Grand Vacations With Kids?

My husband and I agree that it's best to travel with the kids when they're older. Like maybe at least 4 years old. This is because of the following reasons:

1. They do not need as much gear, unlike babies, wherein we have to bring the whole caboodle -- stroller, sterilizer, crib, etc etc

2. They will actually have memories of the trip.

3. The parents (that's us) will enjoy the trip more because they don't have to spend their time watching out for the babies' various needs.

That means our Orlando vacations will have to wait.

But that's our opinion. Others also say that trips with babies on board are very enjoyable. So, it's pretty much up to you.

Win a Jollibee Kiddie Party!

Join the Play happily ever after photo contest. This is sponsored by Johnson's Baby powder.

Click here for the mechanics.

Good luck to everybody!!!

(Now off to find the perfect pictures...)

Lights!

We all know that not all light fixtures are created equal in terms of energy efficiency and brightness. Incandescent lamps are less bright and consumes more electricity while fluorescent lamps and so-called energy efficient lamps are brighter and consumes less electricity for their brightness. However, sometimes we do want pretty lights in the more "public" areas of our homes.

The solution is to pick the rooms where you need more aesthetics and the rooms which need more light and do not need to be too "pretty". For example, living rooms look much better with chandeliers, while the study or workroom needs more lighting.

Let Your Fingers Do The Walking....

A handyman-at-heart, my husband often wonders why it is so difficult to find some industrial products in handyman shops like Ace Hardware, True Value and DIY store? My guess is that the things that are difficult to find are the ones that are not very saleable, so the store owners don't really keep them in stock.

The good news is that there are actually some companies which, while not being retailers of such products, do let consumers buy some in retail quantities. Just flip open the yellow pages and look for the item that you are looking for. Chances are, you can find them there. Or, use the net to research on where best to look for the item that you want.

Invest In Coins

Investments are a tricky business and require a lot of knowledge, for the most part. They also require a huge capital outlay, especially for real estate, that most of us do not have. Stocks also require quite a large amount of money, and need constant monitoring.

For small investors, mutual funds pool the resources of different individuals in order to invest in stocks, bonds, the money market, securities and more, and are often overseen by a someone who's knowledgeable.

The problem with most investments, whether big or small, is the difficulty in transferring to a different name whenever you want to. It's also difficult to pass on when the investor passes away. Worth considering too is the fact that these are subject to inheritance taxes which slices off a big percentage when that occurs.

That's why it's also worth it to invest in different instruments and to also consider investing in smaller, non-traditional investments like jewelry and rare coins. Of course it's best to get coins from reputable coin dealers like the Monex Group of Companies, who have been operating for 40 years, and not from any fly-by-night sellers who might just give you fake coins and run away with your money.

Hand Me Down Textbooks

Despite the frequent suspension of classes due to both the weather and discovering cases of swine flu within the student population, the new school year has started, albeit shakily. One of the biggest expenses parents face during this time is the buying of new textbooks. They do get more expensive every year.

If you have more than 1 kid studying in the same school, it would be wise to keep the older sibling's books to hand down to the younger sibling when the latter reaches the same level. Of course this would not apply if (1) it's a workbook and is to be written on (2) the book has a updated edition by the time the younger sibling got to use it (3) the older sibling didn't take care of the book and it's too dog eared already by the time he's through with it. With the last, it might be a good idea to impress upon all your children to take care of their books so that they will last.

I've always used new books when I was studying, mainly because I'm the eldest. My classmates who had older siblings, though, "inherited" a lot of books from their older brothers and sisters in the same school. I think it's a great idea, one that's very practical!

On Pets

I am not a pet person. I firmly believe that if you decide to keep pets, you should accept that it takes a lot of responsibility. It's like taking care of children. You don't want to shortchange your children. Neither would you want to shortchange your pets. I would get good products for my pets like Frontline and to keep their skins and coats healthy. I know there are other cheaper ways to get rid of fleas but I'd rather go for the sure thing to keep my pets healthy.

If you just want a pet but do not want to take care of it and give it the love that it deserves, forget it. It would be better off in another home.