Google PR Dip

I just noticed the Google PR bar on my toolbar this morning and was dismayed to see this blog's PR at 0 from the previous PR3! Oh well! That's a downer indeed. As if all the recent disasters in the country were not enough bad news.

I'm still counting my blessings, though. That downturn isn't enough to make me give up this blog, even if I sometimes get too busy offline to update it faithfully.

Yes, I'll be writing on. Manila Mom will stay online.

I sure hope for better news on the next PR update, though.

Typhoon Pepeng Still Ravaging Northern Philippines; Aid Still Needed

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As if Typhoon Ondoy’s devastation was not enough, Typhoon Pepeng followed close on its heels and proceeded to ravage the northern part of the Philippines left untouched by Ondoy.

In a seemingly surreal development, Typhoon Pepeng went to the end of the archipelago then did a u-turn and returned. It is still in the northern provinces, moving slowly and wreaking more havoc along the way. Many areas are underwater, with houses submerged to their roofs. Several dams have had to release water, adding to the floods. Evacuees are crowded into emergency relocation sites.

The Philippines is still reeling and is being hit again and again while the people are already down and defenseless. People are without food, shelter, clothing and medicines, with their means of livelihood taken away from them, as well. We appeal for help from our neighbors. Even the smallest contribution makes a difference. Thank you very much.

More Donations to Philippine Flood Victims Sought

We thank everyone around the world who have sent donations to the Philippines for our flood victims.

Please continue to spread the word, though, that more help is still needed. Millions of people are without food and shelter, not only in Metro Manila but also in the provinces. Many have also lost their means of livelihood. Many of the children and the elderly are sick.

Please course your donations through your local Red Cross.

Thank you very much.

Please Help Typhoon Victims in the Philippines

The devastation left behind by Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines is heartbreaking. Many lives were lost, many homes were swept away or completely ruined. Many families are still in danger, awaiting rescue without food and water. There are babies, children and senior citizens among them. A simple search online will show you many videos on you tube, many photos on blogs, many personal accounts.

If you want to send help, you can contact the following:

1. Donate through the American Red Cross 1-800-435-7669

2. Donate through ABS-CBN 1-800-527-2820

Two more typhoons are expected in the next few days. I hope the same scenario does not happen again.

Green is In

So you want to be in on what’s latest? Well, shopping green is in, and will always be in. Try to find the most eco-friendly option for every item you need to acquire for yourself or your family. That’s the only way to ensure that every single thing you buy is worth the expense, because you’re investing in the future of your children and grandchildren.

For whatever you need, from personal organic health and beauty products to home basics such as vegetarian pantry items, you can search the ShopWiki Green Guide for solutions. It shows you everything that’s available for sale online. Yes, that includes eco-friendly fashion that’s always stylish. You can even find a travel guide to eco-friendly destinations for your family vacation.

ShopWiki literally shows you everything you can possibly buy online. It’s like having the most comprehensive online shopping catalog available for your use any time you need it.

Multi-Million Dollar Homes in the US

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I came across this site of Paradise Valley Homes for sale in Arizona. According to the site, it is one of the richest zip codes in the United States. Not surprisingly, properties are sold for a minimum of one and a half million dollars, with the most luxurious high end properties going for more than 15 million dollars.

The property pictured above, for example, is being sold for 15.5 million dollars. That’s more than 740 million pesos! Mind-boggling!

I would not be surprised if we find homes of local politicians in this area. Or maybe they haven’t discovered it yet?

Sight Reading Music for Piano Players

I learned how to play the electronic organ one summer in high school, but I was taught only one piece – Somewhere My Love (Lara’s Theme from Dr. Zhivago). Unfortunately, after the recital, I forgot all about it. I haven’t played since then.

My mother-in-law plays the piano beautifully, though. Sad to say, none of my kids have inherited a love for playing on ivory keys.

I still love listening to piano music even if I can’t play. I also can’t read music, except for the very basic note reading taught in elementary school. I am totally amazed at how piano players can sight read sheet music and even play a piece they have just seen for the very first time.

Apparently, there’s a technique for sight reading music that can be easily learned by both new learners and experienced piano players who still have some difficulty with it. A course for sight reading music is available online. It consists of an instructional DVD, a CD of computer drills on recognizing notes, harmonic intervals and melodic intervals, and 177 pages of sheet music to practice on, covering basic, intermediate and advanced pieces. This sight reading music course is designed for adults and children alike and comes with a 30-day guaranteed refund if you are not satisfied with it. If you’re a piano player who still wants to hone the art and skill of sight reading music, this may be the missing link you need.

Corazon C. Aquino Will Never Be Forgotten

The outpouring of emotion from Filipinos in the country and from around the world is testament to the deep gratitude felt for the woman who lost her husband to the fight for Philippine democracy and took on the responsibility of leading and unifying the nation despite her loss.

Cory Aquino's presidency was not perfect but it was a difficult task for anyone. It cannot be denied, however, that it paved the way for a transition to democracy - no matter how imperfect still.

Our democracy is a work in progress and it is our responsibility to build on whatever gains have been had to move forward rather than backward.

Hopefully, President Cory's death will remind us to ensure that old politics not be allowed to reign again, especially in the coming elections. And especially now that authoritarianism is once more rearing its ugly head and attempting to seize power.

Casino Royale?

I’ve never been inside a casino. I know that my aunts in the States always find some time to unwind either in Vegas or Reno, though. In fact, they brought my parents-in-law to the Bellagio and my kids were thrilled with the souvenirs they brought home with them. (My kids know the Bellagio from Ocean’s Eleven.)

Curious, I poked around this site that provides online casino reviews. I’d heard of online casinos before. There are supposed to be games that can be played for free. That’s what I’d like to try.

The casino online may not provide the atmosphere of a real casino but that could be a good thing, too. You won’t get too mesmerized and carried away. As the review I read stated, no matter what anyone says about gaming the casinos, the casino always wins in the long run. So if you do play even in an online casino, folks, make sure you know your limits and stay well within them.

You’ve Got Mail!

When we hear the word mailbox today, we immediately think of it as our email inbox. There was a time, though, when this only meant that quaint receptacle for letters and parcels on our front yards. I still love seeing those old fashioned mailboxes.

Of course, today, when you live in a condominium, for example, or a multi-storey apartment building, what you get are rows and rows of commercial mailboxes that are more like school lockers. Somehow they lack the romanticism of the old fashioned mailbox. But, hey, if the commercial mail boxes do the job well, accepting letters and parcels and keeping them safe until retrieved by the rightful recipients, I’m not complaining.

We may feel nostalgic about items of the past, but just as we have become used to email - even dependent on it – so have we embraced the evolution of the commercial mailbox. The important thing is that people still use mailboxes in various forms to connect with each other.

By the way, if you know someone in need of a mailbox, you might want to join this affiliate program and earn $20 for each successful referral. That’s a check in the mail for you.

Movie Review: Disappointed with Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Our 18 year old son watched Harry Potter 6 with his friends, ahead of us. He warned us that he didn't like it but, of course, our daughters wouldn't take his word for it. Especially when he smirked that it was mostly about teenybopper romance. That made them expect some romantic thrills.

Even that was a disappointment, though. It seems like the director wasn't sure about how to handle that teen romance angle. Maybe he did not want it to be too mushy. But, hey, you can't go about these things half-heartedly. If teen girls are your audience, you have to at least make them sigh over your supposedly romantic scenes. In Harry Potter 6, those scenes lacked the magic touch, ironically. They all fell flat.

Teen mush - or the lack of it - aside, I found the entire film far inferior to all the other Harry Potter films. This is where Snape kills Dumbledore, for goodness sakes! I was expecting to feel the loss at least as much as I felt the death of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. But no, it happened and I didn't even flinch. No emotional reaction at all. And I so love Dumbledore! How could they have fumbled in such a major highlight? Dumbledore's death is supposed to be a high point not only of this movie but of the entire series! If his death was played out as uneventfully, it doesn't bode well for the other Harry Potter films to come.

Such a pity!

I Can't Wait to See Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

We rarely watch movies in theaters these days but Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is one film we're planning to see on the big screen.

Although we have the books, it's not just the story that we're after. I, for one, am keen on seeing how the stars of the Harry Potter series have grown. When we first saw them, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) was 11, Emma Watson (Hermione) was 10 and Rupert Grint (Ron) was 12. They grew up while filming the series and we watched them go from kids to adolescents to older teens. They are now nine years older and we somehow feel a kinship with them, as if they were our friends' kids.

Emma Watson had a wardrobe malfunction in the recent premiere of the film in London. She survived it with class and we can't help hoping that she'll never lose her wholesome self.

It will be a bittersweet moment when we get to see the final Harry Potter film in 2011 but we will also be looking forward to the next steps in the careers of its young stars.

Don’t Forget to Submit Your Site to As Many Web Directories As Possible

Most of the time, we only submit our sites to the largest web directories like the Yahoo! Directory and the Open Directory Project. We are then satisfied that we have done our part. There are numerous other directories online, though, such as, for example, Jasmine Directory and Max Directory. I bet you haven’t heard of those. You should. And you should search for others, as well, because having your sites listed in the proper category in as many directories as possible is a solid step toward good ranking in search engines. Even if your listing is given a no follow tag, it is still considered as an important backlink to your site.

Many directories are general and list a vast range of categories also classified by language and region. Yahoo! Directory and the Open Directory Project mentioned earlier are among these. There are also niche categories that specialize in specific topics or sectors. There are, for instance, business directories and shopping directories. Make sure you are listed in the general directories and in the special directories for your site’s particular niche.

Most directories allow free submission and listing. Others require a reciprocal link bank to the directory from your site. You may also come across some that charge a fee for a listing. Premium positions within categories, as well as being listed in multiple categories, may be charged higher. Sometimes, such prime positions are given to the highest bidder. Affiliate links are also available, where you have to pay the directory a commission for every visitor referred to your site.

Submitting your site to web directories manually can be tedious. Human edited directories have stricter policies for categorization and may, therefore, have a longer queue.You just have to wait a while before your site listing goes up. These directories are more valued by SEO experts, though, so we better take the cue. Sometimes we just have to put in the effort.

What’s Your Dream Family Car?

We’ve had our sedan since the kids were babies. Yes, it’s that old but sadly not old enough to count as a valuable antique. It’s actually in that in between state that just sums up into no value. For us, though, it’s invaluable. We love our white Toyota Corolla so much that we even named it. We call it Casper. And Casper still serves us faithfully to this day. Our kids have even made us promise never to sell it. I guess we never will.

If you were to buy another family car, though, what would it be? I asked myself that question and came up with the idea of something as reliable as our Casper but with more space perhaps. Nothing too fancy. The priority should be function. And the right price, of course. Maybe something like the 2009 Honda Fit. My husband would most probably prefer something like the Dodge Ram 1500, though, which could also be used for business deliveries. But that would fall under the category of light trucks, wouldn’t it?

On the other hand, I’ve been daydreaming about having grandkids in the next ten years or so ever since our eldest turned twenty. (Yes, I’m weird that way.) And with grandkids in mind, mini vans would be much more appropriate. I can just see me and the hubby driving around with grandbabies. Awww!

I better start queueing up for lotto tickets regularly if I intend to have this dream car for the family. It’s not as if something like this is in the regular family budget. I can dream, though, can’t I?

Foreclosures Information for Buyers and Sellers

It’s sad that a lot of people in the US today are facing home foreclosures. Instead of losing everything, some sectors say that it’s better to sell your house before it is actually foreclosed. The problem is that sometimes the owners’ equity in the house is smaller than what they owe the bank. The house is then foreclosed and put up for auction. Houses that do not receive acceptable bids are returned to the mortgage company and are then called real estate owned foreclosures.

They say this is the best time to invest in foreclosed property. Prices are supposed to be down and are expected to rise in the future, ensuring profitability. You can do a free REO foreclosures search online to find auctions in your area. Do all the necessary research before you bid, though, because if you win you get everything “as is.” That includes any problems connected with the property.

Remember, all these information can be found for free online so never pay to search for foreclosures. Some free foreclosures search sites also allow sellers to post their properties for sale for free.

Social Networking on a Social Learning Network – A Nice Spot for Students to Hang Out In

I remember that I was fine in Physics in high school. When I hit college, though, it was a whole new ballgame. My first course was Industrial Engineering at the University of the Philippines in Diliman but after a year I shifted to Communication Research. Physics was one of the subjects that clinched my decision to shift.

I’m writing about this now because I just came across a very interesting website. We all know about social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, but this one calls itself a social learning network. Course Hero provides a way for students and even their professors to network and help each other out on various subjects. It also provides voluminous study materials and textbook solutions to problems. Yes, that includes
Physics textbook solutions to help you make sense of your
Physics homework. If only the internet existed when I was doing college Physics!

I have no regrets, though. I’m really more of a writer, I guess. At least through this post, I hope I get to help some struggling students out there.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to all our family and friends in the US of A.

My continuing hope is that with the new president, the genuine principles of democracy as envisioned by your forefathers will finally be concretely embodied in American policies.

People of the world join you in keeping faith for a future of international peace and prosperity for all.

Make Way for Coffee Mouthwash, Toothpaste or Chewing Gum

This is good news for coffee lovers like me. According to CNN, researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel have proven that coffee fights bad breath. Like clove oil, it has anti-bacterial components that actually freshen your breath. The top researcher, Mel Rosenberg, plans to do further studies toward creating coffee based mouthwash, toothpaste and chewing gum.

Well, I for one have always loved the smell of coffee. I would definitely go for those products once they're out.

Take note, though, that the same research has shown that coffee can cause bad breath if combined with other substances like milk. So better take your coffee black, the way I do.

Who Wants Gold?

I just found a very interesting website that might be valuable to those who have funds to invest and are looking for a way to protect themselves against the current global crisis. The answer may be gold! Yes, that precious metal seems to have the capacity to weather all the financial troubles of the world and the best way to protect your money from losing its value seems to be to buy gold. According to this site, limited mint investor gold coins bought for $25,000.00 in the 70s are worth $1,377,257.00 today.

Well, who has that kind of money? Not me. It’s an interesting piece of information, though. And if you’re interested, you can actually buy gold bullion or buy gold coins by the piece. There are various coins to choose from but the lowest price is $969.70.

For those interested in using this to beef up their individual retirement account (IRA), the website also gives information and advice on gold IRA transfer. So who wants gold? Uh, I guess everyone does. The real question would be who can afford gold these days? If you can, good for you. Go get them.

Animosity Blog Is Ironically Positive

First off, I was blown away by the beautiful page design when the Animosity blog opened up on my browser window. And then I see that it's by a 17 year old young man from right here where I'm at - the Philippines. Way to go! He immediately makes it clear on his blog that you can advertise here. Smart fellow!

Jr Quiambao has this line on the front page of Animosity: "The taste of hatred becomes the flesh of the new generation." This is a young man who is definitely thinking deep. I do hope he contributes to the eradication of hatred in this world so that the new generation will be born of love. It is easy to see from his blog that this young man has more productive pursuits in mind, rather than hatred. In fact, he's quite a businessman. He never fails to stress that you can advertise here in his blog.

Jr Quiambao is young and his Animosity blog is younger - only born in February this year - but he writes industriously on various topics. His favorite topic seems to be blog advertising and marketing, though. He's starting to learn the ropes of making money online and it looks like he's well on his way. If you want to help him, you can advertise here.

I Can't Live Totally Offline

We had heavy rains last night and lightning struck one of the electric posts down the street. Our block was plunged into a four hour brownout before technicians from MERALCO were able to repair the damage.

When the lights came back on we realized that our modem had been zapped, as well. We called our DSL provider but it was almost midnight and they could only bring us a new modem the following day. Well it was afternoon by the time the new modem arrived and we had 15 hours of forced hiatus from the internet. We were all going nuts!

I realized that I was totally dependent on the internet for my livelihood and my sanity.

My main source of income is freelance writing. I do all of my research online and submit my articles by email.I also have internet marketing ventures through blogs and social networking. Again, these are online projects.

After - or in between - taking care of my projects, I surf to entertain myself and keep myself updated with what's happening around the world.Television does not cut it for me anymore. Although I still watch some telenovelas for fun, it's the control I have online plus the sheer breadth of data available that I crave.

I remember in college when I spent almost all my free time in the main library of UP Diliman. It was like a cave of treasures for me then. Now I have even more than that at my fingertips online. It's magical!

Of course, there's still books - books on real paper - to enjoy offline. I can turn to them when I'm shut out of the internet. But, hey, when I'm connected there are ebooks galore to browse online. I can even read all the classics I want for free.

It's amazing how the internet has invaded our lives and enriched it so much.

I Earn with RevTwt at Twitter

I'm thrilled with my Twitter traffic. My followers now number 1,177, with more coming every day. Thanks everyone!

I registered with RevTwt and am starting to earn from my Twitter account. It's free like Adsense and you can earn per click and per thousand followers.

Make sure you study their rules, though. You wouldn't want to have your account banned.

They require real Twitter accounts. That means having real tweets and not just mostly ads in your tweets. They also limit ad posting to every two hours with at least 5 normal non-selling tweets without links in between. You can also post an ad only once per day, so if you want to post ads several times, make sure they are different ads.

So if you Twitter, come on and join me with RevTwt.

Our Shih Tzu, Belch, Had a Reaction to His Booster Shot

We had a big scare yesterday. Our two year old shih tzu, Belch - the baby of the family - had his booster shot for 5-in-1 and deworming at 2 pm. Good thing I work from home and was here with him when he started acting weird at around 6 pm. First he vomited something milky. Then he started rubbing his face on the floor. I checked and saw that the area around both eyes were bright pink.

Almost in a panic, I called my husband and kids on the cellphone. Luckily they were already on their way home, and were just a few blocks away. They called the vet - which I didn't think of earlier - and she said to give him sugared water as an emergency measure, then bring him to her. Fortunately, again, she's just about two blocks away.

The vet gave Belch a shot of antihistamines and he immediately got better. Such a relief.

I read online that quite a lot of dogs get reactions from booster shots. Some even die from it.

Some online sources say that if the dog is kept away from other animals and just stays at home, perhaps vaccination can be waived as an adult. What do you think?

All the NFL Games You Want on Your TV

Can you imagine having all the NFL games you want on your TV? Yes, I mean ALL – even those games not accessed by other channels. Do I hear the men cheering? Oh, not to be sexist, I do know women who love watching football, too. I myself am totally clueless about the game but I can imagine how fans of the sport will react to this news. With the nfl sunday ticket from DirectTV, what was once impossible is now possible.

That means you can watch the games in the east coast even while you’re on the west coast, and vice versa. Ah, and they say you can watch up to 14 games all in one Sunday, each and every Sunday. How can you do that? Save the others on the DVR, silly. Oh, but did I tell you that you can watch eight of those all at the same time? Yup, an eight-way split on your screen can show eight ongoing games.

For the nfl sunday ticket schedule and the nfl sunday ticket price, you’ll just have to check out the site.

This calls for some serious stocking up on chips and beer. You might as well call it couch potato Sunday.

Surfing Through the Night

It's so quiet and peaceful at night, especially past midnight. With my writing assignments done this is the perfect time for me, surfing the net not for research but for the sheer pleasure of browsing through ideas, information and opinions of people everywhere.

I feel like a wizard looking at a crystal ball, with the entire world laid out before me. Being online is such a privilege indeed.

Direct SAT TV Continues to Serve Entertainment to Urban, Suburban and Rural America

It used to be that parts of rural America not being served by cable TV was being left behind in terms of television entertainment with limited programming. This changed in 1994 with the launch of DirectTV. With its nationwide range, all of rural America was placed on a level playing field with its urban and suburban counterparts. Imagine the effect on popular culture of this one simple move.

Direct Sat TV continues the tradition by being an authorized Direct TV reseller providing the public with the lowest prices for the entire Direct TV System. This further widens access to Direct TV Service especially in these tight times. Still, entertainment even becomes more of a need when people are depressed, right?

If you ask me, anyone who provides great service at the lowest cost is a winner. And since DirectTV provides more than 130 of the best HD channels – which is much more than cable companies provide in the US – I think they are offering a great deal.

Growing at Twitter

I never realized that Twitter could be so exciting.

I started actively following people yesterday afternoon and gained almost 600 followers in return. I started with only 17 followers and am at 600 as I write this.

What's intriguing is that many of those followers did not come from follow backs of people I first followed. I'm now wondering where they came from.

Perhaps it helped that I joined some Twitter applications such as TweeplePages and Tweepular.

I'm really excited at the possibilities of social media marketing through Twitter.

Online Shopping with a New Shopping Buddy

Shopping is a human need. I know that a lot of people will agree with me, despite the worldwide economic crisis. If anything, the crisis compels us to be more discerning in our priorities and requires us to be better shoppers, more discriminating in terms of quality and cost. With all the stress we are undergoing, we try to find some joy in an inexpensive purchase that brings great returns.

ShopWiki is the place to go online for these shopping indulgences. I never knew that there was one giant shopping portal where you can find anything you want to buy online. ShopWiki is both a portal and a shopping search engine that crawls each and every online shop for you, finding whatever it is you are looking for and presenting you with all available options. It even gives you helpful tips on choosing and using the products you want, including organic health and beauty products and cosmetics and beauty tools.

This is the perfect online shopping partner indeed. It’s just like having your best friend with you to consult with. I’m really liking this place. Okay, maybe even just for window shopping. Unless of course there’s a bargain that’s just too good to pass up, wink, wink.

Google Adsense is Working on the Glitch

Okay, I stand corrected. Google has posted the following on its Adsense Known Issues page:

June 22, 2009: The amount displayed when you generate a 'Since last payment' report is currently incorrect, but our engineers are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Please be assured that this is only a display issue, and that you're being properly credited for your earnings.

Work-around: In the meantime, you can still calculate how much you've generated since your last payment. Generate an Advanced Report for your earnings from the current month and then add the total unpaid balance listed on your Payment History page. Thanks for your patience as we work to resolve this issue.

It's good to know that bloggers and other Adsense users will not be losing income. Thank you, Google!

Exploring Twitter as a Social Media Marketing Tool

I joined Twitter two years ago but never really used it until now. My interest was fueled by an article I wrote on assignment for my freelance SEO writing. It reminded me of how powerful social media marketing can be.

I admit I have been remiss in my blogging and social networking efforts for some time now. I was busy working offline for more than a year. My blog posts were few and far between. Now that I'm working from home again, I intend to renew my efforts online. Learning how to maximize Twitter is one of those efforts.

I also joined Tweeple Pages to connect with more Twitter users. It's a free site where Twitter users are grouped by interests. It's fun to search for fellow writers, fellow romance novelists, fellow moms, etcetera.

Do you Twitter? If so, you'll find me there as ManilaMom or Maia Jose.

Google Adsense Glitches?

I thought I was the only one experiencing problems with Google Adsense. The figures on my Payment History page do not tally with the figures on my Earnings Since Last Payment report. The latter report is lower by about $10.

I searched the web and found many similar complaints on various online fora. I couldn't find a single response from Google, though.

I hope this is just a temporary reporting glitch and that we Adsense users aren't really losing any money.

Happy Fathers Day

The celebrations are coming one after the other. Today we celebrate Fathers Day.

I am thankful for the father of my children, my husband, the love of my life. We are blessed indeed because he is the best father my children could ever have. Their deep love, respect and admiration for all that he is and everything he stands for is the best testimonial to his fatherhood.

I am thankful for my father in law. He is over 80 but still drives his grandchildren to school. He still takes care of all of us.

I am thankful for my own Dad, and miss him so very, very much. He passed away in 2006. For me he was the perfect father. Maybe that's why I fell in love with a man who is so like him in many ways.

Three Years to Be a Golden Girl

It's my 47th birthday today and I feel great. I'm thankful that I'm in good health, and happy with my husband and children. Three more years and I can call myself a golden girl. That's something to look forward to, indeed.

But let's not get too far ahead of the game. I do intend to enjoy the next three years of my 40s to the max before I finally reach that golden threshold. =D

My Parents' in Law's 50th Wedding Anniversary

Wow, my parents in law have been married for 50 years now. Today is their golden wedding anniversary. And that marriage has produced the most important man in my life - my darling husband!

I am so glad that my parents in law met, fell in love and got married. I owe my happiness to that.

I look forward to celebrating 50 years and much, much more with my husband, too. Next year we will be marking our 25th wedding anniversary. Yes!!!

Years from now, I'm sure my future sons in law and daughter in law will happily celebrate the fact that my husband and I met, fell in love and got married, too.

Work at Home Mom: Darren Salkeld Shows the Steps to His Infinite Income Plan

No one wants to risk a lot of money these days. Yet we are all looking for opportunities to earn income online.

For lower than $50, you can launch your own internet home business, one that has already been proven to be a success by many others before you. Better yet, it's automated and will continue to give you unlimited passive income.

Don't worry if you've never run a business before, offline or online. You don't have to be technically savvy either. Darren Salkeld was a factory worker with totally no computer skills when he began to work out his system. It earned him $253,877.33 in less than 90 days, and much, much more in the long run.

Darren Salkeld is now teaching this system in his Infinite Income Plan, proving that it can be replicated by anyone. Many people have actually achieved the same level of success he's had.

There is no guarantee that we will become millionaires overnight with the Infinite Income Plan. To claim that would be preposterous. The plan merely gives us the tools to make that possible. We have to do the work ourselves.

I want a new income stream that can run on autopilot indefinitely. If I can achieve that at this price, I will be happy. An additional passive income stream will benefit each one of us.

Try it at absolutely no risk whatsoever, because Clickbank backs up the 60-day full money back guarantee of the Infinite Income Plan.

Check out this free report on Darren Salkeld's Infinite Income Plan.

Creative Writing Funk

Seems like I've been in a creative writing slump recently. It's not even mental block since I've been generating ideas that were duly scribbled down in my writing notebook. I don't feel inspired enough to follow through, though. The creative spark just isn't there and I'm afraid that if I push it I might create Frankenstein-like pieces instead of genuine works that come alive naturally on the page.

I'm glad I can at least write assignments that are non-fiction, though. The logical side of my brain seems to be the more dominant one these days. Or is it actually that the creative side of my brain is too active in being emotional that it had to be shut down temporarily? Whatever. I'm giving myself a break from fiction.

Work at Home Mom: Earn Global Online with Blog Advertising Network, Paying Post

Bloggers from around the world have another online earning opportunity with PayingPost.com where you get paid to blog.

Paying Post is a blog advertising network. They cater to advertisers by providing a network of blogs for them to advertise in. They also cater to bloggers by providing a variety of blogging opportunities that advertisers pay for.

Bloggers and advertisers alike benefit from such a service. The earning potential for bloggers is obvious. For advertisers, blog advertising is one of the best ways to make money.

Advertising on blogs, especially through linked reviews, is considered one of the most effective advertising methods since blogs have a high level of credibility among readers. The blog needs to have wide readership, though, to be attractive to advertisers.

There are many other ways of blog advertising, as well.

One of these is contextual advertising where the ads correspond to the topic of the blog posts. This is one of the most popular blog advertising methods used by bloggers since even start-up blogs can immediately qualify.

Contextual advertising should not be confused with text link ads where the links are in the body of the post itself, necessarily organic to the write up.

On the other hand, there are direct ads that can be placed on blogs through side texts, buttons or banners. These may or may not be related to the topic and theme of the blog.

There are various payment methods for blog advertising.

The paid-per-impression method pays the blogger for the number of times the ad appears on the page. For static ads, this means the number of times the page it appears on is viewed. There are also arrangements, though, when the ads rotate and only appear on certain page views. In any event, the number of times that the ad is viewed on the page is monitored and used as the basis for payment.

In the paid-per-click method the blogger is paid by the advertiser according to the number of clicks the ad gets from visitors.

The paid-per-action method is the most demanding in that it requires that the visitor take specified actions such as buy a product or subscribe to something in order for the blogger to get paid.

Any of these methods or, better yet, a combination of these methods provide good ways of making money through blog advertising.

At Paying Post, bloggers are given opportunities to do paid reviews. So if you have a blog with a following, why not try to earn global online with it? Drop by PayingPost.com and see if it qualifies.

Work at Home Mom: Birthday Tribute to the Love of my Life

March 26 is the 49th birthday of my real-life romance hero, my hubby B.

Last month, I was commissioned to do a Valentine article for Sense & Style Magazine, Philippines. It couldn't be helped that it became all about my husband. After all, he's my year-round Valentine.

Below is the article.

Beyond Chocolates and Roses

What’s the best thing my husband ever did for me on Valentine’s Day? Treat it just like any day of the year, that’s what. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In lieu of one day with fancy chocolates and expensive roses, a candle-lit dinner and perhaps some sparkly gift, I get day after day of spontaneous hugs and kisses, solicitous checks on whether I’ve already eaten and whether I’ve had my requisite coffee, gallant chauffeur service (which means I’m sleeping with my driver, hmmm…), neck rubs and back rubs that somehow make the scent of mentholated oils seem sensuous, unlimited talk time at all hours anywhere and everywhere (we never seem to run out of things to talk about), a never-ending supply of corny jokes, and lots and lots of giggles and guffaws.

Not that I begrudge other couples that elaborate Valentine’s celebration – there’s nothing wrong with going through the works, as long as all the other days of the year are covered, as well. We’ve just never focused on that one day of the year as very different from all the others. We did try once or twice to go out and have dinner on that night – with all three kids, of course – and the horrible traffic and crowded restaurants reminded us that we were having more fun when pigging out in the comfort of our home. (Yes, this is a family that loves to eat.)

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not against romance. In fact, I live and breathe romance and have even been writing romance novels since 1991. Great romance for me, though, is not about grand gestures but, rather, the faithful accumulation of loving moments. It’s in the nitty-gritty of being in love and growing in that love while living each and every day together.

Romance novels usually focus on the early stages of falling in love because that is often believed to be the best part of romance. They say it’s the most thrilling and the most passionate. Publishers believe that readers may not be very much interested in romance novels about long-term relationships that have somehow settled into a comfortable rhythm. But does long-term love really mean the death of romance? Do you lose the thrill and the passion when you commit yourselves to the long haul? It doesn’t have to be so.

Keeping the fire of passion burning doesn’t have to be an effort, either. It all depends on what lit that fire in the first place. If it was just lust based on looks or seduced by success, the waning of the point of attraction may, indeed, trigger the cooling of ardor, as well. Then the great plod begins in the name of commitment. On the other hand, passion that stems from a deep love that, in turn, grew from genuine friendship can only burn brighter and stronger with time. It can never get bored because it always nurtures continuous growth and a deeper knowing of each other. It sees sexy in a potbelly, in each added line and wrinkle, in every inch gained or lost. It binds a couple even closer in times of adversity, giving comfort and strength.

So it’s really all about love. Good old fashioned true love. Maybe the problem is that many people mistake lust for love; or awe for love; or mutual satisfaction for love. Actually, I think friendship is the closest thing to love there is. True friendship, like true love, accepts the entirety of the person while nurturing positive growth and transformation. True friendship, like true love, stays and grows stronger through good times and bad. True friendship, like true love, is unselfish and unconditional. Both offer voluntary commitment effortlessly. True love, I believe, can exist only with a foundation of true friendship. The only difference is a deep passion exclusive to each other. True love never loses passion and romance.

But my man is not romantic, some women say. I know he loves me but he knows nothing about romance, they complain. I ask: what does romance mean to you? What do you see as romantic? Perhaps you expect flowers and gifts and don’t recognize the seemingly ordinary little things he does just for you? Or maybe he just needs a nudge in the right direction – show him the way by giving him unexpected hugs and kisses during the day, or sending him sweet sexy text messages, but don’t expect the exact same gestures back if it’s just not his thing. Allow him his own expressions of love for you. Everything done with love becomes romantic. How does he love you? Try to count the ways. Recognize and appreciate them. Savor them.

High romance for me is every hearty laugh my husband and I share with each other and with our three kids. High romance for me was having my husband at my side in the most difficult times of my life, when my parents got very sick and passed away within a year of each other in 2006 and 2007. High romance for me was having the courage to face the raw pain safe in his arms.

You’ll know you truly love a person when he or she is the one you want to be with in both the happiest times and the most painful times of your life. When happiness doesn’t seem to be complete unless shared with him or her. When just being with him or her gives you the most comfort in moments of crisis. And in between those extremes you’ll find that every single day becomes extraordinary when you are with that person.

When you truly love a person, the initial thrill and passion doesn’t wane at all. In fact, as time passes it is heightened even more by your shared experiences. Each day validates your relationship. As love deepens, your desire for each other grows. This is why we still see senior citizens happily holding hands while walking through the mall, or gazing lovingly at each other’s eyes over decaf coffee and sugar-free dessert. I, myself, still sigh and swoon over my husband of 23 years. Our kids and friends can attest to this. And I can attest to the fact that I can still put a naughty twinkle in his eye. Love, passion and romance has no expiration date.

Valentine’s Day honors love. So go on, if you must, have that elegant dinner date, give that special gift. Remember, though, that what deserves celebration is true love that is ageless and timeless, and let it be celebrated with no less fervor each and every day of the year.

Work at Home Mom: Online Earning Opportunity for Writers at Bukisa

I intend to try writing for Bukisa where articles can continue to earn passive income indefinitely based on the number of views it gets.

My target is to try to write and upload as many articles as I can and allow them to build up to a nice income stream.

Why don't you give it a try as well? Go see how Bukisa works.

While Bukisa pays writers from around the world, eHow.com is a similar site only for US-based writers. If you happen to be a US resident, it could be an additional income-earning site for you, as well. Learn the ropes from the ebook How to Earn Passive Income at eHow.com.