am doing and why it is important. I don’t make it a habit though because then he’ll get an impression that my work is more important than him and I don’t want that.

During his first year at school, we encountered a crisis. For no apparent reason at all he would end up crying at school. My husband and I didn’t know what to do at first but good thing hubby taught our son how to pray. He found the strength that he needed through his prayers. Now, he doesn’t cry anymore at school and even found some friends. Looking back, I’m just so happy we got him over that stage.

There are still many more things we will encounter as our little Z grows up but I know that if my husband and I work together we would be successful in raising our son into a confident young man. The only way we can do that is if we consistently give him the time, attention, and the encouragement that he needs. I pray that we would be successful in this area.

The windows in our house is already old so I’m thinking of buying some replacement windows. Upon researching I realized that I knew so little about replacement windows. I didn’t know there were so many manufacturers out there offering different window types and styles. I didn’t know there were aluminum windows, plastic windows, non-impact windows, impact resistant windows, and so much more.

Choosing the right window and a reputable company to install them for you take a lot of time and homework, so here are some helpful information is also on your way.

Before you decide on a manufacturer, it is important that the right window you buy suits your needs and wants. Not all manufacturers make all types of windows so you have to choose the manufacturer that provides the window type of your choice.

I don’t live in a hurricane prone place but we do have typhoons. Some typhoons have very strong winds so it is imperative that the window frames I choose is made of aluminum. Aluminum frames are stronger and can withstand the effect of strong winds. If you have the budget then you can choose vinyl or plastic windows. It is also strong like the aluminum but because it is more energy efficient that aluminum then you have to expect to pay a premium price for it.

Determine ahead of time, what colors work best for your home. Decide whether you want just plain white or brown or tan window covering. Do you need a tint or heat-Low-E glass? These are all important considerations. You must also decide how you want to use the window and work. Do you want single-hung, double-hung, horizontal sliding windows, or maybe wings? Some of your decision will be filed on the basis of architectural, some of these prices, and some of it for operation. For example, in the choice I prefer impact resistant windows with a single horizontal slider simply because the it is easier to open an looks so much nicer.

It may sound like a lot of information and decisions, but you have a lot to consider before buying replacement windows.  Your job doesn’t end there though.  After all, a window is not complete without a curtain so don’t forget to add those roller shades to add beauty to your windows.

My family and I have been dreaming of going on a vacation. There are still so many sights and tourist spots that we want to see here, but we would also like to vacation abroad. I heard Brazil vacations are one of the best. My wife and I have been searching for an all inclusive vacation package. We like these packages as good ones let you just forget about money and enjoy yourself. This is especially great with children who are always wanting a snack or drink. We didn’t realize that Breezes Resorts now has a resort in Brazil. The Breezes Resort is Costa do Sauipe, located on five miles of Brazil’s shoreline. You can explore this natural beach as you wander along as the waves roll in from the ocean. If you’re wondering what you’ll get in a Breezes’ all inclusive Brazil vacation then here it is. Well as always, you can expect a lot from a Breezes’ all inclusive vacation package. You have a choice of accommodations in a modern and bright deluxe or premium room, or you can opt for a luxury suite with an ocean view. Then you get all of your meals, and snack throughout the day. You can eat in your choice of restaurants, or grab a snack off the grill. All of your drinks are included, as are tips and gratuities. Spend your days exploring the beach, or lazing by the pool. Enjoy a rousing game of pool volleyball or water polo, or try your luck surfing the ocean waves. Take some tennis lessons, who knows you might be the next Raphael Nadal. Work out at the fitness center, and sweat off some pounds in the steam room. Even at night there are plenty of fun activities you can enjoy with your family. There is so much to do, you can decide to do as little or as much as you want. This Breezes resort is a great vacation destination for singles, couples, and families with children of all ages. There is entertainment for all, and an over-sized swimming pool to keep everyone cool. You can just go online at Breezes.com to get a look at the resort, and view the room options and to get a complete look at the complete list of resort features. I think our family would really enjoy a week or two at this lovely resort.

If you are a parent, chances are you’ve had one of those days where you are just so
frustrated you could scream. No matter what age your kids are, from infancy to early
adulthood, they’re somehow born with an innate ability to push parents to their very
outer limits. Even newborns can fuss until parents are ready to call it quits. Toddlers,
middle schoolers and teens know exactly which buttons to push to send parents into a
tailspin – and young adults often test their parents’ patience with questionable choices on
everything from roommates to jobs to significant others. It no surprise that sometimes,
parents just need a little escape – even if that mini vacation comes in the form of online
casino games.

For parents of young children, it can be a great idea to put them to bed early on the
weekends and play a friendly game of cards or watch a favorite movie. Crack open a
bottle of wine and order late-night snacks in from your favorite delivery spot, and before
you know it, that parenting stress will fade away – even if only for the evening. You
won’t need to worry about budgeting for a babysitter since you can have fun right in your
home.

If you have older kids who are constantly testing your patience – and each others’ –
introducing simple, but competitive card games like Go Fish or even Black Jack if you
have teens can get them to focus their abundant energy on playing instead of arguing.
Online casino games can actually be a great option for children who use the computer –
as long as it’s supervised and free of charge.

Whether you plan your mini escape as a couple or with your children who are driving you
crazy, with a little creativity and planning it’s easy to direct your – and your family’s –
frustration into a fun and relaxing game. As long as it’s age-appropriate, your kids will
look forward to game night!

Sleep is one of the most important factors in releasing growth hormones, most especially for very young babies.While your baby sleeps, her little body produces 3x more growth hormones.

The good news is there is a way to promote better sleep for your baby: through a consistent nightly bedtime routine.

Learn more about the JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Routine, clinically proven to stretch your baby´s sleep by as much as 23%.

In addition to the JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Routine and products, there are countless other ways you can help your baby fall asleep and even share bonding moments in the process!

A well thought of bedtime routine will surely give your baby uninterrupted sleep and most importantly, can be a wonderful chance to bond with your baby.  I’m glad Johnson’s & Johnson has made amazing products that compliment the bedtime routine.

If you haven’t established a bedtime routine then perk your ears up.  There are a number of ways you can do it and I hope you can learn from what I am about to tell you.  I know we have different situations in life – some of us are working moms, others are stay-at-home moms, and maybe others are Dads – either single Dads raising their kids while working  or just hands on Daddies who want to connect with their kids in a very special way just before bedtime.  I am fortunate enough to share with you three different situations where I incorporated the bedtime routine. The first one was when I was a working mom, the second was when I became a stay-at-home mom, and the third was different because it was through my hubby’s eyes and how he would do the bedtime routine his own way.

A.  WORKING MOM

When Z was very little I was a working mom.  I was tired when I got home and had no energy to do anything.  Still, I wanted to teach him something especially during his bedtime.  Somehow I suck at reading stories and I get bored easily but one thing I love was singing nursery songs.  I knew my son would love it too so I sang to him all the kiddie songs I knew.  Z was only 1 or 2 years old then and he would listen quietly as I sang.  I didn’t know if it had any effect on him all I knew was I just sang my heart out and hope for the best.  Then I got ingenious and decided to use technology to my advantage.  I could have played a CD for him before he sleeps but we didn’t have a CD player.  So what did I do?  I recorded my voice in my cellphone.  Imagine my not so good singing voice being recorded and played every night without fail.  My hubby – who is a good singer  – used to chide me with my antics but I didn’t care since my son doesn’t know that his mommy’s voice suck and he continued to listen attentively even though it was just a recording.  I was still there with him every night at bedtime and I still sing but when I get tired I turn on the recording to continue the singing for me.  Did it have an impact on my little one?  It sure did!  We were visiting relatives one day and they were playing with Z.  He was about two at that time and when they asked him to sing he started singing not one but all the songs I recorded.  It was a really proud moment for me to know he was listening to his mommy even though at times it was just a recording of my voice. LOL!

B. STAY-AT-HOME MOM

Now, when Z was five I attended the Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Routine Seminar.  There they taught us mommies the 3 -step bedtime routine already tested by the experts.  The good thing about Johnson & Johnson is they have developed three products that we can use with each of the three steps.  I was in a bit of dilemma though because my boy was already five and not a baby anymore.  That’s why I decided to put the JOHNSON´S® Bedtime Routine to test its effectiveness on my five-year-old.  Here is an excerpt of my post taken from my other blog on what I did to put the JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Routine to test:

Step 1. Give him a warm bath or punas using JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Bath.

I never give Z a bath at night even when he was a baby. He rarely sweats a lot so I was contented on giving him a once-a-day bath. I never even give him a punas at night. I’m one of those moms who thinks a little dirt here and there could actually be good for him. If something falls on the floor I say, “Of course dear, you can still eat it.”

Now that he is five, however, everything changed. He became three times more active! Just before the sun goes down you can find him outside playing with our neighbors. I let him play all he wants because he’s an only child and the interaction with other kids would be good for him. The downside is when he comes home he is so sweaty, his hands and feet are black, and even his knees are black from all the playing. He is so dirty that even I can’t take it anymore.

Z was not so keen on the idea of him taking a bath at night. He quickly retorted, “Naligo na ako, di ba?” (I already took a bath, right?” but I was prepared for a battle. Knowing how he loves taking a bath with warm water I quickly prepared a warm bath for him. That and I think his not-so-good feeling with the dirt and grime from too much playing outdoors made him relented. I told him we’re not going to use his usual soap anymore but the Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Bath . I know it’s designed for babies but there’s never a grime too tough to remove with gentle scrubbing. So with that Z came out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and squeaky clean. He must have loved it so much he never objected for a bath at night ever since.

Step 2. Give him a soothing massage using JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Lotion.

I know that massages are for babies. It’s also for my husband who comes home tired after a night of hard work. I wasn’t sure how it would benefit my five year old. Would he even keep still while I massage him – I didn’t know.
Not to give up that easily, I put step 2 into action. As soon as I dressed him up after taking a bath I told him I would massage him with his own lotion. He was interested and obliged. I massaged his chest, his back, his arms, and legs. He was attentive the whole time. I found that this was the perfect time to talk to him.  So while I was giving him a soothing massage I also asked him questions about anything. If normally it’s hard for him to focus when I was asking him about certain things because he wants to play, play, and play during this time we can definitely engage in a meaningful conversation. Now I know that massages are perfect for my five year old. It’s definitely a perfect mother and son bonding moment.

Step 3. Time for some Quiet Time

After massaging him with lotion, we start our third step but before that I put Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Powder on him. Reading books was what we did for step three. I already shared to you Z’s favorite book, Goodnight Moon. That’s not the only book we read at night. Z likes this part of the bedtime routine so much that we read three books. It’s great that he likes it so much but I have to be honest here. No matter how I love him so reading the same books every night makes me bored. At one point I was afraid I was going to fall asleep first before he did so sometimes when I’m particularly tired I say to him, “Maybe we can just read one book tonight, Z.” Or sometimes I just breeze through the book so that we can finish faster.

Something happened though that is worth sharing. It was Monday and we were only at Day 3 of doing our bedtime routine. I had just finished reading the book, Go Dog Go, and since it was already the third one I breezed right through it and finished reading it out to him in half the time.

I was hoping he wouldn’t notice how I “cheated” him on the third book.  After I finished reading , I closed the book shut  and looked at him. I was hoping he wouldn’t let me repeat it.  He was silent for a second or two and then  he took the book from me. He opened it and the next thing he did really SURPRISED me that it took  me a minute before I was able to grab the camera.

That’s my son “reading” the book from memory.  I was so stunned that’s why I couldn’t get the camera fast enough. Hearing him read that book brought tears to my eyes. You might be wondering why I was emotional.  It’s because if there’s one thing you still don’t know about Z it’s the fact he doesn’t want me to teach him to speak English. I already tried lots of times but every time I start he would make me stop. So this is the first time I’ve heard him trying to speak in English and also trying to read a book on his own. It made me realize that even though I didn’t put much thought on our reading time he was very much into and he was really listening attentively. That is the benefit the bedtime routine gave us. Aside from a perfect bonding time for the two of us I realized it was also the perfect opportunity to teach him something.

C.  DADDY’S BEDTIME ROUTINE

For the Dads out there – and of course, Moms too -  maybe my husband can teach you a thing or two about bedtime routines. He is a natural with kids and he showed me a totally different way to do it. Good thing I was able to capture part of it on video too. So here I present to you a different Bedtime Routine – Dad’s own way.

Step 1. My hubby grew up a prayerful child and that’s one of the things he wanted to impart to his son. They said to teach the child to pray as soon as he can speak and I’m glad through Daddy’s help Z has learned the importance of praying. So their bedtime routine always starts with a short and simple prayer.

Step 2. Did you know that studies have shown a sufficient increase in mathematical abilities, social skills, memory, literacy, and general intelligence in children who take music lessons? Yes, that’s already a proven fact but we don’t need to enroll our kids in expensive music classes. Why do we have to when we can do it in the comfort of our homes – just before they sleep. Don’t know how to do it? Then just watch how my hubby does it with our son. In this video, they’re singing the song, Open the Eyes of My Heart, by Michael Smith.

If you look closely at the video you can see how my son adores his Dad and how his Dad adores him.  While singing they never take their eyes off each other and it’s obvious they both enjoy their simple activity.  I guess this video is enough to convince you how powerful a bedtime routine can be and how great an impact it can have to you and your child’s relationship.  It doesn’t have something that’s boring – it can be something that’s both fun and enjoyable for the parent and the child and my hubby showed the perfect way to do it.

Step 3.  To wind down, hubby will open the Children’s Bible and read Z a short Bible story.  Z’s Bible has lots of pictures and it personally picked by his Dad at the bookstore.  He was really particular with the Bible that he bought (we went to three different bookstores before we found the perfect one) – he wanted something with lots  and lots of colorful pictures.  The pictures would keep Z interested, he said, and that’s his secret.  It worked because Z would always listen attentively every time his Dad would read him a Bible story.

Step 4.  Dad and Z would close their routine with another prayer.  Z has his own special prayer asking Jesus to keep “scary man” out of his dreams.  He would never fail to pray for this every night and I guess it’s his secret why he always sleep soundly at night.

I hope you learned a thing or two about the three bedtime routines I told you about. I am actually on the way and we will be having a new addition to our family in a few months. I’m so excited that now I have lots of experiences with the bedtime routine. With the help of technology, JOHNSON´S® Baby Bedtime Products, and of course, what my  I learned from my husband I am confident our new baby will have a good night’s sleep.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my very long post. I just had to share with all the moms out there what I know. I’m sure you also have your own experiences. Please share your experiences at here and get a chance to win Johnson’s Baby Products.

Ginger anodyne clears the palate

My hubby’s aunt is in the hunt for local jobs. She has been working as a casual employee in a SPED center but was, unfortunately, laid off. She said her wage was not much but it surely helped a lot in their day-to-day needs.

I told her not to worry because there are a lot of local jobs for her. She still has three kids in school and she doesn’t want to go to far to work. I told her to check the local newspaper for available jobs. She can also go online to search for work. I’m sure she can find work within her area there or maybe she’ll even find an online job just like myself so she doesn’t have to leave the comfort of her home.  Until now, she’s still in the lookout for a job but we’re hopeful she’ll find something soon enough.

Google is really a genius. It has helped my blogging life a lot. No I am not talking about blogspot but Google Docs. I can’t believe how useful it has been for me. From making a sign up form to compiling everything in a spreadsheet I don’t have to do anything at all.

When I started BC Bloggers I didn’t know it was going to be this big. We’re now on our fourth batch and to date there has been more than 500 blogs signing up. Although I was happy it was such a huge success organizing everything has given me nightmares. Imagine hundreds of bloggers emailing me their blogs. I have to copy and paste everything, answer all their queries, manually check if the links they have given are A-Ok. I didn’t know how I survived without an assistant back then.

Now, I still don’t have an assistant but I am sleeping more soundly than ever. While I am off to dreamland, Google Doc is awake 24/7 receiving all the entries and compiling them into a neat spreadsheet. I don’t receive that many questions any more because everything is explained in the sign up sheet courtesy of, of course, who else but Google Docs.

Google Docs is really a neat invention.  It’s so simple yet it makes so much sense.  I wonder why nobody has ever thought about doing it before.

I’m so grateful for the laptop I’m using. It has been my companion for two years already. It has accompanied me from my very first job online. It has seen me cry with frustration and laugh with delight. It has witnessed my journey towards working-at-home.

I swear it is the most dependable laptop ever! It has never conked out on me. It has been an obedient slave to my fingers. That’s why I have grown so fond of it over the years.

But now that it’s already two years old I am beginning to get scared. It’s still as obedient as ever but I can feel that it’s getting worn out. I know sooner or later it will retire. How I wish we were able to get a laptop insurance. Laptop insurance will protect your laptop from replacement costs from the day you sign up up to 12 months. Since I can’t afford to be without one even for one day because this helps me with my job I need to be prepared in case the worst but inevitable thing happens. I will still inquire if they accept old laptops. If they do I would have to sign up right away.