The madness known as Moving Day.

We know about Black Friday, Boxing Day, Cyber Monday... But have you ever heard of Moving Day? Yes, there is such a thing. It's a tradition in the province of Quebec, Canada, and it falls on the same day as Canada Day, which is July 1. So while most Canadians sit back, relax, and commemorate Canada Day, the people of Quebec sweat, grunt, and tire themselves out from all that moving.

A tradition that dates back to the French colonial era, Moving Day is that time of the year when tenants who wish to vacate their current premises move out and settle into new domiciles. It's also the day moving company Montreal look forward to, and dread at the same time.

The madness that is Moving Day.

Movers Montreal are the busiest during this period of time, with the movers hustling, bustling, and working round the clock. With so many families moving out of their houses simultaneously, moving companies often run shorthanded, hence they tend to charge double, sometimes even triple their usual rates.

As of 2002, only 36% of the people in Montreal own their home. The rest are tenants, and are most likely to partake in the annual moving madness. Unless they now have houses of their own, that is.

Five Ways to Get your Kids Involved in Decorating their own Bedrooms.

Every kid needs a space to call their own. Whether it's a quiet and comfy room full of pillows and picture books, or a rowdy play-space packed with fun and games, children of all ages have unique preferences and interests when it comes to their bedrooms. Letting your kids have a say in decorating their own bedrooms is not only fun and exciting for them, but their involvement takes some of the workload off of your shoulders. Here are five clever ways to get your kids involved in decorating their own bedrooms.

Give them a specific responsibility.
Children love to feel like they're in charge - and when it comes to decorating their own bedrooms, they can be! Although your child might be too young to make too many major decisions about his bedroom, he'll appreciate you delegating a specific area of responsibility to him. For instance, he can be in charge of deciding the color scheme, or the layout of the furniture.

Take them along when shopping for furniture and decorations.
Although it might not be feasible to take your child along every time you buy something for his new bedroom, try to bring him whenever you can. He'll be excited to pick out his own bed, his own lamp, his own rug - anything you allow him to pick out. He will be more enthusiastic about decorating his bedroom if he is able to seek out furnishings that pertain to his tastes, rather than having to settle for what mom or dad picks out.

Photo credit: Home Room Decor.

Have them make some bedroom art.
If your child is the crafty type, have her get creative and make her own wall art, signs, and door hangers. She can draw pictures of her friends and family to adorn her walls, which will make her feel like she's really in charge of the decorating. Many children also like to make special signs to hang on the door.

Ask them for their opinions on certain decisions.
As the adult, you will have most of the say in how your child's bedroom is decorated. Still, even when it comes to decisions that are best handled by you, your child will appreciate you asking for their input. If you're in charge of the wall color, for instance, you can approach your child with two choices and say, "I can't decide between these two. Which one do you think is better?"

Have your child help bring in and arrange their belongings.
When the decorating is finally done and it's time to move everything into its place in your child's bedroom, let her take the lead. You'll need to be in charge of basic organization and hard-to-reach spots, but it's generally okay to allow your child to arrange her possessions the way she likes them arranged in her bedroom. This final touch will make your child feel independent and responsible.

Written by Kylie Ward.
Kylie is a proud mum of four boys and loves DIY home improvement. Kylie’s husband produces bunk beds in Adelaide studio. Living in a small inner city apartment, they pride themselves on coming up with smart space saving solutions for their home.

Pucker Up! | MUA Lip Boom in OMG and Cheeky.

Last week, I did some much-needed spring cleaning with my train case. I segregated the old and nearly expired makeup from those that are still in good condition but I no longer use or grew tired of using. The latter I gave away to some of my mommy friends at school, while the former went straight to the garbage can.

And with most of my old and unused makeup gone, I now have room for new ones! Simply put, my spring cleaning was an excuse to satisfy my lust for makeup and buy myself new ones (lol) - lip products, in particular. You know how much of a sucker I am when it comes to lippies. I can never get enough of them and can never have too much of them. Haha!

Case in point, my latest haul from Updated Trends, which included two MUA Lip Booms. I was smitten just by looking at this photo, and was on the verge of purchasing all the colors.

Photo credit: Updated Trends

Created with English R&B artist Alexnadra Burke, the MUA Lip Boom is a lipstick and highlighting gloss that gives a dramatic illusion of volume to your lips, making them look fuller and more curvaceous.

Back flap.

Versatility is a key feature for the Lip Boom as they can be worn four different ways:

1. Lipstick alone for a matte look.

2. Lipstick with highlighter applied just to the centre of your lips to create a full volume illusion. 

3. Lipstick with highlighter all over for a super-glossy look. 

4. Highlighter alone for a sheer pearl finish.

Now prior to this I've had no previous experience whatsoever with MUA Lip Booms, let alone any MUA product. So I had to restrain myself a bit and settled with just two colors, the ones that attracted me the most - OMG and Cheeky.

Top: Cheeky / Bottom: OMG.

I've been on the hunt for a nice coral lipstick since the year started, and coming across OMG, I felt like my prayer has been answered.

MUA Lip Boom in OMG.

OMG Lipstick and Lip Gloss.

OMG is a pretty shade of coral, with a hint of pink to it. It has a very creamy texture, and gives a velvet matte finish. I like how it doesn't feel dry when worn, and how it does not settle on the lines in my lips. Color payoff is great, and staying power is pretty good, too. The color fades a bit after you eat - just a wee bit that needs very little retouching (or none at all) afterwards.

Bottom view.

As for the lip gloss, it comes in a matching color with tiny specks of gold glitter in it. Tiny enough that they go unnoticed when worn. Like the lipstick, the lip gloss has a distinct, sweet smell that reminds me a lot of toffee candy. It may smell overly sweet for some, but personally I like it. I also like how the gloss isn't sticky and feels light on the lips.

Swatches. Lipstick on the left, lip gloss on the right.

As for Cheeky, it's a cool toned, pale shade of pink. Think bubblegum pink ala Nicki Minaj.
It has the same creamy texture and matte finish as OMG, and the color payoff and staying power is just as remarkable. Cheeky, however, is a tad easier to apply as it glides more smoothly on the lips. Well, on my lips, at least.

MUA Lip Boom in Cheeky.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I would love this color in actual. I even had doubts if the lipstick will suit me as I was paying for it via the Multiply Shopping Cart. But hey, the color's pretty in the picture so it could be just as pretty in real life, I thought. And just in case it doesn't, at least I didn't pay too much of a price for something I might not like. The Lip Booms sell for Php 280 each - pretty affordable since you're getting two lip products for the price of one.

Cheeky Lipstick and Lip Gloss.

And as it turns out, Cheeky is just to my liking. In fact, I love it even more than OMG, haha!

Bottom view.

But I couldn't say the same for the lip gloss, though. Sure, it smells just as nice, and has the same lightweight, non-sticky feel as the OMG lip gloss, but Cheeky's is just packed with way too much shining shimmering splendid! The glitters are chunkier and more distinct than OMG's - like there's more glitter than gloss in that small bottle.

Swatches. Lipstick on the left, lip gloss on the right.

Here's how the products look like on my lips.

OMG Lipstick.

OMG Lip Gloss.

Cheeky Lipstick.

Cheeky Lip Gloss.

What I love:

- Sleek packaging.

- Affordable price.

- You get two products for the price of one.

- Velvet matte finish ala Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet lippies.

- Doesn't feel dry on the lips.

- Great color payoff, good staying power.

- Smells yummy!

What you might not like:

- Goodness gracious, all that glitter!!!

And now for the Face of the Day... No, make that Faces of the Day, haha!

Products used (for both looks):

FACE: Benefit Erase Paste in Medium, Nature Republic By Flower BB Cream in Natural Beige.

EYES: elf Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Fairy Drops Volume Burst Mascara in Black, 

Ever Bilena Original Eye Brow Pencil in Brown.
CHEEKS: Tony Moly Lip and Cheek Tint in Cherry Pink.

LIPS: MUA Lip Bloom in OMG (left), MUA Lip Bloom in Cheeky (right).

MUA Lip Boom and other Makeup Academy products are available at Updated Trends. Shop via their Multiply page, like them on Facebook, and get the latest product updates on Twitter!

And if you've tried these lippies before, let me know what you think and which colors you love! :)

Bye Bye Moving, Hello Hassle-Free Relocation.

If you're one of my regular readers, then perhaps you've noticed how moving companies are a familiar topic in this blog. I've featured quite a handful of companies in the past, and because I write about them so often, I thought I've seen it all. That is, until I came across this particular demenageur gatineau.

A moving company located in the city of Gatineau, Bye Bye Moving offers moving services in Ottawa for both business and residential areas. Like most moving companies, they provide moving supplies, do packing services, and have safe storage houses. For business moving, they even layout a carefully planned transition management scheme.

Photo credit: Apartment Therapy

But what sets Bye Bye Moving from its competitors is the fact that they have a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accreditation to their name. On a scale of A+ to F, Bye Bye Moving was given an A+ in the BBB Rating System, as they have met or perhaps even surpassed BBB's accreditation standards. This makes Bye Bye Moving the top choice in the field of demenagement gatineau.

Also commendable are the services they offer that go beyond moving supplies and facilitating deliveries. Bye Bye Moving has a complete junk removal service that allows the use of their waste trailers for all the junk, shingles, debris, and construction materials that need to be disposed - snow included!

A service that's rare for most moving companies, Snow Removal is the newest addition to their website's service options. This sure makes Bye Bye Moving a force to be wrecking with in the industry.

Wordless Wednesday #24 | Pororo!

Lots and lots of Pororo items for the little man!
(And some Etude House and The Face Shop stuff for me, too.)

Thank you HipStyle! 

I most especially love the handwritten note that came with the loot. :)

Big Bang, thank you (and you)!

Twelve countries, fifteen cities, and millions and millions of screaming fans. This is the tale of the Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour, and the story came to an end yesterday, with Day 3 of 'The Final in Seoul'. Thinking about it leaves a bittersweet feeling, which I'm sure most VIPs can empathize with.

Photo credit: Big Bang Official Facebook Page

And because I still have a hangover from the Manila leg some three months back, I'd like to share with you this interview of G-Dragon which appeared in his Star Column. He talks about his Dara noona so fondly (that's Dara of 2ne1 aka Sandara Park), which I find really endearing. Read on:

-------------------

The first thing that comes to my memory was hanging out with Dara-noona in the Philippines. 2NE1′s Dara-noona went to the Philippines by herself to watch the Philippine concert. ^^ (Noona~Thank you!!^^)

Dara in Manila!

Because noona was active in the Philippines in the past, we knew that she’d be the person to know the Philippines best, so the members and I all started to ask her, in an insistent and constant manner, to take us out to a nice place. Finally, Dara-noona said that she knows a great restaurant  and suggested that we go out to eat there. So for the first time in a foreign country, all 5 members decided to eat together! Out! So that’s what we did. Not just the members, but other members of the staff as well, managers and security!! As it was the first time for all of us to eat out in a foreign country, all of us were really excited as we all got ready, and finally left with Dara-noona. ^^

At first, we were talking each other and getting more and more excited, and at the same time, we were enjoying the scenery from our window, with the thought of having a picnic in mind. Dara-noona has said that the place we were going to was a bit far, quite outside of town, but still we wanted to go~ go~ go, and so we went.

Then people were starting to get tired and fall asleep, as the sun was setting and  it started to get dark. (I only knew of this later, but they said that at this time, Dara-noona was getting worried. I didn’t know because I was in a different car.. ㅠㅠ)

After two hours, we finally arrived at this great outdoor restaurant, it was a really cool restaurant because you can eat while having a terrific view, specially if you come in the afternoon and can enjoy the sunset. B.U.T. Since we left late, we arrived late in the evening when it was already dark… It became a situation when we had to eat in the dark. Pparabam~! (Dara-noona version ^^) However, it was still a famous restaurant, so we ate the food that Dara-noona had suggested, we had a meaningful time together as we all talked with each other. (This is where I took this photo ~ With this long beer bottle~ You know this, right??)

GD + SMB :)

One more fact that is absolutely shocking, which we found out almost while we were done eating! This same restaurant was, in fact, also found just 5 minutes away from the hotel where we were staying… Pparabam…..ㅋㅋ

But I didn’t regret anything; we all had a great time, eating delicious food and talking with great people.
If only… We could take out the part where we had to go through the entire 2-hour ride.. ^^

Dara-noona!! I’m very grateful for the good memories! Thank you~!!! ^^

-------------------

Ah, Jiyong! What I wouldn't give to see you and Seunghyun again. :)

Source: Naver
As seen on: DKPopNews

Foodie Goodie | Chocolate Grahams Tiramisu.

I posted this photo on my Instagram sometime last week, and Maiylah of Food Friday requested for its recipe. Request granted, albeit late! :)

This was supposed to be last week's Foodie Goodie post, which didn't quite happen thanks to a bad case of sniffles. Anyhow, better late than never, and hope you enjoy making this Chocolate Grahams Tiramisu. This recipe is my sister-in-law's, by the way. And yes, she's the one who made that tiramisu you're seeing. :)

Chocolate Grahams Tiramisu

Tiramisu! 

Ingredients:

18 pieces M.Y. San Grahams Chocolate
1/2 cup coffee mixture (1 tsp coffee + 2 tsps sugar + 1/2 cup water)
2 tbsps sugar
225 grams Magnolia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 box all purpose cream, chilled
4 tbsps chocolate shavings
1/3 cup M&M's (optional)

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, mix cheese and confectioner's sugar until light and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl, whip all purpose cream until double in volume.
3. Put whipped cream in cheese mixture. Blend well.
4. In another bowl, combine coffee mixture and sugar. Dip M.Y. San Grahams Chocolate in the mixture.
5. In a serving dish, lay 6 pieces of soaked crackers. Spread 1/3 of cream mixture evenly. Make 2 more layers using the soaked crackers and remaining cream.
6. Garnish top layer with chocolate shavings and M&M's. Chill before serving.



Also shared with Food Trip Friday and Heavenly Treats Sunday.

Keep it Clean! (Your Furnace I Mean)

The winter season can be quite unforgiving - with the biting cold, flurries of snow, subzero temperatures and all. During this time, families rely on one major appliance to keep their households warm and keep themselves from freezing to death - the furnace.

Photo credit: Stuff.co

A well-maintained furnace makes even the coldest winter bearable. As such, it is a must to keep your home's heating system in good working condition.

Regular cleaning is a must to keep the furnace in top shape and ready for the winter battle. Inspect the filter system, the blower, and the motor, making sure that there are no clogs and are free from obstruction. A clogged filter can prevent the furnace from working properly; hence, cleaning or replacing filters on a monthly basis is a must. If this seems to be a task too daunting, then do not take risks and call for furnace repair hamilton instead.

Duct cleaning hamilton should be done on a regular basis, too - once or twice a year, at least. Keeping ducts clean ensure better air quality, better air flow, and keep the household free from allergens. There are no direct financial benefits from a well-maintained duct, but doing so maintains the good health of the household and prolongs the life of the furnace, making it useful for many more winters to come.

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Five Famous Movie Car Chases.

There's more to a chase scene than cars going fast with an attitude of menace. The setting has to work, the personalities of the drivers has to come into it and the outcome has to be satisfying.

Tokyo Drift.

The Italian Job.
It's personal. The bad guy did away with Charlize Theron's dad. He has to pay. Charlize and four friends decide to take all of his gold. They do it with lot's of explosives and a fleet of Mini Cooper's. They drive through subway stations, sewers, the L.A. river and a shopping mall. The villain follows in a helicopter, going through a parking garage, not the roof of the garage, but the inside where the headroom is less than what you find in a tight hat.

The French Connection.
The chase scene is famous for bad planning. Gene Hackman follows a train running on an overhead train track by driving underneath it. At one point, a woman with a baby carriage walks across the road and Hackman has to wrestle the car to a stop. The woman wasn't part of the film. She's a real woman with a real baby.

Bullitt.
The chase scene in Bullitt was the first one with muscle cars and really good sound effects. The only music is the sound of pre-emission controlled V8's in Steve McQueen's 1968 Mustang and the 1968 Dodge Charger driven by two hit men over the hills of San Francisco. The two cars duel with other with shotguns, good driving and McQueen-strength cool. Eventually, McQueen chases the two villains off the road into a gas station.

Vanishing Point. 
The Vietnam vet has to drive a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, from Denver to San Francisco in 15 hours. The angst and hopeless feeling of the movie reflect Viet Nam era America. The driver doesn't have to speed. He doesn't have to take chances, but he needs to turn off the voices in his head. It isn't all depressing. His girlfriend drives a motorcycle without any clothes. The girl doesn't have the clothes, not the motorcycle.

Two James Bond Chase Scenes.
In "Tomorrow Never Dies" James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, drives a BMW 750i by remote control. Bond finds his car surrounded by nasties with machine guns. He turns on the remote control and dives in the back seat, safe from the hail of bullets He evades the men with guns by firing a volley of small missiles with lots of explosions, flames and hurtling glass. He jumps from the car and sends it flying off the top of the parking garage into a car rental agency.
In "Goldeneye", Bond, again played by Brosnan, drives a Russian T-55 tank, bursts through a brick wall and chases Russian bad guys through narrow city streets, showing us again how little the walls of buildings mean to a dedicated man with a really, big, heavy tank to drive.

Written by Alex Kurt. Alex is a motor enthusiast. He has recently purchased his dream car, a BMW M5, online and is ready to bid farewell to his old used Mazda. He also loves vintage car and organizes vintage car shows in his local area.

Consider This | Choosing a Wedding Photographer.

When the husband and I were planning and preparing for our wedding some five years back, one of the first and most important things we considered was our wedding pictures. After all, it's a momentous, once-in-a-lifetime occasion, and we wanted someone who can capture the moment - our moment - down to the most minute details.

Photo credit: Nick Sumner

Here are some points we considered when we choose our wedding photographer. If you're tying the knot soon, or if you're still in the preparation stages of your wedding, you may find these helpful.

1) Who's In? Who's Out? Get recommendations from friends and relatives, or from people who have previously worked with wedding photographers.

2) Save or splurge? To be able to relive your special day just by looking back at your photos - isn't that nice? So it's only justifiable if you have to pay a bit more for your wedding photograper halifax as long as he has the skills and talent.

3) Job well done? Check the photographer's previous works and see if they live up to your standards or if his photography style is to your liking. Most photographers these days have websites or online portfolios where you can view their work.

4) Warm and friendly? There has to be chemistry between you and your photographer. You have to get along, after all, he/she will be spending the entire wedding day with you.

Remember, it's okay and quite understandable to make a big fuss about your wedding photography halifax. I've been there and done that, and I'm pretty sure there are a lot of married couples out there who did the same as bride and groom. :)

Get Ready for Lazada's Biggest Flash Sale Yet!

Eyeing a new gadget? Lusting after a tube of BB Cream or a bottle of perfume? Or perhaps thinking of sprucing up your home? Then take advantage of Lazada's Flash Sale which happens tomorrow, January 24!

Flash Sale!

Enjoy as much as 20% discount on books and movies, beauty products, bags, shoes, and fashion accessories! And get more discounts on top of the regular ones on gadgets, kitchenware, toys, and a whole lot more!

As a treat to my readers, here's a discount code you can use: LZDbrDgr

You get an extra Php300 for every Php3000 worth of items you buy.

Make sure you go online by 10am (PHL time) tomorrow, because that's when the Flash Sale starts. If you're shopping for makeup and beauty products be ready by 5pm (PHL time) - the BB Cream or the perfume you've been lusting for could be on sale at this hour. 

Enjoy shopping! :)

Wordless Wednesday #23 | All Hail the Grammarnazi!

Are you a grammarnazi?
I am. :)

Project BB Cream | Nature Republic By Flower BB Cream.

Yay, another BB Cream post! See? I'm keeping my promise of writing about BB Creams more often. This time, I'm giving my two cents' worth on Nature Republic's By Flower BB Cream.

By Flower.

I can't recall exactly how this tester ended up in my stash, but I reckon this was sent to me as freebie from my favorite eBay store.

Lost in translation, lol.

Unless you're well-versed with Hangul, there really isn't much to see (nor understand) at the back. But at least I know that it's SPF35 PA++; its sun protection factor is pretty much mid-range, which sounds good to me. Anything beyond SPF30 PA++ is actually good enough, at least for my skin. Also, there's a number '2' written, which indicates that this shade is in 02 Natural Beige. The other shade, just so you know, is 01 Pink Beige.

Cornflower extracts, commonly used in cosmetic products, can be found in the By Flower BB Cream. Hence, this product has antioxidant properties, and can soothe and whiten the skin at the same time. Here's how the product looks like:

02 Natural Beige.
I think I may have dabbed a little too much, haha.

Its thick and creamy consistency reminds me of the Power Perfection BB Cream from The Face Shop, though this one doesn't dry as quickly as the other. Coverage is pretty good too - buildable, from medium to full and can cover light scars and imperfections on the face. Just don't overdo it like the way I did on the back of my hand, as this BB Cream has a slightly grayish cast, which can wash out your face if you use too much. As for the staying power, it can last for at least six to eight hours when worn with a primer.

Left, without BB Cream. Right, with BB Cream.
Yeah, I did squeeze out a tad too much. Mianhe. 

Personally, I love its mild, floral scent and its dewy finish. The price is pretty reasonable, too. A full-sized 35mL tube costs Php 445 at Lazada, so I'm thinking it's the same price (or even less) when purchased at Nature Republic stores. In Korea, this BB Cream sells for only 6000 Korean won (approximately Php 229 when converted)!

By Flower on my face. :)

What I love:

Light, floral scent

Lightweight, buildable coverage

A little goes a long way

Dewy finish

No allergic reactions whatsoever

SPF 35 PA++

Affordable price

What you might not like:

Slightly grayish cast

Finally, here's the customary FOTD photo. I'm using less makeup these days because I'm trying to keep up with this season's makeup trend - strong versus subtle. It's keeping your face bare (well, almost) while highlighting your best feature with a dash of color. 

Products used:
FACE: The Face Shop Face It Velvet Skin Primer, Benefit Erase Paste in Medium,
Nature Republic By Flower BB Cream.

EYES: elf Liquid Eyeliner in Black, Fairy Drops Volume Burst Mascara, 

Avon Ultra Luxury Brow Liner in Dark Brown.

LIPS: Maybelline Baby Lips in AntiOxidant Berry, Sleek MakeUp Lipstick in O.M.G!

Notice how I didn't use an eyeshadow or a blusher in this look? :)