The Terminator: Sample Termination Letter

Express your dissatisfaction! Complain! Terminate!

Below is the termination letter I am sending my wireless phone provider. Their service sucked from Day 1 but it took me more than a year to decide to terminate their services because I was too lazy to draft a termination letter.










25 May 2009

***** CENTER
[Insert the company address here]

Re : Notice of Termination of Line
---------------------------------------

Gentlemen: [I am seething mad. I don't have time to be gender sensitive.]

I am Mrs. G, the subscriber of telephone number 02******* with ***** Wireless Account No. *********. I am terminating my account effective immediately.

The unit I was given have not worked properly from the very beginning. If you check my account usage, you will notice that I rarely made or received any calls. My number is always busy or cannot be reached even if I am not using it. It takes almost 15 seconds before my call is connected, if ever it is connected.

Last week, I sent my phone unit to your center. My representative was told that I could either pay P3,000 for the repair of the unit or pay P799 for a replacement. I called your customer service center to request for the waiver of the replacement fee but it was flatly refused.

Since I could easily get a brand new unit from **** for the same amount it would cost to get a replacement from *****tel, I decided to terminate my account with you and open another one with ****.

While I am paying my current bill (May 2009), I am terminating my account immediately because I am dissatisfied with your service. I expect not be charged henceforth.


Signed
Mrs. G

RECEIVED by:

_________________________
(Name and Signature)

Date: ____________________

Photo by Horst Frank

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How to Remove Ink Stains from Longchamp Bags

Baglove called me last night to tell me that her HSBC bill, which I'm guessing was laser-printed, stained the lining of her fox orange Planetes. Imagine her bill permanently imprinted on her bag! I was laughing my ass off until I noticed that she was not laughing with me. Me, bad friend! To redeem myself, I shared with her Teacher J's tip. After around 30 minutes, she texted me to say that the tip worked. Me, good friend!

Teacher J shared with me her secret to removing ink stains in Longchamp bags. It's MILK! 

The Steps:

1. Dip the tip of a wash cloth in milk. Teacher J used evaporated milk but I guess any kind of milk will do.
   
2. Gently rub the milk-soaked tip of the wash cloth in the stained area.
3. After each rub, pat dry the area with another clean dry cloth.
4. Repeat the steps until the stain is gone.

I must admit that I was very skeptical at first but Teacher J swears by it. She already tried it twice on her pink Le Pliage with much success. I finally decided to blog about the tip after Baglove confirmed that it really works. 

Note: Pictures to follow

Check out this link --

Longchamp Spring/Summer 2009 Collection Material and Care Guidelines

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How to Get a Philippine Postal ID

The bank would not let Ate S and M open a savings account without 2 valid IDs. Aside from the Condominium IDs issued to the employees of the residents, they don't have any other identification card so the teller suggested that they get Postal IDs.





HOW TO APPLY FOR A POSTAL ID

1. Go to the nearest PhilPost Office. It is best if you go to the post office in your zip code.
2. Ask for a copy of the Postal ID Application Form or Form No. 391. They will probably give you a photocopy. The form is free here in Quezon City but I heard that some cities charge a minimal fee.
   
3. Fill in the upper half portion of the application form with your personal data.
4. Have your picture taken. You need to attach 3 identical 2x2 ID pictures with white background to your application form.
   
5. After filling up the form and attaching 1 picture, we had the form photocopied so that Ate S and M would have 4 copies each. (1 for the post office, 1 for the barangay, 1 for the notary public and 1 personal copy) This is not required but we did it in case the Barangay Captain and the notary public ask for a copy.
   
6. Bring the application form to your Barangay Hall.
7. Request for a Certification from the Barangay Captain that you are a resident of the Barangay. The Barangay Captain will fill up the bottom portion of your application form and give you a photocopy of his/her valid ID. He may or may not ask to retain 1 copy of the application form. Our barangay charges P50 for this.
   
8. While you are in the Barangay Hall, get a Community Tax Certificate. You need this to complete your application form. Ate S and M paid P50 each.
   
9. Have the application form duly notarized. There is usually a notary public near barangay halls. The notary public will ask for a copy of the notarized document. Notarization costs around P150 per document.
   
10. Go get a NSO certified copy of your birth or marriage certificate. (Click here for tips on how to get one.)
    
11. Submit the following to the post office: 1) Duly accomplished application form [notarized with attached photocopy of the Barangay Captain's valid ID]; 2) 3 pcs. 2x2 ID picture with white background; 3) NSO certified copy of birth or marriage certificate; and 4) P315 postal ID fee. The postal ID fees vary from city to city.
    
12. Expect to come back for the ID after a few days. In the case of Ate S and M, they were able to get the ID after 3 days.

Estimated Total Cost: P815
1. ID Picture - P60
2. Barangay Certification - P50
3. Community Tax Certificate - P50
4. Birth Certificate - P140
4. Notarization - P150
5. Postal ID Fee - P315
6. Others (Transportation, Food, Photocopying) - P50

It is EXPENSIVE. Good thing it is valid for 5 years.

Ate S and M now both have BPI savings accounts. Their next goal is to get voter IDs.

NOTE:

• For applicants without a birth certificate, they have to submit a certification of no record from the Local Civil Registrar or a negative certification from NSO plus any of 2 of the following requirements: baptismal certificate, permanent Elementary School Record 137-E, marriage contract of parents issued by LCR (if single) or marriage contract of applicant (if married) or certificate of Live Birth duly signed and properly filled up.
• Instead of a certification from the Barangay Captain, the applicant may submit: a valid NBI clearance; if student, certification from the Principal or School Registrar, together with photocopy of the valid identification card of the Principal or School Registrar; or if employed, certification from the employer with the employer's valid identification card.
• Data from www.pia.gov.ph
  

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How to Get Birth and Marriage Certificates: Ms. R to Mrs. G

Do you want a copy of my marriage certificate?

I've been married only two years but I've already submitted more than 15 copies of my marriage certificate to various private and government offices. These copies are all printed on security paper and issued by the National Statistics Office. If I include the ones I gave to companies and agencies that only required photocopies, the number will increase to around 30.

Some agencies and offices that required my marriage certificate:
1. Social Security System
2. PhilHealth
3. Land Transportation Office - Driver's License Renewal/Change of Name
3. Banks (6)
4. Embassies - Visa Applications (6)
5. Department of Foreign Affairs - Passport Renewal

The official transition from Ms. R to Mrs. G was and is not that easy.

2 WAYS TO GET YOUR MARRIAGE OR BIRTH CERTIFICATE IN THE PHILIPPINES:

1. ON-LINE/THRU PHONE

You can order the documents you need from www.ecensus.gov.ph or Pilipinas Teleserv, Inc.

E-Census is managed by the National Statistics Office while Teleserv is run by a private company. From my experience, both are very reliable. I tried E-Census for my husband's birth certificate and Teleserv for my passport renewal.

E-Census

• Type-in the data in their website
• Pay the fee in any of the accredited banks
  
• Delivery within 5 to 9 days (Processing - 3 working days; Delivery - 2 to 6 working days)
• PRICE: P315 for Birth or Marriage Certificate and P415 for Certificate of Non-Marriage

Teleserv

• Call the hotline (737-1111) and dictate the necessary information to the agent
• Pay the fee in any of the accredited banks or through Bancnet
• Delivery within 4 working days (from date of payment)
  
• PRICE: P330 for Birth or Marriage Certificate and P430 for Certificate of Non-Marriage
  

I personally prefer Teleserv's services even if they are slightly more expensive than E-census. I like the fact that I can call them 24/7 to follow-up my order. They will also deliver your documents in just 4 working days.

2. PERSONAL APPEARANCE IN NSO

• Go to any of the NSO Satellite Centers (Check the list here --Satellite Centers)
• Submit your application form (Download the forms here -- Forms)
• Pay the fee
• Get the documents within 2-3 hours
• PRICE: P140 for Birth or Marriage Certificate

M, one of my household crew, went to NSO this morning to get copies of my marriage (4 copies) and birth (2 copies) certificate. At P140 each, that's only P840! Compare that to the P1,980 I would have spent if I ordered them online. I was also able to get the documents on the same day.

TIPS:

• Print-out and fill-up the forms (download them online) before going to the NSO office.
• If you will be sending a representative to get your birth certificate, make sure that person is armed with your authorization letter and your I.D.
• Ask your representative to bring his or her own I.D. too.
  

SAMPLE AUTHORIZATION LETTER:

09 January 2009

NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE
Office of the Civil Registrar General
National Statistics Office
East Avenue, Quezon City

Dear Sir/Madame:

I am Mrs. G, the owner of the birth certificate and marriage certificate being requested by M. I am authorizing Ms. M to request and receive the said documents in my behalf.

Attached to this letter is a photocopy of a valid I.D. bearing my photograph and signature. The original of the said I.D. is with Ms. M for your verification.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. G

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Sandwich Wrapper: Use Cloth -- Furoshiki Style

After some thorough research and investigation (See this and this), my quest for the perfect sandwich wrapper has ended. It's CLOTH and REUSABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER for me.

That being said, I present you with a cool way to wrap your sandwich with cloth -- FUROSHIKI STYLE.

Photo by cafeconlecheporfavor










Click here for the tutorial.

As I don't want my sandwich to be crushed inside my bag, I'm planning on buying this cute Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Sandwich container.

















Weird? It's like putting a LV bag inside a plastic bag. LOL! Oh, well...

Note: This is not a paid post. I'm not endorsing Rubbermaid.

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Sandwich Wrapper: Paper or Plastic? PART II

SANDWICH WRAPPING TIPS SHARED BY SOME READERS

Ibyang: "I use aluminum foil. It keeps the sandwich fresh and easy to fold. I even write a little reminder on it for the husband sometimes."

Pros:

• Great to use with hot sandwiches
• Easy to fold

Cons:

• Can cause minor shock when bitten
• Not environment-friendly
• Cannot go straight inside microwave

Aluminum foil is another great option. However, as I told Ibyang, I was traumatized by foil when I was a kid. I accidentally bit the foil while eating a burrito. OUCH! Since then, I stayed away from foil-covered food. (Click here to find out why it hurts to bite into aluminum foil.)

Reshma: "I use a cloth napkin to wrap my sandwiches in...they stay soft and fresh..more environment friendly too!"

Pros:

• Environment-friendly
• No chemicals to react with your food

Cons:

• Not airtight
• Your kid will likely lose this in school

I used to lose a lot of handkerchiefs when I was in grade school. It only stopped when I started to bring Kleenex.

Laura: Ziploc bags for me!

Pros:

• Airtight if sealed properly
• No folding required
• See-thru
• Very convenient
• Can be combined with tissue or wax paper

Cons:

• Not environment-friendly

C! I know you sometimes double wrap. Aluminum foil AND Ziplock. Tsk... tsk... tsk...

Homemom3: "Plastic bags here or those sandwich boxes (plastic). I hate wrapping in paper as it always stuck. That jelly can get tricky."

Mai: "I don't like using throwaway stuff for Pogiji's baon na sandwiches because they become garbage after, kawawa the environment! What I do is I put his sandwiches in LockLock containers (although the most recent LockLock containers are not made in Japan na -- made in China na...ack!) or Biokip (made in Korea naman) to maintain their freshness. The containers are not as cheap as sandwich wraps but in the long run, they are since they are reusable. And they don't harm the environment too! Wax paper gives sandwiches an aftertaste that I don't like."

Pros:

• Environment-friendly
• Air-tight
• Reusable

Cons:

• More expensive
• Your kid will likely lose this in school

I also lost quite a number of Tupperware plastic boxes. It's not my fault! The Tupperware-gnomes followed me and stole my lunch boxes.

Environment-Friendly Choice: Airtight Stainless Steel Food Container

Pros:

• More environment-friendly
• No plastic
• Reusable

Cons:

• Expensive

Some environmentalists do not consider reusable plastic containers as environment-friendly. Only stainless steel containers for them.

My choice: Cloth Napkin AND Plastic Container

I'd wrap the sandwich in a cloth napkin then put it inside a reusable airtight plastic container. I think I'm now mature enough not to lose my lunch box.

Photo credit: WTFwich by minusbaby

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Sandwich Wrapper: Paper or Plastic?

Sandwich wrapping is not as easy as most people think. First, you have to chose a wrapping material that will best seal the sandwich's freshness for at least 5 hours. Nobody likes a soggy and damp sandwich. Next, you have to fold the wrapper origami style for better presentation. (This post is dedicated to Teacher J. Her nanny cannot wrap a sandwich without using tape and it's driving her crazy.)

Paper or Plastic

While we need air to live, our sandwiches do not. Air accelerates food degradation so keeping air out of the wrapper or container will help your sandwich stay fresh longer.

Tissue Paper: This is the wrapper of my youth. ("Scottie, strong even when wet." -- Was it Scottie?) The sandwich is usually wrapped with orangey-checkered tissue paper then placed inside a white sandwich bag.

I do not recommend using tissue paper. By recess time, my sandwich was already soggy and the tissue sticks to the bread. Taking it off was like peeling out a super sticky price tag, you don't get it all out. I know how tissue tastes like.

Wax Paper: This is what C's sandwiches are wrapped with. Her mom makes her a sandwich in the morning so she'll have something to eat for lunch. But does she eat it during lunch time? Of course not! She has it for dinner. Thanks to the wax paper, her sandwich is still fresh after more than 8 hours.

Wax papers are definitely better than tissue papers. However, as Teacher J knows, folding it can be quite a challenge.

Plastic Wrap: This is the wrapper of the pros. Most canteens and cafeterias wrap their sandwiches with plastic wrap. We don't know long those sandwiches have been on the display counter but they're still pretty fresh after we buy them so they must be doing something right.

Plastic wraps provide a sealed environment for the sandwich, keeping it fresh longer. Also, it's clear so you don't have to open the wrapper to know what's inside. "Ham nga!"

Click the link for a guide on effective sandwich wrapping -- How to Wrap a Sandwich.

How do you wrap your sandwiches?

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Potpourri: Coffee Stains, Shopping and Christmas Gifts

NO TV?! NO COMPUTER?! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!

After my Lasik surgery last Tuesday, I had to say goodbye to blogging for awhile. Although I still plurked using my phone, I could not blog hop nor update my posts.

I never realized how addicted I am to plurking and blog-hopping until last week. Forced to find other things to do, I was able to accomplish a lot of tasks at home. I went shopping too!

Banished Coffee Stains

Using my Magic Formula (Baking Soda and Vinegar) and a small green scour pad, I was able to remove the coffee stains from all the cups in our cupboard.

What you need:

* Baking Soda
* Pure White Vinegar
* Scour Pad

Instructions:

1. Mix baking soda and white vinegar. (go for pasty consistency)
2. Dip the scour pad in the baking soda and vinegar mix.
3. Gently scrub the stain.


Speed Shopped














MM dragged me to this private shoes and bags sale in Corinthian Gardens. We were in and out of the place in less than 30 minutes. She bought shoes and I bought a bag.

Assembled Car Safety Kits















Inspired by Martha Stewart, I decided to put together my own Car Safety Kit. Do you have an emergency car kit?

Tata! I need to rest my eyes now.

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How to Tie a Christmas Bow

Yesterday, I was so inspired by the trees in Tamilee decors that I decided to make a Christmas bow. With the gold ribbon I bought on sale last January, I started looping and tying.

My first attempts were pretty horrible. I tried to do it on my own for the around an hour until I succumed to googling for video tutorials.

Thank you Meghan Carter! Merry Christmas.



My Christmas Bow

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How to Fold T-Shirts

Compare this t-shirt stack to the photo in my post yesterday.

It's driving me crazy! I want my pile to line up perfectly. Aaaarggghhh...

What's a SAHW to do? Well, I spent the whole morning searching for a video on how to perfectly fold shirts.

Here are the results of my research.

First, there are obsessive-compulsive folders out there. Most of them used to work in GAP. (Remember Reality Bites?) There's this guy who automatically folds messy shirts in stores when he goes shopping. Read the article here.

Second, there is a magical way of folding shirts. I first found a YouTube clip demonstrating the technique but the woman in the video spoke Japanese. Luckily, Martha Stewart has an English version. See the video here.

(But the boys might find this video more interesting.)

Third, there are gadgets out there for folding t-shirts. My favorite is FlipFOLD. If you're planning to give me one for Christmas, I want the green one. If you like crafts, you can make me one. See the instructions here.

Fourth, aside from the GAP fold, there is also a Disney fold. Read the article here.

Fifth, although there are tons of posts on the GAP way of folding t-shirts, there is not one instructional video on how to do it (although there is a video on folding jeans). I heard they use plastic boards when they fold. One woman suggests using a chopping board as a guide. Please help me find a video.

That's it. Happy folding.

How do you fold your shirts?

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Tip: Rust Remover Magic Formula

Problem with rusty pans and tools?

What you need:

• Baking Soda
• Pure White Vinegar
• Aliminum Foil

Instructions:

1. Mix baking soda and white vinegar. (go for pasty consistency)
   
2. Crumple the aluminum foil with the shiny side showing.
3. Dip the aluminum foil the baking soda and vinegar mix.
4. Scrub the rust out of your pan/tools.

Shortcut: Take out your cleaning kit. Liberally dust the pan with baking soda. Spray Pure White Vinegar. Scrub with the aluminum foil.

You can also try this with your chrome fixtures. See the rust magically disappear.

Warning:Test-scrub in a small area first to make sure that it won't scratch the metal. If you don't mind it being scratched, like with my stove pan, scrub away.)

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Laundry: Starch Wars Part II -- Glide

I just found out that the maid in charge of ironing our clothes, including my husband's barongs, actually just uses GLIDE!

I know what you are thinking. How could I not have known? How dare me blog about the virtues of almirol when our maid was using Glide the whole time? (Read Starch Wars Part I)

This is what happend... I actually interviewed our cook... Wait! Let me explain. Ate "S" is now our cook but she used to be in charge of our clothes. She was the one who gave me the almirol recipe. The person in charge now, "M", was actually trained by Ate "S". However, "M" is prone to finding ways to shortcut her work, much to the distress of Ate "S".

You should have seen "M"'s eyes when I asked her how exactly she starches the barongs. She fearfully confessed that she skips the whole almirol bit and just sprays Glide to the barongs. I asked her how she makes it stiff and wrinkle free. She doesn't really know. I guess she just did it to cut her workload in half. Luckily for her, Glide works.

So there, it's either Niagara, Glide or Liwayway Gawgaw. I have a feeling that the Starch Wars are not yet over. What do you think?

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Laundry: Starch Wars -- Niagara vs. Liwayway

Me: "Your barong is wrinkled. Change it!"
Husband: "It's okay. Nobody will notice."
Me: "Everybody will notice! I will be judged by how well your barong is starched and ironed. Baka sabihin nila I'm a bad housewife."













(WARNING: Be sure to also read Starch Wars Part II)

Korean Wife is to Kimchi as Mrs. G is to Starched Barong

The excited new homemaker in me made me buy cans and cans of Niagara Spray Starch for my husband's barongs. It used to be at the top of my grocery list even though I was scandalized by its price. I don't know how many cans of Niagara I used before our maid suggested that we try the good ol' trusty almirol.

I bought Liwayway Gawgaw and let the maid experiment with the barongs. Lo' and behold! She was able to achieve starch perfection.

Advantages of Almirol:

1. Cheaper. Gawgaw is only P42.25 and it will take months before you use up 1 kilo. Niagara Spray Starch (Original) is P 92.50 (Rustan's Supermarket). You're lucky if a can lasts you one week.
2. Clothes are Easier to Iron. Our maid finds it easier to iron the barongs when we use almirol.
   
3. Eco-friendly. Remember, those cans will end up in landfills. What a waste.
   
4. Cheaper. Oh! I already mentioned that.

Our Maid's Special Almirol Recipe

1. Mix gawgaw and coldwater in a basin. The amount of gawgaw will depend on how many clothes you need to starch. Add just enough cold water to liquefy the gawgaw.
2. Stir the mixture until the lumps disappear.
3. Slowly add boiling water to the mixture. Continue stirring to prevent lumping.
   
4. Add more water (regular tap water temperature) to cool and dilute the mixture.
5. Add the barongs and soak them for around 15 minutes. Consider this as your last rinse.
6. Wring the barong then shake off excess starchy mixture.
7. Line-dry.
8. Iron the barong before it’s completely dry. If you got it bone dry from the clothesline, spray it with some water. The barong must be damp before it is ironed.

Disclaimer: I have no personal knowledge as to how almirol is made/done. I'm not even sure if it's a noun or a verb. I just translated and transcribed the instructions given to me by our maid. According to her, she never measures the amount of gawgaw or water she adds. She just estimates. Good luck.

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How to Change Duvet Covers

When we started to use duvets, it took at least two people to change the covers. Changing it was a weekly event that made our arms feel sore after.

The instructions in my Martha Stewart Housekeeping Handbook helped a bit but it was hard to follow. We still did not quite get how to do it the easy way.

Then came this video. You will never have to wrestle with your duvet again after watching this. Enjoy!

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-put-on-a-duvet-cover

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How to Fold a Grocery Bag

My friend, "Teacher J", taught me how to do this.

Step 1: Flatten the Plastic Bag.

Step 2: Fold the bag twice.
Step 3: Fold the bag into a triangle.

Step 4: Tuck the handles into the triangle.

VOILA! A neatly folded plastic bag!

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