Anyway, if you consider getting one, know that there are different annuity rates from different companies. It would be wise to learn about the different annuity features, alternatives, disdavantages and most all which one is fit for you. The free annuity rates website will help you understand about these. They provide an online annuity calculator too in determining the value of a contract, getting annuity quotes are free. You are not getting any younger, so it would be nice and right to think about the future…

]]> http://gmirage.com/2010/09/05/considering-annuity/feed/ 0 http://gmirage.com/2010/09/03/strolling-in-the-city/ http://gmirage.com/2010/09/03/strolling-in-the-city/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:08:16 +0000 gmirage1 http://gmirage.com/?p=2692

This was little boy when he was exactly 3 months old…I had him most of the time on a baby carrier than in a stroller. It was more convenient for me and I know that its better for him especially on cold days. And I’ve been sort of letting our strollers collect dust. Yep, strollers, it was like a collection of sorts because whenever I’m not comfortable with one I’ll buy another. So there came a time that we had 6 strollers at home.

I had the carrier for 9 months, the little boy got bigger and learned to walk at that time. I then disposed of the other strollers (read:ebay) and stuck with the red Quinny jogger and the Esprit buggy which proved useful to us during our out of town trips.

It’s true that baby carriers and slings are a convenient option for moms to carry their babies around. Aside from the emotional comfort babies get, they are physically close to their moms giving them more security. Thankfully, Baby slings offers different carriers, wraps and slings that can be used from ages 0-36 months. Yes, even for toddlers but  as the child ages…adds weight, strollers or buggys are more practical to use.

(Sitting down and admiring the paintings at the Louvre museum, little boy on buggy)
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I particularly recommend strollers that are easy to fold, easy to manuever and not too bulky. Stroller.com is one of the most detailed online store for strollers, stroller accessories, carriers and anything related to baby travel. There are categories that one can browse…by brand, price and type as what you like might be jogger type or you can choose from a wide range of pram strollers, all terrain strollers and more.

The review page is also very helpful as real customers give their 2cents worth about the products they bought. Should I have seen their website earlier, I shouldn’t have bought so much strollers before…because with all the information they provide, I would’ve easily known which one to choose…

Summer is over…too soon. Well it sometimes gets sunny but the cold breeze tells otherwise. We would go out with our thin jackets just to make sure we don’t get colds later on. Our 5 weeks vacation back home was an enjoyable one, despite the rains that we got occasionally. We were able to spend some time at the beach and swim in the pools with the kids’ new found friends. (read: clubhouse pools at mom and dad’s friends’ places) It is therefore unavoidable to think of the beach on gloomy days.

So, if you’re still experiencing summer where you are and looking for the best getaway with the family, I’d recommend a South Carolina beach experience for you! Myrtle Beach accomodations and resorts offer the best family fun package; hotel, golf and shopping for adults, museums, amusement parks and shows for the little ones.

Myrtle beach hotels feature generously-sized one, two, and three bedroom condominiums to accommodate every family, golf and vacation group, but they also offer affordable hotel rooms to fit every type of budget. Since the hotels are located by the beach, fresh sea-air will welcome you with a lovely ocean view to boot. Dining is also a wonderful experience as grill along with fine dining is served.

Myrtle beach hotel reservations and resort packages are readily available for booking. Compare prices, which you prefer and that fits your budget and get ready for the best summer experience this side of town. Visit their website: http://www.seasidemb.com.

“Sons are an inheritance from Jehovah. The fruitage of the belly is a reward.” -Psalms 127:3
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Having 3 kids at my age now (I was 27 when this was first published), stirs different reactions among friends and people I come across with everyday-on the way to school, to the grocery, in the bus, the tram or the underground.

Friends back home think its cool that they’d grow up not far from my age and we’d be like barkadas. Them growing up with a small age gap is also a good thing, they say. I also often get comments like: “Buti ka pa 3 na anak mo, ako kahit isa wala pa!.”

I have an older neighbor (Austrian) whose age I’m guessing, is around 68-73. She has a cane to help balance her walking and everytime she sees me with Daniel (youngest, 18months), she suddenly becomes energetic as though nothing is wrong with her feet. She would talk to Daniel,who does not respond even with a smile, I guess he hasn’t grasped much of the language yet (German). Still, the old woman would talk to him as though he understands.

From one of her stories she told me, she was able to conceive but miscarried all…she was almost crying when she said: “Why is it sometimes, those who wanted to have babies didn’t get them, while those who does not want them, gets them?” For her, and my friends, I am blessed to have 3 kids even at a young age.

Others have the opposite reaction though, especially those pinoys here who would see me with all three wandering about. To them, it’s being irresponsible since I got no one else to help me but my husband in taking care of the kids.

They would comment: “Ang hirap naman nyan, 3 bata.”

True, taking care of 3 kids could be difficult, if one sees it as a burden…But when one sees it as an inheritance  from God, there goes all the difference. (fin)

(Younger them)

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We don’t own our kids, they are God’s. This is the reason why we must cultivate in them the love that God gave us and let us be reminded that God is telling us “I give to you a priceless inheritance, your kids…teach them well and guide them to me so that they will know who I am.”

Well, I’m not in need of this item yet since we don’t have a car. But I sure know now what to look for in case we would need one.

The Taal lake and volcano is undisputedly one of the most scenic places in the Philippines. Back when I was still as big as the little boy in the photo, a trip there is like a treat my siblings and I delightedly await. I’ve mentioned many times that it would only take 20  minutes at most to be at the town proper of  Tagaytay where the volcano can be viewed (there are also parts of Laguna and Batangas where the volcano can be seen). One of the more popular places there is the Taal Vista Lodge along with the People’s Park (Palace in the Sky) and Picnic Groove. We would go horse-back riding, watch concerts in the open area and simply take photos with the volcano as background. Nowadays, there are lots of other recreational places and restaurants in Tagaytay offering great food and a wonderful view of the Taal volcano.

I had a nostalgic trip down memory lane when I came back this place sometime in July, during my brother’s wedding. The ceremony was held at the Lourdes Chapel, also in Tagaytay and the reception followed at the Taal Vista Lodge (now Hotel). Sure, the horses where still there but there was a big improvement from 12 years ago…the place is much cleaner, well-landscaped, unused outdoor tables are covered with patio furniture covers as opposed to being left alone dirty.

They’ve also installed canisters for trash, which as I remember the trash cans used to be those green rubber made from broken auto tires. – Well, a big improvement indeed! Really, the place looks cleaner…

*I will write more about the place and the wedding (food review in my other blog) and photos soon to be uploaded.

(Taken 2008, printed for Working Mom Magazine’s monthly contest for the theme: Me and My teacher)

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When hubby hasn’t introduced the PSP as a common gadget at home, my kids played with educational toys such as this one; wooden cubes with numbers, letters and pictures of things that the kids would identify. Big sister loves playing teacher to little boy. I’m not against PSP or any other game console, I play once in a while too, particularly that of Nintendo DS  games like Sudoku, mdas for kids and other mind-challenging games. I just like traditional toys because it’s not so  stressful to the eyes.

(Learning colors in five languages with the help of Lego blocks.)

I strongly believe kids can learn up to five languages, considering that their mind is not as congested as ours (adults). I’m seizing the moment to teach them slowly, starting with the basics…e.g. numbers, animals, colors and so on. In this particular photo, it is with the help of their favorite Lego blocks. Sample? Red, pula, rot, rojo, aka….that’s English,  Tagalog, German, Spanish and Japanese….the order of which is our fluency.

(For the theme: Lights, Camera, Pose!)

Up to this day I am still a stagemom though I have not been active in submitting my kids’ photos to contests as much as I used too. I still carry my camera as much as I can and take photos of them…This photo of my daughter is the latest I submitted for a chance to be featured in a billboard. I received a confirmation from the organizers (NIDO) and I was told that this will appear sometime in August 28-29….oh that’s tomorrow at SM North Edsa…the boys’ photos will appear there too!

So in case you want your kid’s photo seen in a billboard, check out this page.

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Join us!

If you collect gold, it is an assurance that you have invested well for the future. In any case, there are many opportunities for gold in the market. You can buy gold bullion and sell it later on, it is acceptable in every country and every currency. Another advantage is that gold bullion coins are in demand to buyers nowadays. Otherwise you can have an gold ira transfer (Individual Retirement Arrangement) and use your gold when the time comes, with a certainty that your gold value will grow. Knowing why and how to buy bullion and gold coins will lead to a more secure financial stability.

I more of forget to take photos of the kids with the movie standee…the latest we saw was Airbender back home (SM North Edsa Cinema) and out of excitement, we all forgot about taking photos. So below is from The Chipmunks 2 movie we watched at the Donauplex.

(For the theme: kids and movies)

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Spazieren gehen or simply walking is another thing that we do most of the time. No particular place to go, we just walk where our feet take us. Back home, we brought the kids at the Quezon City Memorial Park and the Lamesa Ecopark (more of this soon)…this was far different from the park they used to visit, the ice cream and cotton candy vendors in particular were new to them. That was why we let them have some. Don’t you miss dirty ice cream?

(For the theme: Park Day)

We were just wandering until we ended up at the Circle of Fun amusement park. The place is relatively small compared to where we would always go but there were lots of enjoyable rides and many other things to do. So we let them try how it is to be a hamster for a few minutes (lol). They actually asked for it, the hamster ball, but it was not an easy feat. The balls need to be filled with air while they sit inside…whew! The little boy started crying as soon as he was in so he didn’t get to experience the fun and difficulty of a hamster’s life…

He was however, happy and excited riding his own boat, a ducky-boat at that! There weren’t much kids that time, it was a Wednesday so most of the kids are in school…the attendant were very friendly and considerate, they let the kids bumped into each other or more or less 15 minutes.

(For the theme: Rides in amusement centers)

During summers I prefer that dawty wears a dress (or skirt) for that girly look.  She may not agree always because she can of course move freely wearing shorts and jeans. We would have long discussions regarding this but I’d end up on the winning end.

I also prefer wearing dresses and skirts. Not only because I got used to but because I find it more comfortable. Save for those occasions that hubby and I plays tennis I would always go on a skirt outside.

Of course, kid’s dresses costs less than women’s dresses unless they come from France. My favorite designs where I mostly buy my daughters include  Zara, Benetton, Next and Marks & Spencers…though I would also go without the labels because I’m quite they’d look good on my daughter anyway and that my daughter would look good with them.

I on the other hand, thrifty as could be would wait when my favorite shops go on sale. H&M, Zara, Orsay and New Yorker would give as much as 70% off on their dresses…imagine how much I could save up for that! I’m not the only one who feels satisfied, the hubby as well who gives me my salary (I’ve been working as his employee/assistant since the beginning of the year and I get the minimum wage salary.)

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(One of my favorite dress -same color as my iphone case, lol)

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