Two Peas in a Pod

My 2 babies are now big...if only I could freeze or turn back time, however, still grateful that they are now "grown-ups" compared to the time when I need to wake up every now and then to feed them and change their diapers, lol.

Parenting my kids is not an easy job and I know a lack a lot when it comes to this category. I am not a perfect mom or an ideal mom coz I really discipline my kids. I am not the type to let their mistakes slide. But I do hope that the time will come that they will understand why I do this. I don't want them to grow up spoiled, rude and unkind to others.

My worry right now is my eldest child. I wish we had a more ideal mom-and-daughter kind of relationship but despite what she felt towards me, I always pray to God that she will be guided to the right path. I guess, as of now, I will try my best to understand her being a teenager. I know I am also quite strict on her but this is actually for her own good. But I wish I have another or better way of doing it that's effective for the teenagers these days.

My youngest child will always be the baby in the family. She has speech delay and still with on-going speech therapy but she's actually trying her best also. Proud to say she's on regular school and is catching up. I used to cry a lot years ago after she was diagnosed with a mild form of asd but glad I decided to get up, help my child instead of listening to criticisms and some unsolicited advice. It was for this reason that turned me into a stay-at-home mom. Although it was frustrating not having an income of my own but seeing my youngest child improved a lot mentally, socially, emotionally was satisfying on my part. She even excelled in some aspects which later surprised me.

Anyways, just sharing of how my kids been lately. If you have been a follower of my blog more than a decade ago, you know that I used to update about my kids especially my eldest. Later on, I tried to lessen my updates about them for personal and security reasons, and that includes my other social media accounts. I will just update from time to time or if I wanted to. So for today, I'm just letting you know that now, they're big! 

Anne, Kylie, or Gabbi: Who is your Salontastic Persona?

Every woman is unique. Every woman has different needs. And every woman is equally beautiful and deserving of the best products and experiences that make her confident in her own skin.

When it comes to hair, every woman is different too. Some are confident with colored hair while others prefer natural locks. Others feel most beautiful with straight hair, while others like to rock big waves. Some women feel most authentic when they grow their hair long while others like to cut theirs short. But no matter what unique hair desire she has, she deserves salon-level treatment for her strands, so she can continue to be the fantastic woman she is meant to be.

For Every Kind of Salontastic

With the new Pantene 3-Minute Miracle, women can take their pick from three variants to match their unique hair needs: Collagen Repair, Keratin Smooth, and Biotin Strength. When matched with Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo, every woman can achieve stronger* hair as if they just stepped out of the salon!

A perfect example of how every woman has unique hair needs is how our very own Pantene women each have their own favorite variant! Which of our strong women do you relate to the most – Biotin Beauty Anne, Keratin Queen Kylie, or Collagen Gal Gabbi?

Strong like a Biotin Beauty

As a multi-talented host and actress plus a young mom, Anne faces more and more responsibilities every day. She needs strength for her mind and body, but also for her hair like a true Biotin Beauty! Anne shares that Pantene Biotin Strength keeps her hair luscious.

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A post shared by Anne Curtis (@annecurtissmith)

Pantene Biotin Strength 3-Minute Miracle helps repair 3 months’ worth of damage in just 3 minutes, while strengthening each strand to lessen hair fall due to breakage. Feel the nourishment penetrate deep into the hair, strengthening it from root to tip, giving you that salon-level look right at home!

Smooth like a Keratin Queen

Kylie makes everything look effortless! She’s a mental health advocate, a content creator, a public figure, and so much more, and she does it all while wearing a crown (figuratively and literally) on her head!

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A post shared by Kylie Verzosa (@kylieverzosa)

You too can effortlessly help manage frizz with Pantene Keratin Smooth 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner. Inspired by salon Keratin treatments, every bottle of Keratin Smooth infuses your hair with ultra-rich moisture so you can transform dry and damaged hair to visibly healthy, shiny, smooth, and strong locks!

Confident like a Collagen Gal

Young, bright-eyed, and talented, there is so much ahead for Gabbi! She’s enjoying life and sharing her thoughts with her millions of followers.

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A post shared by Gabbi Garcia ♡ (@gabbi)

With beautiful hair to match her beautiful personality, Gabbi is confident she can achieve anything she sets her mind to. Get the same confidence with Pantene Collagen Repair 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner.

With Pantene Collagen Repair 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner go ahead and experiment with your hair because its formulation helps transform dry and damaged hair into Salontastic smooth hair.

Be Your Own Kind of Salontastic

So which Pantene woman are you? Are you strong like a Biotin Beauty? Smooth like a Keratin Queen? Or are you confident like a Collagen Gal?

Whichever you relate to the most, you can be sure to enjoy Salontastic hair when you use the new Pantene 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner. Use it after you wash your hair with Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo that’s specially designed to repair 10 visible signs of damage, on top of that, it also prevents split ends* up to 3 months! The best part is that you can do all of this from the comfort of your own home.

With Pantene, every kind of woman can feel like they just stepped out of the salon every time they step out of the shower.

What are you waiting for? Start your Salontastic journey today. All variants of Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner and Pantene Total Damage Care Shampoo are available at the P&G official stores on Lazada and Shopee.

Distance Learning 2021

My kids are still doing their online classes over a year now but despite everything, I am grateful to their schools and teachers for the continued distance learning. COVID-19 may have disrupted our usual activities but that does not mean that we stop also with our lives instead, find ways to go on and adapt to the new normal.

It would have been fun for our kids to see other people like they used to, and for us to see our family and friends without worrying. However, while the virus is not yet fully eliminated, let us take care of our health first in order to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our friends. Most importantly, get vaccinated. These are the only options for now.

How about you? How are your kids coping? I hope they are doing fine and still enjoyed their virtual classes. Remember, this is just temporary. Let's continue to pray and hope that this will be over soon, and everything will be back to the way it used to be. Have a great day!

How Much Do Celebrities Usually Charge to Make a Guest Appearance

Celebrities are worth a lot of money because they’re almost always in high demand.  People want to rub elbows with the elite and know what they’re like in person.  Although they’re just people like the rest of us: they can cost millions of dollars just for a single performance.

These are some facts on why celebrity visits may cost so much and what you can do to offset that and make the night even more magical.

How Famous Are They?

If you want to hire a celebrity, you have to be reasonable when considering your budget. For example, Beyonce charges around two million for a performance at a wedding or other small gathering. 

Other celebrities may charge far less depending on how famous they are and how in-demand they are.  Although some B and C-list stars will continue to keep their rates up, avoid overpaying.  If you can get a more popular and beloved star for the same amount of money: do it.

What’s Included In their Appearance?

When you hire a celebrity, it's a good idea to know what's included in that payment.  Are you paying for them to simply show up, or will they be performing for the crowd?  

Although performances are more obvious for singers and musicians, many actors and actresses may agree to monologue or sing happy birthday to the guest of honor.  It's important to discuss this before you pay to know what you're setting yourself up for.

What Type of Event Is It?

Is this a birthday party or a corporate event?  Some stars will do discounted rates for causes or companies they care more about.  Although this can be seen as a form of advertising, it makes it easier for corporate parties to hire someone with some glitz and glamor. 

Some stars may not feel comfortable performing at specific types of parties, like bachelor or bachelorette gatherings, so read their contracts and be clear in what you want and when. 

How Long Is Their Appearance?

How long is the celebrity going to be making their appearance or performing?  The longer and more intensive it is: the more it's going to cost.  Please pay attention to timing, and consider hiring other bands or musicians to pad out the time around their appearance.  This allows you to create a space where it doesn't feel like a party strictly for the sake of hiring a celebrity when they have other things to focus on.  

Talk to their management and find out how long they’re willing to perform for, what that performance includes, and whether or not they’re okay with other musical guests opening and closing for their performance.

Where Is It Located?

How far does the celebrity have to travel for the event?  Is it within the same city as them?  The same state?  Although this may be shocking to consider for some, many celebrities are willing to travel for an additional fee.

This fee will cover the time they're in transit and will also pay for the transit itself.  Some celebs may want to travel first class, but it’s worth it if you can get the one you want!

A Friendly Reminder

Image: ctto

I am already done with my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and waiting for my 2nd dose next week. However, I am not yet vaccinated with FLU shot but hope to get it soon.

But let us be reminded that we should still practice social distancing, wear facemask and do handwashing even though we are already fully vaccinated. It does not guarantee that we don't get sick at all. After receiving my first shot, I stayed home most of the time. I don't go out because I am also protecting my family at home, especially my kids who are not yet vaccinated.

My eldest child, who just turned 18, have recently registered and is scheduled to have her 1st vaccination. I hope and pray that she will be fine with not much side effects. My youngest child is still 11 years old and not yet given a go signal by the DOH to be vaccinated so I am planning to have her receive a Flu vaccine soon.

Reminder also to all of us who already got vaccinated to not be so judgmental of others who did not yet get their jab. Some of them might not have a schedule yet (took me 3 months to be texted), or some of them might be experiencing undisclosed health problems and others just wanted to be mentally and psychologically ready. We can offer our help or knowledge about vaccine but not to the point of being too judgmental and very harsh towards them. Don't be so feeling high and mighty after you receive your jab. Comparing vaccines won't help either. As if we have a choice which vaccine to get. So, be kind, be understanding and just extend your helping hand in any way you can 🤝💓

Fun Games You Can Play Online

When I was a child, my late father introduced me to card games, which soon became a form of our family bonding every weekend. Meanwhile, my mother preferred to play solitaire, a card game that is played solo. It got me interested as well and I even liked the sound every time my mom shuffled the cards. Even as I grew up, I still played solitaire and would often buy cards for myself to play.

Thanks to modern technology, one can virtually play solitaire on the screen. However, I was initially prejudiced about it due to my assumption that solitaire played virtually would be lackluster compared to the traditional way. But out of boredom, I decided to give the computer-based solitaire a chance, and that is when I noticed how similar it was to the real ones.

At some point did I stumble upon Solitaire.org, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover the wide variety of games they offered. I first attempted the game called Play 21 Blitz Online, where I have to create a set number of twenty-one matches either vertically or horizontally, to move to the next level. While I do think that this is the ideal past-time in the virtual context, I am still fairly certain that anybody who has mastered the art of cards would be more accustomed to the game's sequence. Here is a preview of the game:

If I can form numbers that would add up to twenty-one, I get to score then the tiles are emptied so I have to fill it in again. However, if the total exceeds twenty-one, the row or column is emptied--afterward, I have to create again another set so that I can proceed to the next level and reach my goal. 

As you can see here, I've reached level 3 and achieved a goal of 6/7. Quite a satisfactory progress, still think I need more practice to reach the final level.

My 11-year old daughter and I have also played another game called Hidden Kitchen, which we ended up immersing ourselves into. It was surely a great way for us to bond together especially during weekends. My daughter managed to find lots of items, that of which my poor eyesight had a hard time seeking out.

She asked me if she could play again during their wellness week, since there would be no classes scheduled during that time. For her convenience, perhaps a few minutes of gaming would be reasonable enough.

If you have not much to do, or want something to keep the quarantine stress at bay, these games might be a great escape for you. I am sure you will love them as much as I do.

Do It For Yourself

Been on FB break again coz I believe that whatever is good for my soul, I have to do it. While Facebook updates me or reconnects me with my relatives and friends (especially during pandemic), it also messes up with my mental health.

I used to be so concern with what other people would say if ever I go M.I.A on Fb, but lately, I tried to put myself first before anything else. I do not care anymore what others would think, and I don't need validation from anyone. But, I do not need to uninstall or deactivate my account, I just don't have to login.

However, I have to admit I logged in on rare times since I am a member of some groups which require me to posts important announcements on my social media accounts. So, that was all I did, I logged in, post the requirements then log out.

There are reasons why I am doing these. Inasmuch as I wanted to be updated with the news especially about the pandemic and what's going on around my surroundings, I am also easily affected with the sad news. And it makes me more sad if I know the people on the news. Death toll related to COVID-19 just kept on rising and a lot of my friends post lighted candles on their walls which makes me even more worried. Global pandemic had never slowed down in different parts of the world, news about the extremists and violence rose up here and there. There were also those who took their own lives due to depression and others just kept on ranting on their walls just because they feel like they have to...honestly, these kind of things were too much to for me to read. I do not think I need to know all so for my own sake, I decided to lie-low on FB for over a month now.

From time to time, I am also battling with my own mental health but I am just glad that my kids kept me going. I'm tired and weary but I have to keep going and staying away from social media was one of the best decisions I've made lately. 

I am only visible in Messenger for emergency reasons and also on Instagram, because it's less toxic there, and all I see are beautiful pictures and it puts a smile on my face... and that's what I need.

I used to reach out to some of my friends also even before pandemic, asking them of how they were and exchanged updates with our lives. However, I've noticed it was always me who to tried to reach out to them. And when I was silent or was in my lowest moments, nobody even bothered to call or message me. Some friends, huh? So, now, I don't do the first move anymore. And it just got me thinking, perhaps they will only remember me if something happen to me (God forbid!).

Another lesson I learned these days is never to always agree to the person who thought they did the right thing, just to make them feel better. Because when it's your turn, they would just belittle you and make you feel that they are superior. I am done with these kinds of sh*T. 

What actually surprises me are the people I talk rarely for years were the ones reaching and checking me out these days. They were my childhood friends who I lose contact because of their busy lives. The other day, I got a message from my college friend. She just check how I was and that was all. But I appreciated so much her gesture. These are the people who are worth keeping.

Anyways, just sharing my sentiments. I am slowly trying to be visible but in my own pace and not tried not to be dictated by the society who think that being too vocal about anything makes one a better person. As if your opinion is always right, right? It's also a waste of my time arguing to people who don't listen at all or never tried to put themselves in somebody else's shoes.

Well, in case someone stumble on my blog and read this post, now you know what's inside my head lately. I have so much to say but well, as long as I can still hold them, I will just have to share them when I feel like it. This is it for now.

9th Globe Media Excellence Awards Launched to Honor VisMin Journalists, Content Creators

Globe continues to celebrate and promote press freedom through the 9th Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA). GMEA recognizes media practitioners and content creators from Visayas and Mindanao who excelled in their field of work amid the challenges posed by the global health crisis.

The theme for this year is Padayon Digital—a play on the Visayan word, padayon, which means to continue. It is a tribute to the media’s diligence in moving forward to digital spaces and a symbol of Globe's consistent support to the Visayas and Mindanao press. Support is crucial in the new normal and GMEA brings that message across by spotlighting stories that uplift lives and communities.

“We’re proud to host the Globe Media Excellence Awards, now in our ninth year, to recognize the outstanding work of the VisMin press. Amid the ongoing pandemic, the roles of media, bloggers and social media influencers have been most crucial in keeping the public credibly informed and have played a part in helping people see through the health crisis,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior VP for Corporate Communications.

There will be nine awards for digital and print, two for broadcast, and three special awards. All entries must be anchored on at least one of four Globe sustainability pillars: Care for Environment, Positive Societal Impact, Care for People, and Digital Nation, in line with Globe's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Categories for digital and print are Explanatory / Investigative Story of the Year, News Report of the Year, Column of the Year, Explanatory / Investigative Video Story of the Year for Digital, Photo of the Year for Digital, Breaking News of the Year for Digital, Social Media Advocacy of the Year for Digital, and Digital Storytelling (Best Blog Post and Best Social Media Video).

For broadcast, the categories are News Report of the Year for Radio and News Report of the Year for TV. The special awards are Newsmaker of the Year, Editor of the Year, and #KwentoNgTagumpay: Uplifting Lives Through Digital Technology. This last award recognizes inspiring stories of triumph amid adversities of communities and individuals.

Globe first launched its Media Excellence Awards in 2012 to encourage excellence among traditional media organizations and, later on, digital media practitioners to create positive societal changes. GMEA 2021 covers Bacolod, Cebu, Tacloban, Bohol, Dumaguete, and Iloilo in Visayas and Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Iligan, Bukidnon, and Zamboanga in Mindanao.

Cash prizes await winners of each category. Entries may be in English, Bisaya, Hiligaynon, or Chavacano. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2021.

To know more about the Globe Media Excellence Awards, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/globe-media-excellence-awards.

Comfy Shorts To Wear

Most of my time these days is spent at home, and I only go out if I buy essential items or do a little workout. However, while I have to admit that I am not a sporty type of person, I find ways to do stretching or spend a few minutes using my stationary bike from time to time. Since I hardly go outside because of the pandemic, walking from our garage to our backyard is my substitute for brisk walking--even then, I still remain at home. Despite the comforts of my own private space, I still need to wear clothing that allows access for movement, so it is a convenience that someone had given me collegiate shorts a few years ago, which I use up until now. While it closely resembles basketball shorts, it is more relaxed and comfortable to wear. I am planning to buy more shorts like these for myself and for my daughters so that they will join me do some exercises either inside or outside our house next time. The shorts are available online, like the Legacy History Pride where there are plenty of designs to choose from. Some are even on sale! I just hope I can find the right size for my kids and myself.

Chloe - A Decade and Eight

Our eldest daughter celebrated her 18th birthday a month ago. We had many plans about her upcoming debut, but we let go of many ideas because of the pandemic. Still, we continued to plan but then our city was placed under MECQ, we ended up limiting our guests, our planned activities, and everything. We thought of having a small party in an open area until we decided to celebrate it at my brother's place, with immediate family members only. However, two days before her birthday, our city was placed under ECQ (or lockdown), so having parties with more than 5 people was prohibited, and kids below 18 were not allowed to go out. We have no choice but to cancel everything but decided at the last minute to still celebrate our first-born daughter's birthday even though it was only the four of us at home.

Our daughter, however, was not so keen on having birthday parties anymore. She loved parties when she was a kid, but now she preferred to have a simple and quiet birthday. She was even relieved she doesn't have to experience cotillion or be presented to a huge crowd. It was a blessing in disguise on her part, lol. 

These days, celebrations are done virtually. I contacted some of her friends to make a short video message for her, and glad they agreed. I wish I could reach more friends, but I was also worried the video might last an hour, hehe. Family members also participated, and for that, I am grateful. 

Anyway, sharing this video as a tribute to her. Thank you, everyone, for your beautiful and inspiring messages and for sharing your unique talents 💓