Hello mga loves!  As a working mom, we tend to be so OC at times and make sure that everything turns out well at home and at work, day in and day out right?  We also do so many things everyday and most of the time we multi-task!  We do the roles of being a Mom and a Wife in the morning.  Throughout the day we are a Career Woman and a Raketera too.  When we go home, we are a Mom, a wife at night doing tumblings and circus (hehehe!), and then a mom again to a toddler who wakes you up 3 to 4 times for milk (every night yan ha!)  STRESS diba?

That's why, ganito minsan and itsura natin:

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 But most of the time, ganito talaga ang itsura natin:

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Hahaha!  Kakaloka noh?  Oh well, seriously now, to help ease the stress, we breath in and out deeply to clear the our thoughts and clear the air.

We all know that sometimes unfortunate things happen beyond our controls.  What do you do?  How do you cope with it?  How do you react to it?

Here's a QUICK and EFFECTIVE tip how to REDUCE STRESS:

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JOKE LANG.. baka gawin niyo. :)

On a personal note, most of my STRESS really comes from the workplace.  There are KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and deadlines to meet, there are clients to serve, there are bosses and colleagues to deal with, there are suppliers to follow up deliverables from and tons of challenges to overcome everyday.  STRESS ulit diba?  So how do I keep myself sane, ZEN and stress-free?

Here's what I do:

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Hahaha!  Comic relief!  Well, seriously, I think I can deal with stress quite smartly I'll tell you about it after sharing this wonderful infographic why Women are STRESSED OUT.

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1. Pray - I start my day by praying for a good day ahead.  Talking to God gives me inner peace.  I thank him for giving me another day and and to keep me and my loved ones safe.  
2. Kissing and Hugging - I looooove kissing and hugging my kids (lalo na hubby) so much!  Hugging gives me an instant pump and positive energies.   Great way to jumpstart my day!
3. Look Good - No matter how busy I could be, I try my best to look good everyday!  Syempre, kailangan maligo muna diba, then put on simple make-up and dress presentably.  More than looking good for others, I make an effort to look good for myself.  Looking good instantly boosts your self-confidence.  When you have self-confidence, you produce positive energies and kills the stress cells in our bodies!  But siyempre alam nating hindi tayo si Anne Curtis so, wag naman masyadong hambog na gandang ganda tayo sa sarili natin.  Baka magkaron pa tayo ng kaaway niyan.. lalong Stress Drillon ang labas. :)
4. Me-Time - If you're in the middle of a super duper stressful day, I recommend that you stand up from where you're seated.  Go out for a few minutes, look at beautiful things (window shopping at tyangges work for me)  On days when I have longer Me-Time time, I go to a salon for a manicure-pedicure or go to SPA with hubby for a mean massage!  Basta do something you love to eliminate stress from your body and whole being! :)
5. Ice Cream - Instant stress-buster for me is eating Ice cream or anything sweet like chocolate.  Yup, I do stress eat sometimes.  Makes me feel goood!
6. Move - They say when you go up or down the stairs, walk, run, or get into any physical activity at least once a week, you actually release hormones which are responsible for plenty of happy feelings.  We release Endorphines (makes you happy and block feelings of pain), Dopamine (pleasure chemicals responsible for orgasam - we like!) and Serotonin (more energy and clearer thinking) when we move or exercise.
7. Proper Time Management - If you are like me, a full-time Kuracha, then having propoer time management helps a lot so we won't be stressed with the different roles we play or hats we wear throughout the day.  It helps if you record your important schedules on your phone's calendar or a notebook to keep track of events in your life.  This way, you'll have time to prepare for it and not stress yourself panicking or doing last-minute errands.
8. Laugh or Smile Often - As I've said in one of my Facebook posts, a SMILE is a priceless accessory which a woman could wear anytime to make herself beautiful!  So smile often because it's also contagious.  Wag ka na sumimangot because bukod sa nakakapangit, nakakatanda rin!  Ayaw natin yun!  In laughing, please, LAUGH with a friend ha, mahirap if you're Laughing by yourself.  Alam na kung anong iisipin ng ibang tao.
9. Let Go or Forgive - This means a lot of things.  In short, wag ka nang bitter!  hehehe!  Joke, but I just simply mean, if you're feeling ill about your boss or a colleague, let go of that nega feeling and move on.  If you've been hurt before or nag-away kayo ni hubby, let go of your pride, forgive, kiss then make out.. ay make up pala! :)  Nakakawala ng stress and negative vibes yan!
10. Play - FAVORITE ko to!  When you go home to your family, leave your work at the work place and let your home be a play ground.  Super fun to play and laugh with the kids!  Tickle here and there, role playing, watching movie at home and be a kid all over again.  PLAY also applies with your hubby!  Yun another topic yun! :)

Few weeks ago, hubby and I were invited to watch a special movie screening of "Wolverine" by Watsons Men Zone.  I was thrilled that I said yes right away to the invitation because that would mean a date night for me and hubby.  Also, since it's a Watsons Men Zone event, it's a perfect event for hubby to attend to.  He's not much of an event-attendee person (because he likes organizing the events himself! hehe) that's why I really looked forward to the movie.

I made it just in time to the Wolverine special screening by Watsons Men Zone, Total Solutions for Men

Hubby with the Axe Apollo Crew

My turn with the crew

Each of the blogger attendee and their guest took home a hefty and bigtime loot bag from Watsons which were filled with products for hubby!!!  Look at this set of goodies!  Hubby got really excited and gave me a peck on the cheek (cheek lang muna haha!) for taking him there!

A full-packed loot bag from Watsons Men Zone, Total Solutions For Men which hubby got really so thrilled about! (Sample products from: Old Spice, Schick, Gatsby, Belo Men, Clear, Dove Men Care, Axe Apollo, Nivea Men, L'Oreal Men Expert, Vaseline Menface, and Adidas)

Let me tell you more about Watsons' Men Zone which now has Total Solutions For Men.

In this time of options and accessibility, anyone—and we mean anyone—can be #hunkmaterial. No longer is it excusable for men to look sloppy. The time of dapper dudes has finally come. They know exactly what they want and where to get only the best of what they need.  In comes the Watsons Men Zone, a one-stop shop that has anything and everything just for men.

Knowing that men hardly have the time and patience to scour through rows and rows for their grooming essentials, Watsons created the men zone. In Watsons, men’s grooming is quick, simple, and rewarding, and they house the best grooming products that’ll get men to look good and feel great.

The Male Check List
At Watsons, they not only know what’s best for women, but expanding their expertise to cover what’s best in male grooming maintaining to be a reputable and dependable store of overall health, beauty and wellness.

We always think that only women have beauty rituals, actually, our men also do!  Here's a quick check list and for all out hubby's needs, Watsons’ Men Zone has something to offer.

Watsons' Men Zone, Total Solutions For Men

For His Hair: Among these is Clear Men with cooling menthol that intensely cools and deeply nourishes the scalp.

For His Face:  
Oily and Acne Prone - facial washes, like Dove Men, which has a mild formula that thoroughly cleanses while effectively fighting dry skin, and Vaseline Men, which has the right amount of hydration for healthy, resilient skin.
Lighter Skin - Belo Men with DermWhite plus microbeads, which whitens and removes rough skin;Nivea Men, which is formulated with five natural ingredients for lighter, brighter skin; and L’Oréal Men Expert, a smoothing action formula that prevents the recurrence of acne marks and makes skin softer and brighter.

For Shaving/After-shaving - Gillette’s select razors guarantee a stubble-free face. And, paired with Schick’s Shave Guard Foam and Gels, the combo promises a smooth shaving glide.

For His Lips: Men can also get kissably soft with Watsons Men Moisturizing Lip Balm, infused with vitamin E and peppermint to moisturize lips and sweet almond oil to prevent dryness.

For his Underarm: Protection against sweat and odor, the best buys are the classic favorite Old Spice High Endurance, which offers high-performing odor protection; and Gatsby Aqua Deo, an innovative powder product from Japan that contains sweat and sebum-absorbing particles for lasting freshness.

To Keep Him Smelling Great: Watsons has a wide array of body sprays and men’s colognes that spell sexy and fresh. Adidas Ice Dive, a fresh scent for men who live the thrill of intense pleasures;Playboy New York Deo Spray, a scent designed for confident men; and Axe Apollo, a classically fragrance meant for heroes, are top favorites.

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With the grooming solutions available at the Watsons Men Zone, men can take the reins, be the men they want to be, and in turn, snag the women, life, and career they want. Now, who wouldn’t want that? Today’s men are geared, groomed, and ready to rule the world.

Know more about Watsons' new products and promos, follow them on Twitter: @watsonsph or like them on Facebook: facebook.com/WatsonsPH.

Have you already heard about Human Nature Philippines?  I am pretty sure you have because of its advocacy to help the Filipinos, the poor and the environment.  I got hooked to Human Nature products a long time ago first, because of their advocacy to help and secondly because ALL their products are natural and effective.I became a dealer because of these reasons.  I've been ordering from their Paranaque branch for a long time now and have my products delivered to my office in Makati.


Last month, Human Nature Paranaque Branch re-opened and I was invited to witness this momentous occasion.  Their newly renovated branch is now located at the Ground Floor, Santana Grove, 7202 Soreena Drive corner Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Paranaque City.

Human Nature Paranaque branch's Marketing Director Ms. Melou Dela Cruz, hosted the event and took everyone through the program.
Human Nature founder/GKI President Anna Meloto-Wilk welcomed the guests and shared about how they started.
The morning was filled with poetry, musical & dance performances rendered by GK Aya Sibol & Sagip Kids, Siga Youth Acoustic Band, Teatro Flamenco, KeyNotes Band, multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Elmerjun Hilario, blues guitarist/singer Coach Mel Orosa and GK Bayani Challenge 2013 Teams.  Atty. Dulce Punzalan, a multi-talented Paranaque's Branch Operations Manager was a big part of the program's success.

One of the highlights of the event was the "Artistic Hearts for Nationbuilding" given to two renowned Filipino artists.  First was for Original Pilipino Music icons Mark Escueta (of Rivermaya) & Jolina Magdangal-Escueta who are Human Nature Paranaque dealers.

Second was for Cannes Film Festival actress Ms. Angeli Bayani who is a dealer in Human Nature UP Village branch.  Imagine these artists are just like you and me, who believe in the good of helping the poor, helping the environment and helping the Filipinos.

The event which I proudly took part of ended with a festive lunch and with a great feeling of being one of its supporters for Human Nature's good causes.

If you are interested to be one of the growing dealers of Human Nature Philippines, do email me at LDFandino(at)gmail(dot)com for details.  You may also like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

I've been a natural Vitamin E believer because of its benefits to our health.  Why did I even mention natural?  Are there synthetic Vitamin E?  Sadly, yes there are.  But with vitamin E, natural is still and always better.

Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a package from Myra and with a note pa. :)

The package contained Myra Vitamin E capsules, Myra Hand & Body Lotion and Myra Daily Sun Protect Facial Moisturizer

For beautiful stress-free skin, Vitamin E is the key

Why Do We Need Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is a popular antioxidant. There are numerous Vitamin E brands out there promising different things. But what we need to understand is that how it works in the body and how we benefit from it.
Before we get into how Vitamin E works, we must first understand the concept of free radicals. Free radicals damage molecules and the cells they belong to, causing not only aging and wrinkles, but also cancer, heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases. Free radicals are naturally produced by the body but they also come from pollution, sun exposure, cigarette smoke and stress.

Vitamin E protects and keeps our cells healthy by destroying cell-damaging free radicals. Healthy cells equals to a healthy body. Aside from keeping the skin healthy and help prevent the appearance of fine lines, skin dryness and wrinkles. They also help prevent chronic diseases linked to free-radicals such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Because our bodies naturally produce free radicals and we are almost always exposed to the sun, pollution, cigarette smoke or stress, there is probably numerous amounts of free radicals in our bodies. We have to be sure we have enough Vitamin E to fight these free radicals.

Fortunately, there are vitamin E supplements available in the market to make it convenient for those who are not getting enough vitamin E from their diet. There are natural Vitamin E supplements and it is best to choose natural types vs. synthetic ones. Natural vitamin E is more bioavailable vs. Synthetic vitamin E. This means it is absorbed easily and stays longer in the body. Natural vitamin E may seem a little more expensive, however, since it is better absorbed by the body, there is less waste. The liver recycles natural vitamin E and excretes synthetic forms. Some studies show that you will have to take twice as much synthetic vitamin E to get the same levels in your body you would get from natural vitamin E. You may be buying synthetic vitamin e which will mostly be excreted by the liver.

Myra, the Natural Vitamin E

Vitamin E supplements either start with “d” or “dl”. When it starts with “dl”, it means it’s a synthetic form of vitamin E. When it starts with“d” like d-Alpha Tocopherol, it means that it is natural form of vitamin E. Myra is a brand of Vitamin E that is from soybean oil, which is a natural source of Vitamin E.
With vitamin E, the natural story counts. Check the label and choose the natural vitamin E.

This post is brought to you by Myra Vitamin E.

Be Hello loves!  I just want to share with you that I commute to work everyday.   Having said that, one rarely sees me wearing skirts or dresses in the office.   The only time I get to dress is when I perform in band gigs.   Yup that's true!   Shy kasi ako sometimes to look so girly and call attention in the office.   Plus,  it's so hard to commute and be conscious at the same time about the hems of my skirt while walking or sitting.

For the past weekends of April to July, I've been wearing cocktail dresses for our performances in Luxent Hotel in Quezon City.   Sometimes feeling celebrity lang because I cannot repeat dresses so lately I have been scouting and scoring quality dresses on sale!  Alam niyo naman muthers, ayoko naman mapunta ang talent fee ko para lang pambili ng damit.  So ang requirement ko to purchase a dress ay dapat sale siya. :-) Unless may mag-sponsor diba?

I've been getting my dresses lately from People Are People.  The dresses I buy are on their sale rack and here's one of the 3 dresses I already bought.  Which by the way, hubby said is too short, with matching kunot na noo and salubong na kilay.

There is one thing common in most moms.  We all want to give the best to our children.  Agree?   We give them what they need and sometimes what they want as a reward for doing good or simply as a gift when we have extra.  We make sure we put them in the best schools for their social, spiritual and intellectual development outside home.  Most importantly, we give them the best protection from possible sickness like cough and colds and also give them supplements for their brain development and appetite.

For most moms, it's a challenge to give them syrup vitamins because sometimes it spills or tastes close to cough medicines.  I'm fortunate that I don't have a problem in that area for both my children.  But hey, do you know that there's a fun way to let them take their medicines?

Introducing, CHAMPS.  CHAMPS is a brand for multivitamin for kids. It comes in several variants which have been formulated to address the specific needs of various segments of the pediatric population. These variants include CHAMPS Vitamin C,  CHAMPS M, CHAMPS M with lysine, CHAMPS C plus lysine, and of course CHAMPS OMEGA 3.  These multivitamins come in small chewable tablets and in various shapes and tasty flavors.  CHAMPS came from the Chemical Company of Malaysia (CCM)  which is the No. 1 generic pharmaceutical company in Malaysia.

Here are their different variants:

Champs C Chewable Tablet

Champs C Chewable Tablet

• Contains 100mg Vitamin C (50mg in Calcium Ascorbate, 50mg in Sodium Ascorbate)                       
• Comes in bottles x 30’s Chewable Tablet Forms
• Great-tasting Natural Orange Flavor
• Fun-shaped Heart           
• Protection against common illnesses 

Champs M Chewable Dietary

CHAMPS Multivitamins +  LYSINE

• Contains Lysine 50mg plus Folic acid 
• 9 Essential Multi Vits. (Vit.C 50mg)
• Comes in bottles x 30’s Chewable Tablet Forms
• Great-tasting Orange Flavor
• Fun, Donut- Shape 
• Boosts Appetite 

CHAMPS OMEGA-3 PLUS

CHAMPS C + LYSINE

Try CCM's CHAMPS Chewable Vitamins for your Champion Kids today.  

CHAMPS Chewable Vitamins

How was your weekend everyone?  Mine was lovely.  Spent quality family time with hubby and kids which makes starting my Monday not that challenging.  If you know what I mean! :)  Most working moms almost drag themselves to work on a Monday hehehe! :)

Anyway, here's the last wave of my BLOG ANNIVERSARY BLOWOUT.  I'm very blessed by you my dear readers and by my generous sponsors for making this month long giveaway possible.  Ain't that great?

I'm also glad that Goldilocks is joining the giveaway again.  I almost thought they couldn't make it.  We have generous sponsors my dears.  Dunkin' Donuts and one of my favorite home-made customized cake/cupcake suppliers, Delishaes, are part of this giveaway.


To simply join, just follow the tasks enumerated in the Rafflecopter.  Here's the rest of the mechanics:

1. The Blog Anniversary Blowout is open to readers of Mommy Practicality in the Philippines.
2. To earn entries, make sure you follow all the tasks enumerated in the Rafflecopter.
3. You may also earn entries manually by doing this:

Good luck loves!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Day!

Whew!  It's been a long day at work today, but as promised, I am announcing right away the winners to the Health and Wellness Package Blog Anniversary Blowout!

Thank you to all the 400+ photo share on Facebook, the 28 sharers on Instagram and the 70+ tweets with the hashtag #mommypracticalityBAB.

Thank you also to those hopefuls and persevering participants who joined via Rafflecopter!  Thank you to all your support!

Let me just also share to you that I chose the winners in two (2) ways:

1. Rafflecopter - by completing all the tasks
2. RandomPicker - by sharing the giveaway photo

a Rafflecopter giveaway