Gimme A Break

I wasn’t going to go out today seeing as how hot and hazy it is. But I really do want to do my groceries on weekdays instead of weekends. I’ve really gotten tired of the parking problems, bumping into shopping carts, the long lines at checkout, …

I have the luxury of shopping on weekdays because I work from home. But in recent weeks, I’ve been procrastinating over shopping till the weekends and it’s gotten into a nasty habit. When I get to the store on weekends, I stress myself out and end up wishing I’d done my shopping earlier.

When the store is less crowded, I can think better and stay more focussed on what I need to buy. When I’m in there during the weekends, I just want to get out as quickly as possible. So I end up forgetting to buy stuff I need, and then I beat myself up over having to run another errand to get what I’ve missed.

If it’s possible at all, try to get your shopping done on weekdays. Then when you go out during the weekends, your mind is freer and you’re in a better frame of mind to have a good time with your family.

• weekends are more tiring
• all set to go again!
• weekends only
• best stress reliever
• our project runway (1)

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I must be one of the few dinosaurs left in the modern world who still pay my bills offline. Nope, I haven’t signed up for any online banking services that allow me to pay my bills comfortably from home. Maybe that’s why I’m rushing around more than your average busy bee, huh?

It’s not that I’m so technologically behind. It’s just that I happen to know too much about the technological loopholes that exist in seemingly secure connections. At the same time, I know it’ll save me a ton of hassle if I could do online auto insurance, online bill payments, online everything.

• buying home insurance the easy way
• insurance reminders
• I gotcha covered
• circling like a vulture
• full of initiative

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I’ve been a VP (Vacation Planner) in the family long enough to know that planning a holiday is not all it’s cracked up to be.

While everyone else in this family may think that all it takes is a couple of clicks here, a couple of calls there, and we’re on our way to the vacation of our lives.
Unfortunately it doesn’t work this way, not unless you find an online travel company that has the experience to help you plan everything down to the letter.

Isango! tours and activities are meant to be stress-free. You want to make informed decisions, secure unbeatable prices and ensure that everything goes as planned during your trip.

When you’re traveling with kids, you really want to be flexible and you are allowed flexibility when you book with Isango.

And you want to know upfront what the whole trip is going to cost you. No hidden costs, no surprises. Family travel is expensive enough without all the miscellaneous charges here and there.

There’s nothing worse than the sudden realization, OMG we’re like over-budget and we’ll all have to go hungry for a month after the trip kind of thing.

That, in a nutshell, is the job of the VP with some help from a trusted online travel specialist .

• her daughter’s graduation
• the footsteps of Pirates
• so who wants to go where again?
• our jetset consultant
• finally a holiday we can afford

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September is usually the month when I get a slew of wedding invites. Yep, I’m seeing lots of wedding shops popping up all over town in readiness for the big bucks that couples are prepared to spend these days.

Come to think of it, it may actually save the couple some time if they shop online instead of running from store to store. Knowing how long it takes to arrange for a wedding, any time saved is time for a little well-deserved rest, I think.

Advantage Bridal, for example, is well-stocked with all the bridal products and accessories you can think of. You can easily find Custom Crystal Attire at AdvantageBridal.com to add a little sparkle to your wedding.

In fact, many of the items are so pretty you’ll really be spoilt for choice. And not forgetting that very often, you have to shop for your family, bridesmaid, best man and ring bearer as well so that you can get everyone coordinated.

They stock an amazing range of items from the cake to apparel to flowers. The site is huge so be prepared to spend some time looking around. My suggestion is to purchase online if you can. It can really save you lots of unnecessary running around especially if you work fulltime.

• McWedding
• the print fanatics
• plan for the weekend
• be prepared
• pet talk

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I’ve been procrastinating quite a bit lately. It’s really just a matter of dragging myself out of my chair away from blogging to just get out there and do what I’ve been putting off. Gah!

Sounds easy. So why then is it so hard? I needed to get to the bank, or rather I’ve been needing to get to the bank for days now. But there was always some other unscheduled event that got shoved ahead of it.

Finally today, I found the perfect excuse not to give any excuses for not going to the bank. There’s a shop just opposite the bank that sells yummy chicken rice.

Hard-pressed for a lunch idea, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and surprise the kids with their fave rice dish and get my banking done at the same time.

So the tip is to couple an unpleasant chore with a pleasant one to get it done, once and for all. Worked for me .

• a holy morning
• hot stuff
• tomyam noodles
• fullmoon party
• no cheese please

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I’ve been using Windows Vista for a while now. I can’t say I’ve explored its features fully. I’m pretty much using it plain vanilla at this point. Exploring will have to wait.

One of the features I’ve recently discovered (silly me!) is the sticky yellow pad that you can put up on the sidebar. It’s a godsend for someone like me. Busy equals forgetful, so this is the best thing ever.

I’m relieved I don’t have to plaster my screen with the real thing. I was considering it because of how many times I’ve forgotten to do something I was supposed to have done!

• Fast and Furious over the weekend
• the coolest t-shirts on the internet
• what drives the consumer?
• crooked
• smelling like roses

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Golf is expensive enough as a game. I guess if you couldn’t afford it, you wouldn’t be playing it. Yet I’m sure it’d be nice to reduce the cost of the game.

I know for a fact that many golfers purchase used golf clubs and golf balls. Much of this equipment can be found in excellent condition at a fraction of the price.

Take ‘experienced’ golf balls, for instance. They’re great for practice because you lose so many anyways.

They either fly off into the twilight zone or land with a gigantic plop into the pond if you’re a textbook golfer like me .

So why would you pay so much more for new ones to practise with?

• meet mr golf
• come rain or shine or croc
• present from a buddy
• need a new sofa
• Forget New Years Resolutions. Play Games Instead.

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With my busy schedule, I hardly find the time to read and yet I know I have to, if nothing else, to be a role model to my kids.

Yep, kids these days can hardly be called bookworms any more. Their obvious choice of the PC over books is not only bad for the eyes, there’s no way a PC screen can ever feel like a book, you know what I mean?

So where do I find the time and place to read?

In traffic jams. When you live in the city, you come to accept traffic jams as part of your daily routine. In fact, our national excuse for being late to any event is “I was caught in a jam”.

So what do you do when you’re a sitting duck? I’ve built a library in the front passenger seat of my minivan and that’s where I do what I call “my snatches of reading”.

In the gym. I get in, hop on the bike with a book and I’m off !!

In fact, you can catch up on your reading just about anywhere. Just throw a book in your bag and you can start reading while waiting for your turn at the bank, post office, beauty salon, on the train (if you don’t get motion sickness first LOL)…

So there…

• unsweet jam memories
• the bathroom question
• re-reading old books
• the stress of driving
• reading the news

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