"Is your barkada #TeamFrenchVanilla or #TeamChocolateMousse? And why?"
First of all, my barkada when it comes to having a sweet-ending day, consists of not my girlfriends or my officemates, but my two sophisticated daughters who ascribe to the ideology of Parisian chic fashion. I see this sense of delight on their faces when I tag them along for frappucinos and pastries to any place that has that French vibe to it. And there we enjoy our tete-a-tete.
While we have not been to Paris yet, we do get to enjoy and relish a lot of things French here -- lattes, frappucinos, croissants (our favorite), crepes, baguettes, pain au chocolats, creme brulee, their wine and chocolates. Oh, my kids love Madeline and her accent, too. And did I ever mention that their names are French-inspired?? -- Nina Simone, Noelle Andriana, Nala Margarithe.
So you see, it's pretty obvious that our barkada is Cadbury #TeamFrenchVanilla. Not that we don't like #TeamChocolateMousse, but I will always prefer French Vanilla anytime over everything else. If this were my husband's blog, he would be Cadbury TeamChocolateMousse. But this is my blog, period.
My #TeamFrenchVanilla Barkada
I have always loved vanilla. I love the irony of its taste -- simple yet sophisticated, basic yet exquisite. I love the pure, unadulterated taste of it. For chocolates, I have always been a Cadbury baby. No kidding! That's why Cadbury's new flavor -- French Vanilla is just perfect for me. It's the perfect thing to take during my downtime, may it be alone or with my two young barkadas, or with my entire family or friends. It's a perfect thing to take if you want to cap your day with a smile on your face. Who doesn't want to have their very own sweet ending??? I sure would love to have it every single day.
The octopus mom. That's the first thing that came to mind as I picked that skill which I would like to unlock from the following skills from the #KITKATBreakMovement& Nuffnang's Blogger Contest question:
a. Type faster and flawlessly.
b. Never forget any detail.
c. Create awesome presentation decks. d. Multitask at any given time.
You bet! I would love to multitask at any given time...with so much ease, of course. While it's a common belief that a woman's brain is wired for multitasking and women does it a lot better than men, this ability is still what I would love to perfect. This is a talent of a lot of moms and I'm a mom.
Being able to multitask is one way to maximize one's productivity, may that be in the workplace, at home, in school, or just anywhere because in reality, each of us has to handle several
responsibilities simultaneously, right? And if we cannot be like that octopus in cartoons, then life is such a bore.
Just imagine if we can do so many things simultaneously with poise and grace and being focused on each one at the same time -- wow, what an irony! We're like superheroes!
I used to be the executive assistant of our company president. Being in that position required me to do a lot of multitasking -- like answering the phone while receiving incoming mails while responding to emails while generating a report and while editing a form simultaneously. Which made me also think that maybe being able to multitask while pretending to be so cool about it spells efficiency. LOL!
Moms, as I've said, are not new to this. I believe, it's an inborn talent. I remember there was this instance when I and our 3 daughters went for a trip to Singapore enroute to Malaysia and I even blogged about our plane ride which I entitled "A Changi-ng Ina Mo Story at the Changi Airport" (taken from the movie "Tanging Ina Mo". Well, those "5 minutes" before embarking the plane had me do some incredible multitasking.
So you see, letter d above is a great skill to master. To illustrate further, right now that as I'm writing this entry, I'm also drying my hair, tutoring my youngest, appreciating my middle child's work of art, eating donut, listening to the jokes of Vice Ganda, reading today's news about Bong Revilla, listing down our week's menu, thinking about what else to add to this entry (it's nice to multi-think, too), talking to my husband about our plans for tomorrow because it's my daughter's birthday. I even managed to squeeze in between my finishing this entry to bathe our daughters, brushed my teeth and prepare a bottle of milk. Yeah! All of these I've accomplished....while my husband is busy...watching TV. Hehehe! That's to emphasize once more, the value of mutltitasking.
As we grow older, our ideals when it comes to true friendship evolve. When I was young, my idea of a best friend is that "there could only be one" among my many friends that's why you call that friend the best. I was so "by the book". Blame it on the comparative degree of nouns I was taught during grade school -- Good, Better, Best.
I still remember the names of my 3 best friends -- one during pre-school, one during grade school and one during high school. Things changed when I got to college - I had many close friends and belonged to a group. We were a gang of 8. But before I had a group, I had one classmate whom I considered a "best friend". Things again changed when I got into a corporate world. I developed deep friendships along the way and considered certain officemates as my BFFs. Yes, I had different sets of BFFs, then. And I'm glad up to now, we still keep in touch.
Just a month back on our way home, my husband and I were talking about friendships and best friends in general. In the middle of our conversation, he paused and asked me who my best friend is. I started to think and blurted out certain names but after a while, I stopped and said, "You." My answer was what he wanted to hear. And then, he said, "You, too, are my best friend."
When I think about the qualities of a best friend, I couldn't help but think about Jesus, about God. He has been, not only a father, but a best friend to me, too.
There are infinite ways we can be a best friend to someone but here, I listed 20 practical ways one can be the best friend ever.
Be there...always.
Encourage your friend to be the best that he/she can be.
Apologize when you make a mistake.
Bring out the best in him/her.
Ease each others' burden. Share the truth in your heart. Travel together as much as you can.
Forgive.
Reserve your most colorful and embarrassing insults for
one another. Improve his/her life. Eat together as frequently as you can. Never ever talk about your friend in a bad way or put him/her in a bad light. Don’t set too many expectations and rules.
Find time to bond over things that you both enjoy doing.
Out-love your friend. Respect each others' individuality.
Listen, listen, listen.
Indulge in all your guilty pleasures together and keep it a secret. Fuel each other's growth -- emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Establish an open line of communication because a real friend calls.
BE A BEST FRIEND FOR LIFE!
Real friends talk to each other, update each other and is always available for one another. Communication is key.....
“With
GoUnli20, it’s now easy to call without a need for a prefix and it’s
just P20 for unli calls, 15mb of mobile surfing, and 20 texts to all
networks! Kaya if you need a friend, don’t call me, I’ll call you!”
Disciplined. Mysterious. Ninja. Cherry Blossoms.Sushi. These are the words that come to mind when I think of Japan.
Geisha. Flawless.White.These are the words that come to mind when I think of Japanese women.
I cannot think of Japan without ever mentioning the beauty of its women. Never have I been as fascinated by any beauty ritual as those practiced by Japanese women. I envy their beautiful, white, porcelain-like and flawless skin. I know in Japan women started young when it comes to following a beauty regimen. I was in my mid 20's (maybe a bit late already when it comes to Japanese standards), when I discovered one of their secrets to having that youthful skin. And that secret is Kojic Acid.
I got to try it after my sister recommended it to me who used to work for a dermatologist friend. She gave me half a bar of an expensive soap with kojic acid as its main component. Now that I think about it, maybe that was how expensive it was then since she gave me just half a bar, similar to those found in hotel bathrooms. But what struck me and made me use this aside from the fact that it was given to me for free, was that I learned that the kojic acid soap came from Japan. That was the magic word -- Japan. I wanted to have that "never-age look" that Japanese women possess, so I would try any beauty thing that originates from them. It made a lot of sense then. It still makes a lot of sense now.
I still keep that mindset of not wanting to take risks when it comes to my skin care. I will only use the original thing. And because I am a believer of Japanese beauty regimen and kojic acid... I'm all for Kojie San.
Right after using Kojie San, there's already the feeling of slight skin tightening as if having an instant face lift. That's how I know it's working. The kojic acid in it helps increase exfoliation of the skin. It aids in removing dead skin cells as well as dirt, old dull skin, sebum, excess
oil, and many more. In addition, and what I like the most especially now that I'm not too young anymore, is that kojic acid digs deeper to help my skin have
faster cellular turnover. The result -- a new skin formed which is better, whiter and flawless.
This is a great soap to bring during out-of-town trips to the beach or just about anywhere this summer. I have naturally oily skin and the heat of summer makes it even worse -- yup, oilier & greasier. We all know that the sun can be such a bummer at times. But what good is summer without the sun? Duh.
Knowing that I can take a bath or wash my face using Kojie San after I expose my skin and face takes away my fear of sun exposure. I don't need to hide from the sun all the time whenever I'm at a beach because of Kojie San. There's no need to worry anymore because I'm certain of Kojie San's magic of lightening those dark spots on my skin brought about by the sun. In no time, I will have renewed skin.
Not only that, I can enjoy myself to the max and be one happy soul relishing the best of summer!
Read just a few of the many facts and benefits of Kojie San:
Kojie.san is the first kojic acid soap to be commercially available in the Philippine market.
Kojie.san has a micro peeling effect, which makes it a potent whitening product.
It does not contain any harmful chemicals.
It contains antioxidants and 100% all natural ingredients.
I am a person who rarely watches TV.Yup, but how come I’m blogging about a topic
which relates to watching TV?Well, it’s because
I thought the subject is just perfect for someone whose TV viewing time in a
week is close to nada.
You see, for someone like me, getting glued on the boob tube makes the entire TV viewing pleasure a real pleasure because it's not something done out of habit. Yes, it makes my TV viewing experience more memorable since it only happens but rarely. And those rare times, I would tune in to cable channels. Just last week before retiring to bed, I chanced upon Cinema One and Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit starring Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta was showing. I finished the entire movie even though I already watched it several times before. I remember watching a lot of cable shows, especially during the time when I was bedresting due to my delicate pregnancy. Our bedroom TV was my best buddy and Cinema One channel proved to be a great help in curing my boredom and regaining my sanity. LOL.
I recall crying over
"One More Chance" starring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo, even if I had
watched it twice already that week. I would even wait for it to be shown again the following days so that I could cry over it again. From the moment I would wake up until my
sleeping time, our bedroom TV was tuned in to SKYcable channels like Lifestyle Network, ETC, Discovery Travel & Leisure, AFC, etc. but the afternoons were devoted to Cinema One channel. That was how busy I was then.
Now, whenever I get the chance to watch TV, the first channel I would check is Cinema One and then the lifestyle shows and cooking shows. That is, if my kids are not around or else Disney Channel would always dominate the screen.
I'm glad there's SKYcable.True to its motto, SKYcable has given me a world of limitless possibilities with its widest selection of channels and different ways to enjoy it. Continue reading below to know its four (4) amazing features:
First, it lets you add channels and packs that you like to your basic plan. Say you have a big family and each member has a favorite channel to to watch. No need to brood, here is a feature that makes everyone in the family happy and gay.
Secondly, it has the most number of standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) channels. Who wouldn't want to watch HD all the time???? I do.
Thirdly, it lets you get access to special shows and events through SKYcable Pay-Per-View and Free View. All you boxing fanatics out there or Manny Pacquiao addicts, this is for you! This is such a money-saver. You no longer have to fly to Las Vegas to watch Manny Pacquiao fight. You can watch, scream your lungs out, shout, and stomp your feet and do anything and everything you want in the comforts of your home while cheering for our Pambansang Kamao.
And last but not the least, it enables you to take control of your TV viewing
with iRecord. This is definitely for me and my favorite not because mommies, like me, tend to take control all the time, lol, it is simply because I get to pause, record and then playback my favorite scenes of Popoy and Basha in One More Chance and get to do some household chores in between.
I can even record those cooking shows from AFC and Lifestyle Network while catching up some shut-eye or doing something else at home. This means, not missing any recipe from Barefoot Contessa and Giada De Laurentiis. How convenient is that? With iRecord, iAmOneHappyMom!
"Today, over 800,000 subscribers have made SKYcable the number one cable TV service provider in the Philippines. SKY has grown to feature the best and most varied cable programs for the whole family with amazing value added services for your family’s viewing enjoyment."
SKYcable caters to the family and understands that TV viewing can be a great family-bonding activity.
I
am still basking in the overwhelming feeling of bliss after one of my dreams
came true just last week. Our vacation
to Bohol was planned long before it was hit by an intensity 7 earthquake. Despite the images we saw from the news about
the devastation, we were still determined to visit Bohol.
This
would be our first time to travel to Bohol. Days before our take-off, I was done with our itinerary.
Detailed as it may seem, I did not want to
stress over it. The schedules were flexible because more than anything, what I
wanted was to relax during our travel. Taking vacations are supposed to relax
your mind, body and spirit and not to tire you even more. It’s like taking a
medicine when you’re sick. It should make you feel better not worse. So, the
day before our trip, I went on a coffee date with my Date and committed our travel
plans to Him who can make us that perfect itinerary and knowing fully well that
with His blessings, guidance and presence, nothing could go wrong. How I wanted to experience and longed to
commune with nature.
The
day of our arrival in Bohol came. The 30 minute drive to Doljo, Panglao was
smooth yet uneventful. We passed by a
lot of damaged church buildings on our way to our resort. Bohol is a quiet
place, we thought.
As I stepped out of the van that took us to our hotel, I gazed at the lobby and at the far end across, something captivated me - the smell, sight and sound of a beautiful ocean. WOW!! Complementing the clear blue sky was the calm sea in all its turquoise glory. It was spectacular! I immediately felt refreshed just by staring at the beauty in front of me.
Just a good two-minute walk from where we
were staying was this quaint resort and restaurant where we had what we wanted
to have for our meals – all kinds of seafoods at very reasonable cost. Walking
along that short stretch was therapeutic. It was like having our own island. Neither
was there any sign of “busyness” nor loud crowd.Everything was serene and I liked it that
way.
For the adventure part of our vacation,
we went on a city tour. I was excited and eager to finally see the pictures I
would just usually read from my children’s Araling Panlipunan textbooks come
alive.
The tarsiers are Bohol’s living treasure.
Yes, they are the stars of the show, so to speak.I never knew they were that small and fragile
until I was face-to-face with them. They are a perfect symbol for Bohol --a picture of gentleness and quietness.
Reaching the viewing deck at Chocolate
Hills Adventure Park required us to embark on another journey-- that of
climbing approximately 250 stone steps. Initially, I thought we signed up for
the “Biggest Loser”, but, I took it as a challenge. Anyway, I haven’t been
exercising for the longest time so I thought, taking those steps would pretty
much count as my work-out days for the whole year. I was too exhausted to
admire the view when I reached the top but just like eating real chocolates,
the moment I saw the hills which, by the way, are made of limestones, I felt
re-energized. And then, it was time to take those stone steps once again, this
time going down.
Passing by the Man-made Forest was like
being transported to another country. I was thinking what if zombies appear
while we were having our pictures taken in the middle of the road surrounded by
those gigantic trees. But no, there weren't any zombie, only fast cars that made our photoshoot even more exciting.
The River Cruise was another lovely
experience. The live band and singing all the more made the experience one-of-a-kind.
I couldn’t help but admire the picturesque sight of everything green in all
shapes, shades and sizeswhile our big boat raft traversed through the wide and serene Loboc
river.
What I loved most about our tour to
Bohol’s different tourist destinations was that each spot showcased Bohol’s
natural beauty. There’s something here for everybody. Whether you are young or old,
you will surely have an experience in Bohol that you will want to come back for.Bohol is a big showcase of nature at its
best.
There were many moments during our
vacation that I felt God’s love and hand upon us. I felt that this vacation
was really meant for us.
It was such a joy to see our kids and hear their laughter while playing in and just relishing the pool
overlooking the beach.
I had fun watching them fill their beach pails with starfish. But the following day, it was a touching scene when they bid their catch goodbye while releasing them back to
the ocean.
I was thrilled to see my husband having a time of
his life taking pictures left and right. Panglao is a slice of paradise and it
is a photographer’s haven.
Everything was wonderful, but what was
life-changing to me about this travel was that I got my wish –
to feel His gift of life through His works of art. As I stared at the vastness
of the ocean in front of me, I couldn’t help but say, “Thank You, God, for this
wonderful vacation.” My soul was refreshed and rejuvenated.
Then and there, I experienced the joy and peace of living in the present moment and savoring it. I realized that "everything has God's fingerprint on it," which makes every moment spent with those I value the most in my life so special.
I believe I found the secret to having an amazing & life-changing travel story to tell–
it is simply having that “let-nature-take-its-course” attitude or better yet,
it’s letting the One who commands nature to take over… Just as it should be in
our lives. And yes, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
