Treasure Jar

Below is an article that I -> Treasure Jar, wrote for the now offline internet magazine, WMP.ph and I am posting the commissioned and paid for Celebrating Wedding Anniversaries article here in it’s entirety because I am the author. Someone else copied the whole article and posted it in a site full of other articles copied from different sites. Just like the other article I wrote, Wedding Favor Ideas, this was copied without permission. No, I will not link the site that copied this one.

Sigh…

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries has been somewhat predictable: a romantic dinner date at a new restaurant, a bouquet of flowers, the latest tech gadget, or a piece of jewelry are some of the common gifts couples have given each other for the longest time.

By JCF, Treasure Jar

But gifts should not always be expensive. A heartfelt letter or a card, a handmade project, or a homemade special recipe could be alternative options.

Below are several other wonderful things to do as a couple when celebrating wedding anniversaries:

Take a vacation together. It’s not a problem if the budget is tight; planning is the key to get the best travel deals. Escape for a few days from the hustle and bustle of your daily routine and rekindle that romance you shared on your first year together! For the busy couple, a romantic getaway can be an overnight stay at bed and breakfast places.

Have an adventure together that you will surely remember, like trekking on a nearby trail, or camping in the woods!

Instead of spending buying separate gifts for each other, why not make a purchase that you will both enjoy? How about that new exercise machine to keep you fit?

Share your blessings with others! Arrange a charity event and spend time with kids at a local hospital, or go green by organizing a tree planting activity.

There are no right or wrong ways to celebrate your wedding anniversary as long as you’re having fun. A nice way to cherish the memories is to build an anniversary scrapbook that you’ll update annually; by the time you reach your 50th year, imagine how nice it will be to reminisce together!

Tags: alternative wedding anniversary ideas, celebrating wedding anniversary, how to celebrate wedding anniversary, wedding anniversaries, wedding anniversary, wedding anniversary ideas

So many things happening around the world:  the protests in the Middle East, the big earthquake in New Zealand, the even bigger earthquake/tsunami in Honshu, a looming nuclear radiation threat and another MidEast conflict this time in Bahrain, I just can’t imagine how people will cope, even if they were not in the danger zone.

Not only did people underwent a lot of major changes, fellow Filipinos lost their jobs, whether as blue collar workers, IT professionals with it degrees, corporate executives, and even domestic helpers, our economy and the families who depend on the remittances are all affected by these events.

So how do we deal with these major tragedies?

• We assess ourselves and try to sort our priorities.
• We try to prepare for the worst, not by being jittery and anxious but by being level-headed and practical.
• We try to be cool, even if our insides can be likened to a pot of water in a rolling boil.

Being too much consumed by the news about Japan’s tragedy, I try to see the positive side of these all: a friend and her family safe in Sendai, the 4 month old baby rescued from the rubble, the man reunited with his dog, an uplifting letter from Anne in Sendai, people lining up to buy groceries and not looting and so much more not given enough online space.

Do we lose hope?

We don’t, we can’t lose hope.

Tags: losing hope

So many fellow Filipinos working in the Middle East are coming home.

They are called OFW or Overseas Filipino Workers whose remittances amount to millions (or billions?) of dollars sent to the country every year. They keep the economy afloat and are even called as “Present Day Heroes”.Very apt I must say, for they don’t just “fight” and toil for their families but (in)directly help the country’s economy too.

With the ongoing conflict, they found themselves without jobs and uncertain future. With the rising oil prices along with the prices of basic commodities, we face a difficult life ahead and with what’s happening, it’s bound to be worse.

We all are challenged not just to cut back on unnecessary expenses but to live simply within our means.

Here are some few tips on how to live simply and have fun:

• Recycle
• Unplug your gadgets and spend quality time with your loved ones
• Go walking
• Know when to spot a scam to avoid people easily getting your hard-earned money
• Learn to be frugal
• Have more home-cooked meals

Having less money doesn’t mean having less fun. Happiness can’t be defined with how much you have in your wallet 🙂

The new Ipanema Gisele Bündchen Hot Sands collection is now available to make our summer more fun, more colorful and definitely more beautiful. Ipanema Gisele Bündchen Hot Sands collection is inspired by what Brazilians do best: the warmth, optimism and great joy in living.

Ipanema Gisele Bündchen brand features colorful and stunning nature-themed footwear where fashion and sustainability go hand in hand. The collection features more colors using more technologically advanced ways in bringing footwear fashion that will reinvent the way we express ourselves.

As for me, I can’t wait to head to the beach full of colorful feather flags and big umbrellas wearing my new Ipanema Gisele Bundchen Hot Sands footwear. The colorful pairs are sure to make beach days more interesting.

In line with the Hot Sands collection, there is continued support to ISA or Instituto Socioambiental, a Socio-environmental Institute in Brazil. ISA has a new transformative program called Fight Against Climate Change that aims to help improve people’s relationship with our one and only planet.

Know more about these fabulous sandals by visiting www.ipanemaphils.com.

You may also check out Ipanema Philippines on Facebook to find out how you can help save Mother Earth by sending in an eco-saving tip for a chance to win a free pair of Ipanema GB.

GB fans can also look forward to an exciting treat of a 10% price off on this Collection when they present their SM Advantage Card at SM Department Stores for the whole month of March.

Ipanema Gisele Bündchen Hot Sands. Reinvent your summer.

Ipanema Gisele Bündchen Hot Sands is distributed by ELRO Corporation.

Tags: Fight Against Climate Change, Ipanema Gisele Bündchen Hot Sands collection, Ipanema Philippines on Facebook, www.ipanemaphils.com

One of the earliest article I wrote for the now offline wmn.ph was “Wedding Favor Ideas“.

This article was not really about sentimental anniversary gifts though the suggestions there are related for celebrating wedding anniversaries.  Main topic was about wedding favors and how couples have become creative in giving their guests wedding favors that can be used and not thrown away as junk.

Part of my article goes:

Here are some tips on choosing the apt wedding favor depends on the couple’s taste, style, theme and yes, budget.

• Be practical: practical favors like wine bottle stoppers, notebooks and pens are wonderful ideas. These are not discarded easily because one can have a use for these wedding favor ideas.
• Anything consumable can be a big hit: mini wine bottles, bottled flavor sauces, flavored candies, mini-cakes and cookies in fancy boxes are some of ideas for this kind of wedding favors. Tea bags with attached instructions with an inspiring message are a good idea too. These can be put in fancy containers that can also double as a table centerpiece.
• Stylish and functional: linens like handkerchiefs, mini-towels and stationery are some suggested wedding favors.
• Go green: potted orchids and/or herbs can double as a table centerpiece. Pots can be painted to match the color motif of the wedding.

FYI: This entire article I wrote was copied in it’s entirety by a Multiply account, a seller of wedding favors. No attribution was given to the online publication which was owned by one of the bigger TV networks in the country. If I hadn’t gotten Google Alerts from it, I wouldn’t know that my published and paid for article was copied, word per word.

Oh yeah, my name was there, along with this blog’s url which was linked only when the editor asked seller to.

And no, I will not post the seller’s link here and have her get inquiries and traffic.

Tags: copying article without attribution, wedding favor ideas, wedding favors, wedding favors article copied