Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from my Cartoonized self :-D

I loved this app! It made me look pretty, lol. Plus the Christmas message saved a lot of my time sending greetings to my friends from social media, hehe..

Attending an OAK Birthday Party

Attended a birthday party last December 10 with my mom and youngest daughter at Malberry Suites Hotel. I was at first hesitant to go coz I was kinda shy (Oh, come on!), hehe. My cousin, daughter of Uncle Teks, was the one who invited me. I haven't seen of this side of relatives for years and haven't even met others yet. Uncle Tek's late wife was my mom's older cousin. They lived together in one abode in Butuan City many years ago (I wasn't born then). The children (my second degree cousins) were way older than me. I often see them when I was a kid, but others I didn't meet. The one who invited me was my cousin whom I met when I already had children but we instantly connected. But I knew a great deal about her coz she was my older brother's batch and he and my mom often talks about her...or them.

Anyways, the party was sort of a reunion. It was well-organized by the kids (mainly by my cousins). Visitors (mostly my relatives) were able to reconnect to each other. Food was good, too, to the delight of my little girl :-)

Inasmuch as we'd like to stay a bit longer, my little girl wanted to go home for her much-needed naptime. But before we left, of course, we didn't miss to have our pictures taken at the photo-booth. Happy 80th Birthday Teks! God bless you with more years to celebrate with your kids, grandkids and relatives!

Chow and Me

Are you a dog-lover? I love dogs but I can't, at this moment, raise a dog while my kids are young. They also have allergic rhinitis (and so do I, just got this recently). So, here I am borrowing a beautiful 7-week old Chow-chow puppy from my youngest daughter's classmate. Such a cutie!!

Perhaps when my kids are grown-ups, I'd definitely get one dog for me <3 p="">

Connect Like Never Before this Christmas with Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Home WiFi

(Press Release) Still looking for the perfect gift for the whole family this Christmas? It’s about time you get a Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Home WiFi, an affordable and easy-to-use WiFi kit that offers fast and reliable connection so you and your family can enjoy all your favorite online activities together like never before. 

Available for a one-time payment of Php1,995 at the Smart Online Store (store.smart.com.ph), Smart Stores and retailers nationwide, the Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Home WiFi already comes with free 10GB, valid for 7days. 

No contract and lock-in period

It’s easy and ready to use: simply plug it and you can instantly connect up to 10 of your WiFi-enabled devices, such as your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. 

And because it is prepaid, it gives you greater flexibility because you don’t need to sign up or get locked in a contract and settle monthly bills – you simply load it up and register to data promos that suit your family’s online needs. 

Enjoy 1GB data for only Php15 

For example, you can easily top it up with GigaSurf 50, which gives you 1GB data plus 300MB for video streaming, valid for 3 days at only Php50. Even better, as an exclusive offer to Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Home WiFi subscribers, you can boost your Giga Surf 50 subscription with Home Boost 15, a data promo that offers 1GB data for only Php15, valid for 1 day. 

Home Boost 15 is the perfect and value-packed add-on to your Giga Surf 50 subscription, especially when you are gearing up for heavier online activities – whether its downloading or uploading files, binge-watching, or streaming. 

Connect like never before 

Armed with the Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Home WiFi, you and your family can enjoy your online activities without having to run to the nearest Internet shop or café. In the comfort of your home, you can instantly upload and share photos and videos of your precious moments this Christmas; stream and catch up on hit series and blockbuster films over the holidays; or get back to playing your favorite online games with friends while on a break. 

You can also use it to search the web for new recipes to try this season, shop for gifts online for greater convenience; work from home to beat the holiday traffic; or gear up for the year by finishing your school research online. 

Fastest LTE network 

With Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Home WiFi, your whole family can enjoy the best home internet experience offered by Smart through its fastest and newest LTE connection and improved indoor coverage. 

Smart continues to dominate across all regions in terms of LTE speeds, based on the latest report by independent research firm OpenSignal. Smart has made great strides by completing its LTE network upgrade in Boracay, Metro Davao, Metro Cebu and the province of Rizal resulting in significantly faster connectivity and much better customer experience for subscribers. 

Smart has also ramped up its network improvement efforts in Metro Manila and in key cities in other parts of the country, aimed at allowing users to optimize the use of their LTE-enabled devices with the latest apps and digital content in unprecedented speed and scale. 

What are you waiting for? Get your own Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Home WiFi now! To know more, visit smart.com.ph/bro and follow Smart’s official accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SmartCommunications), Twitter and Instagram (@LiveSmart).

#ShareTheLove this Christmas Season with Exclusive Treats with PayMaya

It’s a great time to be a PayMaya account holder this Christmas season with lots of discounts, rebates, and freebies coming your way. Use your PayMaya to shop and complete your holiday gift list so you can share the love to family and friends during this season of giving.

“Christmas is a season of giving, and we’re happy to help our customers share the love over the holidays with PayMaya. This is our way of thanking our customers in helping us achieve a very fruitful year as the leader in digital payments in the Philippines,” said Paolo Azzola, PayMaya Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director.

Spreading the Christmas cheer to all is also made easier with exclusive discounts to PayMaya account holders when they shop at Lazada and Zalora. Users can enjoy an additional 20% discount when they shop at Lazada until December 15 by using the code PYMYDEC.

Meanwhile, fashionistas looking to complete their holiday outfits can look forward to a 20% discount this month when they shop at ZALORA, simply by entering the code PAYMAYAHOLIDAY upon checkout. The discount rises to as much as 25% during Zalora’s Online Fever sale event on December 12 to 15 with the code PAYMAYAFEVER25.

These discounts are on top of the already deep discounts being offered by Lazada and Zalora this December.

Get as much as P1,250 on referrals with PayMaya in Facebok Messenger 

With PayMaya, it’s easy to let your friends and loved ones know that you care about them. And with PayMaya in Facebook Messenger, both of you can feel the love as well!

Simply sign up or link your existing PayMaya account in Facebook Messenger and refer friends to sign up too and you will both get P50 in your PayMaya accounts.

To do this, all you have to do is share the promo link that you will receive from PayMaya in Messenger to up to 25 friends with Android devices to start earning the referral bonus. Subscribers of all mobile network in the Philippines may sign up until December 19 and get the bonus amount, which will be credited to their accounts in 2 to 3 business days.

“All of these privileges highlight that paying with your PayMaya is now better than simply paying with cash. Using their PayMaya accounts, shopping online and in-store, sending money to others, and purchasing load or paying bills is easier than ever. We can’t wait to share even more exciting things and experiences exclusive to PayMaya account holders that we have in store for the coming months,” shared Raymund Villanueva, Issuing Head at PayMaya.

Getting a PayMaya account is easy and instant. Just download the PayMaya app via iOS or Android and register.

A million ways to #ShareTheLove

With PayMaya, there are a million ways to share the love to your friends and family because all PayMaya app registrations, physical card activations, and purchases worth at least P1,000 from today until December 23 will earn raffle entries for PayMaya’s #MerryMillionaire promo.

Users stand a chance to win P10,000 in the weekly draw and a whopping P1 million tax-free in the grand draw, which will give them even more reasons to spread the love to others this holiday season.

And to make it even more convenient to load your account, PayMaya has further expanded its long list of loading partners to include all branches of Cebuana Lhuillier and ExpressPay, as well as the online banking platforms of RCBC and Metrobank.

This is on top of the more than 15,000 top-up facilities already available nationwide such as Robinsons Department Store Business Centers, SM Business Services, TouchPay kiosks, 7-Eleven, Palawan Pawnshops, Shopwise, Wellcome, 2Go outlets, Petron stations along NLEX, and Smart Padala centers down to sari-sari stores in grassroots communities, and Unionbank ATMs.

PayMaya Philippines, the country’s pioneer and leader in cashless payments, is the digital financial services arm of PLDT’s Voyager Innovations. To know more about its products and services, visit www.paymaya.com.

Licealiz Battles Head Lice Infestation in Mindanao With KilusangKontraKuto

About one-third of elementary public school students in the Philippines suffer from head lice-related problems. Head lice infestation or pediculosis can cause severe itchiness and infection of the scalp, but this could be the least of these children’s worries; the social stigma associated with having kuto can leave lasting psychological damage on both children and their parents. 

A survey ofcommunities visited by the Licealiz caravan last year found that 47%of respondents from Visayas and 76% of respondents from Mindanaosaid that their children were bullied and teased for having head lice, causing some of them to miss school to avoid their peers. The parents, on the other hand, feel incompetent and embarrassed for being unable to prevent head lice from infesting their children. 

In response to this, Lamoiyan Corporation’s Licealiz Head Lice Treatment Shampoo launched Nationwide OplanAlisKuto as a part of its KilusangKontraKuto effort to educate the public on lice infestation issues. The caravan was launched in partnership with the Department of Education, University of the Philippines Manila College of Public Health and Mommy Bloggers Philippines with the goal of traveling to different schools and barangays all over the country to hold shampooing programs and lectures for students and their parents. 

Lamoiyan Corporation is set to end the year with 30 public schools visited and over 8,000 children shampooed. 

The KilusangKontraKuto visits Ayala Central School in Zamboanga City for Nationwide OplanAliskuto

“We want to remove the stigma associated with having kuto by educating communities on lice infestation issues,” said Lamoiyan Corporation Marketing Director Bing Cavestany. 

“We want to drive home the message that everyone can be potentially infested by kuto, that it’s not something to be ashamed about, and definitely not something to ridicule others for. We also hope to encourage these communities to unite and take action to solve this public health problem together,” shared Cavestany. Licealiz invites everyone to join the KilusangKontraKuto in changing the public’s perception about head lice infestation and spreading correct information regarding head lice prevention and treatment. 

For more information on head lice prevention and treatment, visit Licealiz’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/licealiz.

What Are The Chances of Having Twins on Clomid?

Whenever a couple has been trying to conceive for a year without any success, the first thing that they will do is schedule a visit with the doctor and start taking the next step. The next step is that the doctor would check the man’s sperm count and quality and see if that checks out. And the doctor would run several tests on the woman to see if her hormone levels check out. Ultrasounds would be done to check the structural part of her reproductive system, as well as a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) would be done to check to see if her fallopian tubes are functional. At this point, the couple would be referred to a fertility specialist. If everything structurally checks out with the woman, including that the hysterosalpingogram indicated that the tubes are fine- then it is possible that she is not ovulating on a regular basis. Even if the blood work indicates that there is no obvious hormonal issue present, she will be given a drug called clomiphene citrate, also called Serophene or Clomid, which is the most common term for this drug. If the man in fact has an issue with his sperm count and quality, then the fertility specialist will suggest intrauterine insemination (IUI) to be done to help conception happen. This way, a tube that injects his washed sperm will go into her cervix and bypass the long way through the fallopian tubes and insert the sperm right into the uterus right around the time ovulation is expected. Even if a woman who has to have IUI done who ovulates regularly may be put on Clomid to help time ovulation, as it would be monitored via ultrasound and bloodwork. Now that we are talking about a woman who has to take Clomid due to the fact that she may not be ovulating regularly due to having a condition such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which can cause anovulation- and/or has to do IUI due to her partner having poor sperm quality. One thing that will frequently cross a couple who has to go through fertility treatments involving the woman having to take Clomid is what are the chances of conceiving twins?

How Clomid Works 

Before we go into that, let’s talk a little bit about Clomid and how it works. Clomid was the first fertility drug in 1967 that became part of the market that came in injection form at the time. Now it is available as a tablet, and the dosages range from 50mg to 200mg. Side effects can range from having hot-flashes, moodiness, breast tenderness, nausea and fatigue. They are rather uncomfortable but not serious. Clomid is usually taken from day 5-9 of a woman’s cycle (or it can be taken from day 2 to day 6 of the cycle). What the drug does is that it tricks the brain into thinking there is not enough estrogen and it ends up sending out hormones that stimulate follicular growth and egg maturation. Hence, it triggers ovulation, and again the growth of the follicle is monitored through ultrasound and bloodwork. Because Clomid is a safe drug, couples do often wonder the statistics of ovulation happening, and pregnancy resulting. Here are important points to take in about Clomid’s effects:

• 80% of women will ovulate while taking Clomid within the first 3 months.
• 40% of women will conceive while taking Clomid within the first 3 months.
• The live birth rate for women taking Clomid is between 30% to 60%.
• Couples have a 10% higher chance of conceiving twins than they would naturally.

That is right! Many couples who have to use Clomid whether it is due to anovulation on the woman’s part, or the need for IUI due to the man’s poor sperm quality - or if both reasons are happening at the same time- these couples are concerned about how likely they are to have Clomid twins.

 Odds of conceiving twins on Clomid

Now that it is known that the odds of achieving a twin pregnancy on Clomid is 10% higher than it would be naturally- the couple will have to find a way to embrace the possibility. This statistic is relevant for an increased chance of having fraternal twins, meaning two eggs being released at once, being fertilized by two different sperm. This statistic does not apply to identical twins- when one single fertilized egg splitting into two embryos. Even though a 10% higher chance is not significantly higher, the odds are still increased. Therefore, it may be recommended for the couple who is trying to conceive while Clomid is in the picture to educate themselves on what a twin pregnancy involves. A twin pregnancy has more complications than a singleton pregnancy, due to the fact that expected weight gain is 40 lbs instead of 25 lbs for a single baby. Therefore, the risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia due to extra weight gain, extra stress and pressure on the body from carrying twins is higher. Women taking Clomid will have to prepare themselves since a twin pregnancy has a slightly higher chance of happening of possibly dealing with extra fatigue and even more nausea and sickness. 

How to increase odds of conceiving twins on Clomid 

However, if a couple loves the idea of having twins, and wants to know how to increase the odds beyond 10% while the woman is on Clomid- then there are methods to increase the odds of having a twin pregnancy while on Clomid. Firstly, if a twin pregnancy is desired then it is recommended for the woman to not drop too much weight if she is overweight. She can safely carry a pregnancy if she has a BMI of 30, which is somewhat overweight. The extra weight can be encouraging for ovulation to happen especially if Clomid is being taken. The woman should also increase dairy intake whether it is from drinking more milk or eating more cheese. It is best to not eat too much ice cream because too much sugar can inhibit ovulation even while on Clomid. That would defeat the purpose. The hormones in dairy products can help stimulate ovulation even further. It is also known that if there is a history in the family, on either side, that alone can also increase the odds of having twins. However, regardless of whether a couple wants or doesn’t want twins- it is known that the odds of having twins on Clomid is 10% higher than it naturally would. Couples can either embrace the possibility of that happening or increase the odds even more if that is what they want!

Holiday Gift Ideas for Everyone and Anyone Important In your Life this Winter

Although the warm and sunny months of summer are behind us, we still have a lot to look forward to as winter approaches ever closer. One of many people's favorite things about the winter months are the holidays, getting together with family, celebrating and probably exchange gifts. One of the hardest challenges this time of year is finding everybody in your life that perfect gift. If you’re stuck on ideas and don’t want to buy another tie for your dad that he will probably never wear or some cheap jewelry for your mom, here are some outside of the box ideas for everyone in your life.

• Delivery Flowers for All the Special Ladies

In all of my life, I have never met a girl who doesn’t like a fresh bouquet of flowers. With the ease of access to online flower stores, you can order fresh and beautiful bouquets for all the special ladies in your life with just a couple of clicks. They’re sure to bring a smile to her face and remain as a little reminder of summer.

• Customized Mugs, towels, etc.

Parents and grandparents will rarely get tired of seeing pictures of their children or grandchildren. A great gift for them could be custom coffee mugs with a picture of each grand child on each mug. You can also customize things like water bottles and towels. Try to find an online novelty store that does custom printing, you can usually get a lot of really cool things customized.

• Spa Day

A working mom will tell you how hard it can be to manage the entire family without losing it; it’s a 24/7 job with no days off. Get your wife an all inclusive spa package so for a day, she can actually enjoy herself with no stress of kids or work. Try to schedule it for her, or pa for everything and allow her to book her own appointment. Try to get her the best treatments within your budget, she deserves it. Also, don’t forget to include the tip so she has absolutely nothing to worry about on the way in or way out.

• Delivery Berries

For the romantic couples out there, you can get a delivery service that delivers chocolate covered berries straight to your door. Get some nice beverages to accompany the berries and enjoy eachothers company. Not only are the berries delicious, but the time spent together will be like a bonus gift.

• Guys Shopping Spree

Middle aged and older men can sometimes be the hardest to shop for because they will usually just buy whatever they want, when they want it and not wait to get it as a gift. Turn this into an activity gift. Take your dad, husband, grandpa, etc. to Bass Pro Shops, give them a budget and let them get what they want/need. It’ll give you some time together and you’ll know they actually like what your money goes towards.

Photo from 1800flowers.com

Be Fashionable with Wigs

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

Oh fashion, it doesn’t matter what it takes for as long as women can have the latest trend. In today’s market, there are many choices and many options to have the latest fashion. It depends on the person herself if she will buy the latest fashion with the most famous brand or she will buy the things with fashion with the price that’s affordable but with elegance. This is so for her to buy her shoes and the accessories that she can pair with the clothes that she will be wearing without breaking her savings. Elegance and style depend on the person herself. Along with the accessories, she can also pair it with different styles of lace front wigs, Remy human hair wigs (oh, love this one), lace front wigs, and much more.

Are you into different fashions and pairing it with different styles of wigs especially when there are occasions that you will attend? If yes, do check out divatress.com anytime you like. This is an amazing store as it offers thousands of wigs such as Remy human hair, half wigs, braids, ponytails, weaves, and more. You can also shop for hair care and other beauty products of different brands like NEW BORN FREE, MOTOWN TRESS, BOHYME, and many other. You’ve got to check it for you to know all the beautiful products that most women love to shop.  

Krispy Kreme Welcomes 4th Store in Cagayan de Oro

Krispy Kreme welcomes another addition to its growing outlets as it unveils its newest store in SM CDO Downtown Premier. This is the 4th store in Cagayan de Oro, following Centrio Mall, CDO Uptown and the Hot Light store in Limketkai. Krispy Kreme SM CDO Downtown Premiere is set to delight their fans beginning on August 21. With the opening of its new store, Krispy Kreme brings a monthlong celebration of everyday moments as it offers a lineup of delightful treats. Krispy Kreme combined forces with the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company to create the deliciously satisfying Ultimate Chocolate Chiller. This cool quencher is made with unique premium, Ghirardelli chocolate doused with milk and whipped cream, sprinkled lightly with Ghirardelli chocolate chips and drizzled in rich caramel. It’s definitely a crave-worthy flavor experience that chocolate enthusiasts wouldn’t want to miss. Krispy Kreme also highlights a well-loved doughnut flavor when it released the Kit Kat Green Tea doughnut. Their newest doughnut flavor has already made waves for its doughnut fans, now making it a mainstay offering. Apart from these sweet treats, August is a special month for Cagayan de Oro as it celebrates the annual Higalaay Festival. Krispy Kreme joins the CDO community in celebration of the feast day of St. Augustine as it throws another delicious treat alongside opening its new store. Krispy Kreme is offering 3 Original Glazed doughnuts and any 3 Cake doughnuts for only P150 in all stores in Cagayan De Oro from August 25 to 28. Doughnut lovers are sure to get excited for more craveable melt-in-your-mouth moments with Krispy Kreme. These are just some of the many things to look forward to as Krispy Kreme opens its newest store in SM CDO Downtown Premier. The brand continues to bring a delightful experience to its customers through its indulgent doughnuts, great-tasting beverages and exciting creations. Discover your own #KrispyKremeMoment and visit their newest store at the Ground Floor, SM CDO Downtown Premier.

I Don't Have A Peace of Mind...

They said that going to the doctor and have a check-up will give you a peace of mind. In my case, I don't think so... I dread going to the doctor these days and did a series of blood work, not to mention waiting for the doctor for many hours before my turn is called.

I've experienced spotting last month so I made an appointment with my OB-gyne. First day, I was made to wait for 3 hours and the following day, it took me 4.5 hours! For my lab work, I had transvaginal and upper abdominal ultrasound. I was aware of my polyps so it has to be removed (and that also caused my spotting). What I was so shocked about was the cysts in my liver. I was aware of it before but the sizes now are bigger. OMG! My kidney also has cysts but the size was still small. So, after going to my OB-gyne, I checked with my liver specialist and required me to have have a repeat ultrasound and also requested for a blood chemistry. The result was normal in my bloodwork, my ultrasound still resulted that I have enlarged liver cysts but not yet severe as mentioned in my previous ultrasound.

And tomorrow, I am scheduled for a D & C with my ob-gyne to remove my polyps and clean my cervix. What I don't get is why she wants another labtest for my creatinine and sgpt? I just did that a month ago and it was normal. Maybe she doesn't believe it? Maybe I look too sickly for her? I had an appointment with her last week wherein she told me to seek for a second opinion about my liver. She was hoping I would get a biopsy. She was even wishing I undergo a CT-scan. That made me panic to be honest. I was trying not to think about my cysts or any illness that I have but my doctor wanted to remind me that I am not well (?). Maybe she's just too concern to the point that she became an alarmist.

But God, everything that I went thru lately scares me. I don't want to be scared but can't help it. I wanted to be well that's why I went to see these doctors but now they're the ones giving me a heart attack. I can only hope and pray that nothing's bad going to happen to me. I pray that after my procedure and bloodwork tomorrow, I am cleared and go home healthy.

I wanted to be with my family, especially to my kids who are my life and my strength. I wanted to take care of them especially with my youngest child who needs special attention.

Dear Lord, heal me. You're the best doctor I know. May You give me strength and courage and peace of mind as I face these ordeals. Please hear my pleas and make me well again. I know I am a sinner and I do not deserve to be heard by You. But I believe that You always forgive and listen to those who called upon Your Name. So, I asked You to please hear my prayers.

I also ask everyone reading this blog of mine to include me in your prayers. I appreciate that very much. Be safe and be healthy, too!

Moving To Another School

Sorry, my blog is boring to read lately and even I, myself, is lazy to read it, lol. I'll just give some updates of the recent events in my family's life.

My eldest daughter, who is now in grade 9, transferred to another school. We've been planning this all along but finalized only after she took the entrance exam of her new school, Corpus Christi.

This school, is by the way, my high school Alma Mater. For the reason why I didn't enroll my daughter there since grade 1, well, that will be another story to be posted in another blog :-)

I used to think that my daughter would finish her junior high in her old school but things changed along the way. I felt that she was taken for granted and her growth was very limited. She has so much to offer but 'they' (the teachers) just neglected it so why force her there when nobody even cared?

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive when I transferred my daughter because she might not be well-liked or she might be bullied or not welcome but opposite things happened. She was warmly welcomed and very much appreciated. She made new friends and seemed to look forward to go to school the next day. So for now, I could say that both of us made the right decision to transfer.

If you asked if this was my sole decision, NO, it's not. My daughter is 13 years old and turning 14 next month. She also made her own decision. In fact, it was she who was so eager to transfer that she couldn't wait for her classes to begin. And she told me again she made the best decision so far.

Well, I am glad! I just hope she would be more inspired to study harder and show what she's got and what she has to offer.

But most of all, I am happy that she is happy and that I am also looking forward for her to grow and succeed and achieved her endeavors in life.

NOVUHAIR SUMMER HAIR CARE TIPS

Heading to the beach may be the most exciting part of summer. It is almost always part of the itinerary this season for most people. Others prefer to give in to their adrenaline rush climbing that mountain slope or just about anything that gets you that summer tan to fit in the crowd. 

Did you know that spending extended hours under the extreme summer sun can pose serious danger to your hair and scalp? The same UV rays that brings damage to your skin without proper protection can equally hurt your hair and scalp. 

Below are some of the problems your hair can encounter during the season: 

• Split-Ends - UV rays and extreme high temperature can take their toll on your strands. The heat drains the moisture of your hair out causing breakage. 

• Double Trouble – Rebonded or permed hair needs extra attention as high temperaturewell as humidity disrupts the cuticle breaking some of the chemical bonds that keep the hair straight or curls and roughing up the cuticle, taking away shine and smoothness. 

• Scalp problem – Scalp may also get sun-burned if you don’t use cover-ups for your head. 

• Grease problem – Summer sun and humidity can bring extra grease on your hair, leaving it vulnerable to damage. 

• Chlorine Stress – Swimming in the pool subjects your hair to chlorine. The outer layers of the cuticle of the hair opens up when you swim and chlorinated water seeps into the center of the hair thus making your hair more brittle. 

• Excessive Salt Water – Salt water can cause the same damage as chlorinated ones. Salt water dries on the hair it creates a high-saline solution which can build up and cause hair to feel dry, weighed down and hard to manage. 

All these problem can be addressed by keeping your hair clean and showered after each activities. Take vitamin supplements that benefits you hair such as Vitamin C and Biotin. Getting your hair pampered will also give respite to the sun and chemical abuse. 

Novuhair, nature’s answer to hair loss is made of 19 Natural ingredients which includes herbal components such as moringaoleifera, panax ginseng, virgin coconut oil and the natural essences of rosemary and peppermint. 

Novuhair nourishes the scalp and hair by increasing the flow of nutrients and improving blood circulation to the scalp. Novuhair also helps hydrate the scalp, maintain the hair’s natural luster and prevent early hair graying, hair dryness and itching. #NovuhairSummer 

Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner are available in all Mercury Drug Stores and other leading drug stores nationwide. For more information visit www.novuhair.com, like the brand’s official Facebook Page at Novuhair Official, follow it on Twitter at @NovuhairNatural and on Instagram @novuhairofficial. You may also call the Novuhair hotlines at 4136570 and 09228830575 and order online at Lazada and regaloservice.com.

FOREVER 21 Brings Its Hips and Trendy Style at the New SM CDO Downtown Premier

 

With the opening of SM CDO Downtown Premier on May 12, 2017, new and high-end establishments also opened its doors to eager shoppers. One of them is Forever21, a California-based fashion giant’s stylish collections and sophisticated looks are now available at its newest store.

True to its commitment of providing the latest in fashion to the style-savvy crowd, Forever 21 continues to excite the Philippine market with the store opening at SM CDO Downtown Premier. This summer, certified fashionistas and shoppers can now enjoy Forever 21’s brand of style in this 640-sqm fashion hub with collections for both men and women. 

I was actually there on their soft opening on May 11, 2017 and got the chance to shop and availed their 21% off discount to regular-priced items. This offer was only limited to invited guests on their shopping party.

It was nice to see that the store celebrated the vibrancy of summer. Forever 21’slatest collection for women showcases exquisite contrasts on fabric such as poplin and leather balanced by lively pastels in shades of this year’s hottest pantones. Focusing on lace details and floral embroideries on denim and skirts, it creates a chic yet comfortable style for the modern fashionista. A mix of the sophisticated and sporty look, the men’s variety includes cool-colored polo shirts, statement sweaters and knit and denim bottoms.

They also offer stylish shoes which my daughter and I could not resist on buying. Below were some stuff that my daughter bought at Forever21 - nude 3.5-inches high heels, a hoodie and a pair of sunglasses.

“Since we opened our first store in the Philippines last 2010, it has been our goal to give everyone easier access to trendy yet affordable fashion,” says Dixie Gene Li, Forever 21’s Business Unit Head. “We hope that SM CDO Downtown Premier patrons are as excited as we are in opening our newest Forever 21 store.” 

Starting May 12, the delightful CDO crowd will have access Forever 21’s chic and pocket-friendly fashion finds. 

Forever 21 is located at the Ground Floor of SM CDO Downtown Premier.

Experience Paragliding at Sierra del Oro

Great news to all sports-minded and adventurous peeps here in Cagayan de Oro as Sierra del Oro Leisure Park officially opened Paragliding last April 29, 2017. 

Paragliding is considered an extreme sport but according to experts, can be easily mastered. Sierra del Oro Leisure Park had its soft opening last April 26 wherein some people from the media were invited. I was there with my 13-year-old daughter, Chloe, along with other CDOBloggers and their kids. 

Most of us listed our names on a piece of paper should we want to try paragliding. My daughter tried it, I didn't :-)

So, I guess I will be sharing with you my daughter's experience then... We were there at 1:00 pm but my daughter was accommodated at around 4:00 pm. It was because the wind was light (yes, the stronger wind, the better --- coz it will take you higher and the longer the ride!) and there were only 3 licensed and professional paragliders available. Others were still coming Friday that week. When all licensed 'pilot's were still busy up in the air, we took pictures and videos while waiting for the others to come back. In case you asked, you are ONLY allowed to paraglide with a licensed paraglider. Without them means NO flying.

You can also enjoy the view and beautiful sunset at Sierra del Oro

When it was my daughter's turn, she was instructed on what to do and what NOT to do before/during gliding. As a mom, I was quite nervous but excited for her. Of course, I could not help but get worried should anything happen to her (God forbid!). But I also believed she was in good hands with Sir Titoy so all I could do was pray for their safety. On the other hand, my daughter could not contain her excitement! Chloe had fun even though theirs was only cut short because the wind was already very light. Well, that was the mere reason why some of us were not able to experience paragliding that day (eherm!...excuses...hehe). Paragliding stopped at around 5:30 pm. Although they asked us to come back on Friday that week and Tuesday the next week, I wasn't able to because I was already on vacation with my family. 

Anyhoo, sharing to you my daughter's video while paragliding up-close and personal. Check her expression...whatdyathink? :-)

P.S. First part of this video was taken from GoPro. Sierra del Oro will provide go-pro for you to take a video while up on the air. Just copy it from them after you're done gliding. Second part of this video was taken from my iPhone6s (",)

For more inquiry about Paragliding, Sierra del Oro is located at Indahag hills, Cagayan de Oro City. The rate per ride is P2,500. You can contact or make reservation either of these numbers: 09194741131 or 0927820428. 

ReadyMinds Development Center is Now in CDO!

ReadyMinds Development Center formally opened in Cagayan de Oro last March 28, 2017 and it was a huge success. It was attended by many people and most of them got a glimpse of what was inside the center.

ReadyMinds is the only center in Cagayan de Oro that introduces i-Ready diagnostic and instruction program. i-Ready diagnostic and instruction is a powerful on-line program that will bring students up to grade level.

It is the single K–12 adaptive Diagnostic for reading and mathematics that pinpoints learners’ needs down to the sub-skill level. It also has ongoing progress monitoring showing whether students are on track to achieve end-of-year targets.

ReadyMinds is a family-owned business, F & J De Jesus Inc., along with their children. They were actually present during the grand opening and  briefly shared their experiences on how they adapted the US-based education and brought it here in the Philippines. Now, they have many branches nationwide. 

For more details about ReadyMinds, I suggest you visit their place at 2/F Knightsbridge building, Tomas-Saco St. (fronting Mercury Drug). The staff or manager of learning (ML) are all nice and accommodating so you can ask any of them about your queries.

And sharing to you some GOOD NEWS: ReadyMinds Development Center is currently offering a Summer Enrichment Promo. They are offering 20 sessions for Php 1,799 ONLY for either Math or Reading! So imagine how much you saved coz your payment for 1 month is equivalent for 2 months! But you need to hurry as the promo is up to April 28, 2017 only!

All About That Bass

If you are currently looking for top of the line bass guitar, I suggest you check for hofner bass. You may browse it online to see the specs and if the quality meets your standard. But you would be surprise to see because the price of these top seller guitars just got dropped! So if you are planning to buy one, better decide now or it might be gone tomorrow. And you don't even have to worry if you are left-handed because they have that covered, too.

LEGO Opens the First Certified Store in Mindanao and Partners with UNICEF Philippines

Fun, intuitive and simple - these are the hallmarks of toy design that made the LEGO bricks and minifigures the most beloved toys worldwide. A brainchild of carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen who introduced it in Denmark stores in 1932, the brand soon went global ad it did not take long it became a hit in the Philippines, earning a steadily growing following from children and those young at heart who use each LEGO piece to build toys and realities straight from their imagination.

Encapsulating the dram of its founder to "inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow", the global toymaker continues to expand its presence in the Philippine market by opening LEGO's 6th Certified Store in Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro on April 1, 2017.

A LEGO Certified Store offers the following unique features that inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through creative free play and developing the imagination:

* Pick-a-Brick wall (PAB) - a custom-built fixture filled with LEGO bricks and elements where shoppers can hand-pick and select what they need to build something based on their own design and imagination.

* Fully assembled LEGO sets around the cirumference of the store to inspire LEGO fans.

* An interactive play area that's prominently positioned in the center of the store to give children a "hands-on, minds-on" experience with LEGO bricks.

* Exclusive LEGO sets available

The store is the fifth in a series of stores that will open from Manila to Davao in the country under LEGO's "Better With Every Brick" campaign. LEGO, together with UNICEF Philippines, UN's agency that supports children's welfare, will work together to help build the first National Centre for Children with Disabilities in Philippine General Hospital. To support UNICEF's program, a portion of the sales at LEGO Certified Stores in the country will be donated for the Centre's construction. LEGO will also issue a cheque worth Php 500,000 as part of the fundraising drive to raise a total of Php 10 Million for the construction of the Centre.

"The LEGO brand goes beyond being one of the top global toymakers, we are beloved builder of childhood fantasies. We aim to inspire and engage the world's builder by injecting fun into play. This partnership with UNICEF Philippines resonates well with this dream to extend the opportunity to help more children by bringing the National Centre for Children with Disabilities to reality," said LEGO executive.

"And LEGO fans can pitch in this initiative of making the world "Better With Every Brick", said LEGO executive.

The LEGO Golden River Expedition would not be complete without exciting deals for the whole month of April:

For a minimum single receipt purchase of P3,999.75 on any LEGO item/s from the LEGO Certified Store Centrio from April 1 to 30, 2017, P1000 of the sale proceeds will go to UNICEF to help build the Centre.

Also, for the entire opening week from April 1 to 9, LEGO will have several Gift With Purchase promotions that will make you want to keep on coming back for more with a minimum single receipt purchase of P1,999.75 on any LEGO set/s from the store! From April 1 to 3, start a minifigure collection with your Build A Minifigure set. From April 4 to 6, bring home your very own LEGO Easter Chick! From April 7 to 9, with just a few days before Holy Week, celebrate Easter Sunday with LEGO with the Painting Easter Eggs Set.

For all the comic fans out there, you can also look forward to the exciting and innovative LEGO Brickheads line. Batman, Batgirl, Joker, Robin, Captain America and Iron-Man will be at your fingertips in brick form starting April 1, 2017. You can expect more new character releases in the coming weeks ahead.

Last but definitely not the least, LEGO fans and lovers can purchase LEGO poly bags in support of the fundraising campaign for the National Centre for Children with Disabilities where 100% of the proceeds from the sale of each poly bag will be donated to this UNICEF project. Each collectible poly bag featuring four different designs sells for P100 each comes from the LEGO Ninjago, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Friends and LEGO Duplo lines.

It's the brick that keeps on building!

Visit the LEGO Certified Store Centrio at the Ground Floor, open from Mondays to Sundays from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Yamaha Speakers

A lot of musicians I know usually prefer to buy reliable brands and that is Yamaha. They prefer this brand because of its quality and durability. If you are into music and currently looking for a strong selection of speakers, I suggest you browse online. There are also yamaha speakers available at Musicians Friend that I am sure, would meet your standard. For a more detailed description, you can visit their site on the internet.

My Little Girl Did It!

So happy that my little girl finally graduated from Preschool (Kinder) last March 23, 2017. She even made us more proud when she graduated with honors, she got a Gold medal (equivalent to First honor). I didn't expect much from her but she did it! Congrats my love and thank you! 

Novuhair Salutes All Women

In celebration of International Women’s Month this March, Nutramedica Inc., encourages women to speak their mind and know their rights. Be it in society or otherwise, women have excelled over the years, creating a sense of socio-equality that every female across the globe shall be proud of. 

This years’ theme is “Be bold for change”, a very subjective manner of approach to the present era where women are called to lead and influence. Novuhair calls for the same thrust. Novuhair empowers the female population by improving their appearance thru self-help ideas on social media. Channeling their self-esteem and confidence to exude. 

Nutramedica Inc. itself is being led by a formidable woman, Sheila MaeVelilla, CEO & President. Ms. Velilla built the company from scratch, exerting much effort in product development and exemplary business & marketing acumen. Founded in 2004, Nutramedica was one of the first companies to market virgin coconut oil (VCO) in the Philippines. Today it is known for its comprehensive range of oral and injectable pharmaceutical lines, food supplements and cosmetic products. 

At present, Novuhair has been awarded by Watson’s as the leading Medicated Hair Care Brand in the country for five consecutive years. The effectiveness of the product speaks for itself. 

Novuhair is made with 19 natural ingredients that include moringaoleifera, panax gi

nseng, virgin coconut oil and the natural essences of rosemary and peppermint and almost 100% natural.

Novuhair nourishes the scalp and hair by increasing the flow of nutrients and improving blood circulation to the scalp. Novuhair also helps hydrate the scalp, maintain the hair’s natural luster and prevent early hair graying, hair dryness and itching. It also penetrates deep to rejuvenate the hair follicles, provides optimum nutrition to help combat hair loss and/or thinning of hair, improves blood circulation in the scalp which contributes to the stimulation of hair growth. 

Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner are available in all Mercury Drug Stores and other leading drug stores nationwide. For more information visit www.novuhair.com, like the brand’s official Facebook Page at Novuhair Official, follow it on Twitter at @NovuhairNatural and on Instagram @novuhairofficial. You may also call the Novuhair hotlines at 4136570 and 09228830575 and order online at Lazada and regaloservice.com.

Greetings From Me (",)

I know it's already February but haven't posted this one yet on my blog so allow me to say this ---  HAPPY YEAR 2017!!! :-) :-p

Steinberg Cubase Pro 8

For the music lover or music enthusiasts out there, if you are looking incredibly powerful software and can handle production for any style of music, then Steinberg cubase 8 is for you!

Well, according to some musicians, this software is quite easy to learn and some hidden features to discover as you continue to use it.

To get a very detailed overview about this software, I recommend that you visit their site and see if this fits the description of the item that you are looking for. So far, based on the review of one customer, he stated that this is great in interfacing and controlling external synthesizers and hardware equipment so I guess you will never go wrong with Cubase Pro 8.

A Day To Celebrate

Sharing a pic of me and my husband as we celebrated our 15th year wedding anniversary together last January 12. It was also my birthday on that very same day, thus, the 2 cakes :-)

Our celebration was just simple. We had some snacks at home in the afternoon and we went out for dinner at night with our family. Well, glad to be celebrating!

Site to Shop For International Customers

Sometimes, it is frustrating to shop for items that are not found in your place. Just like when my husband and I were looking for a certain keyboard and it is not available at the music store in our local mall. Thankfully, I found this page, http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pages/international-customers where it would help me, and other would-be shoppers as well, save time and effort to find that specific brand. And it is important to note that this site offers international shipment and no-hassle return policy because as customers, this is very important for us.

If you are also interested, I suggest that you give this site a visit!