Thought Bubbles...

musings, rantings, and what-have-you, about my own small part of the world, and my 'sometimes' not so-ordinary life...something to read and reflect on, and which hopefully will bring a smile to your face... :)

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Entrepreneur to be?

For those with the entrepreneurial spirit (and who's not thinking of starting a new business nowadays?), thinking of the new "in" thing, is key. Aside from scrounging up the capital, I know a lot of people are racking their brains trying to decide what business to get into. Well, read on as this site may be the answer.

I found out about this from a friend of mine, and for entrepreneurs-to-be, this may be the answer.

What is it? It's SPRINGWISE! To quote, "Springwise and its global network of 8,000 spotters scan the globe for smart new business ideas, delivering instant inspiration to entrepreneurial minds from San Francisco to Singapore. Time to start the Next Big Thing!"

"Feel free to publish part or all of these trends at your convenience. As long as you properly name, credit and link the source, www.springwise.com, we're happy. If you're a journalist working on a new business idea-related article, check out our extensive Press page or request a quote: we'll do our best to make your deadline-dominated life easier."

So, check it out. Here's the link: http://www.springwise.com

You can even subscribe to their weekly newsletter. :)

Sunday, September 16, 2007

How to make laundry soap

As a mom, I'm always trying to find ways to save on money. Times are hard, or haven't you noticed? So when my brother sent me this link, I was taking down notes of the ingredients.

Aside from the Arm & Hammer Super Washing soda and borax, which I don't think are readily available, the rest of the ingredients are pretty easy to find. Just a bar of soap, and lots of water. According to the lady in the video, it costs less than a dollar to make, takes less than an hour to make, and lasts her and her family (composed of 2 adults and 1 baby)3 months. I'm definitely trying this out when I get the ingredients.

Here's the link: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/821928/video/R/CFD_1002/

Friday, September 14, 2007

Shelfari rocks!

There's a new networking/"let's see how many friends you have" site. As if Multiply, hi5, Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Ringo, Tagged, Twitter, and all the other sites weren't enough. But this is different. It's sort of like a Friendster site for bookworms, and i love it! It's called Shelfari. I've only been a member for the past week, but boy, am I hooked! Hooked, hooked, hooked! Can you say hooked? :-> I find myself racking my brains to try to recall my "favorite-st" books, the books i've read since I was a kid (Judy blume! i have got to search that later. my shelfari account is open in the other tab, i've got to remember to find judy blume... uh-oh! see what i mean? I'm babbling already...), basically books that have left an impression and which have in a small (or a BIG) way, changed my outlook in life, or maybe, even changed my LIFE!

Looking through my shelf, I realize that I've had phases in my book-reading as well...
I remember being a high school student and spending my time in National Bookstore or Book Sale, scouring the shelves for books I wanted to buy, keeping my fingers crossed that I could get a discount.
I remember saving up money and once I had enough, almost skipping to the nearest National Bookstore branch to get that book I've been itching to read.
I remember a time in my life when I read all the John Grisham books I could lay my hands on! Looking through Shelfari's list now, I realize there are still LOADS of John Grisham books I haven't read! Horrors!
I remember in high school, when some friends were already into Mills and Boon (which i abhor!), I was reading Sidney Sheldon and Sweet Valley High! :) And when classmates found out I liked hanging out at National Bookstore, they thought it was geeky! Such a nerdy thing to do. DUH. Whatever.
I remember swapping books with friends whenever we finished reading a particularly good book. Our very own Oprah book club.
I remember graduating from grade school, and when my parents asked me what I wanted as a graduation gift, I said "Superbook". It was a book distributed by Readers' Digest, and even then, cost more than one thousand pesos, if i'm not mistaken. Not cheap at all if you think what one thousand could buy those days. But i'm digressing, and pointing out how OLD i really am... so 'nuff said! Suffice to say that the book is still "alive" and now the puzzles and stories there are being enjoyed by my kids. :)
I remember reading Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire" (and thinking now what a stupid thing to do, considering I'm horrified of vampires), finishing the book, having nightmares for a month, and vowing to NEVER again read anything even "slightly" leaning towards the horror genre.
I remember starting reading Dan Brown's "Deception Point". (I got hooked once again, after finishing "Angels and Demons" which I think is waaaay better than "Da Vinci Code" but I digress once again... ) I remembering starting reading "Deception Point" and how I couldn't get past the first chapter for reasons beyond me now. And I am reminded that I haven't seen that copy for a while. Hmmmm...
I remember being a new parent and getting all the parenting books I could get my grubby hands on. Baby wise, included. And now, while browsing for one book I finished reading ("Raising boys without men"), instead finding the title, "How to turn boys into Men without a man around the house: A Single Mother's Guide", and thinking that I need to go to National Bookstore to find that book! This is me hooked on books again!
I remember my ritual with the kids, before going to sleep at night. To share some "quiet time", which means all of us lying in bed, each of us with a book in hand, just being together, being quiet, and reading. A simple pleasure...]

And me, what am I doing now? While writing this post, I'm writing down in a sheet of paper all the books I've seen on shelfari while "building my shelf" and listing down my new "book wish list"! GOSH! It's been soooooo long since I last did this. I'm afraid I'll splurge my salary on books this payday!

I need help! I admit it. I'm a bibliophile. But I much prefer the word bookworm. :)


bib·li·o·phile (bĭb'lē-ə-fīl')
n.
A lover of books.
A collector of books.

bib'li·oph'i·lism n., bib'li·oph'i·lis'tic adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.