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| Thursday, October 30, 2008 |
| Halloween Party for Kids |
How about having a Halloween party for kids? It would definitely be fun, isn’t it? I would love to have and organize one when I have kids already, I know that they would love it!
Take a look at these Halloween recipes that kids would love! Maybe they will be pleased too if you allow them to help you make these recipes.
Mexican “Dia de los Muertos” Sugar Skull (Calavera) Sandwich
 ~ Bread ~ Peanut Butter & Jelly ~
~ Mini Marshmallows ~ Assorted Decorations ~ This sandwich works well with peanut butter & jelly because the jelly shows through the eyes and nose holes and looks cool and creepy, but feel free to substitute whatever kind of filling you want. - Spread fillings on bottom slice of bread, set aside.
- Cut eyes and nose holes in top piece of bread (eyes: I used a bottle cap. nose: you could use a heart shaped cutter, but I used a skewer to poke holes in the shape I wanted and then pushed the piece out of the bread).
- Cut teeth out with butter knife.
Decorate: - Use any little doodads in your kitchen to create decorative dots, flowers, and swirls. Google “sugar skulls” for tons of decoration inspiration!
- I used craisins, pumpkin seeds, mini marshmallows cut in half, chocolate chips and a mini cookie.
- Other good materials would be: candy, fruit snacks, licorice, etc.
- Fill in the teeth with something to make them show up (I used pumpkin seeds turned sideways).
- Garnish plate with marshmallow dots.
Halloween Lollipops  Yield 10 Lollipops
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
10 drops orange food coloring
8 drops pure orange oil or other flavor 10 lollipop sticks
Assorted candies, for decorating Directions:
- Line three baking sheets with Silpats (nonstick baking mats), or grease them generously with vegetable oil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan, and place over medium-high heat. Stir continuously to dissolve sugar. When the syrup comes to a boil, stop stirring and clip on a candy thermometer. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden and reaches 300 to 310 F (hard-crack stage) on the thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes. Occasionally wash the sides of the pan using a clean brush dipped in cold water to prevent crystals from forming.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Transfer the syrup to a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, stir in the food coloring and orange oil until completely combined.
- Working quickly, pour ten 3-inch circles of syrup onto prepared baking sheets. Press in lollipop sticks. With your fingertips or a toothpick, lightly press candies into the syrup. Set aside until completely cooled and hardened.
Scary Pudding Cups
Ingredients:
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate 6 drops green food colouring 1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Instant Pudding MELT chocolate in microwave as directed on package. Use a clean small paint brush to paint a monster face on the inside of each of four 5-oz. clear plastic cups with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to use. ADD milk and food colouring to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Immediately pour into prepared cups. TOP with the cookie crumbs. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Store any leftover desserts in refrigerator.
Sweet Skull
 Ingredients:
|  | 12 marshmallows | | Confectioners' sugar | | 24 unfrosted cupcakes (white or yellow works best) | | White frosting | | Junior Mints, chocolate chips, and slivered almonds |
Directions:
1. Cut the marshmallows in half widthwise using kitchen shears dipped in confectioners' sugar (this keeps them from sticking). 2. Carefully pull each cupcake liner partially away from the cake and tuck half a marshmallow between the paper and the cupcake to create the skull's jaw. 3. Frost each cupcake and marshmallow, then add Junior Mints with white frosting dots for eyes, a chocolate chip nose, and slivered almond teeth. Blue Slime Sipper
 Ingredients - 1 6-ounce package blueberry-flavored gelatin
- 3 cups lemonade, chilled
- 3 cups lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled
- 2 cups boiling water
- 4 cups cold water
Directions 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine gelatin and two cups of boiling water; stir until dissolved. Stir in 4 cups of cold water. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. Gelatin will be partially set. 2. To serve, stir gelatin with a large spoon, fork, or wire whisk until gelatin is broken into small pieces. Place 1/4 cup of the lemonade in a large, clear glass or plastic tumbler. Add 1/2 cup of the gelatin to the lemonade, then add 1/4 cup of the carbonated beverage. 3. Stir slightly and you're ready to slurp some slime. Makes 12 servings.
Spider Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding 1/3 cup KOOL-AID Orange Sugar Sweetened Drink Mix 1 container (450 g) vanilla ready-to-spread frosting 12 pieces black shoestring licorice (32 inch each) 48 miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces
PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Blend in dry pudding mix. Spoon evenly into 24 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool completely. DISSOLVE drink mix in hot water. Stir into frosting until well blended. Use to frost cupcakes, reserving some of the frosting for attaching the candies. CUT each licorice piece into 16 (2-inch) lengths; set aside. Place 1 cookie on top of each cupcake. Insert 4 licorice pieces into frosting on each side of cookie for each spider's legs. (Eight licorice pieces for each cookie.) Use reserved frosting to attach candies to tops of cookies for the spiders' eyes. Halloween Popcorn
 Happy Halloween Mini Popcorn Balls
Ingredients:
10 cups popped corn
1 (1-lb.) bag miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 cup diced dried fruit (papaya, mango or peaches)
1 cup butterscotch chips
Orange food coloring
Directions:
- Place popcorn, fruit and butterscotch chips in large bowl; set aside.
- Heat marshmallows and butter in a large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in several drops of food coloring. Pour over popcorn and candy, tossing to coat evenly. Cool 5 minutes.
- Grease hands and form into 3-inch balls. Yield: About 16 balls
Haunted Popcorn Hands
Clear Polyethylene food service gloves Candy corn Popcorn Ribbon or yarn Place 1-3 pieces of candy corn at the end of each finger (depending on size of glove), pointy side first, to make fingernails. Fill the glove with popcorn and tie it off with ribbon or yarn. Haunting Hot Chocolate
 Ingredients - 1 medium orange
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2/3 cup vanilla-flavored baking pieces or vanilla-flavored candy coating
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Whipped cream (optional)
- Ground nutmeg (optional)
- Purchased marshmallow ghosts
Directions 1. Remove peel of orange with vegetable peeler; set aside. 2. In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup of the milk, the vanilla-flavored baking pieces, orange peel, and nutmeg; whisk over low heat until baking pieces are melted. Remove orange peel. Whisk in remaining milk and heat through. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. 3. Serve warm in mugs. Add a marshmallow ghost, dollop with whipped cream, and sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired. Makes five 6-ounce servings. Witches Broom
Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 pretzel rods, about 8 1/2 inches long, cut crosswise in half
2 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Butterscotch-flavored chips, melted
- Heat oven to 350 F. Mix brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into twenty 1 1/4-inch balls.
- Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheet. Press ball of dough onto cut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble "bristles" of broom.
- Bake about 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes.
- Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper.
- Heat shortening and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth; remove from heat. No need to rush when you're melting chocolate. Melt chocolate slowly over low heat so it doesn't burn.
- Spoon melted chocolate over brooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halves of cookie bristles uncovered. Drizzle with melted butterscotch chips. Let stand until chocolate is set.
- Make cookies up to a day ahead, and store in an airtight container. Your little ghosts and goblins can help you decorate these Halloween goodies when the time is right!
Yield: 20 cookies Hope you love these recipes for your kids Halloween party! Enjoy! Sources: southwestblend.com pastrywiz.com kraftcanada.com FamilyFun.com kraftcanada.com croqzine.com/blog bhg.com
 Labels: Halloween, Halloween for Kids Recipes, Halloween Recipes |
posted by Glady B. @ 10:42 PM  |
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| We have a Party! |
Yes, we do have a party! I'm excited for this party and I hope that I will be able to win in “best costume” category or any of the special prices so I have money!lolz See you there guys!
Labels: Halloween, Halloween Costume, USAP Monster Ball |
| posted by Glady B. @ 8:13 PM |
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| Halloween is Here... |
Only 2 more days to go before Halloween! Our much awaited date! But before on the eve of Halloween we have a party here in the office at around 3-5pm and on the next day, I’m flying home, I really miss home… I’m a little bit excited, okay not a little, I’m excited for our Halloween party and I’m planning to be Samara or Sadako. My costume is ready and all that stuff. Right now the IMS people are already preparing the venue in 6th floor at our pantry and by just looking at it, it makes me excited. I’m thinking that having a Halloween party at home is exciting and pretty good specially that we don’t really do it in our town. It’s not really a tradition or something unlike in US or any other countries that they really have Halloween costume party. But in case I decided someday to have that Halloween costume party at home I already knew what will be my menu, my costume and the theme and all that stuff. How about you guys, have you decided what to prepare on Halloween? Well, let me give you some recipes to prepare. Devil's Hand Punch
 Ingredients:red food coloring (optional) 48 ounces (6 cups) cranberry juice 10 ounces vodka 1/4 cup lime juice 4 ounces triple sec Directions:
Fill a disposable glove with water. Add a few drops of red food coloring, if desired. Fasten the top tightly (a metal tie works well) and use the ends of the fastener to hang the filled glove from the rack in the freezer. This makes the best-shaped hand. Freeze at least overnight. In a punch bowl or container with at least a 4-quart capacity, pour in the cranberry juice, vodka, lime juice and triple sec. Stir gently to combine them. Remove the frozen hand from the freezer and run water over the outside. Use scissors or a knife to cut the glove away from the ice. Remove it carefully so the fingers do not break off. If they do break, just add them to the punch. Put the hand in the punch. It will float. Ladle the punch into glasses. Makes about 12 servings Decaying Mummy Eyeballs
 Ingredients (organic when possible) - 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup unbleached sugar
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups puffed rice cereal
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (look for Fair Trade dark chocolate!)
- Golden dried fruit (such as apricots, pineapple or golden raisins)
- Lollipop sticks
Directions: - In a large saucepan, combine the corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. Heat on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until mixture is well combined and sugar is dissolved. Add vanilla extract, and stir to combine.
- Remove mixture from heat and add the puffed rice cereal. Stir to combine and let cool for about 10 minutes, or until you are comfortable touching the mixture with your hands.
- Once mixture is cool enough to handle, it’s time to form it into balls. Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop, scoop out a small portion (a little larger than the size of a golf ball) and begin to form it into a round shape. Stick the ball onto a lollipop stick and continue to form a ball, while molding the mixture onto the stick. Place eyeball on waxed paper, and continue this process until you run out of the mixture.
- Once all your eyeballs are completely cooled and firm, you can start the spooky fun. You will be melting the chocolate for dipping and there are 2 methods for this: double broiler or microwave. A “double broiler” just means having a buffer of water between the chocolate and the heat of the stove. If you don’t have a double broiler pan, just use a glass or metal mixing bowl on top of a saucepan half-full of water.
- Take a small amount of the melted chocolate and spoon it onto the tip of an eyeball. Spread the chocolate out with the bottom of the spoon, in a circular motion, until you have a circular chocolate area for the eyeball’s “cornea”. Place either a golden raisin or a cut-out, circular piece of dried apricot in the middle of the chocolate to form the eyeballs “iris”.
You’ll need to find a way to keep the lollipops standing up while the chocolate cools and firms. An easy way to do this is to place them in small cups, facing outwards. These can be made up to two days ahead of time. Makes about 18 eyeballs. Red Eye Specials
 Ingredients - 30 small plum tomatoes (about 2 inches long)
- 2/3 cup purchased pesto
- 2 containers (6 oz. each) bocconcini (mini fresh mozzarella balls)
- About 30 pitted black olives
- 2 green onions
Directions 1. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Trim off the end of each half so that tomato cup will set upright. Scoop out insides of tomato with small spoon and/or melon baller. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon pesto into each tomato cup. Drain bocconcini and cut each piece in half. Use end of drinking straw to scoop out a little dent in center of the rounded side of each bocconcini. Use same straw to cut out "pupils" from olive halves. Place half a bocconcini in each tomato cup. Place olive inside the hole for pupil. For eyelashes, using scissors, cut the green top of the green onions into 1/4-inch pieces. Snip the onion ring so that you have a narrow strip. Use scissors to make multiple cuts almost to edge of strip. Tuck eyelashes into gap between cheese and tomato with toothpick. Makes 60 eyes (30 servings).
Bat Wings
 Ingredients - 20 chicken wings (3-1/2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon five spice powder
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 recipe Swamp Dip
Directions 1. Place wings in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish. In a small bowl stir together soy sauce, ginger, crushed red pepper, five spice powder and garlic. Pour over wings. Close bag and toss to coat. Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally. Remove wings from bag, reserving marinade. 2. Place wings on a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Brush with reserved marinade (discard remaining marinade). Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Serve with Swamp Dip. Makes 20 appetizers.
Swamp Dip: In a small bowl stir together a 8-ounce container of dairy sour cream and 3 tablespoons coarse ground mustard. Garnish with fresh whole chives. Serve with bat wings. Tombstone Cupcakes
 1. To make a cupcake cemetery, spread devil's food cupcakes with chocolate ganache icing (all recipe links follow). Dip the top of each frosted cupcake in crushed chocolate wafers to create the look of dirt, then insert shortbread-cookie tombstones, piping them with scary messages like "Boo!" or "R.I.P." in royal icing. 2. Top more devil's food cupcakes with chocolate ganache and chocolate-wafer "dirt," make a hole in the center of each cupcake with your finger, and position half a Gummi worm to look like it's slithering out of the hole. 3. Enlist your kids to draw scary Halloween figures, or copy Halloween images out of books. Cut the pictures out, tape them to cocktail straws (you can cut the straws shorter, if necessary), and insert them into cupcakes you've decorated with orange-tinted cream-cheese frosting. 4. Decorate more devil's food cupcakes with orange cream-cheese frosting, then spell out words or phrases like "Happy Halloween" by forming one to three letters out of thin black licorice on top of each cupcake. 5. Serve your cupcakes on a tray covered with candy corn.
Icy Halloween Hands 
To make the Icy Hand Take 2 (always good to have an extra hand) latex gloves, put them on and wash your hands with dish soap. Rinse well and turn the glove inside out so the just washed side is on the inside. Next, fill the gloves with water, tie the end and freeze. Once frozen remove the glove and you are good to go. To make the Punch 1 750 ml bottle premium Vodka or White Rum
2 2 liter bottles of Lemon Lime Soda - make sure to get a clear brand
red food coloring
marshmallows (optional) Chill the Vodka (in the freezer) and Soda (in the fridge) for at least 24 hours. Just before the party combine the two liquids in a large punch bowl. Add a few drops of the red food coloring to make it blood red, well maybe more than a few drops. Add one of your icy hands in the center of the bowl, throw in the marshmallows and squirt some more food coloring over all of it for extra bloodiness.
Love them? Try making them, it's fun! Sources: drinkoftheweek.com
marthastewart.com
bhg.com
365halloween.com
Labels: Halloween, Halloween Recipes, Recipes |
| posted by Glady B. @ 1:31 AM |
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| Tuesday, October 28, 2008 |
| Credit Unions are CREDIT-able |
Right for the times? "A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members, and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at reasonable rates, and providing other financial services to its members." (Wikipedia)
Labels: Credit Unions, Survey |
| posted by Glady B. @ 1:39 AM |
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| Wednesday, October 22, 2008 |
| Halloween Treats |
Halloween is one of the most celebrated occasions every year. And most of us love Halloween, why, because we can do many things during Halloween. It’s spooky, kooky, creepy, and fun! Halloween is the time of Ghosts, Goblins, Gravestones and Graveyards. With silly-fun tricks, witches, warlocks and scary black cats are just one of the few things we love during this holiday! Halloween is celebrated annually on October 31. So if ever you’re planning to have a party then start making one! Let me give you a recipe from Parents.com that even kids would love to make! Witch Cupcakes
 Ingredients - 1-1/2 cups chocolate frosting
- 1 package (4-3/4 ounces chocolate cones (Nabisco Oreo Cones)
- Orange nonpareils
- 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting, divided
- Neon-green food coloring
- 12 cupcakes, removed from paper liners
- Chocolate chips
- Green and red tube icing
- Mike and Ike Tangy Twister candies
- Chocolate Jimmies
Directions 1. Place chocolate frosting in a freezer-weight zip-top bag and snip off a small corner. Pipe base of cones, dip in orange nonpareils, and set aside. 2. Place 1/2 cup vanilla frosting in a another zip-top bag and snip off a small corner. Tint remaining frosting green and frost cupcakes. 3. Turn cupcakes on sides, then place decorated cones on top. Using vanilla frosting, pipe eyes on cupcakes. Attach chocolate chips for pupils and pipe a dot onto chips. Use red icing for mouths, green icing for warts; shape candies into noses. Pipe chocolate icing onto cupcakes for hair and sprinkle with chocolate jimmies. Only 9 more days to go!
Labels: Halloween, Recipes |
| posted by Glady B. @ 12:26 AM |
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| Monday, October 20, 2008 |
| Where's Your Loyalty? |
Brands don't compete directly with each other when they are in different brand categories ... but they do compete for your attention, money, and loyalty.
Labels: Brands, Survey |
| posted by Glady B. @ 11:27 PM |
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| Sunday, October 12, 2008 |
| Happy to be One |
At last I’m home again. So why I’m here, because it’s Aljon’s birthday!
I’ve been waiting for this for so long. After being in Manila for more than 3 months, I’m finally back home and now I can be with my family again specially with Aljon.
Aljon (my very first nephew, my sister’s son) is going to celebrate his birthday today! October 12 2008, I just remember that last year we were at the hospital waiting for Aljon to come out in this world and now, after a year, we were all together again to mark his first birthday.
 hey, little one, love yah..mwuahhh
 Me and my sistah Glazel
 amused by his gifts
Labels: Aljon, Birthday, Celebration |
| posted by Glady B. @ 10:58 PM |
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| Tuesday, October 7, 2008 |
| A Birthday Present |
Just 5 days before my nephew Aljon’s big celebration of his first birthday, I’m still thinking what kind of gift I’m going to buy for him. I already think a lot of gift toys and other stuff I want to buy but still I’m undecided.
Then I found this cake through my email from Betty Crocker. I think that Aljon will surely be happy receiving this cake. Little Car Cakes
Ingredients: 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box Large tray or cardboard, covered with foil 2 containers Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting Blue, red, green and yellow food colors Red or black string licorice 8 yellow round starlight candies 10 creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies 1 red or orange gumdrop 2 birthday cake candles Directions: 1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms only of three 8x4-inch loaf pans, or spray bottoms with cooking spray. 2. Make cake batter as directed on cake mix box. Divide batter evenly among pans. 3. Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Freeze cakes uncovered about 1 hour for easier frosting if desired. 4. Remove 1/4 cup frosting from each container; set aside. To make purple frosting, stir 8 drops blue food color and 8 drops red food color into 1 container frosting. To make green frosting, stir 3 drops green food color and 3 drops yellow food color into other container frosting. 5. Place 2 loaves, rounded sides down, on tray; frost one with about two-thirds of the purple frosting; frost the other with two-thirds of the green frosting. Cut remaining loaf crosswise in half; taper the cut edges slightly to form windshields. Place one half on each cake for cab, placing about 3 inches from front edge and with tapered windshield side toward front of car. Frost windows of cabs with reserved vanilla frosting; frost top and edges with colored frosting. Use licorice to outline windows and make bumpers. Add starlight candies for headlights and taillights; add cookies for wheels and the spares. Place gumdrop on top of 1 car for beacon and add candles for radio antennas. Store loosely covered at room temperature. It's too cute, right? Hope I can really make this cake. And of course, I'm still going to buy another gift for him.
Labels: Birthday, Birthday Present, Cakes |
| posted by Glady B. @ 1:20 AM |
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| Saturday, October 4, 2008 |
| Fall TV Season Has Begun |
We're roughly two weeks in to the new Fall TV Season. What have we seen? What do we like?
Labels: Fall TV Season, Survey, TV Shows |
| posted by Glady B. @ 1:40 AM |
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| Friday, October 3, 2008 |
| My Kind of Cars |
I do have a lot of favorite cars; in fact I want to own few of them well, only if I have money…but I don’t. Lol So, well, just let me show you those dream cars of mine. In fact these cars are the hottest sports cars of 2009. I love sports cars since I was a kid.  2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera CoupeThey are absolutely beautiful! Isn't it? I wannnntttttttt... Labels: 2009 Sports Cars, Autos, Bugatti Veyron, Cars, Porsche, Sports Cars |
| posted by Glady B. @ 1:33 AM |
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| Want to Find Something? |
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| About Me |
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Name: Glady B.
About Me:
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~Today, I feel...~
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