HO! HO! HO! Christmas is almost here but my Christmas shopping is still lacking! There are so many things that I still need to buy and get my hands on like presents, new clothes for my sons, and food items for Noche Buena.

So to check things off the list, my family decided to head to the nearest mall yesterday. We went to Robinsons and had an amazing time shopping. I was able to purchase cool gifts for my friends and family, find cute clothes for my sons, and take home some delicious holiday ham and the best cheese balls for our Noche Buena.

My experience was even elevated by using PayMaya. It is an app that gives you a virtual prepaid card for shopping online, booking flights and more. Depending on your mobile network, you either get a virtual Visa or Mastercard. It’s such a convenient way to pay!

On top of that, I was able to get a 50% rebate on my purchases because I used PayMaya QR! It is the promo that they currently have wherein you get 50% rebate of up to P500 when you use PayMaya QR. This is valid until December 24, 2017 so get your shopping on! And worry not if you don’t have a paymaya account yet. All you have to do is download their app (available on both playstore and app store) and sign up! To fill you in with more details, please read the full mechanics of the promo below.

50% REBATE WITH PAYMAYA QR

1. Promo runs from December 12 to 24, 2017.

2. Promo is open to all new and existing PayMaya customers who use PayMaya QR to pay at merchants where the PayMaya QR rebate promo sign is displayed.

3. Employees of PayMaya and Voyager are excluded.

4. Users earn back 50% of what you paid via PayMaya QR (maximum of P500 rebate per merchant per day).

5. Below are the steps to pay with PayMaya QR: Login to the PayMaya app Tap “Scan” Scan the merchant QR code at the cashier Enter the amount to be paid Tap Pay

6. Rebate will be credited to your PayMaya account within 14 business days after the promo period.

7. Participants will receive a SMS to notify them that they have received their rebates for the promo.

8. Not valid in conjunction with other promos. Per DTI-FTEB Permit No. 15286 Series of 2017

If ever you’re too busy until after Christmas, you can still enjoy a 10% rebate from December 26 to January 1. Let’s make this holiday season even joyful by saving up money and using things that are convenient for us.

In today’s world that is dominated by smartphones and the internet, PayMaya is definitely the way to go when it comes to payments. There’s so much more that I would like to share with you on how to use it so stay tuned for more.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Giveaway Alert!

Christmas is truly the time of giving and loving! Out of all the shoppings I do, Christmas shopping is definitely my favorite because it’s where you buy gifts and make the people you care about feel appreciated and remembered. My Christmas shopping experience yesterday got even better because of PayMaya. I was able to score a 50% rebate on my purchases!

And because you guys are a big part of my success. I’m going to share the love by giving away P5,000 PayMaya credit so you too could share the love with the people you care about.

To join the contest simply follow the steps below!

1. Post a photo of that person you want to share the love on Instagram and Facebook and on your caption answer this question:
How will you share the love this Christmas using your PayMaya?

2. Follow and tag me @rochellemiko and @paymayaofficial and use the hashtags #PayMayaShareTheLove
#RochelleRiveraXPayMaya

https://www.facebook.com/PayMayaOfficial/

Deadline of entries is on December 31, 2017

Good luck! 😉

#RochelleRiveraChristmasGifts

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. #TeamRivera

Every year, I enjoy sharing what everyone got me for Christmas. My desire is not to brag but to make this an opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has been thoughtful for remembering me.

Thank you so much Procter & Gamble (P&G) #SafeguardFamily

Green Bulb PR

Thank you so much PERK COMM

Gold Seas Tuna

Thank you Liese

Thank you Ever Bilena Advance

Thank you Cathy Doll Philippines

Thank you Lhyzie Bongon

Thank you L'oreal

Thank you May Philippines

Thank you Digital Circles

Thank you Mai Casanguan

Thank you Gladys Vasquez

Thank you Anne

Thank you Dermcare

Thank you Charms for the Luck

Thank you Novelina

Thank you NIDO

Thank you Marites Allen

Thank you Belle De Jour Power Planner

Thank you Sanicare

Thank you Charisse

Thank you Michie

Thank you Alou

Thank you Ate Revvy and Kuya Gari

Thank you Ate Ghie and Kuya Marc

Thank you My Pope Philippines

Thank you Prettify

Thank you Del Monte

Thank you Coca Cola

Thank you masflex

Thank you Rowena Lim Lei

Thank you PRU LIFE U.K.

Thank you SvelT'i Family

Thank you #SparkItPH

Thank you First Tier Brands

Thank you Gen-zel

Thank you Hershey Gercio

Thank you Jenny Andres

Thank you Luz Soriano

Thank you Rish

Thank you Claire Destinie

Thank you Ghie Soriano

Thank you Jing Baloy

Thank you Roxane Cabile-Montierro

Thank you Joan Lizardo

Thank you CDO #RealHolidayHam

I love unwrapping Christmas gifts under the tree and giving gifts in love and friendship to those near and dear to my heart but let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas is not in the presents, but in HIS presence. May you have the spirit of Christmas which is PEACE, the gladness of Christmas which is HOPE, and the heart of Christmas which is LOVE.

There is no greater joy at Christmas, no more fulfilling gift, than entering into a personal relationship with Jesus. You could look forward to Christmas, not dependent on how your family acts or on what gifts you receive, but having the peace and joy that comes from having a relationship with God. Instead of just knowing about him, you can know him, personally, and understand what Christmas is all about..."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him, should not perish, but have eternal life."

God bless you all!

I wish us all good health, happiness and success in everything we want to achieve. May all our dreams and wishes come true. Let 2018 be better than 2017!

Looking back at 2017

It has certainly been an exciting and unforgettable year for me. It is filled with lots of emotions, memories, and motivational support from my family, friends, and followers/readers.

According to Feng Shui master Marites Allen, 2018's lucky number is 9. So to start things right, I'm going to share with you my top 9 highlights of 2017. These are listed in no particular order 😉

Highlight #1:Becoming a digital brand ambassador of #SafeguardFamily and Downy Philippines.

#SAFEGUARDFAMILY

Sam Razon, Carissa Limcaoco, Shari Macainag, Kath Rivera, Camille Prats Yambao, Cat Arambulo-Antonio, Lace Llanora-Coladilla, Jia Salindongdu, and Gian Yap.

Regional brand communications for P&G Asia fabric care Louie Morante

My heart goes out to Procter & Gamble Philippines and Green Bulb PR for giving me the honor to represent Safeguard and Downy Philippines as their brand ambassador. These are the brands that go way back and has been with the family for as long as I can remember.

Highlight #2: Skydiving in Guam

This year, I was able to just go out there and do things I've never done before. Without thinking about it too much, I jumped out of a plane and had the best time. It's ironic how death-defying activities can make you feel so alive.

Highlight #3: #RochelleRiveraBirthdayParty

Will hold these memories forever. 🎁🤗😘💋😍 Thank you for making my dreams come true. God bless you all!🌈🦄 . . . . . . . . . . . #RochelleRiveraBirthdayParty #RochelleRiveraDotCom #Video #RainbowUnicornParty #Blogger #Vlogger #Vlogs #Grateful @angeliecuna @imrizarelleve @eddielli @chloestephie @leomy16 @marilou_espiritu @meremadeshop @mamaneesnest @arleenoboguin @amorbereso @kwen_elezabeth23.111 @thekitchenmom @rachemike @joanlizardo @redlover_24 @msfabmi @reginalibao @maicasanguan @piadeguzman5 @kl3yrr_santiago @zayniiieee @rcmontierro @thesuperish @lhadyghie18 @private_nikkimon @isthatchini @vanillacafeph @softexhellokittyph
A post shared by 👸🏻rochellerivera.com (@rochellemiko) on Sep 30, 2017 at 8:42am PDT

Thank you for being a part of my 🌈🦄 #rainbowunicorn party and making my day extra magical. I had so much fun meeting and bonding with all of you. I hope you guys had a wonderful time at my event. Until next time 😘 👗 #OOTD #Unicorn Cap, Earrings #Rainbow Socks from @f21philippines Top from @hm Children's wear 😉Tutu Skirt from @r0ckstarm0mma Shoes from @colehaanph hair by @majikkuhando makeup by @peeveedelarosamakeup #RochelleRiveraBirthdayParty #RochelleRiveraDotCom #VanillaCafePH
A post shared by 👸🏻rochellerivera.com (@rochellemiko) on Sep 24, 2017 at 3:52am PDT

Highlight#4: #BloggerBabesXmasMeet

http://www.rochellerivera.com/2017/12/bloggerbabesxmasmeet-2017.html

Highlight#5: Meeting my celebrity crushes in person

Mario Maurer

I’m so head over heels with @mario_mm38 ! I met him at the #HeadAndShouldersSupreme event and up until now, I’m still high of happiness. 🤗😍💙 Thank you so much #HeadAndShoulders @greenbulbpr for inviting me. 💋#1010 #HairSoLuscious#MarioMaurer.

Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes

This is probably my most unforgettable breakfast and #BestMondayEver! I met Marian Rivera and her husband, Dingdong Dantes at the McDonald's 5th National Breakfast Day and it was truly amazing.

Liza Soberano

This was the second time I met her and I'm still starstruck. She definitely deserves the title of having the most beautiful face in the world. Congratulations Hope for all your awards and for putting up your own business, @hopewellnessofficial

UNICEF Celebrity Advocate for children Anne Curtis brings "The Happiest 5K on the Planet" and was joined by 10,200 runners for #TheColorRunDream for the benefit of children with disabilities. 💙This woman is my inspiration! She's truly #AnneMazing 😍 Congrats @annecurtissmith @dreammachineph @unicefphils 💖💙💜 . 🌎 🌈 🦄 #TheColorRunPH #TheHappiest5Kontheplanet #Happiest5K #DreamMachinePH #AchievingDreamsTogether . . . . . . . #DreamInColors #AnneSaya #Advocacy #ColorRun #TheColorRun #Unicef #AnneCurtis #Celebrity #Dream #Unicorn #Rainbow #Colorful #DreamsDoComeTrue #ColorRunners #RunRio #5KRun #MOA #Runner #Blogger #Happiness #Philippines #RochelleRiveraRun #Photography Thank you so much @whereiseduy 📸
A post shared by 👸🏻rochellerivera.com (@rochellemiko) on Sep 2, 2017 at 7:12pm PDT

Anne Curtis

Maureen Wroblewitz

This girl really have what it takes to be Asia's Next Top Model. Look at her! She's almost perfect.😍 @mauwrob. I met her at the @aquafinaph #TheBestIsHere launch event.

Alden Richards

Celebrating the Global Handwashing Day with @Safeguard_Philippines 🛁

In line with a 50 year long tradition of handwashing education, #SafeguardFamily together with the Pambansang Bae @aldenrichards02 lead the biggest handwashing movement to celebrate the #GlobalHandwashingDay last October 12, 2017.

He sang 🎤" 5 hugas ng Krismas" (Safeguard Christmas 🎄Jingle) in Baseco Covered Court. 🎶 Bawat hugas, dapat #Safeguard hugas! #TrustOnlyInSafeguard

Spread awareness on how handwashing can save lives and help build the future of the nation. Together, let's spread love not germs. 🤗 #TrustOnlyInSafeguard .

Highlight#6: Being a part of National Book Store and Olay Philippines campaign

For 28 days, I used the newly formulated Olay Regenerist on only half of my face. Everyday, I took note of the changes I noticed from an improvement of my skin's texture to a brighter complexion. I was VERY impressed with the results and it's amazing to see the difference between both sides of my face. Watch this #video and read more about it on my #blog! www.rochellerivera.com #MakeYourOwnLuck #DNAorOlay @olayphilippines
A post shared by 👸🏻rochellerivera.com (@rochellemiko) on Nov 5, 2017 at 3:56am PST

Highlight#7: Nasal Polyp Surgery

Words are certainly not enough to express my gratitude to Sir Chief and my Mom for convincing me to finally do this surgery and for shouldering my medical expenses. I had a successful surgery last January 26, 2017. It's been almost a year since the surgery and, well, I'm feeling good. First off, I can breathe. Seriously, if you have nasal polyps for any length of time, you will feel great to discover you can breathe through your nose again.

Highlight#8: Family Reunion

My family was on vacation in the Philippines from the States

I can't remember the last time we got together as a family. That is why I was so happy last July when we were all able to match our schedule. For the first time in what felt like forever, we were complete.

Highlight#9: Travel in Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Busan Korea, and beautiful places in the Philippines.

SINGAPORE

Safeguard Science Discovery Tour in Singapore

Me and my youngest, Elijah, were very lucky to be part of the Safeguard Science Discovery Tour at the Singapore Innovation Center last March 21, 2017.

HONG KONG

Taken at Ocean Park Hong Kong

Hong Kong Trip with my sons, Elijah and Ethan and my cousin Roscoe with his wife Chage and son Caleb.

Hong Kong Disneyland

I am so thankful that I got to take them to this happy and magical place called Hong Kong Disneyland.

Ocean Park Hongkong

The marine-life theme park featuring animals, thrill rides, and shows at the Ocean Park Hong Kong also made our trip extra joyous.

BANGKOK

I had the best time in Bangkok where we stayed at Dream Hotel Bangkok.

Me together with my blogger friends were able to enjoy all its amenities and were amazed by their service.

We also got to enjoy every bits of Bangkok from the floating market to visiting temples.

KOREA

Gimhae International Airport with my Mom, Mr. Buckwheat, and sister Nikka

I've been obsessed this year in anything Korean to the point where I went to Korea just to get Mr. Buckwheat!

GUAM

Guam shocked me. It has some of the best beaches in the world! It was like I was back in US but with the Philippine climate and beautiful beaches.

“THERE’S A RAINBOW ALWAYS AFTER THE RAIN”

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your unending support. I am so excited for 2018. Watch out for my next blog about my 2018 goals. Looking forward to more bonding time with you all and more travels.

May your New Year's Eve ring with laughter and cheer! Marking the start of a blessed New Year!

What about you? What is the highlight of your 2017?

Hello 2018.

2017 has been a tumultuous year for me. There were lots of opportunities, excitements and worries. As I look back and listed my 2017 highlights, I did have a great year. My life in 2017 was almost perfect, it was like "What Rochelle wants, Rochelle gets" but we are humans and born to make mistakes because I feel like I wasted so much time, energy, money, and feelings to the wrong people and things.

Learning from my mistakes is one thing. Dwelling on them is what truly wasted my time, diminishes my confidence and keeps me from getting on with my life; a life I almost gave up on. I experienced a really bad depression because I was so heartbroken. I felt so alone. Guilt was creeping up on me and behind my smiles were so much sadness. I needed to seek help because I felt like it was really getting out of hand. I would cry every chance I get. It even came to the point where I just wanted everything to stop.

I was on my way to Quiapo Church when I had this thought of stopping in the middle of the bridge and just jump to drown all my sorrows. I sat in my car and talked to God. And true to His words, He really does work in mysterious ways. I proceeded to church and prayed. I was interrupted by continuous phone calls, text messages, email, and so much support from the people around me.

Pictures of my sons came flooding in my mind and filled my heart. I was reminded how blessed I am to have them in my life.

When you are a mother, you never are really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.- Sophia Loren

I am not going to blame myself anymore. I am gonna cut ties from all the negativity that was pulling me back for so long. From now on, I am going to focus on the positive things and the ones that really matter.

I’m grateful for everything. Both the good and the bad. For with the bad, I learned so much that help me to be thankful for the good, to give me determination to achieve these 9 goals:

1. Pray more

I’m convinced that learning to let go and let God have His way in our lives is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

God holds the world in His hands — but we’ll never fully grasp the power and extent of those hands if we’re not tuned in to and focused on Him. When we surrender control, wait and trust in God’s plan, we can know that he will be faithful to lead us where He wants us to go. Jeremiah 29:13 says “ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Seek God and he will direct your steps.

My ever-supportive husband

My Loving Family

2. Spend more time with the people that matter

3. Run more

4. Be more responsible

5. Blog and vlog more

6. Read more books

7. Learn more skills

8. Forget doing "more". Just try your best.

9. Let GO

2018: I’m letting go of what is not meant for me. I will clean and drain them just like this hot tub 😂 I wish it would be that easy. 🙃 💜 I’m letting go of people, of things, of feelings, of thoughts that aren’t mine to keep. That aren’t bringing me hope. That aren’t pushing me to be a better person or inspiring me to stand after I’ve fallen down. Leave behind stress and anxiety and depression and understand that those things are signs that something in your life needs a change. 💜 “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. “ 💜
A post shared by 👸🏻rochellerivera.com (@rochellemiko) on Jan 1, 2018 at 9:11pm PST

I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.- Marilyn Monroe

Let go of everything you don't like in 2017.

"This year, be proud of your outlook on life, POSITIVITY ALWAYS."

And let 2018 be the best year you can have.

If you've been watching my Instagram (@rochellemiko) stories, you have probably seen me sharing what's inside my car and that I always have a stash of my favorite Fitbar.

Are you always in and out of meetings, at the gym, getting stuck in traffic, or logging long commute hours without a healthy snack in sight. Well, it is time to put snacking worries in the past as Fitbar Philippines and Grab Philippines team together to bring to the commuters the "Grab-A-Fitbar" Project.

Inspired by the deep struggles of the local Filipino trying to find their way home via their local commute, the “Grab-A-Fitbar” project aims to alleviate the hunger pangs and snack worries of those stuck in traffic in Manila’s urban jungle.

Being a loyal Grab user, and loving the attitude of Grab drivers, I remember one time that I was stuck in heavy traffic for almost 2 hours. I was hungry already and I remembered that I have a Fitbar in my bag. I shared the Fitbar with the driver, and he was so thankful,” shared Diana Aaron-Ong, Brand Manager of Fitbar. I wanted to share Fitbar to other drivers and passengers too, to relieve them from hunger during heavy traffic.

Grab provides a safe, convenient and affordable transportation option to move around the city,” stated Cindy Toh, Country Marketing Head of Grab. “We are honored to be partners with Fitbar Philippines to help our fellow citizens not only reach their destinations way but also do so with healthy snacks in hand.

Based on a research we recently conducted, we found out that most Filipinos experience intense hunger while driving or commuting,” explained Aaron-Ong. Filipinos are becoming more and more health conscious about their snack choices. They want tastier snacks, which may be unhealthy, thus leading to guilt afterwards. Aaron-Ong continues, “Fitbar can satisfy these cravings, minus the guilt. Fitbar provides ‘snacking with no worry’.

The “Grab-A-Fitbar” program aims to reach 100,000 passengers within Metro Manila, including provincial key cities in the Philippines as well.

Stuck in traffic? Have a #NoWorries day with #Fitbar! #SnackingWithNoWorry

Here are 9 reasons why you should Grab a Fitbar:
1. Fitbar is a healthy and tasty snack
2. Fitbar is free from cholesterol, free from trans fat.
3. Fitbar's finest ingredients is oats, which is a good source of fiber.
4. Fitbar contains Calcium, Vitamin A, B12, and C.
5. Fitbar contains only a small amount of calories.
6. Fitbar has only four grams of fat per serving.
7. Fitbar is a guilt-free snack you can chew on.
8. Fitbar is sold in three delicious flavors: nuts, fruits, and chocolate.
9. Fitbar. Snacking with no worry!

To know more about Fitbar Philippines, please visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FitbarPH

Twitter account: @fitbar_ph

Picture yourself in this scenario: You’re halfway through the first month of the New Year, and you’re already on the verge of breaking your first new year’s resolution. It could be the commitment of going to the gym thrice a week, going vegan, or even trying to wake up at seven in the morning and be a morning person! Sounds familiar? Yep, we know, and we totally get it!

For many of us, there really is something about the New Year that makes us want to try new things out – may it be as a one-time experience or things we want to stick with in the long run. However, we get so used to our everyday lifestyle that we tend to let these “new things” go and revert back to old routines.

So here are the top 9 essentials that will help you be on top of your new year’s resolutions this 2018!

1. A planner

Cliché as it may sound; a planner is the ultimate staple when it comes to organizing schedules, listing down your goals, and keeping up with your day-to-day progress. One of the best ways to stick with your 2018 resolutions is to find a planner you like, list all your goals and track their development on a regular basis. Whether it’s those dateless ones that allow you to be creative or the pre-designed ones that can organize everything, there’s surely one kind of planner that’s right for you.

2. Goal Setting Apps

A goal setting app such as a digital planner, a health tracking app, or even a simple to-do list can also make setting your 2018 objectives a whole lot easier to follow and keep up with. This is also a good way to constantly remind yourself to follow your new routine – whether it’s to work out twice a week, follow a specific diet during weekdays, or clean the house every other day.

3. A motivational playlist

A good playlist filled with inspirational and positive hits is also a good way to motivate you to be productive and push through your new routine. Be it an upbeat song that gets you up in the morning for that refreshing jog, or a chill instrumental that helps you focus on all the workload you have lined up, listening to a good old favorite can definitely help you get work done!

4. A dream board

A dream board is another fun and artistic way to keep up with your growth this 2018. Like a planner, you can easily write down your goals or play with images and illustrations to help you visualize everything collectively and creatively! Just make sure to use colorful pens and cut out lots of photos to make your board more inspiring and pretty to look at!

5. A printer

Print out copies of your resolutions. Post a copy on the outside of your refrigerator! Use bright paper so it catches your eye and don't let it get hidden behind coupons, bills or brochures. You can also make a smaller copy and keep it in your wallet.

6. Calendar

Simple yet powerful motivational tools. When you successfully achieve your daily goal, mark your calendar.

7. Checklists and reminders

Special pages, worksheets, and motivational quotes also give the Daybook users the mental workout and push they need to accomplish their daily tasks. Best of all, each version is chock-full of ideas and nifty life hacks on how to budget your hard-earned cash, how to make the most out of any trip, and how to stick to a fitness regimen that works for you.

8. Journal

Journaling is a powerful life tool. It can help you to organize your thoughts, plan how to achieve your goals and get in touch with your true feelings and wants.

9. A bottle of Systane

Regardless if we’re at work or at play, we tend to go a bit overboard with the kind of environment we expose our bodies to – even our eyes. Whether it’s in front of a screen or against the outdoor wind, what most of us don’t know is that these exposures can lead us to experience burnout and conditions such as dry eyes. This may hinder us from keeping that ultra-performance at a constant, making it more difficult for us to keep track of our long-term goals.

Aiming to change the way we see daily routines, Systane Ultra Lubricating Eyedrops gives our eyes instant relief from the symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome (DES). When the going gets tough – well, for our eyes at least! – Systane instantly combats the eye irritation and discomfort we may feel after a long day.

Now, whether it’s starting to bike daily, watching more TV series, reading more books, or finally enjoying the waves of Baler, there’s no stopping you from unlocking all your 2018 goals!

As we welcome a new year, it’s also time to welcome the habit of actually sticking with our resolutions the whole year ‘round. This includes investing in new routines that will do our health good in the long run, and investing in new health choices that will enable us to be at our 100% everyday – inspiring us to do more, stick with it, and start living ultra!

Systane Ultra is available in all leading drugstores nationwide.

For more information about Systane Ultra, visit Novartis Healthcare Philippines, Inc.’s official website, novartis.com.ph

Like on Facebook via facebook.com/SystanePH or follow @systanephon Instagram.

Everything and everyone has a place in this world. So no, that microwave oven shouldn’t be placed on the dining table. And those shoes, they need to have a tidy spot in your room. Just think about it, we often place our stuff on just about anywhere we want to, and it’s making our home look messy and chaotic to the point that even our thoughts become all messed up.

The simple solution to make your space more breathable and neat looking is this ergonomic Storage Rack from Hanns!

Here are some reasons why you should have one (or more) for your home now.

1.) Quick and Easy to Assemble

You don’t have to be an engineer or a handyman to build it. In just a few easy steps, your new Hanns storage rack is ready to use.

2.) Uniquely Stylish

Its Dark Mahogany Brown Powder Coated Color can add some stylish vibe and aesthetic appeal in your space. It’s very modern looking and fits in just about any interior design.

3.) Heavy duty

Its components are all made of steel, making it sturdy and reliable to carry even some of the heavy items and appliances you have at home.

4.) Adjustable

It’s also equipped with levelers, so you can easily adjust the racks in any way you like. It can store things that are out of reach of small children or stack snacks that are easily accessible to them.

5.) Smart size

It’s small in size yet it can store a lot, enabling you to maximize the space you have no matter how small it may be.

6.) Perfect place to display

Display your favorite collectibles and conversation starters. Whether you choose to exhibit art books or souvenirs from your travels, trophies, you and your guests will find something to talk about.

7.) Solution for your storage problem

You'll do your best work with all your materials neatly arranged and in plain view.

8.) Dual-Purpose Room Divider

Let your Hanns storage rack multitask by holding neatly stacked plates, glasses, and serving pieces while creating a divider between kitchen and dining room.

9.) It's inexpensive

New cabinets can be expensive. Hanns storage rack is budget-friendly option.

Visit HannsPh on Facebook for information on how to order own Hanns Storage Rack!

What are your travel goals? Do you have a bucket list?

Here's my 2018 travel bucket list:

1. Canada- Go to the filming location of the Goblin: The Lonely and Great God during fall season .

"If you catch a falling maple leaf, you will fall in love with the person you are walking with... It's like how they say you will marry your first love if you catch a falling cherry blossom." -Ji Eun Tak

2. Iceland- Soak in Geothermal Hot Springs

3. New Zealand-Take a Lord of the Rings tour

4. Paris- Go up the Eiffel Tower

5. Taiwan- Sky lantern wish in Taipei

Maldives

6.Maldives- go on a romantic vacation

7. Australia- Experience walking amongst a colony of 600 Australian sea lions at Seal Bay and see koalas.

8. Korea- Visit Hello Kitty Island Museum and Cafe in Jeju.

9. Palawan- I want to see one of the God's natural wonders here on Earth.

Auckland

EXPLORE THE WORLD

The SIA Showcase and Travel Fair 2018 gives holiday hunters many reasons to start planning their trips for the whole of 2018 with 84 destinations to choose from at exceptional rates that come with free baggage allowance, delectable inflight meals, a wide variety of inflight entertainment, and accruable KrisFlyer Miles.

Achieve your travel goals for the year with all-inclusive round-trip Economy Class fares to Singapore from USD150 and other Asian destinations starting from USD220. Fares to Australia start from USD540, while key destinations in Europe start at just USD700. Customers can also travel to India at fares from USD490 or South Africa from USD700 and to the United States from just USD870.

Leisure travelers who want extra comfort during their flights can also choose to experience SIA’s newest cabin offering, the Premium Economy Class. All-in fares on Premium Economy Class to Asian destinations are available from USD970, to Australia from USD1020, to Europe from USD1400, and to South Africa from USD1550. A trip to New Zealand is offered from USD1550, and to the United States from USD1900.

More discerning customers who want to travel in luxury and style can avail of the exceptional all-in Business Class fares. Starting at USD690 all-in round-trip, passengers can fly Business Class to various Southeast Asian destinations, to South Africa from USD1900 and to Australia from USD1980. Discounted fares to Europe start from just USD2370 and New Zealand and the United States from USD2400.

All promotional fares are exclusive to KrisFlyer members, BPI credit and prepaid cardholders, Globe Platinum customers as well as Glorietta, TriNoma and Ayala Center Cebu shoppers.

Enjoy great deals, exclusive perks, and immerse yourself in interactive booths, powered by Samsung, and activity areas, meet travel experts as they share their travel hacks and enjoy a whole weekend of fun and surprises.

Join in the celebration at the Singapore Airlines’ Showcase and Travel Fair 2018 and experience the best in travel.

Date: January 26 – 28, 2018

Venue: Glorietta and Trinoma (will be held at the 2 venues at the same time)

Cebu Travel Catalogue

Date: January 26 – 28, 2018

Venue: Ayala Center Cebu

SilkAir Travel Fair

Date: February 2 – 4, 2018

Venue: Ayala Center Cebu

Davao Mega Travel Sale

Date: February 16 – 18, 2018

Venue: Abreeza Mall Davao

Following its 70^th global anniversary, Singapore Airlines (SIA) marks yet another milestone in the Philippines as it kicks off the New Year with the fifth installment of its Showcase and Travel Fair, together with its regional wing, SilkAir, and in partnership with BPI, Ayala Malls, Globe Platinum, Singapore Tourism Board, and Changi Airport Group.

According to Balagopal Kunduvara, SIA General Manager-Philippines, the 70^thanniversary year has been a massive success for the airline with a host of milestones, most notably the recent rollout of its new Airbus A380 cabin products. The past year has seen Singapore Airlines continue to embellish its reputation as the leader in air travel and of course, we could not have done it without our Filipino patrons. This Showcase and Travel Fair is a simple way for us to express our gratitude for the overwhelming support we have received over the years.

A GREAT WAY TO FLY

Continuing its promise of A Great Way to Fly with their customers’ need in mind, SIA has unveiled during its 70^th anniversary year, new A380 cabin products, new destinations, increased flight frequency and enhanced pricing structure to provide more flexibility and personalization for its travelers.

The New A380 Cabin Products

Travelers can look forward to the Airline’s newly launched cabin products that recently debuted on flights to Sydney and will progressively be available on other A380 destinations. These new offerings guarantee the finest in luxury and service including a more exquisite in-flight dining experience, and an entertainment system that is more comprehensive than ever, more space and privacy in all classes, featuring intimate and bespoke elements designed especially for the Singapore Airlines customer. .

New Destination, Increased Flight Frequency, and Expanded Network

As SIA officially added Stockholm as second Scandinavian city in itsroute network with theinaugural flight on 30 May 2017, this year, SIA is boosting its offering by providing more travel possibilities with additional flights to Paris (ten flights per week from the current seven) until 24 March 2018. To meet growing travel demand, Cape Town will be served with a daily flight via Johannesburg, up from the current four flights per week, with effect from 26 March 2018. Get to discover more of Europe through SIA’s expanded codeshare ties with Lufthansa and its subsidiaries, Austrian Airlines and Swiss, enhanced by the most recent codeshare agreement with Eurowings, giving travelers convenient access to 15 routes via Dusseldorf, Munich, and Manchester.

Pricing Made Flexible

Travelers get more flexibility with the introduction of Singapore Airlines and SilkAir’s enhanced airfare pricing structure starting January. With the new structure, depending on the class of travel, customers will have up to three types of airfare to choose from when making a booking. Each will offer a combination of fare, feature and flexibility options including advance seat selection, baggage allowance, change and refund, to provide distinct choices to customers to better fit their different travel needs.

INDULDGE IN A HOLISTIC TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

In addition to these exciting fares, customers can indulge in a wide range of exclusive deals such as Real 0% Installment Plan for up to 6 months for BPI credit cardholders, 500 KrisFlyer Bonus Miles when you book to select destinations, and exclusive discount of up to 25% on select Sentosa Singapore attractions. Customers can also enjoy a SGD60 Changi Gift Card, for every two tickets booked to select destinations beyond Singapore, which can be redeemed at participating shops and restaurants at the Singapore Changi Airport. A complimentary SGD20 Changi Dollar Voucher is also valid for all itineraries beyond Singapore and in addition, Glorietta and TriNoma mall shoppers can earn a chance to win 50,000 KrisFlyer miles, which is equivalent to two (2) Economy Class round-trip tickets to Singapore.

Get more out of your SIA ticket while in Singapore with a Free Singapore Tour, available for customers with more than 5 hours layover in Singapore. From just USD45, you can also get one-time access to over 20 attractions with the Singapore Explorer Pass or enjoy a Singapore Stopover Holiday from USD38 that comes with hotel stay and access to over 15 attractions and more.

Visit singaporeair.comand Singapore Airlines’ Facebook page for the complete set of mechanics and guidelines, and for other exciting announcements.

For inquiries, visit Singapore Airlines and SilkAir ticket offices, or call

SIA Manila Reservations at 756-8888

SilkAir Cebu at 6332-505-7871

SilkAir Davao at 6382-227-5301

SilkAir Kalibo at 6336-500-7226.

For more details, visit singaporeair.com/FLYSQ2018.

OPPO Philippines kicks off 2018 with a price drop announcement of the OPPO F5 Youth. Now priced at Php12,990, everyone can experience the innovative A.I. Beauty Technology for natural selfies with 6” Full screen display for an immersive visual experience.

Our OPPO F5 Series is known for its strong value proposition, especially its admirable selfie feature and solid performance. With an OPPO F5 smartphone matching our customers’ needs, we believe our lineup is now more appealing to the market,” said Eason de Guzman, OPPO Philippines’ Public Relations Manager.

The OPPO F5 Series now has a more competitive lineup: the F5 Youth at Php12,990, the OPPO F5 at Php15,990, and the OPPO F5 6GB Red at Php21,990. All smartphones feature OPPO’s A.I. Beauty Technology, known for its unique approach of delivering natural looking selfies. It can analyze the face of a subject with more than 200 recognition spots and determine the age, gender, skin type, and skin tone. This produces a customized selfie experience with effortless editing.

For more information about the whole OPPO F5 series, customers may visit http://www.oppo.com/ph/smartphone-f5 or http://www.oppo.com/ph/smartphone-f5-youth.

Follow OPPO on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/OPPOPH/ for the store list and latest updates.

Time is flying by so fast. Sometimes, I feel like I’m missing a lot of my kids’ milestones and achievements because I have been so busy. This year, I’m going to make sure I make the most of my time with my family more this year. We have a lot of plans and they can be summed up to these 9 Family Resolutions for 2018.

1. Start a weekly ritual.

It could be a weekend picnic or attending Sunday service. A movie night every Friday or simply having breakfast and dinner together would be great, too. Yes, we have already been doing this since I don’t know when - that’s one thing. Doing it with consistency would be another.

2. Practice hello’s and goodbye’s

Due to stress or busy times, there are instances when we forget to check on how everyone’s doing. Please, don’t let a day pass by, no matter how hectic your schedule is, without saying “hello” or “goodbye”. Smile a lot. Kiss and hug your children and spouse. Make it a habit, and you’ll have the best days. We will work on this moving forward.

3. Put down devices.

In the family, kids and adults alike need to learn to control the use of gadgets, especially when at home. Spending more time together means being there physically, mentally and emotionally. We plan to put our devices down and create more memories doing fruitful and enjoyable activities.

4. Go on vacation.

We had a few trips together last year – domestic and international, although I traveled alone more than with the entire Ohana. This year, we intend to plan early and save more for our vacation. In fact, we are already planning to go to Bohol and travel more as a family out of the country. I’m already excited!

5. Read together.

When my kids were still little, we always had time reading stories every night. I used to really find time to read to them, especially when they were just starting in school. Later on, I let them do the reading since they already know how to. The past years taught me not to let this kinds of moments go because, sooner, they’ll be demanding for privacy, and they will have activities of their own. Not that they will drift apart as they grow old, but reality teaches us that we only have limited time to spend with them while they’re young. So, this has to be part of my bucket list gain.

6. Do chores.

I want to be more hands-on in our home again and really be involved in household chores, and do it with the fambam. A lot of opportunities opened for me last year and there are quite some challenges, too. I’m soooo thankful. On top of that, I felt like I need to work on time management so as not to neglect my duties as mom and wife to my dearest family. So yeah, I’m planning to make more time in homemaking this 2018.

7. Learn how to save money.

Apart from saving for leisure (a.k.a. our trips this year) and spending on material things, I realized I have to learn to manage our finances more for the future. I have been checking on opportunities to engage in financial literacy programs. If you know someone or someplace, feel free to comment here or message me. We want to enrich my knowledge on how to better invest and save our money.

8. Celebrate milestones and achievements.

It means a lot to our kids that we’re always there for them, not only when they need help but also during times of triumph to celebrate with them. Aside from it boosts their confidence more, they will always treasure and use these moments as their strength as they grow up. I know because my family and friends have always been supportive of my milestones and achievements, too. This 2018, we will celebrate and savor every moment, high and low, as a family.

9. Exercise together.

To be physically fit is not just my goal, but the entire family’s aim this year and moving forward. We can play basketball, boxing, or simply conduct other forms of physical activity at home. We also plan to join in fun runs together.

Of course, I will continue to use Downy Antibac on our clothes to avoid bacteria build-up and malodor. Bacteria, which grow on clothes when we sweat, can cause a lot of diseases, so I want to make sure that we, especially my kids are protected. We wanted to make sure everyone is healthy and in shape to avoid getting sick and to not miss out important events.

How about you? Have you thought of your Family Resolutions for 2018 yet? So much is in store for us and nothing beats achieving your goals when you’re able to reach with your loved ones. Happy 2018! Cheers!

The seemingly unending battle against child pornography has been the perennial problem worldwide. Everything posted online may be considered for public viewing. Once we have decided to share our information, it can now be seen by whomever whose interest is about children exploitation.

It is now the duty of parents whether to share their family’s whereabouts or activities especially their children. They could somehow screen photos and contents because we wouldn’t know if predators are around to check on our children.

As a mother of three, I’ve been very particular of the content I share online especially details about my children. One could never tell whether some people’s intentions are to get information on our children or wait for an opportunity to take advantage of them. That’s why I always keep in mind to review information before I post them.

Educating Ourselves

Some of us especially parents are not informed on the status of our country with regard to child pornography. We have been very busy on our daily lives to provide for our children so we cannot check them out the whole time. They are exposed in an environment where they experience and see many things which we cannot screen and explain for them. This will lead them to inappropriate materials not applicable for their age. We should make time to guide them about the limitations and give them an idea on what they could see online. We must also challenge ourselves to be more patient and get information so we know how to face problems that may arise.

Getting help

#MakeITSafePH is a public service education campaign that enlightens and informs the public on the safety of sharing personal information or illegal content. There are educational materials on phishing, identity theft, child pornography, etc. Getting to know about campaigns and activities on child pornography are good steps where parents would know where they could get started. It is vital that people would know that there are organizations and government institutions that focus on these campaigns and where they could get the help needed.

Awareness

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP) report on October 2017, there are rising number of cases and incidents online with regard to sex exploitation of minors. The PNP has arrested two men who had been using their social media accounts to get their foreign clients to engage in cybersex with children aged 8-15 years old in exchange for money at around P20,000-30,000.

According to Unicef, "In the Philippines, the risks to children are high, with the country being the number 1 global source of child pornography and a hub for the live stream abuse trade." This alarming news is devastating in terms of our country’s data wherein parents should take into consideration because we don’t know if this will happen in our doorstep or just around the corner.

Awareness is very important nowadays and our government has laws to protect the children. It had enacted the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009. In 2014, the Cybercrime Law took effect where general punishable acts are considered as cybercrime if done using the computer or the internet.

Child pornography must be stopped. We should remember that we, parents, should be the first to protect our children. Let us help our community in providing options and information thru the combined efforts our government and different organizations and be able raise awareness in this endeavor.

Someone asked me, "how do you know it's the right time to move in together?"

Moving in with your partner is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make, no matter how madly in love you are with them. You don't want to rush into it and end up ruining the relationship you have, which has so far been perfect.

Property website Lamudi Philippines shares with us these five sure signs:

1. You’re past the honeymoon phase.

Almost all relationships start the same: Everything’s perfect, you don’t fight, and you’re head over heels for each other. This is called the honeymoon phase, a time where everything feels fresh and exciting.

Couples who still have a great relationship even when the so-called magic fades have a better chance of doing great living together than those who don’t.

2. You already spend most of your time together.

When you’re spending so much time with your significant other, moving in seems like the next natural step. At this point, it just makes sense to live under one roof.

Not to mention, both of you can save precious time and energy. For one, there’s no more going back and forth to each other’s houses.

3. You can be your true selves around each other.

Every one of us has quirks. We just put our best foot forward at the beginning of the relationship so our partners won’t see our peculiar behavior.

But stay together long enough, and they sure will. Move in together, and you’ll experience each other’s idiosyncrasies every day.

If you still love each other to bits, then you’ll do just fine. It’s about knowing what annoys you about them, but still accepting and loving them anyway.

4. You’ve learned how to kiss and make up well.

All couples fight, no matter how hard we try to keep the peace. It’s impossible to always agree on everything.

If you’ve been with your special someone long enough, you’ve probably had more arguments than you can remember. And since there will be a lot of changes once you start living together, it’s possible you’ll have more arguments than usual.

But if you’ve figured out how to easily settle misunderstandings, then you won’t have to worry about having disagreements. You’ll get over them, stay together, and keep a happy home.

5. You’ve seriously talked about it.

Once you move in together, you’ll need to split the bills. There’s electricity, gas, and groceries, just to name a few.

There’s also certain rules you need to establish so everything stays peaceful. For example, how often can you have friends over?

Discussing these lets you set your expectations for each other, allowing yourselves to avoid getting in over your heads when you move in together and put your relationship at risk.

Lamudi’s #YourHeartIsHome Campaign

Ticked all these five signs? Then it’s time to join Lamudi Philippines’ #YourHeartIsHome Campaign! Share your love story and tell us why you and your loved one deserve to live in your dream condo rent-free for six months here: https://goo.gl/1KX4rK

Happy Hearts Day Everyone! Wishing you a beautiful day with your partner. Allow the love of today to carry into tomorrow and make every day, Valentine’s Day.

Have you experienced getting caught up in a situation when you badly needed internet connection and you couldn’t find one?

I have, and it was terrible! One time, I had to book my ride going home from an event at the mall. I tried connecting to the mall’s common WiFi, but I gave up after several failed attempts. The other instance was when I had to meet a deadline for my blogpost. I was squeezed with time as I was at the hospital, and I couldn’t wait to be home to be able to send my article. It was very hard to establish a reliable connection.

Thanks to GoWiFi, I can now enjoy a high-speed, secure and free public WiFi access with GoWiFi! Some of you may have already tried connecting to GoWiFi hotspot. GoWiFi provides users with free internet daily for a limited duration.

Whether you are using a device with SIM from any provider (local and international) or not, for as long as your smartphone, tablet and laptop are WiFi-enabled, you can enjoy surfing the net with GoWiFi.

Here are the steps on how to connect to GoWiFi

Consumers can also subscribe to GoWiFi Auto to allow extended browsing time after free minutes have been used up. If you need to connect automatically whenever you’re in a GoWiFi zone, GoWiFi Auto is for you!

GoWiFi is available in over 1000 partner locations nationwide. So, when you’re in your favorite coffee chains or restaurants, in the mall or convenience store, in the school and hospital, and in airports or transport terminals, you can now snap and share your photos, browse and search the internet, check and send emails, and download files. I personally couldn’t wait for most, if not all, spots here in the metro to have WiFi availability like in other countries. It definitely helps me as a blogger and, more importantly, as a mother.

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT FEATURES OF GOWIFI CHECK OUT THE VIDEOS BELOW:

You can learn more at https://www.globe.com.ph/GoWiFi and on social media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GoWiFiPh

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GoWiFiPh

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/GoWiFiPh

Having the best of both worlds are what Chinoys are relishing. Picking up positive traits from both race as Chinese and as a Filipino forms a unique quality that does not just conform to simply being movers or doers but a prominent figure in the community.

Having been raised in a diverse country, Chinoys are resilient to disruption and are not afraid to go out of their comfort zones on their quest for excellence.

Given these, the campaign DiverCHIty is launched for all proud Chinoys in line with Chinoy TV’s 8^th year anniversary acting as a pillar in the Chinese-Filipino community. The campaign aims to gather individuals / groups who share the same cause of promoting diversity, individuality and unity amongst the Chinese- Filipino Community.

DiverCHIty Run

To commence the campaign and celebrate the Chinese New Year, a series of events are lined-up which comprise the DiverCHIty run that aims to promote a healthy physique and develop your Chi (Body’s positive energy).

DiverCHIty Run is integrated with Affinitea Run and will be composed of Chinese theme and elements such as Red/Gold Singlet, Lion & Dragon Dance and Angpao. Covering race distance of 3k, 5k and 10k.

This event gathers key representatives from the Chinese community such as Schools, Businesses, Organizations and all major Chinese Associations in the country.

Date: February 17, 2018

Time:4am

Venue: SM by the Bay

Inclusions: Singlet, Bib, Loot bag

Admission:

3k-P550

5k-P650

10k-P850

Online registration will be available viawww.chinoy.tv as well as on-site at selected Chris Sports and Deuter branches. DiverCHIty run is presented by Chinoy Tv and Affintea races co-presented by Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCCI), In partnership with FWD Insurance, Jeunesse, Vital Purified Drinking Water, Federation of Filipino Chinese Alumni Association Inc., Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc., Dr. Kong, Cadbury 5Star, Tang, Tiger Energy Biscuit, Oreo, Eden Cheez Whiz, Australia Harvest, Zesto, Azumi Boutique, Eurotel and Vikings Buffet.

Diverchity campaign seeks to reach the entire Chinese-Filipino community with the help of Trendspotting with event promotion as its official Publicity & Marketing partner and with the help of media partners, Manila Bulletin, Business Mirror, Pilipino Mirror, BM Health & Fitness, Philippine Graphic, Manila Standard, The Manila Times, Manila Shimbun, Peoples Journal, Peoples Tonight and Women’s Journal.

Online partners include:WhenInManila.com, Kikayrunner.com, RunningDiva.com, Psst.ph, PinoyFitness.com.

I hope to see you there! :)

As the best-kept secret in the South for unique furniture and one-of-a-kind vintage collectibles, Harringtons Lifestyle Auction is a haven for art and design enthusiasts.

Since its inception, Harringtons Lifestyle Auction has risen to become one of the most trusted premier lifestyle galleries and auction houses in the Philippines. Harringtons sets itself apart by providing quality, authentic, and well-curated pieces, ranging from artworks of various mediums to jewelry and vehicles.

Harringtons will hold an auction called, “Uncover the Unique.” “We chose this title because there are a lot of unique pieces that will be part of this auction. [We have] sourced items from different parts of the world and brought to the Philippines so that we can offer something unique to our bidders,” according to Cila Chua, General Manager. Unlike Harringtons’ regular auctions with 220 lots, this auction will be auctioning off close to 300 lots with many items that will be auctioned off at NO RESERVE prices.

Among the collectibles that will be auctioned off is a bullhorn chair from the USA.

A 19^th century heavily-carved oak hunting buffet with display shelf from France.

Among the items that will be auctioned off are an illustration titled “Mangaawit” by Manny Garibay and an Abstract Metal Rose Gold Sculpture by National Artist Arturo Luz. Other sought-after local artists that will be featured in the auction are National Artist Vicente Manansala, Onib Olmedo, Cesar Buenaventura and Rene Robles to name a few.

Auctions are a good place to start finding unique and exclusive pieces. At Harringtons, buyers can expect one-of-a-kind finds starting at low bid prices. To join a Harringtons Auction, bidders may fill up a registration form or call the Harringtons Showroom for further arrangements. For the latter, bidders will be given a registration form,which will be sent throughe-mail ifthe bidder will not be able visit the showroom. Harringtons also accepts absentee biddings and phone biddings as per request of the bidders.Bidders are expected to pay a Php 5,000 refundable bidders deposit, which can be either refunded or may be deducted from their payable. Winning bidders can claim their items at the Harringtons Showroom after payment has been settled within seven days. Harringtons also accepts consignments from Local and International consignors.

Harringtons Lifestyle Auction and Showroom is inviting you to join “Uncover the Unique,” an auction showcasing rare, one-of-a-kind pieces from different parts of the world on February 24, 2018 at the Harringtons Showroom.

Abstract is a metal sculpture by Arturo Luz furnished in rose gold.

Mangaawit is an oil on wood painting by Manny Garibay that was completed in 2015.

The Harringtons Showroom is located inside the HMR Compound at Km 21 East Service Road, South Super Highway Sucat, Muntinlupa City.

To know more about Harringtons, check out hmr.ph

Follow Harringtons Lifestyle Auction and Showroom on Facebook at http://bit.ly/2ELaNXP.

Contact (02)548-6986 or at (0916) 467-4321

Spent the last two days in Bangkok, Thailand 🇹🇭 learning and trying out “superfoods” aka pulses (such as dry peas, lentils, red beans, and chickpeas). I’m really grateful to be a part of this event because it is in line with my goal this year to live healthy. 💪🏻 I will share my experience on the blog soon www.rochellerivera.com Also, thank you to everyone who joined my giveaway. 🎁I’ll announce the winners once I get back to the PH. 🇵🇭📸 @mjdeleonblogs 👉🏻 with @ruthilicious @iamacesome @aci_girl . @pulsesph .
A post shared by 👩🏻‍💻rochellerivera.com (@rochellemiko) on Jan 26, 2018 at 3:23am PST

WHAT ARE PULSES, THE SUPERFOOD?

When I first heard about pulses, I thought it has something to do with veins, blood and heartbeat- our lifeline, basically. In a sense, they are.

After attending the event in Bangkok, I learned that we actually eat pulses! They are part of the legume family and sometimes coined interchangeably with beans. Dried peas, edible beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts and chickpeas are the most common pulses.

They are grain legumes that are very high in protein and fiber, and are low in fat, compared to most other plant foods. On top of that, they are environment-friendly because they consume less water, and they help fight obesity and certain diseases. I know that’s a mouthful of info coming to you like thunder. No wonder they are called “superfoods”!

I had an incredible and very informative experience about pulses last January 24-26, 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. I, together with other media personalities and influencers, learned a lot about its health and environmental benefits through various activities in preparing and incorporating pulses in our meals.

Pulse consumption was first observed to be increasing in the USA in the last couple of years, but Southeast Asia is said to be following this upward trend, starting with Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia. Yes, this is nothing new to us Asians. Although, we lack awareness and perhaps the real appreciation of what good they bring.

We stayed in the amazing Conrad Bangkok for the duration of our 2-day series of exciting activities highlighting pulses. I never thought I could have it anytime of the day!

Lentil Soup Shooter

Sweet Potato and Chickepea Hummus with Salsa Verde Chicken

Black Eyed Bean Cucumber Mint Salad

Panseared Salmon with Green Pea Mash

Lamb Chili Con Carne with Kidney Beans

Nutella Stuffed Poached Pear

with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

As soon as we arrived, we were treated for an orientation dinner at Indulge Asian fusion restaurant, top-rated in Bangkok. It is known for its ever-evolving dishes, high-quality ingredients, truly thirst-quenching drinks, and very accommodating staff. Their dishes have been carefully created to cater to all tastes - from conventional, much-loved dishes, to new flavor combinations. It’s super satisfying to try their exquisite pulse-based specials. What a welcome!

To cap our day, we had our Happy Hour Refreshment Pairing bustle at CRAFT.

Our pulse snacks and drinks were interestingly perfect combination. It was a night full of chit chat, fun and pulses, of course!

As much as I wanted to stay up late to bond some more with the other guests and my blogger friends, I had to get some rest for our second day. I’ve been actually looking forward to our Pulses Cooking Class as soon as I saw our itinerary because I wanted to acquire techniques and expand my knowledge on how to prepare different dishes with pulses.

I’d love to share my key learnings from the one and only Chef Norbert Ehrbar who has been cooking since he was 16. His passion is highly commendable, and his years of experience in the food industry working in various restaurants are definitely an inspiration.

Team Philippines with Chef Norbert Ehrbar
rochellerivera.com, lifestylehub.net, ruthdelacruz.com, iamacesome.com, acigirl.com

With Dee Richmond, PhD, Senior Project Manager of Agrisource

Dee Richmond, PhD, Senior Project Manager of Agrisource

We spent most of our day at the UFM Cooking School in Phrom Phong. We were introduced to pulses and the different tips on preparing them.

Pulses can be incorporated to every meal - from soups to deserts, snacks to main courses, and even smoothies! Meat, veggies, and fruits surprisingly go very well with different kinds of pulses. Just imagine how nutritious every dish can be. 😊

Rice Noodle Bowl

Chickenpea and Mussel Asian Soup

Korean Style US Bean Stew

US Navy Bean Smoothie

Aside from the demos, we were immersed in hands-on cooking and some more engaging discussions.

Cooked Chinese Style U.S Pulses and Chicken Soup with different kinds of pulses

I really enjoyed cooking with bloggers from Thailand. The best part of this day was our super delicious and flavorful lunch! Haha! I must get some serious exercise after this trip.

Catered Lunch by Radisson

Bloggers from the Philippines with Aaron Henry and Robert Woodrich of Paper & Page

Our last night in Bangkok was bitter-sweet, I didn’t realize we’re about to go back home already. The program was absolutely packed with information, which is its main objective. Goal unlocked!

Four kinds of Hot and Cold Hor D'oeuvres

Barbecued Peking Duck

Stewed Fish Maw

black mushroom in oyster sauce

Sauteed Scallops

X.O. chili sauce and black beans

Duet of Vegetables

topped with conpoy sauce and pinto beans

Deep Fried Bamboo Fish

soy sauce

Fried Rice

seafood and lentils

Ginkgo Nuts

hot syrup and red beans

The 4-course dinner prepared by Liu at Conrad Bangkok was more relaxed and one of a kind. The Liu menu takes most of its influence from Cantonese cuisine, leveraging the great knowledge and influence Chef Jacky brings from different part of China as well as Thailand. There’s no better way to wrap up this whole experience.

Truly, what I have learned about pulses are eye-opening. Sometimes we think too much of our diet, and sacrifice taste over the nutrients we can get out of the food we eat. Delicious does not mean unhealthy, and we can stop being guilty with our intake of the best-tasting dishes. There are a lot of options to go green and be healthy at the same time. Pulses is one superfood you must add to your daily consumption.

Hope to share a recipe with you soon! Comment a pulse-meal we can all try.

You can find more information about PULSES at: https://www.facebook.com/ThailandPulses/ and https://www.facebook.com/PulseAssociationPhilippines/

Sometimes, you may feel like there’s nothing you can do about stress. The problems won’t stop coming, days seem to get longer, and your work and family responsibilities can be demanding. The good news is: you have the key to manage stress and have more control over it.

Your body is beautifully designed to deal with the normal stresses of daily life. But your body’s natural “stress response” can get out of balance and seriously impact your well-being. Living with high levels of stress can put you down, and this affects your emotional, physical, and mental health. It puts relationships at risk and can make work less productive.

To maintain optimal health, we need to support our body's process of restoring itself. Stress management is all about taking charge: of your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. No matter how stressful your life seems, there are steps you can take to relieve the pressure and regain control:

1. Analyze your stress. Identify how your body has been affected by stress.

2. Master your synergy. Learn how your body creates either “vicious cycles” or “virtuous cycles” to either intensify or alleviate the effects of stress.

3. Customize your health. Individualize your approach to the particular stresses you face.

Learn effective ways to master your body’s synergy and optimize your health with Dr. Doni Wilson, naturopathic doctor and best-selling author of “The Stress Remedy”. In this insightful talk, Dr. Doni will help you achieve true mastery of your body and your health to reduce the effects of stress, lose weight and reclaim energy, mood, sleep and focus.

About Dr. Doni Wilson

Dr. Donielle (Doni) Wilson, is a recognized expert on stress-related illness. She specializes in helping patients address and overcome autoimmune diseases, genetic mutations, hormone imbalances, sleep and mood related issues, leaky gut, food sensitivities, digestive troubles, allegies, infections, women’s health, fertility and cervical dysplasia. She helps with the prevention of chronic health conditions overall.

Dr. Doni holds a doctorate in naturopathic medicine from BASTYR UNIVERSITY and is a certified professional midwife (CPM) and a certified nutrition specialist (CNS). Since 2000, she has helped thousands of women, men, and children to find solutions to their most puzzling health issues.

She uses the latest advances in naturopathic medicine, lab testing, and gentle investigative techniques to uncover the root cause of illness and craft individual programs that guide the body back to health. She does this with the approach she developed based on her research on how stress affects our health.

Healthy Options Talk 2018: The Stress Remedy

Don't miss the chance to attend this exclusive event on February 22, 2018! The venue will be at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, and the event will start at 6pm. Tickets are limited and will be available for sale in all Healthy Options stores.

Ticket prices:

· P1,000 for Gold members

· P1500 for Green members

· P2,000 for non-members and the general public

To book your slot now, purchase your ticket online at https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/events/. You may also visit any Healthy Options store or contact us at +639178098479.

This event is in media partnership with wheninmanila.comand philstar.com.

Photo by http://www.anagonzales.com

“Open your mind and experience with your heart.”

This line sums up my love for travel since I don’t know when. I’m always amazed by the beauty of the new places I visit, and they feel like home when I return. Aside the warmth of every people, it brings so much joy to my heart to be able to experience everything that is so loveable in every destination my wandering self brings me. I even enjoy it more now that I have my own family to travel with. We’re all very thrilled with new discoveries and adventures.

Photo by http://www.OutofTownBlog.com

When I was invited to join the other bloggers and media influencers to fly to Cebu for #AirAsiaRedTalks Season 2 launch, I didn't think twice. I see events like this as opportunities for me to learn something, enrich my knowledge, widen my connections and of course make lots and lots of exciting memories.

#AirAsiaRedTalks brings a whole new social media experience in a series of travel webisodes (web episodes) that premiered in AirAsia’s Facebook page last year. It’s like bringing back talk TV and magazine shows in a more sociable and innovative podium. What better platform to connect to people than online, right? It received such an overwhelming reaction from the audience, thus giving birth to the second season.

Once again, AirAsia has teamed up with multi-awarded TV host, producer, entrepreneur, blogger, and UNICEF Special Advocate, Daphne Oseña-Paez. We had the chance to personally meet her in the event held at the Twilight Roof Deck of Bai Hotel. AirAsia Philippines Chairperson Maan Hontiveros, AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador and AirAsia Foundation’s Executive Director Mun Ching Yap definitely made their presence felt, too.

AirAsia is a sociable and innovative brand and we embrace social media not only to engage our fans but also to inspire and connect with our guests. With RedTalks, we are bringing back the era of talk TV and magazine shows to online audience with a refreshing approach using a platform that has become so effective and popular. - AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador

The ever gorgeous Daphne Oseña-Paez gave a hint of what to expect this season,

The quality of stories and the online engagement we got last year when RedTalks was launched have been overwhelming. For this new season, we aim to raise the level of discussion and cover a wide range of topics to engage our audience and inspire them to have meaningful connections.

Getting an exclusive sneak peek of the show’s pilot episode titled “Sweet Connections”, I believe that a lot of people, not only those who love to travel, will really embrace and get engaged to this refreshing approach.

Personally, it made an appeal to me because I have experienced what they featured in this episode first-hand – Malagos chocolates. I’m a chocolate lover!

Photo from @themistymom IG STORY

During the event, we’re so lucky to have been served the Malagos chocolates. Oh my gosh, as soon as tasted it, it went straight to my heart, then my stomach, and back to my heart!

Here’s what to expect this season:

Photo from https://www.facebook.com/pg/malagos.chocolate

Episode 1: Daphne travels to Davao with Chef JP Anglo, who has been regarded as one of the new generation “rock star chefs” because of his flair for creating edgy dishes with strong local Filipino identity. They talk about creating something fresh and new using the award winning Malagos chocolates and included it in AirAsia’s in-flight menu called Santan in April.

Episode 2: Empowering women is a subject matter that AirAsia has been championing through the airline’s former CEO and now serving as chairperson, Maan Hontiveros. Before Maan assumed the responsibility of establishing AirAsia operation in the Philippines in 2011, she was a staunch advocate of performing arts and the environment, a broadcast journalist, and a civic leader who has been hailed by the Filipina Women’s Network as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (Global FWN100)™ - Builder award category in 2014. Maan’s story of disrupting the ordinary to create value in the lives of women and marginalized groups was presented in a lively discussion during the press launch hosted by radio DJ Tracy Abad-Prado.

Episode 3: This features David Foster and AirAsia’s collaboration to find the best and tap into a diverse pool of talented, skilled, and creative individuals in the ASEAN region.

Episode 4: Human Trafficking being a serious global issue has reached the ASEAN shores at an alarming rate. AirAsia Foundation tackles the issue head on in raising awareness and training airline personnel across the region and beyond to combat trafficking.

Episode 5: Daphne goes to Bali, Indonesia to take part in the much celebrated food festival in Ubud and interacts with farmpreneurs to learn about upscaling farmers through innovation.

Episode 6: Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), a non-profit organisation based in Phnom Penh, has been facilitating the transformation of Cambodia through the arts by providing arts education, capacity building of arts leaders, and opportunities for emerging artists to generate income and create a sustainable environment for the arts. This inspiring finale will feature CLA’s success story.

I'm pretty sure this will be another huge triumph for AirAsia, the world's best low cost carrier. Absolutely, #AirAsiaRedTalks Season 2 is one for the books!

Dear Traveler,

What is your next destination?

Let's all catch the pilot episode of #AirAsiaRedTalks series on AirAsia's Facebook page on February 24 at 7:00PM.

#AirAsiaRedTalks is brought to you by AirAsia Foundation, AirAsia Big Loyalty and Rokki.

Follow Daphne's journey with the hashtag #AirAsiaRedTalks and keep updated with AirAsia's latest promotion and activities via
Twitter: @AirAsiaFilipino
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/airasiaph/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/AirAsiaFilipino/

OPPO has been breaking grounds in technology with their series of smartphone releases in the past years. And the brand continues to impress and amaze us with innovations, especially when it comes to its camera’s A.I. technology and some more next-level features.

Here are 9 reasons why OPPO F5 Youth is my top favorite smartphone to date:

1. Wider Visual Perspective

Its 6-inch and 2160x1080 resolution will really make an impression. Playing videos is indeed going to be fun with the pulsating and crisp display. I love that it looks big because of the wide screen. Actually, it is handy! Thanks to its lavish screen-to-body ratio!

2. Sleek Appearance

F5 Youth can almost be mistaken as its older brother F5, except for a few little differences in the physical appearance. The new unibody design has silver-coated lines near the top edges, which make it sleeker. It also has a matte-finished polycarbonate back panel and curved edges that I find super nice and modern to look at.

3. Convenient Security Features

The Face Unlock feature and back fingerprint scanner are snappy. Yes, you read that correctly! The new F5 Youth boasts the newest and coolest security feature – Face Unlock. It feels like having a very high-tech phone that can recognize the face of its owner (just like a robot!). I’m truly amazed! And there’s no need to press the power button first to activate these security features.

4. Smoother Operation
Having 3GB RAM and the power of an octa-core processor, its performance is fast and highly responsive. I like that I can go from one application to another smoothly with almost no wait time. Apps open instantaneously and videos get no frame drop. I don't play games on my phone, but I didn't get any complaints from my kids playing with it. I must also tell you that my internet browsing experience is exceptional!

5. Energy-Saving Experience

F5 Youth has a 3,200mAh battery, which for me is really really good. I can last all day with my regular usage that includes camera, phone calls, text messaging, and mobile data before charging it up again.

6. Louder and Clearer Sound Quality

I love that it has noise-canceling microphone and excellent audio quality as it helps me capture sounds when I need to record (audio and video) for work. Call quality is soooo clear, and playing music or videos at full volume is still great because it’s got bass.

7. Friendly Price

From the word itself, OPPO F5 Youth was specially made for the younger generation to explore and capture their adventures and cater to their needs. Hence, this new release has a more affordable price range. I must say this is also the perfect and wonderful treat for moms like me.

The OPPO F5 Series now has a more competitive lineup:

F5 Youth at Php12,990
OPPO F5 at Php15,990
OPPO F5 6GB Red at Php21,990

8. Simple User Interface

In the front panel, there’s the 16MP front camera on top, and the call speaker in the middle. At the back, we have the 13MP f/2.2 rear camera and LED flash. The fingerprint scanner is below the camera, so when you’re holding your phone, it’s super easy to unlock it using the point finger. The left side has the volume keys. The bottom has the loudspeaker, micro-USB port, 3.5mm earphone port and the microphone. No port nor buttons on top, which makes it look cleaner and pleasant. The icons in the main display are organized and simple.

9. Superb Rear and Front Camera

Selfies are taken to another level with OPPO F5 Youth’s newest A.I. beautification technology, which doesn’t simply use the standard facial recognition to enhance the subject. It can detect over 200 facial points such the eyes, nose, ears, lips, and more. This is one of the main features of this device, and I have been so excited to try it since I got it.

F5 Youth has front and rear cameras that feature autofocus, time-lapse, video, photo, beauty, panorama and expert (pro) mode. It’s like having a top-of-the-line professional DSLR camera. I can choose to enable HDR, filters and watermarks. The expert mode allows me to shoot in Ultra HD. So powerful!

I love taking selfies and photos of my family’s adventures, capturing the perfect moments worth treasuring and sharing. I was definitely impressed with my photos because it captured the realistic colors of scenic views in our Bohol trip. The beauty mode was indeed perfect for selfies because it has 1-6 levels of effect and it creates depth making images more alive. The colors are so vibrant and accurate bringing out the real beauty of the subject. No editing needed!

Having a reliable smartphone in every aspect is something that I’m really happy about OPPO. Being able to get natural-looking selfies with it is a no-match bonus I couldn’t be more grateful for. I love it to bits!

To get more exciting updates about the OPPO F5 Youth, you may also check out the OPPO Philippines' Official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OPPOPH

Most of us have heard the idea about work life balance. It is said that this could lead to a happier life once we know how to handle this aspect of our lives. But, are we really happy once we get to balance everything? Or it could be because happiness is a choice. Once we choose to be happy, beautiful things will come our way and could balance everything out.

While most of us spend so much of our time working on our tasks, projects, home chores, family events, socialization, we tend to neglect the most important accomplishment that we should focus on - ourselves.

The pressures of everyday life are really exhausting. We juggle from one task to another, submitting deadlines, accomplishing our long list of things to do. We are busy of the career we chose, making it the biggest part of our lives. But at the end of the day, we know there is something still missing even if we have done so much.

There are so many things to consider in order for us to be truly happy. Sometimes we need other people to help us figure out what could be the missing piece. We may truly be happy once we know where to get started and some possible options to take a look at.

Being a busy person myself, I consider time to be very important. I see to it that I plan how my day will go well. Making a list of things to do and planning how to accomplish it one at a time. It is easier said than done but once we started to put it into practice, we could accomplish some of our unexpected goals.Here are the things I have gathered from family, peers and colleagues so we can achieve a happier work life.

1. Do something that scares you

There are a lot of things that intimidates, frustrates and scares us. Anxiety is one of the biggest factors why we tend to hang and delay things. We tend to be afraid of the things that we don’t see or that’s not even there. We don’t want to be surprised on the things that could hurt us that is why we need to see it firsthand. What we could do it so to prepare for it. Thinking of the worst thing that could happen might not be a good move but this could make us prepare for the worst possible scenario making us solve a potential problem.

2. Get Healthy

Our body is our greatest instrument that we ever own. Let us not exploit nor destroy it. In order for us to accomplish our everyday tasks, we have to be physically fit and well. We cannot function what we ought to be doing if our body cannot do its purpose. A healthy lifestyle could provide us endurance and vigor in accomplishing more tasks leading to a productive life.

3. We are what we think

Let’s start our day on thinking positive things that happened to us. This could channel all the positive energies so it can create a positive mindset. Our thoughts define us and could lead to something we don’t intend to create. Positivity is the way to go. It will not just help us lead to a positive life but will also provide a healthier body. Thus, keeping us from worst cases such as depression and stress.

4. Set your work schedule

Since our time is very important, let’s be clear on our work schedule and strictly following it. We have to list our priorities and accomplish it on a given time frame so we can do other small and relaxing things after work schedule. We did not just finish our work on a scheduled time frame but we also calm our mind and body.

5. Draw some line for your socialization and family events

Don’t push yourself too hard. Sometimes we commit ourselves on the things that are not part of our plan. But because we want to please other people, we tend to sacrifice our own goals. When we commit ourselves on helping our colleagues on their overload work, we may forget that we have a scheduled dinner with our partner. This could cause us our relationship because we were not able to remember our plans. Before we start our day, it is best that we set our plans and share it with our family and friends so they will understand the things we need to do and help us remember it.

6. Don’t forget to feed your senses – travel!

Exploring and going out of your comfort zone teaches us responsibility and adaptability. We learn new cultures and adapting some of it to makes our lives easier. When we see other people on how they approach and solve problems, we will have an idea on how to solve our own.

Going to different places creates different perspectives in our mind. We experience the beautiful things more than we could imagine making us more open for possibilities and giving us positive outlook in our lives.

7. Choose the career you want to pursue
We may not realize it at first but our career greatly contributes in our lives. Whatever line of work we choose; this will be part of daily struggles, sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. It is important that we seek counseling to our career coach on where and what to pursue. Through their guidance, we may have possibilities and options where to get started. There are different online platforms where we could start checking for options. There's actually a new job platform called Jobayan that matches the employer and jobseeker. We could also start a new career if we thing our present job don’t suffice or don blend with our daily plans. At the end of the day, it is us who live our lives. Let us not allow negative things, people, and events to control us. We may not get all the best in this life but atleast we tried to better of whoever we are. Live a sweet life!

#PayMayaShareTheLove with 50% rebate

What I Got For Christmas 2017

TOP 9 HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017- Year-End Post

“THERE’S A RAINBOW ALWAYS AFTER THE RAIN”

My 2018 Goals!

Hungry in traffic? No Worries! “Grab-A-Fitbar”

Start living ultra this 2018

9 reasons why you should have your own Hanns Storage Rack

Experience the best in travel at the Singapore Airlines and Silkair Showcase and Travel Fair 2018

Davao Mega Travel Sale

Celebrate new beginnings with the OPPO F5 Youth now at Php12,990

Family Resolutions for 2018

Protect our children #makeITsafePH

How do you know it's the right time to move in together?

Enjoy a high-speed, secure and free public WiFi access with #GOWIFIPH

Chinese New Year #diverCHIty Run 2018

"Uncovering the Unique” at Harringtons Lifestyle Auction

Saving the World by Eating Pulses

Healthy Options Talks: The Stress Remedy

#AirAsiaRedTalks: Amazing Stories to Inspire your Journeys

9 Things I Like About OPPO F5 Youth: A Sneak Peek to the Selfie Expert

How To Make Your Work Life Happier