Top 10 Things to Avoid to Save Your Marriage

This is a repost. I post this to remind myself of how to take care of my marriage. I hope you find this useful. Here's the link . 

One of the most delicate and beautiful relationships is marriage. So, even little things can break it. There are some things you should avoid to save your marriage from falling apart. It can be as simple as avoid arguing when either or both of you are angry. It will just make matters worse. Or never take each other for granted. These small things will make a big difference in your marital life. So, watch out and make changes to keep your marriage divorce-proof.

Top 10 Things to Avoid to Save Your Marriage

Avoid Not Talking to Each Other: Cutting all the communication is not the solution to a problem. Instead it is a sure-shot way to ruin your marriage. If you want to save your marriage, always keep the channels of communication open.

Avoid Being Selfish: Marriage is another name for accommodation. We don’t want you to compromise, but you need to adjust just a little with your partner. A relationship should be on equality and selfish attitude does not have any place in it.

Avoid too Much Criticism: Even constructive criticism should be used sparingly. If your partner’s weakness or habit is not threatening your marriage then don’t mention it. And never criticize your spouse in public.

Avoid Outside Interference: Your relationship is yours, do not allow a third party to interfere in it. Try to handle situation or any kind of problem yourself. Taking professional help is better than taking the help of your family and friends. They might give you a biased opinion.

Avoid Taking Each Other for Granted: Every little gesture counts in a relationship. Acknowledgment of things which the other does for the partner will work wonders for the marriage. Do not take such things lightly and appreciate them.

Avoid Nagging: Constant urging is the easiest way to ruin your marriage. Asking the partner to do something is a natural urge but one must know where to draw the line. Your spouse is an adult and knows how to handle a relationship.

Avoid a sexless marriage: Sex is not the only important element in a marriage. However, it is one of the crucial factors of a successful marriage. Take care that your physical union also has a place in your busy schedule.

Avoid restricting the other: Space is very much required in a marriage. You can save your marriage by not restricting your partner and giving freedom. Too many restrictions can make a relationship claustrophobic.

Avoid bringing past issues in the present: Everyone has a past and bringing it into the present can only make matters worse. Even when you argue take care not to broach any past mistake, fault or incident.

Avoid comparing the spouse to someone else: Your partner is a unique individual. Constantly comparing him/her to someone else will take a toll on your marriage. This will degrade your spouse. The best way to save your relationship is to love and accept the man/woman you married.

If you successfully avoid the above mentioned things then you can easily save your marriage from a downfall.

Ysabel's Chocolate Moist Cake

Life just got sweeter! I have been baking these past few days and I am trying to perfect my Chocolate Moist Cake. After a few  trial and error...I guess, finally I have my perfect chocolate moist cake.

Here is the recipe for a chocolate moist cake.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 T baking powder

3/4 cup chocolate powder

1 t. salt

1 cup shortening

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup brewed coffee

1 t. vanilla extracts

2 eggs

Procedures:

Preheat oven  to 350 degrees.

Grease cake pan. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, coffee, and shortening to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla extracts. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Ganache Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup milk chocolate / bittersweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup unsalted butter

Procedures:

Combine chocolate and heavy cream  in a saucepan and stir until melted. 

Let it cool  for about an hour.

Beat butter until fluffy  then  add the chocolate mixture.

Frost your chocolate cake. 

Helping Our Children Do Well in School: Best Practices of Student Achievers.

A survey of more than 500 parents of honor students, athletes, student leaders, and students excelling in extracurricular activities, yielded 10 simple strategies for good parenting.

Learn more about the 10 SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FROM THE PARENTS’ BEST PRACTICES STUDY OF THE ATENEO DE MANILA HIGH SCHOOL based on the bestselling book “HELPING OUR CHILDREN DO WELL IN SCHOOL”.

Davao Association of Colleges and Schools and Anvil Publishing,Inc. proudly present ,

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

DR. QUEENA N. LEE-CHUA

Dr. Queena N. Lee-Chua graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1987, with a degree in BS Mathematics, summa cum laude.  She also received a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the same university, where she is now Professor.

Her column “Eureka!” appears in the Learning Section every Monday at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.  She also writes a monthly column “Homework” for Working Mom Magazine.  She has written more than 20 books on mathematics, science and IT, parenting, family businesses and financial matters, and inspirational stories.  She used to host the TV show “Fun with Math” on PTV 4.  She also headed an Ateneo team that studied how public and private school students excel in school.

A much sought-after speaker for schools, government, civic groups, and business, she is also a consultant to family businesses, finance companies, schools, NGOs, the Department of Education, and the Department of Science and Technology.  A governing member of the National Book Development Board, she specializes in mathematics and science education and learning psychology, especially in math and science and child cognitive and behavioral development.  She has been a commencement speaker to several schools, including the Ateneo de Manila Grade School and Immaculate Conception Academy Greenhills.

She has garnered many awards, among them the TOYM (The Outstanding Young Men), the TOWNS (The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service), the Metrobank Outstanding Teachers Award, the OYS (Outstanding Young Scientists), the Jose Rizal Awards for Excellence, the National Book Award, the National Science and Technology Journalism Awards, Outstanding S & T Columnist, and the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.  She was also featured in Asia Inc. Magazine’s Who’s Hot in Asia in 2004, the Philippines’ 25 Incredible Women in Marie Claire Magazine in October 2005, an Outstanding Teacher Honoree by Bato-Balani Foundation in Sept. 2006, and one of the DOST’s Great Men and Women of Science in 2008.

What Kind of Parent Are You?

What Kind of Parent Are You? 

As a parent, there is no one formula for successfully raising of children. Our styles may vary. Some may be strict while others may be more relaxed in disciplining their kids. Being aware of our personal style as a parent can significantly affect how we relate to our partner and children. It will allow us to have a better understanding, not only of ourselves, but as to how we can enrich our relationship with our family. 

Know more about what kind of parent are you...join Knowledge Nook Events on their seminar-workshop on Parenting with a Theme, Child's Intelligence: Celebrating Diversity of Kid's Growth and Learning in Today's Modern Living on November 14 , Sunday @ The Event Centre ,SM City Davao.

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See you there!

Family of Filipino Tourists Killed by a Crazed Man in Beijing

THIS IS A REPOST.


Think about this.
Interesting contrast/parallels......

The known facts are these:

On August 19, 2005, Emmanuel "Bong" Madrigal, a Manila-based Filipino
executive of the multinational Shell, was visiting Beijing on vacation
with his wife Vivian, his daughter Regina Mia, and two younger
daughters. That day, they rode a tourist bus to Tiananmen Square , the
heart of the capitol.

Upon arriving at the square, Emmanuel Madrigal was the first to
descend from the bus, followed by Vivian and Regina Mia. A Chinese man
wielding a scythe--in some reports it was described as a
sword--suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hacked Emmanuel across his
torso. He died on the spot. The man also attacked and seriously
wounded Vivian. He then slashed at and killed Regina Mia. By this
time, bystanders were trying to subdue the man, and Vivian shouted to
her two other daughters to get away and save themselves. Somehow the
girls made their way back to the hotel. Vivian was brought to a
Beijing hospital, where she died several days later of her injuries.

An Associated Press report still circulating on the internet states
that the killer was Wang Gongzuo, 25, a farmer from eastern China 's
Jiangsu province. He was sentenced to death for the murder of the
Madrigals and executed a few weeks later, in September. The AP report
states: 'Wang's motive for killing the two is unclear. After the
incident occurred the Beijing Morning Post reported that he had wanted
to 'affect society using extreme actions,' but didn't elaborate."

Reflect on the parallels. A family of vacationers on a tourist bus:
the Leungs and the Madrigals. A killer out to "affect society using
extreme actions": Mendoza and Wang. A massacre in a  public place of
symbolic significance: The Quirino grandstand, where the presidential
inauguration had been held just weeks before, and site of the civil
society protests against the Marcos regime; and Tiananmen Square ,
since ancient times the symbol of the centralized power of the Chinese
state, and site of the 1991 civil protests against the government.

In both incidents, the state failed miserably in protecting innocent tourists.

And there the parallels end.

President Aquino has apologized to the families of Mendoza ’s victims
and conveyed his sorrow to the people of Hongkong, Chief Executive
Donald Tsang, and Ambassador Lin Jian Chao. The Philippine National
Police acknowledge that they botched matters beyond comprehension.
Philippine legislators, ahead of their Hongkong counterparts, called
for a full investigation. Philippine media organizations are looking
to their own culpability in the affair. And masses of ordinary
Filipinos, on TV, radio, print, and the Internet, are expressing
collective horror, remorse and pity over the terrible fate of the
innocent tourists, and bow their heads in shame before the Hong Kong
people's sorrow and anger.

That is how it should be, that is only right. But.

To this day, five years after it happened, there is no public record
of any Chinese official acknowledging the tourist killings in
Tiananmen Square and apologizing to the Madrigals, much less the
Filipino people, for the murder of Emmanuel, Regina Mia and Vivian.
Not a single expression of regret that the Chinese police failed in
their duty to protect the lives of innocent tourists in the very heart
of Beijing, in the symbolic center of a state that prides itself most
of all for its ability to control and contain disorder. There was a
total blackout on the part of the Chinese press, and, according to
another news report, government censors quickly blocked many internet
sites where Chinese users had begun to post comments about the
killing. So we will likely never know what ordinary Chinese citizens
had to say about about the incident. Maybe some of them were actually
sorry for what happened.

The closest thing to expressed regret was in fact the final reported
action of the killer Wang, who waived his right to appeal the sentence
of execution, and got a bullet in the back of his head.

To add to the horror, it would appear that the Arroyo administration
was complicit in the silence. No public statement was ever made by the
Philippine government regarding the incident. Unlike in Hongkong, no
flags were flown at half-mast in Manila , and no three-minute silence
was observed to mark the deaths of the innocent Filipino tourists. No
demand has ever been made by any Filipino official for an apology, and
for an accounting.

A full investigation of the Quirino Grandstand killing is ongoing. But
what of that other killing, also in August, five years ago in
Tiananmen Square?

Fourth-of-July Weekend Top 10

I've been so stressed out with work these past few months. For us working in the publishing industry , the month of March up to the month of June is very very toxic, especially if you're providing elementary and high school textbooks. From getting orders , processing , shipping , and delivery is very very exhausting and an emotional roller-coaster rides.

Today, I can now say that I can breath in a regular rhythm because as of  today all my textbook deliveries were done. What a relief! So, before I will tend to my college clientèle it is but right for me to take a break and relax a bit. And the best way to relax is watch a movie.

Speaking of watching a movie. Let's us rank the top ten fourth-of-July weekend box office.

10. Cyrus - $ 1.0 M

Synopsis:

Still single seven years after the breakup of his marriage, John (John C. Reilly) has all but given up on romance. But at the urging of his ex-wife and best friend Jamie (Catherine Keener), John grudgingly agrees to join her and her fiancé Tim (Matt Walsh) at a party. To his and everyone else’s surprise, he actually manages to meet someone: the gorgeous and spirited Molly (Marisa Tomei).

Their chemistry is immediate. The relationship takes off quickly but Molly is oddly reluctant to take the relationship beyond John’s house. Perplexed, he follows her home and discovers the other man in Molly’s life: her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). A 21-year-old new age musician, Cyrus is his mom’s best friend and shares an unconventional relationship with her. Cyrus will go to any lengths to protect Molly and is definitely not ready to share her with anyone, especially John. Before long, the two are locked in a battle of wits for the woman they both love—and it appears only one man can be left standing when it’s over.

9. Shrek Forever After - $ 1.3 M

Synopsis:

The wisecracking green-tinged ogre returns in Shrek Forever After, the newest installment in the successful DreamWorks Animation series. This will be the first time that the franchise will be presented in the IMAX format in addition to a normal big-screen rollout.

8. Get Him to the Greek - $ 1.7 M

Synopsis:

Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Nick Stoller writes and directs this buddy comedy starring Jonah Hill as an insurance agent who's forced to follow a rowdy rock star (Russell Brand) on a trip from London to L.A. in this Universal Pictures production.

7. The A-Team - $ 4.3 M

Synopsis:

1980s TV action gets a reboot with this new version of The A-Team, which shifts the Vietnam vet backstory to a group of Iraq War vets who become mercenaries for hire. Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces) directs from a script by G.I. Joe's Skip Woods.

6.  The Karate Kid - $ 11.5

Synopsis:

The Karate Kid franchise is resurrected with this Columbia Pictures production starring Will Smith's son, Jaden, as the youngster who learns more than simple karate lessons from a whimsical martial arts master (Jackie Chan).

5. Knight and Day - $ 14.0 M

Synopsis:

A fugitive couple (Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz) wages a war between truth and trust while speeding across the globe in an attempt to avoid capture by a determined federal agent (Peter Sarsgaard). Paul Dano, Viola Davis, Olivier Martinez, Maggie Grace, and Marc Blucas co-star.

4. Grown-ups - $ 26.5 M

Synopsis:


Boys will be boys... some longer than others.



3. Toy Story - $ 42.2 M

Synopsis:

Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo co-director Lee Unkrich strikes out on his own with this installment into the popular computer-animated series detailing the adventures of wide-eyed cowboy doll Woody and space-ranger action figure Buzz Lightyear. Oscar-nominated scribe Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) handles screenwriting duties.

2. The Last Airbender - $ 53.1 M

Synopsis:

Suspense auteur M. Night Shyamalan takes a break from crafting original screenplays to tell this tale of a 12-year-old boy (Noah Ringer) who provides the last hope for restoring harmony to a land consumed by chaos. In a world balanced on the four nations of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air, people known as the Waterbenders, Earthbenders, Firebenders, and Airbenders have mastered their native elements. Though the masters can each manipulate their native elements, the only one with the power to manipulate all four elements is a young boy known as the Avatar. When the Avatar subsequently appears to die while still mastering his powers, the Fire nation launches a global war with the ultimate goal of global domination. One hundred years later, two teens discover that the Avatar and his flying bison have in fact been locked in suspended animation. Upon being freed from his prison, the Avatar embarks on an arduous quest to restore harmony among the four war-ravaged nations.

1. The Twilight Saga : Eclipse - $ 82.5 M

Synopsis:

The third film in the Twilight series explores a love triangle between Bella (Kristen Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson), and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) as the werewolf pack and the Cullen clan join together to fight a new breed of vampires. Melissa Rosenberg provides the screenplay for the Summit Entertainment adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling novel, with director David Slade calling the shots behind the camera. Bryce Dallas Howard joins the cast as Victoria, the role originally played by Rachelle Lefevre in the first film.

Source : Hollywood.Com

Out of the ten box office movies, I've watched four of it and definitely The Twilight Saga : Eclipse is not part of the four. Guess, i'm going to watch M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender later tonight.

Concert Riders

Here is an excerpt from a concert rider of  Mandy Moore , Vanessa Hudgens , and Rihanna. What is a rider? A rider is a list  which includes specifications on stage design, sound systems, lighting rigs, as well as an artist's wish list--from transportation and billing to dressing room accommodations and meals before they will agree to perform at a certain venue.


Mandy Moore's Rider :

Here's Vanessa Hudgens Rider : 

Here's Rihanna's Rider :

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