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

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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

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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” →

Kleenex redefines softness with cucumber

Posted on by jane
There are brands that are passed on from generation to generation. In my family, Kleenex is one of them.

My family is a long-time user of Kleenex of most of its variants. Yes, we are now 3 generations of Kleenex users — from the time of my Mom who always had a Kleenex pack in her bag, to me growing up, and now to my kids who always have a travel pack in their bags. Since some of my kids (and I) have always had allergic rhinitis, tissue was a necessity. Even our cars have a box each too.

But here’s one confession I’ll make.
At some point in my married life, being a homemaker watching the family budget, I tried to switch to other brands that were cheaper. In my mind, tissue was tissue. Brand would not matter. So wrong! During my allergic rhinitis episodes, other brands that were apparently coarser, would create blisters right outside my nostrils so much faster. It really hurt!
So it was back to Kleenex and there we stayed.
When I got an invitation to the Kleenex event, I was really curious because the invitation looked like a cucumber.
True enough, cucumber extract is the main innovative ingredient that has been infused into the threads of all Kleenex products, making it so much softer. I can already attest to the softness because I took a sheet out of an opened Kleenex box with the infused cucumber extract. Then I took out a Kleenex sheet from the travel pack in my bag. Believe me, the new Kleenex is much softer and silkier to the touch. I had other bloggers feel the difference and they too attested to the great improvement.

Continue reading “Kleenex redefines softness with cucumber” →

Starbucks opens 2015 with a bang — espresso beverages, food items, Starbucks cards, and promos

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Starbucks is indeed beginning the new year with a loud bang as they have so many new things in the offing for all of us.

Read all the way to the end because they have ongoing and upcoming promos that you won’t want to miss.

WHOLE BEAN COFFEE VARIANTS (Jan. 9-Feb. 23, 2015)

Two new whole bean coffee variants are being offered for the period indicated.

South of the Clouds, PhP 495

South of the Clouds comes in the nick of time and appropriate for the upcoming Chinese New Year. It’s a blend that includes coffee from China’s Yunnan province in the Baoshan region. I have this variant and can’t wait to have the barista grind this just in time to ring in the Chinese New Year.

Continue reading “Starbucks opens 2015 with a bang — espresso beverages, food items, Starbucks cards, and promos” →

A Mommy Mundo 2015 Mom 24/7 Planner for a SuperMom!

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I love planners. It’s one thing a Mom of 4 like me could not do without when my kids were growing up. I started with a Filofax (does anyone even remember what that is?), then moved to generic or company-branded planners. I especially liked one insurance company’s planners because of all the space available for me to write down my daily tasks as well as what each child needed for assignment, project or where they needed to be. Whew, am I glad they’re adults now!

But my good friend Janice, popularly known as Mommy Mundo, sent me her annual Mom 24/7 planner. Maybe several decades ago, I would have kept it for myself. But I won’t need it now as much as one superMom out there. So I’m giving it away to one of you.

Continue reading “A Mommy Mundo 2015 Mom 24/7 Planner for a SuperMom!” →

See the eco-friendly dandelion light show by artist Olivia d’Aboville at SM Aura

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During the Christmas holidays, one of the things families do is enjoy the Christmas lights and decorations all around the metro. Here’s one that you should not miss especially if you are a supporter of protecting the environment.

A young French-Filipino artist, Olivia d’Aboville, who is based in Manila, is a famed textile artist specializing in tapestry and textile structures. Even as a design student in Paris, recycling was already a major component and influence in her work.

The artist behind the Giant Dandelions — Olivia d’Aboville

Continue reading “See the eco-friendly dandelion light show by artist Olivia d’Aboville at SM Aura” →

Sneak Preview of H&M’s 2015 Spring/Summer Collection

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It’s always exciting to get a sneak preview of the next season’s fashion collection and being invited to take this peek at H&M’s 2015 Spring/Summer Collection was my exciting event of the day.

I was lucky to get there ahead of everyone else invited. I had time to go around and slowly take in the collection.

Continue reading “Sneak Preview of H&M’s 2015 Spring/Summer Collection” →

Pinoys, let’s promise to #ChangefortheBetter as a nation

Posted on by jane

In a few weeks, it will be 2015. Another year, another chance to change for the better.

As a citizen advocate, I strongly believe that before we can change a nation, we must start from within ourselves. When each one of us does our part, before we know it, those wonderful values emanate out and manifest within our families, then within barangays, within cities and eventually within the country. This is what the Change for the Better campaign is all about.

Actually, I was curious and googled this campaign to learn more about it and found out that the Change for the Better campaign actually launched way back in 2012. Back then, the campaign was a call to personal change. This time, the campaign is a call to be a nation of citizens changing for the better. From a personal, individualistic focus, the spotlight of the Change for the Better campaign is now on the entire nation and what the true Filipino spirit is.

The Change for the Better campaign is one that believes that small changes put together can create a huge impact on a community (I am reminded of the analogy of the strength of a bundle of sticks that no one can break versus a single stick that can easily be snapped in half). We may not realize it but as a nation, we exhibit some values that oftentimes we may not be aware of because it comes naturally to us, but foreigners notice them and appreciate them. Hopefully, when we become aware that these Filipino values indeed set us apart from the rest of the world, and we practice them regularly, it becomes an integral part of us as a nation.

Continue reading “Pinoys, let’s promise to #ChangefortheBetter as a nation” →

Get your co-working space from vOffice while they are on promo!

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Hi friends! Just wanted to give you a heads-up on what’s new at my virtual office, vOffice. Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out how easy it is to get an extra month free when you avail of any of their plans.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas — at vOffice One Global Place!
I had just concluded a meeting with my yogini friends here at vOffice’s beautiful, modern conference room

They have holiday promos now and this is definitely a good time to consider signing on for any of their plans because rates have been reduced (for a limited time) and on top of that, if you use my link, you get even more.

But wait….I’m getting ahead of myself!

Why consider vOffice? Click here to see my previous post with lots of pictures and info.

Here are 2 short video clips taking you on a visual tour of vOffice so you know exactly why I love working there.

The office at One Global Place (my favorite haunt)

Continue reading “Get your co-working space from vOffice while they are on promo!” →

My Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment and CND Shellac nail polish

Posted on by jane

Taming my naturally curly hair has always been challenging. I once tried rebonding. Never again!!! My hair was so unnaturally straight that it looked like walis tingting (wooden broomstick).

So I bought a titanium ceramic hair iron and would painstakingly iron my hair whenever I would go out to events where I had to look better than usual. But regular high heat applied to hair can be damaging. But more than that, I spend an inordinate amount of time ironing my hair. The sides are easy but the back is my biggest challenge! And I almost always never get it ironed the way I want it.

So when Azta Urban Salon contacted me about trying out the Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment, I immediately googled it to find out what to expect. Initially, I was hesitant to go through with it. If it looked anything like rebonded hair, I did not want it. But the different blog posts I read up on wrote about Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment as leaving their hair not just straight but naturally soft as well. I was ready to take the plunge!

Last November 19, I headed on over to Azta Urban Salon at SM Jazz Residences along N. Garcia St. (formerly Reposo St.), Makati City. I was actually quite early and most of the mall area was still closed so I killed time outside a cafe. At 10 AM, I headed on back to the salon and was greeted by their very friendly staff.

For posterity’s sake, here’s my BEFORE keratin treatment look!

Before we even started, Meg Lachica of Azta Urban Salon and Lynne Ona of Cynos Inside Hair Care took me through the treatment procedure.

There are 4 different Cynos Kerasilk bottles (aptly numbered 1 to 4) that are used with every treatment.

The Kerasilk Purifying Shampoo (#1) is a pre-treatment deep cleansing formula that not only clarifies hair deeply but also removes residual build-up. It also opens up the hair cuticles to better prepare for the Keratin Treatment.

The Kerasilk Hair Reconstructor (#2) is the actual Keratin Treatment. It eliminates the kink and friz from hair, leaving it straight, healthy and shiny.

Azta and Cynos Inside Hair Care had an extra surprise waiting for me — cupcakes and a piping hot mug of green tea to keep me company (and full!).  And….. they had also printed out a fun photo I posted on Facebook a long time ago and put it in a frame. Everything was personalized. My hair was in their hands!

The cupcakes, the hot tea….and my photo in a picture frame!

First, they washed my hair with the Kerasilk Purifying Shampoo. Then applied the Kerasilk Hair Reconstructor. This was left on my hair for about 30 minutes to allow the formula to penetrate deep into the hair strands. Afterwards, my hair was ironed with a heated iron to seal in the Keratin Treatment so it would last longer. I was told not to wash my hair for 48 hours to allow the treatment to really penetrate and do its work. I also got 2 more bottles of the treatment, a Kerasilk Daily Shampoo (#3) and a Kerasilk Daily Conditioner (#4) which they told me I should use in order to make the keratin treatment last. If done according to instructions, this keratin treatment could last as long as 3-4 months, they say.

The final touch to the Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment – sealing in the formulation with a heated iron
My take-home maintenance treatment

Another take-home gift – Morocco Argan Oil for my hair!

And here I am with my hair after the Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment! I love it!

My soft, shiny, straight hair courtesy of Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment.
Thank you, Azta Urban Salon & Cynos Inside Hair Care

And that was not all!
While all that was going on, my nails were treated to CND Shellac. Those of you who know me know that I do not put nail polish on my fingers because I am a heavy laptop user and do a lot of physical work around the house. Nail polishes don’t last 3 days with me.
But when I was told that CND Shellac was good for 14 days, I just had to put it through the test. Here’s what they did.
Three different coats were applied to each nail: a base coat, the color coat, and a top coat. But wait. That’s not all. After every coat, I had to put my entire hand inside this contraption called a CND UV Lamp to immediately dry and harden the coat.
After every coat, I had to insert my hand into this UV lamp

Here’s what my CND Shellac-covered nails looked like right after application.

After 7 days of typing on my laptop and physical housework…it’s still looking good!

Still looking like new!

…And after Day 10, the only thing that looks different is my new nails growing out. The polish is still intact! Galing!

I would have wanted to keep it for the full 14 days but my nails were growing too long and it made putting on and taking off my contact lens very difficult. So I was forced to have it removed. Remember, with CND Shellac, you cannot use ordinary nail polish removers as they could damage your nails. You need to have the polish removed by a reputable nail salon. They will wrap each nail with foam soaked in shellac polish remover and wrapped with aluminum foil. Like this.

My foil-wrapped nails

It’s been two weeks since I got my Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment and I am enjoying the new freedom. I’ve washed my hair several times and just air dried it (without ironing my hair) and it’s still soft, silky and straight! I can even step out of the house with wet hair knowing that it will still look good and straight once it’s dry. Such a time-saver!

How much is the Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment? As of this writing, the prices start at PhP 2,000 for short hair; PhP 3,750 for medium length hair; and PhP 5,500 for long hair. As for the CND Shellac, it is PhP 600 for the hands and just a bit more for the feet.

I’m really so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to try the Cynos Kerasilk Keratin Treatment. No regrets at all. 

Connect with the Cynos Inside Hair Care team:
Website: www.cynos.com.ph
Facebook page: Cynos Inside Hair Care
Twitter: @cynoshaircareph
Instagram: @cynosinsidehaircare #cynosinsidehaircare #cynos