Gifts I got for Christmas

Hi everyone, it feels amazing to be back. I have not published any blog post for the past 18 days and it feels like 18 weeks to me. 

Reasons:
1. I have been saddled up with work lately which makes me get home late, fatigued and interested in nothing but a good night sleep.

2. I have been watching Pretty Little Liars Season 2...gawd I love it!  It was my addiction! My major hobby is watching movies and when I start, I don't stop till I get to the very end. It's the reason I don't follow series-they are like never-ending stories (just remembered Neverending Story, the actual movie-Fantasia) and consume my time. If I mistakenly watch any and like it, I would watch it at any given opportunity like I would die if I didn't. Well, this is the last and after PLL, no more! (Except Desperate Housewives and Kings, I have started them and must finish them. I could skip Gossip girls, Singles ladies, Kyle XY, Walking dead, and the list goes on.) Anyway, thank God I am done with Season 2.

3. I have been battling an annoying flu that doesn't want to leave me alone. It started with catarrh and it's cousins-sneezing and headaches, then chest pains came to say hi, while the dry cough and sore throat were the last to visit...very very annoying. The dry cough hasn't realised that it has overstayed it's welcome and seems determined to spend the Xmas holiday with me.

Nevertheless, I won't let it spoil my holidays and in the spirit of Christmas, I want to share this just for the fun of it. Here are the gifts I got for Christmas and how I made use of them:

Medicine (multi vitamin syrup and cough syrup) and a branded T-shirt
I have been taking the multi vitamin syrup and gave the T-shirt to my brother. I put the cough syrup in the cabinet and told myself it would spend months there untouched since having cough was far from it (so I thought). I am sure it would have insulted me for dumping it and laughed at me as I took it 4days later. It has really come in handy and I am still taking it.

A wall clock
It is still in the pretty pink pack, I haven't decided what to do with it.

A pack of frozen chicken and 2 packs of iced tea
I gave a pack of iced tea to my parents and will share the other with my siblings. My mum cooked jollof-rice with the chicken and I enjoyed it.

A bag of rice 25kg and a gallon of vegetable oil 10litres
I normally go with a colleague at the close of work and he drops me at a particular bus stop where he makes a right turn from the express way while I go further down the express. I almost forgot the oil in his car. When I got to the bus stop I saw a friend and pretended like I didn't see him (I didn't feel like talking). He walked up to me and greeted me. I replied surprisingly, like I had just seen him. He carried the oil for me till I got to my last but one bus stop because we stay in the same area. God sent me a helper and I was busy playing hide and seek. My muscles would have suffered for it. Carrying the rice myself was unthinkable. I told my parents about it. My dad suggested I sell it at a giveaway price but my mum said my colleague should take it to his house using his car and she would take it from there. Better option! 

A big size frozen tilapia fish
I bought turkey and we prepared turkey-fish pepper soup. We eat it the Urobo way, with yam and palm oil. 

A Christmas miracle
A church member who used to attend the same JAMB lesson with me had an accident that affected one of her legs. She would limp to class and sometimes cry out of pains. She stopped coming to class after a while and I couldn't reach her because I didn't have her contact. After about 3yrs, she lost her sister, my family went to her parents' house to pay them a visit. I was shocked and close to tears when I saw her. I thought the leg had healed and she had moved on. She was on the floor at the corner of the house and isolated herself from everyone. I just watched and prayed for her silently. Last week, my mum broke the news to me that she was walking again. I couldn't believe my ears until yesterday, Christmas day when I set my eyes on her in church. She was walking again like nothing had happened. 

Boxing day miracle
I woke up very early this morning to type this post when I heard my mum wishing my uncle abroad a merry Xmas on the phone. She gave me the phone to talk to him and he made me scream when he told me his wife was just delivered of a baby girl. I didn't even know she was pregnant. I now have a half Nigerian-half Japanese cousin, she must be so pretty, still waiting for the pictures. 

You have read mine, would love to read yours...

How to get the most out of any kind of sales!

Whenever you hear the words christmas sales, summer sales, holiday sales, yard sales or any kind of sales, these are the first thoughts that come to mind: good products, cheaper prices, money saved. You want to go there and get as much as you need at the cheapest price possible. If this is how your brain works, then you must be thinking smart. 

However there are few things we ought to do, but we don't or overlook, which dampens our aforementioned goal. Not to worry, here are vital tips inspired by my last week's shoes sales experience to help you get the most out of any kind of sales:

Have a list of what you need

Some people are impulsive buyers, they see something pretty and attractive and it feels like it's calling them, like the Shopaholic lady and the green scarf. What happens in sales is, you see an attractive item whose price is far below the average market value and you buy it justifying your action with the cheap price of the product. The bad part is, in your small mind you think you are saving. People like this end up with way more stuff than they need and end up spending much more money than they would spend if it were a normal sale.

The way out is to make a list of what you need before you go to any sales venue, take it with you and have some discipline to stick to it. If you think your case is helpless, have someone with you to help you knock some discipline.

Know how to get to the venue

This is very crucial. You don't want to spend half of the day trying to locate the venue of the sales or waste money going to the wrong places. It can be frustrating and annoying especially when the weather is really hot. 

It happened to me and I can tell you from experience that it is not pleasant. I spent about 2hours going round in circles till my genius friend was able to figure out the way.

Go with a friend who's got an eye for good stuff

First of all, it is boring to go for a sales alone; it is more fun when you have someone to keep you company. More importantly is having someone who knows good stuff when they see one and who will help you in making better choices. During sales, participants rush to pick the best items before someone else does. You could have someone-a friend, your mum, or your sibling look out for you, more or less your second pair of eyes and hands. You know, to help you grab those good stuff before someone lays hands on them. Also they could help you in making right choices. 

I had someone with me and he was the reason I was able to buy three pairs of shoes. Because we spent so much time locating the venue and I got there late and fatigued, and everything looked boring too me-weary eyes playing tricks.

Arrive early

If you want to get the best out of any sales, you must arrive early. You don't want to get there when all the good items have been taken. You know the venue and how to get there, find out the time when sales would begin, do your calculations and leave your house at the right time. 

I didn't do that and I regretted it. I left the house 30minutes after the sales had begun and got to the venue 3hrs after sales had begun. Even though I was lucky to get my size, most foot wears were in small sizes, most big sizes had been taken.

Be patient

Don't be in a hurry to get some stuff and run off. Make efforts to get the best available. Let your  antenna be very active. Take your time, go around, look well because that thing you need might just be in a corner waiting for you to see it.  

I was forced to be patient by my good friend and it paid off.

For things you have to put on, don't assume they will fit

Ignore the labels and tags, try them (unless otherwise stated)! You don't want to bargain for a dress and realise it is a size smaller. If it fits, then you will know the item is worth bargaining for.

One of the shoes I bought (a pair of black ankle boots by Clarks) looked small and it was actually a size smaller. Ignoring the size, I tried it on because it was exactly what I was looking for. Thankfully, it was my perfect size! It hugged my left leg like the best husband in the world and I didn't feel like taking it off! 

Know the market value of what you need

So you don't get ripped off, make sure you know the market value of the item you are buying. It makes no sense buying an item at the same price as the average market value; the purpose of it being a sales would be defeated. Also if there's a discount, make sure you are really getting a discount. If the sales is tagged 50percent off, please do the maths because some people do get ripped off at sales event.

Don't compromise your taste.

Don't buy it because it is cheap; it might end up staying in your wardrobe for years till you have to give it away. You have a list of what you need-stick to it, unless it is something you forgot to include.

 

Be very observant

Please become an inspection agent when you see an item you want to buy before you actually purchase it. Check the quality, check for any blemish, and price it accordingly. 

I saw a very pretty pair of black suede stilettos but it had peeled off at the heels and by the side. I dropped it and didn't give it a second look.

Exercise your negotiation skills

We know it's at a discount but you can still bargain, it is not a crime. You could get lucky because I was. 
When I took the shoes to the counter, the lady called the prices and I was ready to pay. However my friend, an economist by education thought it was dumb to just pay without any price battle. So he did his thing and succeeded in getting N2500 off from the initial total cost.

My friend really loved this one, he picked it.

Well that's all I have for you on getting the most out of any kind of sales. I know they will help and your next shopping experience will be fabulous. You can thank me later...winks. 
Till you read from me again, have a great weekend!

Please don't forget to like my Facebook page by clicking the facebook like button on your top left thanks or follow me on twitter @frediliamomodu One love!

What a great way to start a new month! Or what do you think?

Recently I told myself that I would make it a habit to read my bible every day. I made this resolution because I have been finding it difficult to commune with God like I used to when I was much younger. This is as a result of my busy schedule which I explained in one of my posts How to live life on the fast lane. 

It has actually been bothering me because I am nothing without God. He is the owner of my life, my strength, my protector, my provider, my everything and a strong relationship with Him is the best thing that can happen to any man. I had to put God as part of my plans as I am part of His. I made it a point of duty to study my bible every morning and I also subscribed to daily readings from ‘UCB Word for Today’. 

This morning when I woke up, I prayed and picked up my Bible. I opened to Psalm 5 and read the words. The last verse was ‘You bless those who obey you, Lord; your love protects them like a shield.’ I was overwhelmed and calmed by those words; they struck me. I asked God, “How can I obey you? I want you to always bless me and I want your love to always protect me like a shield” I closed my eyes and meditated on those precious words.

Then I resolved not to consciously do anything that my conscience tags as sin; to be the best I can be in all situations; to glorify God with all He has blessed me with; to thank Him in all situations; to always communicate with Him through prayers; to put Him first in my life; and to never lose faith in Him.

I felt really good afterwards and went on to read the ‘UCB Word for Today’.

01 Dec 2012

GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURE INTO SUCCESS

'...Because you say so, I will...' Luke 5:5

'[Jesus] said to Simon: "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will..." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break'. Notice two principles in this story: 1) God will use failure to get your attention. Peter was tired, empty-handed and disappointed when Jesus spoke to him. And He will speak to you through a rocky marriage, a child you're about to give up on, or a job that seems too hard. He doesn't want you to run from your problems, He wants you to learn from them; to discover the difference He can make in your situation when you invite Him into it. 2) God can take you back to the place of failure and give you success. We assume that because we weren't successful at something, it wasn't God's will. But often the truth is that we failed because we relied on our own strength instead of His. When Jesus spoke, the fish responded. The Bible says: '...They caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.' God is not limited by your circumstances; He's only limited by your unbelief. When you obey Him, you'll discover He has a level of abundance in mind that will exceed all your expectations.

When I got to the last line ‘When you obey Him, you'll discover He has a level of abundance in mind that will exceed all your expectations’, I knew God was also trying to connect with me. Words cannot describe how happy I felt inside. Those words were like a reconfirmation that I was on the right path.

Something also happened this morning, PHCN decided to smile down on us. We had just repaired our laundry machine and we were advised to use it with a stabilizer. We have not gotten one yet so no one has used the machine since then. I didn’t know how I was going to hand wash a laundry box filled to the brim with dirty clothes, so I decided to give my faith a try. I begged God to leave the power up and stable and I loaded the machine. When it got to the rinsing stage, PHCN frowned at me. My mum told me to turn on the generator (because it is very unlike them to smile back) but I said I would wait. I waited and prayed. I told myself I would have faith, so I waited patiently. After about 20mins, power was back. 

Yipee! God smiled! I washed more clothes and emptied my laundry box. The power was on for many more hours, can't say how long because I am going out now and it is still on.

What a great way to start a new month! Or what do you think?

Photos from out trip to Togo-first set

I promised to publish photos from our Togo adventure in my previous post Useful travel tips. Well, here are the first set for your viewing pleasure: 

worn out after a long ride

having dinner in a bar

museum tour

the Ouidah market

strolling to the pool

pool tinz