A Laid Back Life In Ormond Beach

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A Long Weekend Ahead

Sep 4th 2010

By: Site Admin

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

It is a start of a long weekend for everyone. On Monday, there is no work for parents and no school for the kids. It is in celebration of Labor Day. If you are in the Philippines, this day is celebrated every 1^st of May. But here in the US, it is September 6.

It is a good time to unwind and relax. Go somewhere far from home. Somewhere serene and tranquil. But if you want a wild weekend, go and treat your friends to a fun-filled vacation. Yes, all of your friends! If you are already daydreaming of this scenario, you should join Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes. What is the grand prize? Of course, a weekend stay for you and a hundred of your friends. If you friends are not that many, invite your neighbors. It is a good way to reach out and build a (neighborly) relationship.

It also seems that, there are many events going on during the weekend. If you are in the beach-side of Florida, surfing competition is prominent, like the 25^th NKF Labor Day Surf Festival in Cocoa Beach. The waves are pretty awesome for these past few days courtesy of the hurricane somewhere in the Atlantic. If you are the music-minded groupies, go to rock concerts. They have one free concert in Oceanwalk at Daytona Beach. Sounds fun!

Anyway, there is no harm in trying your luck and joining the contest. Who knows? This is your lucky week.
Blogging

A Long Weekend Ahead
My Weekend Blab

Aug 28th 2010

By: Site Admin

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Before I start my blab, let me extend my gratitude to TheWebHostingHero.Com for featuring this blog as one of the iPage sample websites. It has led quite a number of hits from their site to mine. The power of linking is truly amazing. Thank you again.

Coke Classic & Bazooka Bubble Gum

This week has gone so fast. The weather is still humid, with a little bit of drizzle here and there. It is a sign that another season in coming soon – a season that I am not so fond of. Aside from the hurricanes, it also ushers to the cool climate. My Asian skin will itch again like crazy from extreme dryness. Anyway, I bought some lotion to remedy this foreseen problem. From the same grocery shopping trip, I found Coke Classic in bottles and Bazooka Bubble Gum! The gum brought back memories of my childhood. It was (and still is) my favorite gum! I also like, the 8 oz. Coke Classic in a bottle. It tastes better than a Coke in a plastic or in an aluminum can. At $5.29 for a 6-pack, it is a little expensive as compared to Coke in cans. I bought it anyway. This is definitely not me! I always go for what is cheaper. It is worth it though. It got me to reminisce the happy moments back home and the sari-sari store in my neighborhood.
Culture, Personal

My Weekend Blab
Miss Universe 2010 Final 5 Question & Answer

Aug 24th 2010

By: Site Admin

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I was literally jumping during last night’s Miss Universe 2010 show. Aside from being the crowd’s favorite, Miss Maria Venus Raj garnered high scores. She was a top contender to the crown’s recipient. Just imagine my delight when they called her name to the final 5! Then came the dreaded question and answer portion….

The minute she’s done with her answer, I knew that she would be the 4th runner up. All the other girls’ answers were smart and articulate . As for Miss Philippines, she did not really answer the judge’s question. She was just bluffing for the sake of talking.

At least, she got a part of the top five. Better luck next time, Philippines.
Entertainment

Miss Maria Venus Raj, Miss Universe 2010 Coronation Night, Miss Universe 2010 Final 5 Question & Answer
Good Luck, Miss Philippines Venus Raj!

Aug 20th 2010

By: Site Admin

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Miss Philippines Venus Raj
Entertainment

Good Luck, Miss Philippines Venuz Raj!
Home-sick and Lonely

Aug 19th 2010

By: Site Admin

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One of the last few pictures before leaving the Philippines

September 4 marks the day when my little mushroom and I left our native country, the Philippines, to settle here in Florida for good. She was five years old then. We are now on our 3^rd year of enjoying the Florida sun and the 3^rd year of longing to see our relatives back home. I sometimes forget that, I am in the US. This is probably because, I also worked with westerners in my previous job in the Philippines. When reality strikes that I am an “alien” here, I miss the Philippines the more. Sad to say, my little mushroom sees herself more of the western side. I asked her once, “What are you?”. She replied, “I am Filipino-American”. I was surprised, because I expect her to say, “I am a Filipino”. Obviously, I failed. Aside from forgetting Bisaya, she thinks like a western kid. In a way, I am glad about it. There are some Filipinos beliefs and customs that I do not agree. Let us say, I am an open-minded Filipino.

Anyway, I miss my friends and family. I miss the TGIF parties. I miss the simple life. I miss chilling and not worrying about what life may bring.
Personal

Home-sick and Lonely
Back to School Dollar Deals at Office Depot

Aug 14th 2010

By: Site Admin

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School will commence next week. I did some shopping for our little mushroom’s school supplies and boy, I was glad that I went to Office Depot in Granada Blvd. The store is running a back-to-school promo. With a minimum purchase of $30.00, you can get a $10.00 off. Since I got a total bill of $53.00, I only paid $43.00!

I also noticed one thing – Scholastic brand is a good option for Crayola. Case in point, a Crayola 24-pc pack crayons costs $2.99, while a Scholastic’s 24-pc pack is only $0.69! The quality – it is more or less the same. Why am I saying this? All children’s products sold in the US market must pass a very strict standard or else, it can not be marketed. I mean, this is across the board. So the difference in the cost of both brands is most likely because of marketing and advertising.

If you plan of buying your kid’s stuff at Office Depot, look for a stand on where they put all the grade’s level checklist recommended by the Volusia School District. At the back of the list is the discount coupon! Enjoy saving!
Promotions & Deals, Uncategorized

Back to School Dollar Deals at Office Depot
Saving While Doing The Laundry

Aug 10th 2010

By: Site Admin

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How is this possible?

Starting tomorrow, August 11, a 100 oz. Tide liquid laundry detergent will be sold for $14.99! Okay, that is clearly not a deal. Wait for it, wait for it. Get 1 100 oz. Tide liquid laundry detergent and get all 4 of these items.

Resolve Spray ‘n Wash 22 oz.

Winn Dixie bleach 96 oz.

Snuggle liquid softener 32 load

Bounce fabric sheets 40 ct.

Very timely, indeed. I am about to replenish my laundry products this weekend. I am very pleased!

I heart Winn Dixie!
Promotions & Deals

Saving While Doing The Laundry
A Quick Fix To Hunger

Aug 9th 2010

By: Site Admin

2 comments
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of ampm. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whenever I am not in the mood of brewing my own coffee to bring to work, I usually drop by at the nearest jiffy store, also known as convenience or 24/7 store, to grab a cup. For two dollars, my caffeine need for the day is satisfied. Truly, I am grateful that there is a lot of jiffy stores around town.

Doo Ray Moo

These jiffy stores do not only quench our thirst. They also offer a quick fix to hunger. Let us take ampm. This chain of convenience store has quite a number of palatable finger-food and snack to sell to hungry motorists. In fact, they are known for frequently innovating a traditional American or Latin snack food into something different. They call it – secret menu items. If you are to see what they offer, you will be surprised. It is totally outside the box. Check out their Facebook account and see it for yourself. Look for the secret menu tab. With just a click, their secret menu is revealed. You can also leave a comment on whatever food item that catch your attention. You can also create your own recipe using the most outrageous combination of ingredients.

Today’s secret menu is Doo Ray Moo. It is basically a double cheeseburger and a glazed doughnut (split in half). It is serve just like a burger. Weird isn’t it? But guess what, some people still like it.
Food

A Quick Fix To Hunger
Simplified Stuffed Pork Chops

Aug 6th 2010

By: Site Admin

2 comments
TGIF. But at dinner time, I was in a predicament of not knowing what to cook for dinner. I wanted something simple, and did not require too many ingredients. Then, I thought of surfing in the web for a simple pork recipe, and I got this - stuffed pork chops! Easy and yummy! Everybody’s happy!

I pan -seared one side of the pork chops, and then baked it in the over for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.
Food

Simplified Stuffed Porks Chops
Miss Philippines Candidate to Miss Universe 2010

Jul 28th 2010

By: Site Admin

2 comments
This coming August 23 is the much-awaited event for beauty pageant fanatics in the world – the Miss Universe 2010 Pageant. The said event will be held at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Eighty-two hopefuls will compete for the title.

The Philippines candidate is the controversial 22-year old, Ms. Venus Raj. If you remember, she was crowned the title of Binibining Pilipinas – Universe last March 2010 at the Araneta Coliseum, Manila. Two weeks after the grand coronation night, she was dethroned due to a questionable nationality and inconsistency in her birth record. She was born out of wedlock in Doha, Qatar from a Filipina mother and an Indian father. However, from infancy until now, she has lived in the Philippines with her family. The dethronement caused a massive controversy amongst the beauty pageant industry. The show organizer, BPCI, was scrutinized and was subjected to criticism. Obviously, it was their negligence and irregularities that caused the problem. Right from the beginning, they should have disqualified Ms. Raj, if she did not pass the requirements. Ms. Raj, along with her countless number of followers, fought for this injustice and she succeeded.

On April 10, BPCI reversed their decision and gave Ms. Raj an opportunity to correct any clerical error in her birth record. Ultimately, she had to get a valid Philippine passport to prove her citizenship From a humble beginning in a nipa hut in the middle of a rice paddy in the hinterland of the Bicol Region, she knew that she had a valid reason to fight for her cause. It was not about the money. It was a fight and a chase for her dream. On May 9, she got her passport and officially reclaimed her title.

Miss Philippines Venuz Raj - a photo for the Miss Universe Pageant and photos inside her nipa house in the Philippines (source : Wish Ko Lang)

I know, all the candidates to this pageant are all stunning. But I hope that, this time – the Ms. Universe judges can see through the optimism and the good-heart of Ms. Philippines. A good role model for a modern-day woman.

Let us wait and see. Good luck, Ms. Philippines – Venus Raj!
Community Events, Entertainment, Uncategorized

Miss Philippines Candidate to Miss Universe 2010, Ms. Venus Raj
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