Happy Holidays Mommies!  

The remaining days of 2021 are spent slowly with my family and loved ones.  I kind of took a break from working the week of Christmas and spent less time on social media.  It's my way of preparing to welcome the new year and to also appreciate the presence of my loved ones in my life.  I also reflected on how God has been gracious, too gracious, in my life even if I don't deserve it.  That's what I also want to influence many others, to always be grateful for many things, good or bad.

Speaking of the GOOD, I launched Mommy Practicality Christmas Giveaway just before Christmas as my way of giving back and appreciating YOU my dear readers and community mom members for the support you've been giving me and my humble blog and social media pages for the past years.  I am also indeed grateful to the brands who sponsored the prizes that are at stake!  

Imagine over Php40,000 of prizes are being given away in this Christmas Giveaway!

First and foremost, I would like to say thank you to my sponsors for making this giveaway possible:

• Eluxgo PH
• UV Care PH
• Stay Fresh Canada PH
• The Clean Room PH
• Veger Philippines
• Orange & Peach
• Gardenia Philippines
• Lorem Ipsum Communications
• Lemon Square Bakery Treats
• Eat Well Food Co
• Welch's PH
• Animal Nature

Giving and receiving flowers when there's a special occasion is one of the best feelings in the world.  But it feels so much better to receive flowers even if there's no occassion.  Agree?

There are times when words aren't enough to express one's feelings which flowers could only articulate best such as:

• Thoughtfulness
• Attraction
• Appreciation
• Adoration
• Respect
• Celebration
• L-O-V-E

These emotions don't happen only during special occasions.  These are felt all year round.  That's why giving or receiving flowers any time of the year is a beautiful and great idea in making someone feel special.  For this, there's FLOWERSTORE.PH

Last month, I received a lovely bouquet from FLOWERSTORE.PH.  I instantly felt like a celebrated queen!
The next time you are celebrating someone, give him or her something from FLOWERSTORE.PH for a practical, convenient and hassle-free gift-giving.

GOOD NEWS!  You could get 10% OFF your order online if you input my special code:
To order, visit our website at www.flowerstore.ph and follow the steps below:

1. Choose a bouquet, click on its photo and click "Add to Cart".

2. Input your message and special instructions.

3. Choose your preferred date and time of delivery and then click "Check-out".

4. Input the sender's email the name of the recipient as well as the delivery location.  Input my discount code LOUISE10 then, click "Continue to Shipping Method".

5. Click Free Shipping and click "Continue to Payment Method"

6. Choose your mode of payment and sender's details and click "Complete Order".


Once the order is completed, you will be redirected to the order confirmation page that includes your order number.

GIVEAWAY!!!!
FLOWERSTORE.PH and I are giving away one (1) bouquet of flowers to one of my followers!  All you have to do is follow these simple mechanics and you get an entry already!

1.  Follow Mommy Practicality and FLOWERSTORE.PH both on

• INSTAGRAM: @mommypracticality @Flowerstore.ph 
• FACEBOOK: @mommypracticality @Flowerstore.ph

Happy new year to everyone reading this!  Thank you to all my blog readers and long-time supporters for still being there and visiting my blog for new content.  As you've read in my last blog post for last year, 2018 had been a pretty good year for me even if I've written lesser compared to the previous years.  But writing is LOVE so I never really stopped. 

Becoming a yayaless stay-at-home mom as a new full-time career made me realize so many things and taught me many lessons.  It also made me appreciate more my mom's sacrifices for us, like when she decided to turn her back on her career to focus on us her kids, make a home-based living, put up a small business when we were all teenagers to send us to school, and eventually took care of my kids as a loving and hands-on lola.  But too late, I couldn't thank her anymore, rebuild a more matured relationship with her, and let her know that I fully understood everything she was doing for us.  Truly, you'll only know the one's worth and true value when someone's gone.  So don't be like me, huhu!  If your mothers are still alive, MAKE TIME and EFFORT to talk to them, appreciate them, and love them. 

Anyway, having said that new career of mine, it made me focus more on what is truly important in my life - my family.  It made me spend on what is essential, the needs, and learned the art of delayed gratification.  I also accounted for the money I used to splurged on coffee breaks (oh my!) on daily parking fees, on lunch outs, and on gas expense.  Ang laki pala ng expenses ko which I could have just saved.  Because I don't go out everyday to get to an office, I spend very little on these things nowadays that even if I don't have a regular pay now, I am still alive, surviving, and still living comfortably.  I thought those expenses were just normal - haha!  Hindi pala!  So now, I know better and I am more awaken by the reality, the truth about finances and even people, I want to share with you a 2019 Mom Starter Kit to kicking off 2019 positively.

1. List down your goals for the year!  You could even come up with a Word For The Year from which you will anchor all your choices for the year.  Personally, my husband and I talked about our goals for our marriage.  It's a healthy and even kilig exercise between husbands and wives.  We promised to be more intentional to each other, that he will love me more, that I will submit to him, that we will be more intentional as parents to our kids and spend more time talking and playing with them.  We also listed our family dreams and goals like the dream house we've been praying for, our business transactions, that they may all be closed deals if God wills them to happen.  We also want to go back to being fit and eat more healthily because we want to do this for our children. Lastly, we want to be able to serve God more through our music ministry and be able to share God's love and how He comforted us as individuals and as couples to other people around us. 

2. Bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit as you fulfill different roles in your lives.  Top role for me is being a mom.  Mahirap maging isang nanay lalo if you have a baby/toddler/kids who are demanding of your time, energy, and all of you.  Our kids could sometimes get the best of us especially if makulit sila, so it's really important to PAUSE, PRAY, and BREATHE before uttering any word to them which could break or hurt them when hastily said in anger or frustration.  In everything you do, at home, at work, in business, practice the virtues of Love, Joy, Patience, Self-Control, Gentleness, Peace, Kindness, and Forgiveness at all times.

3. Simplify your life.  We tend to complicate things around us, by simplifying everything, we lessen our stresses in life.  Things tend to be more practical and convenient for you and for everything and everyone around you when things are simplified.  This applies to your household chores system, to daily work to-dos, and just about in everything you do.  There's beauty in simplicity.

4. Financial literacy.   When we talk about financial literacy, sometimes the terminologies used could be overwhelming and threatening.  Heard of Philippine Index Fund or Equity/Balance Funds or VULs or UTIFs or COL/stocks?  Seeing or hearing these jargons could be intimidating that you just shy away from them right?  But the main objective of these all is for us to SAVE/INVEST or multiply our hard-earned money over the years.  Growing our money over the years, that's what all these meant, iba-iba lang ng profiles or risks for investing.  The important thing is to educate yourself to know what fits you, your risk appetite, and even the amount you can sustain to set aside for saving.  But before anything else, pay off debts muna. 

5. SALE ba kamo?  I usually gush over SALES because I wait for the items I've been eyeing for or needing to purchase to go on sale or be on discounted price.  I don't splurge on impulse just because it's on SALE.  I always have a mindset that if it's on SALE and if I don't really need it, then it's still an EXPENSE and another accumulated item that would be eventually a clutter in the house.

6. Declutter - Have you read any Mari Kondo books or quotes or watched her on Netflix?  She's a guru when it comes to decluttering.  I always live by the "declutter or let go of things if it doesn't spark joy" anymore.  This inspired me to start with my closet a few years ago when I started capsule wardrobe-ing.  I kept what fits me, let go of what doesn't or just sits there (in my mind masusuot din kita kapag size 24 na ulit ako!) taking up closet space, gave away clothes which don't make me happy anymore.  With kids' toys, I did the same, I included them in the process of decluttering, I made them decide if they still want/need the toy before letting them go or giving them away.  I don't want to hurt their feelings.  When I clean the house, everything that I pass by which I feel is not pretty or has no us anymore, I let go.  It has become a hobby for me to throw away things.  I am no longer a prisoner of material stuff.  Decluttering applies to people.  It doesn't necessarily mean burning bridges, but keeping relationship on the down-low especially if these people don't influence you to do good but rather the opposite or if they bring you down when you're enjoying your little success or don't bring the value in your relationship.  But here's what you can do, PRAY for them, FORGIVE if they've hurt you, and in the future, help them know God or become more positive as well.

7. Self-Care - We tend to do so much as moms for our kids and as wives for our husbands that we forget to look after ourselves.  Because chores and responsibilities pile one after the other, we put aside love and time for ourselves.  WRONG.  Self-care is not being SELFISH.  It's rewarding yourself after giving ourselves selflessly (sometimes too much) to our loved ones. Self-care is not at all expensive.  It could be as simple as bathing without any disturbance (the works, shampoo-conditioner-hair-spa/ body wash, body scrub, facial, with scented candle and your fave mood music) to going to the salon for a quick mani-pedi (if there's still time add foot scrub) or a haircut or hair treatment to the spa for an hour of massage.  Self-care also pertains to daily devotional time or reading your favorite book. Don't feel guilty, moms deserve self-care.  When we feel good about ourselves, we can give more to others joyfully.

8.  Pray. - Start your year right by praying for everyone and everything to God.  You may follow ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication).  Remember to just TRUST HIM in everything.  Sometimes His plans are better than our plans that's why He answers our prayers with a YES, NO, or NOT YET.  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV).

Hope these Mommy Starter Kit for 2019 helps and inspires you to have a great year, to be the best person you could ever be for God, yourself and your loved ones and to fulfill all your dreams as well!

For everything else you can plan and there's nothing wrong with it, starting the year with a new planner is a great start to jot down your schedules, your dreams, Bible verses that touched your hearts, birth dates of people you love, expenses, and anything under the sun.  Best if you jot all these on a FREE PLANNER right?

That's why, I am sharing with my loyal readers and social media followers 2019 planners to equip you all in starting the year right! 

Mommy Mundo's Mom 24/7 2019 Planner

2019 Planners from National Book Store

2019 PLANNER GIVEAWAY MECHANICS:

1. Follow/Subscribe to Mommy Practicality on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and YOUTUBE.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mommypracticality
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/mommypracticality
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mompracticality
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ldfandino

2. Earn as many entries by the following methods:

• Comment on this blog post your 2019 Goals or Resolutions or Dreams and how will a planner help you achieve them.
• Repost the Instagram Photo and on your caption, tell me what your 2019 Goals or Resolutions or Dreams and how will a planner help you achieve them.  Tag three friends to join and include the hashtag #MPPlannerGiveaway2019.  Make sure your post is public.
• On Facebook, comment on the blog post link your 2019 Goals or Resolutions or Dreams and how will a planner help you achieve them. Share the post on your timeline publicly, tag three friends to join and include the hashtag.

We're on the final stretch of 2018 and 2 weeks before Christmas and yes, we all survived this year which wow came by so fast right?

For everything that I have been blessed with, more than material things, a renewed and restored marriage, good health for the family, daily provisions, new friends both online and offline, loyal readers and supporters, and new blog and social media followers too (which I pray will still grow in 2019), I am very grateful.  I feel humbled and unworthy but all these provisions were poured to me and my family this year.

As my way of thanks to all of you, I am running a simple Christmas Giveaway which will be implemented on Instagram.  The giveaway mechanics is super simple and it goes a little something like this:
CLAIMING OF PRIZES:
Winners should be willing to claim their prize from me in the following meet up places depending on agreed schedule:
- Jollibee Pureza, Manila
- CCF Gateway Cubao

A representative may claim on their behalf, please notify me who shall claim for you.  Should you opt for prize to be sent out, shipping fee will be on winners' personal account.

So there you have it loves!  Do join and invite your friends to follow Mommy Practicality on IG and join the Christmas Giveaway.  Again, thank you for all your support throughout my blogging years, this 2018, and in the years to come!

Advance Merry Christmas to ALL! :)

Since I resigned from my decade long corporate job to become a full-time mom, I've never felt so fulfilled in what I accomplish on a daily basis.  I also shared in this blog before the reason why I resigned hence, our intentional decision to not get a helper or yaya for my kids anymore.  I am here to focus on my family and magpaka-nanay to its truest sense.  I am joyful of our decision and if you would ask me if I want to go back to corporate, it never crossed my mind at all since I left it last February.

The only challenge that I face is when I need to go out to attend meetings or events where my constant toddler date can't come.  But everything else is manageable which kept my days busier more than ever.  My love language is SERVICE, I guess that's why I find joy in my heart whenever I do something for my family.  I do everything myself at home with the special help of my husband and kids (small and easy chores) and of reliable appliances and dependable and effective cleaning products.  One of these newest product discovery is Bubble Man Dishwashing Liquid.
I have never washed as many dishes as I have in the last 7 months compared to my entire existence.  That's why I now experiment and try different brands to see which ones are really effective in removing grease easily, is gentle on hands, rinses quickly to save on water consumption and energy, and economical too.  I really need a trusted partner who will help me do the washing job and one that will also save me time.
I have seen Bubble Man in supermarkets but I've never given it a try until recently.  These are the things I learned about it which made me use it:

• It's non-flammable and non-toxic.
• It is 97% Biodegradable - meaning it's environment-friendly and leaves nothing harmful behind because its ingredients break down easily rather than taking it years to decompose. 
• It's Sodium Hydroxide -free, this is the chemical that leaves skin dry.
• It is Phosphate-free formula.(Phosphate is harmful to the environment)
• It's effective even on 3% dilution in water (30ml of Bubble Man to 1000ml/1L of water) and has long lasting bubbles.
• It's inexpensive - It's priced lower compared to known brands.  

I could not stress you the importance of taking care of the skin and looking for many ways to protect it both internally and externally.  By eating the right kinds of foods like vegetables, fruits and meat, and also protecting it from the harmful rays of the sun, you're already doing your skin good.

Plus, if you also do your research on the type of skin that you have, then you'd be aware that not all products work the same for each individual.  Every skin type should have a different skin care regimen in order to make the skin look young and healthy.

Here are the different skin types for your guidance:

1. Normal Skin - least problematic among all skin types.
2. Dry Skin - easily develops wrinkles, fine pores, prone to aging and irritating, 
3. Oily Skin - problematic, looks greasy, as large pores and usually breaks into acne.
4. Combination Skin - skin has patches of dry and oily.  Dry areas are around the eyes and oily around.
5. Sensitive Skin - usually dry, scaly and becomes easily irritated.

CELESTY effectively removes makeup, oil, deep-seated dirt and blemishes, tightens skin pores, lightens dark pigmentation, prevents wrinkles and dry skin and whitens skin while improving tone.

Key ingredients:

• YH-15 Yeast Extract (for whitening), 
• Malachite Extract (lightens pigmentation), 
• Vitamin B12, 
• Soybean Seed Extract, 
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Algae Extract
• Arginine

CELESTY products are available at the House of CELESTY at Shinagawa Lasik and Aesthetics, Landmark Trinoma, Cinderella G3, PureBeauty Serendra, Cinderella ATC, PureBeauty Trinoma.

Clinic Location: Mezzanine, Tower 2, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave. cor. Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, Philippines

What is Shinagawa?
For 25 years, Shinagawa has steadily evolved into one of the worldwide leaders in Lasik and Aesthetics. Shinagawa has enjoyed the patronage of over 3 Million satisfied patients.

The Shinagawa clinic in the Philippines, Shinagawa’s first major business operation outside of  Japan, continues to stay true to its aim to provide the best, safest, most accessible and affordable services using the latest technologies and techniques in medicine.

For more info, visit their WEBSITE, or call at (02)491-0000.

A CELESTY GIVEAWAY! :)

1. Open to all readers willing to claim their prize in Makati City.
2. Just follow the Rafflecopter tasks.
3. Two (2) winners will win a bottle of Glow Essence Extream Whitening Essence worth Php 2050 each.
4. In addition to the prize, winners will get discounts to different treatments:
• 50% discount coupon for Celesty
• 20% discount coupon for Traditional Braces
• 30% discount coupon for Lasik Procedure w/ FREE Lasik screening
• 30% discount coupon for Derma Laser Treatment
5. Comment with your Full Name and Email Address.
6. Giveaway starts April 13 and ends April 20.
7. Winners will be announced on April 25.

Do you remember how it was when you were little and you'd imagine you're like a princess?  I did that a lot of times!  When I was waiting for my school bus to fetch me from school, I would pretend to be a princess going down the school's staircase.  When not in an imaginative action, I draw whatever I wish was real!  Like having a big house with a pool or riding an airplane.

Same thing goes for my children.  They love coloring and drawing whatever fancies their imagination.  This little boy is seriously minding his activity at a formal event we attended to recently.
They have drawn robots, houses and cars and they are most precious to me!  That's why I kept each and every drawing of theirs so they will have something to look back on when they will be grown-up men someday.



With these drawings which highly encourage imagination, I want to teach them, that they can make it happen someday!  They can become REAL! :)

For now, it can be as real as translating their drawings into plush toys!  Just like how Nesfruta did for the cute kids in this video with Kendra Kramer of the popular, entertaining, and loving family the #TeamKramer:
Did you see the surprised reaction on the faces of the kids?  PRICELESS!!!  You too may have a chance to make your children's drawings become real by joining the Nesfruta Make it #RealNaReal Promo.
Visit Nesfruta Contest Facebook Page for the full mechanics with terms and conditions: http://bit.ly/nesfrutamakeitreal.  

But to make it easier for you to join, here are the important steps:

1. To join the promo, a participant must upload a photo of his or her child’s drawing by commenting on the promo post or by sending a private message to the NESFRUTA Facebook Page. The child who made the drawing must be aged 7 years old and above.
2. All submitted drawings will be pre-screened and qualified for electronic raffle based on the following:
• Drawing must only have one character.
• The toy to be created out of the drawing is safe and will not put children at risk. 
• The toy to be created meets quality standards of promo organizers.
3. Participants can send in as many entries as they like, provided that each submission is of a different drawing.
4. Only valid entries will be included in the weekly raffle draw.
5. Deadline for submission is every Sunday at 11:59 PM of the following dates:
• Period December 16, 2014 (Tuesday) to December 24, 2014 (Wednesday)

Here it is loves, the moment you've been waiting for!  I'm launching now my 2nd Year of Mommy Practicality Birthday Giveaway!
I'm just so thankful for the life that's entrusted to me by God and as I wake up everyday and breathe in, I am humbled.  I couldn't say thank you enough to my loved ones, my friends and colleagues for truly celebrating happily with me! :)  I'm thankful for everything I have right now which brings me happiness, contentment and peace of mind.  With everything that I have, I feel so little and I know I have a mission to do more and be more, to serve HIM and others. :)

Speaking of celebrating life, one way to do this is to host a Birthday Giveaway! :)  I will not delay further, here are the mechanics:

STEP 1:  ELIGIBILITY

1. OPEN to ALL Mommy Practicality readers, followers and friends NATIONWIDE.
2. Service GC prizes will only be available to joiners residing in Metro Manila winners.
3. Prizes shall be sent to provincial winners with an option to pick-up in Makati City.  Residents of NCR shall pick up their prizes from Makati City.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The long wait is finally over!  First of all, thank you to everyone who joined my post-Mother's Day Giveaway!  I had a hard time selecting the winners because your answers were all moving and deserving to win.

That's why I sought help from Daddy Practicality to select the bestest of the best answers.  From 15 selected, we shortlisted it to 10, then 5, then final 3.  We looked for answers which were heartfelt, sincere and those that moved us.

Without further adieu, we'd like to say CONGRATULATIONS TO:

She wakes up earlier than everyone and prepares meals up to six times a day for the family.  She bathes and dresses up the little ones.  She becomes an interior decorator when she makes a home and also washes and irons clothes.  Most of the time, even if she works full-time or she has a helper, she still occupies her mind with home and children matters.  She constantly checks on the kids and makes sure they are okay.  She also becomes a stylist when she picks clothes for her children, just making sure they are well-dressed, neat and coordinated.  Frequently, she forgets herself and put her children first.  She fulfills her role 24/7 and almost every night, lack some sound sleep.  She multi-tasks by doing so many things at the same time.  She enables herself to learn and do man-stuff, when no one is available to fix a broken door or a loose faucet.  She's always tired but she does not mind, because she's happy and very fulfilled.  She is a MOTHER.

Without a doubt, I can say that the most difficult but most fulfilling job in the whole world is being a MOTHER!  So to honor mothers, like you and me, this Mother's Day, I am launching a Special Mother's Day Giveaway! :)  The prizes were carefully selected to ensure that the most important woman in the world to her kids, will be well-pampered and treated specially.

Presenting, Mommy Practicality's Special Mother's Day Giveaway!!!

But first, I would like to thank my sponsors for making this possible:
So now, let me not excite you further, here are the mechanics to Mommy Practicality's Special Mother's Day Giveaway! :)

Full Mechanics:

1. Open to all willing to pick up their prizes in Makati City.
2. Follow the Rafflecopter tasks in the widget below.
3. Post a photo of you with your child/ren on Mommy Practicality's Facebook Page and for your caption, kindly answer this question: "What to you is most fulfilling part of being a mother?" Include this hashtag #MPMothersDayGiveaway  after your answer.
4. Share the giveaway on your Facebook or Twitter accounts.  Copy and paste this on your status: Join @MommyPracticality 's Special Mother's Day Giveaway.  Earn entries here: #MPmothersdaygiveaway
5. On the comment form below, write your Full Name, Email Address and LINK to your Facebook Photo Entry.
6. Giveaway runs from May 10 to May 24, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway