Must Have: Lingerie Laundry Bag

Feb 1, 2011 by Paula

A very important part of every woman’s wardrobe is her lingerie. Brassieres, panties, bikinis and camisoles…these are all made from light, sometimes lacy, material to make her feel comfortable and sexy at the same time.

However, it is because of the fact that lingerie is made from delicate fabrics and similar materials that they ideally need to be hand washed.

In basin with warm water and mild detergent, soak your lingerie for 10 to 15 minutes to soften dirt, skin flakes, lint and grime. Gently scrub the lingerie to remove dirty. After soaking, rinse with cold water. Do not wring lingerie as this may stretch or deform them. Lay them flat on towels and press the excess water out. You can air dry them over a flat surface or placed over the dryer rack.

For busy women who prefer to use their washing machines to clean their undies, it is important to use lingerie laundry bags. These are special mesh bags designed to keep lingerie from getting tangled or balled up in a washing machine.

First, put your lingerie into the laundry bag. Put mild detergent inside the washing machine and switch it on to a slow cycle. As the machine begins to spin, put the lingerie laundry bag containing your underwear inside. Once the cycle is done, take out the laundry bag and remove the lingerie from the bag one by one. Lay them flat on towels and press out the excess water. You can dry both your lingerie and the laundry bag inside your dryer for 10 minutes.

First Timer – Is a river cruise vacation for you?

Dec 29, 2010 by Paula

Obviously, our first response would be YES, since that’s what we hope to have you purchase from us. So, why do we think so? Here’s the company line: We think a river cruise is today’s best international vacation value and provides you the most rewarding, most luxurious and most relaxing way to experience some of the most beautiful and storied regions of the world.” Choose from a Rhine, Main or Danube River cruise, a Yangtze or Mekong River cruise, a Nile River Cruise or an Eastern European River cruise.

We understand if you’re not totally sold yet, and need a bit of convincing… We have some very good reasons why river cruises are the best vacation, and we’ve outlined them in this article.
You may have read elsewhere on the site that our Premier team is very experienced and has been fortunate enough to travel the world. We’ve also been on almost every major ocean going cruise ship and many of the river ships we sell. That said, we’re probably much like you, over 50, enjoy travel, enjoy learning as much as we can about a region, its people and their culture rather than struggle through a “if it’s Tuesday it must be Belgium” type vacation. Sure we still want to experience it all, but would prefer to do it with people “like me” who share similar interests, are fun, enjoy exploring and learning, and want a bit of pampering along the way… you know by day you want to interact with the people and places you visit and by night you want a fine Cabernet, a poached fresh salmon with asparagus, and great accommodations for the night – right? Yep.

Maybe you too have been on one of the newer generation of mega-cruise ships, you know the ones we mean, those that you share with 3500-5000 of your “best friends,” the crew never knows your name, you wait in line for almost everything, and it can take up to two hours to disembark the ship, only to wait in yet another line to get on to a crowded shore excursion bus – who enjoys that, no matter how “cool” the ship is.

I also would prefer not to think about the rigors of a traditional bus tour with 50 or so folks, making a stop every two hours for a look at another curio shop, one more church or to allow someone with a pea sized bladder yet another “restroom” break! And, do you really want to spend 13-15 nights in hotels you didn’t choose, packing and unpacking each day of the journey, eating from very selective menus in restaurants you don’t know, and complaining that everything costs too much? I wouldn’t and don’t think you would either.

So why not do what so many experienced travelers are doing? Choose a destination from your personal “bucket list.” Book a river cruise vacation and leave the driving to the ship’s captain. Meander along stunning rivers whose banks and hillsides are lined with medieval castles and vineyards, visit ancient and mystical places along the Nile River, explore the alluring floating markets of the Mekong River as it winds through fascinating Vietnam, or explore China’s incomparable Yangtze River. Today’s luxurious Eastern Europe river cruise ships allow you to experience any of these extraordinary places you’ve yearned to explore – in an up close and personal manner.

We want to welcome you to the incredibly immersive world of river cruising, where there are absolutely NO LINES, you can get on or off the ship in 30 seconds, the crew knows your name, your favorite beverage and provides you with warm, unpretentious ”European style” service. Best of all you travel with 130 or so like-minded folks who are there for the same reasons as you are, to experience a destination and its people in a very personal way, and to scratch off one the places on their “personal bucket lists.”

Today’s modern river cruise ships operated by distinguished companies such as Ama Waterways, Avalon Waterways, Scenic Tours, Uniworld, Tauck and Viking River Cruises. They have all the creature comforts including; gourmet food and complimentary regional wines, spacious and luxurious accommodations, all with a great river view [no inside cabins on river ships], in cabin entertainment including movies and U.S. T.V shows and much more. Your value-packed price also includes most of your guided, English only sightseeing tours and even includes free bicycles and Internet. [Please note that Viking River Cruises does not include complimentary regional wines on all sailings]

Do you still need a bit more convincing? Just think about this… unpack and pack only once, do as much as you want or very little, as you control the pace, exercise off the calories in the gym or relax in a sauna or on some ships, swim in the pool. You’ll also spend much more time seeing the places you visit because river cruise ships usually dock right in the center of town where you are only footsteps away from the local residents, the best sights, and if you choose a great walking streets for you to sit and enjoy a pastry and espresso as the world passes before you. Oh yes, river cruise ships stay later in port and in many cases that allows you to go ashore after dinner to get a different view of the city at night.

Oh yes, one more thing… if you’re like me, I love the fact that they don’t require you to dress up each night while you are on vacation. Leave the tux and the formal wear at home, and at dinnertime dress in relaxed, casual resort attire – it’s your vacation, why not enjoy it!

Are you getting ready to celebrate a Milestone Events such as a special birthday or significant anniversary? If so, there’s no better way to truly “celebrate” than on a value-packed and wonderfully rewarding river cruise. And, there’s no better way to get the most out of the celebration than by bringing a group of family or friends along with you to help celebrate!

At Premier River Cruises, we are the first travel company to recognize the importance of such Milestone Events by providing you and your guests who travel with you special cruise values, on-board acknowledgement of this important event and special gifts. To learn more about how we share in your Milestone Event, please see our Milestone Event section for complete details.
Your decision process can best be concluded by taking a few minutes to read our column entitled, “A day in the life of a river cruise guest.” This short diary-type view let’s you see what a typical day on a river cruise ship is like. Then we suggest you speak with one of our Premier river cruise experts to get you booked on that perfect river cruise, one that will fulfill your personal desires.

Shakespeare’s famous question and response has been uttered for centuries – “What’s in a name?” “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” – On the river cruise topic, we’d have to mightily disagree as a river cruise by any other name – bus tour, ocean cruise – is simply not the same!

If you have questions, don’t hesitate… call and speak to one of our river cruise experts at 877-777-7273, or drop us an email at info@premierrivercruises.com. We have the answers that will help guide you to the best river cruise line selection, best cruise, and best value!

Insomnia Treatment

Oct 14, 2010 by Paula

As someone who suffers from insomnia, my husband has spent some time looking for the best insomnia treatment. He had a hard time sleeping when he was still working the night shift. Believe me, we have tried everything we can think of but to no avail. That’s why now I sure am glad he’s on already on the day shift. He doesn’t have trouble sleeping anymore and I don’t get stressed watching him toss and turn in bed.

If you’re suffering from insomnia there are some things that you can do to help you get rid of the problem.  One is to meditate or relax before going to bed.  Meditating will signal the body that it’s time to rest so you’ll have more success sleeping.  Other suggestions include not watching TV, eating, or doing any activity in the bedroom and reserving it for sleeping only.

Beware of Taxi Drivers

Sep 30, 2010 by Paula

Are you a regular cab passenger? The holidays are approaching fast so please beware of taxi drivers. I’m sharing this unfortunate experienced by a commuter passed around in FB.

From:mary ruth causing [mailto:causingmaryruth@ ...]
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 10:59 PM
To: mary ruth causing
Subject: Warning of a Modus Operandi

Dear friends,

I’d like to share a story of what happened to me last Monday, October 6, which appears to be a modus operandi done by people with criminal intentions. My purpose for sharing this with you is to forewarn you of such incidents so that you may keep yourselves safe.

At about a quarter to 7 in the evening, last Monday, I left the office and walked out of Tektite building towards San Miguel Avenue , Ortigas, to ride a cab. It was just right after a brief drizzle, so the roads were almost empty of cars and people, although it was still a bit early. I’m accustomed to going home by myself if I feel like it, and riding cabs without any problems for the longest time.

I was walking along Exchange Road in front of our building, and have already crossed Pearl Drive , when I saw a cab slowly cruising along Exchange Road from San Miguel Avenue . It was an old, a bit dilapidated, white (seemingly) Toyota Corolla, with a yellow-lighted “taxi” on the roof, with black scrawl of the taxi’s “name” on the side (I didn’t notice the name written there). It didn’t have any passengers on board and I thought it a bit odd that a passenger-less cab would be coming from San Miguel Avenue towards Tektite at a time when taxis are supposedly full. I was more accustomed to seeing taxis with no passengers coming from Pearl Drive towards Tektite on its way out back towards EDSA or in the opposite direction of C-5. But it didn’t quite get to me. I was tired and needed to go home to rest. I just thought that the driver was trying to get passengers.

I flagged down the slow moving taxi and got in. I said I was going towards EDSA, so the cab went its usual familiar route of rounding the one-way Exchange Road , out to San Miguel Avenue , left to Megamall, and right towards EDSA. I normally would text Tony of the plate number of the taxi, but at that time, I didn’t. I normally would check the locks of the car doors, but this time, I only locked the ones on the front and back passenger seats (right side, because I saw that the left side door was locked). Everything was normal, except that
it was still going its slow pace. The driver was a slim-built, middle-aged man, with balding head (some hairs on the side), wore a baseball cap and a worn-out but decent white polo jacket.

Near the foot of the flyover towards Ortigas Avenue and EDSA, he requested me in a kindly manner to please move to the other end of the passenger seat because “ma-fla-flat na po yung gulong ko. Spare lang yan e.” where I was sitting. I was sitting at the right side of the passenger seat at the back, and promptly moved to the left side. I was even able to converse with him, saying “a ganun ba? Hindi ba delikado yun na tumatakbo tayo sa EDSA na pa-flat na gulong n’yo?” “Hindi po, malapit lang naman po kayo, di ba? Kaya pa po yun,” he smilingly said. And, all along, we were slowly moving across the flyover at EDSA. After the flyover, he slowly veered towards the inner side of the yellow lane, but I thought it was because “inaalalayan niya yung sasakyan.”

PLDT Technician Fixed Our Connection

Sep 14, 2010 by Paula

The PLDT technician came today.  It was about time since my hubby has been requesting for one for what seems like decades already.  I’m not really one to complain about the internet since I have all the time in the world to be in front of the computer.  As long as we have connection, eventhough it’s so slow I can tolerate it.  However, my hubby doesn’t have the luxury that I have.  He has no time to browse his favorite sites at work because he’s always too busy there so when he gets home all he wants is to be able to use the internet fast and quick.  He watches a lot of YouTube videos and he can’t do that with our current connection so he spends a lot of time calling PLDT customer service instead.

Well, he heard a lot of broken promises and suffered a lot of heartaches from PLDT customer service personnel but yesterday his hard work paid off.  He was able to talk to a supervisor for the first time (yes, they’re so hard to get a hold off) and in less than 24 hours a technician came by to our house.  I thought he was just going to give excuses for their lousy service and that our slow connection is just the way it should be but lo and behold it seems we had a lose cable all along.  So after fixing it for a few seconds we checked our connection and it was even twice as fast as what it should be!  Wow, I really was not expecting it.  I immediately chatted with my hubby and he is super excited to go home.  Thanks, PLDT!  So guys, if you’re having a problem with your connection and wants a technician to come to your house ask for a supervisor.  It would be very tricky because the technical support representative would say all kinds of things just so you won’t be able to talk to one but just persevere and you will be able to get one.

Gift Ideas for Your Mom

Aug 31, 2010 by Paula

I remember when I was still a child the only gifts I can think of to give my Mom was a card. No matter what the occasion is – birthday, Christmas, New Year I only give her a card and nothing else. Well, who can blame me? I was still a student with no money to my name and where I grew up (in the province) there was no shopping mall at all.

Now that I’m older and have my own job, I don’t give her a card anymore. I’m happy that I can buy her a gift with my own money. But still sometimes I find it difficult to think of what to give her. Do you also find it hard to find your mother an appropriate gift? Mothers don’t complain much so we always assume that they’re contented with what they have and maybe that’s the reason why we don’t know what to give them. Here are a few gift suggestion ideas that you can probably surprise your mother with.

Typical gifts for Mom range from clothing to kitchen utensils and while these are nice gifts to give your mother you can also consider giving other things. Jewelries are mostly expensive but even a simple necklace or a simple ring can surely make your mother happy. The trick here is finding something that can fit your budget. Your mom will surely have a wonderful time showing it off to your friends and would always remember you with happiness every time she sees it on her finger. If you can’t afford a diamond then you can also consider giving your mom her birthstone.

Electronics not only belong to his father. Now your mom can join in the fun as well. As everyone knows, music is very important in today’s world and your mom is most likely a fan of a certain genre of music. Get your own mother iPod or MP3 player so that she can enjoy music while driving, working out, cooking and cleaning.

The digital age has made capturing family moments easier. This holiday give your mom a digital camera or camcorder and she’ll surely spend a lot of time looking at family pictures and reminiscing happy moments.

Women generally have a fairly large closet of clothes and accessories. Give her a new fashionable clothing, a new purse or wallet. Another accessory of course is SHOES! Check out online gift cards your Mom’s favorite shoe store. Or  you can take her out to shop for shoes and surprise her by paying for them.