Quick Bytes..

I posted awhile back that our home’s basement is nearing completion, and that half of it would be my father’s “office”. The other half we planned to make the family’s recreation room. We are planning to put up a home theater system with the widest flatscreen TV we can afford. Hehe! It was my mother’s dream to have a really big TV screen. Perhaps to aid her and Papa’s failing eyes while watching TV, lol =) Anyway, just imagine watching TV shows with screen this WIDE –-

WOW!!! I had no idea LCD or plasma tvs can be bigger than me, lol! If I were watching a travel show featuring an exotic place, with the screen this big, I know I’d feel that I’m in the exotic place too. Damn, it’s like virtual reality! I LOVE!!

I just read in Sunstar that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) released its revisions to the Administrative Order AHS-2008-15, otherwise known as the Rules and Regulations for the Use and Operation of Motorcycles on Highways. Among the most-welcomed change was the easing on the helmet requirement. Helmets are still required, but motorcycle owners have five years to upgrade to the full-faced ones. Cargo is now also allowed, but with specific sizes. The LTO also clarified that the horn, brake, side mirror, headlight, and turn signals are not accessories but are “basic and vital parts” of a motorcycle. Modifications on motorcycles (like adding Baron Custom Accessories or stainless steel backsplash) do not require the prior approval of the LTO and the DTI.

Based on Memorandum Order AHS-2008-01, LTO Assistant Secretary Alberto Suansing said the revision was the product of a series of public consultations that came following protests of motorcycle riders over some of the provisions. Section 6 of AHS-2008-15, which states that only one other rider is allowed on a motorcycle or scooter and must be provided with a seat and footrest and must wear a helmet, remains mandatory in national and highly urbanized city roads.Failure of the rider and/or passenger to wear a helmet is penalized with a fine with accessory penalty of the driver/rider attending a seminar on traffic safety management conducted by the LTO. Wearing ordinary closed shoes instead of boots when driving a motorcycle is also now allowed.

I’m sure you’ve heard about bariatric surgery as an effective means to lose weight (forget about fat loss pills, surgery is the IN thing these days!). Google before & after images of people who underwent this procedure and prepare to be amazed! But before you get excited, this type of surgery isn’t for everyone. According to the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), bariatric surgery is the term for surgical operations to help promote weight loss. However, these procedures are only considered for people with severe obesity (BMI of 30 or more) and for those wherein medical treatments, including lifestyle changes of healthful eating and regular exercise, have not been effective. Here’s an overview of what consists bariatric surgery:

The hottest type of procedure right now is the Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding or LAGB / LAP-BAND® System procedure. Unlike other bariatric procedures, the laparoscopic gastric banding (pictured at left) is not so invasive. The surgeon just inserts an inflatable adjustable gastric band through small (laparoscopic) incisions and positions the band around the upper portion of your stomach. This creates a small stomach pouch and passageway into the lower part of the stomach. This will allow you to feel full and satisfied even though you’re actually eating less. It doesn’t require cutting, stapling or rerouting of the stomach or intestines thus, risks are lower and there are less serious long-term complications. If you’re from Texas, weight loss surgery houston is available. The procedure can even be performed in an outpatient (day surgery) setting! That means recovery period is shorter than the other bariatric surgical procedures. If you are interested, please consult your doctor for further information. Here’s to living healthy and living lite! =)

Books are listed in chronological order (according to story timeline). Contact me at 09177041028 or just leave a message here =) I’m also open to trade, Labsie and I are avid Dragonlance collectors!

I just read a Forbes article of the world’s top 20 billionaire heiresses and I’m so starstruck. Err, more like $$$struck! Hehe! And no, Paris Hilton is not on the list, she’s just on #56. Tsk! Anyhoo, below are the top 3 and other interesting heiresses. For the complete list, go HERE. Enjoy reading! =)

*Vanisha Mittal tops the ranking. Daughter of Indian-born, London-based steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, Forbes estimates his net worth at $51 billion.
*Number two on the list: Delphine Arnault Gancia, daughter of France’s Bernard Arnault ($26 billion), who runs the Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton luxury goods empire.
*At No. 3 is Marta Ortega Perez, the youngest child of Spain’s richest resident Amancio Ortega ($24 billion), the self-made apparel manufacturing giant.

*Both Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ($11.5 billion), and Paige Johnson, daughter of Black Entertainment Television founders Robert ($1 billion) and Sheila Johnson, are world-class equestrians (I wonder where they buy their gorgeous high-end breeches) with scores of championships under their respective belts.
*Josie Ho Chiu Yi, daughter of one of Hong Kong’s richest men Stanley Ho ($7 billion), is an indie rocker with several films and commercials to her credit.

Unlike most houses, we don’t have a garage. For some reason, while we were renovating our home, we completely forgot to plan for a garage. Must be because we’ve been parking our cars outside (and exposed to the elements) for a long time now that it just escaped us to build a garage. Our neighbor, on the other hand, has three garages, one for each of his automobiles — one car for regular use, one vintage car, and one sports motorcycle. Yeah, our neighbor is rich! :p Now, my parents added building a garage to their list of projects that are part of our home renovations (going on nearly 4 years already, ackk!).

Mama has been asking for suggestions on designing the garage, but I’m stumped. The only thing I told her is to NOT use light-colored garage floors as pictured above. I felt it would dirty up so fast and would require constant cleaning. Dark-colored or black garage flooring, on the other hand, would hide the dirt and mucky stuff. No cleaning required! Hehe! Also it would be nice if the garage had storage bins and cabinets and lockers. I want it to be an organizing area for everything — keep the garage neat and tidy always =)

One of my best friend got married on the first week of January (read about it HERE). And now, my other best friend is getting married this May! And with less than 4 months to go, she’s scrambling with their wedding preparations. The wedding invitation is her priority and she’s planning to DIY it. To help her achieve what she wanted, I showed her the wedding invites I made for our own wedding. The printing was tiring but putting it all together was easy — I didn’t even need a box cutter! Anyway, you can view it all HERE. Enjoy and I hope it helps you too!

* A - Age: 28

* B - Band Listening To Right Now: nada

* C - Career: licensed MD but decided to be a stay-at-home wife for the moment =)

* D - Drink or Smoke: drink! never had a smoke in my life

* E - Easiest Friends To Talk To: Labsie, Chin, Jinx =)

* G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: nada, don’t like the taste! ughh!

* H - Have a Boyfriend: yes, same one for 9 years then we got married ^_^

* I - In love: super duper! hehe

* J - Junk Food You Like: red chippy and fish crackers!

* K- Kids: don’t wanttttt.. but I got pregnant anyway and we are expecting her to come in about 5-8 weeks :p bring out the celebratory cigars before or on March 26!

* L - Longest Ride Ever: from Philippines to Hong Kong

* N - Names For Your Future Kids: Laurana Tatiana and Tristan Gabriel

* O - One Wish You Have Now: that our daughter will be born healthy =) and of course, that I’ll have an easy labor if possible.. pretty please God? hehe!

* P - Phobias: cockroaches, ewww!

* Q - Favorite Quote: “Anything less than mad, passionate love isn’t worth my time!”

* R - Reasons To Smile: having a great family and a loving husband =)

* S - Sleeping Hours: around 10-11pm

* T - Time You Woke Up: depends on hubby’s work schedule

* U - Unknown Fact About You: I’d rather it stays unknown, hehe

* V - Vegetable You Hate: saluyot, anything slimy! ughh!

* W - Worst Habit: procrastinating -_-

* X - X-rays You’ve Had: chest

* Y - Yummy Foods: japanese, chinese, european, filipino, everything!!! hehe! *glutton*

* Z - Zodiac Sign: cancer!

So my parents arrived today, inspected our house (we had several small quakes the past weeks) and found out that our faucets and other plumbing stuff are leaking. We are now looking to replace these damaged items and I’m very interested in buying from Danze! Danze faucets come in sleek to ornate to retro with a twist designs. They have over 1,000 unique designs for you to choose from and I’m sure, there’s a faucet that would fit your personal style! My fave is the one pictured at left, love the sleek minimalist design! =)

And that makes me sooo happy! Why? Coz I’m sure they have tons of foodstuffs for us! Hehe! My lil bro “ordered” half a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts while I asked for Pizza donuts from Gonuts Donuts — yummy!! =) Yeah, I’m a food addict! And it only intensified when I got pregnant :p Anyway, my parents will be arriving around lunch time tomorrow. And aside from food, they’ll also be bringing the life insurance quote from my Mom’s colleague and the baby clothes I ordered online. Woohoo!! Our baby’s layette will soon be complete! =)

DANG!! And this isn’t just another baseless rumor — the acerbic judge himself announced his departure from Fox’s popular singing show! Aawww.. What will happen to American Idol now? Paula Abdul is gone and next season, Simon Cowell will be gone too =( Fox network announced at the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour in Pasadena, California that Cowell’s popular U.K. talent show, “The X Factor,” will be coming to the United States in the fall of 2011 with him serving as both executive producer and judge. “I want to leave ‘Idol’ this year bigger and better than it was in the past,” Simon Cowell said at the TCA tour. Oh well, at least he’s not leaving judging or show business to sell textbooks or what-nots in UK :p I’ll definitely watch “The X Factor” once it’s on! Will you?

As you know, I have 6 personal blogs that I try to update weekly. More often than not, I fail.. Still, I always try to update once my “busy” schedule (okay, my laziness..) clears up :p Anyway, below are the latest blog posts in my 4 blogs. My other 2 blogs (food and make money online) are sooo badly neglected. Tsk! =( Enjoy the posts! There’ll be more after I finish looking for the best fat burning supplement to help me regain my pre-pregnancy bod after giving birth =)

Later this day I will attend the second session of Lamaze classes (out of six) and hubby will be with me, yippee! He works Sundays and I’m so thankful his boss allowed him to attend the sessions where the hubby is required. Otherwise, I would have to bring in another birth partner. Thank you so much for understanding Sir Mhel! =D So, what’s Lamaze? It is a prepared childbirth technique developed in the 1940s by French obstetrician Dr. Fernand Lamaze. It is an alternative to the use of medical intervention during childbirth which involved breathing and relaxation techniques. The classes will teach these techniques (with your birth partner helping you along) to divert your attention from the pain of labor to the breathing exercise.

According to Wikipedia, modern Lamaze childbirth classes teach expectant mothers many ways to work with the labor process to reduce the pain associated with childbirth, and to promote normal (physiological) birth and the first moments after birth. Techniques include allowing labor to begin on its own, movement and positions, massage, aromatherapy, phisoderm, hot and cold packs, informed consent and informed refusal, breathing techniques, the use of a “birth ball” (yoga or exercise ball), spontaneous pushing, upright positions for labor and birth, breastfeeding techniques, and keeping mother and baby together after childbirth.

Saturday 9: When We Was Fab

1. Is there a blog as far as its appearance goes that you think is the most fabulous?
- XIAXUE’s blog! It’s all pink and oh-so cute! =) Plus she does great product reviews of stuff that helps women beautify themselves like wrinkle fillers, whitening stuff, makeup, etc, etc.

2. Do you like the look and the contents of your blogs?
- Yep! The look could be better but I’m not really known for my designing skills, hehe

3. Have you ever thought what would happen to your blog in case you died?
- Haven’t thought of that! I’ve always thought that the blogging phenomenom will die a natural death before I pass away..

4. Has any particular blogger had a great impact on how you set up and write your blog?
- No one in particular. I’ve been a writer since grade school so I have my own writing style.

5. Would you want a fellow blogger to give you suggestions or criticism of what you write?
- Sure! There’s always room for involvement =)

6. Is the number of visitors each day to your blog important to you?
- Not really.. Blogging is a release for me, not a popularity contest.

7. What percentage of your readers do you think actual comment?
- Less than 10% :p

8. Do you have a favorite blogger who does the memes that you participate in?
- Nope.. I just join memes when I feel like it. I really don’t join weekly memes every week nor do I have a fave blogger who does memes.

9. How often do you update your blog/site and why?
- I have 5 personal blogs and I usually update them when there’s something interesting to blog about.