All About the Philippines Book Launch

I was invited to attend the launch of "All About the Philippines" book last Saturday at National Bookstore, Greenbelt 1. I was very excited because aside from being a children's book, the book centers on the Philippines as a land of beautiful islands and rich diversity and culture.

Here are some of the pictures that I gathered during the event:

Here's the host during the launch...

A traditional dance was performed during the event...

Ms. Charity of The Learning Library told us something about the book...

Storytelling activity by Teacher Tolet for the kids...

Distribution of cute loot boxes to the kids...

Here's the picture of the books that sold like pancakes that day...

They served local delicacies such as pancit palabok, lumpiang ubod, maja blanca, puto and palamig during the launch...

After the event, there was a book signing by the illustrator (Corazon Dandan-Albano) and author (Gidget Roceles Jimenez) of All About the Philippines...

Ms. Corazon Dandan-Albano & Ms. Gidget Roceles Jimenez

Here are the loot boxes by Tupi, Gupit at Pinta that was given away during the event.

Aren't they too cute?

Here are what's inside the box...

Traditional Filipino games such as holen, yoyo, sipa, larong goma, piko, etc.

My boys holding their loot boxes...

They are so happy with it and I'm very excited to teach them traditional Filipino games!


From the press kit...

All About the Philippines

A Land of Beautiful Islands and Rich Diversity!

Let All About the Philippines takes you on an incredible journey to the lively and colourful country of Mary, Jaime and Ari—first cousins who look completely different but are the best of friends.
They’ll introduce you to their homes, their schools, their families, favourite places to visit, holidays and more. They’ll show you how kids there—just like kids in so many other parts of the world—come from many cultures and have their own traditions, languages and
beliefs…and yet, they are all 100% Filipino.

In this book you will:

• Directions on how to find a particular stall
• Join Mary, Jaime and Ari on vacations to see how earthquakes, typhoons and other natural events make the Philippines a place that’s beautiful and full of life
• Check out Filipino games, and make your own sipa—the Philippines’s version of a hacky-sack
• Experience the different cultural festivals, and try a few easy recipes for holiday treats
• Make a parol—a Filipino holiday decoration that you can enjoy all year long
• Learn how peoples of many different languages can communicate together
• And a lot more!

Along with fun facts, you’ll learn about the spirit of the Philippines that make this country and its people wonderfully unique. This is a book for families or classrooms to enjoy together.

Author Gidget Jimenez is the author of poetry and non-fiction books for kids, including the popular Can We? science series. She lives in the Philippines with her husband, their three children and their many pets.

Illustrator Corazon Dandan-Albano has illustrated over thirty children’s books, including the popular Filipino Friends and Filipino Celebrations. She lives in the Philippines with her husband and their two daughters.

Food Trip: Suzu Kin

Hello! Hello! Hello!

Kamusta???

Long time no hear ano? Pasensya na po mga amigos... Sobrang toxic ko lang po ngayon eh... First, kakauwi lang namin from Japan last July 8. Then after that, di pa kami nakakasettle sa house, last Friday, we went overnight naman sa Makati Shangri-La because hubby needs to attend an event. Then Saturday, straight from the hotel, I went grocery shopping with the 3 chikitings (Yes! Achievement yun ha! Nakaya ko lahat silang 3) dahil need na namin talaga magreplenish ng stocks namin. Sunday naman, general cleaning kami ng house dahil ang dumi na and haba na ng mga grass sa garden. This week naman, need ko naman maghabol for the BIR eklaver ni hubby, homeschool of the kambal, football class, bookings for the corporate planning of my dad's office... etcetera... etcetera...

Ako na! Ako na! Ako na si Curacha! Ang babaeng walang pahinga!!! Hahaha!

Anyway, before I start making kuwento to you guys about our adventures and (mostly) misadventures at Japan, I'll tell you first about our food trip at Suzu Kin. Ang tagal na rin kasi nito eh. =)

Suzu Kin is a Japanese restaurant in San Antonio Village, Makati. It's just small and old restaurant. Balita ko, the owner of this restaurant is a Japanese. So we could say that they serve authentic Japanese food.

Here is the facade of the restaurant...

Here is what's inside...

We ordered the following:

Atsuage...

P137.00

This is our appetizer. It's crunchy outside and soft inside. Very simple lang siya. Since mahilig ako sa tokwa/tofu, I really liked this. And in fairness ha, marami rami siya.


Ebi Tempura Teishuko...

P240.00

This is what I ordered. Feel ko kasi mag ebi tempura that night eh and this is one of the highly recommended food of other foodies out there. Their tempura is really yummy. Freshly cooked siya. Meaning, juicy pa rin yung shrimp sa loob (hindi dry). For their miso soup, ang sarap din! Kakaiba siya. Yung tipong kumpleto ang sangkap.


Chicken Don...

P150.00

I ordered this for the boys. Alam niyo naman ang kambal, basta may itlog, yun yung type nila. I tasted this. Ang sarap din! And ang dami niya ha.


Tempura Udon...

P142.00

This is what hubby ordered. Si noodles kasi yun eh. Malaki rin yung serving. Actually, pwedeng to share ito. Basta hindi sa taong kasing katawan namin ha. Hahaha! According to hubby, masarap yung noodles nila.

May side kuwento ako...

Alam niyo ba, pinapatikim ako ni hubby ng noodles niya. Pero di na ako tumikim. Tapos maya maya, napapansin ko na panay tingin sa pagkain ko. Then hindi na siya nakatiis, humingi na sa akin ng ebi tempura.

Doc Padu (nakanguso sa food ko): Be, patikim...
Me (jokingly): Bakit? Eh di ba Tempura Udon na yan? May tempura na yan eh, bakit hihingi ka pa sa akin? May nalalaman ka pang patikim eh pareho lang lasa niyan.
Doc Padu (nalungkot): Ganun? Sige na nga wag na lang.
Me: Joke lang! Kuha ka na. Kaya naman pala pinapatikim mo ako ng pagkain mo dahil may hidden agenda ka! Hahaha!

Then dun naman sa food ng mga bata, panay tingin din. Then di rin makatiis. Kaya pasimple pa siya...

Doc Padu: Masarap ba yan?
Me: Ewan ko. Di ko naman tinikman eh. Siguro masarap, kasi kinakain ng mga bata eh.

Panay tingin pa rin kaya nung busog na mga bata...

Me (pangasar): Tignan niyo o, abangers na naman daddy niyo! Eto na nga, ubusin mo na.
Doc Padu (paawa effect): A-ba-ngers... Hmf!

Yan lang ang side kuwento ko. Sarap lang kasi asarin ni hubby eh. Ganyan talaga kami, carino brutal! Hahaha!

Anyway, balik tayo...

Overall, the food is great with affordable price! Biruin mo wala pang P700.00 ang nakain namin considering na Japanese food siya and we are not talking about Japanese fast food here ha. Given a chance, we'll probably go back here, yun nga lang sana hindi problem ang parking.

For your reference, here is a photo of their menu...

Suzu Kin Japanese Restaurant
9753 Kamagong St. San Antonio Village, Makati City
Tel. 560-08-22

Bubble Man Dishwashing Liquid Soap and The Company Behind It

Since I tried and tested Bubble Man Dishwashing Liquid Soap, I will now share some information about the product and the company behind it...


BUBBLE MAN DISHWASHING LIQUID SOAP


Product Description

"Bubble Man" Dishwashing Liquid is a highly effective kitchen, food premises cleaner and degreaser, safe on virtually all surface (plastics, metal surfaces, ceramics etc).

The chemicals used are:

• Non-flammable
• Non-toxic
• 97+% of the chemicals used are readily BIODEGRADABLE.
• Contents are free of sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is used to balance pH of the formulation, however it causes irritability for your hands and extreme dryness. Sodium hydroxide is used usually for cheaper chemicals.
• Phosphate-free formula.  STPP (Sodium tripolyphosphate) is a cheaper chemical but is banned in many countries because of its harmful effects to our environment.
• Long-lasting bubbles help reduces sink water changeover.
• Effective even at 3% dilution. 30 mL then add water to 1000 mL. For normal use, it could last you for almost 5 days.
• Easy Rinse - Easy rinse safety specially washing baby bottles. Leaves no soapy residue.
• Gentle on hands - doesn't remove the natural oils from your skin and doesn't cause irritation and dryness to your skin compared to other harsh formulations.

Commitment to Improve

• Bubble Man has been improving over the years, from formulation to branding and to its packaging, we continue to improve our product. This is because Mikewell World of Household Products Corp. is dedicated to give you the best, we believe that we can improve the quality of life by having clean homes and a safe environment.
• From left to right (2006, 2010, 2013)

Advantages

Quality Formulation 

• we use quality modern chemicals that are environmentally friendly and effective
• deigned to rinse easily
• gentle on hands

Very Good Branding

The name Bubble Man communicates cleaning, quality and fun. We do marketing supports and we actively participate on events together with our business partners (supermarkets, groceries) to create product awareness.

Sustainability Principle

Zero waste principle. Zero water waste. Zero water waste.

Very Economical

Effective even at very low concentration.

Cost Effective

Our price is almost 3x cheaper vs other brands.

We Never Stop Improving

We always change to be better.

Specification

• Appearance: clear liquid
• Colour: Green, Yellow, Blue
• Odour: Kalamansi, Lemon, Antibac
• pH Value: 8.5 +/- 0.5
• Solubility: Complete soluble in water
• Packing: PET bottles, PET -12/LLDPE Opaque Pouch

Storage

Store in cool and dry place.

Packing

880 mL, 55 mL, 270 mL (left to right)

COMPANY PROFILE


Mikewell World of Household Corporation

"Affordable quality through integrity and innovation"


The Company

More than one year of complete rigid research and development was conducted by two friends and Mikewell World of Household Products Company was born. This company is run by two registered chemical engineers who are graduates of Mapua Institute of Technology: (1) Engr. Michael Sotingco – B.S. Chemical Engineering and Chemistry; (2) Engr. Lowell Holder Lim Jr. – B.S. Chemical Engineering Minor in Management. MIKEWELL W.H.P. CO. was registered under Security Exchange Commission (SEC) Registration No. PG200512061 last August 17, 2005 and is currently holding office at 21 Miller St. Brgy. Bungad, Quezon City. The company started full operations last November 2006.

This two-man team assures the quality of the company’s products – its eco-efficiency and its sustainability from the planning stage to the marketing to the distribution of the products and to product improvement.


Mission Vision

Our Purpose

“5124” – By the year 2024, We will dominate 51% of the market share.

Our Envisioned Future


To improve the Quality of Life by having Clean Home and Safe Environment .


Values

Professionalism

We shall operate within the letter and spirit of the law complying with business and environmental regulations

Integrity

All personnel involved in the business . will be honest, transparent and straight forward not only with each other but most especially to the products’ end-users.

High Quality and Excellence

We shall work on the basis of sound science, applying rigorous standards of product safety, accurately and properly labeled, advertised and communicated indicating safety precautions for the products’ intended use.

Customer Satisfaction

We shall create and deliver products, packaging, and concepts that build winning brand equities without adding the burdens of cost to the consumers.

Commitment to the Environment

We shall also be committed to continuously improving the way we manage our environmental impacts.

Commitment to the Society

We shall aim to make positive impact in many ways: through our products, through our commercial operations and relationships, through voluntary contributions, and through the various other ways in which we engage with society.

Clientless Market

The company also caters the requirements of different industries namely hospitality industries i.e. hotels, motels, restaurants, industrial, commercial and manufacturing industries particularly the housekeeping needs, car wash establishments, laundry establishments, and leading and small groceries and even “sari-sari” stores.

Brand

Product Review: Bubble Man Dishwashing Liquid Soap

When it comes to household products, I'm always on the verge of trying new ones. Meaning to say, I don't really stick to a particular brand specially when I discover that there is a cheaper but better one. It isn't really not being loyal. Instead, I call it being practical.

Like for dishwashing liquid soap, you not only use it everyday but at least three times a day. So malakas talaga ang gamit nito so you have to at least try to look for some alternative products if you want to save on your monthly grocery expenses. Kaya nga when I was asked to try and blog about Bubble Man dishwashing liquid soap, I immediately agreed lalo na nung nalaman ko na it's a local brand.

The variants of dishwashing liquid soap that they sent me include antibac, lemon and kalamsi.

Siyempre, I tried all of them and did some research before writing this blog entry. So here's my personal opinion about the product...


Product

In terms of packaging, you can see that it is presentable and comparable to other brands. The plastic container, I could say, is durable. Hindi siya yung malambot na tipong tinipid. What I like with their packaging is their cap. It's not the flip cap type which easily breaks due to often use. And ang ganda din sa cap nila is that mas nacocontrol mo yung labas ng liquid soap.

For the smell, I could say na hindi masakit sa ilong. Yung ibang brand kasi parang gumuguhit sa ilong yung amoy. This product has mild scent. Yung tipong masarap amuy amoyin. My favorite scent is the kalamansi.

I checked also the consistency of the liquid. I could say na hindi siya malabnaw. Kasi yung ibang product, mura nga pero sobrang labnaw naman. So talo ka pa rin bandang huli dahil mas mapapalakas ang gamit.

For the appearance of the liquid soap, they used appropriate colors - blue for the antibac, yellow for lemon and green for kalamsi. Same same lang with the other brands.

In terms of effectiveness, it really cleans well. I tried using it in two ways - splotching it directly to the sponge (as directed) and diluting it with water. Both ways, it's effective.

After rinsing it, you can really feel that you thoroughly washed your dishes. Walang dulas! Aside from that, it is easy to rinse din. Hindi makapit yung soap and yung amoy niya. So tipid ka rin sa tubig. =)

Kamusta naman sa kamay ko? Like what the product claims, it is really gently on hands. Hindi siya tulad ng iba na ramdam mo yung tapang ng sabon na tipong kakatihin yung kamay mo. Feel mo rin na hindi nagdri-dry yung skin mo after using it.


Price

Siyempre I asked them for the price list since price is an important determining factor in buying a product.

For a single 270ml, it is priced at P32.50 for all variants. And for their promo which is 2 x 270ml, it is priced at P55.00 for all variants (P27.50 each). Ang mura di ba? Lalo na yung promo nila kasi lalabas P27.50 lang ang isa.

I went to the supermarket to check the prices of the other brands. Mas cheaper talaga ang Bubble Man. The cheapest product that I saw is priced at P32.25 pero it's only 250ml. Then for the leading brand naman, it is priced at P66.95 for a 250ml bottle (lemon and kalamansi variants) and P76.95 for a 250ml bottle of antibac variant.

For a single 880ml naman, it is priced at P65.00 for all variants. And for their promo 2 x 880ml, it is priced at P120.00 for all variants (P60.00 each).

When I checked the price of the leading brand, the price is P198.50 for an 800ml bottle (lemon and kalamansi variants) and P217.95 for an 800ml bottle of antibac variant.

Ang laki ng price difference ng Bubble Man dishwashing liquid soap sa leading brand di ba? More than triple kung icocompute natin. Tapos mas premium pa kapag antibac. Just imagine kung gaano kalaki ang matitipid di ba?


Where to buy?

I also asked them where I could buy Bubble Dishwashing Liquid Soap. Unfamiliar kasi sa akin and parang hindi ko nakikita sa supermarket where I do my grocery shopping.

According to them, you can buy the product at the following supermarkets/stores:

• Puregold
• Walter Mart
• San Roque Supermarket
• Gaisano
• Robinsons Supermarket
• Mercury Drug
• Fisher Mall
• The Landmark
• LCC

Marami rami na rin pala. So next time aware na ako. Madalas kasi I do my grocery shopping at Makati Supermarket but once in a while I also go to Puregold. 

The Verdict?

I highly recommend Bubble Man Dishwashing Liquid! Aside from being effective, it's very very affordable and economical! Plus the fact that it's easy to rinse and very gentle to your hands.

Other than that, remember that it's manufactured by a local company. Gawang Pinoy! So aside from saving a lot of money, we are supporting a local brand too.

Kaya guys, try na!

I Survived!

Officially, I survived having no helper for one week now! 

Whew! 

Officially, kasi last Monday umalis si Je Ann. Pero technically, 9 days na ako walang helper kasi weekend pa lang last week nasa day-off na siya.

Why siya umalis? Mag-aaral daw siya. That's good for her. Sana nga lang na makapag-aral talaga siya kasi sayang naman di ba kung di matuloy?

Para bang may hugot? Well, meron slight. Haha! Medyo meron kasi kaming issue with her eh kaya good timing din na nag-sabi siya na magpapaalam na siya. Medyo mabilis nga lang, pero why prolong the agony di ba? Ika nga ni Spiderman "Good riddance!". Ok na rin yun, at least umalis siya sa amin na ok kami hindi tulad nung dating experience namin sa helper namin before.

So how am I now? Mahirap ba?

Well, it's not actually mahirap... The right term for it is CHALLENGING! Challenging kasi hindi mo alam ang mood ng mga bata. Hindi enough na may routine ka lang at systematic ka. Masisira at masisira talaga yun kasi napaka-unpredictable ng mga bata. Nandiyan yung ayaw matulog. Nandyan yung tipong napakaclingy. Nandyan yung maya't maya hungry sila. At iba iba pa. Kailangan lang talaga, marunong ka mag-adjust at marunong ka magmulti-task.

Ok naman kami so far. Malinis naman ang bahay at nagagawa naman ang mga dapat gampanan. =) I've experienced it na naman before nung nagvacation ng 3 weeks si Je Ann. Mas-mahirap pa nga noon kasi baby pa talaga si Christoff tapos nagpapagawa pa kami ng bahay. Yun yung time na dala ko yung 3 bata every time mamimili ako ng mga materyales at pupunta ako sa site. At least ngayon, kahit papaano yung kambal nauutusan na at medyo nakakatulong sa akin. On the positive note, training na rin sa kambal yun. At least natututo sila sa mga gawaing bahay.

So yan ang one reason kung bakit hindi ako masyadong nakakapagblog now-a-days. Masyado akong BUSY na ina! Hahaha! Ako ay all-around maid ngayon sa bahay (except of course ang laba at plantsa).

Pagpasensyahan niyo na ako ha kung bihira ako makapagsulat ngayon. I need to prioritize things kasi eh. Basta promise, pag may time, magkwekwento ako sa inyo!

See you around guys!

Celebrity Mom & Huggies Dry Pants #PantsUp PlayDate

Last March 4, I received an email from Celebrity Mom inviting me as a VIP guest on a Playdate. It said there that Ms. Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Celebrity Mom Editor-in-Chief, will be there and a lot of activities are in store for me and my kids.

Since I love to attend an event that would involve my kids, I immediately replied to the email. That is because mag-eenjoy na ako, mag-eenjoy pa ang mga kiddos ko. =)

So there, my 3 kiddos and I attended the "Celebrity Mom & Huggies Dry Pants #PantsUp PlayDate" yesterday at the Gymboree Play & Music, Manila Polo Club. We arrived there early so we were asked to go first to the play area.

Ayun na nga, sugod kaagad ang mga anakis ko! Super nag-enjoy silang tatlo. Takbo dito, takbo doon. Lambitin dito, lambitin doon. Akyat dito, akyat doon. Suot dito, suot doon. Gapang dito, gapang doon. At kung anu ano pa!

Here are their pictures inside the Gymboree play area...

Hindi naman masyadong halata na nag-enjoy sila di ba? Hahaha! Sobra nga akong nag-worry eh kasi baka maubusan sila ng energy dahil after ng event may football lesson pa sila.

Anyway, while we were inside the play area, we were given Huggies Dry Pants and we were asked to wear it to our toddlers. Bakit kamo? They have an IG and FB contest kasi. We were to take photos of our toddlers wearing Huggies Dry Pants and they will choose 2 winners - best photo and most number of likes photo. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to join. olats kasi ako eh, wala akong data plan! Hahaha! Tapos, may free wifi pero hindi naman makapagnet. Boo talaga! Tapos, I tried to turn on my data sa phone, di pa rin ako makapagnet. Sobrang malas! Sayang ang price. Super galante ng Huggies kasi they gave one month supply of diapers to the best photo and 2 months supply of diapers to the most number of likes photo.

Eto sana ang mga entries ko...

Kung sakali, sa tingin niyo, may pag-asa ba manalo? Hahaha!

After about an hour, they already asked the moms to go to the function room...

Here's the nice table setup...

The event is hosted by Bettina Carlos...

She's a mom of a 4 y/o girl. Hindi halata ano? She hosted the event well and even shared some thoughts as a mom.

Ms. Joji Coloma did the welcome remarks...

And we had a fun chit chat with Ms. Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan (editor-in-chief of Celebrity Mom)...

We were first asked to shoot some questions to her but nobody did. Maybe, we were all starstruck to her. Hehe! But later on, we got engaged.

We learned a lot from her. We talked about many things. Some topics were about sleeping habits of kids, how to deal with picky eaters and bonding ideas. She's really a good speaker. As she speaks, you could see that she's full of wisdom. Mommy peg talaga! =)

During the event, they had games too! Dun na lang ako bumawi since hindi ako nakajoin sa IG and FB challenge. Hehe. By the way, I won 2 games! Yahooooo!

So we went home happily with these...

What's inside?

First Bag: Boxes and plastics of tissues...

I won this from the first game. They showed pictures of 90's toys and you should guess what it is. I guessed one right which is "family computer".

Second Bag: More tissues, wipes, sanitary napkin, socks, back-issues of of Celebrity Mom Magazine

This is their giveaway during the event. Everybody received a loot bag!

Assorted pairs of Burlington socks...

The Twins and I won this from another game. We were given a sock and we have to find its pair which was hidden around somewhere the event place.

And last but not the least, all guests were given a month supply of Huggies Dry Pants...

Di ba ang saya saya? Sabi sa inyo eh. Extraordinary yung araw namin kahapon. Ang dami naming bitbit pauwi! Hehe!

So that's it! The Celebrity Mom & Huggies Dry Pants #PantsUp PlayDate event is truly an afternoon of fun and learning.

Thank you again for inviting us Celebrity Mom and Huggies Philippines!

P.S. from Aeropostale Kids Fair

Last November 22, I (together with my boys) attended the launch of P.S. from Aeropostale at the UP Town Center Ampitheater. We were there early since I'm very excited because it was told to me that it will be a fun-filled afternoon for the kids. Alam niyo naman ako, basta sa ika-eenjoy ng aking mga Kulilits, go ako kahit sobrang layo pa niyan.

When we got there, hindi pa nag-start ang program and iilan pa lang ang tao. So, I roamed around muna and took some pictures.

Here is the stage/catwak...

A doodle wall...

Instead of chairs, they provided bean bags which the Kulilits really enjoyed...

Some booths for the food, refreshments and activities...

More food carts...

For the activities, they have temporary tattoos...

and design your own loot bag using stamps...

Before the program started, food were served first. Apart from the food that you can get from the food carts, there were some pica pica catered by Bizu.

Here are Kulilits enjoying their food...

Since it was the Kulilits' SLEEPING TIME + BUSOG due to food overload + TIREDNESS due to activities, my Kulilits were knocked out before the actual program started...

The program was hosted by Joyce Pring...

Before the fashion show, there was a raffle...

And, of course, the highlight of the event is the fashion show showcasing clothes of Aeropostale and P.S. from Aeropostale.

The program ended with these shiny and colorful confetti...

As an event finale, an outdoor movie "How to Train Your Dragon 2" was supposed to be shown. Unfortunately, there was a heavy downpour of rain that's why it was cancelled. Anyhow, we still enjoyed the event.

Congratulations Aeropostale for the launch of P.S. from Aeropostale! =)