Who didn't grow up receiving a Hallmark card or at least in their lifetime bought a card or more for their loved ones?  I sure remember receiving and giving out Hallmark cards my entire teenage and early adult years.  I still receive them from my dad whenever there's an occasion.  How happy it was to have lived during pre-email or pre-digital years.  But good news to millenials and even my kids, you'll be happy to know that card-giving still lives and Hallmark has even expanded its line of products for everyone to enjoy!  Plus, every purchase of a Hallmark product you know it's for a good cause just like this news I am bringing to you!
Through every celebration—may it be a birthday, an anniversary, or a wedding—Hallmark has been part of spreading the most precious messages of love and cheer. Their well-loved cards have connected and brought smiles throughout people all over the world. And this year’s holiday season is no exception.

For 23 years, Filstar Distributors Corporation (FDC), the country’s exclusive licensee of Hallmark USA together with the Leukemic Indigents Fund Endowment (L.I.F.E.) Foundation created a charitable project called “Hallmark for L.I.F.E.” to help alleviate the condition of indigent children with Leukemia.

Every year, Hallmark collaborates with top local artists in creating special limited edition L.I.F.E. products such as greeting cards, gift wrappers, bags, and other giftable items where a portion from the sales of these products go straight to the foundation.

L-R Jose Martin Ramos Licauco, Management Trainee, Filstar Distributors Corporation, Mia Christina Licauco Alindogan, Vice President, Filstar Distributors Corporation, Carmela Gozon, Corporate Secretary, LIFE Foundation, Katrina M. Yatco, Business Co - Chair, LIFE Foundation, Winfred Huang, President, LIFE Foundation, Gabriel A. Felix, Treasurer, LIFE Foundation, Nanette M. Garcia, Assistant Vice President - Sales, Filstar Distributors Corporation

This holiday season, FDC will donate to the Foundation a portion from the sales of all Christmas products of Hallmark including the 2018 L.I.F.E. Christmas card collection Hallmark for L.I.F.E. sparks hope back into the lives of less fortunate children and helps them in their fight against leukemia. Since its inception in 1995, this charitable project has eased the burden of families experiencing the ordeal of both disease and poverty.

L-R Carmela Gozon, Corporate Secretary, LIFE Foundation, Winfred Huang, President, LIFE Foundation, Mia Christina Licauco Alindogan, Vice President, Filstar Distributors Corporation, Nanette M. Garcia, Assistant Vice President - Sales, Filstar Distributors Corporation

To formally launch Hallmark for L.I.F.E, an event was held last October 31 at the Ayala Malls 30th Cinema 1. It was attended by the Hallmark for L.I.F.E team and some of the kids of the foundation. Through this, the people behind Hallmark and L.I.F.E. Foundation hope to help uplift the spirits of the kids, put a smile on their faces, and give them the encouragement and support that they need.
Christmas is a time for families and loved ones to come together and celebrate the holidays. This season, may we be reminded of the spirit of giving—that even in the littlest ways, we make a conscious effort to support good causes. Because to someone, a gift is just a gift, and a greeting card is simply that, but to someone else, your purchase gives them more: hope, joy, and the best present you could possibly give, another chance at life.

Here are some Hallmark's Holiday Set 2018 which you may purchase:

Did you ever believe in Santa Claus when you were younger?  Do you remember the sleepless nights as you anticipate for the Christmas season to begin so you could start writing your wishlist to Santa and hang your stockings by the door?  Do you recall the times when you rush to your stockings to see what treats Santa left for you in the morning as soon as you wake up?  I did and the feeling was awesome.

I remember how exciting Christmas season was for me when I was younger.  The cool breeze, the Christmas carols I hear everyday, the parol, lights and other decors which people start to hang by their homes, and the small and simple Christmas Tree we had at home all made my Christmases merry and exciting.

I believed in Santa Claus and he made my Christmases magical when I was younger.  But not until when at the age of six or seven I discovered that he wasn't real.  How?  I saw Mom and Dad wrap a special gift and hid it on the top of their closet.  I was a very curious child, so I reached for it and saw my name written on it.  The gift was for me, from Santa it read.  But how?  I saw my parents wrapped it.  When I asked them about it, they told me the truth.  My Christmases after that year weren't the same.

Now I'm a mom myself.  I made sure I didn't make the same mistake of spoiling the Christmas spirit and magic of Santa Claus for my children.  I even wrote about How To Make Children Believe In Santa Claus in one of my blog entries, which lists all the things I do for my children.  I am still doing them up until this day for my two children.  Here were some of Santa's gifts to them:

Few more days and it's Christmas loves!  Time to also put up your Christmas decorations at home if you still haven't.  What a perfect timing it is as well to prepare your Christmas Gifts lists and do your shopping.  I admire others who started shopping for their Christmas gifts as early as the first quarter and who also take advantage of the sale season at malls to buy their early Christmas or Birthday gifts. It isn't only practical, it also saves you from the shopping rush.

I'll be doing a series of Practical Christmas Gift Ideas from this day onward.  To be featured are lists of Christmas gift ideas for Moms, Dads, Husbands, Children, Friends and Colleagues.  Don't forget to come back to my lists because I'll keep on updating them.

Practical Christmas Gift Ideas for Moms

1. Scarves or Shawls- Give Mom a scarf or shawl and watch her turn an ordinary outfit to something sophisticated!  Plus it will also give her the warmth she needs on cold days. Make sure you choose her favorite color or print!  Price range: Php 150 to Php 1,000
2. Health and Beauty Items or GCs- For all of mom's hard work at home or in the office, she needs a well-deserved break!   This season is the best time to show her your appreciation and love by giving her health &  beauty items or service GCs such as massage, hand &  feet pampering or facial treatments.   For items, this could be anything from cologne, three-step-facial-care, lotions, hair products, vitamins or supplements too! :)  Moms need to feel beautiful and rejuvenated so she'll come out fresh and ready to take on any work load with a beautiful smile! Price range: Php 50 to Php 1,000
3. A New Mobile Phone with SUN Postpaid Plan - Give mom a new phone bundled with a SUN Postpaid Plan!  Choose from Regular Postpaid Plans (as low as Plan 350 to Plan 600), Fixed Load Plans, Unli-data and SUN Elite Plans (choose from Plans 999/1399 a month to Elite Plan 1500) or Tri-Net or Group Plans!  To add to the experience, register her new SUN Postpaid to FREE Internet for unlimited Facebook, unlimited surfing, likes and sharing! Price Range: Php350 to Php 1,500 a month
4. A Chic and Multi-functional Sac Manille Bag - When moms are out with kids, we want to bring the whole house in our bags just be sure, we don't forget anything.  But at the same time, we want to still look chic and fashionable.  Give her a bag that does that both!  I have been using David Jones (Paris) bag for years and not only it looks pop, but it's durable because it's made of quality materials!  Available at Sac Manille.  Price Range: Php 1,500 to Php 2500
   
5. AVON Home Plate Set (add Placemat and Coaster Set, and Flatware Set) - Mom would always find happiness in new dinnerware or kitchenware!   She will be more excited to whip up delish meals for the family!  Price Range: Php 550 to Php 1500.
   
6. Planner or Notebooks- Almost all moms, including me, love making lists (spell things to do, grocery list, gift list, school needs, etc.) plotting schedules (like birthdays and children's school activities.)  A really nice mommy planner would be a perfect gift for any moms!  I assure you, this gift will be most used the whole year!  This Mom 24/7 2015 Planner is a great buy with many discount coupons carefully selected for mom!  Available at Mommy Mundo Shop for Php 395.  There are other beautiful planners or notebooks available at leading book stores nationwide from Php 100 to Php 500 each :)
   
7. Heart-felt Christmas Card or Letter- Last but not the least, the most inexpensive (almost free) and most heartfelt gift is a Christmas love letter for the most beautiful and loving woman in any person's life.  You could never ever go wrong with a personalized message of appreciation and holiday greetings with this.  Moms will not only read the content but they could read through all the effort you put into creating this wonderful gift.  Tell her everything you can't say in person in your letter and watch her cry buckets of tears.  Price Range: FREE but one that will last a lifetime!

There you have it!  The key to giving a really special gift to your mom is to know what she really likes, her hobbies, what she really fancies or what she needs.  Some moms, like my mom, prefer to receive cash!  Hahaha!  Now that's practical!  But whatever you give your mom this Christmas, make sure you write her a message of appreciation and express how much you love her!  Make it a habit to tell and show your moms your love, not only on special occasions, but everyday the whole year!

Christmas day had passed.  Truthfully, I was super stressed the past few weeks before Christmas.  Two weekends before Christmas week, I had flu.  (It was that weekend I scheduled gifts shopping for family and friends to avoid the rush, but I couldn't move a muscle, so I just rested two days at home to prepare myself for a flight come Monday.)  Several days before Christmas, I brought Dandre to St. Luke's Emergency Room for fear of having Dengue fever (thankfully it wasn't, it was a viral fever.)  

Lechon, Fried Chicken, Chicken Pastel, Cheesy Baked Fish, Macaroni Salad, Buko Pandan and Leche Flan

The Fandiños

The kids got the gifts they wished from Santa.  My 10-year old nearly caught me sneaking Santa's gifts near the Christmas tree that morning.  He was closely watching for Santa's arrival, so I had to call him up in the room to "help" me bring down some stuff.  Of course I made his task very difficult for him to carry the things I asked him to, which meant, more time for me to run tip-toed downstairs with Santa's gifts (then I had to silently go up and pretend to come from the other room.)  My mission was a success!  He still believes in Santa Claus.  The little one has just started to believe in Santa Claus so I have no trouble hiding yet.

We went to mass that morning to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!  Here are my boys at the altar after the mass.
After hearing mass, we went to Macky's  parents to for lunch and gift giving.  The kids had fun playing with their cousins while Mac had to go to work for his holiday duty.  I know it's Christmas and I should be giving myself a break, but I had to do some groceries after putting the little one to sleep.  Oh by the way, I still have no yaya up to this day which adds to my stress during the busiest season of the year.  

Post-Christmas Sad Events
The following day was a regular working day.  That's a working mom's life, I didn't have vacation leaves left and I was tasked as an OIC by the boss.  But what I WAS excited about was the last day of work this year (which is actually today.)  My office mommy friends and I planned to bring our kids to work, watch the lights show at Ayala Triangle, have dinner and exchange gifts.  But when this morning, my little one was crying because of mouth sores.  He couldn't eat anything and was in pain.  In less than an hour, I noticed rashes on his feet, ankles, elbows and stomach.  I got so alarmed, Macky and I brought him to the ER to know what's happening.

"Christmas means that everyone can HOPE.  There is always hope.  There is always a Savior for the different seasons in our lives."