Even before I became a stay-at-home-mom, I already love cooking.  I started cooking  when I was still single and starting a career in the marketing and communications field.  Being able to earn a living independently and purchase grocery items that time was my entry to real adulting.  As a single career woman finding her place in the jungle called the corporate world, I felt so accomplished when I did my grocery shopping, decided what to use in the pantry, brought food on the table figuratively and literally.  So it's not accurate when one equates cooking to just being a mom.  Anyone can cook whether you're a mom or not yet one.  Even dads and single men do.
Cooking is like therapy to me.  Cooking is also a love language for me - service.  I love cooking.  That's why I always get excited to be invited in food-related events or discover new cooking partner such as the newest Knorr SavorRich Liquid Meaty Seasoning.
Yesterday, the first ever meaty seasoning in liquid form in the country was launched by Knorr at the Greenbelt 3 Open Park.

What made the experience more fun was discovering the new and special cooking ingredient with mom friends I love and to get to meet new ones too!
Turn your ordinary dishes into an extraordinary one.  Elevate your fried chicken to the best tasting one.  Make every dish you prepare for yourself and your family, mom or not, rich and intense in flavor with every bite.  Take home a Knorr SavorRich Liquid Meaty Seasoning and try it at home.  Recipes will soon be uploaded onto Knorr's official website www.knorr.com/ph.

The new Knorr SavorRich Liquid Meaty Seasoning is available in Chicken and Pork flavors in leading supermarkets and groceries nationwide, at a suggested retail price of Php6/16g, Php85/240g, and Php150/480g.

Last weekend, I had a pleasure to learn more about the brand and its advocacy to not only love ourselves by taking care of our hair and skin, but to also love the planet. 

Pro-environment personalities/influencers were invited in front to share how we all could contribute in making our planet a cleaner and better place.  Small acts of love go a long way. 
As simple bringing our own reusable straws, utensils, and water bottles or bringing eco-bags for shopping, and supporting brands which are eco-friendly and cruelty-free, we can already make a difference.

So what makes Love Beauty and Planet different from other beauty brands and how do they really show love to the planet?   Here are some amazing and admirable facts about them:

1. The ingredients are sustainably sourced from around the world such as Morocco, Comoros and even the Philippines. Yes, the Philippine coconut is one of their main ingredients used globally.

2. Their products are easily rinsed saving 10 seconds of shower which may result to supporting the drinking water needs of millions of people.  How?  The brand infuses fast-rinse technology into their conditioners, which means that it will break down and wash off faster, leading us to use less water in the shower.

3. All their bottles are made with 100% post-consumer recycled made from 100% recyclable plastics.

4. Used bottles may be deposited in selected SM branches/Watsons so they may recycle, reuse, and reduce waste.

5. The hair care and body care products are also certified vegan and cruelty-free, with
zero silicones, dyes, parabens or colorants.

6. You get a FREE eco-bag for a limited time when you buy at least three bottles of their products!

Knowing all these intentional efforts from the brand to help save the planet, is enough to make me really love them and make room for their products in my favorite things on earth!

More photos from the launch: 

I hope many other brands will follow suit and think of how they will greatly contribute to preserving and healing our planet and not contribute more to wastes that many generations after our children will inherit. Thanks #LoveBeautyAndPlanetPH for coming up with well-thought eco-friendly products which help make us and our planet more beautiful each day.

Can't wait to celebrate the season with #SmallActsOfSummerLove with Love Beauty and Planet?  Head on to select Watsons stores and ecommerce retailers to experience Love Beauty and Planet’s summer collections today.

For more information, log on to www.lovebeautyandplanet.com/ph or follow them on FACEBOOK, and Instagram.

One of the most fun activities kids look forward to during the Holy Week is Easter Egg Hunting Activities.  So I've round up some events happening around Metro Manila and nearby cities for you to check out, pre-register (hello to early bird rates!) and prepare for too!

But apart from the happenings of Easter, it's also important to teach our children and even remind ourselves the reason why we commemorate the Passion of Jesus Christ every year during the Holy Week.  It's not just all about long weekend and relaxation.  We should be reminded how God so loved the world that He gave His only son Jesus Christ as a man.  That Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins and repair our relationship with God.  That Jesus rose after three days as a testament that He is God the Son, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  That's the essence of the Holy Week.

So now that He has risen on the third day which is known to many as Easter Sunday, at present, we celebrate it joyously.  Some while having a family vacation and some by participating in egg hunting activities or parties.

Here it is, my annual list of Easter Egg Hunting Activities this 2019! :)

BELLEVUE MANILA HOTEL
When: April 21, 2019, Sunday, 2PM - 5PM
What: Heavy snack buffet, games, egg hunting, entertainment, loot bag, and lots of prizes
Fee: Php 1350.00 nett
For more details and to purchase tickets, visit THIS LINK, for updates, please like them on Facebook
ACACIA HOTEL MANILA
When: April 21, 2019 Sunday 11am - 2pm
Where: Grand Acacia Ballroom
What: Easter egg hunt, Buffet, Bubble Show, Photo booth, Storytelling,  Games, Raffle prizes, and more!
Fee: Php1,250 nett per person
For more information, like them on Facebook
MAKATI PALACE HOTEL
When: April 21, 2019, Sunday 1pm - 4pm
What: Egg hunting, Face painting, Photo wall, Prizes, Games, and more!
Fee: Php 899 (child)/Php 499 adults (Early bird promo for a limited time and if booked directly from them)  Regular price is Php1,199
For more details and updates call 899 0344 / 0999 991 3622 / 0917 580 8660 or like them on Facebook

F1 HOTEL MANILA
When: April 21, 2019, Sunday 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Where: Infinity Ballroom
What: Buffet Lunch,  Magic Show, Face Paint, Balloon Twisting, Bubble Show, Photo Booth, Egg Decorating, Easter Egg Hunt, Loot Bag, and other exciting games and activities
Fee: Php899 (50% OFF on its original rate of PHP 1,798 net per head until March 31, 2019 only)
For more information or to buy tickets, go to hotdeals.f1hotelmanila.com. or call 908-7888 or like them on Facebook.
LUXENT HOTEL 
When: April 21, 2019, 11 am - 3 pm
Where: Seasons Ballroom
What: Brunch buffet, Magic show, Game booth, Egg Hunt, Goodie Bags, and more!
Fee: Php 999 (Early bird rate for first 50 registrations) or Php  1,299 nett per person regular price
For more information, like them on Facebook or call 863 7777.

SEDA HOTEL NUVALI
When: April 21, 2019, Sunday
What: Easter egg hunt, prizes, activities, and more!
Fee: Dine in Misto and for a single receipt purchase worth Php 2,000, get a pass for 1 adult and 1 child to our Easter Sunday Activity. Grand Prize for the egg hunt is an overnight accommodation with breakfast for 2. Promotion Run: March 15 to April 20, 2019
For updates, like them on Facebook
What: Magic show, buffet lunch, Easter egg hunt, games, prizes and surprises.
Bookmark and visit this post for more updates as we approach the fun Easter Sunday for your egg hunting events and activities.

I went to my son's school last week to talk to their guidance counselor and principal about my son's minor violation.  So I faced the school administrators with a ready heart and an open mind.  We had to give consequences even if it hurts me to see my son suffer.  That same week, my grade-schooler told me about a persistent bullying that a classmate's been doing to him.  Whenever he shares these things, I really stop whatever I'm doing and intently listen and draw out more from him by asking the right questions.  It pains me as a mom that he had to experience this almost on a daily basis.  The night before I was crying in prayer asking Him why I had to go through this challenge, when I've already devoted to become a SAHM to focus on and be more present for my children.  I felt like a failure.   But I was reminded that there are some things I cannot control.

The things we do as a mama right?  Motherhood is not always butterflies and rainbows, it's also many days of sad, painful, and exhausting experiences.  But as a mom, we cannot just give up.  We've gotta be tough mama and learn how to cope with this.  I cope by praying and cooking and eating or going to the salon or meet friends for coffee.

A TOUGH MAMA EXPERIENCE
Not so long after I experienced those school challenges of my kids, I was able to do all those coping activities, attended an event of a brand which spoke so much about what I was going through - as if the universe timed it perfectly.  I knew I can't pass on that event.  It was a brand I actually use and attest to its toughness and durability - TOUGH MAMA Appliances.  I met there my good friends who cheered me up that day.  (Thanks Nish!)  The activities during the event helped take away my thoughts from my motherhood chaos.  And I was just really thankful to be there.
By the way, I've been a Tough Mama user since they launched five years ago.  The appliances they had my try before which are the 2-in-1 hair iron and curler, bread toaster, and rice cooker are still working efficiently to this day.  I was surprised to see their expanded range of their appliances display that afternoon and thought to myself - I want them all! Look at some of these which caught my attention:
First activity was a live cooking demo done by Chef Jam Melchor whose demo made me want to take home 8-in-1 Multicooker, Commercial Blender, and Infrared Induction Cooker.  He taught everyone how to prepare a Crab and Native Corn soup using the Tough Mama power blender efficiently.  He also cooked Beef Stew using the  8-in-1 Multicooker over the induction cooker.  By this time, the whole venue was smelling really good and it made me forget everything else including my name.  Haha!  Last, in the same multicooker, he cooked Porkchop BBQ!  The Multicooker by the way is made of non-stick material which makes it really easy to clean and make cooking healthier without the need of putting too much oil!
There are no perfect moms only real ones, as what I keep on saying.  To each his own because our children and our circumstances are different.  One cannot push what works for her to another mama because her situation or challenges may be different from yours.  But it's tough to be a mom in the first place, the choices we make, the selflessness we have, the physical exhaustion, and even how we handle each tantrum or how we respond to school/teenage issues.  But here are some things that help me toughen up gracefully: Unending Prayers.  Seeing good friends to talk to, share laughter with, and know you have their full support - friends who will cheer you up, appreciate you and validate you .  Learning new things such as cooking (thanks again Chef  Jam and Bento Mommas). Surrounding my household with dependable appliances (such as Tough Mama Appliances) which make my SAHM life easier. 
Lastly, Self-care or self-love.  Going out to take a break is not selfish nor it means we love our children less.  It means we love them so much that we want to be the best versions of ourselves when we face them.  We need self-care so we fill ourselves with love, with appreciation, with affirmation, and with beauty.  These are what make me a tough mama, hope these help you too!