Category: Family

The Project Mom Fair: Great mommy finds + an Instagram contest!

Posted on by jane

May is coming up soon and we all know what special event happens in May — Mother’s Day! And I just got a preview of one of the exciting events scheduled for this month of Moms — Project Mom Favorite Finds Fair, Exhibit and Mother’s Day Celebration! Maybe you’ve already seen the Project Mom book, a collaboration between Bianca Araneta-Elizalde and Amanda Griffin-Jacob. Well, this campaign takes that further and presents special picks just for Moms.

Continue reading “The Project Mom Fair: Great mommy finds + an Instagram contest!” →

GSK continues the fight by launching the Search for Winners Against Asthma 2015

Posted on by jane

The battle to win against asthma will never end. In the Philippines, over 10 million cases have been documented of people with asthma and it remains the most common chronic childhood disease. Children who suffer from asthma are oftentimes over-protected by parents and their activities are curtailed so as not to trigger an asthma episode.

I grew up with asthma in the family. My own asthma was not very bad but my sister’s was worse. All my kids also had childhood asthma. An aunt on my husband’s side died from an asthma attack. Asthma cannot be taken lightly as it can be fatal. But the good news is that it can be controlled.

Last year, GSK went on an all-out campaign to fight asthma.

Read my post on how one can still lead a great life even with asthma.

Aside from their brand ambassadors, Arnel Pineda of Journey and actress Kim Chiu, GSK now has a new brand ambassador — Olympic figure skater Michael Christian Martinez.

I had been following Michael’s journey all the way to the Olympics and knew that he indeed was an asthmatic. In past interviews, I remember Michael saying that the cold skating rink actually helped improve his health. His mom, who would accompany him to all his trainings and competition, was fully supportive of his sport and told Michael that she would rather “spend the money on skating than in the hospital”.

The Search for Winners Against Asthma

This year, GSK is taking the fight against asthma further by launching the Win Against Asthma Today advocacy campaign aimed at increasing awareness and amplifying efforts to spread information about the risks of asthma and how it can be controlled.

This time, they are looking for young asthmatic achievers who can show that one can live and pursue one’s passions in life despite having asthma.

Continue reading “GSK continues the fight by launching the Search for Winners Against Asthma 2015” →

Championing the Fight Against Prematurity

Posted on by jane

It is such a tragedy for any couple about to welcome their baby into their lives to lose that baby so soon after it is born because of prematurity. And yet here in the Philippines, statistics show that we rank 2nd in the number of premature births in Southeast Asia, 8th worldwide, and 17th in deaths arising from preterm birth complications. This, even after the United Nations, through the Millennium Summit in 2000, launched the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which included as one of its goals the reduction of child mortality.

Complications plaguing preterm babies have also been on the rise at an alarming rate. Complications are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age and is responsible for almost 1 million deaths in 2013. Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is the 2nd leading cause of death among premature infants in the Philippines and the leading verifiable one.

WOW! As a Mom, that hits me really hard knowing these statistics. I count myself blessed that giving birth to my 4 children was not too complicated and they were all born full term. But many other Filipino mothers have not been as lucky and have had to bury their babies after nurturing them for many months in their wombs.

This is a large part of our population known as the silent ones. These babies cannot defend themselves. Others will have to speak up for them.

Continue reading “Championing the Fight Against Prematurity” →

Knorr’s “Sarap ng #LutongNanay” Movement brings easy cooking back to homes

Posted on by jane

My Mom was a hands-on, stay-at-home Mom who knew how to cook and bake, sew, draw, play the piano, embroider, amd do oh so many things. Now that she has passed on, I remember her for all the things that she did for us as kids. And one of the things I truly remember (and miss a lot) is her home-cooked dishes.

When I went off to grad school in the States, the one thing she made sure I had with me was a box of her recipes so that I would not go hungry. That was typical Mom.  Memories of Mom washed over me during the Knorr #LutongNanay event I attended recently because everything about the event reminded me of things she used to do for us as kids. I listened to celebrity Moms talk about how some of them only learned to cook when they got married but that they now draw pleasure from cooking for their families.

(L-R): Carmina Villaroel, Dimples Romano, Pia Guanio
(L-R): Danica Sotto, Delamar, Christine Jacob

World-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Stuart Firestein, PHD from Columbia University in New York confirmed that mom-cooked flavors actually activate memories because scents reach those parts of the brain that connect the familiar scents with past experiences with Mom. By leaving children with these wonderful flavor imprints in their brain, heart and soul, Moms leave wonderful memories up to their kids’ adulthood. Dr. Firestein says, “What continues to fascinate me is how the brain instinctively knows that certain flavors and foods have the power to mean more to us than just sustenance. This is called sensory recall and is a phenomenon which demonstrates how the brain is hard-wired to respond in certain ways to different tastes and smells. Even over time and distance, when we taste mom’s cooking, it transports us back to a special place and a unique memory”. So, so true…

Unfortunately, modern lifestyles have put pressure on young people. Compound that with the bane of Metro Manila traffic and you have single people, aged 23 to 27 roughly (and even older) who would rather go for fast food eating. As a result, many have admitted in a new research that they cannot cook.

Knorr’s #LutongNanay event was a way of showcasing so many ways to cook quick, uncomplicated dishes and we had a chance to experience just how quick it was! Here I am at Table No. 1 with Dimples Romano who shows us how to cook Tinola sa Gata.

Our cooking table with Dimples Romano

Tinola sa Gata ingredients. They are all readily available.

Here’s Dimples whipping up Tinola sa Gata on our side of the room. It only took her a few minutes to cook this.

Later, I went around the other 3 tables checking what the other celebrity Mom-bassadors were whipping up. Here are the other dishes:

Here’s how to make the Tinola sa Gata:

I’ve been using Knorr products for a long time so am so relieved they have a #LutongNanay section on their website where I can go and check out easy-to-whip-up recipes. You can do the same.

For more simple and delicious recipes from #LutongNanay, visit www.knorr.com.ph. It’s not only the celebrity Moms’ recipes that are there but they’ve also posted recipes shared by other Moms. What a wonderful community!

Moms, think #WeAreBeautiful so your daughters will think so too

Posted on by jane

Moms, your influence on your daughters is greater than you think.

We’ve heard it said that more important than what we say to our kids is what we do because even as small kids they watch and imitate us. We may not know it but as mothers, we also communicate fears and impressions of ourselves onto our daughters. If we are not careful, they will grow up mirroring our thoughts and actions.

How many times have we said aloud “I don’t like my (fill in the body part)”? This self-deprecation rubs off on our daughters who grow up being self-critical or lose their sense of self-acceptance or self worth.

Dove, in its previous #IAmBeautiful campaign, found out that only 7% of Filipina women saw themselves as beautiful. That is a staggering 93% who don’t think they are. In another locally-commissioned study by Dove, the results showed that 2 out of 3 girls feel pressured to look beautiful and this external pressure comes from peers and friends. The redeeming factor? 81% of them still consider their mom as their role model, much higher than the global average of 55%.

That means that if Moms feel good and beautiful, they have the potential to be catalysts of change. They can change their daughters’ image of themselves and turn them into a future generation of empowered women.

Dove is at the forefront of pushing Real Beauty instead of the worldly notion that beauty has only to do with one’s weight, figure, shape of eyes/face/mouth, and so on. It enlisted the help of celebrity moms Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Christine Jacob, and TinTin Bersola-Babao who were with us at the launch of the #WeAreBeautiful movement to discuss their relationship growing up with their Mom and their current relationship with their own children. Dr. Honey Carandang, a leading psychologist, was also present to add her own professional insights to the discussion.

A video entitled Dove Legacy featured moms who were asked how they felt about their bodies. Surprisingly when their daughters were asked the same question, the answers were very similar. What the Moms did not like about their bodies, their insecurities, their daughters also manifested. But, where they were happy about their bodies, their daughters were too. So a Mom’s attitude can really be very important for her daughter. Watch this video to see how you, as a Mom, can be a life-changer for your own daughters.

Join the rest of us Moms and support the #WeAreBeautiful movement by starting within your own family — your daughters.  From there, you can also bring in the other mothers in your sphere of influence (siblings, cousins, friends) who can work on their own daughters as well. Before we know it, we would have widened the circle of this movement to empower as many Filipina mothers and daughters as possible to feel good about themselves.

To learn more about the #WeAreBeautiful movement, visit Dove’s social media sites:

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DovePH
Twitter: @DovePH
Instagram: @doveph

Stories of Hope in the time of Typhoon Yolanda

Posted on by jane

In times of disasters, there is often no end to news of destruction and loss of lives. Oftentimes it is so hard to find the positive in the face of utter despair. This was what so many went through when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck the Philippines exactly one year ago on Nov. 8, 2013. It is estimated that damage to the areas affected reached over 35 billion pesos.

But there is HOPE.

And over lunch with some people from Procter & Gamble (P&G), I heard some of these stories and how P&G, together with other partners, are some of the private sector organizations that are bringing hope back to people and places

Next to the devastating loss of loved ones, one thing that greatly affected those in Yolanda’s destructive path was the loss of a source of livelihood for thousands. Looting became rampant in the aftermath of the super typhoon and store owners stood helpless as looters took their goods and food items even in their presence. It is actually a tribute to many store owners who later said that they allowed the looters to get everything as they understood the desperate situation they were all in.

Dranix East, P&G’s distributor in the area, was also badly hit by Yolanda. But it quickly sprung into action together with P&G to start the rebuilding of lives. Calling their effort “Hope Stores”, P&G had prefab sari-sari store stands, painted orange (Tide color, I immediately thought), made. The only requirement in the selection process was that the recipients of the Hope stores should have been previous store owners. This was because sustainability could only happen if the beneficiary already had previous store experience. For each orange Hope Store, P&G stocked it with PhP 1,000 worth of their popular, fast-moving products (Safeguard, Whisper, Joy, etc) to jumpstart the livelihood of the recipients.

Eventually, with additional partners like USAID, Rebuild and Coca-Cola coming in to join P&G’s efforts, the Hope Stores expanded. As USAID builds houses, a section of the ground floor is also converted into a sari-sari store. Then P&G donates PhP 3,000 worth of their products as initial capital for the recipients.

We got to ask P&G several questions and it was but natural that one question would crop up. Did P&G put any conditions like lockouts on the recipients? Amazingly, there were none. P&G said that had they imposed conditions like exclusivity, it would be restrictive on the recipients and would prevent them from selling other items that they could make a profit on. The company believed in open competition and said that as long as they helped unconditionally, they knew that the goodwill would come back in some other way to them in the future. I think all donor companies should emulate this kind of thinking.

Watch this video about 3 people (Noemi, Annalyn and Reden) whose lives are now being slowly brought back to a new normal through the efforts of P&G and its partners.




About Procter & Gamble 

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, and Braun®. The P&G community consists of over 135,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

Huggies Dry Pants: the easiest way to change baby

Posted on by jane

It’s been a while (uhhh…no…a long, long time) since I’ve changed nappies. And although I ended up using disposable diapers, I actually started with cloth diapers for my kids, complete with those pins that pricked me if I was not careful changing my babies.

But guess what came recently for me to try….Huggies Dry Pants — the latest in diapers that even do away with those resealable side stickers. This time, Huggies Dry Pants look exactly like underwear that you just slip on left, slip on right, pull up, and you’re done!

To make me experience it for myself, the creative people behind Huggies sent me a baby-sized doll that just wouldn’t stop crying! But watch what happens when I change her nappies to the Huggies Dry Pants.

I took a few more closeup pics of the Huggies Dry Pants so that you can really see how much more superior it is to ordinary diapers. And the cost is not that much more. Each Huggies Dry Pants piece (Large, 36s) only costs PhP 8.52 as of this writing.

Front view 
Side view. I am really impressed by the all-around stretchable waistband!

Back view

The inside look – a blue layer pulls liquid away from baby’s skin, reducing diaper rash incidents

Check out this infographic to see all the features of Huggies Dry Pants.

It was really quite easy to change diapers, based on my experience with the doll. The waistband easily stretched and there was actually a lot of leeway (meaning, it’s comfortable even for a really chubby baby!). I’m just truly amazed at all the innovations done to make diaper changing so easy on Mommy and so comfy for baby.

HAPPY BABY!!! She poses here with Huggies Dry Pants (large). It comes in 36 pieces for babies 9-14kg.

More Mommy Goodies

Huggies is giving away FREE SAMPLES. Mommies, just visit the Huggies PH Facebook page, select supermarkets and various baby fairs to get your free sample.

If you’ve already tried, and loved, the Huggies Dry Pants experience, register via www.pants.huggies.com.ph, talk about your experience and get a chance to win up to a 1-year supply of Huggies Dry Pants.

And…here’s another chance, Mommies, to show just how cute and happy your kids are using the new Huggies Dry Pants. Let them join the Huggies Dry Pants Step Up Dance Showdown (www.bit.ly/HDPDanceShowdown). Winning entries get a 1-year supply of Huggies Dry Pants AND will be featured in the Huggies Step Step Up music video.

Contests: Save, Share and get a chance to Win an Electrolux Washing Machine

Posted on by jane

Electrolux just launched two (2) fun contests and up for grabs are their popular washing machines.


Simple to Save Contest (Aug. 11 – Oct. 15, 2014) EXTENDED!

Electrolux understands that for busy Moms, Dads and even singles living by themselves, doing the laundry can be a daunting task, especially if time is precious for you and saving money is up there in your priority list. . “Electrolux understands that every peso and second counts,” said Andrea Pionilla, Marketing Manager of Electrolux Philippines. “This is the reason behind Delightful-E Simple. We want to help moms save not just money but also their precious time by making their everyday tasks delightfully simple and easy.”

On their Facebook page, Electrolux has a Savings Calculator app. They created this to show us that even small amounts of savings add up. This easy-to-use Facebook app actually helps you track laundry expenses and savings.

Four (4) Electrolux twin tub washing machines will be given away to four lucky users. Here’s all you need to do.

1. Like the Electrolux Facebook page facebook.com/thelittlewhitebook

2. Calculate your laundry savings using the Savings Calculator

3. Hit the Share button found in the result page

4. In the caption, type in what you plan to buy using your laundry savings and include the hashtags #DelightfulE and #SimpleToSave and post it on your Facebook page.

The four winners of the twin tub washing machines will be announced after October 15, 2014.

Simple to Share Contest (Aug. 1 – Sept. 30, 2014)

If you did not know about it, Electrolux has an annual clothes donation drive. But this time, they have brought it to a new level. Instead of just collecting clothes for calamity-stricken survivors, Electrolux has now teamed up with Gawad Kalinga to turn unusable donated clothing into baby quilts! We call that retazo, di ba? That’s such a brilliant idea because I know I would have nowhere to donate old prom dresses or party gowns. Why not indeed turn these and other unusable items like torn pants or dresses, save the good parts of the cloth and convert them into usable quilts for babies in orphanages and other communities. Imagine, behind each quilt piece is its own little story. That is really something.

Now, here is how you can not only join the Electrolux contest but also share your own story.

Four Electrolux twin tub washing machines will be given away to four lucky winners who will join the Simple to Share Instagram and Twitter contest. Here are the mechanics:

1. Take a photo of a special piece of clothing you are willing to donate

2. Write down why it’s special to you and why you are donating it

3. Use the hashtags #Delightful# and #SimpleToShare and tag @ElectroluxPH when you post the photo on Instagram and/or Twitter

The Midea appliance line – enhanced productivity and money-saving solutions

Posted on by jane

Concepcion Industrial Corporation, known for its Carrier product line, has tied up this time with global brand Midea’s Consumer Appliances line and has formed Concepcion-Midea Inc. Philippines under the mother brand.

At a recent blogger event, we were introduced to some of the appliances in their product line. If you are one of many busybodies who have to multitask household tasks and juggle work with housework, you’ll want to check out these Midea appliances that promise ease, convenience and even savings.

MIDEA REFRIGERATORS

I gravitated immediately towards the Midea refrigerators, ahead of the rest. The innovations in refs of all brands continue to fascinate me and Midea did not disappoint. Both models run on a Turbo Inverter Compressor which lead to cost savings as temperatures are maintained at even levels instead of costly warm-up times.

French Door (Party Ref)

If I had to choose between the two refs on exhibit, this would be my ref of choice. The 20.1 cu. ft. ref is aptly called a party ref because it can store enough food for a party. The two ref doors open outward (just like French doors) to reveal space that is wide enough for a lechon (roasted pig) to fit.

The freezer section is found in 2 lower pull-out drawers. On the left side when you pull out the first freezer drawer, you will find the ice maker. The water that is used to fill the tray is found in the French doors section, a separate container you fill with water. It empties into the ice tray below and forms ice in just a few hours. Without taking the ice tray out, a knob is simply rotated to release the ice cubes into the tray below.

The ice maker is the round object on upper right and it dispenses directly into the tray below.

A very spacious second freezer level

The water container (found in the middle of the ref) that feeds into the ice maker

This model also has what Midea calls a “Keep Fresh” technology to keep fruits and vegetables fresh much longer. It irradiates natural light that keeps fresh items in their natural state longer; a UV light breaks down pesticides normally found in fruits and vegetables.

See those bright lights in the middle? They blink and mimic natural light to keep items fresh longer.

How much can you put into this ref? 20 grocery baskets full.

This French door ref retails for PhP 99,995.

Side by Side Ref (with water dispenser and beverage bar)

This is a 19.2 cu.ft ref that comes with a water dispenser on the left side and a touch-to-open beverage bar on the right side.

The right side of ref, when opened up, has high shelving to allow even a 3-tiered cake to fit inside. Space saving idea? Wine racks conveniently located so they need not take up space in the ref door.

Wine bottles can be put in a rack above the cake instead of in ref door

The beverage bar revealed

This Side by Side ref retails at PhP 72,995 (down from PhP 77,995 effective June 10, 2014).

MIDEA WASHING MACHINES

Midea offers fully automatic models featuring a One Touch feature where all cycles are done with just one touch, leaving you to do other work while the washing machine does everything from wash to rinse to dry cycles. More than that, Midea washing machines have smart sensors which detect the weight of the laundry you put in and automatically fills in just the right amount of water.

Its Quick Wash function also lets you clean a drumful of clothes in as fast as 19 minutes. Midea computed the cost of this feature and they say it translates to just ONE PESO PER LOAD – that is a real cost savings!

Midea also carries semi-automatic washing machines.

SRP Prices:

Fully Automatic:
   7kg – PhP 10,995
   8kg – PhP 14,995
  10kg – PhP 17,995
  12kg – PhP 21,995

Semi Automatic:
   8kg – PhP 7,995
  10kg – PhP 10,195

MIDEA MICROWAVE OVENS

Midea carries both manual and digital microwave ovens.

SRP Prices for Midea microwave ovens:

Digital:
   20L – PhP 3,695
   25L – PhP 5,495
   30L – PhP 5,995

Manual, 20L – PhP 2,995

MIDEA AIRCONDITIONERS

Inverter technology is also used for all Midea airconditioners. I’ll update my post once I get the prices for the aircons.

My girl who has lived for some time in China confirms that Midea is a popular and well-respected brand in China. That’s good enough for me!

Enjoy Delightful-E Yummy and Easy Culinary Dishes with Electrolux Kitchen Appliances

Posted on by jane

At a recent cooking show at Electrolux’s headquarters at Bonifacio Global City, I was treated not just to an introduction to their newest line of kitchen appliances but also to special and surprisingly easy culinary dishes from the kitchens of Electrolux’s brand endorsers.

Mom and daughter duo, Cheska and Kendra Kramer; celebrity chefs Rosebud Benitez and Bruce Lim; and mompreneur and co-SoMom Janice Villanueva shared their favorite family dishes using the different appliances that Electrolux has for the kitchen.

The conference rooms of Electrolux HQ were magically transformed into a home setting, complete with a living room area, a dining table with plate settings and a fully furnished kitchen! Kudos to whoever transformed this corporate space into home, sweet home!

Chef Bruce Lim and Janice Villanueva were on hand to demonstrate their selected family famorite dishes.

Janice whipped up her Quick Bangus Belly which turned out to be a really quick and easy dish to prepare. After preparing the bangus belly, Janice just popped it quickly into the Electrolux range’s oven area and shortly after, it was already done. This dish can likewise be used on the Electrolux toaster oven. Much as I wanted to try it though, I was afraid to do so only because it had anchovies (I’m allergic to it!). But all the bloggers who taste-tested it said it was yummy.

We next got to see the dish that Chef Bruce Lim whipped up – Creamy Adobo Penne Pasta. I could not believe that adobo could become a pasta ingredient! Really, it never crossed my mind. But listening to Chef Bruce show us how easy it was to convert leftover adobo into a delicious pasta dish was so informative.

This was DELISH! A new dish to try!

While watching Chef Bruce, I could not help but ogle the induction cooking range he was using. I’ve always wanted one and was already thinking of getting even just a single burner one in an appliance store once. The benefits of cooking without using gas (I’m terrified of fire) plus no risk of getting burned by flames were attractive enough for me. This Electrolux induction cooking range has four induction zones for quick and flameless cooking. It also features a 61L electric oven and grill.

The other one that caught my eye was the Electrolux NutriFresh refrigerator. This was interesting for me — light affects the freshness of vegetables and fruits in the chiller! And when fruits and veggies lose their freshness, we know that we also lose most of the vitamins and nutrients that come with them. Electrolux designed its refs using a patented NutriLight feature that keeps fruits and vegetables fresher and crisper longer than ordinary refs.

Emcee Delmar explains the features of the Electrolux ref

This ref’s middle section opens up when pushed slightly to reveal a recessed place where cold drinks can be placed for kids’ easy reach. They need not open the entire ref and bring hot air in each time the door is opened. That also saves on electricity costs because the cooling system need not work overtime to keep the ref at its ideal temperature. And one more thing. See that scribbling on the upper left of the ref? The ref’s surface is writable! Just use a water-based pen and you can leave notes around for the hubby, wife or kids without having to put a paper note and magnet on the door.

Electrolux also has a Powermix Silent Blender that functions powerfully with a very low noise level. More than just a blender for smoothies and juices, it also comes with a grinder for dry food such as coffee beans and nuts that health buffs can add to a daily, healthy drink.

There are so many more Electrolux kitchen appliances to choose from – microwave ovens, dishwashers, rice cookers and more. Of course, we know that they also go beyond the kitchen and carry convenience appliances for just about any part of the home.

Don’t forget to check the Electrolux weekly contest over at Instagram and Twitter. Joining is easy:
1. follow @ElectroluxPH on Instagram and Twitter
2. Take a photo of a delightfully delicious food that reminds you of home
3. Add a catchy caption that explains why the dish reminds you of a hearty home
4. Use the hashtag #DelightfulE and tag @ElectroluxPH

An Electrolux appliance will be awarded to one lucky winner weekly.

Electrolux Phils.
Website: www.electrolux.com.ph
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/thelittlewhitebook
Twitter: @electroluxph
Instagram: @electroluxph