Small Practical House Designs

It is summer already in Philippines, vacation time it is.

While I love being home for vacation, that means enjoy the foods and beautiful places like beach, farms, etch. Owning a house is not in our plans right now, but if things change and we decide to repatriate we have considered some plans of owning or building our own home. 

Here are some of the cute house designs I have seen:

I like the way this house has been elevated, because flood is something that should be part of our contingency. The log style is also beautiful, but I would opt better if this could be made into concrete instead of wood. We know how termites could infest too.


Another elevated modular type house

This one is a small house, which I believe is made from recycled container van and cladded with wood. My stand with wood remains the same, this will not last for long term specially the steel footings which could easily rust due to high humidity and rain. But if you are looking for affordable home you might consider this, they said that container van has average life span of 20 years depending on other external factors. It is also earthquake proof. And  it  looks really nice.


This is another container van in Negros Oriental photo courtesy here.

Photo froum Houzz.com

I think this one looks perfect if you have the perfect budget. We have a small lot located in the metro and I believe this is the best type of house we could build to maximize the area and still have a small garden. The house is 2 storey with an attic, it also has lots of windows which I love.


Some really small houses you might want to consider might be one of these:






Finally I found this article about how to plan and design homes for humid zone, because one of the things I really want to proof my home is termites, rust, and mold and mildew.

Isn't these cute, houses on a wheel. Aside from movable I think it is also affordable and eco-friendly since it is made from recycled materials.

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO

J-Lo's Crazy Magical Dress

Jennifer Lopez performed last Thursday night, March 19, during the American Idol show her new song "Feel The Light". She actually looks stunning but more than that is this magically, crazy, extra-ordinary dress. Watch on the video below to see for yourself.

She wore an enormous  Mariel Haenn gown. 

And the lighting effects made it look so wonderful and according to kids, very magical and enchanted. 

(Photo courtesy: TheDish, YouTube) 

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO

How to Avail FREE Internet In Philippines

Internet has always been expensive and difficult in the Philippines, but the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg recently launched Internet.org in the Philippines.

Some of you might be asking, what is this Internet.org? Well, "Internet.org is a Facebook-led initiative bringing together technology leaders, nonprofits and local communities to connect the two thirds of the world that doesn’t have internet access." 

Right now, this service is available to those subscribed to Smart and Sun network. 
"We're one step closer to connecting the world as we launched Internet.org in the Philippines today. Now everyone in the country can have free access to internet services for health, education, jobs and communication on the Smart network," Zuckerberg said

Thank you for giving us, the Filipinos, the chance to connect with the rest of the world. 

How to use the service: SMART and SUN NETWORK USERS

1. You may type www.Internet.org on your mobile browser or download the application. 

2. You may choose from the websites listed that you want to browse. Currently the supported websites are 
Facebook, www.facebook.com
JobStreet, www.jobstreet.com.ph
Inquirer, www.inquirer.net
OLX, www.olx.ph/
Rappler, www.rappler.com
Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.com
Wattpad, www.wattpad.com
philSTAR, www.philstar.com
Interaksyon (TV5), www.interaksyon.com
ESPN, www.espn.go.com
Bing Search, www.bing.com
Accuweather www.accuweather.com
TESDA, www.tesda.gov.ph

Please note that the pictures may not show as you browse to save bandwidth.

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO

Filipina In Abu Dhabi Caught Trying To Rob A Money Exchange?

video courtesy of Abu Dhabi Police

According to reports, a Filipina expatriate in Abu Dhabi  has disguised herself last Thursday,  by wearing an abaya and tarha while carrying a plastic gun as she tried to rob a money exchange. 

Policemen said, they were able to take the 33 year old woman into custody after one of the employees alerted them. The CCTV footage showed that she threatened the employees with the concealed weapon, which was later found out to be a plastic gun. 

The woman said that she did it in order to pay her debt amounting to Dh 140,000. 

Watching through the video though no face has been shown, we doubt that a Filipino has done this or will do this. We asked the Philippine embassy or the consulate to look into this matter and issue a statement if necessary.

Photo, video and news from http://yhoo.it/1CizckA

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO

7 Things You Needed To Know About Perfumes

Somebody told me that when you smell good, you become more attractive too. I think it also adds up to your confidence when you know that you smell fresh even after a long day. It could be the reason why people tend to buy more expensive perfumes instead of just using colognes or eau de toillette. Because the more oil concentrate there is, the longer the fragrance will last. But that is not always the case, because everyone has different body chemistry, to some it may last longer while to you it may only last for couple of hours, and one perfume may smell good to your friend but may totally smell different when you wear it. 

Anyway, there are different tricks you could use to make your perfume last longer on you till the end of the day:

1. Storage is very important- it is important that you store your perfume away from sunlight. Heat, light and humidity has a lot to do to keep the quality of your perfume. Have you noticed that some perfume bottles are coloured, because it helps in maintaining the quality of perfume.  It is better if you could keep your perfume away from the window, and never store it in your bathroom. 

2. Spray your perfume right after you shower- it helps lock in the scent.

3. Apply unscented lotion first before you spray your perfume- a mixture of  fragrances can result in totally different smell that you might not like. Unless the lotion is of the same fragrance as your perfume. The moisturizing benefit of your lotion can also help lock in the fragrance. You can also use vaseline, its occlusive property can help lock in the fragrance. 

4. If you are applying perfume to your wrist don't rub it right away after spraying. It makes the top notes evaporate fast making the fragrance fade away and not last that long. 

5. Some people like spraying perfume directly onto their hair. This can actually damage the hair because of the alcohol content in the perfume. But you can actually spray it on your hair brush and then brush it on. 

6. To know if the perfume suits you, you need to try it on and let it dry on your skin first before deciding to buy. Remember that body chemistry is different for each one and although it smells good on the strip of paper they sampled on you, it may smell different once you wear it. 

7. Do you know you can actually make your clothes fresh smelling like the fragrance you wear. Line your drawer with tissue paper and spray perfume on it. This way your clothes could absorb the fragrance without staining it with perfume oil. 

And don't throw those cards or paper strips they sprayed with perfumes. If you love the scent, place it in your bag and let your bag absorb the fragrance too. 

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO

How to Block Lost and Stolen Mobile

Mobiles have become the basic necessity of our lives and they contain a lot of personal information. Hence it is very important to keep it safe. However, after all the precautions, it may happen that we still lose the mobile or it get stolen. In such cases, it is very important to protect the information which is there in the mobile from being misused. If you own a smart phone, there are many software which are available which can be installed and used to block and locate it.  But for other mobile devices and generally, the service providers Mobily, STC and Zain can assist you with it free of charge. This is what you have to do:
You need to visit your sim service provider Mobily, STC, Zain with these information that they will need in order to assist you.
Requirements :
1. IMEI Number
The IMEI can be found on the box of your mobile device or on your mobile. You will need to turn off your mobile and remove the battery and you will find it printed there. You may also get it easily by typing this code
*#06# on the dial pad. 2. Proof of Ownership You needed to bring something that proves you own the mobile device you want to block, you can prove it by showing your purchase invoice, receipt or warranty card. A selfie with your mobile device is NOT a proof of ownership. 3. It is important that you have used a valid sim from your service provider atleast once in the past one month. If you are using a phone which uses only roaming simcard from another country and have never used the local simcard for more than a month, you might have a problem with this 4. A declaration form available at the service provider office filled and signed. Once you have provided the above requirements, the service provider can immediately block your mobile. In any instances where you only have misplaced it and you found it, you may unblock your mobile by visiting the service provider with the same requirements and process as above. For more information, you can visit the website of your service provider here: MOBILY STC ZAIN We encourage po ang lahat to be extra careful sa ating mga phones. ©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO

Try at Subukan, Balikbayan Box Tracker!

Balikbayan Box Tracker

Wondering when your Balikbayan Box will be delivered to you? Is your Cargo Forwarder giving you the updates where is your precious stuffs?

The Bureau of Customs has launched a Balikbayan Box Tracker, a simple and hassle-free way of tracking your boxes from abroad online.

Important details that you have to make sure is the name of the foreign or local Forwarder, and the Bill of Lading (BL) number of the shipment your box. 

To find out the status of your box, please check below.

Image from DTI

On the ‘Tracking List’ just type the BL number in the ‘Search’ box and press ‘Enter’ to see the status of your Balikbayan Box. You may also download the Excel file in the ‘Downloadables’ section of the site. Once downloaded, open the file and type ‘Ctrl’ F. Type your BL number and click ‘Enter’ to see the status of your Balikbayan Box.

DOWNLOAD ALSO THE LIST HERE NOVEMBER 2014 to January 23, 2015 LIST

Check the list from November 2014 to January 23, 2015


Check the rest of the 3000+ list here

Origin	Bill of Lading	Status
USA	OOLU1021469110	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	0913A22973	paid and Released
ROTTERDAM	H28385560021	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065419390	Paid and Released
CALIFORNIA	NYKS6065516510	Paid and Released
JAPAN	0084A79611	Paid and Released
QATAR	MOLU1419500528	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720016720	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV415442352259	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV430442247106	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV415442248796	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00434	Paid and Released
SAUDI ARABIA	NYKS368513670	Paid and Released
QATAR	MOLU14195005316	Paid and Released
QATAR	MOLU14195005321	Paid and Released
SAUDI ARABIA	NYKS3685183270	Paid and Released
U.A.E	NYKS3650428490	Paid and Released
USA	APLU086262741	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV415410309447	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650429070	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720016880	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685184360	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685184350	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	SINCEB140000392	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00456	Paid and Released
USA	86266563	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6055003380	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6054919920	Paid and Released
BANRAIN	APLU010206640	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	NYKS5203178710	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU2552867870	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV430442247114	Paid and Released
USA	APLU086258819	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV456442355425	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065542040	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV415442374571	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065481840	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650430780	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720017000	Paid and Released
ROTTERDAM	MOLU28008326474	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065715832	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU1021482140	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU2553222320	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065598420	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU1021482141	Pending Payment
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00499	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00506	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065715832	Paid and Released
DOHA QATAR	MOLU14195005337	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685185720	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650430774	Paid and Released
USA	APLU086251785	Pending Payment
TAIWAN	2553491330	Paid and Released
QATAR	MOLU14195005342	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685185710	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	NYKS5203178310	Paid and Released
AUSTRALIA	MOLU17101607969	Pending Payment
USA	NYKS6065682360	Paid and Released
USA	194789100	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU2553222330	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU2552129310	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065682730	Paid and Released
USA	NYKS6065627130	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS6055056070	Pending Payment
USA	EGLV415410321846	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV415442355479	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650430771	Pending Payment
USA	194789100	Pending Payment
SINGAPORE	NYKS5201411950	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00533	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV456442355450	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS6055044872	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685185730	Paid and Released
BELGIUM	NYKS5010866690	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685185700	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720017570	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650311329	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU2553539660	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS6055077280	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650311320	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685186070	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685186060	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV415442370826	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU1021489461	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU1021489462	Paid and Released
SOUTHAMPTON	APLU703814285	Paid and Released
TAIWAN	OOLU2555095280	Paid and Released
ROTTERDAM	APLU701562564	Paid and Released
ROTTERDAM	APLU072071419	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650360540	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720017730	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00587	Paid and Released
USA	LGB14J022556	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV446427241557	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU2553539710	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV415410309455	Paid and Released
BAHRAIN	APLU010206752	Paid and Released
DOHA QATAR	MOLU14195005358	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS6055041230	Paid and Released
DOHA QATAR	MOLU14195005363	Paid and Released
USA	HJSCBRE405441200	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	SINCEB140000433	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV456442422386	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00617	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS6054901110	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV456442355468	Paid and Released
USA	EGLV456442365072	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650437270	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685186710	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685186720	Paid and Released
ROTTERDAM	APLU701562847	Paid and Released
ROTTERDAM	APLU701563003	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685186690	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00631	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS6065865761	Paid and Released
BELGIUM	NYKS5010875110	Paid and Released
USA	APLU086274810	Paid and Released
CANADA	ZIMUORF554782	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU1021489471	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU2552312140	Paid and Released
SINGAPORE	JBCEB00660	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU2552632190	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU2552632360	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650364270	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU2552632350	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU1021489473	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU1021489470	Paid and Released
TAIWAN	OOLU2555625500	Paid and Released
NORFOLK	OOLU2552583800	Paid and Released
JEDDAH	NYKS3685187050	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720018120	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720017930	Paid and Released
QATAR	MOLU14195005390	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650423060	Paid and Released
LOS ANGELS	EGLV45642377356	Paid and Released
LONG BEACH	OOLU1021489472	Paid and Released
LOS ANGELES	EGLV415410321483	Paid and Released
LOS ANGELES	EGLV456442422394	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU2554018430	Paid and Released
USA	OOLU1021608870	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS6055110060	Paid and Released
DUBAI	NYKS3650423069	Paid and Released
USA	MOLU26009099577	Paid and Released
KUWAIT	NYKS3720018340	Paid and Released

Check the rest of the 3000+ list here

©2015 THOUGHTSKOTO