scouting for brazilian blowout!

What did you do with your dry and lackluster hair? I always resort to hair rebonding. Rebonding is a chemical hair treatment that makes your hair straight, sleek and shiny. It is a permanent and expensive procedure. Prices for the treatment may vary across salons due to products used, service, your hair type and post treatment care. In malls, it costs 1,500-2,500 baht. I get it only for 700 baht from a church mate. I heard that constant rebonding can cause hair fall so I'm looking for other safer options.

I recently find out that there's an an innovative new hair- smoothing treatment promises to give you the manageable tresses you've always longed for. The Brazilian Blowout is a keratin-enriched process which makes even the frizziest hair smooth and radiantly shiny. It doesn't completely straighten your waves and curls, just makes your hair much softer, and you can blow dry it straight in a fraction of the time it used to take. But it does mean an hour and a half in the salon chair, and it doesn't last more than a few months. It is also on the expensive side. Celebrities and common folk alike are thrilled with the results.

I wonder if Brazilian Blowout treatment is available here in Hatyai. Good for US residents because they could find salons that has this latest innovative smoothing treatments like the Brazilian Blowout Temecula- I mean Brazilian Blowout treatment in Temecula, a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States.

I'm curious about this this blowout method because it promises to actually improve the health of your hair. It strengthens your tresses by filling in the damaged cuticles with keratin while bathing it in moisturizing and softening botanical extracts. It is effective on every type of hair, be it dry, straight, thick, fine, brittle or chemically over-processed. You can even apply the formula on top of other relaxers and straighteners. I can't wait to scout for Brazilian Blowout stylist here in Hatyai City.

the ugly barnacle makes Hyzyd laugh!

Have you seen the episode of Spongebob where he got smelly breath? Patrick tries to cheer him up by telling him a story. As he finished the story, watch how Hyzyd give the show a good laugh.

father and son encounter

I enjoyed moments where Hyzyd tries to get his ways and his dad is there to discipline him. What an encounter!

rc helicopter for hyzyd!

Last week as we visited Carrefour - one of the leading department stores here in Hatyai City, I lost my two boys! I mean, I was doing our grocery shopping and I didn't noticed that hubby and Hyzyd were not with me anymore! It took me few minutes to locate them at the toy department surrounded with rc helicopters!

Hyzyd really enjoyed watching a rc helicopter buzzing over him. I remember that it's my brothers' childhood dream to own and fly their own remote control helicopter. I asked the in-charge in there on how much it is. It's only less than $100! I never thought RC Helicopters could be that affordable these days. My husband promised to buy one for Hyzyd when he reaches 2 years old- that would be six months from now. I can't wait to buy one for Hyzyd...maybe it would be fun to try it too!

I'm researching if we could buy RC Helicopters online in an affordable price, I found one at Hbby-Estore.com. They're on sale and we can purchase them on our designated budget! The greatest benefit I noticed when we'll make our purchase at them is that we'll receive full technical support through videos, instructional guides, or through email, as well as parts support for the helicopter we'll purchase from them! That's good enough for me.

I can't wait to tell hubby when he'll wake up today!

Hyzyd at songkhla aquarium episode 2

While waiting for the van to pick us up, Hyzyd entertained us with his dance moves using the music from my mobile phone.

our staycation's list of activities

Here's the list of what we're going to do during our staycation- simple, cheap (I don't have plan of breaking our bank) and yet enjoyable activities that will keep us sane for the whole month's stay-at-home vacation:

1. Check some books in my bookshelves read the afternoon away. I plan to finish reading Season's of Love and My Hearts Desire- two Christian novels by June masters Bachers.
2. Picnic near the PSU's lake.
3. Shoot as many funny and interesting photos as we can.
4. Play Scrabble and text Twist.
5. Read interesting articles online… StumbleUpon, Digg, revenue sharing content site, etc.
6. Go night swimming
7. Stargazing
9. Re-watch a great movie we haven’t seen in years- Richie Rich, Dennis the Menace, Pretty Woman, etc.
10. Drink red wine and share funny stories with hubby.
11. Browse around thrift stores. Maybe it's about time to visit Puer Thai- Hatyai's popular flea market.
12. Take a moonlight stroll holding hands with hubby while he carries Hyzyd.
13. Write poetry- preferably free verse.
14. Download funny movies and host a funny movie marathon.
15. Hit up local carnivals, zoos, museums and weekend festivals.
16. Prepare mango shake or halo-halo and share it with my friends.
17. Massage hubby's feet if he promised to massage mine.
18. Visit Songkhla Beach and skip rocks across the water.
19. Watch the sunrise and sunset.
20. Let hubby learn cool magic tricks online and perform it in front of us.
21. Go bowling on discount bowling night at Diana Mall.
22. Dance with the Hillsong kids.
23. Visit Ice Dome before this month ends.
24. Celebrate my birthday at JB Hotel- an eat-all-you can buffet.
25. Join the Songkhran celebration and experience the water-gun war with water-balloon grenades.
26. Dream an afternoon away in your cozy bed.
27. Learn new jokes online and share them with friends and family.
28. Hit the magazine rack at SEED book store (I just don’t buy any).
29. YouTube
30. Karaoke anyone?
31. Clean the bed sheets, make the bed, and snuggle into the freshness.
32. Relax outdoors on a sunny day.
33. Take a short jog and a long relaxing shower.
34. Stretch.
35. Give hubby and Hyzyd a long hug.
36. Cuddle with dear as long as he can take.
37. Pillow fight!
38. I'll make more list…

Feeding Show at Songkhla Aquarium

Hyzyd enjoys the feeding show during our visit to Songkhla Aquarium.

unforgettable classmates

My friends used to joke around and said that they can't forget those classmates that are on extremes- very intellectual that some of them became insane (is it true?), very dumb that can't even understand the question "What's your name?" (here in Thailand, it's possible but in Philippines, i don't think so), very beautiful- a beauty like an angel, very ugly that even the Best Plastic Surgeon in Hawaii can't beautify him/her (that's rude!) , very kind that can't even kill a mosquito ( huh?) and very bad that everyone scream when they see him/her.

For me, I couldn't forget my classmate in Grade 2. She's maybe 2-3 years older than me and she's a working student of our adviser. One day during our break, she told my classmates that when she grows up she wanted to be a Go-Go dancer! At age 8, I don't have idea on what it is all about so I was shocked when she got up on our desk and dance the twist! I asked her on why did she wants to be a Go-Go dancer. Her reply stunned me- she wanted to entertain crowds at a discotheque and see males screaming for her and throwing money for her while she strips!

What a weird dream! It's been 20 years ago and I don't know where she is now. I just hope that she's in good hands. I don't know why she had that kind of disposition in life.

How about you do you have unforgettable classmates? Care to share?

Hyzyd at songkhla aquarium episode 1

After out tour in Songhkla Aquarium last Saturday, we can't keep Hzyd on one place while waiting for the van to pick us up. While we tried to our best not to be under the heat of the sun (oh boy, the heat of the sun is killing me!) Hyzyd wanted to explore Songkhla Aquarium amidst the HOTNESS! I almost fainted just by running after him! Look at that face, he doesn't want to be stopped!

Have you noticed on the last photo that he placed his hands above his head? He turned around to me and shouted "HOT!"...Good thing that he felt that it's hot and he need to be with us- in the waiting shed.

the sajolan's are on staycation!

Ever heard of staycation? That's we are going to do this year. It's the latest term for stay-at-home vacation. Our budget for vacation is little limited this year and airfare going back to Philippines is out of the question. Moreover, we need to save because we don't have work this month and that means no pay too!

So what are we going to do while staying at home ?

1. I'll make a list first , what I want to do is different with what my hubby will do. We'll also take into consideration how would our little boy enjoy our presence...! Maybe we'll download more spongebob cartoons for Hyzyd to watch while he's on my lap. or rewatch nice movies I haven't seen in years. I'm looking forward to download softwares that convert image and photo files between different formats, add watermarks and text effects or something that produce batch image resizing, thumbnail gallery creation, renaming, and captioning. I hope I could have time with these.

2. Have plenty of snack and easy meals on hand. Plenty of fruit, fish taro, pocky bread sticks, crackers, carrot sticks, raisins, and peanut butter made the perfect healthy snacks, for us and for our boy. I need to watch my diet because it's very tempting during this time to eat more than what's necessary. Good food is great for staycation!

I'll be back with you with my list. I don't plan too much and most of my plans is for the sake of my little boy. I don't want him to be exhausted with my plans because we're not going to have as much fun.

Have you tried staycation? What's your experience? I love to hear from you .

Hyzyd's first visit to Songkhla Aquarium

Last Saturday, my family and my brother's family went out to visit Songkhla Aquarium. The place reminds me of what I used to teach before to my BS Fisheries students- parts of the fish and anything about fish! I'm just a bit disappointed because I don't have the right camera to get a better photo inside the dark aquarium (we're not allowed to use the flash) but anyway what's important is that I have time to visit this wonderful place and had the chance to appreciate the undersea life.

Entrance fee for us is 100 baht per person including my 17 months old toddler but I saw on their banner that foreigner adult's admission fee is 300 baht while children are charged 200 baht. Does this mean we're categorized as "Thai"? Not bad...we enjoyed the discount...Before we roamed around the aquarium we have the chance to watch the feeding show! Hyzyd was soooo excited that we can't stop him from running in front!

Songkhla Aquarium is more than an aquarium! If you have enough budget, you could also savor the relaxing feeling of fish spa which will cost you 200 baht per 25 minutes (I'll feature this one later) . Outside the aquarium, if you want the ultimate sightseeing experience then look no further than renting a GoCar for their speedway or the ATVs off-the-road-single or duo. Enjoy a stunning scenic cruise of Songkhla aquarium Beach aboard the paddle boat, kayak, Jetski or on a banana boat! You can also play volleyball on their beach or have your family camping if you want. There's so many options offered for you at Songkhla Aquarium. Visit www.songkhlaaquarium.com for more information.

My family declare that "Our Redeemer Lives!

With so many commercialism and paganism involves on Easter (as it is associated with the idolatrous goddess of spring) , let me just used the biblical designation"Resurrection Sunday".

What do you celebrate on Resurrection Day (today)?

Let me share to you a story:

A missionary in Brazil discovered a tribe of Indians living in a remote jungle area. Disease was ravaging their population and they urgently needed medical help. However the only clinic was on the other side of a raging river the Indians believed was inhabited by evil spirits. In their minds, crossing meant certain death. Although the missionary assured them he'd crossed it safely so many times, they still hesitated. When he led them to the bank and placed his hand in the water, they were skeptical. He even waded in and splashed water on his face. No luck. Finally, he placed a dove in the water and it swam under the surface, emerging safely on the other side. Having discredited the river's powers the missionary raised a triumphant fist. The tribes broke into cheers and followed him across.

So let me ask you again...what do you celebrate on Resurrection Day a.k.a Easter?

For me, I celebrated the resurrection of Christ. Jesus didn't remain dead for the rest of His life.Jesus went through the river of death. He defeated it by submerging, crossing over and rising again on the other side! Jesus triumphs over sin and the grave.

Resurrection Sunday proves Jesus truly is the resurrection and the life (as I've read in John 11:25). He's the Savior we need who can't just "help" us but someone who can "resurrect" us, someone who doesn't only help us when life gets tough but someone we need who can help us when life ends.

I can't help but spring on my feet to dance and sing on this wonderful day ...MY Redeemer Lives!




Happy Resurrection Sunday to all!

on taking care of our teeth

I totally forget my appointment with our dentist! It means that I'll get another appointment again because her schedule every week is always occupied. How could I ever forget? I just wish I'll have the appointment scheduled this week only.

It is recommended by experts to visit the dentist's office regularly every 6 months but in my case, it's already 8 months since I have my dentist's appointment. The dentist's fee is getting higher these days. The last time I have my cleaning, it cost me $16. My hubby has his filling where the dentist removed the decayed portion of the tooth and then "fill" the area on the tooth where the decayed material once lived for $10 per tooth.

My hubby and I loves to keep our teeth in good condition (who doesn't, right?). Maintaining good oral health gives us confidence about our overall appearance. How we wish we could avail a dental insurance like offered by United Dental Insurance. United Dental is the new stand alone dental insurance offered by Golden Rule Insurance company. The dental can be purchased immediately online or added to a Health Insurance policy. The dental insurance has a price range of $16.00-$36.00 per a subscriber. Too bad, it's only offered in the US.

Even we don't have dental insurance , we make sure that we followed some simple methods of personal hygiene to prevent severe dentals condition like brushing our teeth regularly, using mouth wash, flossing and eating a good balance.

billiard time for the family

(image source here)

One of my husband's leisure sports is playing billiards. What I like about Billiards is that it's a game that increases eye-hand coordination, focus and concentration, and even practical application of physics and geometry. I should say that hubby plays pretty well and he's one of the best players in their place but not yet good enough to compete against Efren "Bata" Reyes(a Filipino professional pool player from Angeles City and a two-time world champion. Reyes is considered to be one of the all-time greats in the games of nine ball and one-pocket)...he..he...If my memory serves me right, hubby used to work on weekends as a billiards attendant at his uncle's billiards hall.He confessed that before we met, he's so engrossed with billiards that he forgot to eat his meal for most of the time!

When we came here in Thailand, he doesn't have an opportunity to play billiards. I'm not comfortable too if he'll go to billiard halls with strangers. He just content himself on playing billiards flash game in the computer.

If we could have our own house someday my hubby planned to have an area for billiards. We'll just buy our own balls, rack, table, cues (preferably meucci cues) , mechanical bridge, scoreboard, mirror lights, dart boards, and chalk. Isn't it expensive to have our own billiard hall? If we can afford and beneficial for the family's unity, why not? Hubby told me that playing a game of billiards with family can prove out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences in a lifetime. I totally agree with him because we used to hang out with our dad playing billiards at the Club House with my uncles. The game is so soothing that you do not have to apply yourself technically and those who play with their families can always lounge around and have a gala time. It becomes highly enjoyable and the whole process seems to take you to a very surreal world where one tends to find nothing but happiness, ecstasy and joy. My hubby can't wait to teach our son how to play the game. The game will surely help us all get together . Isn't it cool if I will also learn how to play billiards?

Happy Birthday brother!

Today is my brother Ben's 28th birthday! He's next to me and one of best brothers I have! We're super close and I'm blessed to have a brother like him who's sweet, generous, loving and talented! I'm wishing him the BEST in life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Happy birthday bro !

Look how sweet we are before and even today and how we shared so much fun together as brother and sister.

God bless you more each day with your beautiful wife and lovable daughter!

FREE Yoplait Greek Yogurt for my first 50 readers!

A yogurt a day is part of my diet. Eating yogurt regularly helps restore my good bacteria levels. It has been shown that good bacteria can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTI). I believe on this because I never ever experienced UTI especially during my pregnancy stage.

What I like about yogurt is it's very high in calcium which is beneficial for bones and teeth health. Healthy levels of calcium encourages body to maintain and lose weight.

One more thing, yogurt is a good source of protein. It gives the body enough energy to get me going throughout the day and it makes me full for a longer period of time.

I have so much to say about the health benefits of yogurt but I want you to experience it for yourself. It's timely that Yoplait Greek Yogurt provided me the opportunity to host a giveaway on this site! I'll be happy to announce that the first 50 readers has the opportunity to sign-up to receive a coupon for a free cup of Yoplait Greek yogurt!

Yoplait® Greek yogurt is the newest option from America’s number one yogurt brand. It has a unique, divinely thick & creamy texture with the great taste expected from Yoplait. Each cup contains 12 grams of protein, 2 times that of the leading yogurt. Now, Yoplait offers a new Greek yogurt with 0 grams of fat! It's very ideal for those whose watching their diets. Yoplait is the only leading yogurt with vitamins A and D. It has four delicious flavors: Strawberry, Blueberry, Honey Vanilla and Plain. At a suggested retail price of $1.19 for a package size of 6 oz., Yoplait Greek is affordable, when compared to similar Greek yogurt products, and available at major grocery stores nationwide.

Can't wait to have a free cup of Yoplait Greek Yogurt? Why not click on the microsite below and start filling on the information to receive your first cup of Yoplait Greek Yogurt. You can also peek the trailer and behind the scenes footage from “Clash of the Titans,” which hits theaters in 3D on April 2.

By the way, please DON"T FORGET to leave a comment here if you've joined the giveaway and leave me email address to contact you to ensure that you receive your free Yoplait Greek yogurt coupon (Yoplait Greek Yogurt will handle sending the coupons.) Spread the good news to your friends, too!

Actress Izabella Miko, portraying Greek Goddess Athena in the new epic adventure film you just watched "Clash of the Titans", has teamed up with Yoplait Greek to encourage every woman to nourish her inner goddess.

If you have any point of clarifications and questions please don't hesitate to contact me through leaving a message in my comment box or through the "Contact Me" form found on my dashboard.

personal accident insurance for hubby

My hubby and I had a great conversation with our works. He loves his work as an ESL teacher for 1st year to 3rd year high school in one of the government schools in Songkhla. Everything seemed so perfect except for two things: no salary on April (no work, no pay policy) and no any-sort-of-insurance for him . The insurance is our safety net while walking the high wire of life.

Through a friend, we're able to get a personal accident insurance for him from Muang Thai Life Assurance. We need to pay 1,500 baht per year for this policy. This kind of insurance provides a cash cover to a policyholder when he suffers injuries as a result of an accident. While this insurance helps a policyholder pay off hospital and medical bills in case of accident injuries, it provides cash benefits to family members if the policyholder dies in the accident. But God forbid, I'm praying everyday that nothing bad will ever happen to my hubby in his everyday travel to school.

I remember that few days from now we're going to renew our policy. The problem is we can't contact our friend who helped us with our insurance. She's nowhere to be found. I just wish that the insurance company is like the Los Angeles insurance who provided a unique website for Los Angeles Customers. They can get quotes online or call 800 431 3920 to speak to independent insurance agent. I'll get through the insurance documents of my hubby if I could find where to contact them and I just wish somebody can speak English.

banners for house decor

I noticed here in Hatyai that people heavily used banners not only for advertising but also for personal purposes like wedding, birthday, party and other special events! It's a common scenario in schools to greet the graduates using banners and newly-wed couples display their wedding banner at the roadside!

I have this weird idea of ordering a 23.5 x 78" birthday banner for me, for my husband and for my son and I will invest on wholesale banner stand where I could place those banners. I could then make them a design in our living room, a sort of combine multiple displays to create a large background like in a trade shows. It would make a nice division to create a dining space and a living room space.

What do you think?

he's sweet enough for me

Don't you know that my hubby treats me like I'm still his girlfriend? Even my mom noticed it. His Public Display of Affection for me is still limited on compliments and hand-holding only, no kissing on public even I'm now his wife. He only kissed me publicly when we got married and only in front of Hyzyd. That's sweet enough for me .

It's sweet enough for me that when he's drumming during the practice for Praise and Worship service, he'll wink at me and smile his way. Oh girl, I never thought his winks still bring shiver to my spine ! It's the same feeling when your crush smiles at you, you know that?

It's sweet enough for when he rubbed my back and massage me or when we're riding on a motorcycle and he'll just hold my hand and squeeze it. It still excites me and it really adds freshness to our relationship. In a day, we see to it that we really hugged or held each other close . It really relieves us from tension.

Have you ever thought of whispering a sweet gesture ? I find it sweet when hubby whispers to my ear and tell me what he'll do with me later that night...! I know what your thinking...! It's not always like that. He'll whisper to me that he'll help with dish washing, laundry or he'll mop later when the baby's asleep and... you know, that idea that makes you sweat...!

More sweet gestures? Sugary couples are found at Couples' Corner.

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