Loving that #TruMoo Feeling!

It is the perfect time for family bonding! The cold, chilly weather may cut down on your child's outdoor playtime, however, thanks to #TruMoo, we can now enjoy a nourishing cup of Chocolate Marshmallow Milk. Its their new February flavor that your kids would surely enjoy! Its available in the dairy section at the grocery stores nationwide through the month of February. 

#TruMoo is the best milk in the market today. If you are mom like me who reads the labels before putting things in your grocery cart, you would discover that it has all the essential nutrients of regular milk - Calcium, Protein, Vitamins A, D and B12, Riboflavin, Phosphorus and Potassium. #TruMoo Chocolate Marshmallow milk is made with fresh white milk sourced from regional dairies around the country - pure cocoa and just enough natural sugar to make it taste great!  #TruMoo milk contains no artificial growth hormones and no high fructose corn syrup. It is a nutritious and delicious drink that provides your child adequate nutrition during their growing years ensures proper bone and muscle development. 

Load up your grocery cart with this wonderful new #TruMoo Chocolate Marshmallow Milk. Bring out the board games, teach your kids how to play chess, or watch a good family movie together. It is the perfect time to sit by the fireplace, share hugs and look at old family photos. Build memories that would last a lifetime. Share the warmth, spread the love and raise your glass for s'more!

Enjoy #TruMoo Chocolate Marshmallow hot or cold, whether you are young or old! Enjoy it hot and have yourself s'more!  You will also love their other #TruMoo Milk flavors - Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla and for a quick pick-me-up, try the delicious #TruMoo Coffee Milk! All natural, all nutritious without the high sugar content. What more can we ask for? Nothing else but S'MORE!

Create a Mark - Join #Markerly!

With the emergence of new marketing strategies, businesses are now trending towards influencer marketing. What exactly is influencer marketing? It is the ability to affect the purchasing decision of a target audience. Influencer marketing provides brands to connect with the purchasing public through a group of people called influencers whose task is to increase consumer awareness of a product which in turn leads to increase in revenue for the brand. That being said, let me introduce you to the best influencer marketing platform and blogging network I have ever joined. 

Markerly is a full service managed network with 24/7 blogger support. I love the way they provide me support whenever I need it. Unlike other blogging networks, Markerly provides prompt response to emails - not generic ones but detailed and personalized.  The founders of the company are very much hands-on in running the business, hence the prompt, personalized support. With these great minds bringing bloggers the best sponsored content opportunities, the company has added $600K in seed funding to match bloggers with brands.

These wonderful people started it all - Rahf, Justin, Sarah and Todd

This company trusted me with writing sponsored content for big name brands. I was ecstatic when I got approved to write for them. I was so nervous writing my first post for them. I wanted everything to be perfect!As soon as I submitted my article, I got paid in less than 48 hours! Now isn't that amazing?

With Markerly, you can get to work with big name brands like Levi's, Super Bowl, TruMoo, eMeals, Skillshare, etc. You can also get free products to review like wine from companies like Last Bottle Wines and Invino or get cool earbuds from Jaybird. All you have to do is to be able to write about how great these brands are and that's not difficult at all, considering the brands Markerly is working with are really great. 

Searching the web for hours looking for sponsored content opportunities can be frustrating. However, with Markerly, they make it easy for us bloggers.I get an email when I am deemed fit for an opportunity. I find this very convenient. I am offered to write about something that is in line with my interests and reader demographics. Markerly is very focused on quality blog posts and bloggers that have engaged audiences. One more fantastic thing that is offered by Markerly is that they give you heat maps of your entire post so you can see what people are clicking on.

I am sure you are all revved up to join. Markerly's network is open to anybody to join. If you have 10,000 page views a month or an average of 3 comments per post, then come on and be a part of Markerly. It is going to be a great 2014 for you.

Click here to join and start having a rewarding blogging career!

Dry Eyes Syndrome

Early this morning, my eldest son called me at work. He told me he was at the university health clinic with severe eye pain. I was close to panic and all I could ever think of is, "Oh please God, please don't let it be glaucoma."

Since I could not get off work right there and then, I asked my son to call me when the doctors were done with their tests. Two hours passed when I got to talk to him again.

"Mama," he said, "Its not glaucoma. The doctor said I have Dry Eye Syndrome." I gave a sigh of relief that it was not the worse case scenario that kept me on the edge of my seat. "The doctor said I may just be dehydrated, so she prescribed oral rehydration salts and told me to increase my liquid intake. I also have to get some eyedrops that I should use every 4 hours for two weeks," he added.

I tried to remember unusual symptoms that I may have overlooked. One week ago, my son complained of his eyes being extra-sensitive to bright light. He had to cover his eyes with a pillow before he even attempted to open them after waking up. I never thought it meant anything serious. Then he told me he had stringy mucus in his eyes. Again, I thought it could be nothing serious, and that he probably spent the day in an area where the pollution was bad.

That was until today.

What is Dry Eye Syndrome? And so I did my research. I read up on all online material I could get my hands on. I have to find out if there would be any other underlying cause for this Dry Eye Syndrome. So here I am, blogging about this disease that is affecting my college boy.

Dry Eye Syndrome may be caused by a variety of factors, and was discussed thoroughly in The Mayo Clinic website. I read about the symptoms that my son had - eye pain, stringy mucus, and sensitivity to light. The Mayo Clinic website provided easy to understand explanation of the symptoms, causes and treatment modalities. I am sharing with you very helpful information that I got from their website.

Symptoms:

1. Stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes (My son had this symptom)
2. Stringy mucus in or around your eyes (My son had this symptom)
3. Increased eye irritation from smoke or wind
4. Eye fatigue
5. Sensitivity to light (My son had this symptom)
6. Eye redness
7. A sensation of having something in your eyes
8. Difficulty wearing contact lenses
9. Periods of excessive tearing
10. Blurred vision, often worsening at the end of the day or after focusing for a prolonged period.

Causes:

1. Poor tear quality
• Tears have three components - oil, water and mucus. A deficiency in any of these three components can lead to dry eyes
2. Decreased tear production
• Decreased tear production (when you are unable to produce enough tears) are common in people over 50; postmenopausal women; may be associated with some medical conditions such as diabetes (this disease runs in our family), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, thyroid disorders (this disease runs in our family too) and Vitamin A deficiency. Decreased tear production may also be caused by laser eye surgery and tear gland damage.
3. Eyelid problems
4. Use of certain medications
• Some drugs that use to treat high blood pressure
• Antihistamines and decongestants (My son uses these medications for his allergic rhinitis)
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Certain anti-depresents
• Iso-tretinoin type drugs for treatment of acne
5. Additional causes
• Wind
• Dry air
• Tasks that require enough concentration that you blink less often

Treatment Modalities:

The Mayo Clinic website discusses about treating the underlying cause of Dry Eyes Syndrome. You may check it out for more in depth information.

My son was prescribed eye drops (GenTeal), 1-2 drops every 4 hours for two weeks. I have to make him learn to use a warm washcloth over his eyes and massage the corner of his eyes where the oil (Meibomian) glands are. I will make him take a Vitamin A supplement regularly and encourage him to keep himself hydrated. Most importantly, I will be more vigilant in taking note of other symptoms that may point to either diabetes or thyroid disease which both run in the family.

My family's health is one of my top priorities. It is always a good thing to address the illness at an early stage than to put off the symptoms and regret it later on.

I hope I was able to give you some useful information today. Credits and thanks to Mayo Clinic.

How Did You Know?

(please turn up your speaker volume)

Today I share with you a beautiful song performed by one of our country's finest singers, Gary Valenciano. This song is included in the official soundtrack of the movie "All my Life."

I have written about so many different things but I have not yet made one single post about the man who made me believe in love again... and this song says so much about it.

I remember so well the day you came into my life. You asked for my name, you had the most beautiful smile. October 15, 2006. The day "you" and "me" became "us" and "we." I found my soul mate, my best friend, my buddy. I met you, my sweet Poppa bear.

How did you know I needed someone like you in my life? How did you know, baby? Did you feel the void in my heart? Among the billions of women on earth, how did you find me?

You came at the right time in my life. We were both coming out of broken relationships. We shared our sadness and hurt. It helped to have someone who understood. It was heartwarming to be give and receive the love and care we both longed for. You went ahead and took on the responsibility of helping me raise my kids when their own father turned his back on them. Thank you for saving me and my children.

I'll never forget how you brought the sun to shine in my life and took all the worries and fears that I had. After my marriage with my first husband ended up in separation, I lost all belief in love and marriage. Whenever I see a young couple getting married, all I could think of is "He's going to find another woman and dump her like trash." All that changed when I met you. It was you baby, who made me believe in love again. In God's time, we will seal our love with the bond of marriage.

I guess what I'm really trying to say, its not everyday that someone comes my way. No words can express how much I love you. Love is best expressed in ways and deeds. Between the coffee and cigarettes, the occasional bottle of beer we share, new recipes and wonderful cheese, its the loving glances we exchange with each other. The soft smile, the caring gestures, lots of hugs and silly laughter are things that make our day complete. I am looking forward to a lifetime with you, sweetie. My pinky promise! We'll grow old and wrinkled together, count grandchildren, get our own "His" and "Hers" walking sticks, or wheelchairs, or diapers, or what-nots. We will live a full life together. Our children will look to us as models of how love and family should be. You will be my forever sunshine, my cuddly bear, my sweetie pie. I love you baby. You've got  this feisty dragon all mushy right now.

From Light Weight to the Right Weight

Losing weight seems to be a worldwide trend. However, we need to take a look at the other end of the scale. There are some individuals who are desperately trying to gain weight. These may be young adults who want to be buff, or athletes that need to gain more muscle mass. Others may be recuperating from an illness while a handful are those who are recipients of the gene for skinniness. I am particularly involved in finding a way to gain weight the healthy way because the hubby needs to regain the weight he lost over the past months.

I have done my research and read lots of articles about how to gain weight safely and effectively. Out of all the articles I read, there is one common advice - INCREASE YOUR CALORIE INTAKE.

Increasing the daily calorie intake entails choosing and eating the right foods, not those that are high in calories but provide zero nutrition (i.e. sugary snacks). In weight management, the diet for gaining or losing weight are basically the same. We should consume portions from all the food groups, only in different proportions - more of it if we want to gain and less if we want to lose weight.

Here are some tips I have collected that would help provide healthy weight gain:

• Start with hydration. 50-60% of the human body is composed of water. It is only logical that we drink up to keep our cells healthy and receptive to assimilate nutrients. Coconut water is a refreshing drink that contains more potassium than 4 bananas.

• Stimulate your appetite. A short walk before a meal can jump start our appetite. A light round of exercise or any activity that would make us move around is encouraged. Exercise is also essential in weight gain.

• Get Meaty. Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Eggs and Seafood are all allowed. Always ask for an extra serving. These would give our bodies amino acids which are the building blocks of protein.

• Complex carbohydrates are your ally. Potatoes, legumes, whole wheat bread, corn, and yams are your new friends. These foods rates not only provide us energy, it also gives us good healthy fiber for easy digestion.

• Go nuts over nuts (and seeds). Devour nuts and seeds by the handful. It is a known fact that nuts and seeds contain protein, fiber, minerals and healthy fat (mono-and polyunsaturated fat). Make a habit out of snacking on peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, hazel nuts, cashew nuts, and coconuts. Oops, not the last one. Coconuts go into a different category.

• Daily Dairy. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are tops in providing protein and calcium. So raise your glass and drink up. Word of caution to those who are lactose intolerant: Read the label and make sure you are getting the lactose-free kind.

• Have fun with colorful fruits and vegetables. Pack those vitamins and minerals by having dense fruits like apples and pears. Have your fill of veggies. If vegetables are not your thing, make yourself a fruit and vegetable smoothie and enjoy. Mix and match different fruits and veggies to suit your taste.

• Choose your oils. Olive, Palm, Canola and soybean oil are rich in Vitamin A and are classified as "healthy oils," because they are unsaturated fats and do not cause an increase in the blood cholesterol levels. Use liberally on salads and for preparing food. Avocados also contain a lot of healthy oil so start making a large batch of guacamole!

• Snack Attack. There are numerous ways to prepare high calorie healthy snacks. A bagel smothered with peanut butter and washed down with a fruit smoothie is relatively easy to make. 

Now that I have mapped out a plan to put the hubby on the path of regaining strength and body weight, I would be happy to see him gain a pound a week.

Do you have any high protein or high calorie nutritious recipes to share? Please do. It would be much appreciated. 

Are you a Save-Your-Money-And-Do-It-Yourself Mom too?

It was seven years ago when my spouse and I got our own little apartment. During our first Christmas together, he asked me, "What do you want for Christmas, sweetie?" Without batting an eyelash, I said, "A toolbox"

I assume most men were wanting to hear "I'd like a necklace" or "A new purse" or maybe "A pair of designer jeans and shoes." Well, that's not me. 

All I wanted was a toolbox - complete with screwdrivers, a wrench, a small hammer, a vise grip, long nose pliers and a wire cutter. I also wanted some washers, a few nuts and bolts, nails, electric and plumbing tape, hooks and screws. My reason was for practicality. I am not the person who would be on the phone calling a plumber to fix a leaking faucet. I can do that myself. Saves me a lot of money. I can assemble my own electrical extension cord, change washers, install clotheslines, and tighten door hinges. I can craft a small wooden stool out of scrap. 

I learned these skills from my Dad. I guess he really wanted a boy for a first born but instead, he got me! Haha. Tough luck. Nevertheless, I did not regret having grease on my hands, getting a few cuts, or hitting my thumb with a hammer. I learned how to properly position a jack and change car tires all by myself. Neat, huh? I am a true-blue HANDY-WOMAN, Save-Your-Money-And-Do-It-Yourself mom.

Well, I did get my wish and I have my own set of tools that I use for minor repairs around the house. The hubby is so proud of me. He is simply amazed at how a woman like me can do things like that. Maybe its because I am Filipino? Unfazed by adversity? Or is it just because I was trained early in life to be independent? I have no idea. All I know is that it saves us money. Maybe next Christmas I would ask for power tools. 

How about you? What was the most unconventional  present you asked from your spouse? Are you a true-blue HANDY-WOMAN, Save-Your-Money-And-Do-It-Yourself mom too?

My Last Day of 2013 in Pictures

Its the first day of the New Year. Whew!

Its 2014. Another chance at making the world a better place (in my own little way).

Here are some pictures of how I spent the last day of the past year.

Woke up and took pictures of nature in bloom:

Aimed my camera up in the sky and took captured one of the bluest skies I've seen:

Asked my boys to take charge preparing lunch. Oh yes, they were grilling pork chops in our tiny charcoal grill:

Watched the annual Christmas Street Party for the neighborhood kids:

Paid my mom a visit (She lives on the next street from ours). Mama didn't like to have her picture taken because she said she's not dressed nicely and does not have any lipstick on. Haha. My mom the fashionista. 

Walked home and captured the last sunset of 2013

And finally, had a blast watching the fireworks and taking pictures of it. These are the only decent ones I was able to capture. My shutter finger was too slow. :)

Welcome 2014! Peace, love and blessings of prosperity to everyone!

Mick's Money Tree from the City of Pines

"Mama, Mama! Look what I got for you!" I heard my son's excited voice as he walked in the door. 

Two months ago, my youngest son went on a school field trip to Baguio City, also known as "The City of Pines" It is about 251 kilometers (156 miles) north of Metro Manila where we live. Baguio is a city situated on a plateau of the mountainous region of Northern Luzon, and is around 5000 ft above sea level. The weather is always cool all year round, with average temperatures ranging from 15-23C (59-73F).

My son Mick had a big smile on his face while he handed me a pretty little dish garden.

"Mama, this is a Money Tree. Its supposed to bring us good luck. I got it near Mines View Park in Baguio." 

Mick during an early morning hike in Baguio 

"Thank you. It looks lovely," I said.

"I also got a miniature pine tree for Grandma. She will love this!" And he excitedly walks over to his grandmother's house to give her his gift.

Mick has always been the thoughtful little one. He always has something for me and his grandmother every time he returns from a field trip.

And so, the little money tree found its way into our home. Did it bring us money? Hmm.. good question. In some ways I guess it did, not because of "magical powers" but the mere fact of seeing it everyday served as a reminder to be frugal and spend wisely. Maybe that is what its supposed to do. 

My Money Tree. 

Beach Fun

Here I am, on the second to the last day of the year 2013. Spending a quiet time on the beach. Getting some sun in December. Oh the joys of living in the tropics! Sunshine throughout most of the year.

I walk along the shore, feeling the small waves tenderly lapping at my feet. My husband walking alongside with me, hand in hand. I lovingly look up at him and he kisses me ever so tenderly. The children start teasing us, "Ewww! PDA! (Public Display of Attention)," "So mushy!" I wave to them in an effort to let them mind their own business. They seem to understand and the boys paddle away on their surfboards. The daughters are having a good time themselves, the eldest minding her husband and our sweet little granddaughter, and the other, playing cards with her soft spoken boyfriend.

A dream vacation, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, no smog, no noise, no stress.

Night came quickly and we gathered together in front of the bonfire. A few beers, hotdogs and marshmallows, and a lot of stories and laughter. It is close to midnight. We put out the fire and gathered our stuff. We get inside our rented cottage and gave each other the warmest exchanges of "Good night, I love you."

I fall asleep, happy and content.

BUZZZZ....BUZZZZ....BUZZZZZ....

My alarm goes off. What the..?!!! 

REALITY! I wake up and I was back in our house, my alarm still buzzing. Its time for me to get ready for work.

ME AND MY WILD DREAMS.

.

Photo credits: http://www.cabana-cebu.com/images/philippines_sunset.jpg

Nostalgic Trip Down Facebook Lane

During my long holiday weekend, I had the chance to read my past Facebook posts and relived those happy, funny, disappointed, sometimes angry moments. Here are some of the best ones. Enjoy!

• Got the month's supply of prescription drugs at Mercury. I noticed that the pharmacists now have name plates. The usual pharmacist that attends to me had a name plate that read "ONDO". And so good old curious me asked.. "what's your real name? why the nickname ONDO?" And the man said.. "Ma'am, my real name is FACUNDO. I would prefer to be called ONDO than to be called FAC".

• My only regret is that my parents never taught me how to lick ass. If they did, I could have been a CEO of some company by now...

• THE MOST FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH WORD is shit...thats right, shit! You can smoke shit, get shit faced, buy shit, sell shit, lose shit, find shit, tell people 2 eat shit, forget shit, some people know their shit and some have shit 4 brains, there's lucky shits, dumb shits & crazy shit, there's bull shit, horse shit, chicken shit, deep shit, the wrong shit, the right shit & not enough shit, weird shit, scary shit, up shit creek without a paddle & sometimes everything you touch turns 2 shit. You could pass this along if u give a shit or not if you dont give a shit. Hope you have a shit free day but remember ........ Shit Happens!!!  Go on pass this shit on!!! 

• "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

• "People prefer to follow those who help them, not those who intimidate them." (C. Gene Wilkes)

• I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good, either.

• "Take hold of the light of truth and shine it on the faces of those that hide the darkness of deceit" (Engr. Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada, Tomasino)

• To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, BE NOTHING...

• God has always something for you.. a key for every problem, a light for every shadow, a relief for every sorrow, a plan for every tomorrow.

• Another sunrise, another day. One more chance to pray for God's guidance today.

• "Ambivalence about family responsibilities has a long history in the corporate world."  (Rosabeth Kanter)

• What's the difference between "sick of working" and "sick but working"? The first means "burned out," and the second means "crappy attendance policy"

• Just a thought.. On my way to work every night, I noticed that those large, beautiful houses in White Plains, St. Ignatius, and Corinthian Hills look so lonely. There are no lights, there doesn't even seem to have a family living there. I guess there's truth to the saying "IT GETS LONELY AT THE TOP."

• THE BEST OUT OF THE OFFICE REPLY: "I am currently out of the office today with limited access to my email. Rest assured that your email will not be forwarded. Instead, it will be deleted in the order it was received. Thank you."

• SUPPORT BACTERIA. They're the only culture some people have.

• PARADIGM SHIFT: I will no longer look some people as assholes.. from today onwards, they will just be HOLES SURROUNDED BY ASS.

And of course, the "moving on to a new job" inspirational poem that I found on the web:

COMFORT ZONE

I used to have a Comfort Zone

Where I knew I couldn't fail

The same four walls of busy work

Were really more like jail.

I longed so much to do the things

I'd never done before,

But I stayed inside my Comfort Zone

And paced the same old floor.

I said it didn't matter,

That I wasn't doing much

I said I didn't care for things

Like diamonds, furs and such.

I claimed to be so busy

With the things inside my zone,

But deep inside I longed for

Something special of my own.

I couldn't let my life go by,

Just watching others win.

I held my breath and stepped outside

And let the change begin.

I took a step and with new strength

I'd never felt before,

I kissed my Comfort Zone "goodbye"

And closed and locked the door.

If you are in a Comfort Zone,

Afraid to venture out,

Remember that all winners were

At one time filled with doubt.

A step or two and words of praise,

Can make your dreams come true.

Greet your future with a smile,

Success is there for you!