It’s the time of the year again – Christmas time! I am so sure that the kids will receive more toys and money than they can ever receive in a year so as early as now Im wading through their room looking for stuff I need to throw, give or sell. I also am trying to convince myself we dont need to buy them all the things they want for Christmas (especially for Matthew). Times are hard and my husband and I talked that we will just give them 2 big ticket item gifts this year and the rest will come from other people. Children & Education books are on top of my wish list for Martha though. She is turning three next year and I will be enrolling her in summer class to see if she is ready for school!

I want to convert a small area we have as a sort of study/recreational area for her. Im buying her lots of books too this year. It doesnt really need to be expensive as Im a fan of BookSale However, I would love to collect the collection Roger Hargreaves, Litte Men and Little Miss Classic Library.

How is this for starting a collection? Ill get her the Little Miss Chatterbox and Little Miss Sunshine books – which is very suited for her!

**This review is sponsored by Borders.co.uk.

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All the partying during the weekends must have been hard on our bodies – all three of us (my kids and me) have been dealing with tummy aches and mild diarrhea for the past two days. It doesn’t warrant us to take medicines yet but we have been going to the loo more often lately. It must be all the sweets, caffeine (Coke) and food we are.

Edil has been trying to get back into the health and fitness track too. He has joined the basketball tournament for parents at Matthew’s school and as support, we all usually go to his games. I noticed he tires a lot easily now and his play is not that fast anymore (he’s not agile as well). I told he better stop smoking or at least lessen it. I know professional athletes even take BSN Supplements (FitFuel.com) to enhance their physique, physical performance, and well being. Edil doesnt really need to take them yet but if he needs protein, the BSN Supplements line is the best I’ve heard feedbacks from.

For example, the Lean Dessert Protein Diet is a delicious protein supplement that satisfies your dessert cravings & appetite - without the guilt! It is designed to be thick and satisfying so that you wont feel hungry right away. You feel really full after!

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MSG is Monosodium Glutamate.

My mom told me not to eat foods containing too much MSG and I never listened to her. Until I found out about this site:

Independent research has identified the following adverse reactions to MSG

• Headaches/migraines
• Lethargy
• Sleepiness
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Mental confusion/disorientation
• Insomnia
• Nausea/vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Bloating
• Asthma attacks
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain or tightness
• Runny nose/sneezing
• Extreme dryness of the mouth
• Hives or rash
• Palpitations
• Flushing
• Mouth lesions

MSG has been shown to cause lesions on the brain, especially in children. These lesions cause cognitive, endocrinological and emotional abnormalities. In children excess glutamate affects the growth cones on neurons. Growth cones are vital in laying down chemical pathways in the brain to enable the brain to operate effectively. Studies show that rats who had been fed MSG from birth could not escape mazes or discriminate between stimuli as well as non MSG fed rats. The implications for human children are that MSG could seriously affect their cognitive skills and cause learning difficulties.

Be careful of what you eat!

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Of course with all the tour talks I wrote on my previous post, I need to tell you that by far the best shuttle in New York that can work for tourists (especially those who in groups) is the JFK Shuttle of the GO Airlink Shuttle Company.

If you want to go on tours and already have a friend to act as tour guide, you don’t have to join the registered ones. You can go avail of their shuttle services and tour around at your own pace.

They have a shuttle service in the JFK airport. They provide transfers in each direction between  JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Airports and hotels, residences and businesses between Battery Park and 125^th Street.

They are also an official permit holder by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, authorizing their drivers to load on the inner curb just outside of baggage claim. Passengers won’t have far to walk! Companies without this official status are not legally able to offer this service!

I honestly would like to book shuttle services before landing on an airport because cabs are expensive, you aren’t sure about the drivers and I’m sure the desk of the shuttle service would be crowded with passengers who would like to get one. It helps that their vans have a separate luggage compartment, upholstered seating, air-conditioning/heating, and driver two-way radio dispatch!

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After my Dad’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he got an invitation to go to Australia on December and the US next month. There will be celebrations there where he is invited to be part of. My Dad would love to go but politely declined as he needs to take it slow as his health is frail.

It is unfortunate because the trip to the US includes a flight to the East Coast. He almost always stays on the West Coast every time he flies to the US. He goes to the East Coast on rare occasions (air fare is as expensive as the air fare to and from our country!) but he really enjoys going to New York, Philly and Chicago. My aunt, his sister, resides in Philly and he got to go there during autumn and he told us it is the best colors of the season – pictures dont do it much justice.

He also finds New York exciting and fast-paced. Not for him but if he takes a tour there, he would love to. He told me about the Bus Charter NYC tours. You get to ride a double deck bus that tours you around the most famous landmarks of New York City. Of course, you’d need to go on top of the double deck and be munching on hotdogs – Grey’s Papaya of course! Those are the best charter buses in NY!

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I confess I have such a sweet tooth So I need to justify what I eat

The Nourishing Value of Chocolate

A piece of dark chocolate with 70% cocoa (the best chocolate in my opinion) contains per 100gr, 9gr of protein, 40gr lipids and 14gr of vegetable fibers. Therefore and beyond any doubt chocolate is an important source of vegetable proteins and fibers that are necessary for the human organism.

Cooking chocolate is rich in magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Plain cooking chocolate contains 520 calories per 100gr.

We have connected chocolate with enjoyment. Hence, it does not hurt to consume it in sensible portions and good quality. If however health problems, like sugar diabetes, exist one needs to be careful. Chocolate also has therapeutic properties, for example it alleviates headaches. Latest research findings proved that chocolate is good for the heart (always in sensible quantities). It is an antidepressant. No matter what the reason for not feeling well, psychologically, a bar of chocolate will make us feel better.

Chocolate is considered by many as an aphrodisiac and a stimulant. History mentions that Napoleon A’ consumed great quantities of chocolate on his missions of war. The effect of chocolate on libido is ambiguous. Maya stories report that the bishop Diego de Panda, personal priest of Cortez, supported that 10 grains of chocolate were enough for a whole night of enjoyment with a courtesan.

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I have been battling with it for almost a month now and my body clock is thrown way out of schedule, wreaking havoc into my work and family schedule.

I’m grumpy, lethargic and oh so very temperamental. I feel bad for the kids.

So I tried not sleeping the whole day. Bad idea. I catnapped for 30 minutes and was AWAKE the whole night.

I tried just laying down on the bed. Bad idea. I felt so restless.

I tried WORKING all night. Bad idea. My head was spinning and my eyes aching and I still cannot sleep.

I tried not drinking Coke (caffeine). Bad idea. I turned into a monster.

Any tips? There are 43 tips found here. I might as well try it one by one?

A little background on insomnia:

Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both" and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. Insomnia is not defined by a specific number of hours of sleep that one gets, since individuals vary widely in their sleep needs and practices. Although most of us know what insomnia is and how we feel and perform after one or more sleepless nights, few seek medical advice. Many people remain unaware of the behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia.

Insomnia is generally classified based on the duration of the problem. Not everyone agrees on one definition, but generally:

• symptoms lasting less than one week are classified as transient insomnia,
• symptoms between one to three weeks are classified as short-term insomnia, and
• those longer than three weeks are classified as chronic insomnia.

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Jacq’s little girl Iyah is turning two next Saturday. In celebration of her birthday, Jacq is running a little contest on her blog. Here’s what she wrote:

Here’s what you can win: I’m giving away $15 paypal money to two lucky people. $5 paypal money to two people who will give the best birthday wish/greeting to my little girl.

Now how can you win? Read below…
1. Subsribe to my feed via Feedburner - 1 entry
2. Add my blog to your Technorati Favorites - 1 entry
**You can do this easily through the widgets are found on my right sidebar**
3. Post your birthday wish/greeting to my little girl in this blog post and I will choose the best two to recieve the $5 paypal money.

If you are a blogger and you want to have more chances in winning you could blog about this contest post and you’ll automatically be entitled to 3 more entries.What you will write about is up to you, just link up this post and it will be qualified. If you have more than one blog (like me) you may do so in each blog (earn 3 entries/blog).

To help me keep up with all the entries (I’m hoping people will join this contest, lol) please leave a comment in this post with the following information:
1. your email address you used for the Feed subscription
2. your Technorati ID
3. Your blog URL of the contest post

You have until Thursday, October 16, 2008 to join.

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As much as we would want to buy products based on their quality and effectiveness, we have to admit that we are instantly lured to products which are branded and marketed effectively.

Case in point – I was at the grocery looking to buy laundry detergent and fabric softener. Times are hard these days so I make an effort to compare prices, but not skimp on quality. I am torn between two laundry detergent brands. One is just a fraction lower than the price, has great packaging (claims to seep through dirt in 30 minutes, with just soaking). The one is pricier by a little (just a little), has so-so packaging. I still went with the second one. Why? Because I saw its commercial and how the demo really works – they even show a comparison with other brands.

Think me gullible? You can count majority of the people that way as well. It is all about marketing and advertising. How will people buy if you don’t push the product? With all the competition, advertising and brand recognition is important. A Marketing Company like Brand Identity Guru knows that.

So not unless you have tried and tested products before, admit that you are also affected with marketing concepts and strategies.

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