Get Connected: One With The World

October 24, 2012 by

The world we live in today is a highly interconnected world.  It used to take weeks or even months to be able to communicate with people across the globe.  Television shows and other forms of entertainment also used to take some time before they spread to world wide popularity.  Today, it just takes minutes for messages to turn viral and shows make it all over the world almost on real time.  Connecting your home is simply a matter of infrastructure.  You can tap into available networks right at your own location to get connected for various facets of your everyday life.

The most common way of getting connected is through telecommunications.  No modern home is without a telephone.  A lot of telecommunication service providers provide different deals and promotions that let you save on your monthly bills.  Even if you already have a home phone service subscription, it would not hurt to look for other providers that you can switch to for better service, more features, and lower rates. Luckily for you, Connect Your Home phone services can help you do your research and find the most cost-efficient home phone package for you.

Another way of connecting with the world at large is through entertainment.  Television shows and TV movies are broadcast and brought to our homes through cable or satellite networks.  The choice is really up to you.  For some homeowners, the cost of cable television is just too expensive.  A more affordable alternative is DISH Network TV and Hopper services.  If you think about it, this service is more reasonable from the price perspective.  Since you can choose the packages that you want, you will never have to worry about going over your budget.  Connect Your Home’s DISH Network TV services provide a host of digital television channels as well as a free HD DVR for the basic package.  Other packages include subscriptions to movie channels like HBO and Cinemax as well.  The HD DVR is one convenient service especially for those who are out most of the day and who would like to watch their daytime shows when they get home.

One interesting development in interconnectivity is in the area of home security.  Protecting your home from criminal elements is now no longer a burden that you alone can address.  The Connect Your Home Security search services can help you find a partner in your area.  This service gives you a list of options in security companies and the services that they can provide.  Home security plans of various configurations will be presented to you so that you can choose the package that best suits your home’s protection needs. While price is always an issue, the amount of money that you will spend on these security services will no doubt be worth every penny with the peace of mind that your family is safe and secure.

Be it in home communication, internet, entertainment or security,  Connect Your Home can help you find the best prices in your local area.   DISH Network, People PC, Time Warner Cable and AT&T U-verse are just some of the trusted providers that they have fostered a relationship with to bring consumers the best value for their hard-earned money.



Filed Under: for the HOUSE, Home Improvement, House Matters, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

Not Just Any Other Wedding Token

September 22, 2012 by

When my husband and I were preparing for our wedding, one of those that we took time to think about was what to give our guests as wedding favors.  Ceramic angels, decorated glasses, and other small tokens were the usual items we received on other weddings we attended.  Though dainty and elaborately adorned, these items almost always found their way to the trash bin mainly because they served no other purpose other than for display. And, well, in our apartment, there’s just no space for any fancy display case.

In one of the weddings my husband attended several years back, the couple veered away from tradition and gave their guests a very useful wedding favor – an ice cream scooper with a marble handle engraved with the couple’s names and wedding date.  To this day, that ice cream scooper is still very useful.  This is also what inspired hubby to consider giving out something more than a display item on our wedding day.

Ours was a garden-themed wedding held during the summer.  To match our theme, instead of giving out tiny figurines or sculpted glass to show our appreciation to our guests, we gave them White Angel plants in small pots. The white angel flowers are similar to our national flower, the Sampaguita, and are quite easy to grow.  You don’t need a green thumb to take care of the plant and are assured of blooms all year round.  It has been five years since we got married and most of our guests still have their white angels abloom.

If you are planning a wedding or any other celebration for that matter, do consider gifting your guests with practical wedding favors.  Items used in the kitchen, such as can openers, whisks, coasters, or even pot holders,  would certainly be of use.  Luggage tags, purse hooks, and key chains would be greatly appreciated by those who love to travel.  Bookmarks, notepads and pens – there are really plenty of practical tokens you could give away and that would fit your budget perfectly.  Believe me, your guests would appreciate a party favor that they could actually put to use.

Filed Under: for DAD & MOM, for the HOUSE, Handy Tips, House Matters, Products We Love Tagged With:

Take the PLDT Telpad’s Bloggers Challenge and Win a Macbook Pro!

September 7, 2012 by

Do you have a knack for writing and love sharing your thoughts in your own blog? Well, wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful to write your blog posts using a Macbook Pro? Well if you think you have what it takes and you don’t even blog, you could always buy a domain, who knows maybe you’ll take to blogging, or even win yourself the Macbook!

Let those creative juices flow and write a 250-word blog post about the 1,001 reasons why people should upgrade their landline to a PLDT TELPAD. If your blog post is deemed the best by the judges, you get to bring home these awesome prizes:

First Prize: One(1) 13-inch Macbook Pro with 2.4 GHZ dual core , Intel Core 15, 4GB 1333MHZ, 500GB, 5400–rpm, Intel HD graphics 3000

Second Prize: Five (5) 10k worth of Heat and Circles Gift Certificates

Third Prize: Five (5) 5k worth of Bistro Restaurants Gift Certificates

Are you up for the challenge? Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Participating bloggers must log on to http://www.telpad.pldthome.com/blogpromo to join the challenge.
  2. Fill out the registration form (name, blog URL, address, contact number, e-mail address), upload a headshot photo, and write their blog post about their Telpad story with 1 of their 1,001 reasons why they should upgrade their landline to a PLDT Telpad. After filling out, click “submit”.
  3. Bloggers must also post their entries on their respective blogs as well and are required to post the link: http://www.telpad.pldthome.com/blogpromo and encourage the readers to vote for their entries. (Length of each blog post should be at least 250 words)
  4. Bloggers must state in their post that readers who vote and sign up for a Telpad upgrade online will get a 16g Micro SD card as an incentive.
  5. Bloggers will be in-charge of promoting their own respective blog posts to get as many votes as they can until the end of the challenge.

Make sure you pour in a lot of creativity and that readers would be inclined to get their own PLDT Telpad as these factor greatly in the criteria for judging:

  • 10% – Votes
  • 40% – Message Effectivity
  • 40% – Creativity
  • 10% – Buzzworthiness

The PLDT Telpad’s Blogger Challenge is open to all Philippine-based bloggers. This challenge runs from August 30, 2012 until October 31, 2012 only so start writing your entries now and be one of the winners declared on November 15, 2012.



Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways, for the HOUSE, Products We Love Tagged With: ,

MAGGI MAGIC MEALS – Bringing Homecooked Meals Back On The Dining Table

September 6, 2012 by

When I was growing up, it was imperative for everyone to be at the dining table come dinner time. My mother was a homemaker and always had time to prepare delectable dishes.  Since my sisters and I were in school the most part of the day, dinner time was the perfect time for the family to talk and share stories.  I’m certain those in my generation also have very fond memories of warm homecooked meals shared over conversations and laughter with the entire family.

Today’s fast-paced lifestyle has altered this family tradition though.  With the cost of living skyrocketing,  most families have both father and mother working  to provide for all the family’s needs.  Consequently,  dinners with the entire family has become more of a weekend affair.

Believing that cooking and eating at home is the foundation of many positive things for the family such as developing healthy food habits, strengthening family bond, and deepening family traditions, MAGGI continues to innovate products and offer services that enable homemakers to bring back the habit of cooking and eating together as a family.

One such innovative product is the recently launched MAGGI MAGIC MEALS which is an ideal solution for modern-day homemakers to provide healthy homecooked meals for the family without slaving for hours in the kitchen.

Last week, I was invited to experience a unique way of preparing dinner using Maggi Magic Meals.  Together with other bloggers, I found out what makes this new product really magical.

A MAGGI MAGIC MEALS pack comes with a Maggi Magic Recipe Mix and a Maggi Magic Cooking Bag that allows time-strapped homemakers to cook a saucy dish together with the rice IN A rice cooker.  Yup! You got that right. The “ulam” and the “kanin” can be cooked at the same time and in the same pot!

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5 Simple Steps to A Delectably Saucy Filipino Dish
1. Place CHICKEN or PORK with THINLY SLICED VEGGIES
inside the MAGGI MAGIC COOKING BAG.
(Chicken has to be scored atleast 3 times per side, Pork sliced into thin strips, and veggies sliced as thin as a coin)
2. Add the MAGGI MAGIC RECIPE MIX.
3. Add 6 (six) tablespoons of WATER into the cooking bag.
(Use less water if you want a thicker sauce)
4. MASSAGE THE BAG GENTLY to dissolve the mix,
then seal the bag by tying a knot.
(Remove the air inside the bag but leave a tiny pocket
for air expansion during cooking)
5. Place the cooking bag flat on top of washed rice
then cook the rice as you normally would.
After 45 minutes, you’ll have both rice and “ulam” ready to serve.
(Don’t open the lid for the entire 45 minutes
to ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly)

With such simple steps to follow, even your tweens and teens can prepare dinner themselves!  Really, even those who can’t cook can cook now.  Aside from the fuss-free way of cooking, what I like about MAGGI MAGIC MEALS is that I can prepare food that is healthy in less time and in an economical method.

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HEALTHY MEALS.  With Maggi Magic Meals,  we have the freedom to choose which vegetables and meat to use.  Since we would also be preparing the ingredients ourselves, we can be certain that the meat and veggies are all fresh.  We only used carrots and potatoes in our Chicken Pastel dish during the event but we were told that we have the option to add more veggies.  Chili can also be added to the Bicol Express dish for those who like this gata-dish really spicy.

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TIME-SAVING and EFFORTLESS.  There are really days when the laundry bins seem to be as high as mountains, or a deadline has to be met and you have no choice but to bring home papers to work on at night.  Maggi Magic Meals still allows you to prepare a saucy dish without requiring you to be in the kitchen for hours.  Apart from the few minutes it would take you to prepare the ingredients, the rest of the cooking is done with the rice in the rice cooker.  There’s no need to check on the stew to stir or season it.  All you have to do is wait for 45 minutes and you’ll have hot steaming rice and a delectable saucy dish laid out for dinner. That’s 45 precious minutes you can use to help your kids with their homework, to do some house chores, or to finish your work.

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ECONOMICAL.  The Maggi Magic Recipe Mix that comes with the pack guarantees a complete and proper blend of flavors which means that you don’t need to use garlic, onion and other ingredients used for sauteing. Also, Maggi Magic Meals are cooked together with the rice in the same pot so this translates to great savings on gas or electricity.  Lastly, Maggi Magic Meals makes cleaning up easy.  Aside from the chopping boards and knives used to prepare the ingredients, there are no pans and pots to wash which lets you save on water and dishwashing soap.

You don’t have to be a chef to provide healthy and delicious food for your family and you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen as well.  Rediscover the magic of meals prepared at home, try all four variants of MAGGI MAGIC MEALS and surprise your loved ones with Bicol Express, Afritada, Lechon Paksiw, and Chicken Pastel.

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MAGGI MAGIC MEALS are sold at 35 pesos per pack and are available in all branches of SM, Robinsons, Shopwise, Rustan, Waltermart, and Puregold Price Club & Jr.  They are also available in specific stores in the following areas:

GMA – Landmark, South, Llana’s, Ever, Cherry, Parco, Budgetlane, Pioneer Center, Isetann, Ng Chain, Tropical, Sta. Lucia and Hi Top.

Visayas – Metro Gaisano, Gaisano Grand & Capital, and Iloilo Supermarket

Mindanao – NCCC Mall & Main, Felcris Illustre, Gaisano Mall (Davao), and Gaisano Mall(Cagayan)

Filed Under: for DAD & MOM, for the HOUSE, for the KIDS, Handy Tips, House Matters, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

Green Cleaning With Vapor Steam Cleaners

May 24, 2012 by

Moms with preschoolers like me (Yup, tots will officially be preschoolers in two weeks time!) are quite stringent when in comes to cleanliness in the house. We all know that with the mess comes germs, and sickness comes soon after. To avoid seeing our little ones somberly lying on their beds suffering from an illness, we keep our house spic-and-span and as close to germ-free as possible.

In our house, you’ll spot the ubiquitous hand sanitizer which everyone is required to use after playing with toys, cleaning, or doing a chore. Every night, the bedroom is cleaned and vacuumed to ensure that the kids sleep soundly and do not wake up to sneezing spells. We also use a floor steamer in the bathroom and kitchen to get between the tiles. I like steaming as it I know it kills off any bugs or mites that could be living between the crevasse. We’ll be going greener though and trading our vacuum cleaners with ladybug vapor steam cleaners for home use. This means we can steam the whole house! Hopefully removing 99.9% of harmful bacteria.

Vapor steam cleansers are not yet that popular for home use but they do help save Mother Earth. Here are two main reasons why vapor steam cleaners are more environment-friendly than other types of cleaners:

  1. They use less water. With other cleaners, such as carpet cleaners, you often end up using gallons of water within a minute of use. Vapor steam cleaners use only several quarts for an hour’s use which is definitely much less than other cleaners.
  2. No chemical cleaning solutions are required. This makes it great for hypoallergenic environments because no harsh chemicals are needed to clean and disinfect the area. Yes, vapor steam cleaners can disinfect even without chemical solutions! Most germs are killed by the heat of the vapor which also effectively kills dust mites in beddings and upholstery.

Not all those labeled as steam cleaners though are the same as VAPOR steam cleaners so do be careful when purchasing one.

 

Filed Under: for the HOUSE, Handy Tips, House Matters, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,
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