Yes, I found my tribe four years ago and love them hard!

It was December 13, 2013 to be exact when I was invited by the ever loving and kind, Mommy Lanie Lluch, Head Admin of Mommy Bloggers Philippines to be part of the group. Mommy Bloggers Philippines is one of the leading and sought after blogger groups in the country. Up to date, more than 500 mommy bloggers are under it and new members come each year making MBP a home of Pinay mommy bloggers from different parts of the world, ages, genres, and niches, making this group more holistic, well-rounded, and trusted by different brands. My blogging experience would never be the same without MBP. 

Every year, the admins of #MommyBloggersPH, Joy Gurtiza of Joybites, Louisa Mercado of Art of Being  a Mom, and of course, Lanie Lluch of Tweensel Mom, organize a one of a kind major event where members convene to relax, enjoy, and catch up! The get-together is a sort of a time to have "chika therapy" amidst their very busy schedule due to wearing so many hats at the same time. The event is always intimate, although it becomes bigger and hopefully becomes open for all its members in the years to come.

L-R: Lanie Lluch, Joy Gurtiza, and Louisa Mercado, Admins of Mommy Bloggers Philippines. (Courtesy: Louisa Mercado)

Last Saturday, December 9, Mommy Bloggers Philippines' A Christmas in Bloom Party was held in Vanilla Cafe near the premises of ABS-CBN, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. It was the only chance that we could be together as one so isinabay na rin ang baby shower ng aking first photography teacher and favorite food blogger na si Joy Gurtiza.


It was such a light and fun party! No pressure at all. Just pure bliss and non-stop chikahan!

#MBPChristmasParty2017 is a venue where moms of MBP find time to do their "chika therapy".  (Courtesy: @thesuper.momma)

Sabi ko nga kay Mommy Lanie, sumakit ang panga ko sa kachichika at kulang ang tatlong oras sa mga naipong kwento ng mga nanay na minsan lang magkita in person sa loob ng isang taon. We also had our simple "exchange gift-giving". Ganyan lang ka-simple pero enjoy na enjoy kaming lahat!

In MBP, we became close through the years. From online friends, we became offline friends too. It is a group where we could meet like-minded moms and could literally talk anything under the sun without any pretention. Ang saya lang talaga ng feeling! Every MBP member would look forward to an event like this kasi naman very therapeutic. 

As I mentioned, we were chatting the whole time but our bodies were fueled by a scrumptious dinner prepared by Vanilla Cafe. Sa dami ng serving ng kanilang soup, salad, appetizer, and pasta, and meat dish na lahat pagkasarap-sarap, hindi kami naubusan ng energy. Super yummy rin ng cupcakes and iced tea nila, promise! And of course, "Instagrammable" pa ang kanilang cozy ambience!

Vanilla Cafe is oozing with good food and relaxing ambience.

Our three hour, "Day-Off ni Inday"/#MBPChristmasParty2017 memories would be etched in my heart forever. Before I forget, buti na lang may mga #TitaProblem aids ako sa bahay! Sumakit ang braso at likod ko sa dami ng gifts and raffle prizes na pinauwi ng mga generous sponsors!

Our generous sponsors gave their support through giveaways and prizes. You may give them some love by visiting their websites and following their social media sites:

Holiday rush is a common problem as Christmas approaches. Filipinos always love last minute preparations. Lahat ay punung-abala, aligaga, at natataranta because we belong to a nation who considers celebrating Christmas a big deal. Why is it always like this? Because bonuses or 13th month pay are usually given a few weeks before Christmas. One more thing, most Filipinos are not used to planning ahead of time at umaasa sa bonus sa Disyembre bago magsimulang magplano and they will end up spending too much until finally, wala ng natitira.

If you are going to ask me, these scenarios can be avoided. It's plain and simple. First and foremost, before making and preparing your Christmas menu, gifts and shopping list, the questions are, "How much is your budget?", "How much time can you spend preparing?", "Who will do the preparations?" If you answer these questions, make sure that they are SMART- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reasonable, and Time-bound. Don't just focus on the idea na "May darating namang bonus. Minsan lang naman ang pasko sa loob ng isang taon kaya itodo na ito!"

Well, that's the other side of the coin. Let's just say that you are capable of spending too much for the holidays. It is a family tradition that you always prepare of annually. If you want to spend your hard earned money to make memories, it's fine and it's your choice as long as you still have spare money to spend after the holidays. 

For those living on a budget and for those who have much to spend, one thing's for sure. Everyone wants to save, get huge discounts, get the best deals, and still get the best choices. If you have already planned for your working budget, prepared your gift list, made your shopping list for gifts, food, decors, and anything that you are going to use for Christmas celebration, here are some tips that work well based on experience.

1. Why wait for December when you can prepare your gift and shopping list as early as January? 

Yes, it is advisable to plan ahead so that you can refrain yourself from spending too much due to impulsive buying.

2. When you have planned ahead and prepared your list already, you can shop all-year round during mall, supermarket, or warehouse sale events. There you can score amazing deals, huge discounts, and unique finds that you can store as gift items during emergency occasions and of course, for Christmas. Always make it a habit to buy extra gift items just in case that you've missed someone on your list. Bulk food items that can be stored for months like canned fruits, sauces, snacks, chocolates, coffee, creamer, and other non-perishables if you plan to prepare Christmas baskets as gifts to each family of your relatives, they are best bought in the middle of the year as the "Ber Month" approaches, Most of the sale events happen during "Sweldo Day". What you can do is to spare a few amounts for your shopping intended for the holidays. By doing this little by little you're going to be surprised that in December, you are already prepared for the holidays. You will no longer need to spend your bonus to shop. You may invest it instead.

3. You can start wrapping your gifts as soon as you have bought them. You can do this on your spare time during weekends or if you want to do something to unwind after a busy day. Gift wrapping is therapeutic too and doing it without rushing can give you more time to be creative in making your gifts personalized. If you are not an artsy type, you can purchase pretty boxes, crates, bags, or jars to house your gifts. You can also save the environment in doing so because they can be reused too. 

4. After purchasing the things and gifts that you need for the holidays, do you have a room, cabinet, or storage area where you can place them neatly and orderly? Doing a quarterly general cleaning is a must to keep your house neat and orderly. It will save you from cramming as the holiday season approaches. If you have a lot of items not being used for six months and up, it is time for you to sell them through a garage sale. The money that you can earn can be used as part of your budget for Christmas, can be donated to charity, or save as emergency fund. If you don't want to sell those items, you may donate them to charity or give them to someone that you think can use them. If you don't have time to do a quarterly general cleaning, make it a habit to declutter or organize on a daily basis so that your home is ready for unexpected guests or relatives who will spend a day or two with you during the holidays. This will lessen your worries during the holidays.

5. As early as October, if you expect relatives to celebrate Christmas with your family, check the inventory of your China, glassware, flat ware, utensils, kitchen towels, table cloth, table napkins, biodegradable trash liners, and other kitchen aids. If the dinner or lunch is informal and if you don't want to have trouble in washing the dishes for a huge number of guests, there are biodegradable disposable plates, utensils, and napkins that are decorated intended for Christmas which you can use to beautify your table setting too while keeping your kitchen, dining table, and guests clean and neat.

In line with this, one of my most trusted brands for my kitchen is Sanicare, a local brand that is also famous for its tissues and other hygiene products such as cotton, wipes, underpants, and toilet seat cover. Whenever I purchase kitchen towels, my first choice is always Sanicare. Sanicare Kitchen Towels are composed of moisture locking technology that makes them super absorbent, perfect in absorbing excess oil, water, and other liquids. They are also durable and stays intact while being used. I've been using them for years and I highly recommend them. To add class to the table setting, I recommend Sanicare Mood Dinner Napkins that are known to be luxuriously strong but very soft, making meals extraordinarily special. It comes in two colors, white and black, but I prefer the former than the latter.

Sanicare Mood Dinner Napkins in White is my favorite! So neat and clean!

Since it's Christmas preparation that I am talking about, what makes me excited is that Sanicare has launched again its very festive Kitchen Towel Christmas Edition as it usually does annually.

Nothing beats the absorbing power of Sanicare Kitchen Towels due to their moisture locking technology.

This year, Sanicare  Kitchen Towel Christmas Edition also goes hand in hand with the launch of a specially designed holiday facial tissue boxes called Liwanag Christmas Edition Boxes. This year, the boxes were designed by the very talented artist, Alex Eduque, founder of MovEd.

Sanicare Liwanag Christmas Edition Facial Tissues in white, red, blue, and green boxes

As you can see, Liwanag Christmas Edition Boxes are inspired by a world-class Filipino talent, promoting hope and happiness amidst all odds. Alex has chosen parols (lanterns) and stars as the center of her amazing designs. She believes that parols or lanterns are symbolic representation that expresses unification and a nation of promise while stars remind us that every person in the world share the same sky and despite our differences, conditions, and circumstances, each of us has a star shining brightly from within. The overall design speaks of equality among social classes that symbolically lights up all Filipino homes.

Those parols (lanters) and stars printed in every Sanicare Liwanag Christmas Edition Facial Tisue Boxes literally shine brightly! I love the way they are printed in gold foil.

Like our family this Christmas season, Sanicare would also like you to try its Christmas Edition Kitchen Towels and Facial Tissue Liwanag Series Boxes. By doing so, you don't just make your home and festivities to have "Christmas feels" but you can also have a chance to win awesome prizes by joining Starry Bright Christmas Promo.

To join this promo, here are the simple mechanics.

1. Interested participants need to post a creative photo on their Facebook account featuring the Sanicare Facial Tissue Liwanag Series Box.

2. The creative photo must include a caption that starts with a phrase, "My Christmas is extra bright this year because _______________!" and must tag three (3) other friends. Entries also should include the mandatory hashtags #SanicareLiwanagSeries #Sanicare #SCPA.

3. Once the photo was posted, the participant must go back to the Sanicare PH Facebook promo post and click the link provided in order to submit the entry.

They are so easy, aren't they?

The promo will run from November 22, 2017 to January 1, 2018. Deadline of submission is on  January 1 at 6:00 PM. Winners will be announced on January 15, 2018 on Sanicare PH Facebook Page. 

Luck winners will get the following prizes:

The grand prize winner will be given four (4) all day passes to Dream Play and Lunch Buffet for four (4) at The Cafe at the Hyatt City of Dreams Manila.

10 consolation prize winners will also be chosen and each will receive a Php2,000 Sodexo Gift Certificate from Sanicare.

For more details and updates about the promo, you may visit and like Sanicare PH Facebook Page. Starry Bright Christmas Promo is under DTI Permit No. 18311 Series of 2017. You may also follow @sanicare_ph on Instagram as well.

Join Sanicare Starry Bright Christmas Promo and get the chance to win awesome prizes!

Have a stress-free Christmas! I hope that you can join and win the promo too! 

Last Friday morning, I was able to talk to a pretty mom, a co-parent in Bunso's school, which I forgot to ask the name. We had a brief conversation about our kids. She asked me when and how Bunso learned to talk. I told her that Bunso could only say Mama and Papa when he started his therapy sessions three years ago. After three months of regular OT sessions, he knew how to talk in simple phrases. Amazing, isn't it?

Swimming is Bunso's way to exercise his body while reading is his habit to exercise his mind.

Aside from the help of his therapist and his education under the supervision of the Sped team, the advantage of Bunso's non-exposure to television because he doesn't like watching TV shows and limiting his gadget time have helped in the process too. Paps and I exposed him to books at an early age instead.

These  books were few of the many books that we got last summer from our visit to Scholastic Warehouse Sale. Bunso and his Kuya shares the passion for the love for reading through the years. Why do you see multiple copies of most of the books? They are nice gifts for all occasions. The gift of learning is priceless and timeless.

Believe it or not, two years ago I used to read aloud 45 books, 3 to 7 times a day to Bunso while pointing the words and showing him the illustrations. He memorized them all until our reading materials became more than 45 books. Every January, I would change his reading materials so that he could have a new learning experience. Until finally, he began reading the words on his own without memorizing the story. I would also ask him questions about the story to check his comprehension.

In line with this, Scholastic Warehouse Sale is our cheapest source of reading materials since 2014. I encourage you to visit its ongoing sale. I guarantee na sulit ang pagod ninyo sa pagpunta. You will find all the details below my Scholastic Warehouse Sale experiences and the ongoing Christmas sale. 

LoveHopeFaith (LHF) is an all-Filipino social enterprise that was founded as an instrument to provide care and assistance to a cancer patient. It has helped hundreds of its beneficiaries who are mostly children with cancer since 2013. 

Aside from improving its version of #LifeSaverWatch and other products, it has also improved its ordering process to further enhance the shopping experience of its clients. 

LHF has shifted online orders to its website lovehopefaithgroup.com in April this year.  Clients can visit the website, select orders, review cart, enter shipping details, and proceed to checkout. All business transactions related to orders are coursed through its email, lovehopefaith.orders@gmail.com. Furthermore, clients can still send LHF a message thru its Facebook page or mobile numbers for queries. 

Just recently, a cut-off schedule has been released for online orders to prevent shipping delays this holidays. Deadline for orders and payments for those with provincial addresses are on November 30 and for Metro Manila addresses on December 15. 

Life Saver Watch features Japan Movement technology and is water resistant. Ten trendy colors are available in small and big sizes giving a wide array of variety for people from all ages to choose from. Available colors are: Black, White, Gray, Mint, Navy Blue, Army Green, Red, Purple, Pink, and Brown. 

Life Saver Watch costs only Php250. What makes it worth purchasing for your own perusal and as a gift is 50% of its net proceeds is donated to LoveHopeFaith’s beneficiaries who are primarily children with cancer. Other beneficiaries include: Tahanan Sta. Luisa, a crisis intervention for street children, and Tahanan Carmela D’Amor, a center for abandoned children managed by the Sisters of the Divine Zeal. 

Now it's #TimetoSaveaLife! Order online to save yourself from holiday stress and to make this holiday season more meaningful and memorable to the recipient of your gift and of course, you can help LHF's beneficiaries as well.

For more information, visit its website- www.lovehopefaithgroup.com.

Follow Lovehopefaith Group on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

*Featured photos courtesy of LoveHopeFaith Group

I just remember, Mars at Pards, two years ago, there were two young gentlemen who asked me through my Facebook page what deodorant would I recommend to them.

Two gentlemen asked me two years ago about personal hygiene particularly about how to keep themselves smelling fresh all day.

If I remember it right, I commented on Mommy Pehpot's thread on her Facebook Page when she was asking for suggestions about what good deodorant would be best for lads. Maybe my comment redirected those gentlemen to my Facebook page asking for more details.

Actually, those were only two of a couple of questions that I received from followers and friends within my five years of blogging. Some shared photos showing that they found my tips working for them or recipes worth trying because they found them easy to prepare and delicious. I'd feel so elated and blessed when my loyal followers pin my recipes on Pinterest, share my musings on Facebook, or retweet my twitter entries. Through this, I find more meaning in what I do. 

Your feedback makes me very, very happy.

I've started blogging to have a diversionary activity while taking care of my family and small business and give in to my urge of continuing my passion for writing. I never thought that it could be a venue for me to make other people's lives easier, help them choose among practical options, and maybe somehow inspire them to enjoy living despite all odds. 

What is my point here? I am thinking that maybe if you have questions or concerns about life, love, relationships, parenting, recommendations, tips, and anything in between that you would like me to answer or topics that you want me to write about, please don't hesitate to send me a private message on Facebook, direct message on Instagram, or email at all.around.mama@gmail.com or the contact form here. Don't forget to use the subject, "#AskAAPM" so that I can attend to you immediately. I will do my best to give you the best possible answer to your question.

Thank you very much, dear Mars at Pards, for your unyielding support through the years. Because of you, I am still here. It is always a pleasure to help you in the best way that I can. It can surely make me the happiest Mama in the world.

#AskAAPM ands I'll be at your service! By the way, I will blog about the answers to the questions of the two gentlemen soon! 

Parenting is a huge responsibility. You always want your kids to excel well in important subjects like Math and Science. But the problem is most kids find these subjects difficult. 

Most kids fear Math and Science because they are difficult or they find them uninteresting to learn. Here are some useful ways you can make your kids more interested in Math and Science: 

1. Make learning fun and applicable to daily life.

Incorporate Math and Science into daily life by creating activities that children can apply at home. A good example would be cooking with them in the kitchen. You can bake a cake while letting them count and measure the ingredients needed to make the cake. After mixing the ingredients you can interject the different kinds of a mixture and ask which one is a solvent and a solute. You can also explain what happens when water boils and why the toast burns.

Another great activity to get them interested in these subjects is when you go shopping. You can teach them about money, fractions, and prices by making comparisons of which one is better to buy. By doing this, they’ll soon realize the importance of Math and Science in their daily life.

2. Expose them to hands-on experience.

Explore things together to encourage your child to learn Math and Science. One way to do this is by creating DIY projects together. Say for example toys made out of paper or recyclable materials. You can create interactive toys like a dancing puppet robot with the use of strings or a zip-line toy transporter to get the toys moving with the work of gravity. 

Why not take your kids to the zoo or the museum? There are numerous opportunities where they can have hands-on experience in learning about the history of technology and how things were made. By exposing them to these hands-on activities, your kids will have a lasting memory that will spark their interest more in learning Math and Science.

3. Praise the process of learning instead of focusing on grades.

Learning Math and Science is tough and can be challenging for kids. Sometimes they feel they’re not smart enough to learn these subjects so they quit. Parents can influence their kids on how they perceive Math and Science subjects on how they praise them. 

According to Carol Dweck, a psychology professor, parents praise the ability, talent, or intelligence too much and this is the opposite of good process praise. This is a  praise for the process of the child when he engages in hard work, focus, perseverance, improvement, and trying many strategies to learn a certain thing. So whenever your child is doing homework, praise the process and ask a question like “Wow, how did you do that?” while showing interest in what your kid is doing.

You’ve done your jobs as a parent when you see that the fun your kids are having with their homework or projects in Math and Science is greater than the fear they have of failing.

One of the things to get them more interested in learning is by playing toys and games. This encourages the child to have fun while learning the concepts of Math and Science. A number of great toys for them to play would be building blocks like LEGO, buildable towns or toy cars, and trains with tracks. You could also get them some fun Science experiment kits where they can build their own lava lamps or see what happens when you combine baking soda and vinegar together by making a man-made volcano.

Nowadays, technology influences the young by exposing them to fun friendly games online. There are apps available in the market where they can learn how to code or create their own online games which are really amazing!

These are just a few tips to help your kids be interested in learning Math and Science. What’s important is the goal of incorporating these subjects into their daily life and not forcing them to learn the subject that they might end up fearing. Your role as a parent is to help them foster their interest and passion towards these subjects that would benefit them in the future.

Conclusion

Apart from trying these methods by yourself, you can assign a dependable tuition teacher at home to make your young kids understand and solve Match and Science problems. You easily find Math, Physics, and Chemistry tuition teachers around you. The goal should be to make your kids find these difficult subjects as interesting as early as possible in their life.