I have been racking my brains how to best start this post because I do not want to be accused of having “conflicting interests”. Cheng, a friend from Uni, started an online venture a few months ago and has recently flagged me on PPP to post about it. I was reluctant to accept the direct offer made from PPP as I would have done it for free. In fact, I kept chiding myself for not doing so earlier.

Just to make it clear, yes this is post is a direct hire from PPP. But the venture I’m going to talk about is not just based on a paid blogging opportunity’s description, but based on what I found out when I tested the site and based on Cheng’s ideas about a pro-Filipino portal.

Cheng is a Filipino mother based in Laguna. I met her in 1994 when I joined an acad organisation and she attempted to scare the heck out of me and my batchmates. She’s like most mums I met online, open-minded, vocal, has a strong personality, bright and hopeful of the Philippines’ future. She’s taught IT for a good number of years and recently decided that she wanted to empower herself and also give something back in her own way. Thus “HoPeS UP” was born.

So just what is “HoPeS UP”?
You can look at “HoPeS UP” as a web portal for any service you might be looking for that specifically caters for Filipino – service providers and clients alike. The idea is if the site gains as many subscribers then potentially this can be a one-stop shop for nearly anything.

Most consumers, especially Filipinos, rely on “word of mouth” in terms of referral to specialist needs. “HoPeS UP” takes that value in consideration and aims to house all those information in one place accessible by everyone in the world.

You need a builder? You need a nanny? Or perhaps you want a web designer? Or a wedding planner? Then if “HoPeS UP” gain enough subscription, potentially you find all that by setting the appropriate filters on the Search facility on the site.

What can “HoPeS UP” do for you?
“HoPeS UP’s” main target is listing businesses, be it a professional service or consultancy or teams of people or proper business venture. BUT it’s NOT LIMITED to just that.

“HoPeS UP” also offers “Affiliate Membership”, an option to earn at your own pace without leaving your comfort zone. Stay-At-Home-Mums (SAHMs) can easily be Work-At-Home-Mums (WAHMs). Those looking to supplement their regular income can look at this as a potential second job. In fact, I considered joining in June but then the homefront situation changed, making it difficult for me to commit to anything. Perhaps next year I will.

“HoPeS UP” also supports people looking to pay into charities or foundations.

Why am I even posting this?
Because I believe in what “HoPeS UP’s” trying to achieve. Like me Cheng of “HoPeS UP” believes that modern Filipinos have the talent, skills and resources to succeed. We just need to help create more opportunities for our community to leverage that pool. Perhaps with this venture, we don’t just hope, we can actually do it.

Need more information?
Check out the site (you’ll also find a link from my sidebar): http://hopesup.com/
Or get in touch: simplify(at)hopesup(dot)com

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Okay we already know about the thrifty mothers collecting coupons to exchange at the supermarket. Hey I do that, too. Actually I join as many rewards or bonus clubs as I can. I also collect online coupons. Why not? It saves me cash.

With KeepCash.com their updates are on daily basis so you’re bound to find something you really need. Coupons everywhere for everything, books, food, clothes for you and the kids, etc etc.

I just saw they have the Dell home deals for MP3 players and even monitors. As I am considering replacing my home PC within the year this site will really come in handy.

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Are you a goth? Do you even know what it is, what they are? Well London is full of it, one colleague I worked with is one and when I was teenage metal-head, I so wanted to be one. I became a yuppy instead.

To those who are still wearing their black boots, dyeing their hair black and coloring their lips black, but still unable to find the true goth of your life, try goth dating. Obviously here you’ll find all goth singles of shapes and sizes but only one shade of black. Check out the available pictures to be enticed.

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I have to admit when I grabbed this opportunity from PPP I thought I knew that the online dating world is vast and varied. Seeing this site, for those like myself who aren’t exactly slim, made me learn more about the new trend in the dating scene. Bbw dating caters for the plus-size crowd. Like the other PPP posts, this site offers search facilities that allows you to check out specifics features you’re looking for in a person. It also has a sneak peek photo section.

Sign-up is free of charge and should only take you under 5 minutes to complete before you are ready to put-up your own bbw personals.

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There is someone for everyone. You just have to know where to look. Sometimes it takes a bit more effort than just hoping to bump into them. A site for latina dating caters for people looking for Latina romance. Put up latin personals for free and let the internet do its wonder. Actually even if you don’t sign up, the website already allows non-members to do some searching. The Search facility even has some simple categories that singletons will find useful and intuitive. So search for 50’s or 20’s. Or perhaps take a sneak peek on the photos.

Who knows your dream man or woman can just be a click away.

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Together with the booming business of speed dating, we have all seen the booming business of everything to do with staying healthy and keeping fit. It’s only a matter of time before someone join’s the two together. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing fitness dating.

With this idea, you can add a little more excitement to pumping irons or to that run in the park. No competition necessary, just you and someone you might actually like. Whether you go for muscular women or buff men or just want to try to stay fit, who knows it could be your chance to exercise your heart muscles, too?

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So we have the yellow pages, we have them online, we have them at home. A lot of similar services have been sprouting all over the internet, too. Like2Find.com is the new player in town. Its top level categories include: Business Directory, Events, Stuff for Rent, Stuff for Sale, Items Wanted, Jobs, People, and then there’s this section called Everything Else.

At first I thought it was a US only service but actually, no. It’s a global ad site. There is a small charge to list your Business in the Business Directory but everything else is free and there is no limit as to how many free Ads you can place.

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I enjoy window shopping once in a while, but mostly of clothes and shoes. But my husband is a keen home furnishing window shopper, which is fine by me, I like it too. Besides if I get tired, I can just flop down in any of the sofas or beds on display.

But letting your fingers do the walking is much better, especially if the website has everything you might need. FurnitureFromHome.Com has Home Office Furniture, Dining Room Furniture, and living room furniture. It also provides other accessories you might want to decorate your house with. It’s really a complete furniture store.

I have been browsing through the website a few days ago and I already liked the layout of their site. Today I just noticed that they have items on sale! Some of the items on offer will really look nice at my place.

We have been thinking of knocking down our dividing wall & create a single flow to the lounge. We will definitely need some new formal dining room furniture. As I have a son I did look for a bedroom set for boys and found none. There was one for unisex and a couple of bedroom sets for girls, though. It was disappointing they don’t cater so much for the boys.

The real downside for me is the shipping of the items. I don’t mind the prices, they’re really reasonably priced but to get them over here, I’d have to pay duty taxes on them. Also their focus is obviously on furniture (that’s their name) but it would have been nicer to just cater for the entire house & include some nice bathroom fixtures, too. They could also add in garden furnishings and even more accessories and decorations for the home, that way it’s really a one-stop shop especially for new home owners.

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Hubby and I got our first car in 2005. I have to admit I’m not a car-person. I don’t care about the model, as long as I like it. But the hubby is a different story. He was obsessed in finding the “right” car. He bought a LOT of magazines, week after week and month after month. And he also visited a number of car dealerships.

After 2 years, he’s thinking of selling the car and getting a new one. So what does he do? He picked up his old routine again. Every time we go to the supermarket he grabs the latest car magazines on the rack, both free and commercial. I’ve been “recycling” a minimum of 4 magazines a month since his obsession began.

Well, look what I found in PPP. It’s very rare I get to choose a UK-based opportunity and it’s always by sheer luck that they are merchants I can actually use! BuyYourCar is a relatively new online Used Car search, in fact they’ve only gone live in August 2006. But you know the cliché “age doesn’t matter” is true in their case. This is a fantastic website for people like my husband as they get to see multiple car dealers in one place. And if you’re a dealer, being able to show ALL your wares to the most number of potential customers is what you want.

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2004 was memorable. It was the year my son was born and it was also the year, hubby & I, got our first house in England. Our criteria were: safe neighbourhood, good schools nearby, close to public transportations, a good size garden and no-immediate-refurbishment-work.

We’re lucky we found all that in less than a month, though closing the deal was actually traumatic. Anyway, three (3) years on and the only home improvement we’ve done so far is remove the carpets and go with a hardwood floor. I’m allergic to dust and with a baby, I cannot deal with maintaining the carpet flooring.

But if we do have “more” money (never say you don’t have any), we already have plans on real home improvements. I want a new kitchen and a ground floor rear extension. Hubby wants to remove the dividing wall between the lounge and the dining room to create more space. I want an upstairs toilet and shower room. I want the loft converted to a spare room, perhaps a proper office? Alas, I’ll have to wait another year to get even one of those things done.