Sesame Street New Season: Math and Science focus

I have to admit that when I was a kid, I adored Sesame Street. Well, I still do. Sesame
Street was a fun and educational show that I could easily watch in the morning or
in the afternoon (tv time was dependent on my school schedule). Back then, it was
NORMAL to be bilingual. The kids of our generation spoke --- and can speak ---
English and Filipino; thanks in part to The Muppets. And yes, we didn't make a big
deal out of it. It was what it was.

So, if Sesame Street can teach the kids of today English and Math and Science, then
I'm all for it!


p.s.
M is still not allowed to watch tv. We're still holding out for when he hits 2 yrs old.
By then, we will definitely stick to a few select tv shows. Of course, Sesame Street
will be on the list.

Video courtesy of ABC News

3 Tips on How to Successfully Complete the VA Seminar Assignment

*** December 2014 Update ***

Technology changes and so must we. Use the tools that are recommended in
the VA Seminar. Yes, Blogger may not even be there anymore. Good luck! :)

--------------------------------------
After more than a year of dilly-dally and delay, I am FINALLY doing the VA
Assignment for the Virtual Assistant Seminar. You see, I attended the VA
Seminar last year and I've been working as a Virtual Assistant for more than
a year now. It's been really great. Now, it's time for better and brighter things.

So what's the VA Assignment for? Well, it's supposed to serve as my online
portfolio. Of course, if I had done the VA Assignment last year, like I was
supposed to, I would now just easily send my resume to prospective clients.
Unfortunately, I didn't. Soooooo, I've been working on it lately, again.
Reality bites huh.


3 Tips on How to Successfully Complete the VA Seminar Assignment:

1. Plan
    Most people dont finish the VA Assignment because they feel overwhelmed
    by what needs to be done. STOP! Affirm yourself that you're going to
    get it done.
 
    That being said,
    a. Decide on when you will work on the assignment. Daily? Weekly?
        I suggest scheduling this to coincide with your inspired moments.
    b. Decide on which tasks to work on first. Don't expect to do it all at the
        same time.
    c. Look at what others have done. Gain some inspiration and get some tips
        on how to go about doing it all.
    c. Join the FB Group and ask questions from others as needed.

2. Do
    Just do it. One step at time. Rest when you feel tired. Afterwards, work on
    it again.

3. Check then Act
    If you noticed, Check then Act are nicely bundled together. Why? Avoid
    the common mistake of analysis by paralysis; move move move.

    At the end of each week, assess what you've accomplished. Check to see
    if you're progressing as planned. Make the necessary adjustments so that
    you can work better towards completing your goal of submitting your
    VA Assignment. Stop only when you're done.


My Progress
I'm probably 15% done; still have a looooooong way to go. I am terribly
resisting the urge to just get the VA Assignment done and over with.
It's important to do a good job because completing the assignment will
result in more online mileage; it will show if you put in the effort or if you
did things half baked. Patience truly is a virtue.


Need a little more motivation? You might want to read this and this on why
I use blogger.


Want to know more about the VA Seminar I attended?
Click here for details on the Online Virtual Assistant Seminar:
           http://bit.ly/onlinevaseminar

Go here for more details on the Virtual Assistant Seminar (Live Event):
           http://bit.ly/vaseminarlive


Image courtesy of bludgeoner86

The Holstee Manifesto

The Holstee Manifesto is just what you need to start your week on an inspired note.
A great week to all!


Image courtesy of Holstee

S&R Sale on September 14 - 18, 2011

The much awaited S&R Sale is here again! The S&R Sale is on from Sept 14-18, 2011
with Shopping Hours from 8:00am to 9:00pm. Stores taking part in the S&R sale
include: Bonifacio Global City, Congressional, Alabang and Aseana-Baclaran.

Remember to fill up that raffle coupon. The lucky winner gets one Mercedes Benz!
Raffle draw is on October 31, 2011.

Drop by and take home cartloads of premium shopping at great savings!


Image courtesy of S&R

Here's the Proof! Statistics on Filipino Online Usage

47% of the Philippines' urban population are Internet users... This increase has 

been consistent across different regions, social classes and age groups, with a 

marked increase among 15- to 24-year-olds from 57 percent to 71 percent this 

2011. - Synovate (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

 Image courtesy of invesp

The Philippines is one of the Top 10 Growing Countries in E-Commerce Usage.

Image courtesy of Philippine Daily Inquirer

And there's no denying that the Philippines garnered the highest online fan votes
for the 2011 Miss Universe Pageant. Big Congratulations to Shamcey Supsup for
being the 3rd Runner Up of Miss Universe 2011.


As a Virtual Assistant, I sometimes get asked if Online Marketing is just a fad;
if it's really necessary or it's just some hype created by a select few. I hope these
numbers have convinced you enough that Online Marketing is here to stay.

Starbucks Creme Brulee Macchiato + New Breakfast Items

September 13, Starbucks Phlippines will once again be offering the Starbucks
Crème Brûlée Macchiato. What's so great about the Starbucks Crème Brûlée
Macchiato? Cream,  caramel and chocolate, of course!

Starbucks Crème Brûlée Macchiato
The warm flavors of the Crème Brûlée Macchiato are a perfect companion for
every day. It’s a creamy mix of crème brûlèe flavored syrup and freshly steamed
milk marked with intense Starbucks espresso, topped with velvety foam and
finished with a roasty, dark caramel drizzle on top.

You can enjoy your Starbucks Crème Brûlée Macchiato hot, iced and as a Frappucino.


Starbucks Breakfast Menu
Need another reason to drop by your nearest Starbucks store? Look no further,
the new additions to the Starbucks Breakfast Menu are definitely worth a try!

In Search of Something Sweet
- French Toast with Maple Syrup
- Banana Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Looking for Something Savory
- Roast Chicken Egg Cup Toast (think quiche)
- Spam, Egg and Cheese on Cornmeal Bread
- Turkey and Chicken Ham, Egg White and Emmenthal on Whole Wheat
  Cornmeal Bread
- Vigan Longganiza, Egg and Mozzarella on Whole Wheat Pandesal
 
Definitely Not just Vegetarian
- Spinach, Artichoke, Mushroom and Mozzarella on Rye Bread
- Spinach, Feta and Egg Wrap

 Yum yum yum!



Image courtesy of Starbucks

38,000 Millionaires (US$) in the Philippines by 2015

Over the weekend, Z mentioned that Php50million in the bank is the bare 

minimum for a Pinoy to be considered rich these days. 

I wondered, How many people actually have this much assets??? 

Well according to Julius Baer - "The Philippines will have 38,000 millionaires 

(in US$) by 2015". Hence, the Php50million number.

I'm not quite sure when Php50million became the gold standard but I must

admit I wasn't paying attention when this figure was pegged. I mean is this

really an exact science? And if it is, what should it mean to me?

If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there. - Yogi Berra, 

American Baseball Player and Team Manager

The short conversation that I had made me realize how much I've changed 

through the years. You see, 10 years ago, I was like other people; listening 

and believing others who had a definition for rich and successful. This brought

me some heartache because I was apparently chasing after things that were 

unimportant to me. 

At some point, I woke up and realized, "Hey, wait a minute, this isn't what 

I want." I then started making life choices based on what I assessed would 

work best for me.  I'm happy to say that at this point, I'm quite happy with 

the decisions I've made.

Some people will scoff at what I said and write me off as naive. But you 

know, the thought of that doesn't really bother me. C'est la vie. We all have 

our own reasons for being. Others have the right to be them, I have the right 

to be me, and you have the right to be you. 

Image courtesy of areasauburnphotos


p.s. So what about the state of our economy? Don't get me wrong, the more
financially stable we are as a people, the better. But I'm less hung up on
the ultra rich. What I'm hoping for is for the Philippines to have a stronger
middle class.

You don't need Php50Million to be middle class. But you do need enough
money to have a home, provide for your children, retire comfortably and then
give some to those still trying to get there.

Start Now and Use Blogger

Starting something new is a difficult thing. You may have your reasons, here are some

of mine:

- There's always tomorrow.

- It's too hard.

- What if?!?

- It's gonna explode!

- Do I really have it in me to do this?

And on, and on, and on....

Yesterday, I asked everyone to make a wild guess on what The Sartorialist, 

Vosgesparis, and Ode Boutique had in common.

The usual answer: fashion, style, artistic and black + white. Okay these

are all true. But....

THE ANSWER:  Blogger.com

Whaaaaaat?!? Yes, this is a "technical" post of sorts...

The Sartorialist

Yes, The Sartorialist has been using blogger since time immemorial. You don't believe

me? Use the original URL: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com and see where you'll end 

up. Okay, he recently switched to Wordpress. But there's no denying that he did really 

well when he was still using blogger; think Time Magazine 2007 Style and Design 100
and paid advertisements from fashion brands.

VosgesParis

I love VosgesParis for its minimalist zen type approach to home design. VosgesParis 

is obviously an artist. But I love the fact that that she mildly tweaked her blogger theme

to make it all her own. 

Ode Boutique

Who would have guessed that Ode Boutique is running on Blogger. Even more

surprising is the fact that web developers now get paid to do Blogger design and 

development. I'm sure hard core developers will be screaming in protest. In the
end, it boils down to what works for the client. Interesting!!!

And so, to all who've been deliberating and delaying on starting their 1st website,

my suggestion to you is this: Start Now and Use Blogger. Blogger really is the

simplest thing to use. You can always move on to other platforms. What's most

important is that you take that first step and get yourself online. And......

May that first step bring you to better and brighter things!

Image courtesy of Blogger.com

What do these 3 sites have in common? --- It's not what you think!

What do these 3 sites have in common? --- It's not what you think! 

Make a wild guess and send me your thoughts. 

The answer comes out tomorrow. 

Enjoy!

Image courtesy of the sartorialist, vosgesparis and odeboutique.