Notepad Corner

June 19, 2011 is the celebration of Father’s Day, which is only a few days away from this post.   My two sons and I were secretly brainstorming last night on how we will celebrate it and what to give to our beloved “Haligi ng Tahanan” (a Filipino idiom meaning Father).  This day is one of the most important occasions we celebrate. Yahmir, my youngest son said that he would be making a personalized greeting card, he and his Kuya JM, my eldest son are good in drawing and artworks.   They also suggested that they will be printing a big banner to be placed in our bedroom to surprise their Dad.   JM is also thinking of buying a new mobile gadget as a gift. While I asked their suggestions on what special meal will I cook on this special day. Ideas and suggestions were overflowing, which made us more excited and eagerly looking forward for the family celebration.   We intend to surprise my husband, so we will keep our preparations a secret.   Don’t worry, Noi is very busy nowadays

No Pain, No Gain is a very common expression we always hear from our friends and loved ones when they are giving us hope, motivation and to boost up our self-confidence when we face a difficult situation in our jobs, business or with personal relationships.   Success in life will not come to us handy dandy, not unless you were born with a golden spoon. Without taking risks one will never achieve great success. One must have the courage if she/he wants to succeed in his/her life endeavors. We cannot assure ourselves to be always on top, trials may come and bring us down.   We must learn how to get-along with our associates, learn how to endure pain, solve conflicts, better judgment and wise decisions to achieve professional excellence.   No man is an island, we need other people to live, to share ideas, to take care, to love, to help us out in time of needs. To dream big in my opinion is not an exaggeration of what you want to become or what you want to have.   But don’t just dream,

The Refrigerator, defrosting Unplug. Dump lingering leftovers and spoiled food.  Check on labels and expiry dates of bottled spreads like the peanut butter, jam, etc. Transfer the rest of the food into a cooler. Surround the base with a thick layer of old newspapers or a big rag.  To make the defrosting much quicker, unplug the refrigerator, 2 hours prior to cleaning it. Attend to the condenser coils at the back of the refrigerator.   These collect dusts and needs cleaning every couple of months.   Snap off the grate, then use a coil cleaning brush or your vacuum’s crevice tool. Once defrosted, sponge the walls with a solution of baking soda and water. Rinse with a microfiber fiber dipped in water.    Wipe the door seal and gasket. Then wipe the outer surfaces and handle. I place a small piece of charcoal to help absorb odors. Plug and fill. I do refrigerator defrosting weekly. Counters and Cabinets Counters and Cabinets are also cleaned weekly in our household. I just use a

Aside from being a potential heatstroke victim, food poisoning is rampant too when the weather is hot.   Certain foods easily spoil in hot weather if not kept properly.   Food poisoning comes from eating foods that contain salmonella, bacteria or toxins, which are poisonous substances.   You may have had mild food poisoning with diarrhea and an upset stomach.   If the stomach ache persists followed with vomiting and frequent runs to the comfort room, it is advisable to seek medical help. Proper cooking and food handling must be taken into consideration too.   The use of a serving spoon should always be practiced during meals.   Make sure to check on the left-over status first before you eat it. How to know if the food is already spoiled? Milk is spoiled when it starts to look like yogurt. Eggs, when something starts pecking its way out of the shell, the egg is probably past its prime or shake it, if you felt something is shaking inside, it is already spoiled. Canned goods, check o