Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Unlock the Secrets to Singapore Math this May 28 and 29

Calling parents and guardians of kids in grades 2 to 5 who:

-- want to learn a new approach to math
-- would like to help their children in their homework

Attend this eye-opening seminar and:

1. Find out how Singapore Math helps children understand math better.

2. Learn how to solve math problems using the Singapore Math Model Approach.

3. Discover techniques to help children with their math homework without the need of going to a tutor.

4. Find out how Singapore Math develops criticial thinking skills, going beyond mere memorization.

5. Learn advanced lessons to prepare for the coming school year.


For more details, please visit Galileo's Multiply Page.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Have Fewer Reasons to Forget

I can be very forgetful sometimes. This is why I try to make sure I minimize "senior moments" as much as possible.

Read my techniques on how I am able to remember things I have to do in this HerWord article.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Olly Steeds in Manila

Solve History with Olly Steeds this June 4-5, SM Mall of Asia Activity Center and Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center.


Avail of their 2-day Documentary Photography Workshop for P500.00. All participants will receive a goodie bag from Discovery Channel. Reserve your tickets now.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

So THAT was the problem!

We live in a house that has an old-fashioned fuse box, not the circuit breaker type. For a couple of days, about two weeks ago, our electricity started to turn on and off every few hours. When we went home to Laguna to vote and stayed there overnight, we forgot about it.


The night we came back, the blasted problem escalated. At around 1 a.m., all our lights and appliances went off when hubby turned on the air conditioner. He checked the fuse box and said one fuse, the one for the air con, was piping hot and has to be replaced. So off he went to a 24-hour convenience store confident he'll find what he needed. Meanwhile, I had to fan the kids like crazy so they could sleep despite the overwhelming heat.


Still, despite the the McGyver tactics hubby tried, the electricity won't turn on. We ended up perspiring the whole night and unable to sleep. In the morning, with headaches and all, we called an electrician who was able to fix the problem -- loose connections in the fuse box.

However, early yesterday morning, the power started turning on and off, on and off again; this time from stretches of a minute or two to around 30 minutes to one hour per cycle. Hubby was at work so I asked my eldest son to go fetch the electrician after we ate lunch. The handyman said he can't find anything wrong with the fuse box and advised me to report the matter to Meralco instead. He suspected a problem in the electric cable outside.

By that time, I was already in despair as I have article deadlines to beat and my kids were getting cranky from the heat. So I called up the Meralco hotline and requested they send somebody ASAP. I was pleasantly surprised to have two linemen appear at our front gate that same afternoon (with PLDT, it most often takes days and numerous calls before they send someone over).


One of them opened the meter and voila! There were components inside that are already burned out! I didn't ask anymore if that might have caused a fire. Too scary to even think about! It took the men about half an hour to replace the parts, close the meter and reconnect the main cable to the Meralco post. Despite the continuous rise in our electric bill these past four months, I will concede that Meralco earned some plus points from me yesterday for the swift action.

I just hope the weather becomes cooler soon and that we get to pay a lower amount for our electric consumption next month.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Kool Treats!

I have just discovered a new way to cool down this summer!

This afternoon, my eldest son and I went to Alabang Town Center where a writer-friend and I interviewed the owners of Kool Shaves. I got to sample the Mango Blast flavor, Leland chose Glacier Coffee while Maan tried Polar Milk. All three of us agreed that those were some of the best-tasting desserts we've tasted.

Each cup sells for only P39 while toppings cost P6 per variant

We found out that these yummy offerings are made from fresh cow's milk infused with pureed all-natural flavors and ingredients. No wonder the contents of my cup were bursting with real mango goodness!

The unique thing about Kool Shaves is that it tastes like ice cream but comes in velvety flakes with your chosen toppings to boot! Each cup comes from a big slab of deeply-frozen flavored milk that is shaved right in front of you.

What I noticed too is that Kool Shaves does not feel heavy like halo-halo. It's light on the tummy and is not too sweet -- hindi nakakaumay, for lack of a better term.

The next time I'm in ATC, I'd definitely try out their other flavors. I'm pretty sure Daniel would want to order Peanut Butter Chills while Josh will probably go for the Choco Iceberg first.

I forgot to take photos of the ones we ate 
because we were so busy savoring the lovely tastes.
Here's a shot of the Kool Shaves kiosk instead :)

Kool Shaves' other flavors include Green Tea Freeze (I think I'd try that one next time), Ube Frost, and Choco Alps. Aside from the ATC, you can find these yummy goodies at the Pergola Mall in BF Homes Paranaque and at SM Southmall in Las Pinas.

Oh, and hey, they also provide packages for party needs! For more info, visit their website at  http://www.koolshaves.com

Friday, May 14, 2010

Good Example of Filipino Humor

I'm sure those who voted last May 10 would be able to understand and appreciate the tweets of a Twitter member who chose the username "PCOSmachine" (Precinct Count Optical Scan machine).

He (or It? :p) has captured a lot of funny bones such that some very hilarious posts earned him/it more than 10,000 followers in just a couple of days since the elections ended.

PCOSmachine seemed to have "arrived" when he/it was even featured in a GMANews article last May 12. Read the engaging Twitter interview involving 140 characters or less per question and answer.

Really funny!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

All Hits, All Night Long

A big music show called the THEN AND NOW Massive Music Festival is coming to Metro Manila this Saturday, May 15 2010.


Performing are artists from the United States such as JoJo, Diana King, Frankie J, Baby Bash, P.M. Dawn, SWV, All-4-One and V Factory. They will be performing their greatest hits onstage for all their fans in the Philippines.

According to the THEN AND NOW website, this event is a definite all-hits show and not an album tour nor a promo tour. Thus, music fans from all over the archipelago can look forward to singing and dancing to their favorite tunes the whole night.

Organizers also hinted that other international acts have taken interest in this once-in-a-lifetime event so there may be more pop/R&B performers joining the already star-studded lineup.

Lucky concert-goers will get a chance to win all sorts of prizes from music-friendly sponsors and the event's partner companies.

The THEN AND NOW Massive Music Festival 2010 features JoJo, Frankie J, Baby Bash, Diana King, SWV, P.M. Dawn,All-4-One and V Factory. It will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds. Tickets are available at Ticketnet and Ticketworld outlets.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Voted!

I am glad that May 10 is finally over. My husband and I voted in Laguna where we are registered. We have carefully chosen the candidates we believe would best lead our country.

 Feeding my ballot to the PCOS machine

Unfortunately, many Filipinos still seem not to get how significant their right to vote is.  Although I am happy that Noynoy Aquino has a significant lead over his competitors, we can all see from the partial unofficial results for the senatorial race these past few days just how much people continue to rely on a candidate's past movies rather than their platforms and character.

And yet, many continue to wonder why our country is not moving forward. Here's hoping and praying that our new president would inspire positive changes in the next six years.

BTW, you may want to read about my kids' articles in Manila Bulletin's Funpage about their views on the elections:
-- Hopes for a Better Philippines by Josh
-- Voting in the Barrio by Daniel

Friday, May 07, 2010

Double Celebration

My birthday always either fall near, or on, Mothers' Day itself. This year is no different. I don't desire any big shindigs. All I want is to have my family with me when I celebrate another year of blessings.

Last night, I texted hubby to buy me a pre-birthday pizza. He came home bearing a box from Yellow Cab and a couple of sodas. The kids enjoyed having two slices each. I am simply thankful :)

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Make Mothers' Day Extra Special for Your Mom and Be Part of Online History

I have been a World Vision sponsor and staunch supporter for several years now and I can vouch that it is one of the most worthwhile organizations to send help to. Please take this opportunity to make Mothers' Day special for your mom and, the process, help poor Filipino kids and their families. If you want to do more, kindly consider sponsoring at least one child so he/she can go to school this coming June.

==

Johnson’s Baby and World Vision have partnered to come out with a different kind of Mother’s Day celebration this year. Titled "Baby Your Mom Day", the campaign aims to create the longest online Mother's Day greeting using videos and photos submitted by users.

And for every submission, Johnson's Baby will donate P50 to World Vision to help send underprivileged children to school. We invite everyone to join us and support this great cause. Send us your submissions through this Facebook profile, through our YouTube channel or via email at babyyourmomday@gmail.com.

Deadline for submission: May 7, 2010.

For more information, please check out this Facebook page.


Official Press Release:

Manila – May 1, 2010

This May 9, the Philippines will go for online history as it pursues the Guinness record for the longest online Mother’s Day Greeting.

Johnson’s Baby and World Vision have partnered together to create a different kind of Mother’s Day celebration this year that will give Filipino moms a special kind of Mother’s Day greeting, will help send underprivileged children to school, and will hopefully create Mother’s Day online history.

Entitled “Baby Your Mom Day”, this project invites Filipinos to send their own special Mother’s Day greetings online, and for each greeting Johnson’s Baby will donate P50 to World Vision to help send underprivileged children to school. Famous celebrities and World Vision ambassadors have in fact signed up to share their own special Mother’s Day greetings through the program - Sam Milby, Marc Nelson, Sam Concepcion, and Julia Clarete to name a few.

Unlike traditional Mother’s Day greetings, this program aims to show a different kind of appreciation to all Filipino moms. Especially for Pinoy mothers, their children will forever be their “babies”, hence this Mother’s Day, Johnson’s Baby and World Vision will give Filipinos a chance to flip roles and greet their moms by “babying her” instead.

"Johnson's Baby is closely associated with that special bond that links Mother and Child. What better occasion than Mother's Day to celebrate that amazing relationship and help put underprivileged kids through school. It will make our Filipino moms so happy and proud”, noted Christine Balingit, Group Brand Manager of Johnson’s Baby.

Jun Godornes, OIC Manager for Direct Marketing for World Vision added, "When the Johnson's Baby team approached us for this campaign, we knew that it was great project. Not only is it a good fundraising effort, it is a nice and unique way to celebrate our moms on their special day in the year. Our World Vision brand ambassadors jumped right in, lending their support to this effort. We hope that the Philippines as a whole will do the same."

The motivation for creating the longest Mother’s Day greeting is driven by two factors as explained by Jaycee Garcia, Senior Brand Manager for Johnson's Baby. "For one, the more submissions that we receive, the bigger our donation to World Vision will be and the more children we will be helping out. Secondly, we plan to put the Philippines on the world map via the Guinness Book of World Records by generating the longest online Mother's Day greeting ever created. It is unique in our culture to remain really close to our mothers even as we grow up and Filipinos should be proud of that. "

This campaign was rolled out on May 1, 2010 on Facebook and Youtube. Online greeting submissions via videos and / or photos will be featured on these sites, complemented by a dedicated online Mother’s Day  wall at www.babyyourmomday.com for everyone in the world to view.

Everyone is invited to join the campaign and submit their videos and or photos. To learn more about “Baby your Mom Day” and support this great cause, people can go to www.facebook.com/babyyourmomday for more details.

From “Happy Mother’s Day” to “Baby Your Mom Day”, calling all Filipinos to unite in creating Mother’s Day history not just in the Philippines but hopefully the world.


Saturday, May 01, 2010

Iron Man 2 is Awesome!

Yesterday, the kids and I watched a special screening of Iron Man 2 at the Podium. One of my sons was assigned to write a review about it for Manila Bulletin's Funpage section.


I find this sequel more action packed than the first one. Iron Man 2 is also filled with more special effects that sometimes left our mouths hanging open :p As a long-time fan of Robert Downey Jr., (yes, I am biased!) I can only say this guy gets better and better every time a new movie comes out :) Oh, and I loved Scarlett Johansson's role as the Black Widow. She reminded me of Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. She really kicked ass! :p


The screening was sponsored by Jollibee and we got some goodies after the movie. My kids loved the items especially the earphones. Catch the Iron Man 2 fever at Jollibee while it's there! :)

Nido Science Discovery Center and Discovery Channel Join Forces

My kids, particularly my youngest son, always enjoy visiting the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center (NFSDC) at the Mall of Asia. There usually seems to be something new each time we go there. Aside from the many awesome and interactive galleries and exhibits, we most look forward to their newest 3D planetarium shows.

Last Friday, NFSDC and Discovery Channel officially announced a partnership that aims to come up with some of best science learning experiences for Filipino children. I, personally, am excited to see what new things are in store for those of us who love learning new things in the most fun of ways in the next few months. To read my past entries about the NFSDC, please visit the feature I wrote at herword.com and here in this blog.


My son, Daniel, and his friend, Ino
(who both write for Manila Bulletin's Funpage section)

====

Official Press Release:

30 April 2010, Manila - Get ready for the best learning experience yet as the country’s premier science and technology-based theme park, the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center (NFSDC) teams up with Discovery Channel to create the ultimate science learning center in the country, bringing science to life for visitors of all ages through a combination of unique experiences and imaginative exhibits.

Great minds truly think alike. The partnership of between NFSDC and Discovery Channel brings together their mutual commitment to dynamic learning, environmental conservation and pioneering innovation.

NFSDC‘s nine highly interactive galleries, housed in a 3,000 square meter, two-level structure will be infused with Discovery Channel’s most popular content. These include "When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions" and the über futuristic "Next World". Exhilarating events featuring Discovery Channel personalities and exclusive Discovery Channel merchandise are also in the works. These are just some of the things you can look out for.

Discovery Channel and Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center
Ceremonial Turnover

Relive the Adventure of Space Exploration!

No more than 500 people have explored outer space. But with Adventure of Space Exploration, you can now become part of humankind's fantastic space odyssey!

Based on Discovery Channel’s “When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions,” it centers on the NASA missions, its people and the triumphs of exploration in the last half century. See space from the eyes of NASA’s astronauts. The new gallery is set to open in October 2010 at the center’s second floor.

The intergalactic quest continues at the DigiStar Planetarium. Explore the stars at the speed of light at the 160-seater, 360-degree futuristic theater located at on the center's ground level floor.

Exciting short films produced by the American Museum of Natural History and Mirage 3D Films to be featured in the Digistar Planetarium will be narrated by famous Hollywood celebrities like Sean Bean, Tom Hanks, and Robert Redford! Watch out for new offerings that include: Cosmic Collisions, Passport to Universe and Dawn of the Space Age.

At the Planetarium, traveling to outer space has never been this easy!

Interactive learning at NFSCD has truly been perfected down to a science. And with Discovery Channel’s new content, you’ll experience double the thrill, double the fun, and double the amazing discoveries!

For more details and ticket reservations, please call 556-0331/556-2194 or log on to http://www.smsciencediscovery.com/sdc