Timeless Beauty

Image by [ henning ] via Flickr Christmas shopping is in full swing this week! Next week will be crowded and toxic. The ATM machines and cash registers will have long lines behind them. To keep the business operations smooth and flowing, barcode readers attached to POS systems , touchscreen POS systems , and the most important of all, credit card readers should be fully functional. It could be frustrating and embarrassing to discover you have to pay in cash when the credit card network is offline. I will be doing my shopping next week on Monday. I hope all POS systems in all the malls will be fully operational this Christmas.

This is a unique tie rug that was given as a wedding present. Image by eileenaway via Flickr A home with a shiny hardwood floor should not be covered in carpeting. It is better to use discount rugs to decorate the floor and keep the feet warm and protected from slipping or sliding because of the wax. There are many ukay-ukay shops that sell discount rugs aside from the second-hand clothes, bags and shoes. They probably cost less than two dollars each. Some good rugs are knitted and made of wool. Make sure these do not fade easily, or if that's unavoidable, then choose darker colors so the rug will fade less noticeably.

Image by size8jeans via Flickr In more than a month's time, I will be married to a wonderful man. It is going to be the most joyful day of my life. I wanted to prepare for it, not only emotionally and financially, but also physically. This means I have to get in shape and lose this belly fast! No worries though. I just found a possible workout program that can help me. It is fast and safe. It is called the P90X workout that involves a lot of rigorous exercises and turn these into tools to sculpt your body like an artist. P90X is an extreme body workout that powerfully combines all three elements of the program: P90X exercises, P90X equipment and P90X nutrition. These three are customized to your needs and will not negatively affect your health. I know my wedding is just about a month away, but I am sure after a month of engaging in P90X I will have visible results. I will make sure the unsightly belly is first to go.

Image via Wikipedia It is Christmas once again. It is also the time when I have to prepare my gift list. I have many nephews and godchildren. I am not sure what kids want these days. I expect it is some new gadget like the Playstation 3 or a cellphone with camera. Children are like technofreaks these days. I have already given of my nephews a cellphone, but that quickly wore out its novelty and was put aside for newer stuff. I don't know if I should give one again. Maybe I should stick to giving t-shirts as gifts. That's a safer option, I think.

I just bought a new work desk with rubber mounts to reduce movement and shaking. It set me back about 5k but I think it's worth it. My work area is now more stable and better organized because of the small shelves and secure drawers. My major pest problem with ants is avoided because of the work desk's surface can be cleaned with a moist cloth. I can use a furniture cleaner for this or simply moist wipes, whichever is handy at the moment.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife It's been days since I last went to the grocery. The family needs some new supplies--vegetables, fruits, personal items, snacks, bread, sugar, salt, etc. And I need to have some cash with me. With the intermittent power outages happening lately, it will be difficult to use a cash card or credit card for the digital POS systems at the local supermarket. Problem is: the ATM machines also rely on electricity to run. Talk about technology biting us in the ass. So sometimes I have no choice but to withdraw over the counter at the bank. If only the line was short, it would have been okay to just breeze through the process. Anyways, I am changing banks now. I have just closed my BPI account and I am opening a new one at BDO. I think Edward and I need to open a joint account in preparation for the future. One of the reasons I chose BDO was its accessibility at most major malls and establishments. BDO also operate until after hours and during Sundays,