Monday, April 29, 2013

Educational Toys for Toddlers

I love to shop toys for my toddler. But as much as possible, I try to focus more on educational toys. I want him not only to enjoy his playtime but also learn skills in the process. I am excited to announce that I will soon be reviewing a toy from Educational Toys Planet. I have heard about how awesome this toy company is. They have a wide selection of educational toys that enhances a child's ability to analyze and inspires creativity. I think any toy from them would be perfect for my little guy. We noticed how much he likes to play toys that requires imagination. He's not into battery operated stuff so much. He likes to reinvent the ways on how to play those toys which is kinda cool actually. So I'm really thrilled that I will be soon working with this company. I'm sure Caleb would love to get an educational toy from them.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Five Finger Tees Product Review



I had this wonderful opportunity to work with this cool t-shirt company called Five Finger Tees recently. I love to wear shirts. They have been a staple in my wardrobe for years. I think they are comfortable, laid-back, timeless, cool and trendy. And my most favorite are funny shirts. So you must imagine my excitement when this company agreed to coordinate a product review on my blog. Now, here's a little information about the company:
"FiveFingerTees.com opened in July, 2009 and is completely family owned and operated. We offer a wide variety of movie/TV, pop-culture inspired and down right funny t-shirts that won't break the bank! Our philosophy is simple, we do all the work! From customer service, designing, printing, photography, shipping, web site design, and trying to watch our kids at the same time! By doing this, we keep our overhead really low which gives you the customer a great deal, without having to sacrifice on quality."
Hubby and I actually spent some time browsing through their site and we laughed together over the hilarious phrases on their tees. Of all the cute and funny designs they have, I chose the "I'm Going to Procrastinate All Over This Couch" shirt in Pink. Obviously because I love pink and I'm a big time procrastinator, lol! I thought it's cute and really funny.



I was very impressed with the quality of this shirt when it arrived. It's made of soft preshrunk 100% cotton with double-needle stitching throughout and a seamless rib at neck. And they are profesionally screen printed in the U.S.A. I think this would be perfect for summer since they allow your skin to breathe and you don't feel too hot when you wear this out in the sun. I love how easy the ordering process was. They have assorted wonderful colors to choose from. And most of their shirts only cost $11.99. That's way cheaper than the ones you can find in department stores of lesser quality. Plus you get Free Shipping when you order for more than $50.00.


To show you how Five Finger Tees is like the mother of funny t-shirts, they have included a link in their site where they're supposed to sell half-shirts too. But then, here's what you get when you click on the link:

WHOA!!!

Did you seriously think we sold half shirts?


We're not sure what's worse, the fact that you thought we sold half shirts or the fact that you clicked on this link to purchase a half shirt...Hmmm

Anyway, so this wasn't a complete waste of your time here is a picture of some dude in a half shirt for you to enjoy.

LOL! This cracked me up when I saw this. Anyway, if you're looking to find funny captioned shirts for personal use or even gift ideas, check them out. You can like them on Facebook as well, for more product updates.



*Disclosure: The product mentioned above was given to me for product endorsement/product review purposes. I did not receive any financial compensation to make this review. My opinions are my own and may differ from yours. 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Posy Lane Toddler Backpack Product Review

At two years old, my son gets cabin fever so easily. So I tried to take him out with me to run errands or even just take short walks in the neighborhood or to the park. I would never go out with a toddler without bringing the essentials like snacks, water, few toys, extra diaper, wipes and the like. But I think I'm through with carrying a diaper bag at this stage. I have looked into some toddler backpacks lately because I think he seems to have an interest on carrying one especially if it's loaded with his stuff. Then talk about perfect timing, I had an opportunity to work with Posy Lane, an online store that sells personalized backpacks, tote bags, bath towels, nap mats, blankets and so much more.

I was thrilled to know that it's not just an ordinary backpack, it's got his name on it and I think it's something kids would love to have. His favorite show at the moment is Curious George so I thought I would get him the Stephen Joseph Monkey Quilted Toddler Backpack. I couldn't be any happier with my choice. The moment he saw it, he knew it was for him and he'd carry it around the house, lol! I love the color combination of the product. It's vibrant, cute and so perfect for a little boy. The personalization process was the fun part. I got to decide which type of font and the color of thread I wanted to use for the embroidery. I love how neat the stitches had come out. The colors just pop out and blends perfectly together. The customer service was excellent and shipping was a breeze. Most importantly, I was very satisfied with the quality of the backpack. I would definitely recommend this to my friends who are looking for some cute items that can be personalized. This can be a perfect gift idea as well.




While I was browsing their site, I saw their selection of personalized nap mats as well. I love that it includes an attached pillow and blanket. Perfect for those little picnics that we plan to have in the future. They have a monkey nap mat to match the backpack that he already owns. Isn't that terrific? I am just so glad I found this amazing store online. 

Check out all of the items Posy Lane has to offer by visiting them here. Stay up to date with them by following them on Facebook.

*Disclosure: The product mentioned above was provided to me for free. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed herein are 100% mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Posy Lane.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

A piece of paradise.

We all look forward to our retirement. I'm sure someday you would want to wake up in the morning without having to rush for work, but instead enjoy a piece of paradise, away from the bustling city, frolic in the sun and play golf. Aah, beautiful to picture out, isn't it? It's actually not at all impossible. Situated on 600 acres of a barrier island lies the close-knit, family-oriented Orchid Island Properties,where the possibilities of living in fun and luxury with your family are seemingly endless.


I was captivated with the vast expanse of beautiful houses nestled in a huge golf course, which were actually just in close proximity to the beach. Who wouldn't want to live in a paradise like that? From now on, I'm going to have hubby buy more lottery tickets to increase our chances of winning, that way we could buy our own piece of paradise in this area, lol! (j/k) Seriously though, this is such an amazing place. If you combine exquisite residences with nature, it's like the epitome of living life to the fullest. It makes me wonder if they have vacation houses for rent in this area. We cannot afford to live here but you know a day or two may be possible. Oh well, there's still time to save folks. You never know!

I'm not sure why but I love looking for houses online. I mean obviously we don't need to buy another one because we just bought one, but I still find myself googling about properties for sale at just about any cities in the U.S. This is actually how I find this one. I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw the asking prices though, lol! Well, I guess it's free to dream, right? And it's absolutely free to browse online either, lol! Just saying!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Potstickers


Hubby and I love this food. I first heard of it from a friend at a Filipino gathering. She got excited because these were like $4.00 dollars off at Costco with coupon that time, then I got curious and head out to Costco myself. Lo and behold! We finally tried it ourselves. They taste great! I couldn't exactly remember how much they cost and when I bought them they were no longer on sale. However, I don't care about the price. I definitely would want to buy these again. It's so simple to heat. Perfect for those lazy days when you don't want to make an elaborate meal for the family. We had this for lunch on weekends. As a matter of fact, father-in-law was here when we first tried it. So he got to sample this too and I'm glad he liked it as well.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Head out to the camp this summer.

One of the things that I've always wanted to do in the summer time is going out camping. You know nothing fancy, just a little tent in the camping grounds, sleep on a sleeping bag, make food from scratch, enjoy being close to nature and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Unfortunately though, I have not experienced that yet. I would love to do something like that now with my son and husband. It might be quite a challenge for my 2 year old but I think he's going to enjoy the spontaneity of it all. Who knows this might encourage him to join a real camp programs when he gets older. I was thinking a good summer camp like in Camp Chateaugay.

I want for my son to be exposed to various sports activities and hopefully develop his social skills. As soon as he turns 4, we would enroll him to summer activities in our town. Perhaps when he starts going to school and we think he'd be ready enough to have sleepovers and go out camping with other kids, we were thinking of sending him to a program much like I mentioned above. I think it would be perfect time for him to associate with people with the same interests, make friends and hone his skills in sports and any other fun activities in the program like swimming, gymnastics, martial arts or just about anything that he loves to try while he's growing up. I never get to experience something like this myself and I just don't want to deprive my son from all the fun things to do out there. This could be an easy way to get the kids out of too much TV watching and computer playing on school breaks. I am real excited for my little guy to be able to do this sometime in the near future. We'd be very supportive all the way. How about you? Have you planned out summer fun activities for your kids this year yet?

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Exhausted and sleep-deprived.

That best describes my physical state right now. My little guy is sick since yesterday afternoon and usually the 1st and 2nd night are always the toughest. I couldn't allow myself to drift off to sleep any longer than 15 minutes because I worry that his fever might be too high already. I tried to check him every 15-30 minutes depending on how bad his fever was. I don't know what is it this time but he sneezed a lot, and a little bit congested. If he does not get better tomorrow, I'm taking him to Urgent Care. I wish it's me who's sick instead of my little guy. It's so hard to watch him miserable and sick. Poor baby! Hope he gets well soon.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Luxurious waterfront real esate

How would you like to own a grandiose property like this? I would love to live in a house like this. But it looks like it's out of our price range, just because it is, lol! Well, this is a multi-million dollar home that I came across in fort lauderdale homes for sale waterfront properties online.You might wonder where is Fort Lauderdale located. It's actually in South Florida, a piece of paradise by the ocean seemingly unaffected by the harsh winter season in other parts of the country. Don't blame me if I had imagined living in this state. I mean who wouldn't have? The still wintery weather in the spring time here in Montana just gets to me sometimes. So even if it's just in my dreams, allow me to indulge in my own little fantasy land, lol!


I have never been to Florida but this is one of the future destinations that my family would love to visit one of these days. The vast stretch of sunkissed beaches with fine, powdery white sands is just too hard to resist. Definitely a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of big cities. Not to mention the world famous Disney World can also be found in this state. It can be pretty expensive to take a vacation here but a little bit of saving here and there, it's absolutely doable. I actually have a friend that lives in the Fort Lauderdale area, so it would be the best time to go see her as well.
 Who knows we might like it down there and decide to stay, lol! After all, not all properties in the area cost a fortune. There are also affordable properties in the suburbs that look as equally as promising, nice and decent like the image above. They don't cost millions but they sure looks very cozy, homey and family-oriented. Obviously an option if we choose to move somewhere south away from the frozen tundra and close to the beach paradise. How about you, guys? What is your ultimate dream location for your forever home?

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Missing Grandpa Lord.

The house feels lonely when Caleb and I woke up this morning. Hubby dropped off his Dad to the airport at 5:00 AM, then he went straight to work. So it was only me and Caleb again in the house this morning. I felt sad because for a week my in-law was here with us and suddenly it's just the 2 of us here again. It was comforting to have him here, listen to him talk about all kinds of stuff. Caleb surveyed the guest room to check if his Grandpa is still here, then when he realized he's not, he shut the door and lay down in Grandpa's bed and covered himself with the comforter, lol! It's too cute I can't help but hug him and give him a kiss. I can tell he knows something is amiss today. Although he didn't fuss about it but I can tell he's missing the old man in the house. Oh well, I'm sure we will be seeing him again. He plans to take a few more visits before this year ends. Or we could probably fly over to Arkansas ourselves this year or the next. We'll see!


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Thoughts on ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms)

Buying your first place is fun and exciting but with it comes full responsibility of making sure that you do not end up getting a house with so many major issues like electrical, plumbing and insulation to name a few. You do not want to deal with high ICF cost on top of keeping up with the mortgage because you found out that some rooms in your house wasn’t insulated enough to ward off cold draft in the peak of winter. Well, that is probably why having a good inspector take a look at the place before buying it is always a great idea.

When we bought our first house late last year, we really didn’t know much about home ownership. But we realized the importance of getting it nicely inspected so we invested a little bit of that to make sure our house is mold-free (because it came with a basement), and that it doesn’t contain a high level of radon. So on top of the general inspection, we did have a guy come up and check for molds and radon level. I’d say it was worth it because at least we know that we live in a safe place. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. The house was our biggest purchase ever and we just didn’t want to mess it up. We’ve been living in our new place for 7 months now and so far so good. I mean no house is perfect but we’re definitely enjoying it here and we intend to stay for a while, do home improvements and more decorating to make this place a statement of our lifestyle.

Snow in the spring time.

While some parts of the country are enjoying the rain and warmer temps, here in Montana it does still feel like winter.Well, at least for the last 5 days. We did enjoy a little bit of the sun and higher temps than usual a couple of weeks ago but for some reason, this week's just too cold for me and my toddler  to go out and play in the yard. Last weekend, it snowed pretty good. Most of it melted throughout the day though. So it's actually just below freezing temperatures and windchill that's making it unfavorable to do outdoor play. Too bad since Grandpa is visiting and I wish he and Caleb could have done something fun outdoors. But anyway, it's just the way it is here in Montana. They say it can snow here pretty much any month of the year, lol! Oh joy!


Monday, April 15, 2013

Summer fun activity ideas for my toddler.

My in-law’s visit this week proved to be helpful for Caleb to know his Grandpa better. Although it took him a while to warm up to him, they did share some fun play time indoors. It’s a shame our weather for the past 3 days or so had been more wintery than spring, we didn’t really have the chance to hang out in our backyard to do outdoor play. My son loves his playtime out in the yard. Last week, he enjoyed playing with his little gardening tools. I wish he could have some time playing with Grandpa outside though. But the weather was just not favorable for outside play.

Like any toddler his age, I have an equally active 2 year old. He likes to keep moving, explore things and try out new stuff. When we’re out and about, I try to engage him in a lot of fun activities. His dad takes him out for walks when the weather permits. We discovered that he liked it a lot. The other day, they walked to the hardware store which was actually just a few  blocks away from our house and got some wood glue. The whole time they were walking back to the house, Caleb was holding the glue like it's some kind of a fragile piece of life, lol! We can tell he truly enjoyed his time outside with his Dad.

I actually can’t wait for summer to get here so we could do more fun stuff like letting him try out his new scooter. I’m sure it will be an exciting way to spend our summer afternoons as a family. We’re looking to get some patio furniture as well so we can be there physically watching him while he enjoys his playtime in the backyard. Summer in Montana does not really last very long so we intend to make the most out of it by spending most our time outside rather than just watching tv. I'm sure parents to little busy toddlers and energetic kids can totally relate.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Hubby's ingenuity paid off.

It was September of last year when we bought our first place. We had been renting before then. It was a nice feeling to be able to have a house we can call our own. At the same time, trying to get settled in our new place was a bit overwhelming. We are still in the process of decorating, arranging, deciding which furniture do we need to stay and what to get rid of, doing layouts and what not. We figured we are not really in a rush here since we intend to stay for probably at least 10 years or so. We definitely love the area, hubby likes his job and his co-workers and we love our house so we really could see ourselves living here probably not forever, but at least long enough to enjoy this place and build up some home equity.

When we were doing our house hunting, it was not really our intention to buy a big starter home. But when we saw this house, we just knew that this was what we were looking for. A three-level house with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a 1,056 square foot fully finished basement and a detached oversized 2-car garage, we are definitely not going to outgrow this place anytime soon, lol! Once we're done setting up the guest room for my father-in-law's visit, hubby finally took the inspiration to move 3 heavy things that I had been wanting him to move down to the basement. We plan to section the basement into functional rooms like probably a little bit of a family room, a workout room and a little office room, so I want some of our old things to go down there. It might not be in the near future because this can be pretty expensive but we're starting with the things that we already have. The house came with a refrigerator already so the one that we currently own needs to do down there. Then father-in-law gave us a new flat screen TV so our old school unit goes in the basement as well, lol! And of course since I would like our work out room there as well, our treadmill goes in there too. You see, these are very heavy stuff to move so I don't blame hubby for procrastinating and putting this task off over and over again, lol!
photo not mine

Being a handyman and a plant mechanic himself, he has been working on a plan on how to do this. But the real skeptic in me obviously doubted as to how this would pan out, but since I wouldn't be much of a help either, I just trusted his instincts and ability. His idea was to build some ramps and use a block and tackle to lower the load. A block and tackle is a system of two or more pulleys with a rope or cable threaded between them, usually used to lift or pull heavy loads, according to Wikipedia. Well, it could probably have been much easier if we would just hire some people to move our (sh*t) stuff, but we're cheap and besides he finds it mentally stimulating to do projects like this so I let him be. This may look like an old school approach in tackling this task but this proved to be effective and easy nonetheless. No one got injured and the load made it down safely.

So here are some before and during photos that I took. The treadmill was lowered last and I had to be on the receiving end to make sure the wheels of the lift dolly stay on the ramp, and so I couldn't take pictures of that. Anyway, we're just glad that we finally took care of this. I can't wait to put that treadmill to good use, lol!







Friday, April 12, 2013

Candy Galaxy Pop Rocks Product Review

I wouldn't be embarrassed to admit that I have not heard of popping candies before. Well, not because I was too deprived as a kid but perhaps it has not reached Philippines yet at the time when they introduced this kind of candy. So imagine my excitement when I get to work on a product review sample of Pop Rocks from Candy Galaxy. I feel so lucky to be one of the people who get to try the new Green Apple flavor of Pop Rocks. I love candies. And I'm sure my 2 year old does, too. So when this samples arrived last month in time for Easter Sunday, I couldn't get any more happier.

But first off, here's a little information about Candy Galaxy:

"Candy Galaxy is an online candy store that is passionate about bringing you the candy that you love. We have an expansive candy selection all the way from Milky Way’s to Mars. Our candy team is dedicated to sugary goodness and bringing smiles to our customers’ faces.  Our 45,000 square feet candy warehouse is stocked high with fun, affordable and quality sweet treats."

Don't blame me for being thrilled to be given an opportunity to try my first ever Pop Rocks candy. This literally pops in your mouth, I was surprised at first, lol! I think the packaging alone would entice the candy lovers out there. Well, at least that's what my toddler did. He wanted me to open them right away once he saw these on the countertop. We tried the newest flavor first and I must say they are filled with sugary goodness any candy addicts would love. Since my son likes it, we did stuff some of these in the plastic Easter eggs that we got for him that time. Oh boy that got him real excited when he opened those eggs and found these. I personally love the strawberry flavor. Perhaps because I love to eat anything with strawberries in it, lol! I would definitely recommend them to everyone. After all, candies are not just for kids, right?



Now, if you have not tried Pop Rocks yet, you better check out their Facebook page. Or better yet follow them on Twitter for more product updates.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Guest Room.

I am quite happy with how the guest room in our newly-bought house turns out. We have spent practically all weekend trying to make this room as homey and comfortable as can be. This is because my dear father-in-law would fly all the way from Arkansas to Montana to visit us. It has been a year since we  move out of Arkansas and since then we really have not gotten the chance to go back for a visit. So we were really happily surprised that he would indeed come up here to stay with us for a week. He said he would like to bond with his grandson more than anything else, lol! Well, that's great! I'm sure Caleb would love his presence here. He was a little over a year old when they last met and I'm not sure if he still remembers his GrandPa. Now he's 2 and more aware of people and surroundings, I think this would be perfect timing for them to see each other again. 

So anyway, this room is one of the four bedrooms in the house. This used to house all our clutter, lol! Since there's only 3 of us here, we didn't really have any use for this room yet. Some boxes which contained stuff that we couldn't decide where to put ended up in here. Although we knew we would want to convert this as the guest room eventually, we have not put much effort into making it look nice and guest-roomy like, if there's such a word, lol! We were surprised on how much we enjoyed de-cluttering this room and turning this into a cozy little room for his Dad. Hubby helped me decide where to position the furniture and he hung those wall decors, too. This is our first place and I can see ourselves doing more home improvements and redecorating and stuff. It's fun. I can't wait for warmer weather to get here so we can start repainting rooms.







Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Brag Books by MailPix: A Product Review

I love taking pictures of just about anything. More often than not, my 2-year old has always been the subject of the photos that I've taken. He keeps growing like a weed so as a mother, I wanted to document everything, even if this means a lifetime's worth of photos, lol! In our recent vacation to the Philippines, I have like tons of beautiful pictures of places, my family and of course my favorite subject Caleb. I thought it would be a shame if I just keep all those wonderful memories in a hard drive. But I need something more than just printing them on an ordinary photo paper. I want my pictures to evoke emotions. Then I found out about brag books.

I had an opportunity to work with MailPix a month ago and they agreed to let me sample one of their popular photo products, the brag books in exchange for a product review on my blog. Naturally, I was thrilled. I thought it would be a perfect solution to my digital photo printing dilemma. Now I can showcase the highlights of our recent vacation and some current pictures of my toddler. How awesome is that?

To get started, I had to create an account with them. Uploading the photos to their site was a breeze. In less than an hour, I was able to create the photo brag book that suit my taste. Their website is uber user-friendly. You can choose from a great selection of cute and classy background templates and picture layouts. You don't have to be a computer savvy to navigate on the photo options. They simply lay it out for you to choose and decide. That's the most important thing I like about it.





I ordered a 40-page 5x7 Brag Book. I was ecstatic when I received the product. It's cute, compact and classy. It comes with a spiral bound diffused clear plastic cover. They are one-sided which I don't have any problems at all. I actually like because they look neat that way. The photo paper they used are of great quality so you can be assured that your photos won't fade with time. I am so happy with the product that I was thinking of getting another one for my mother-in-law. She's been asking me for some pictures of Caleb and my family from our vacation so I thought this would be a perfect one for her. I used to send her like tons of individual digital prints but I think this is one works better for her since she doesn't have to buy an album or frames for it. I'm sure she would be happy to have one like this.

Well, if you're interested to learn more about MailPix, please visit their website. And get updated with their awesome photo products by liking them on Facebook. You could follow them on Twitter for more product info and possibly discounts.


Disclaimer: I have received the product mentioned above for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

A simple gesture to reach out.

After we were done setting up dad-in-law’s room for his visit, I thought of doing Caleb’s playroom next. I was inspired and motivated to do some more decorating especially since it’s spring time and summer will be here next. I am not sure yet what theme to go for in his playroom but regardless, I would like to display some of his awesome baby pictures. So the other day, I was browsing online to see if there are great deals on digital printing. I found one and I think I’m going to go for it. Then by happenstance, I came across a site that offers wholesale postcards on a really tempting bargain. And I thought why not? It will be a perfect way for me to reach out to friends and some relatives whom I lost touch with in a long time. I don’t think there has to be an occasion for someone to send greeting cards or even postcards for that matter. What do you think?

Monday, April 8, 2013

Getting ready for father-in-law's visit.

It's been a pretty busy weekend for us. My father-in-law would come and visit us next week and will stay with us for a week. Not too long ago, we bought a house and we have not spent much time decorating or arranging stuff yet. We want to repaint the walls to suit our taste but that will have to wait until the weather gets warm enough so we could open windows and air out the paint fumes. There are 4 bedrooms in this house and we're setting up one of them as a guest room. But we really didn't put much effort into it yet until this weekend, lol! Yeah, because we have a guest and we want him to have a nice room to stay while he's here in Montana. So we spent the last 3 days getting a bed, cleaning the room, hang some wall decors to make the room more welcoming and homey. Jeff's dad lives in Arkansas so we really appreciate the fact that he will fly all the way from Arkansas to see his grandson Caleb and bond with him and of course with us too, lol! We look forward to his visit and hopefully he will have a great time staying with us.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Canvas on Demand Product Review


I have been wanting to have one of our wedding pictures printed in canvas. I thought it would be a perfect decorative piece on our bedroom wall. Our wedding in the Philippines 3 years ago was something that I would love to boast about. It was carefully planned down to the minute details. It was a dream wedding come true for me. So I wanted a reminder of that magical moment in our room. But I think putting it in a frame is just too ordinary. It had to be different and unique of all the pictures in our house so I thought a canvas print would be a perfect choice. 

I was thrilled when Canvas on Demand agreed to coordinate a product review on my blog. They offered to give me a free 16 x 20 gallery wrapped canvas with a retail value of $126.95, in exchange for a review on my blog. Now, isn't that awesome! Ordering it online was a breeze. Just a few simple clicks and voila, you have a nice canvas ready to be delivered in just a few days.


There are so many things that I love about the product and the company of course. The customer service and communication process couldn't have been handled better. You get email notifications every step of the way, so you never worry that something may have happened with your order. When it arrived at my door, I was surprised on how carefully they packed that thing. They are meant to survive a trip around the world and back. Of course I was so excited to see the finished product. And oh boy I was not disappointed. I love our wedding picture even more.


The canvas is wrapped around a 1.5” thick wood frame. The frame looks well constructed. And I like how neat and tight the back of the canvas looks. No staples sticking out of the frame and it came with a sawtooth hanger hardware so all you have to do is find a spot and hang that beauty there.



Now, here's a close-up of the canvas. It has a nice texture and a slight shine to it which I really really love. The image quality of the canvas is fantastic. It really makes your picture stand out.



This is my first canvas print and since I am very satisfied with the top-notch quality of this product, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who want to have their photos printed in canvas. I was thinking of getting a second one from them as a matter of fact, this time I'm going to use one of our Pre-nuptial photos.

If you want to know more about canvas prints and Canvas on Demand, check them out on Facebook. They have amazing ideas and tips about showcasing your most treasured photographs in a unique and creative way.



Disclosure: Product mentioned above was provided for FREE by Canvas on Demand for product endorsement/review purposes. I am disclosing this post in accordance with the FTC guidelines concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Distance learning is the new name of the game.

I have always been grateful to my parents for instilling in me the value of education and for guiding me towards the right path in pursuing my dreams. In the country where I originally come from, we cherish education like our greatest treasure. So despite being a Third World country, a lot of Filipinos are highly educated and are making names all throughout the world. As a matter of fact, the Philippines was recently named the world’s best country in business English proficiency, according to Global English Corporation. This basically means that Philippines attained a score within the range of high proficiency level which indicates an ability to take an active role in business discussions and perform relatively complex tasks. That makes me even more proud to be a Filipino. 

I hope that would pave the way for the introduction of other methods of acquiring education besides the traditional but best proven classroom setting. Being a Bachelor’s Degree holder myself, I truly believe in the importance of having a degree especially in this highly competitive time. It’s unfortunate though that some people couldn’t finish their programs because they have demanding jobs, the school tuition fees are exorbitant, or they have a family to take care of. Hence, the benefits of distance learning come to play. Online education isn’t for everyone but it sure is worth to weigh your options and see if you can pursue a degree without having to put everything else in the backseat. 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Newman's Own Organics Review and Giveaway

Who would have thought that some of my favorite sweet indulgence do not only satiate my sweet tooth but they can be healthier as well because they are organics? Well, thanks to Newman's Own Organics. Just recently, I was lucky to be a recipient of a box full of tasty, yummy treats from NOO. As a blogger, I sometimes work with certain companies to sample their products in exchange for a product review. I couldn't believe my eyes when the package of goodies arrived. It was like a month's worth of munchies for me and my family to enjoy. As a matter of fact, my 2-year old couldn't decide which treat to try first, lol! Newman's Own Organics went all out in sending sample goodies to bloggers. Why not? Their extensive line of organic products are amazing and are sure to leave consumers raving about its yummy goodness. So it's not only me who get to try their products but they have also generously offered to send my four favorite items (plus a surprise fifth item!) to one lucky My Sweet Haven reader. Just keep on reading because I will be talking about the simple mechanics of the giveaway below.



Now here's my two cents worth about the products that I got from them. Did I mention that I absolutely love dark chocolates? Obviously my top favorite among their expansive line is their Signature Series Chocolate Bars. Both the Espresso Dark and Dark Chocolate have 54% cocoa. It has the right amount of richness, chocolatey flavor without being too sweet. I found out that I am not the only one in our household that go crazy over chocolate bars, lol! My little monkey helped himself with one of the bars while I was busy taking pictures. He takes after me I guess, lol!


I was so excited to share the good news with the husband so when he got home from work that day, I immediately asked him to try them and tell me which product he likes the most. To which he replied, "Definitely the Salted Sticks and High-Protein Pretzels!". No wonder Caleb snagged one of the pretzels so he could try it himself. Personally, I don't much care about pretzels but since hubby and Caleb seemed to like it, then that counts as my second favorite among their product lines. Pretzels are versatile and a lot of people consider it as their comfort snacks. The good thing about NOO pretzels are they're baked (not fried), so they make a great low-fat healthy snack even for the diet conscious individuals.


Pardon me for saying this for the umpteenth time, that I am a sweet-tooth person. Again, I was just so lucky that day because the box contains 3 different varieties of Newman O's cream-filled cookies. The peanut butter and chocolate cream cookies are my 3rd favorites. The cream fillings were soft, not overly sweet and does not have the greasiness that you get from store bought cookies. Best of all, they don't contain high fructose syrup and no artificial color or flavor. They really stood up to their promise of providing healthier snack alternatives without comprising the goodness of cookies that we all have come to love and enjoy.

Since I'm a self-confessed chocoholic, my 4th favorite would be the peanut butter and caramel dark chocolate cups.  Actually it's the hubby who tried it first and was amazed with its goodness so he told me to try it as well. And he was not mistaken. These make the other peanut butter cups taste bad. I found the peanut butter to be smooth and creamy. When you combine chocolate with peanut butter, I think it's a sinful combination, lol! I like the crisp snap of the dark chocolate contrasting with the creaminess of the peanut butter center. Aaah, yummy!


So that's it! All in all I thought Newman's Own Organics are definitely great products and I am thrilled that I was able to try them. If you're interested to check them out yourself, visit Newman's Own Organics website. You can also check them out on their Facebook page.  

As for the giveaway, it's actually quite simple to join. All you have to do is to enter via the rafflecopter below. Open to all US residents only. Giveaway ends 4/15/13 and winner will be contacted within 24 hours using the Name and E-mail Address used when leaving a comment. Goodluck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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