On Vacuum Cleaners: Siemens VS 06G2401

Our almost two-year-old vacuum cleaner has been showing a lot of signs that it wants to retire soon. We can't blame our tiny cheaply bought vacuum cleaner. After two long years of hardwork, it deserves a break. We are now spending some time looking for a worthy replacement.

Siemens VS 06G2401 is standing out from our list. Here's the product info/specs of the VS 06G2401:

• Shape: Cylinder
• Weight: 4.7kg
  
• Wattage: 2400 Watt
• Suction Power: 300 Watt (Adjustable)
• Filter Type: Ultra-Air II Hygienic Filter
• Maximum Volume of Dust Bag in Litre: 4.0
• Cable Rewind: Automatic Cable Rewind
• Wheels: Three (3) Rotating Wheels
• Type of Dust Bag: VZ52AFG1/TYP G

Siemens VS 06G2401 is priced at 995 Swedish crowns. Not bad at all! We are still on a "thinking-thinking" mode as of the moment. We'll update you guys later on this one.

The Colorful Globe Of SM Mall Of Asia At Night

Our last day in the Philippines was spent shopping and dining at SM Mall of Asia (MOA). The annual international fireworks competition was scheduled that night (France against Japan). However, due to the very focused attention we had on shopping, we totally forgot about heading out at 7PM to watch the event. Better luck next time to us!

We couldn't really say that we were done with our shopping-wish-lists but since it was already 10PM, we had no choice but to bid farewell to our favorite mall (until next year MOA!). While waiting for my dad's Pajero to pick us up, we decided to squat on the paved surface located only a few meters beside the Hypermarket. It was our first opportunity to really look at MOA's globe that night. It was actually cool! The ordinary looking giant globe in the morning turned into a very colorful sphere at night!

We waited for half an hour for the Pajero to arrive. The thirty-minute chitchat with a pretty view of the globe was worth it.

That's what I call --- simple pleasures of life!

The Plan On Getting My Swedish Driver's License

After having a delicious taco dinner at my boyfriend's mom's place five nights ago, we all looked for spots to sit down in the living room. We watched telly and talked about anything under the sun. Everyone was drinking alcoholohic beverages except for me. I was simply enjoying my cup of hot coffee and slice of chocolate cake while joining the conversation.

Since everyone has taken a sip of wine or beer, noone can drive home nor drive anybody home. Swedish driving rules strictly forbid people from driving even after sipping just 1mL of any drinks with alcohol. The fine is shockingly huge which is why noone in my boyfriend's family wants to take the risk (which is good actually - better safe than sorry).

So, anyway because I am the only one who never drinks I've promised the family that I'll apply for a driver's license by the time I get to find a job. Applying for a driver's license in this country isn't a joke. I need to go through an expensive intense driving course (which I need to pay my driving instructor per hour) and take a number of written and on-the-road exams. Nevertheless, I'll be happy to spend most parts of my first two salaries in reaching my goal of having a Swedish driver's license (not just to be able to drive home every member of the family whenever there are occasions but for me to be able to drive around the country, too). That would be terrific!

In connection with the driver's license plan, I also need to look into the possibility of having my own car. I am thinking of getting only a second hand car. Surprisingly, when one gets lucky, one can get a used car with a very good running condition in a really low price here. That's another thing I am looking forward to. If I get enough money, all I need to do is to pimp my car a little. I am sure that I can find a shop where I can get the specific Car Parts I will be needing for my car. When that time comes, my boyfriend will absolutely help me out in finding great deals on car accessories online. Oh... I can't wait!

Back to the dinner story, we bid farewell at around 3 o'clock in the morning. My boyfriend was suffering from gout that time so we ordered for a taxi to pick us up and take us home. The taxi driver was friendly but the meter wasn't. We were too tired to even worry about how much we paid. Well at least we were home safe and sound.

Cheers To The Soon-To-Be Couple!

I went online on Yahoo a month ago and chatted with my best friend in college. I went curious when she mentioned about how busy she was creating wedding invitations. I went, "What? Getting married soon?" Although I knew that she and his boyfriend were getting serious in their relationship, they did not mention any wedding bells yet to me which was why I reacted with a strong question mark.

Anyway, they are talking about settling down but not one day soon. They want to take things slow and smooth - that's something I respect! As of the moment, they are busy with their tiny business creating cheap wedding invitations. "So far, so good!" according to my friend. That's great to hear!

Speaking of weddings, another close friend of mine (who has just recently turned out to be my business partner, too) is getting married soon! It's just sad that I can't be there to witness her big day but I am pretty sure that everything will turn out alright. After all, she will be marrying the man of his dreams, the prince charming of her fairytale and the IT of her booming career. *wink*

(photo property of: Mae "Mayet" Romasanta)

As early as today, I am sending my warmest congratulations and sweetest wishes to Mayet and Archer! Hugs and may you have many more blessings to come!

Looking Forward To Experiencing The Caribbean Dream

The latest season of Robinson (Survivor Sweden 2009) was filmed entirely in the Caribbean. The eighteen participants fought for survival for two long months. I never let an episode pass me by. I just got hooked episode after an episode. Whew!

While watching Robinson, I've felt that I've been slowly falling in love with the Caribbean paradise. The fine white sand, the crystal clear blue waters and the beauty of nature are so fascinating. I am pretty sure that I will be spending some nights in the Caribbean one day.

Although I do not have yet a specific plan in mind, I have taken some time to check out a number of cheap caribbean coupons online. Just by going through the coupons, I find it difficult to take off my mind from dreaming about the hot summer breeze along one of Caribbean's beaches. Who can blame me? After the very long winter months here in Sweden, my body is aching for a beach getaway!

I have to update my vacation-wish-list soon. I am excited to discuss the list with my boyfriend. I have no idea whatsoever to which destination our travel-wish-list (and money/savings of course) will fly us to next time. As of now, I am looking forward to experiencing the Caribbean dream --- one day --- one day!

How To Start Your Own Blog

Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts, opinions and experiences to the whole world through the internet. I've been blogging for almost two years now and I do admit that it's simply the best way for me to make the whole world know that I exist. Saying what I want to say freely is a wonderful thing!

I know a lot of people who are interested to start their own blogs but aren't sure how to begin.

So, how to start a blog? It's simple! Just follow these few not-so-difficult steps:

• Decide on which topic you want to blog about
  This is the first and most important step in starting your own blog. You need to have a main topic that you will be writing about in your blog. Although you can write about anything and everything, it is better if you have a specific topic in order for you to attract more readers. If you love to travel, write about where you've been and your experiences in such places. If your passion is about shopping and beauty products, then be that your blog's main theme.. and so on... You can of course mix related topics for as long as you feel like it will not destroy your blog's entire theme.
  
  
• Decide on the title of your blog
  This can be tricky sometimes. There are a lot of bloggers out there who go for very long blog titles. Although it's not forbidden, I suggest that you think of a blog title that is short (this will make it easier for your readers to remember), unique, catchy and of course, related to your blog's theme.
  
  
• Begin with a free blogging service
  Now that you are sure on what you want to write about, the second step is for you to get a blog hosting provider. Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad (offers a 14-day trial), Bravenet, etc. offer free blogging services. You do not have to pay a cent. By starting with a free blog hosting service, you get some time to be familiar with your provider's platform, creating and editing of posts, creating and fixing your layouts, etc.
  
  
• Find a blog template that fits your blog's overall theme
  If you do not have any idea about HTML codes, I suggest that you stick with your blog hosting provider's pre-made website templates (these are for free). Make sure that your template is reader friendly (Select background colors/designs which aren't too flashy nor those with annoying colors. Also select approriate font sizes so your readers will not have headahes reading your posts. Your readers will not be interested to go through your entire article nor come back if they find your layout too annoying to the eyes.) You can change the template anytime.
  
  
• It's now time for you to create your own domain name
  Once you build up confidence in your writing and in your blog, you can now host the blog yourself by buying your domain. Do not worry, domains aren't really that expensive. I am using Blogger (www.blogger.com) and I only pay 10USD each year for my www.ovahcoffee.com domain. One good thing to remember is to find a domain name that is more or less the same as your blog title. If you notice, my blog's title is Ovah' Coffee with a domain of www.ovahcoffee.com . This way, my regular readers who are used to the Ovah' Coffee title can easily remember the domain name/URL/web address of my blog.
  
  If you do not want to host your own domain, that's not a problem. You can always stick with your free blog hosting website.
  
  
• Update your blog regularly
  You do not need to create new posts everyday. At least once a week is okey. This is to let your readers know that you are an active blogger and that you update your blog in a regular basis.
  
  
• Start visiting other blogs
  As a beginner in the world of blogging, you need to make sure that people know that you and your blog exist. You can do this by visiting other bloggers' pages. Take a few minutes (spend at least 30 minutes a day doing this) to read a post or two, comment and leave your blog's URL. This way, they will be interested to visit your blog in return. Most of the time, this is where "blog friendships" begin.
  
  
• Exchange links/badges with your blogger friends
  Now that you have some blogger friends, you can start filling up your blogroll by exchanging links (also fondly referred to as exlinks) with your blog friends. Through this, you are able to strengthen your blog's backlinks which is necessary when it comes to Google Pagerank. Badge exchange (exbadge) is also an alternative to link exchange. If you still do not have your own blog badge, create one now by following the simple steps here.
  
  
• Do not forget to submit your URL to social networking sites such as Twitter, Technorati, Facebook and more
  One best way of inviting more people to visit your blog is by joining different social networking sites. Once you are a member, submit your blog's URL and ping your blog every now and then.
  
  
• Have your blogs listed in different blog directories
  Blog directories help your blog gain exposure. You can check some blog directories Ovah' Coffee has been listed in at the bottom part of this blog.
  
  That's just basically it! You are now on your way to blogging!
  
  Spread your wings! Let your ideas be heard! Let the fun begin!
  
  

Garnier Light Brightening Eye Roll-on

The dark rings around my eyes have been bothering me for months now. It's a good thing that I've found Garnier Light Brightening Eye Roll-on at SM Mall of Asia's Department Store while on my one month vacation in the Philippines.

Garnier Light Eye Roll-on is nicely packed in a yellow slim plastic bottle. Each bottle contains 15mL of the fluid and costs 299Php (about 7USD). It's a good buy actually.

I've been applying this product around my eyes before going to sleep for two weeks now (although it's advised to be used twice a day). I have noticed a huge difference since day one of usage. The dark circles are now a lot lighter and the fine lines are starting to disappear. I really like the cool feel that the massaging roll-on is giving around my eye area. It's really refreshing, soothing, relaxing and I do find it effective!

I am not sure though how long each 15mL bottle will last me. So far, after a couple of weeks of usage, it seems like there is still so much left. So I am anticipating that it will last me about two months before I will be needing to open a new one (I bought two while in the Philippines).

If you are having dark circle problems and fine lines around your eyes, try Garnier Light Brightening Eye Roll-on. It doesn't create a one-day miracle result but with continuous use, you'll surely notice the difference.

*Garnier Light Brightening Eye-roll is avaible in almost all malls and drugstores in the Philippines. I've also seen this product in some malls in Hong Kong.*