Hello Loves!  Here's my very first blog entry for the year 2020.  It's a bit late compared to how I used to write my first entry of the year in the previous years though.  Medyo admittedly, I took slowing down a bit more seriously more than I should.  In short, ang tamad ko after the holiday break.  And. It. Is. Not. A. Good. Sign.

ANYWAY.

My 2019 had been a year of both ups and downs in my health, blog, and life in general.  I couldn't say it's been good o bad to me.  All I know is God has been faithful through last year and had been providing me and my family more than enough even though I don't bring as much bacon to the family's table as much as I did when I was still working.  So much have changed (this I will reserve for another blog post!), but it's all good.  I didn't feel the change that much because God's been so good to us, in good and bad times.  I pray that you also experience the same love, grace, and goodness of God just like how He manifested Himself to me.

So here's a quick review of my 2019's roller-coaster ride:

Duing the first week of February, my family and I took a 4-day trip to Baguio (which I haven't written about in my blog!) and it was definitely a family trip which I still remember so vividly.  This was one of the best highlights of my 2019 because it was spent with my whole family.  I promise to share experiences like budget, where to go, where to stay, where to eat, and many more! 
During this month, I availed of Adajar Dental Clinic's Laser Teeth Whitening Promo influenced by my good friend Jaya Gacia.  I also haven't written about my experience, but this post served as a reminder for me! :)  Look at my photo, it seemed like an alien's mini UFO is sucking something out of my system diba?
This was also the time when #BringMeMoms was institutionalized (Whoa, word!) during Mommy Mundo's Mommy Mundo World.  We set up a booth and also presented our group on stage.  It's a group formed among us friends which of course started with a game called BRING ME in one of the parties we all participated.  Follow us on Instagram
It went downhill when two of my kids had to be hospitalized.  The youngest was an emergency case and was due to seizure caused by high fever because of pneumonia.
While the other one was a scheduled operation.  This operation was God's revelation to us that nothing is impossible with HIM.  I cried buckets of tears when God showed His faithfulness when He said He is in control and that He will provide.  My son's HMO primarily said they will only cover Php10K worth.  I prayed hard and well and asked God to take care of this and help me find funds to complete the Php150K plus we need for his operation.  His response was quick, the Maxicare officer who told me of the coverage called right away and said she escalated my son's case to the doctors and gave us a GO that they will cover his operation 100%.  I asked many doctors who gave my son's medical clearance and said, it's rare that they cover cases such as my son's.  This is GOD's work and nothing else. 

This is one of my Christian life's breakthroughs and personal experience of God's greatness and love.  For anything no matter how big, worry not.  Just keep on praying and trusting in Him to do wonders and miracles, even if we don't deserve it. 

By the way, my eldest celebrated his 16th birthday in the hospital because his two brothers were hospitalized within the same week, one after the other, on his birthday week as well.  But even if we didn't have a grand celebration, what mattered was we were complete and the love for each other was deeply felt.

In this season of giving and merriment, one of the things that come to mind is giving meaningful yet practical Christmas gifts to our loved ones.  When you say meaningful, you really think of the receiving end not what is just convenient for you.  Tip ko, to know if what you're giving will be well-appreciated, you ask yourself these questions:

If I receive my own gift, will I appreciate it?
Will my gift be really used?
Is this something he/she/they will like?
Will this just add clutter?

If you're satisfied with your own answers, then you've passed the meaningful gifts tests.  One of the meaningful gifts you could give this Christmas is the gift of food!  Food is consumable, it will not be just a clutter to one's home, it's practical, and it's something that can be shared.  Afterall, that's what Christmas is all about giving, sharing, and loving!  All because the true star of the season was born, Jesus Christ!

For this, give a special gift of love through food.  Choose Virginia Chistmas Bag Of Treats!

If you're looking for a thoutful yet convenient way to make someone feel special with your love gift this Christmas, food is always the way to go!  I'm glad to know that Virginia Food, Inc. has us modern Filipino families who are intentional and also budget-conscious in mind when they came up with giving affodable yet thoughful gifts to ou loved ones, family, friends, and colleagues too!

For as low as Phop150 you could already put a smile on someone's face, pinch someone's heart, and make tummies full!  A happy Christmas indeed right?

Here are the available Virginia Christmas Bag of Treats:

This year's Christmas is different from my usual Christmases in the past 15 or more years.  I used to receive Christmas baskets full of goodies for our Noche Buena, receive 13th month pay, and multiple bonuses among other things.  Last and this year is different because I now live under the economy of God, I'm also fully dependent on my husband, and I'm a newly anointed stay-at-home-mom.

Christmas is a season of thanksgiving, of indescribable joy and of giving and receiving.   It is a happy season to remember loved ones and thank them for bringing meaning and sparkles to our lives.  These special people, our husband, kids, parents, friends, and families also deserve to be shared back the sparkle and celebrate the Yuletide with a feast they will love.

Make your Christmas celebration more extra special with Welch's Sparkling Juices.  No need to worry because your merriment drinks may be fizzy but guilt-free!  These alcohol-free beverages may be enjoyed by both kids and adults.  And YES, they are even safe for moms-to-be!

Heart-healthy and delicious, Welch’s Sparkling Juices are pressed from the freshest Concord and Niagara grapes across America by farmer-families. This 150-year tradition of Real Grape Goodness has made Welch’s one of the most loved beverages in the world, especially by Filipinos who enjoy organizing great moments with friends and families.

Available in both Red and White Grape flavors, Welch’s Sparkling Juices are easy to mix with other beverages to concoct a variety of unique bubbly mocktails. Add a splash of your favorite juices and discover the goodness in each sip.

Each bottle of Sparkling Juice is tastefully prepared and packaged, making for an excellent and convenient Christmas gift.

Truly, it’s an unforgettable holiday feast when you share the sparkle to those who make life sparkling.

A Product of USA, Welch’s products are widely available in retail stores across the Philippines. To learn more about Welch’s Sparkling Juices and recipes this holiday, visit www.welchs.com or follow Welch's PH in FB and IG.

You may have heard this a number of times already but no one worries more in the household when it comes to kids’ overall health and well-being but the mother.  That worrier but warrior is ME. 

I fight my worries by making sure my kids eat healthy and are protected. But I can only do so much because there are things beyond my control. For example, I can’t always monitor if my kids touch or rolled on the floor during play then accidentally put their fingers inside their mouth. Another thing, kids in school sometimes share their baon with each other but being the protective mom that I am, I can’t help think what if the food or water or any liquid he takes from others are contaminated? Naku, lalo na my very active toddler who likes exploring and eating (at the same time!)  I worry that his stomach’s immune system may not be strong enough that he’ll get tummy aches due to various bacteria and viruses on surfaces he touches.

I’ve rounded up three simple and easy ways to protect our children’s digestive health and boost their immune systems.

• WASH. Proper washing of hands — teach your kids by being a good example.  It’s not enough to just say, as parents, we should also do — walk the talk.  Washing of hands is important before and after eating, after using the restroom, and especially when our hands get soiled from touching dirty surfaces. Bacteria and viruses breed in surfaces everywhere that when our children come into contact with, easily multiply and make our children sick. Putting their unwashed fingers in their mouth when eating could lead to serious tummy aches.  Next, the restroom is one of the most unsanitary rooms one could find, especially in public areas. It’s best to always wash hands as often as possible.

• WASH AND COOK FOOD THOROUGHLY. Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed and meat should be cooked all the way through. Washing our fruits and vegetables helps remove bacteria, especially E.coli. Peeling and cooking them will also help get rid of some bacteria which may cause stomach illnesses.  When it comes to meat, cook it all the way through. Rare meat may not suit the sensitive tummies of our kids. Cooking kills the bacteria in raw meats which sometimes cause food poisoning. Let’s always do best practices when it comes to preparing and cooking food for our family, especially our kids.

• GIVE ERCEFLORA PROBIBEARS.  I read that to protect our kids’ digestive health, we have to give our kids some good bacteria. That’s why I give them Erceflora ProbiBears every day.  

What is it?  It is a probiotic food supplement that contains 2 bacteria strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis — in an enjoyable and sugar-free bear.  Both my two younger kids love it because it’s vanilla-flavored and it looks cute! They take this without knowing it’s a food supplement. 

When my grade-schooler first tried it a few years ago, he thought it was one of his yummy rewards for being a good boy.  We used to have health challenges with him especially when he was younger.  He used to complain about his tummy.  We asked a pediatrician friend about it and she recommended Erceflora ProbiBears to us. Then I also learned about it from my mom friends online, so I said, we should give it a try.  Since then, he hasn’t complained of any tummy concerns.

Now the little one also enjoys it as much as his Kuya does.  It’s safe to use from age 3 up to 12.  Taking Erceflora ProbiBears every day protects our children’s tummies.

But remember that even if this is such a powerful supplement, it’s still best to practice basic measures of preventing stomach illness mentioned above.

Try Erceflora ProbiBears too for happy tummies of our kids.  It’s available in leading pharmacies nationwide.  For more information, visit www.ercefloraprobibears.com.