It Was a Sige Sabado Kind of Saturday

Allie and I love doing arts and crafts, so when I got a package, imagine my excitement when I saw what was inside. It was a Sige Sabado playbox from Breeze Philippines. There were all sorts of materials for various craft activities:

1. Tie dye kit 

2. Harlequin mask 

3. Raise a monggo plant 

4. Dinosaur egg bath soaps 

5. Popsicle names and pen holder 

6. Slime 

7. Animal balloon papier mache 

8. Chocolate drawing

I asked Allie what she wanted to do and she said she wanted to make the pen holder. I guess she was attracted to the colorful popsicle sticks and the stickers that came with it.

I started showing her how to do it by making a square base first, then stacking the sticks two at a time. She helped out by handling me the sticks I needed. Halfway through the project, she was the one putting the sticks together while I applied the glue.

When we finished the basic container, I gave her the stickers so she can decorate the pen holder. Well, if you can’t tell yet, stickers are her favorite so I let her go decorate the pen holder like crazy.

Don’t you think she did an awesome job? We can’t wait to do the next project. Maybe we’ll plant some monggo seeds next or maybe do the tie dye project. It will surely keep us busy before school starts. We love the Sige Sabado playbox. It really gave us more ways to spend some time together. Thanks Breeze Philippines!

Blogopolis 2013 and Yolanda (Haiyan)

Last weekend, the most horrible storm went through parts of the Philippines. Pictures of the devastation just breaks my heart. I don't know anyone personally who was greatly affected, but I know of people who has/had loved ones living in the hit areas, and some of them have lost loved ones and their possessions. It reminded me of hurricane Katrina.

My newsfeed has been filled with gut-wrenching stories about what happened. Other posts are on how you can go help and what's currently happening. Although many have already given and pledged support for the country, there is still a long way to go. The destruction Yolanda/Haiyan made took one mighty day. But rebuilding what it destroyed will take years.

This coming weekend (November 16), the blogging world here in the Philippines is going to have a blogging conference hosted by Nuffnang at Hotel Intercontinental. Ticket sales will be donated to the victims of the typhoon.

If you're interested, here is what it's all about:

Blogopolis 2013: #INTOTHEWILD (Weaving Information for Leaders of the Digital World) This year, we are taking you to the Information Jungle. With the surge of social media, and other online platforms, we want to help you make sense of the digital world. Key speakers will be discussing social media know-how and digital marketing and advertising trends. Blogopolis 2013 is a day-long event starting with plenary sessions in the afternoon, and a post-conference party at night where key influencers in the industry will be awarded. This event is open to everyone - bloggers, social media influencers, students, digital marketing officers, and advertisers, and anyone who is interested in the world of digital, particularly social media.

Last year,  I wasn't able to go because it was held on my MIL's birthday. We had a long yummy lunch at Makati Shang, and I saw folks walking around with their badges, and I was a bit jealous that they were attending. I promised myself I was going this year. But I already committed myself to an event on November 16 months before. Sigh. I hope next year, makasama na ako talaga.

If you want to join and get tickets, go here.

Wear It Your Way With Wacoal

It was a cold December morning, and I was on my way to Quezon City to get something I had dry cleaned. I was wearing a black shirt and a pair of white shorts. Then, I had an afternoon tea party with friends in Taguig. I changed into a halter jersey dress. The day didn't end there. I had a dinner date in Makati that night. It was a little black and white asymmetric dress.

Three different outfits. Three different undergarments. I had to have the traditional bra, a strapless bra or a halter bra to wear a halter dress, and a one-sided bra to use my asymmetric dress. Women's clothing are so versatile that we have to have various undergarments that would work well with them.

Sometimes, it's hard to find the right undergarment for a specific outfit. Wacoal's versatile Wear It Your Way bra makes it easier for us ladies. This piece works well with differently styled outfits.

Wacoal asked this question. What are three (3) outfits that you can fashionable wear your way with Wacoal's versatile Wear It Your Way bra?

Using this undergarment the conventional way, I can choose to wear something as simple as a black shirt and shorts, like Nina Dobrev.

Image from Newsgab

... or by using the halter position, I can wear this fun Eliza J halter day dress.

Dress by Eliza J. Image from Nordstrom

One-shouldered dress like this Laundry by Shelli Segal piece? No problem.

Dress by Laundry by Shelli Segal. Image from Saks Fifth Avenue.

I love the fact that I don't have to search high and low for different undergarment styles to match my outfit. I'll just go with Wacoal because I can wear countless fashionable items with Wacoal's Wear It Your Way bra. 

For more information visit http://www.wacoal.ph

Electrolux HUSH Happier at Home

I lived with my parents until a bit after college. It may be unheard of in other parts of the world, but here in the Philippines, it's pretty common. I grew up having helpers in our home, and that meant having someone cook, clean, do the laundry, and drive for you. Yes, I lived the easy life.

When I went to the US for graduate studies, I had to do everything myself. That meant learning to cook food (and rice), clean the house, and do the laundry. I learned how to drive when I was 16, and I was driving to school almost everyday during college days. I thought doing chores was actually pretty fun, especially with the technology available like dishwashers, rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, food processors, washers and dryers.

I got married a few years later. My husband and I both enjoy staying home during the weekends and relax. He's a movie and video game fan, and I love cooking and baking. We just bought our own place in a nice and peaceful neighborhood. Watching movies on TV and eating home-cooked meals during the weekends was our way to spend time with one another. The best thing about staying at home is we get to talk and have fun without spending a dime, even if it means we have to do housework together. I usually prepare food for both of us, while he cleans our house.

Can you just imagine the noise? We get rewarded after though. We feast on the yummy food, appreciate our clean house, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Time passed, and now I am a mom -- a mommy to a beautiful little girl who wakes up to the tiniest noise. When she was still an infant, I would go do the laundry when she's awake. Our washer was inside the house and it makes the loudest noise. I couldn't vacuum the floors/carpet because it is louder than the washer. I was dying to get a new washer and a new vacuum cleaner that didn't make so much noise, but we knew we were moving back to our dear old country. Whenever I needed to clean, my husband had to go out to the park with Allie, and I would quickly use the vacuum cleaner on our floors.

I waited and waited for technology to catch up with my silent wish (pun intended), and now it's here in the Philippines. Electrolux brought in a couple of the noisiest home appliances and turned the volume down.

I swear, this is pure genius. How would you like to get your hands on a blender that is about 10 times quieter than an average blender?

With the Electrolux Powermix SILENT Blender, I can now make smoothies and slushes without disturbing anyone, and yes, I can have a normal conversation with family while using it. I don't need to shout or turn the blender off.

Just because it's quiet it doesn't mean it doesn't do the job. It still does.

How about a quiet vacuum cleaner that won't wake up the baby? Sign me up!

This Electrolux Ultrasilencer Green boasts minimal noise level without compromising power and performance. It's environment-friendly as well. It's made from over 50% recycled plastic and very energy efficient. Perfect for the environmentally conscious. Best of all, the exhaust air is cleaned by more than 99.99% before releasing it back. Are you sold yet?

It looks gwapo pa.

If you want to know more about these amazing products, head on to the Electrolux Philippines Website.

You can also follow their twitter account @ElectroluxPH for more updates.