How To Make Your Bathroom Look Elegant

Everyone envisions a beautiful dream house. Every part of the home is very important. Take for example the bathroom; it's a frequently used part of the house. It is functional and yet many people choose to make it elegant.

Here are some suggestions on how to transform purely functional bathrooms into Bathroom Suites. Make your ordinary bathroom look lovely and classy.

1. Plain tiles can be quite boring. You'll be amazed at how some accent tiles can add color and character to your bathroom. Choose a color and design that you like.

2. The bathroom mirror can be a nice accent as well. Choose from a wide variety of elegant mirrors that will best suit your bathroom. If there is enough space, you can add light fixtures on both sides to compliment your choice of mirror.

3. Invest on a nice marble or granite counter top. Make sure it compliments the color of the bathroom wall and tiles.

4. Live plants is a nice touch. A potted plant or a vase with fresh flowers on the bathroom counter top is refreshing.

5. Choose quality bathroom fixtures (faucets, showers, basins, etc.).

6. It's always inviting to go inside a bathroom with a refreshing scent. You can add floral fragrances, scented candles and scented oils.

7. If you have a spacious bathroom, you can add some nice bathroom furniture for a touch of luxury.

** courtesy of Better Bathrooms **

Our New Year Traditions

Before I start getting busy with our preparations, let me share some of my family's New Year traditions.

• Cleaning the house before New Year.
  
• Serving 13 fruits on the table table. Most of these fruits are round ones to symbolize prosperity.
• Putting a bowl of rice, sugar and salt on the table.
  
• Wearing red brings good luck.
• Eating 12 grapes at midnight. Each grape symbolizes a prosperous month of the year.
  
• Putting coins in the pocket to have a prosperous year ahead.
  
• Refraining from serving chicken because of the saying, "Isang kahig, isang tuka." They say a chicken's way of life somehow connotes struggles or tough times.
• Opening lights, windows and doors before midnight to welcome in good graces to your home.
• Scattering coins on the floor at midnight.
• Creating loud noises to drive away evil spirits and bad luck.
  

Would you like to share some of your traditions?

Choose Holiday Frames

Just a few more hours and it's a brand new year. Time for new beginnings. The new year is a big celebration for many of us.

Don't worry, the holiday is not over yet. You still have time to get yourself or someone special a set of Holiday frames. Check out all the quality prescription glasses and find one that you like. It's now easy to find stylish and high quality prescription glasses online. You can choose from a large number of eyeglasses models or styles at affordable prices. I particularly like the red frames. I don't often see this lovely color and I think it's a refreshing choice for eyeglasses.

Ordering for a pair of glasses online is easy and convenient. You can simply choose from a list of eyeglass categories then find a suitable frame based on your preference. After that, just fill out order form and send to online shopping cart. It's that simple and worry free.

Happy New Year!

I want to wish everyone a festive and safe New Year's Eve celebration tonight. I'm sorry if I haven't been posting lately. I'm always out of the house. I'm taking advantage of the long Christmas break to meet friends and relatives. I'll share some photos soon.

Hope everyone will have a prosperous New Year. May you all receive wonderful blessings and best of health. God bless.

Envision A Great Future For Yourself

I believe that education is a one of the greatest keys toward success in life. Everyone of us has an ambition or goal in life. There's no harm in aiming high. A great ambition in life can be your ultimate motivation for success. Taking up a master's degree will give you a broader scope of knowledge on your field of choice. It will also boost your confidence level and enhance your leadership skills.

An online master degree will give an individual a great opportunity to advance his or her career. It is also a great source of network in different industries. It can open many doors of opportunities, in terms of salary as well as career. A masters program online can be your key towards achieving the goals you have set for yourself. You can check out different featured online masters degrees and determine the best one for you. Envision a great future for yourself when you invest your time, money and effort to have advance education.

Happy Thoughts Today and Tomorrow

Fill this moment and tomorrow with positive thoughts. Think of wonderful memories, love, joy and visions of happiness. When you do, you will feel a sense of enlightenment and joy.

Yuletide Road Safety

I hope you're all enjoying the long and extended Christmas break. I'm sure many of you are always out on the road. I want to take this opportunity to remind you about road safety this Yuletide season. It's okay to have fun but remember to prioritize your safety especially when you're out driving.

Here are some friendly reminders:

1. Always wear your seat belt whether you're going to take a short or long trip.

2. Be alert while you're driving. Pay attention to Traffic Control Devices and cones
on the road.

3. Do not use your cellphone while driving. If you have to send an important SMS or take a call, pull over to the side first.

4. Follow road signs and traffic rules. Remember that every road sign is there for a purpose. Don't take them for granted.

5. Bring Personal Safety Products especially flashlights. They will come in handy especially during emergency situations.

6. Be extra careful when driving at night. Always keep your eyes on the road. Watch out for crossing pedestrians.

7. If there is an on-going construction on the road, look for Vehicular Warning Lights to guide you along the way. Those warning lights will help you avoid potentially dangerous areas.

Have a safe Yuletide season everyone!

Merry Christmas To All!

In behalf of my family, I would like to greet everyone a Merry Christmas! May love, joy, and hope fill your hearts this season. God bless.

Responsibility Behind A Loan

Christmas is a season for giving. Giving gifts equate to spending. Left and right purchases this Christmas season may have created a big dent in your budget and savings. Fear not, you have the option to get a cash advance to tide you over until your next pay day. Yellow Leaf Financial is offering quick and simple online cash advance to people in need of fast cash solution. The application is very easy. It might even just take 5 minutes or less. If you find yourself in a tight cash situation this Christmas season, you can avail of payday loan in a matter of minutes. You don't have to worry if you have poor credit. As long as you have a regular monthly income to cover what you borrow then you can easily avail of a loan.

Remember that getting a loan is a big responsibility. It is an easy and quick fix for your cash problems but you should be responsible in paying it back based on the terms agreed upon. Don't make the mistake of borrowing money that you have no means of paying back. Instead of solving a cash problem, you might just add a deeper problem. Be smart and borrow only what you need. Make certain that you can pay back the amount you loan.

Christmas Wishes

May you all have ...

PEACE in your heart.

MEANING in your life.

HEALTH of the body.

JOY in your home.

Wishing everyone a Beautiful Christmas!

How To Score Better In Your SAT

SAT is a very significant test in the United States. It is a standardized test for college admissions in the U.S. High School students depend greatly on their SAT scores to enter the school of their choice. The higher the SAT score, the better chances for a student to get into a good college. It is like an important key that can help unlock the door of future education. Failing to get this key will be a great disadvantage to an aspiring student because he or she cannot enter college.

Many high school students are worried about their upcoming SAT. They realize that their SAT results will have a big impact in their lives. Brightstorm has come up with an online course that can help high school students get favorable SAT scores. Erin Hyman talks about the SAT Critical Reading Course. It's a very interesting and helpful course for high school students. The SAT Critical Reading Course will help a student read the relevant information and learn how to make maps that will allow the student to go back to the things that were left behind. The course will turn a student into a better reader with a wider range of vocabulary. Sign up for a free brightstorm acocunt to learn more.

Yohanism #28

I was watching the movie E.T. with Yohan last night. There was a part where the boy named Elliot was about to dissect a frog in class. Each student had a glass bottle with a frog inside. The teacher went around putting a cotton with ammonia in each bottle. The teacher instructed the students to close the lid of the bottle so that the frogs can go to sleep. The teacher was reassuring the students that the frogs won't feel a thing. That was when Yohan asked me what will happen to the frogs. I told him what dissecting a frog means. I made a huge mistake of telling him that when I was a student I experienced dissecting a frog. Yohan got terribly upset. This was the conversation that followed ...

Yohan: "Why did you hurt the frog?! It's part of mother nature! It's a living thing!"

Me: "It was part of my class. My teacher asked me to do it."

Yohan: "Is your teacher a boy or a girl?"

Me: I was puzzled but replied, "a girl."

Yohan: "Bad teacher! I will tell her to stop hurting frogs! She should not have that kind of project ever again!"

Tears began running down Yohan's cheeks. I realized he was too young to understand the concept of dissecting frogs. I tried to lie ...

Me: "I was just joking, we didn't use a real frog. Just a toy one."

Yohan didn't accept my explanation. He was sitting down on my lap facing me. He held my face with his hands and looked directly at my eyes ...

Yohan: "Tell me the truth. Did you use a real frog or a toy one? Tell me the truth."

I was in a hot seat. For the life of me, I couldn't continue the lie I started.

Me: "I'm sorry. OK, we used a real frog. Are you mad at mommy?"

Yohan: "I'm mad at your teacher! She shouldn't hurt frogs."

I did my best to fix the situation. I wanted him to stop crying. He was missing some parts of the movie already.

Me: "Don't cry anymore. You know, the frog didn't feel any pain. After that, I sewed the frog's chest and let him go free." (I lied.)

Yohan: "Really? All the frogs didn't die?"

Me: "Yes. The class freed all the frogs in the school pond."

Upon hearing that Yohan started feeling better. I will be more careful about what I tell my son next time.

Lanai Activities

When the weather is great, I always make it a point to spend some time with my family at the lanai. We have a small garden at the back and a covered veranda with patio furniture. It's one of my family's favorite place to hang out at home.

My family and I love doing fun and rewarding activities at the lanai. Here are some simple but great bonding activities that we enjoy doing at our backyard.

• Eating Snacks and Chatting - It's so relaxing to just sit at the lanai, listen to some music, eat snacks and chat.
  

• Blowing Bubbles - I always have a large bottle of bubble solution at home. Blowing bubbles in the air is fun. My son even has a small bubble machine that makes big and small bubbles.

• Mini Basketball - My son has a junior basketball stand at the backyard. He loves shooting some hoops with his Dad.
  

• Miniature Golf - My son has a toy golf set that we use for the game.
  

• Painting - I love painting with my son outdoors. I always have poster paint and paper ready when inspiration strikes.
  

I would like to make some improvements in our lanai. It would be nice to have one of those patio umbrellas. I would also like to change our existing furniture into wicker furniture.

Weekend Snapshot #55

To join this weekly meme, click here.

A Taste of NY Pizza

The secret to authentic New York Pizza is the sauce and the crisp chewy dough. Brooklyn Pizza doesn't make "New York Style" pizzas but "New York" pizzas!

After doing a bit of Christmas shopping last weekend, we stopped for a pizza fix at Brooklyn Pizza (A Slice of New York). We ordered a huge pizza with 4 flavors:

• White Pizza - Mozzarella, Parmesan and Ricotta Cheese
• Pepperoni - Pepperoni
  
• Porko - Italian Sausage, Ham, Pepperoni and Bacon
• Deluxe - Italian Sausage, Ham, Pepperoni, Bacon, Black Olives, Green Peppers, Onions and Mushrooms
  

My favorite is the White Pizza. Each slice is huge so after finishing one, I didn't have room for dessert anymore. We took the rest of the pizza home.

Theme Inspired T-shirts

I have been busy attending Christmas gatherings and parties lately. The holiday season is a perfect time to catch up with family and friends. It's sad because some gatherings coincided with one another and I had no choice but to skip some of them. There would have been no problem if they were scheduled apart from one another.

It is just a few more days until Christmas. I can't believe how fast the days went. I have been busy attending gatherings and realized that I'm not yet finished with my Christmas shopping. I still have to do some last minute shopping tomorrow. I love this season but the Christmas rush can be tiring and stressful.

If you need more gift ideas, you might consider giving theme inspired t-shirts. Find out the interests of the recipient and give him or her a shirt that relates to a particular interest. Find out if the recipient loves a particular type of sport. If that person likes baseball then a baseball theme t-shirt would be perfect. Perhaps that person might be interested in UFC t-shirts.

Another fun theme is TV Shows. You can give out a t-shirt bearing the recipient's favorite TV show. One of the popular TV show inspired t-shirts are the seinfeld t-shirts. Music is another theme that a lot of people will appreciate. Check out the cool johnny cash t-shirts.

Photo Hunt :: Wide

Come and join the hunt here

I've had this pillow for many years now. It was given to me by my friend back in college. This cute and wide eyed frog is one of my favorite Sanrio characters. His name is Kerokeropi.

3 Word Thursdays #9

meme rules:
*photo must have 3 words in it
*post your photo on your site with a link
back to Ma Vie Folle (or grab button)

I've been so preoccupied lately and I have been so behind with my blog visits. It was my son's Christmas party in school earlier today. That means that it's Christmas break already. Yay!!! Now I have more free time in my hands ... more time to blog. :)

Take a Holiday Vacation

Everyone needs a break from time to time. The holiday is a perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and have that much needed rest. A vacation with the family or friends is a wonderful chance to bond with your loved ones. A vacation will surely re-energize your tired body and mind. Here are some places that you might like to consider during the holiday season.

If you want a splendid location surrounded by lush greeneries and beautiful beaches, you can try jamaica all inclusive resort. Enjoy fun activities such as river rafting, waterfall climbing and horseback riding. It's a good time to fight the stress from work. Take this opportunity to feel pampered and relaxed.

Are you newly weds or a couple celebrating a wedding anniversary? If you've answered yes to the question, then you can consider going on one of those romantic vacations. Let your special day be priceless by doing something new. A nice vacation would be a perfect gift for the person you love.

If you're still in the process of planning your wedding and honeymoon, you can check caribbean weddings. Plan a wedding that you can never forget. Let your dream wedding come true. Create beautiful memories that will last.

T-Shirt Giving

I'm counting the days before Christmas and I almost panicked. It seems I'm caught in the Christmas rush. I still have to buy some more gifts for some relatives and friends before I could complete my list. T-Shirts would be nice Christmas gifts.

I'm thinking of getting my cousins and nephews Batman t-shirts, Superman t-shirts and Spider man t-shirts. They love reading comic books and watching these superhero characters on TV. One of my cousins have a wide collection of Spider man times like posters, action figures, shirts, bags and caps.

I have a cousin who would surely appreciate one of those Bob Marley t-shirts because he's a big fan. In fact, I first learned about this famous reggae singer from my cousin. I have learned to love Bob Marley's songs too. Among my favorite songs are Could You Be Loved, One Love, and Waiting In Vain. I always remember my cousin whenever I hear one of Bob Marley's songs being played on the radio.

My college friend loves Simpsons. I also find the Simpsons cute and amusing. I'm sure she would love one of those cool Simpsons t-shirts. There are so many other cute Simpsons items like caps, ceramic mugs, plastic glasses, pint glasses, shot glasses, and even ice cube trays.

Fab Holiday Finds (Silver) :: Purse n' Hook

Please click here to join Fab Holiday Finds at The Filipino Mom Blog.

My Silver Fab Holiday Find for this week is this very useful Purse n' Hook. This cool accessory comes with a carrying pouch. Actually my MIL gave me this elephant purse n' hook but I decided to feature it as my Fab Holiday Find because I saw a lot of these at the mall. You can buy one for P280.00 (Alabang Town Center price). It's a perfect gift for Christmas.


This Purse n' Hook is a lovely and useful accessory that keeps your purse/handbag safe and clean by letting it hang from the table top rather than on the floor. The silver elephant (other designs available) rests on the table top and the hook balances your purse/handbag below. I've tried it on my own bag and it really works ...

Weekend Snapshot #54

To join this weekly meme, click here.

Bonding with Cousins

I wasn't able to take photos last weekend because my son was recovering from fever. He was absent for two consecutive days due to on and off fever. I was worried that he was going to miss his 3rd Qtr Exams. Good thing the fever just lasted for two days. He's doing much better now.

I decided to share photos taken on a previous weekend at my in-laws' place. My MIL just got back from her US vacation and the family were there to welcome her home. Yohan received many wonderful gifts including the Leap Frog Tag from Tita Princess. Yohan had fun playing with his cousins, Tisha and Sofie.

Yohan, Tisha and Sofie.

Photo Hunt :: Favorite

Come and join the hunt here

My favorite casual pairs of shoes.

Preschoolers Health

I went to school this morning to talk to my son's teacher. My son has been absent for two consecutive days because of fever. I went to school to ask for a copy of Pointers For Review for my son's 3rd quarterly final exams scheduled next week. I'm happy that my son is doing better today. His fever has subsided but I'm still monitoring him. I'll help him review this weekend for his exams.

The sudden changes in weather lately have made a lot of preschoolers prone to colds, cough and fever. It was a good thing that I let my son stay home today because it's been drizzling since this morning. I heard over the news that there is a storm building up. I hope that the weather will clear up soon. Here's a good site that discusses How to cope with preschool illnesses.

In cold countries, I understand that proper clothing can be essential to a child's health. For instance, during winter toddlers need the right clothes to keep them warmly bundled up without feeling restrained. Dressing toddler for winter means finding suitable warm clothes that does not hinder mobility. Toddlers are naturally full of energy and they need clothes that can allow them to move, stretch and run freely.

3 Word Thursdays #8

meme rules:
*photo must have 3 words in it
*post your photo on your site with a link
back to Ma Vie Folle (or grab button)

Discover Connect Play

It's fun to discover new things, concepts and ideas.
Try to connect new insights, thoughts and knowledge with your life. This might just open new doors for you.
Take time to relax and unwind. All work and no play is a dull life.

I Heart Cupcakes

I miss blogging! I'm happy to be back. I have a lot of blogs to visit. It seems like I have a lot of making up to do. Thanks to everyone who came by while I was 'absent' from blogging. I'll come by and visit everyone soon. I don't think I can do the visiting overnight so please give me a day or two. :)

Let me share these delectable cupcakes I had over the weekend. The pastel colored cupcakes caught my eye while I was shopping with my best friend at ATC. I bought two cupcakes: dark chocolate and blueberry. I even got to choose the candy topper for my cupcakes. Since Christmas is near, I chose a Christmas tree and a gingerbread man.

The cupcakes were delicious. Soft and moist inside. The icing is very sweet but not overpowering.

ienne's cupcakes
Nice and simple packaging.

Dark chocolate cupcake and blueberry cupcake.

I chose a Christmas tree and a gingerbread man as my cupcake toppers.

Wordless Wednesday #46

I attended the anticipated mass at our village with my family last Saturday. After the mass was the lighting of the village Christmas Tree. If you have time, please come and see that lovely tree on my Wordless Wednesday #46.

Just A Litte Busy

To my dear blog friends,

I've been a little busy this past weekend. I'm sorry if I haven't visited many of you lately. I'll catch up with you soon. Hope you understand. Take care.

Christmas Loan

If you need extra budget in time for Christmas, you can consider making an online loan. An individual with a regular income that comes from a stable job can easily meet the requirements of payday loans. You can get a cash advance for all your Christmas purchases. Online payday loans provide people with fast and easy transactions. The application of loan can be done at home through the Internet. You don't have to go to loan offices and wait on long queues. This kind of system allows one to deal with money matters conveniently and privately. You can stop worrying about your short budget because upon approval, you can get your Christmas loan overnight.

Weekend Snapshot #53

To join this weekly meme, click here.

Christmas Decorating

We finally put up our Christmas Tree. It's the same motif as last year. Each year, Yohan helps put the angel topper on top of the tree. We also decorated the rest of the house. It's nice to feel the Christmas spirit at home.

Yohan putting the angel on top of the tree.

Our lighted Christmas Tree.

Santa motif tablecloth.

Santa collection and more.