How often do you find a pdf file on the web and then forget which site you found it? It happens to me all the time and when I try to search for it using the widely-used search engine, I still coudn't find it, or I will be given thousands of results for me to dig. Fortunately, in my frustration, as I was trying to find ways on how to solve this problem I came across the pdf search engine which simply answers my need. All I have to do is type whatever file that I need and voila! this search engine will produce the results. I didn't even have to know the exact title, I just have to type the keyword, like when I tried to search for "family budget", I was given a lot of pdf files, so, this search engine is just simply amazing and very helpful indeed! Try it out!

Most of us are now spending a lot of time on the computer, but we sometimes take it for granted that we also need to buy computer equipment that are ergonomically designed so that we can avoid certain injuries. Aside from blogging, I also spend a lot of time in front of the computer doing my official duties at work, and this has been my perennial problem. There was a time when I went to the clinic complaining of pain on my left shoulder, and I was told by the doctor that it was caused by my wrong position in front of the computer. I was advised to adjust my seat, the mouse and the keyboard, and then observe for a week if I will still have the same pain on my shoulder. And the doctor was right.

So, I think we all should be aware of this. We shouldn't spend too much time in front of the computer without taking a break once in a while, and for us mom bloggers, we can also invest in some of ergonomically designed products out there in the market.

I think this is the best-known harvest festival in the Philippines. It is observed on the 15th of May every year by the townsfolk of Lucban, Quezon to celebrate the feast day of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers. They give thanks for the harvest of the past year and offer a prayer for blessings in the coming year. The festival, which is celebrated in the neighboring towns of Sariaya, Tayabas, and Gumaca, has become quite famous for the colorful display of houses adorned with fruits, vegetables, and other edibles. The entire town comes to life with residents infecting all with excitement and merrymaking. My kids had a blast touching all the decorations in the houses.

The townspeople use kiping, coconuts, rice, palay, and local fruits and vegetables as decoration. Kiping are multicolored leaves made from flour paste and food coloring --- yes, they are edible!. They are used to decorate the houses and to make fake chandeliers to hang from windows. You can also feast your eyes on parades of giant paper-mache figures which walk the streets, parades of carabaos and a lot more.


What's even more wonderful of course is the food! Pancit habhab which is sold on the streets is really a must-try. We enjoyed it! The kids especially! It got its name from the way it is eaten: served on a banana leaf, the noodles are held close to the mouth and slurped. You'll find the taste as remarkable as the peculiar way you are eating it. Although my son here in the picture didn't use his mouth to eat it, he said he found it weird! He used the very convenient fork!

Lucban is also home to the spicy, garlic-infused sausages known as longganisang Lucban. These can be found in the market and in some stalls along the streets, but be sure that they are all well-wrapped, otherwise, you'll smell it's aroma during your ride home. Although I love their longganisa, I think nothing beats the longganisa from Vigan, which is just awesome --- for me at least!


If you bring your kids with you, make sure that you keep them entertained and well-fed during the trip because it takes 5 to 6 hours to get from Manila to Lucban on the day of the Pahiyas due to heavy traffic in surrounding towns which are also celebrating the festival. As an option, you may want to get there a day before to avoid the bottlenecks. There are a few resorts in Lucban and its neighboring towns, but be sure to make a reservation first because a lot of tourists go there and they sometimes reserve as early as one year in advance.

Be prepared to walk because cars are not allowed to enter the town proper on May 15. When we went there, it was even drizzling so we had to take shelter in some stalls and houses once in a while and walk again when the sky was clear. My daughter even had a small accident which we couldn't forget because it left a scar on her right leg. While we were waiting for the rain to stop, she didn't notice the parked motorcycle, and when her leg touched the muffler which was very hot, her skin got burned and we were just surprised when she screamed. Until now, she still remembers that accident.

How to get there:

Lucban is 161 kilometers southeast of Manila. From Manila, take a Lucena City-bound bus. (Buses heading to Daet, naga, Iriga, and Legazpi usually stop at Lucena too). Get off at the city proper and take a jeepney to the town of Lucban.

If you're driving, take the South Luzon Expressway and get off at Sto Tomas, Batangas. Pass through the towns of Alaminos and San Pablo in Laguna, and Tiaong, Candelaria, Sariaya, and Tayabas in Quezon before reaching Lucban.

Bonus: Enjoy the scenery along the way.

Who would have thought that shopping for plus-size apparel can be easy?

An online store is very convenient because it is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Aside from offering clothing for plus-size women, it also offers modest clothing for women who are blessed with slim figure and who don't seem to have any problem with fitting into all types of clothes. Busy moms like us would rather spend their time with kids rather than go to the Malls to buy clothes. Modern women have taken advantage of the wonders of the internet by doing their shopping online, and they have also began to trust their instincts when it comes to dealing with these online stores.

The clothes and accessories which are offered at Tabeez.com are very elegant, but the most important thing is they cater to all types of women, and they have shown this through all the new line of clothing that they have in their online store, including the shoes that goes with your newly-bought suit. Even the body-hugging clothes would look good in ample-bodied women, I'm sure.

We all experience it. Whether we're angry with our boss, our friend, our spouse or our kids. Sometimes, things get out of hand when we can't control our anger. We tend to say things that we regret later when our emotions have toned down. Another bad news is: it's bad for our heart.

I did some research and was able to get some tips on how to express our anger in various constructive ways:

• Take a beat. If you're furious with your boss, call a good friend and blow off steam --- or have an imaginary conversation in your mind before addressing the issue. Once you're ready to deal with the person directly, don't use finger-pointing. Instead, calmly explain how you feel and ask for what you need. The point of expressing your anger is to heal your relationships, not to be right. Don't just talk about what you don't want, talk about what you do want.
• Get physical. Move the anger out of your body by taking a kickboxing class, beating up cardboard boxes with a plastic bat, or hitting golf balls at a driving range. Vigorous exercise is the single best way to discharge aggressive feelings. You'll feel more energized and less muddled about solving a situation that may be frustrating you.
• Try healthy yelling. Shouting in a safe place is a terrific way to vent anger. Schedule some time alone to rant, roll up the windows in your car and howl, or scream int he shower. Once you've expelled your rage, you'll feel calmer and better able to think about what might get your needs met.
• Use the three-day letter-writing technique. On day one, write a letter about what upset you, without censoring yourself. Then, on day two, read what you wrote and write a second letter. Finally, on day three, read the first two letters and jot down anything else that occurs to you. When you've finished, burn all three letters int he kitchen sink and wash the ashes down the drain. If you still feel angry, go back and do it again, or continue to vent your anger using another technique.
• Ask for help. If you tend to turn your anger inward, call a loving friend or family member and ask her to gently listen as you give voice to your inner critic. Isolation is the culprit when anger is turned inward. Share your thoughts and bad feelings with someone who can act as an intimate ally by reminding you to be tender with yourself. Then ask for her assistance in dealing with the situation in a more effective way.

Whatever technique you choose, let the clearheadedness that follows inform you of what needs to change. Then get to work.

Being a working mom, it's difficult to maximize the time that I spend with my kids when it comes to assisting them whenever they have homework. It's not easy because most of the times it takes a 2-hour drive to get home from work, and by then, sometimes my daughter is already asleep, or is about to sleep.

Since my two other kids are already in College and High School, I only have to monitor their school activities, and make sure that they are not behind their lessons or projects that they need to submit.

How can we help our kids?

(1) Get them to use the computer. The Internet is an amazing resource. There are a lot of homework sites which offer reliable information for all grades.
(2) Get involved. Make sure that you know what's going on with your children when they are in school.

Grades three through six

• Give lots of feedback. Have your child solve problems or answer questions five or so at a time, then check the work. This way, you can spot errors right away and correct them.
• Zero in on good work first. With kids this age, it's especially important to point out what they did right.
• Don't let homework drag on. If an assignment isn't further along after an hour, there's something your child just isn't getting.

High School

• Help kids get organized. Review daily assignments as soon as your kid gets home from school.
• Set priorities. You can help by ranking the work from easiest to hardest. Then encourage your child to tackle the easy jobs first. Break down big projects into little pieces over a period of several weeks.
• Foster independence. Encourage your child to work more on his own. Check an assignment only when it is actually complete.

(3) Find help when necessary. Some kids are particularly reluctant to do homework. This may signal a more serious issue, perhaps even a learning problem. Yelling or punishing rarely does any good. Instead, set up a conference with your child's teacher and together, come up with an action plan.

(4) Provide a good work space. Kids need to get into a homework bubble. When you provide a quiet, uncluttered place for them to study, it sends a powerful message that homework is valued.

(5) Respect different work styles. Some kids need a break after school, while others prefer to power through homework. Help your child figure out what works best for him, then stick to a consistent schedule.

(6) Experiment with different study aids. Most kids are taught to highlight important passages in the assigned reading. But making small notes in the margin can be a better strategy.

My family loves road trips. And of course, doing this with kids at the back of the car can sometimes take its toll on us. So, how do we keep sane?

(1) We make sure that they are clothed comfortably, especially during long drives. Cotton shirts and shorts are best. I bring at least one extra change of clothes for every two to three hours of travel.

(2) We make sure that everybody does their bathroom duties before leaving the house. This will ensure unwanted discomfort and delay while on the road.

(3) Comfort food on a trip is still one of the best ways to make them fall asleep during the trip, so, we always bring lots of food to eat along the way. But I also make sure that these are drip-free and easy to eat. I always go for food that last until we reach our destination, I don't bring food that needs refrigeration.

(4) When my kids were younger, I always pack toys for them, and I also include new ones to keep them occupied. I also ask them to bring at least 3 of their favorite books to read.

(5) We always have small throw pillows for aching backs and sleepy heads.

These really help us and although bickering couldn't be avoided once in a while, we just consider it as part of our family bonding.

Working moms like me sometimes find it difficult to monitor their kids' performance in school. My youngest is in 4th grade and I still check her books and assignments everytime I came home from the office. And although my other daughter is in 3rd year high school already, I still check on her once in a while just so she knows that I am monitoring her school activities. But sometimes, it's difficult to do this especially when I'm tired or when I'm late in coming home, and it's also difficult to do tutoring over the phone.

It's just good to know that there are home tutoring services being offered that could really help working mothers. Although there's still no better teacher than mothers as other people might say, we sometimes have to leave it to the experts when it comes to some subjects which we must admit we have limited of knowledge about. A website which offers this service is the Club Z Tutoring, and they don't just offer tutorial services for the three R's, they also have the SAT Test Preparation which really helps in preparing kids for college. Availing of this kind of service is a must especially if your kids are in High School, just like what I did before my son entered College this year. It was a big help to him, mentally and psychologically.

Would you believe? There are now designer fashion masks with fabric covers being sold online. It's just simply amazing how entrepreneurs can come up with ideas that they know people will grab at the right time. Although the Department of Health had cautioned people about wearing masks even though they are not afflicted with the swine flu, I can still see a lot of people wearing masks in the Mall and in public transportation. And if they cannot be prevented from wearing such masks, maybe they should just try ordering some of these fashionable masks that can even go with their clothes.

I'm sure if you've been reading my previous posts, you would know that my latest hobby is photography. I have subscribed to a few websites which offer some tutorials, articles, tips, and ideas about this. There are lots of articles available, and so far, I found the great photography articles in photography.com quite comprehensive. They are meant for beginners like me. The articles are easy to understand, the tips easy to follow, and the ideas are easy to apply.

So, if you're also into photography, you might want to read the articles from photography.com. I'm sure you will see that they are a great help for beginners like us.