Dear Survivor: Grace Amidst Adversity

Dear Survivor,

Hello. How’s life so far? 

More than a year has passed but here you are, still alive and beyond grateful. Thank you for staying strong, for keeping up with the daily form of struggles, and for never giving up.  It was indeed a tough battle and while many have given up, some involuntarily and not ready, you’re among the fortunate victors of the toughest battle the world has to go through. Congratulations.

Ever since young, you’ve always been a risk-taker. You don’t care what life throws at you. You simply consider it as part of the deal living here on earth. You are brave. You’re steadfast. You trust God.  Until 2020 came, a deadly virus dominates the news, and later on, who would think it will dominate the world. As fast as the news of death and people getting inflicted with viruses and hospitals cramming up, your armor of faith and resilience is also wavering in equal speed.

#KapitLangAngSmile in the face of life’s challenges with Polident

The pandemic has drastically changed our everyday lives. For a lot of Filipinos it created difficult situations and challenges that we never prepared for. However, throughout the lockdowns, the quarantines, and the uncertainty; Filipinos have this uncanny ability to smile even in the most difficult of situations. The truest testament of Filipino resilience is the inspiring power of a simple smile, because it’s an uplifting beacon that tells other people “we can get through this together” that no matter how hard or daunting things may be #KapitLangAngSmile.

Attention parents! Here’s a science-based way to boost your kids’ appetite in their formative years

Proper nutrition during early childhood is critical for cognitive and physical development. However, getting kids to eat healthy foods– let alone eat during mealtimes– has always been a struggle. They would rather play than eat or complain that they have no appetite. To help parents cope with this dilemma, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation shares how the science of umami can be used to entice children to eat more during their formative years. 

 

Golden Rules for a Salontastic Hair, According to Celeb Hairstylist, Renz Pangilinan

The salon experience is something that has undeniably been missed after a year of days mostly spent at home. After long hours of sitting down day in and day out, it’s not a mystery why we crave for the feeling of being pampered and yearn for a great hair day to boost our mood. This phenomenon and the unpredictable availability of salons has lead millions, just like you, to take on DIY hair treatments at home.

Those who are used to having salon treatments can easily notice the difference in their hair after a few months when the treatment effect subsides. “It’s a lot different when I and my clients’ have been having salon treatments and now that we don’t. [Hair] lacks shine and luster and also it’s more damaged and drier,” says Renz Pangilinan, celebrity hairstylist.

The lack of salon treatments are leaving millions of strands unkept, but you can never go wrong with a DIY salon at home treatment to pamper yourself. If you’re one of the many people who are used to salon treatments, here’s how to take care of your hair to maintain #Salontastic results from the comfort of your own home. 

Ako ay Tutula - "Wait Muna..."

Tula bilang 1:   

Wait Muna

Minsan akala mo

Lahat dapat may dahilan

May kabuluhan 

At hindi kawalan

Minsan akala mo 

Madaling lang intindihin

Ayaw ng mag-isip 

Kung panahon ang gugugulin

Paano kung komplikado?

Paano kung dehado?

Kaya pa rin bang sabihin...

Sagot kita, areglado!

Okay sige, game!

Mahal Kita, tayo na?

Bakit, natahimik ka...

Kala ko ba...areglado?

Aatras ba o tutugon

Kailangan ba, ngayon na?

Paano kung 'di sigurado

Pwede bang, wait muna?

“Teacher approved” apps for kids now available on Google Play

 

Monitoring children’s online activities goes beyond keeping track of their daily screen time. Especially now that parents need to keep kids entertained while staying home, extra effort goes into finding kid-friendly content to plan out children’s activities for listening, watching, and playing on their devices. 

Google Play’s Kids tab helps make it easier for parents to find quality apps for their children. The tab now has “Teacher approved” apps which are both entertaining and enriching, rated based on several factors like age-appropriateness, quality of experience, enrichment, and delight. Only apps that meet quality standards are given a “Teacher approved” badge. The app listings also provide parents with additional information about why the app was rated accordingly to help determine if the app is right for their child. 

The new realme 8 5G delivers top-notch 5G experience without compromise

realme enables Filipinos to capture the infinite possibilities of 5G technology with the launch of the realme 8 5G, available first on Shopee on June 25.

Unveiled via a special livestream event on the realme Philippines Facebook page and YouTube channel, the realme 8 5G is the brand’s latest innovation as it eyes to lead the fast-growing 5G segment in the Philippines. As 5G infrastructure develops at a rapid pace in the country, realme is committed to providing 5G access and connectivity to as many Filipinos as possible.

With cutting-edge 5G technology, exceptional speed, and all-around functionality, the realme 8 5G is bound to set a new standard for 5G-ready smartphones in the mid-range category.

Smile Train Launches First Filipino Speech Therapy App

For the thousands of babies born with a cleft each year, speech therapy is an essential need. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has disrupted access to speech therapy services. Smile Train, the world’s leading cleft charity, stands by its commitment to continue promoting comprehensive cleft care despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic with the launch of its online speech therapy services.

TWO LINES - A Poem for Mother's Day

The day before it, I was preparing for my Mother's Day post and if you know me, I'm no fan of short, random and "the usual" greetings especially for loved ones and friends. I always want it to be meaningful and lengthy and emotional..and I want it to be known to the world (kidding), at least the people in my timeline, how special and dear that someone/persons to me. That  they are worth the praise, accolades and every beautiful words I've written about their being.

And while Mother's Day is for us momshies to be praised and celebrated, it is also the day I appreciate becoming one and being grateful to the Lord, to my husband and to my two beloved children. Because becoming a Mom, I was able to do the most significant role in the world and be at the most beautiful place I could ever be - in my children's loving arms and hearts.

So this is a poem, as I call it, I don't know the technicalities & exact elements to be honest because this is a random creation written at two in the morning, but as long as there are rhymes, metaphor and simile, I think it's good to go haha.

TWO LINES

 

Now more than ever, make bonding moments more sweet-sarap with Jolly Spaghetti

Even though the pandemic means kids must stay home to be safe, it doesn’t mean that they can’t have any fun! Now that parents are spending more time with their kids, it’s best to make the most out of the situation and foster a joyful and exciting atmosphere at home.

 

On Career Hiatus and Trying Different Things..and Loving Them!

When the pandemic started and the government imposed a lockdown on March 16, our catering business was greatly affected. We lost a number of events by cancellation and events and gathering have been restricted as well. And because no events, no income for us. This time I decided to apply for a job, I told myself that whoever hire me first will be where I’ll work with. Among tons of application, the fastest response is from bpo’s and call center companies. And because I am in urgent need of a job, I chose the Account Representative job for a collection firm. At first I thought, I just need a good 3-month stint in the company but to my surprise I’m running to my 18^th month already!  This is a blessing indeed, the job came even before the lockdown and we’re offered to work from home, I am so thankful and grateful for this job.

So you see, if I’m going to compare my current job to the previous ones, there are some I get to be paid more, and the jobs I preferred to do, but I have never been so grateful having been hired during the pandemic. Because of this job, I was able to help my husband with our bills, we managed to keep the kids in private school, we were still able to continue the construction of our house and most of all, I’m able to support my parents with their needs as well. It may not be the ideal job that I aspire to have, the Lord knows that it is the right job for me when I need one.

On Career Hiatus and Trying Different Things...

While it's very common for mothers to take a career break to focus on family and raising kids, it is also challenging to go back to work after a few years of being a stay at home mom.

My Growing Green Family

I started my not-so-tight relationship with plants probably when we started building our house in Antipolo. I felt sad that we had no choice but to cut off some branches and trunks of a resident mango tree and banana trees to give way to the house's construction. So I made a pact to myself that I'm going to replace whatever we removed from the lot so that Mother Nature will not be mad at us. 

My husband started buying a few plants and I hoarded my Mom's extra plants so she could clear off some space in her terrace. We always tease her that soon, a snake will be residing on her mini-jungle already if she will not lessen her plants hehe.

Before the construction started, my kids and I transferred the plants to the ground, there's a different feeling when you yourself do the soil digging, making sure the hole is just right to keep the plants stable. Every weekend when we visit, my boys will make sure to water them nicely and trims the small grasses that appear within.

Weekend is for soil digging, cleaning up dried leaves & the basics of planting :)

Sundate at Kaulayaw Coffee, Sumulong, Antipolo

So DH and I were out on a quick Sunday ride and coffee date post the anniversary.  We've always wanted to have coffee at Kaulayaw Coffee, a popular coffee shop & hangout place in Antipolo because of it's unique vibe, breathtaking views and of course, good coffee. 


Kaulayaw Coffee is located alongside Sumulong Highway, you can't miss it because you'll pass the common destinations in Sumulong like the Padis Point, Leonardos and Cloud 9.  They open at 7am but you need to be early as 6:00 or 6:30 am because people are already lining up from the outside. I'm glad we arrive thirty minutes before they opened and was able to secure a seat.

NutriAsia and Papa team up with DepEd to teach students about proper nutrition

Proper diet and nutrition are crucial in young children’s formative years. These foster proper development for children, leading to good health, intelligence, and behavior, thus giving them better chances in succeeding later in life.

School children from Regions I, X, XI, and the Cordillera Administrative
Region received DepEd workbooks and Papa products for a
truly unique learning experience!

In light of this, NutriAsia and Papa forged a partnership with both Marylindbert International and the Department of Education (DepEd) for school year 2020-2021, the Pinggang Pinoy Pina-Sweet Sarap Comprehensive School Program. It is a special module that teaches the importance of having the right diet and nutrition. Powered by Papa Banana Catsup and Papa Spaghetti Pack, the program aims to educate Grade 1 and 2 Filipino students about how keeping a good diet with the right nutrition leads to proper and healthy development. 

The power of storytelling in raising smart, compassionate kids

To many parents, there is nothing more fulfilling other than instilling the right set of values in their children. That is why right from their pregnancy, all the way to the formative years of their kids and beyond, they do their best to shape their minds so they grow to be healthy and smart with a heart for a kinder world.

 

Of course, this also comes with exposing their children to many activities that would plant the right seeds for them. One of them is through reading books — an activity in which a child’s colorful imaginations run free. Rey Bufi, the founder of nonprofit organization, The Storytelling Project, and also a father himself, shares this belief as he harps the love and joy of reading with kids in far-flung communities in the Philippines.