Thursday, March 31, 2016

Banana Peel Sandals: Footwear Not Just for Summer

For the longest time, sandals were just considered summer footwear that one needs when going to the beach or for lounging around the house. However, ever-changing fashion trends have given birth to peoples' constant search for what's unique, chic, and … yes, Instagrammable!

pretty OOTD!
Features about sandals such as those from the New York Times' shower slide/sandal story that appeared on the pages of its T Magazine, a generous spread from Glamour Magazine's online pages, and an Essentials slide feature under the Fashion & Style banner of the NY Times, are proof that the once simple pair of sandals have come a long way and already arrived in style.   

In the Philippines, Banana Peel has once more redefined its customers' favorite must-have footwear by coming up with a variety of sandals for all seasons while keeping in mind form, function, and fashion. The flip flops specialty retailer offers the following:

Paprika sandals

Sip Some Sunshine This Summer with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Freshly Brewed Teas!

Many of us think of a glass of iced tea when we feel the need for a refreshing drink. Starting April 4, 2016, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will be offering its customers a new line of tea-based beverages that are sure to quench your thirst! 

Sip some sunshine! Iced Sweet Teas in Passion Fruit
and Red Orange Flavors (P135 for regular size and P155 for large size),
Swedish Berries (one size only at P135)
I had the chance to try the new flavors of Iced Sweet Teas and Sweet Tea Ice Blended drinks before they hit the stores next week so read on to find out which are my top recommendations!

CBTL's newest cool beverages are a refreshing blend of premium iced teas with infusions of delicious fruit flavors -- the perfect solution to those craving to beat the summer heat! 

Iced Sweet Tea with Roast Beef Sandwich, Greek Salad,
and Chilled Chicken Pasta Salad

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Fun Family Activities You Can Do at Residence Inn Tagaytay

There's something about being with animals that speaks to the heart. Our special child, who cannot walk nor talk, has repeatedly shown immense joy whenever he gets to interact with them. This is the main reason why I scheduled a visit to Residence Inn when we recently went to Tagaytay.

taking a break from Manila's hot weather
James was still very small when we first brought him to this place many years ago. It was his brothers who enjoyed roaming around the place and checking out the many things to see and do there. I had a chance to go back with my youngest son in 2012 during a media tour but his brother wasn't with us.

James finding the horses funny
This time around, we got to go as a family (minus two sons who had exams and work) and rediscovered the wonders of the animal kingdom that can be found at Residence Inn. Here's sharing the things we did:

1. Photo op with a baby tiger. Only Daddy and James went in because there's an extra fee (P50) to have photos taken with the cub. Guests will be able to touch the animal while it's being fed. 

James fascinated at being this close to a real tiger

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

What's Up Down There? GynePro Antiseptic Feminine Wash Answers Questions Women Are Too Shy to Ask

As much as we, women, try to regularly take care of our intimate parts, sometimes, other factors come into play that lead to irritation and discomfort. Here, GynePro Antiseptic Feminine Wash answers a few questions with straightforward answers so we can better own our femininity and all its amazing intricacies. 

GynePro is available in 60ml (P60.75) and 150ml (P124.50) bottles
Q. Why give my lady parts extra TLC during red days?

A. Menstrual blood, once discharged from the uterus, gets naturally contaminated with the body's innate organisms that are normally located in the vagina. The contaminated menstrual blood will then find its way to the vulva or external genitalia. This happens even on days when you don't have much bleeding but your pad may still be damp with blood and sweat. Bacteria that remain in warm and moist places for a long time tend to multiply and can lead to conditions like urinary tract infection (UTI), vaginal infections (e.g. bacterial vaginosis), and irritation and inflammation of the vulva or external genitalia (e.g. vulvitis or intertrigo).

GynePro Tip: The external genitalia is exposed to more possible bacteria during red days so there is a need to step up on your hygiene regimen. Change your pad regularly, use cotton underwear, avoid tight-fitting pants, wash yourself regularly, and choose an antiseptic feminine wash like GynePro, which has effective antibacterial yet vagina-caring properties.

photo credit: www.juzdeals.com

Tuesday, March 08, 2016

NatGeo Run 2016 to Happen Simultaneously in Five Cities Across Asia!

Now on its seventh year, National Geographic Channel’s (NGC) Earth Day Run goes international as it happens simultaneously, for the first time, in five cities across Asia on April 17, 2016! 

be part of history! join this year's NatGeo Run!
Considered one of the biggest and fastest-growing running events in the Philippines, NatGeo Run will continue to promote fitness and caring for the environment in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tai Chung, and Manila. Registration fees of all participants will help support and raise money for World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature and its projects. 

With 20,000 runners expected to participate in the Manila leg, the race course spans Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and McKinley West. NatGeo Run once again partners with Cherifer Premium to help make this year’s race the biggest Earth Day Run thus far. Combining thousands of runners from all over Asia makes Earth Day Run 2016 the largest group of running Eco Warriors in its history.

Gregg Yan of WWF describing how NatGeo runners get to help the environment

Sunday, March 06, 2016

Discovering Personal Strengths for Productivity and Profitability

If someone asks you if you are making the right choices every day, would you be able to say YES and be 100% confident about it? Why or why not? Can you also say that you are able to maximize your talents in achieving your goals?

borrowed from gallup.com
In a blogcon recently held at Kuppa Roastery and Cafe in BGC, coach Ryan Salvanera of StrengthsCoach.Ph defined talent as a naturally recurring pattern of thoughts, feelings, or behavior that can be productively applied. He also shared with us that: Talent x Investment = Strength.  

To better illustrate the equation, Ryan showed us a photo of himself playing basketball and admitted that his talent in the sport is only a 2 while Michael Jordan registers as a 10. So, even if he invests the same amount of time playing the game, his 2 x 10 = 20 will never be good enough for Jordan's 10 x 10 = 100. 

borrowed from appigo.com

Friday, March 04, 2016

Revolutionary Filipino-Developed Mobile App TARA Created to Combat Mobile Phone Theft

How many of you reading this right now have already fell victim to a mobile phone crime? I, and several members of my family, have already lost phones to pickpockets in the past. Recently, one of my sons even experienced being held up by five criminals (at high noon!) and had his phone brazenly taken out of his bag while bystanders looked and did nothing :( 

borrowed from thetimes.co.uk
According to statistics from Inspira Research, mobile phones are usually targeted by criminals because this commodity is easy to resell. Every year, thousands of Filipinos lose this personal piece of property that, unfortunately, not only costs money but also carry valuable information that includes phone numbers, photos, videos, access to emails, personal accounts, and even credit card data. 

Technology and communication expert, Engr. Jun Lozada, who is the president and CEO of Galileo Software Services Inc. acknowledges that people who have been victims of mobile phone theft are left with the feeling of helplessness and of being violated. The traumatic experience have even extended to deaths attributed to robbery attempts. 

"Hold-up and snatching incidents have [likewise] been a commonplace scenario in our streets," describes Lozada. "We need to feel safe whenever we go out. This is why we developed TARA (Theft Alarm and Recovery Application). It is like a seatbelt for your mobile phone. As our tagline says … No mobile phone/device should be worth a life, not even a scratch."



Thursday, March 03, 2016

FUJIFILM Philippines Holds Female Photography Talks Series on Women's Month

Women are now often described as "empowered" and "successful." Thankfully, we no longer stay in the background because many of us have found our voices, chosen careers we excel in, and involve ourselves in activities fueled by passion and curiosity. All these allow us to inspire other women to also lead meaningful and purpose-driven lives.

FUJIFILM X-A2 Circle of Influencers
This March, FUJIFILM Philippines celebrates Women's Month with a series of female photography talks. Dubbed Click to Chic, the workshop was launched yesterday at Oakwood Premier in Ortigas with the aim to help aspiring female photographers learn how to maximize their FUJIFILM cameras, especially the X-A2.

Present during the March 2 event were model and host Janeena Chan, lifestyle and travel blogger Camie Juan, and young celebrity Miles Ocampo. All young ladies own an X-A2 camera and gushed about how much they love taking photos with it. These members of the X-A2 Circle of Influencers shared basic photography skills and practical tips on how to best use the camera in beauty, travel, and lifestyle photography.

pretty colors and design