I’ve invested in different financial products already but I’ve never encountered an investment plan that’s as easy and as user-friendly as Manulife’s GradMaker.
GradMaker is for everyone, especially...

• For new parents
• For moms or dads who are always on-the-go
• For the seguristas who want to know where their money goes or how their investments perform

What I personally like about GradMaker

So I am a work at home mom now and maybe some of you think that I haven't been doing real deal household chores because I've worked all my life - and that my most hated chore (as most of my mom friends say) is ironing. Wrong.

I am blessed to be trained by a hardworking stay at home mom who taught me almost everything I need to know to be an equipped woman at home or outside home.  That includes all household chores.  One of my favorites next to cooking is, would you believe, ironing!

Yes!  I like ironing better than washing clothes for real.  I've always used the classic iron and ironing board because that's what I've taught to use.  The heavier the better ang mindset.  Up to this day, we still have our (literally) heavy duty iron. It's been working for more than 10 years now.  Grabe.

I've tried iron steamers in the past but it was a love-hate relationship and it didn't last.  So I thought, hindi matibay ang mga garment steamers.   My view changed when I witnessed the launch of the latest addition to the Philips Garment Steamer family.

Here's a video to get a peek during the launch and what really caught my domesticated heart:

Philips Garment Care solutions are fit for everyone, for every specific need, appropriate for any lifestyle.  I never thought that Philips has a variety of ironing products which achieve the best results and make ironing easy.

I'm sure if you also use a Philips Garment Steamer, you'd find ironing one of your favorite chores.  What sold me to using steamer beginning today are these facts:

1. Philips Garment Steamer is designed for easy crease removal with wide range of essential steaming solutions and a perfect appliance for quick touch-ups to delicate and difficult to iron clothes. 
2. Philips Garment Steamer has a steam plate that is larger by 25% which can cover more fabric area in one stroke. The garment steamer will let you be much more efficient when steaming your clothes.
3. Philips Garment Steamer sets your preferred steam level for optimal results on different kinds of fabric and has an adjustable pole for various height settings.
4. Philips Garment Steamer generates penetrating powerful steam pressure enabling to remove creases with only a few strokes and with its PureSteam technology it ensures powerful steam over the years. With its Pure Steam Technology feature, it automatically descales while generating steam.
5. Philips Garment Steamer gives you an option on how you steam your clothes. It has a special garment hanger or a tiltable ErgoFit board which gives you a stable and comfortable support.
6. Philips Garment Steamer has a large detachable water tank for easy refill anytime suitable for a lond steaming sessions. Also the hose of the steamer is made of silicon material which is safe choice for use with steam.

TRADE IN your old garment iron to get as much as 40% discount on these three Philips Garment Care Steamers.  This offer will also be available in other Rustan's branches if you missed the promo activity in Shangri-La Plaza.

I don't know if you would agree with me when I say that deep inside as a woman, we believe that we can do so much (sometimes we think we can do even more than some men - aminin!) to contribute to the society, earn our own money, be independent and self-sustaining, and be leaders and succeed in the fields we choose to be in.

Having our own money makes us feel secured and fulfilled, tama ba?  That's why, the moment we stepped out of college - we looked for jobs or entered a business venture, climbed the corporate ladder, and fulfill our career dreams!

That's exactly what I did!   Even when I became a mom the first time, the second and third time - I took on an 8 - 5 job (even rendered more hours than that actually!) to help support the family's monthly expenses, send my children to school, and help sustain the budget for our growing family's needs and wants (gifts, play dates, parties, travels, and many adventures!).  And while I earn more and more each year, I also spend more and more TIME AWAY from my children.

Working Mom Sacrifice: TIME AWAY  from my children
That was the sacrifice I made.  TIME AWAY from my children.  It worked out for almost 20 years in the corporate world - so I thought.  It was okay with my eldest because when he was growing up as a child, I was still starting with my career which meant I can get off early from work to come home to him right away.  I was still young and full of energy which also meant I had a lot of active play time with him.  Though I wasn't making much then, simple fast food dining in or free play in some playgrounds made him beam with so much joy.  He grew up happy, confident, and secured.

When my second child was born. my career was starting to blossom, I also got a promotion and though I was still young and had the energy, time wasn't enough.  I had to stay longer in the office.  I traveled frequently and stayed longer outside than at home.  I was earning better because apart from my office job, I also started blogging and earned a little, I started an online business, and I pursued my TVC career as well.  I could pretty much say we had more resources when my second son was born.  But TIME with him was compromised - and I REGRET it today.

Our family was more financially secured when my third child was conceived and born.  We had a lot more resources, I also enjoyed performance bonuses at work, my blog was earning better too, and I do other sideline projects here and there.  We had something to spend but our energies were decreasing.  In addition to that, since both of us are working - we were just repeating the same pattern as what happened to our second child.

During this time too, we've become Christians and we can say that our relationship with God has improved so much.  He saved our family from the cycle of living just to survive without having a solid life and after-life purpose.
How did GOD do that? He prepared and saved me personally from potential family damage that I may cause by not spending time with my children. He is sovereign and He knew that I will be led to resign, so He did all these things to prepare me for this new life journey:
- By putting my 3rd pregnancy at risk - He did this so I could slow down, stay at home until I give birth and get a feel of what's it like being just at home all day for three months.  He made this happen so I could see how happy my kids got when they find me in the room waiting for them, instead of the usual them, waiting for me.

- By letting me have an emergency CS - As if the three months OB-ordered bed rest wasn't enough, the 2-hour 10 cm delivery became an emergency CS, so I could stay longer at home with my newborn and the kids, and master breastfeeding.

- By letting me choose to exclusively breastfeed - By letting me have a longer maternity leave, I was able to exclusively breastfeed my baby for three months.  In that three months of breastfeeding by demand, I've seen how beautifully a woman's body is created that we're able to feed our offspring.  That made me decide to commit to exclusively breastfeed my baby for one year.  Going back to work was a challenge especially after staying at home for about six months (bed rest plus maternity leave).  To pump at work two to three times a day is a commitment and I saw it as God's way to make me feel closer to home even if I was at work.

- By letting us lose our yaya three times last year - We fired the first one, the second, third, and fourth were temps.  The one that came back after her vacation, just left without any notice.  this situation left me with no choice but to take leaves (finish them even sick leaves actually) to be able to stay at home and care for the baby.  This led me and my husband to seriously assess our situation.  Should I still stay or should I go now? We prayed really hard for this, the first time we did, God's answer was "not yet."  Then last December, it was clear, God's answer was "Yes, it's time."  So come January this year, I resigned from my 10-year job.

- By showering us with projects last quarter of 2017 - I just surrendered everything to God this time.  I admit to getting anxiety attacks during the first 2 weeks after my husband and I decided on my resignation.  But I prayed more and just put all my trust in Him.  I know I am doing everything to glorify Him.  I know I can never go wrong with the very reason why I was resigning - for my children - my real life's ministry. Without any replacement job, most would say, I am crazy.  Leaving a very stable and well-compensated (complete benefits pa) job without any plan?  That's crazy, but for me, it's obedience to what God really wants for our family.  And by just obeying, I soon realized, how God planned this for me.  He gave me  projects during the last quarter and every paid project will be my receivables for the first up to third quarter of this year.  I mean. wow God!  You're so full of surprises.  He's impressed on me to just really put my trust, put all my faith in Him that He will provide, He will never leave nor forsake me, and that He has plans to prosper me and never to harm.

BAHALA NA SI BATMAN - NO!  BAHALA NA SI GOD! 
So now, I am more than a month unemployed and I am loving every moment of it.  I seriously didn't plan this.  I even told a colleague my 2018 plans at work and how I wasn't going to resign anytime soon or that I would probably wait until the company retires my service.

Grabe ang galing ni God because when God wants something for you, even if you plan something else for yourself, God will make a way to make things happen.  Nothing really happens by accident.  All you have to do is to obey, be faithful, and trust that God will provide.

That's all I did.  And I've never been happier losing a full-time well-paying corporate job without any replacement than this phase in my life.  I am with my children almost 24/7 because there are still times I go out for events and meetings.  I get to blog whenever I want without feeling guilty.  I am now able to fulfill my homemaker dreams.  I am now able to pursue other passion projects I will later on reveal.  I also feel that God is preparing me more for something great.  I just don't know what exactly, but I know He is.  I've been living lighter, stress-free and praise God for letting me leave my corporate life.

So there's my resignation story.  :)  Are you a working mom?  Or also resigned like me?  Or a full-time mom working at home and chose to leave corporate a looooong time ago for the kids?  How's it been?  What's your story?  I want to hear yours and learn as well.  Please do share. :)

Hello mga momshies, kumare, titas of Manila, mommies, mudrabelles, mudrabeks, and everyone! :)

SO, here's another chapter in my bloggy life as I keep on growing more in love with the digital world of sharing, informing, and inspiring my readers and followers.  Announcing, the launch of my first-ever VLOG entitled: MOMMY PRACTICALITY VLOG#1: USAPANG LABAHAN, TANIMAN, JENGA, ATBP.

Subscribe to my channel:  https://youtube.com/ldfandino

My YouTube channel has been existing since 2011 for the mere purpose of uploading personal videos of my children.  I have two channels actually, nalito na rin ako which one I am using.  The other one is the more updated channel, but I couldn't personalize it anymore or make it into a "branded" channel because of YouTube's new policy.  So I decided to use the older one, which has its own customized channel (bearing nga lang my maiden name pa).

Guys, hope you support me in this new phase of my digital blogger/vlogger life, launching today my YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/ldfandino

What type of video content shall you expect from my channel?
My VLOGs will be a genuine peep into our family life as we go through trivial everyday stuff to adventures such as hotel staycations, travels as a family, products and services review/feature, unboxing of stuff (toys, make-up, gadgets, other baby/mommy products), new food/restaurant discoveries, practical shopping finds, events, and many more - almost anything under the sun.  All while keeping it real and truest to the true core of my blog pa rin which of course will focus on practicality.

Without further adieu, here's my VLOG #1: USAPANG LABAHAN, TANIMAN, JENGA, ATBP.
Hope you enjoy watching and do subscribe as well.   Leave a comment para ma-encourage din ako to make more makabuluhang content for all of you!

I am a Manileña since birth.

I cannot imagine myself living elsewhere amidst the traffic, the chaos, the tricycles and pedicabs taking over half of the street, and the old smoke-belching jeepney.  My love and loyalty for Manila can't be questioned.

I know the streets of Manila, the old buildings which I even painted when I was six.  I studied in one of the schools in University Belt hence, I ate street foods, I walked along the scary (to some) streets like C.M. Recto, Morayta, Legarda, and witnessed numerous rallies in Mendiola.  There's so much going on along these streets of Manila.  For a student back then, it was an adventure. But times have changed as the years went by.  It got darker, older, and forgotten.

But thanks to the couple who took the journey of faith, Old Manila is restored starting with the transformation of Laperal Apartments originally built in 1946.  What used to be an unnoticed, frightening and really outdated building is now an uplifted and safe dormitory called the YOUniversity Suites.
The YOUniversity suites are available for single, double, or quadruple occupancy, rooms can be rented for as low as Php5,000 a month, with more affordable rates given to annual boarders.  Each room ranges from 11 to 27 square meters and each high-ceiling suite comes with sturdy bunk beds, locker storage spaces, and spacious dining and bath areas.
I am thinking, parents of students from provinces who fear the living conditions in Manila and who look for a safe and secured place for their children, would be happy to know that with YOUniversity Suites, they can have a big sigh of relief.  Worries will be erased if they would let their children stay in this place.  What would buy them into having their kids rent here is it's surprisingly affordable!  Plus facilities are complete, kids won't have the need to go elsewhere because, everything's here.

What's more to love is that there are common areas for all-night study sessions, a spacious lobby, open air Sky lounge, an exclusive indoor swimming pool, and a gym for students and non-students who want to be fit.
YOUniversity Suites also have quick access to L.A. Village - a vintage inspired commercial complex which offers four floors of fun and entertainment.
There are something for everybody in each floor like a variety of affordable food stalls and restaurants, boutique shops. and diverse services to cater students' needs.  You could also listen to live music from invited bands/entertainers or play billiards and more!  You'd never miss the intentionally modern-vintage designed complex with an authentic World War I German aircraft that floats majestically over the common dining area.
YOUniversity Suites and L.A. Village are located at 2119 Claro M. Recto Avenue, Manila.  For more information, visit their website: www.youniversitysuites.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @YouniversitySuites.  For inquiries and reservations, call (02) 244-2421 to 22 or (0926) 704-7679.