a simple act from forest club

It must be Forest Club's way of thanking me for promoting them on my blog. Giving back, they featured my post in their website too! There's nothing much to it, really, except that they linked back to my blog entry entitled Forest Club: An Earthly Terrain.

However simple this act is, I truly appreciate what the owners of Forest Club did. If you look at it, this small act works both ways. Travelers will get to read about my experience at the place which means more visitors in my blog. And at the same time, Forest Club gets a reliable endorsement. You may want to see this simple act HERE.

If all vacation destinations we visited give back to its guests like this, then we will definitely keep coming back to those places and promote them too, right?

this blog turns 2

You read it right. This blog turns 2 years old today! I have been a deliquent blogger several times by neglecting this little corner of mine. But after all the lethargic and sluggish days, my blog has survived! So here's a simple scrap with a 2-layered cake to announce to the blogosphere that it's a day to celebrate.
Credit for this little birthday announcement I made goes to: Numb Bumm for the 2-layered cake embellishment and Nicole for the paper from her One Day I'll Fly Away kit.

My blog wishes more blogging years together. More creatively crafted digital scrapbooks. More well-composed photos. More useful freebies. And more spirited blog hopping and blog link exchanges! Cheers blogmates!

6 blogging tips

Congratulations! I see you have discovered the beauty of recording your musings through blogging. It is indeed comforting to be able to share with the rest of the blogosphere all of your heart’s reflections. But how does a blogger survive the world of blogging? Here are 6 blogging tips I have summed up based on my own humble experience.

1. FIND YOUR NICHE. If it is poetry, novels and other literary-related pieces, then write about it. If you are into photography, post your photos and talk about the hobby. If you are an expert in technology, write about computers and other gadgets. Let your blog stand out by posting entries that have the same theme! You don’t want confusing your followers on what your blog is really all about.

2. UPDATE. You want your readers to keep coming back, right? Then by all means, update your blog! You don’t have to write every single event that transpires in your life. But do update regularly. You don’t want your followers to keep seeing outdated posts.

3. KEEP IT SHORT BUT SENSIBLE. Did I say novel? No, I did not. I said it is a blog so keep it short but sensible. Avoid writing novel-type posts. However gifted you are at writing, chances are your long posts will bore your readers to death. If you can’t avoid posting long entries, divide them into parts. With that, you leave your followers something to look forward to. And they will surely come back for more!

4. LINK-UP. You blog because you want to build bridges. Hurry up, link your favorite blogs and ask them to link you back too! Think of it this way --- You scratch my back, I scratch yours. It is a simple gesture of paying it forward.

5. BLOG HOP AND COMMENT. It’s a blogger’s unwritten etiquette. You blog hop and make your presence felt by commenting. It makes you popular too. Remember, when you blog hop and leave some love, leave smart love! Don’t give dull comments. Otherwise, they won’t blog hop to you.

6. PROMOTE. Again, the idea is to create a following. So, promote your blog! Join forums. Comment on social networking sites. Personalize your email signature with your blog’s address included. Submit your blog to Google, Yahoo, Technorati and other search engines. Keep joining but always remember to share just the basic info.

Those 6 blogging tips will definitely boost your blog. It did mine! Now go and start blogging but don’t forget to show me some love and do numbers 4 & 5! Have fun!

a deliquent blogger influences budding poets

Who, in her right mind, would have thought I , a deliquent blogger, could influence 2 of my friends to venture into blogging! And these girls are truly talented --- 2 budding poets hiding beneath those lovely smiles. Now that they are finally out in the blogosphere, they deserve to be mentioned in this little corner of mine, and be introduced to the rest of my blogmates!

Her smile brightens everyone's dull morning. Liway, a gifted Lower Grade teacher, always has something wonderful to say about Life and Love. Add to that, some Laughter too. Read her Injured Tales at Twenty-Plus and be inspired.

A blooming bride she definitely is. Whatever instrument you hand her, Olive is a genuine artist. Be it a pen and paper, a paintbrush and a canvas or a kikay-kit and a mirror, the artist in her will eventually emerge. Read her Life in a Nutshell and let her awaken your senses with her musings.

I am a deliquent blogger. But, aware of the influence I have on blogging, I have to gather myself up and ensure this nook of mine is updated every now and then. Who knows, maybe I could influence my nephews to start blogging too!

pay per post version 4.0

With the global financial crisis we are all experiencing now, the idea of making extra income is the goal of every sane human being. Most of my affiliates are either into food-cart or clothing business. As financial analysts would often say, food and clothes are essential needs. Naturally, even with the prevalent crisis, a person would have to purchase food and clothes. So how do we survive our day-to-day lives with these financial issues? Pay Per Post version 4.0 Alpha offers bloggers opportunities to earn extra income.

Run by Izea, the interface of Pay Per Post version 4.0 is cleaner and looks more organized. A newbie at paid blogging will find navigating through the website hassle-free. But expect few paid opportunities as version 4.0 was just recently launched.

Like what our moms told us, patience is a virtue. And being patient for paid opportunities to come will surely be rewarded in time.

spammer bummer

There will always be a first time. And my first encounter with a spammer bummer happened very recently as it left an unwelcome message in my chat box. When you only get to blog occasionally, wouldn't it be irritating to see a spam message on your site? Out of impulse, I immediately deleted my chat box, knowing this would permanently remove all the messages my blogmates have left since the first day my blog was born.

Lesson learned in this experience is to make sure whatever you put on your blog is spam free. I am definitely going to put another chat box sometime soon. But in the meantime, as I search for a spam-free widget, you may leave me a message at the end of my post.

subdued and hushed but breathing

It has been 22 days since my blog made its presence felt. Subdued and hushed because of work tasks, I had no choice but to leave the blogosphere for awhile. You see, to be a delinquent blogger for the nth time is the farthest thing from my mind. But yeah, there comes a time in our lives when we have to give up something to make way for something new.

It's the last day of the month and Mr. Sun has been in hiding the past few days. Sometimes it makes me feel this is his way of getting back at me. Cursing him for the immense heat he was creating earlier, I guess he decided to hide from me now when I need him the most.

After months of planning with my friends, we are all set to conquer the mysterious and primitive island of Capones in Zambales from May 1-2. With the unstable weather condition we are now experiencing, we can't help but step back a bit, unsure if we will push through with our plans. If the Low Pressure Area won't turn into a storm, regardless of rainshowers and thunderstorms, with my husband and friends, we shall move ahead to Capones Island.

To my blogmates who never get tired visiting my blog, I know how frustrated you must have felt seeing just old posts here. I won't promise, but I will try to blog more often. For now, let's all have a wonderful long weekend!

blogging via 3G

Wow, dig this. I'm blogging through my phone's 3G! This is so cool, isn't it. I wonder when I could try blogging using Samsung Omnia's wifi. Aherm. With the current global financial crisis, buying a touchphone is the least of my priorities. 3G is ok with me for now.

dreaming about blogging

I admit. I miss blogging. I miss it so much I even have dreams about it. Weird, isn't it? You miss blogging. You dream about blogging. Yet you don't blog. So why didn't I blog the past 30 something days that went by? I was swamped with tasks and deadlines at work. I had so much stuff to do that when I leave my workplace, I go straight to the mall to have dinner with my husband. See, I didn't even have time to cook! As soon as we reach home --- I hit the sack right away.


Now that I am more than half-way done with the tasks, I am committing myself to have more time with my sweet little online nook. Coffee breaks should be posted consistently. New photos should be loaded at least thrice a week. Digiscraps should be displayed weekly.

I missed blogging. Really. I wonder if the blogosphere missed me as well.

holy macaroni

Am I dreaming? Is this for real? I got a call from my husband, congratulating me. He said I'm now a PR 3 (hmm... that rhymes!) Thinking he might have misspelled my blog's address, I checked it out to validate his claim. Holy macaroni! It is true! My blog is now a PR 3!


I don't know how it happened. All I could remember was leaving the blogosphere for almost a month with no updates. Only to return with a higher page rank. I guess it's Mr. Google's way of welcoming me this splendid year. Happy new year blogmates!

delighted and elated

This is how I look like this Thank-God-It's-Friday. Delighted. Elated. Beaming with a huge, bright smile!

Imagine opening your mailbox only to discover another paid blog opportunity for $9.00. On my first paid post, I earned $10.00 for writing an unbiased entry about candle-making! According to my research, that isn't so bad for a starter like me.

It pays to be patient. It pays to be diligent. It pays to be untiring. For in the end, the harvest is abundant. Like what my Yahoo Messenger shoutout used to says, "There is no One Giant Step... But there are a LOT of LITTLE STEPS."

Happy Friday blogmates!

paypal funds

I am greeting the blogosphere with a huge smile today! Ask me why, quick! It's because... My paypal account has new funds! Big hugs and thankies to the few opps I get in this paid blogging business. Well, few opps is better than not getting anything at all. I better be more consistent in blogging and bidding too. Woohoo!

profound matters

Profound (adjective): Intellectual; Thoughtful; Deep; Emotional.

And that word fits my husband to a T. Incidentally, his blog also has the same name! Blogmates, please check out my labski's blog at http://profoundmatters.wordpress.com. It is a new hobby he began just last week so there's no archive yet. But expect worth-reading posts.

Remember. ProfoundMatters by Gino Ray M. Magtoto.

his own place

My husband finally has his own place in the blogosphere. And yet, he still tries to be discreet about it. You might be wondering why. Well, he tells me not to disclose his site yet as he has only 2 posts as of this time.

His blog will mainly be about our country --- politics, business and crime. I kept warning him not to be too aggressive in his posts. Although I know he'll write whatever comes up in his mind (and in his heart) especially when rage fills him while watching the news.

I know some of you are uhmm... excited (if I may use that term) to read my husband's sharp-witted thoughts. I'm trying to convince him to let you guys peek into his space this week. Just a little more convincing and I know he'll surely give in. In the meantime, on top of this post is a screenshot of his blog.

first paid post

Can you believe that! Finally, a paid post. What a lovely birthday gift for my blog! I have been waiting for a task from Blogsvertise and I did after such a long wait. Oh dear, I didn't know it could feel this exciting! Now that I've done it, I think I'm ready to try on the other paid blogging sites.

Baby steps, Jan.... Baby steps!

1st birthday

Guess whose birthday we are celebrating today... Drumroll please! Tadan!

Credits: Bonnie of Silver Rocket
Scraps_Birthday Cake Freebie
Kim Jones_Lollipop Kit

As my blog blows its candle, it wishes for a longer life in the blogosphere. Cheers!

wacky weekend

Thank God it's a weekend. The past week was really stressful for me and my husband. We both had tons of deadlines to meet and we hardly had time to sweet talk one another. And so last night, we had a dinner at TGIF in Glorietta, even if I was having a terrible migraine. Photos coming soon. I still have to lay-out it so it'll look pleasant.

I can't believe it! I'm blogging on a weekend! Have a wacky weekend everyone! Passing this to Chie, Farah, Joanne and Vannie!

*The image is suppose to move, it's a gif! But it isn't doing its wacky moves. Oh well, still hope it'll be a wacky weekend for us all.

merci to those who remembered

To my friends and blogmates who remembered my birthday...

You all made my day even more special!

the birth of a new blog

I know this would make me look like a geek but what the heck. This morning, I was reading a book on idiomatic expressions. I came across the phrase a slice of the cake. Although the idiom meant sharing something, my mind was flooded with food and restaurant thoughts. And a brilliant idea popped in my head. Why don't I start a blog about food!

Although I don't look like a happy eater because of my skinny frame, dudes, I am telling you... I am! I would rather spend on food than go to a movie house. I would rather buy food than purchase a new bag. I would rather give in to my craving than buy a a new cellphone. Gone are the days when I was a slave of new gadgets and signature clothes. This time around, I am a fan of food!

And thus came the birth of my new blog which I call a slice of the cake. Like the meaning it evokes, this blog aims to share with the blogosphere every stuff related to food. Blogmates, drum roll please! I humbly invite you to view my new project. Welcome to the blogosphere baby!

delinquent blogger

I am.

A lot of things happening these days. Both in my work and in my personal life. And getting home in the loving arms of my husband is always a moment I look forward to.

Notice how I fail to post new photos or scraps or bits & pieces of anything? It's because I am so filled with tasks to accomplish. Preparations for the coming school year has gone full force. And my weekends are devoted to our families, mine and my in-laws. And honestly, I am sad at how slow my blog life has been since this month began. I don't even blog at home as I prefer to cover myself with my pillows and blanket to get a much needed nap!

Tsk tsk. Such a lazy blogger. I have to pull myself up and be more diligent in the blogosphere. By the way, coffee break tomorrow, okay? And our Baguio weekend pictures tomorrow too. Promise.