Accessorize Your Cell Phone For Less

Our mobile phones nowadays are an extension of our personality. Not only do they serve as means of communication but they express our style, status, and ultimately life choices. I will share to you today some ideas on how you can dress-up your cellphone without breaking your budget.

First, look for budget cell phone case. They are very popular as rubbers or hard casing which also function as protection from scratch or when you drop your phone accidentally. Designs vary from bold colors to leopard print, sports emblems and including insignia of your favorite house of fashion.

Next, when your phone is all dressed up, find a convenient way to carry it while working, exercising, dining, or shopping. Buy those belt clips so you can easily reach for you phone. High street stores also sell those pretty cell phone pouches that you can wear around your neck.

Then enhance your mobile phones capability. Whether sound or photo, or prolonging your battery life, it pays to buy a little more for your phone to get the most out of it. Buy a car charger, a Bluetooth device, or add a memory card. Check and compare online for best deals. I bought my current LG mobile accessories from LowerPriceUSA.com

Lastly, ensure the accessory you choose is compatible with your phone. Always refer to your carrier's website.

Personalized Flash Drives For Photographers

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PhotoFlashDrive by Pexagon Technology. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have a friend working in the photo industry? Or are you in any way related to a professional photographer? I have a fabulous gift idea for you come Valentines Day.

How about a personalized USB flash drive? I learned about a website called Photoflashdrive.com, part of the Pexagon Technology, which works closely with photographers. Their special craft is to create flash drives for photographers, engrave and personalized them with logo. I think it's a brilliant way to market your brand: think the name of your studio carried on as you give them to your valued clients. Or you can also personalized the flash drive for clients who asks for soft copies of their photos.

Photographers are given 25% discount everyday when shopping at Photoflashdrive.com. They can choose to engrave a logo on the front and up to two lines of text on the back. Prices include the engraving and after discount, they range from $4 to $42.  Now I am seriously considering an order for me and Hubby. This is going to be my Vday gift for him. I'll have his initials and his favorite quote engraved. Oh i'm excited!

I think that the trendy photography flash drives will also be a hit among fashionistas. It is also a wonderful idea to give to somebody who seems to have everything!

Sweet Business!

I just arrive from The Dubai Mall where I met my friend Chef J. I previously shared to you about her cupcake business that is about to take off anytime between February and March. 

We met for a cup of machiatto and she was very thrilled to show me the business cards she ordered for printing. The design was very charming and really suits her personality. I felt a little pang of sadness though because I don't think I will ever have my name printed on such small and elegant stationery lol!

Anyway, Chef J treated me to a huge serving of Dean & Deluca dessert because she also wants to start a website for her business and she wants some pointers. Since she is just starting, she simply wants a page where she can post and update photos of her dessert creations. Something that will keep her in touch online with her customers and where they will also be able place orders but cash on delivery basis.

I am a novice on web development but I explained that she can start a business blog using the Wordpress platform. To make it more professional though, she needs to buy a domain and look for web hosting services to host the site. I referred her to a site which has an extensive web hosting directory. It includes ipage, blue host, fatcow, and hostmonster. I am very grateful for the site because when I was looking for a service to host our family  blog, they made my online research easier as their experienced webmasters rank the 10 cheapest web hosting services available.

Chef J was thrilled at the idea of  starting her own little place in the world wide web. Even more so when I informed that once the site is up and running, we can make a Facebook Fan Page. Her face lit up in pure delight! I love it when I can make my friends happy. 

Hmnnnn will my two-red-velvet-addict-boys get discount coupons? We'll see =)

NAS Storage Is Now Affordable!

Like I previously shared, my Husband's company is expanding to Abu Dhabi.  The management is expecting the new branch to be fully operational by January 2011. Preparations are now in full swing and Hubby, being the Design Manager for Abu Dhabi branch was asked what else were needed for a smooth start. 

Hubby will be working with around 21 Design Engineers all of them with individual computers. So he requested for NAS storage so that all of them will have access to the company's project files. Fortunately, the company agreed as there are affordable NAS storage unit now unlike in the beginning when it sold very expensive. With so many brands to choose from and big names like Western Digital and Buffalo joining the market, finding a quality NAS storage is now easier and  affordable.

For those wondering, NAS is short for network-attached storage. It is a file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network. And because of its convenience - providing  faster data access to numerous computers, easy administration, and simple configuration - it is slowly gaining popularity.

Coupon Site For Web Hosting

Oh wow, two blogger friends today asked for their URLs to be updated. They are now blogging on their own domains. How cool is that!

I made a list of things to do once we move to Abu Dhabi next year and on top of  it is to look for cheap hosting service that hopefully will give a free domain as well teehee.

I've blogged about this before but what was hindering me was insufficient Paypal funds. Now that I can actually pay for a hosting service, I am now thinking if I will be able to sustain it hahaha.

But it seems, a patient and resourceful blogger always find a way. Notice of Payment on my Paypal arrives every now and then and no matter how small I am always thankful. When it all sums up, I get a big smile. I am aware that I can earn more once I will be blogging on my own domain. Plus the fact that my blog will look more professional =)

Our move to Abu Dhabi means new internet connections so I will not be able to access my blog 24 hours a day. I shall probbaly be blogging on internet cafes until such time we can get a connection which often takes about 3-4 weeks. So as not to waste money, I am putting it off until we can have a stable online connection in our new place.

Meantime, I am reading as much as I can on tips and trick on finding and choosing a web host. I learned that WebHostingFocus.com is generous enough to provide us with hosting coupons that will give discounts on web hosting services. Cheap hosting deals are now more easier to find!

Shopping for Bluetooth Headset

Bang & Olufsen Headset

 While walking around The Dubai Mall last night, Hubby spotted a Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth Headset. I have to agree it's gorgeous! For a time now, he's been looking for a replacement for his Motorola headset. The brand is pricey so I checked online for something similar.

As I browsed on websites selling new technology products, I learned a new trend in online shopping. There is this thing they call Dropship which pertains to a retailing practice of sending items from a manufacturer directly to the customer or small time retailer. 

Dropship getting very popular nowadays because it gives an edge to small time entrepreneurs. Although drop shipping a product may cost more, this is offset by the retailer not having to pay the cost of maintaining stocks. Usually maintaining a stock level means you have to rent a warehouse or building to protect your products from the environment. Then there is the supply for water, electricity, and cooling or whatever facility you need to maintain your products functioning until such time you can sell them.

Needless to say, I found a site to buy something very similar for almost half the price. I am glad that online shopping provides alternative experience and we customers get a better deal!

AboutOne: A Simple Family Management System

We have a few remaining months in Dubai before we hit the capital. Like most mothers preparing to relocate to another city, I already started gathering our legal documents and medical records. They are always in one place - a thick waterproof black leather bag. But somehow, we managed to accumulate receipts, warranty, and certificates (CleanUp Arabia, etc) here and there that five years of stay in Dubai  made the black bag very heavy and unreasonable to carry.

I feel very fortunate to have found AboutOne.com  that I can do away with most of the hard copies without losing any of the important details. AboutOne.com is a software created by a mother for easier family management. It stores household information and creates profile for each member of the family with the corresponding valuable information such as medical history, education records, training certificates, photos, and even mailing address of friends and families. And the best thing about it is, you can access it online anytime, anywhere. This is so convenient for expat wives and mothers like me who are constantly on the move. Gone are the days of fumbling through your bag while in front of your child's Paedaiatrician or the embarrassment that you forgot to send flowers to Aunt Sarah on her birthday because you are currently on a  much-needed weekend getaway.

 Herein are a few more details on what delights me with AboutOne.com
  * All information you enter is at bank-level security
  * Live support
  * Photos from your phone can be sent directly to your AboutOne.com inbox
  * Creates digital photo book
  * Printable caregiver instructions
  * Accessible anytime through any web-enabled device.
  * Free 15/day trial; $5/month; or the special offer $30 for a year.

I think this is a huge favor for any expatriate family. A carefully organized household yields to a healthier, glorious family life. Visit AboutOne.com and make family management simple and easy!

Free Flash Player Download

Good morning you all!

Ramadan is just around the corner and soon we will be having friends and relatives dropping by the house for Iftar - usually a celebration of breaking the fast through a sumptuous buffet dinner. Though we are not Muslims, it is mandatory for all private and public workers to end office hours at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. So that gives ample of times for expatriates like us to visit or entertain friends we do  not see for the rest of the year. 

Our friends are particularly looking forward to seeing our holiday videos in Italy from two months ago. So right now I am in search of a free media player for Windows. I found about FLV video player and both hubby and I think it is brilliant and user friendly.

You see, FLV Player is able to download any video from a flash based website by simply copy/pasting the website url into the designated area of the media player. It can be used with variety of media formats like including MPEG-4 and Flash Video, meaning you can download and play content from any video sites on the web, including YouTube.

Moreover, it is equipped with full-screen playback options, customized video search engine, and you can resize the window. It is definitely bug-free and with its simple, light weight design, downloading is hassle free.

Oh we are definitely excited to share our friends how our son chased the famous pigeons of Duomo in Milan, the lovely gondola ride in Venice, and of course, the insides of St. Peter's Basilica - all without glitch. It would be like they went there with us!

Password Recovery

Early this year, I found that my Yahoo account was sending spam messages to all my e-mail contacts. Hubby said that I must be using the same password when using my account for Facebook, Friendster, Blogger, and all the other social sites I joined and subscribe to. That is definitely a no, no  but I forget all other things half the time. So I figured it will be most convenient if I use only one password.

I learned my lesson so when I got my new e-mail account, Hubby bought an Advanced Office Password Recovery. I now have different password for each site I am linked to. Even on the documents and programs we lock in our desktop, Hubby and I decide to use a different password. It really is more secure and I feel more confident doing business online. 

You too can refrain from being frustrated every time you are locked out in your account. As we have experienced with a password recovery program, you do not have to reinstall the whole program saving you a huge time and stress.

photos in digital frame

Both hubby and I love to take pictures of our travels. And as my pregnancy progressed, we tried to take portraits of my growing tummy every month. It is just us here in Dubai so none of his family or my family saw how i look on the duration of my pregnancy.

Now that we are planning our vacation to the Philippines early next year, I started to compile our photos to show our relatives and oh we got so many! There are pictures of our travels and dives to other countries, some snapshots when we attended the prestigious Middle East International Motorshow, a couple of photos from the exciting Red Bull Flugtag, our shopping trips for the baby, our anniversaries and many other events that we would like to specially share with our relatives.

I thought of a good way to bring home all these pictures by keeping a file on hubby's notebook but since we will be checking our mails from time to time (and hopefully continue to work on Smorty even vacationing), and hubby will need the laptop to communicate with his colleagues, I searched about digital photo frames. I first saw this gadget when we visited a technology expo about two months ago. I thought it was very handy, practical, and stylish.

I talked about it with hubby and he says we can buy two digital picture frames: one we will leave to the Philippines and one we can leave here in the house which will ultimately serve to display slide shows of our photos. Oh I was so excited so I searched online on how to get one. Then I came across an online electronic store specializing on lcd digital frames. The frames ranged from 7 inches to 15 inches with different colors to choose from. How lovely! They also have a promo right now, you get a free 256 MB memory when you buy the 10-inch digital picture frame.

Well, I already placed my orders and now I sit back and wait for the shipment which I was assured it will be done tomorrow. I can hardly wait!