Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author, inspirational and international speaker Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag visits first recipient of Maliit na ang Palda ni Isay’s Book Donation Drive and Public School Tour.

One hundred (100) female Grade 2 Students from Baclaran Elementary School Unit 1, Parañaque City were the first recipients of Isay Goes to Schools – A Book Donation Drive and Public School Tour.

Last September during the 39th Manila International Book Fair, Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag launched her latest children’s book titled Maliit na ang Palda ni Isay, published by Chikiting Books under the Vibal Publishing Group.
Based on the author’s life story, it is a story replete in Filipino values. This book beautifully highlights that it is more important to get an education than to have brand new things for school, aside from encouraging the readers/students to reuse and recycle.  It is written both in Filipino and English.

Isay Goes to Schools: A Book Donation Drive and Public School Tour was launched to allow individuals, groups, organizations and companies to donate copies of Maliit na ang Palda ni Isay to public schools and promote its very important message by going around the country, to give inspiration and empower young underprivileged Filipino students.

Author Ms. Dumadag with school coordinators

Among those who graced the event were Adopt a School Coordinator and Master Teacher 1 Ms. Melania S. Solis and Reading Coordinator Ms. Rosalie R. Teanila.  Ms. Dumadag was likewise joined by her family – including her mother – Aling Tess in her story – to donate the 100 copies of her children’s book from generous donors to 100 excited and grateful children.

Author and her mother Aling Tess

Interactive storytelling with the author Ms. Dumadag

It was followed by a series of discussion questions asked by the author to the young audience to help them better grasp the lessons from the story and a short inspirational talk to encourage them to do well in their studies.
After these, the kids excitedly lined-up to meet the author – Isay – for their Meet and Greet and to have their copies signed.

Students lined up to meet and greet Ms. Dumadag and for book signing

The author heartwarmingly expresses,

“This is another dream come true for me. I really wanted to go around schools and donate copies of my latest children’s book to public school children. I want to inspire and encourage them through this book.  I want them to know that dreams do come true with a lot of hard work and a lot of grace from God!  It doesn’t matter if their circumstances are not ideal now or far from what they dream to achieve.”

“I’m grateful to everyone who sent their donations to make this first school visit possible,” she added.

More funds are still needed to support upcoming book donations and school tours.  Cash donations are most welcome and may be sent through BPI, BDO or PayPal. Read more about the Book Donation Drive HERE.

Feel free to message the author through their Facebook Page or e-mail her at teresa@fulllifecube.com to support this life-changing advocacy in any way.

You may also help spread the word by sharing posts or posters from their Facebook pages on your social media accounts.

The children’s book Maliit na ang Palda ni Isay can be purchased at P100 only per copy through the Facebook Pages Full Life Cube and Hands-On Parent while Earning, or by sending an e-mail to teresa@fulllifecube.com.

Image from East London Local

As mothers, we always dream that our children grow up to be intelligent kids.  We do everything we can to develop them in that area and in future groom them to excel academically.  That's why when it's time for proper schooling we hope to enroll them in the best schools around to ensure that they get quality education.

But the building blocks to nurturing our children's intelligence starts at home.  To make our children love READING books and exposing them to this activity as early as you can, benefits not only them, but us as parents too.  We teach our children that reading is fun, they learn a lot about the world and themselves, reading improves their discipline, concentration and their speech, and we create a great bonding time and build a strong relationship with our children which they will remember when they grow up.

Our children surprisingly knows how to navigate the gadgets we have at home like our mobile phones, tablets and laptops.  That's why I feel that it's now more important to expose them to books and make reading a habit.


Making 9-Year Old Read
I have two sons who are seven years apart.  My elder is already in 4th grade and my toddler is not yet in school.  I was able to develop the love for reading to my elder son when he was much younger.  I always set aside some budget for books.  But things changed when he turned seven.  This habit started to dwindle and he was more into play.  So when he turned eight and I found out that he started having interests in comics, I found the opportunity to regain his love for reading.  I started buying him K-Zones and since then, he has been collecting and making side trips to book stores or magazine stands whenever we're out in a mall.  I also set up a neat study or reading corner in his room.

K-Zone Back Issues from BOOKSALE

My son's study and reading corner in his room

My son's K-Zone collection - P40 - 50 (back issues) to P100.00 new issue

• Be sensitive of his wants and interests.
• Hit the part where he is interested in and go for it.
• Buy reading materials of his interest but make sure it's also educational
• You don't need to buy new issues all the time, back issues work perfectly the same plus it's practical, you get it at P50 - 70% off!
• Make a reading and study corner that he could call his very own.  At this time, they like having their own territories or taking responsibility and ownership of things.
• Keep on encouraging your child to read.
• Praise him for reading and learning.
• Remind him the importance of reading and learning new things which will benefit him in the future.
• Listen to his trivia and jokes whenever he would share something new which he learned from reading. 
• Don't forget to be amazed and LAUGH!

Making my 2-Year Old Read
I started reading to him when he was still in my tummy.  When he turned two, he saw books as stuff he could destroy, tear and step on.  So I bought hardbound books instead.  But the books always had to compete with gadgets and his toys.  With that, I found a way to make him interested in reading and even make him initiate the activity by doing what I did for my elder son.  Since he loves truck and train toys, I bought him books that has trucks and trains.  I chose books that teach about letters, numbers, colors, shapes and songs.  My toddler even has his own bookshelf!  My tips below:

A bookshelf for my toddler's books

I turned his love for truck toys to reading

A Tonka Truck book with drawing board - P120 0nly

Little Blue Truck hardbound book (his current favorite) P85.00

Arthur's Truck Adventure - P60.00

Sesame Street Book - P55.00

Sesame Street Counting Book - P45.00

One of my toddler's favorite books, The Wheels On Barney's Bus - P120

• Set a time of the day when to start reading to him.  Reading before bedtime works all the time.  With this you are creating a habit 
• Don't insist reading on him when he is holding a tablet, a mobile phone or watching television.  Your toddler will all the more resist the activity.
• Be sensitive to his interests as well so you can get an idea to what types of books you'll buy for him. What toys does he like?  Who are his favorite cartoon characters?  Buy books that has them in it and for sure he'll drop everything for you to read to him.
• Read with a very animated voice.  Make the characters alive!
• Praise your toddler always for doing a great job in reading.
• Make a little reading corner or allot part of your bookshelves where he could put his books.
• Make reading a fun activity

Hello loves!  It had been a very busy week for me at work, with my acoustic band, with my friends, with personal errands, with events and most especially with my family.  That's why I haven't been writing last week as often as I want to.  How's everyone? Hope you're all having a great weekend so far!

This time, I wish to share some of the practical finds I got for my kids and myself last week.  First of all let me tell you a (not-so) secret about reading.  I cannot stress how important it is for me to expose my children to books or any form of reading material.  That's why even if with the mobile phone, X-box, TV and laptop around, I still manage to read to my very active and techie toddler and make my not-so-bookish 9 year-old son read and write essays.

I regularly buy hardbound or flap books for my toddler.  But since brand new books come in pricey tags, I buy books from Book Sale and at the stationery section of Pure Gold in Araneta Ave. cor. E. Rodriguez, Q.C. branch.

Tonka hardbound book with drawing board Php 120.00 at BookSale

On the other hand, my 9 year-old who used to love reading books, showed less interest in reading when he turned 7 years old.  So when I found out that he's interested in comic books, I started buying him K-Zone magazines to still make him read.  He has a stack of these kids' magazine and I buy him every now and then, to still encourage him to read.

Back issues of K-Zone to add to my son's collection. P35.00 - P50.00 only at Book Sale

For myself, since my foundation is sagad na to the last drop, I bought a new mineral liquid foundation from Maybelline.  What's great was that it was on 30% off at Landmark's store sale!  That's a valuable deal for me.  Make-ups could be really expensive.  My practical brand of choice has always been Maybelline.

Maybelline Pure Liquid Mineral Foundation at 30% off!

Practical Find: Great deal!  From P499.00 down to P349.30

Last Friday, I was super rushing going to Luxent Hotel for our acoustic night gig.  I was late because traffic was really bad from Makati to Manila to Quezon City.  I applied make up in the cab.  Sadly, because I was taranta already, I left my almost 2 year-old Avon powder eyebrow make-up at the backseat.  It was time to let go, it served its purpose very well.  Avon doesn't sell that product/SKU anymore, so I bought

I was able to try this brand of eyebrow powder last week too. I borrowed from a good friend in the office when I realized mine was lost.

Lookie!  It's priced from P299.75 down to P254.75!  Great deal!

I'm a self-confessed bargain hunter.  So expect more of this kind of deals from me.  How about you?  Did you have any practical or bargain finds recently?