Mommy Manila

Three days before Christmas and Cartoon Network brings in the Philippines the world's largest toon machine at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia. Cartoon Network Toon Machine is claw grabbing game where you can grab as many as you can Cartoon Network merchandise, toys and school supplies. To give you an idea of what's in-store for parents and their children, check out more photos below. Cartoon Network Toon Machine

Snoopy and Charlie Brown are just some of my favorite comic strip characters so I'm definitely sharing to you McDonald's newest Happy Meals. This holiday season, shares good old memories with today’s little ones with the new Snoopy and Charlie Brown Happy Meal toys. Get first dibs on all 10 designs before everyone else! Snoopy And The Gang In Every McDonald's Happy Meal Peanuts fans , kids and adults alike, can pre-order the complete set of Snoopy and Charlie Brown Happy Meal toys in all McDonald's stores nationwide starting December 11 . To pre-order, just follow these five simple steps: Step 1 - Visit any McDonald’s store from December 11-15. Step 2 - Pre-order the complete Snoopy and Charlie Brown Happy Meal set in the front counter of any McDonald’s store nationwide.  Step 3 - For only Php949, the pre-ordered Snoopy and Charlie Brown Happy Meal set includes a toy claim stub for all 10 designs of the Happy Meal toys and 10 Happy Meal food stubs compos

It has been our family tradition to have a cake on Christmas eve. In the Philippines, we are spoiled with a lot of cake variants from traditional chocolate and mocha to delightfully Double chocolate. Goldilocks Christmas cakes are here once again. Surprise the family with the Goldilocks   Santa Cake , made with layers of rich chocolate cake filled with cherry cream, and iced with whipped cream. The chocolate shavings on the sides make a perfect complement to the delightful Santa face, which tops this delicious masterpiece. Throughout the twelve days of Christmas, your true love will definitely appreciate the Choco Hazelnut roll, with Choco fudge frosting and Christmas decors. On the other hand, an ideal option for ninangs and ninongs for their inaanaks are the irresistible Goldilocks Christmas chocolate lollipops, or any one of the classic Goldilocks Christmas Greeting Cakes.  Always keep in mind the reason for this season and partake in this season of giving!  Call 888-1-999 or visit

Pinoy food is undeniably one of the best cuisine in the world. Every region in the Philippines offers  specialty dish  - spicy laing in Bicol, bagnet in Ilocos and a lot more. In an epic cook-off by some of the country’s most talented street food cooks, ten of the best street food cooks competed at the grand finals of SM Hypermarket's Best Pinoy Street Food . The dishes were tested not only by Kusina Master - Chef Boy Logro but also by a crowd of 100 people composed of students, drivers, shoppers, and other business owners, the ones who eat their dishes every day. SM Hypermarket Best Pinoy Street Food 2015 Grand prize winner received her very own food stall at SM Hypermarket rent-free for a year as well as Php100,000 pesos worth of prizes including large food packs, ingredients, cooking equipment, etc. courtesy of SM Hypermarket’s Food Service Center.

Philippine Red Cross is more than just providing blood to those who are in need. They play a big role in disaster, relief and operation . A couple of weeks ago, we remembered the tragic brought about by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Philippines. We recognize individuals, NGO and government agencies' efforts to help the provinces hit by typhoon Haiyan, one of them is Philippine Red Cross.

#WorldToiletDay , a campaign that fight against germs and diseases caused by unsanitary toilets was celebrated today around the globe. Unilever Philippines through its brand Domex , the campaign against #1MCleanToilets kicked-off this morning with a clean-up drive held at East Avenue Medical Center . Mommy Manila  supports the World Toilet Day. With that, we are giving away 2 months worth of Domex cleaning products to ten (10) lucky followers/readers . Joining is easy, read more and find out how to win Domex .  Contest Mechanics: 1. Post your answer to the question on Facebook and Twitter with your photo showing a CHECK hand-gesture of the left hand . Question: "Who do you protect from disease causing germs? Who inspires you to keep your toilet at home clean and germ-free?" Sample Answer: "I love my family so I make sure they are free from disease-causing germs in the toilet so I makes sure our home toilet is clean and germ-free!"

Every year, Domex aims to educate 1 Million Filipinos on Proper Toilet Sanitation , to help fight against diseases. This coming November 13, 2015, Unilever Philippines through its germ-killing brand, Domex is all set to kick off the  One Million Clean Toilets Movement  in the fight against disease causing germs. This nationwide campaign aims to save lives , one clean toilet at a time . World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that children around the world miss an estimated 443 million school days each year because of diseases caused by poor sanitation and hygiene practices , including using unsanitary toilets. There were hundreds of problems related to poor sanitation and lack of sanitary toilets. Children got sick and missed a lot at school. Not to mention that their lives at risk due diseases caused by unhygienic practices. Illnesses due to poor toilet sanitation include diarrheal disease and parasitic worm infections which can lead to nutritional deficiencies , phys

I remmber how much I love candies when I was a little. Imagine for 25 centavo, I can buy my favorite candy in the sari-sari store. But now that I am not young anymore, I would indulge for candies and chocolates once in a while. I personally like soft candies but nothing comes quite close to the inimitable goodness of polvoron. Of course, when Filipinos think of polvoron, they immediately associate it with Goldilocks.   Now that the original Goldilocks polvoron lovers are all grown up and have children of their own, they can pass on the experience to their own kids – albeit in a new and more convenient package via the new Goldilocks Polvoron Bites . This new generation of polvoron may seem smaller than most of us remember, but what it lacks in size, it still makes up for in taste and convenience. These bite-sized pieces are easier to store and share with friends and loved ones. They also come in two flavors, namely the Signature (and best-loved) Classic polvoron and the new Choco-covere

Mommies , how much do you allot on transportation every month? Mine doubled this month of October but I don't complain because I ride in comfort and usually arrived home on time. Anyway, here's something that will probably make you smile amidst your monthly expenses. TOTAL, a global energy leader, has introduced its flagship fuel product to the Philippine market, TOTAL Excellium. This product is developed in TOTAL’s European laboratories, where meticulous research and development has led to the combination of three essential advantages in one efficient formula. TOTAL Excellium Diesel is fast becoming the favorite fuel of practical, environment-conscious Filipino drivers.  TOTAL Excellium Diesel is a premium fuel product developed under European Union specifications and infused with proprietary additives that deliver the Total Ecosolutions Advantage . Each drop of  TOTAL Excellium  ensures a clean, efficient engine, fuel economy, and less harmful CO2 emissions for an unf

Christmas is the most exciting part of the year, a time most cherished by Filipinos. More than the Noche Buena and the gift giving, we look forward to bonding moments with our families and loved ones. To some, it may be bittersweet, especially for our hardworking OFWs living away from their families. While they brim with pride, sending their families Balikbayan boxes full of gifts and goodies, they are unable to see firsthand the joy and smiles that they bring. Many OFWs would prefer to be with their loved ones this holiday, however, distance and circumstance prohibit them. This year though Cherry Mobile fulfills the deepest wishes of several of our OFWs and reunites them with their loved ones this Christmas through the #CherryChristmas promo. Christmas comes early as Cherry Mobile flies these lucky winners home for free, just in time for the holidays. “For our OFWs, the happiest time of the year is also sometimes the loneliest. I saw firsthand while I travel abroad how much Fil

With the market’s adaptation to digital shopping, traditional retail businesses find it important to keep with the consumer’s growing needs and demands for shopping experience beyond the brick-and-mortar concept. SM Supermalls used this big idea for its first Partnership Summit titled “ Bricks Click: Creating the New Marketplace ” to create a venue for deeper discussion among retailers and business partners. The summit was held at the SMX Convention Center of the Mall of Asia Complex. SM Supermalls President Annie Garcia and Senior Vice-President for Operations Steven Tan together with panelists (second from left) Margot Torres, Executive Vice President, McDonald’s Philippines; Hiebert Dimagiba, Head of Mobile & IT Business, Samsung Philippines; Aitor Gomez Maguregui, Head of New Business Sales, Google Philippines; and Mark Gamboa, Director of Marketing, Max’s Group. The summit aimed to inspire and motivate players in the retail industry, local and regional, through knowledge shar

Are you experiencing recurrent skin breakout? It might be due to stubborn dirt and oil that stays even after thorough cleansing.  According to the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS), acne is the most prevalent skin disease among Filipinos, with an affliction rate of approximately 17% among teens from 10 to 18 years of age. This makes acne a serious skin condition, which persists unless treated straight at the source. The most common problem with acne breakouts is that it recurs despite a rigorous skincare regimen. Against common knowledge, cleansing alone does not get rid of acne. This is because cleansers only work on the skin’s surface dirt and oil, making them insufficient in addressing the root problem of breakouts. To effectively treat acne, there must be an understanding on how acne really develops in the skin. Acne is a recurring cycle that isn’t caused by dirt, but by bacteria. When excess oil and dead skin cells clog the pores, whiteheads or blackheads appear. Bacteria th

Back in the 80s, I wanted to study in Montessori school but my parents couldn't afford. I was sent in a public school for elementary education and then moved to a private Catholic school for secondary school. Coming from two different schools, I saw the big difference. With that I salute my parents for all the efforts they did to give us a better education. I also salute our great and skilled teachers in public schools. They are also resourceful trying to meet the needs of their students.  Traditional methods of education have naturally produced some of the brightest minds in the history of man. However, just as every field needs to be upgraded and modernized to suit the demands of future generations, so too does our technique of instruction. The challenge of tomorrow’s students calls for invention, innovation, imagination, and decision. The pioneers of this new frontier will certainly rely less and less on rote memorization and the mere storage of facts and information. Fro

I've heard a lot of stories about OFWs and their financial difficulties when they come back to their families in the country. I did not work abroad to know how it feels and it really bothers me when a relative shares their stories. I am not an expert in money matters either but I am glad to have a husband who knows how to. But let me share the story of an OFW name, Christopher. Christopher Cervantes was only twenty one years when he left his family to travel the world and work on an oil and chemical tanker ship. Later on after marrying and having kids with the woman of his dreams, he hoped to pay for the education of his children, and help his family live a comfortable life. He rose through the ship ranks, and soon became captain of the ship. As his salary began to increase, however, he noticed that the money he was sending home was not. “I feel that OFWs, with most of us coming from a difficult financial background, aren’t used to handling large sums of cash. We’re overwhelmed by

Cetaphil introduces the arrival of Cetaphil Baby to provide the best in skincare that a baby deserves everyday.

Over 3,000 families from the Visayas are set to benefit from a sustainable lighting project ushered by the Gawad Kalinga (GK) and Schneider Electric Philippines. Recently, members of GK attended three separate training in Roxas City in Capiz, Cebu City, and Ormoc  City in Leyte on the installation and maintenance of Schneider Electric’s portable off-grid solar lamps. The GK members will then pass on their learning to families and communities in Capiz, Iloilo, Antique, Negros, Leyte, Samar and Bantayan Island—most of whom are survivors of typhoon Yolanda.

We grew up celebrating important occasions with a box of cake from Goldilocks Bakeshop . One of our favorite variants is the chocolate cake. Sometimes, we also go for vanilla, it's hard to choose among the two flavors. Goldilocks' Duo Marble Layer cake We're glad Goldilocks has come up with the new Duo Marble Layer Cake. The Duo Marble Layer cake is a delightful combination of vanilla and choco chiffon cake iced with vanilla buttercream, attractively decorated with streaks of chocolate frosting.

How much do you spend on monthly electricity? Some say that the cost of doing business in the Philippines is significantly higher compared to other Southeast Asian (SEA) nations mainly because of Energy. The cost of electricity in the Philippines is the highest in the SEA region and, given the way inflation works, is highly unlikely to become cheaper any time soon.

(PAMI)  Philam Asset Management Inc   is Philam Life ’s asset management subsidiary, whose assets have grown to P40.698 billion in 2014 from P21.903 billion in 2004. PAMI is one of the largest asset and wealth management companies in the country, managing mutual funds from different asset classes and is a major contributor to the development of the Philippine mutual fund industry. PAMI has won nine awards from PIFA in 2014 alone, and has consecutively been named Most Trusted Brand since 2010, Investment Fund Category by Reader’s Digest . Veteran and newbie investors alike should look into taking advantage of this opportunity in the stock market, with a particularly quick and easy option of investing in index funds, which operate by mimicking the performance of the stock market.

Once in a while I would go to McDonald's to grab my favorite Apple Pie and tasty  Cheese burger . Here's something to look forward to your next visit in McDo, the new McDonald's  Chicken Fillet ala King meal for only Php59 . It is made with crispy and juicy chicken fillet, topped with delectable, creamy and buttery sauce with carrot bits and chives; complete with rice and a drink for only P59. It will be available at McDonald’s restaurants nationwide starting September 7.

Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corporation, through its subsidiary Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corporation (TAREC)  completed the Guimaras Wind-Power Project , 54-megawatt wind farm in the province of Guimaras. Photo credits: wn.com The San Lorenzo Wind Farm , named after the town in which it is located, is projected to generate over 120 GWh of electricity annually, which can sustain the energy demands of 48,000 households .

Earlier, I attended the launch of Elica Cream and Ointment (Mometasone Furoate) . It's a new product from Bayer Philippines that will treat inflamed, itchy eczema. When a child can't sleep at night, it might be due to monsters under the bed and that keeps mommies awake too. This monster attacks the skin, eczema. Elica Cream For Treatment of Eczema Eczema is characterized by red, dry, itchy rashes on the skin. It is more common in children than in adults. It can also have a huge negative impact on a skid's life, like sleep deprivation.

AyaGold is giving grocery shopping a new meaning with Merkado Supermarket . The first Merkado Supermarket is located at U.P. Town Center opens a couple of weeks ago. Amidst the emerging gastro-hub of Quezon City and with the community in mind, the mid-market supermarket boasts of an extensive line of local and imported goods, as well as a wide range of fresh and grocery items, rotisserie and wine selection carefully handpicked for those with a discerning taste. Shopping at Merkado Supermarket will be a breeze, weaving through the supermarket’s wide aisles, clean layout, and organized sections. Can’t find your way around the supermarket? Merkado Supermarket’s friendly staff will be around to lend assistance. Buying groceries is made more convenient with all cashiers accepting cash and card transactions. Surrounded by the country’s most renowned academic institutions, a growing residential and business community, Merkado Supermarket fosters a sociable environment enabling famil

It's the rainy season here in the Philippines, and together with rains and stock piles of water are dengue -carrying mosquitos as well. 4 o'clock Habit

Mothers dream to see her children grow up to be self-sufficient and financially stable . But how do we guarantee their security, when quality education grows more expensive every year, and more and more parents are forced to drop their children from school due to a lack of necessary funds? In 1997, this precise challenge hit Ms. Monserrat V. Delos Reyes. After leaving her job in the medical field as a nurse, she was unsure if she could afford to pay the tuition fees of her children. “It was a difficult time,” Delos Reyes narrated. “I was constantly worried about our expenses, most of all how I could possibly pay for the schooling of my kids.” Fortunately, Delos Reyes found a highly rewarding career as a financial advisor for Philam Life . With full belief in both the products she was selling and company providing them, she bought an education plan with a very specific purpose in mind. “My daughter Regine always dreamt of studying in De La Salle University and becoming a lawyer

What's the best hot soup during rainy season? One of my favorite is beef mami. Although we can easily make one from a pack noodles by just adding hot water. I'm glad Goldilocks Foodshop has come up with their version of Beef Mami .  Goldilocks Beef Mami Goldilocks’ Beef Mami is a simple yet delectable dish that can best be described as soup for the Pinoy soul. For only 75 pesos, its timeless combination of tasty egg noodles, vegetables, and meat in a scrumptious beef broth will surely turn even the gloomiest, most overcast day around.

Nestle Wellness Expo 2015 Nestle Wellness Expo is back and this year, it focuses on healthy breakfast meals and why it is the most important meal of the day. Nestlé Wellness Expo started today and will last until July 5, 2015 at SM Megatrade Halls 1-3 in SM Megamall .

Today, we celebrate Father's Day . For sure, you're out to treat tatay , papa , daddy to a movie date or lunch or dinner treat. If you’re still wondering how you can make this Father’s Day a special one, Goldilocks, has exactly what you’re looking for to make this Father’s Day an extra special one. Goldilocks presents its Father's Day cakes, which are perfect for Dad on his special day. First, the Dark Chocolate Cake (P520) is a decadent black velvet masterpiece covered with smooth chocolate ganache, whipped cream, and a surprise strawberry filling inside – which makes it perfect for the ultimate chocolate-loving dad. The second new offering is the Special Coffee Cake (P450) , perfect treat for dads who loves coffee. It has moist mocha chiffon cake covered with pralines and chocolate-buttercream icing, with a design that will surely put a smile on Dad’s face with each bite.

We have learned to invest our hard-earned money either in business, or in stocks. However, not all have the capital or time for attending to the details of running a business, or keeping track of the fluctuations of the stock market since it can be a full-time job in and of itself. It takes a lot of money to start a business or personally invest in a diversified set of stocks, with a mutual fund the latter is made easy. By purchasing shares in a fund, your money is managed and invested by professional fund managers, and you can rest easy knowing that your investments are diversified to help safeguard against dramatic losses should a sector of the market go sour. In choosing a mutual fund company, both new and veteran investors decide to go with the tried-and-true-owned and managed by large and notable companies, backed by a history of reliability.

From the organizers of the popular night food market Mercato Centrale  in partnership with Glorietta comes the BELLYSIMA! Food Festival 2015 . It's a weekend food fair presented by passionate up-and-coming food entrepreneurs to share their artisanal food creations alongside healthy and organic food products with equally passionate food enthusiasts! Super Smoothies From flavored flans to artisan sausages to edible cookie dough to carabao chicharon to twisted gelato flavors to chili-flavored coffee syrups to organic detox juices to chocolate-flavored surprises! And that’s just the tip of the taste buds.

We always look forward to weekends and feel a bit sad when Mondays are coming. Right after a fun weekend, going to the beach, or simply enjoying stress-free family time, Monday shifts you back into reality. This month of June, it’s time to go back to school, and to endure hours of traffic. But we have to power to remain thankful and cheerful. One is by treating ourselves or our loved ones. Mondays Are More Sweeter With Goldilocks Desserts Turn Monday blues into a sweet day by treating ourselves and our loved ones to some classic Pinoy desserts from Goldilocks. The classic Leche Flan is now available in a smaller size, making it to go snack, anytime of the day. Enjoy Leche Flan with another Filipino favorite, the velvety and delicate Ube Halaya , another favorite and you have the perfect dessert-duo to beat your Mondays.

Philippine Academy for Aviation Training (PAAT) has recently announced an investment into it by Asian Aviation Center for Excellence (AACE) , an aviation training centre jointly owned by aviation corporate giants namely CAE Inc. of Canada and AirAsia , the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia.

With the summer heat, I wish I could always have iced cold beverages, smoothies, halo-halo and ice cream. Thank goodness, we can have them anytime we want. Have you tried Goldilocks Pinoy Thirst Quenchers? It provide the perfect taste of summer with these specially mixed Filipino classics. Coast through this heat wave with the classic Goldilocks Thirst Quenchers : Halo Halo , Mais con Hielo and Sago’t Gulaman . My personal favorite is the sweet Sago't Gulaman while hubby loves Halo-Halo. It's so affordable only Php 39.00, the Thirst Quenchers are sure to add a cool edge to your summer memories in only the way Goldilocks can.

I know people who lost self confidence in performing daily activities especially smiling, speaking and socializing due to denture problems. A metro-wide advocacy campaign to promote proper denture care among Filipinos was recently launched by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), in collaboration with the Philippine Prosthodontic Society (PPS). In a recent study revealed that 9 million Filipinos wear dentures, making the Philippines the country with the highest incidence of denture wearers in Asia. This was revealed in the study “Oral Care U&A: Market Understanding  Study Middle East & Asia’’ conducted by Ipsos Marketing for GlaxoSmithKline(GSK). “The qualitative research titled ‘The Emerging Consumer Denture Journey,' conducted by Nick Newall and Rachel Kern for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) revealed that in the Philippines, majority of denture wearers are between 35-69 years old. Wearers have full, half, or partial dentures,’’ said Isa Marfori, GSK Polident product manager. Another s

The candidates of Miss Philippines Earth 2015 shared their culinary skills as they accepted the challenges at SM Market’s Grocery and Cooking Challenge.  Not just an ordinary cooking contest though, contestants needed to copy Kusina Master Chef Boy Logro 's recipe and complete other tasks. Before the cooking activities, Miss Earth candidates went scavenger hunt for things they needed in the kitchen. It was an eventful day not just for the beauty queens but also for the SM shoppers who got to mingle with the lovely ladies taking selfies, groufies, and even got the chance to sing with them.

The Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philam Life) recently signed an agreement with the National Confederation of Cooperatives Mutual Benefit Association (NATCCO MBAI). NATCCO MBAI President, Doctor Luis Carillo; NATCCO MBAI Chairman, Rustico Galang; Philam Life Corporate Solutions’ Sales Head, Erwin Go; and Philam Life Senior Agency Manager, Isagani Antonio Philam Life, the Philippines’ premier life insurance company, was entrusted by NATCCO to insure its cooperative members’ borrowers. NATCCO MBAI is the biggest federation of co-ops in the Philippines in terms of geographical reach, membership, financial capacity and array of services, reaching around 2.17 million individual members coming from over 600 rural and urban-based cooperatives.

Mother's Day is just around the corner. What are your plans for this special event? Perhaps, dinner with your family or hotel staycation . Have you seen the newly opened City of Dreams Manila? One of the main attraction there is the Nobu Hotel Manila . People are raving about Nobu Hotel Manila because many experienced celebrity-inspired hospitality in Japanese setting right at the Philippines’ newest entertainment capital, the City of Dreams Manila. In celebration of its upcoming official launch, Nobu Hotel, City of Dreams Manila is giving away a delectable set-dinner for two at the Nobu Manila restaurant to a lucky winner! Who want's to win a set-dinner for two? All you need to do is to take a photo of yourself in Nobu Hotel Manila and make it your official entry. Here is the full mechanics:

Forming a partnership that looks toward nation building, education, and sports, the Philam Life and Philippine Football Federation (PFF) are working hand-in-hand to reconstruct schools affected by one of the country’s most disastrous storms on record, Typhoon Yolanda. To help rebuild the educational institutions of Samar, Leyte, and Iloilo, the Philippine Football Federation will dedicate USD 250,000 to build at least 11 new classrooms under the Philam Paaralan program of Philam Foundation Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm of Philam Life. Among the schools benefiting from this charitable team-up are Dolores National High School and San Julian Elementary School of Eastern Samar; Alang-Alang Central Elementary School and the Dulag SPED Center of Leyte; and Carlo Lopez National High School of Iloilo. Aside from their projects which focus on rehabilitation and reconstruction, the PFF and Philam Life also recognize the value of community and teamwork. They are currently

Mother's day is just around the corner. Are you still looking for a place to celebrate this occasion? If you are still searching for the perfect gift, Discovery Suites offers staycation package and dinner treats ideal to pamper the most important lady in our lives. Overnight accommodation for a Junior Suite and One Bedroom Suite with buffet breakfast for 2 persons, 10% discount on food and beverage, movie passes at The Podium Mall cinema, complimentary WiFi to unlimited devices, access to PressReader with more than 3,500 quality online publications and 22 Prime’s Mother’s Day Special Set Menu for 2 persons at PHP 7,900 nett and PHP 8,900 nett respectively.  The offer is valid from May 1 to 15, 2015 .

AirAsia Philippines , the Filipino Low Cost Carrier that flies hand in hand with AirAsia, voted the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for six consecutive years  announced it will start flights between Manila and Hong Kong on 8 May 2015 with 4x flights weekly or every Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday . Introductory seat sale of P1.00 one way (base fare only*) from Manila are available now at  www.airasia.com  for guests traveling from 8 May to 23 October 2015.

We're you able to attend the recently concluded FunFest of Super8 Grocery Warehouse ? The three-day extravaganza was a blockbuster hit as awesome deals, super prizes, and celebrity Richard Yap highlighted the event! Celebrity Richard Yap  @ Super8 FunFest

As a parent, I always try to balance everything for my kids – like I let them do their assignments on their own and help them if they will ask me too. I let them play and explore because I always believe that through play, you can offer intellectual (Brain Smart), physical (Body Smart) and social-cultural (People Smart)  development in them. Mostly, motivate and support them so they can become the best that they can be. A chance to explore and recognize their Multiple Intelligence to help them achieve the most success . I always try to recognize the very little things that my kids do because I now that in this little way, I'am able to show or let them feel that I appreciate and love them. Like today, Euki, son who is in Grade1, came home with this award of being The most Responsible student in their class. I was very lucky to have a seven years old responsible son.

How was your long weekend? Our family spent the Joyous Saturday on a day-swimming at Sitio Lucia Resort in Sta Maria, Bulacan. The next day, of course was Easter Sunday, husband and I attended a special worship service at Grace Christian Church. In the afternoon, we were at SM North  EDSA Cinema 2  with Tina and her kids  for the special screening of " SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water " Wefie using #SonyActionCam The movie was funny and very entertaining both for the kids and kids-at-heart. Even if we're not watching SpongeBob on television and not really familiar with all the characters, we enjoyed the movie. Anyway, we can ask the kids about these characters, lol! For the first time, SpongeBob SquarePants , kids favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes out of the sea and invaded our world in search of the Krabby Patty secret-recipe .

I know that its not just me who's getting caught up in busy schedule and hectic “mommy” lifestyles. My schedule for the day varies depending on the activities of my kids, either go to school, to the park, mall, and go biking. I'm not a morning person but since my kids needs to be in school as early as 6am, sometimes, I find it hard to prepare food for them. Being a mom on the go, I realize the importance of making sure that I give myself and kids the right nourishment. Recently I attended this year's  Philippine FamilyMart CVS, Inc.  launched for its Health and Wellness line. Eating healthy has never been this convenient – no need to spare hours to prepare when it’s now just a few minutes away with exceptional ready meals available straight from any Philippine FamilyMart store nationwide.

More than 20 years ago, my parents were discussing about their children's education - what type of school, public or private? I've heard about Montessori but we thought studying there was very expensive. So my parents decided to send us in a Catholic school instead. Nowadays, people want to enroll their children in progressive schools that do away with the rigid structure of traditional standardized education. Many institutions are breaking free from this worn-out model, creating learning sessions, doing away with homework, and letting children have more control over their own education. But this alternative education system is not a new development. In fact, at least one education system in the Philippines has been ahead of its time for forty years, with the rest of the country slowly catching up. This is the Montessori school system. This year, Montessori de San Juan (MSJ) is celebrating its 40th year in the country. The celebration kicked off the year with a Math a

Vitamin D deficiency, do you know someone suffering from this illness? Recent studies says Vitamin D deficiency is actually a prevalent problem worldwide. According to these studies, some groups of individuals were observed to be more prone to having this condition versus others. Included in these groups were the dark-color skinned, the elderly and women. Recent tests conducted in the Philippines commissioned by trusted healthcare provider Unilab showed that 68% of the female participants screened for Vitamin D deficienc y had inadequate levels of the said vitamin in the body. The figure of vitamin D deficient male participants registered at 30%, which is significantly lower than the percentage of females, albeit still quite high. Women were found to be at greater risk of being Vitamin “D-ficient” due to their biological make up. Women start off with having lower bone density than their male peers and reach the peak of their bone mass at an earlier age than men do. This means w