Wednesday, November 24, 2021

3 Reasons To Embrace Your Little One's Curiosity

Do you have little ones who are ready to explore the world? Are their fingers itching to touch buttons, pick up blocks and color? Young minds eagerly seek out new things, discovering how items work or wondering about how to use them. Their innate curiosity drives many of their actions and decision and can prove immensely helpful in their development. Harness that drive by working with them on the following three things.

1. Encourage Sensory Play

The expressive behavior of toddlers is more than expected. Sensory play is a vital developmental stage for their cognitive development. When they mold dough or run their hands through sand, their minds learn to adapt to various textures, and their minds become aware of their surroundings and use their numerous senses. As they grow, these activities influence spatial awareness, balance and movement.

2. Practice Following Directions

When your children want to know more--that's great, but they also must adapt to following directions on how to get some information. At home, you could play board games to do both. As they go through the game, they seek out how to win while also adhering to a structure.

If you struggle to do this independently, consider working with a local daycare Julington creek FL where teachers play Simon says and red light green light. 

3. Plan Trips

Kids discover by finding new places, so hop in the car and go to different locations. Head out to the zoo where they could see the various animals. Answer questions about their habitats and behaviors. Go to the children's museum, where exhibits encourage participation and engagement. Visit a state park, walk along the trails and read books about the nature that inhabits the area.

Grab ahold of your loved ones' curiosity, and further it by teaching them it's okay to explore. Let them run their hands through paint. Help them play cards. It's about acceptance and embracing investigation.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

4 Fun Birthday Party Ideas for Tweens

It can be challenging to plan a birthday party for the tween in your life. Kid activities no longer interest them and they aren't ready for a teen party yet. However, you can please any tween with one of these fun party ideas.

1. Adventure Playground

Turn your backyard into a playground made for adventure by renting several activity stations from your local party rental company. Favorite activities include a bungee trampoline Houston TX, obstacle course, rock climbing wall, slides and carnival games. 


2. Arcade Party

Old school arcade games are back in style! Look around for a party location near you that offers plenty of games for your crew and offers a lunch option as well. Give each attendee a bag of quarters and the freedom to play any game they like. After lunch, give out prizes to the winners.

3. Cooking Competition

If your tween loves television cooking shows, create a competition for them and their friends! Have them compete in creating cupcakes or cookies and decorating them with their own style. For an outdoor option, move the fun to your backyard and have them cook up camp-themed food from a set list of ingredients.

4. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Almost every tween has access to a smartphone to use in a photo scavenger hunt. Split the group into pairs and send them in the backyard for an hour to check off the items on a printed list you prepared in advance. Creative things to include are:

  • Something that dangles
  • Something red
  • Something that begins with the letter "H"
  • Something that moves

Give a prize at the end for the team that completes the list first and additional bonuses for the teams with the most creative and funniest photos.

Any one of these birthday party ideas helps your tween to celebrate their special day having fun with their friends.

Friday, July 23, 2021

4 Things Small Businesses Must Have To Comply With Fire Codes

Opening a brick-and-mortar business is more complicated than many people realize. In addition to all the planning required to design and furnish the sort of workspace you need, you must also adhere to relevant your area's relevant rules and regulations. Consider a few things your shop may require to meet fire safety standards.

1. Fire Extinguishers and Suppression Systems 

Depending on how large your building is and how it will be used, the type of fire safety equipment you must have on hand may vary. Small properties may only need fire extinguishers; however, fire extinguishers come in various sizes and you may need a particular type to be in compliance with fire safety regulations. Installation of fire code California in larger sites, on the other hand, may involve sprinkler systems.

2. Alarms

Many, though not all, businesses must have smoke detectors. Some may also require manual fire alarm switches and carbon monoxide detectors. Even if your building doesn't strictly have to install smoke detectors, these devices are very effective when it comes to controlling fires and protecting your property. You may even wish to hire a company to monitor these alarms overnight.

3. Signage

Practically all commercial buildings must have two dedicated fire exits with lit signs near them. Note that exits don't always have to be doors. In some situations, a fire exit could be a window.

4. Permits

Finally, you may be required to obtain a permit from your local fire department before opening your business. Additionally, firefighters may come to inspect your building as often as once every year to make sure you still meet all fire safety standards.

As you prepare to open your business, your to-do list may feel interminably long. Even so, many of these tasks are critical to the safety of your employees, customers, and property. Make sure to thoroughly research the fire code in your area so you don't miss any key steps.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Cheap Forms of Entertainment at Home

Clearly, everyone should have some sort of a hobby, pastime or something to keep us entertained after a hard days work or study. Playing musical instrument, gardening, cooking, dancing, crocheting, sports activities or playing games are just some of the things that can preoccupy our extra time or refresh our minds from our somewhat routine activity.

While growing up, my siblings and I play outside our home most of the times. Climbing the trees, playing local physical fun games and playing with our toys/dolls kept us amused during our weekends.  Those days are so much fun and it gives me a chuckle and warms my heart every time I reminisce my childhood.  As time passed by and the world progresses, modern technology unfolds in front of my eyes. I remember playing games on our Family computer where Super Mario bros. is a super hit that time.  Even those handheld game consoles didn’t escape the gaming mode in me. Every kid and even adults became crazy over them, yay! I know you do too!

And then, cellular phones came out where you can play “Snake” and other seemingly entertaining old school games. Yet again, mobile phones came up with more exciting games in sequence to the development of newer and advanced models. Candy crush (haha) was one of the few games that kept me entertained whilst trying to keep my mind off work.

As soon as the world of the Internet came about, heaps of online games sprouted like mushroom and that kept every gamer more excited than usual. Now, we have no more reason not to be entertained if we are feeling a little bored with life.

When the pandemic strikes all over the world, majority of us are stuck in our house and that situation alone made many of us stressed. Apart from that, many restrictions of going out and many jobs/businesses are lost. It is understandable that many of us feel mixed emotions during these days, but we can always battle it by doing things that can make us still sane. I’m not surprised anymore when I saw online gamers grew in numbers because my nieces and nephews also jumped in the bandwagon.
 

I even tried my hand to become gardener, baker and even a vlogger and these kept me busy for a while during the pandemic.

Keeping my hands full and dirty while gardening. This is actually relaxing.



Banana bread that I baked that needs some more tweaking.

I was also tempted to check out more online games at Plays.org, especially now that I work from home. Days are not complete without taking a break by browsing my soc med accounts and playing online games from time to time.I have tried some of the free online games and this far is my fave at the moment, The Fight Virus COVID-19 Hospital Simulation Game


At first, I immediately went game-over but the more I play the game, the more it gets exciting. It is actually a hospital simulation game where a player will act out as doctors and nurses inside a hospital.  The COVID-19 virus must be prevented to spread and when it overloads the game will be over.

I got excited and on my toes especially when the viruses multiplies so much that I wasn’t able to sanitize the hospital and some patients went home carrying the virus. Haha.

The game was addictive and I need to move past so it will be not game over. These online games can be stress reliever and actually a cheap form of entertainment. There’s no doubt that I will be hooked on games as I need to check out more of the games. What about you have you played online games recently? I know that I will surely find time to give myself a break and do some recreational activity, if not I’ll be one crazy lady.


Friday, May 21, 2021

Project Karinderya Sparks New Hope for Karinderya Owners Helps Feed Vulnerable Families during the Pandemic

Helping Address Hunger. Through Project Karinderya, civil society and private sector organizations banded together to make food immediately available to an increasing number of families who suffer hunger because of the lockdown, while helping karinderyas to survive and recover their source of income.

MANILA, Philippines. March 3, 2021 – Agnes Gabatbat cooks for a living. She has been operating a karinderya in Batasan, Quezon City for six years now. Her husband lost his job because of the pandemic, and the family of 12 had to rely on Agnes and her karinderya for their daily needs.

’Yung mga anak ko patuloy na nag-aaral kahit pandemic kaya patuloy din ako sa paghahanap-buhay. Nagtulungan kami ng mister ko sa karinderya (My children have to continue with their studies despite the pandemic, which is why I have to continue earning. My husband and I worked together at the karinderya),” she said.

Like Agnes, many small businesses were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Agnes used to make around Php 6,000 to 7,000 per day, but due to strict quarantine protocols and financial challenges brought about by the pandemic, her sales were halved, and she eventually lost some of her customers.

 

Helping Revive Livelihood. Agnes Gabatbat, one of the karinderya owners that have benefitted from Project Karinderya, serves a customer in Batasan, Quezon City. Project Karinderya helps karinderya owners like Agnes to revive their small businesses after the financial challenges they suffered from COVID-19 pandemic. Project Karinderya helped revive Agnes’ livelihood. “Gumanda po ang kita dahil dumami ang customers. Yung regular benta ko na Php 4,000 ngayong pandemic, nadagdagan ng isang libo (My sales improved because the customers are increasing. There is also a thousand increase on my Php 4,000 regular sales during this pandemic),” she said.


Reviving livelihoods

To help small business owners like Agnes weather the effects of the global health crisis, Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) has partnered with Kasagana-Ka Development Center (KDCI) and Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative (KCoop) to assist and re-establish the operations of karinderyas from low-income communities in NCR, Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal. Every karinderya that is that is part of the program serves meals to 20 families in their community for a period of 30 days.

JGF, KDCI, and K-Coop are all part of the COVID-19 Civil Society Sector Organizations & Private Sector Coalition (or NGO Collab), a group of civil society and private sector organizations that have banded together to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on varying issues in the Philippines.

“Sinabihan po ako ng Kasagana-Ka tungkol sa Project Karinderya. Ako po ay nagpapasalamat dahil napabilang ako sa proyektong ito. Hindi po biro na makasali dito kaya malaking biyaya po ito sa akin (Kasagana-Ka told me about Project Karinderya. I’m very grateful to be included in this project, and this is a huge blessing for me),” said Agnes.

Singapore-based Temasek Foundation and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the DEG (German Investment Corporation) also recognized the impact of the project and provided grants for the meal subsidy of family beneficiaries.
 

Helping Ensure Food Safety and Quality. To help karinderya owners recover from the effects of the pandemic, as well as keep their sustainable even after the program, the Jollibee Group Foundation provided t with trainings on food preparation, food safety, and customer service.


Food Safety Training
JGF provided karinderya owners with trainings on food preparation, food safety, and customer service. “All livelihood programs that we undertake in Jollibee Group Foundation are aimed at addressing the felt-need in communities and empowering beneficiaries so that they become self-sustaining. We have the same goal for Project Karinderya—we aim to help karinderya owners upskill themselves and develop the right mindset of persevering amid this pandemic,” said Jollibee Group Foundation Executive Director Gisela Tiongson.

Under the program, karinderya owners and their personnel were also required to wear face masks, face shields, hairnets, and aprons for safety. Karinderyas also used plastic coverings for the dishes and posted a daily menu to help customers choose their preferred food faster and to prevent overcrowding.

To ensure that the protocols and practices shared with the karinderya owners were being practiced, Health Cadet volunteers of KDCI visited karinderyas weekly during the project’s implementation to monitor the karinderyas’ compliance to the project guidelines. 


“Ngayon pa lang po ako naka-attend ng ganoong seminar. Malaking bagay po ito sa akin dahil marami po akong natutunan dito. Importante po na malinis ang mga pagkain. Kailangan din nating sumunod sa mga protocol tulad ng social distancing (It was my first time attending this kind of seminar and I learned a lot from it, like the importance of food safety and following safety protocols like social distancing),” shared Agnes.

Financial help for families in need

Just like Agnes, Lilia Albario was struggling to make ends meet because her children also lost their jobs during the pandemic. She and her grandchildren are making doormats to earn. But like everyone else, the pandemic made it hard for them to sell and continue with the business. “Wala po kaming masakyan. Naglalakad pa po kami ng malayo para makarating sa palengke at makapagtinda (There was no available transportation. We even walk long miles so we could go the market and sell),” she shared.

Through Project Karinderya, financial subsidy in the form of vouchers were given to vulnerable families like Lilia’s. Beneficiaries were given vouchers for 30 days, which they used to claim food from the participating karinderya in their area.

To reach the families most deserving of financial help, KDCI, K-Coop, and JGF prioritized families with pregnant and lactating women, those with five kids under 15 years of age, and those with senior citizens and/or disabilities. “We were systematic in choosing the families who would be part of the project because wanted the project to be effective in targeting those most in need of help in the communities,” said K-Coop General Manager Maria Ana de Rosas-Ignacio.

“Kaya malaking tulong po sa amin ‘yung Project Karinderya kasi ‘yung naibibigay nila na pang-ulam namin araw-araw ay hindi na po nanggagaling sa aming bulsa (Project Karinderya is a big help because the food given to us every day does not come from our own pockets anymore), Lilia said, adding that the food served is nutritious, with a mix of vegetables and meat.

As of February 2021, the partnership has served 30-day meal subsidies in the form of meal vouchers to 4,600 families through 230 karinderyas in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.

Organizations who would like to support or replicate the project may get in touch with the NGO Collab secretariat at covid19phresponse@gmail.com.

 *******

About Jollibee Group Foundation
As the social development arm of Jollibee Group, the Jollibee Group Foundation implements programs on agriculture, education, and disaster response with partner communities nationwide.

About Jollibee Group
Jollibee Group is one of the fastest-growing Asian restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 33 countries, with over 5,800 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and India. It has eight wholly-owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, MangInasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger), four franchised brands (Burger King and Panda Express in the Philippines, Dunkin’ Donuts and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China), 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24 brands.  

Jollibee Group is a significant investor in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund and the ultimate holding entity of the Tim Ho Wan (THW) Brand and has a joint venture with the THW Group to open THW restaurants in Mainland China. It also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States. The Group will also establish a 50/50 joint venture to operate and expand Yoshinoya - one of the largest and most recognized Japanese restaurant brands globally - in the Philippines.

Jollibee Group was named the Philippines’ most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia’s Fab 50 Companies and among the World’s Best Employers by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction.

Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, in line with its mission of serving great tasting food and spreading the joy of eating to everyone.
 

Monday, May 17, 2021

An Awesome Comeback with GOMO’s UNLI Data

Surprise, surprise! The game-changing deal is back! GOMO—the latest fully digital brand in the country—is bringing back its UNLI Data promo until May 18, where users can once again enjoy UNLI Data for 30 Days for only Php 499.

GOMO is the fully digital brand that aims to provide simplicity and innovation for today’s digital youth.

With the growing demand to stay connected these days, GOMO decided to bring its UNLI Data promo back. “Our mission is to reinvent the way our customers experience their telco by making things brutally simple,” said Bianca Villareal, Head of GOMO Brand Acquisition & Digital Marketing. “By bringing back UNLI Data, we want users to simplify their connectivity experience, so they have the freedom to access the internet without any restrictions.”

GOMO’s UNLI Data promo is valid for 30 Days for only P499. For new customers, this offer comes with free SIM delivery and can be availed across its different channels such as the GOMO website, GOMO app, through GLife on the GCash App, official GOMO Lazada or Shopee Store, or on GrabMart through the Grab app. Existing GOMO users, on the other hand, can avail of UNLI Data through the GOMO app.

GOMO launched last October 2020 with three gamechangers — an all-digital approach to telco, no expiry data, and the ability to convert data to calls and texts with ‘Mo Creds.

They aim to continue innovating in the connectivity space. For GOMO, they’ve really only just begun. 

Make sure to check out GOMO’s UNLI Data promo available until May 18! But of course, the deals and surprises don’t stop there, because there’s more to come. So be on the lookout for more flash deals and exciting offers at gomo.ph.

Monday, May 3, 2021

Coffee That's Really Good For You: Glorious, Isn't It?

 For decades, coffee had received a bad reputation. Besides allegedly triggering high blood pressure, insomnia, and hyperacidity, the Filipino habit of adding lots of sugar and cream to one’s cup has been said to aggravate diabetes.

While there’s no denying the Pinoy coffee fan his morning cup, there is concern over the amount of sugar present in commercial 3-in-1 coffee mixes. The leading brand has 14.6 grams of sugar in one 20-gram sachet alone. Imagine how much sugar you’re taking in if you drink an average of three cups of coffee a day.


What About Sugar-Free Coffee?

For health-conscious individuals, especially diabetics, turning to sugar-free coffee mixes seems to be the only option. This meant enduring tasteless cups of coffee just to satisfy their caffeine fix —until Stevia came along.

Stevia is the low calorie, zero sugar sweetener that tastes so much better than artificial sweeteners.

Stevia is an herb with a sweet-tasting extract that comes from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. It has been enjoyed since pre-Columbian South America where indigenous people used the herb to sweeten their tea and other drinks.

The plant's taste stems from steviol glycosides, molecules which are 250–300 times sweeter than regular sugar.  

It became popular among health-conscious individuals because stevia has a very low caloric content. This makes it perfect for dieters and people who are trying to lose weight.
Moreover, Stevia makes coffee and tea taste so much better without adding any calories.
Aside from beverages, Stevia is also used as an alternative sweetener when cooking or baking.

The Health Advantages of Stevia


Stevia is a safe, healthy sugar substitute that can sweeten up food without the negative health effects of refined sugar. It’s also associated with several impressive benefits such as reduced calorie intake, managed blood sugar levels, and minimized risk of cavities.

Additionally, while other sugar substitutes like Aspartame have been linked with cancer, there's no evidence linking stevia to cancer since it is a natural ingredient.
This means you can add stevia to dishes and drinks without fear that you’re taking too much sugar, or that you’ll get sick a few years down the road.

For coffee lovers, it’s also good to note that locally-made Glorious Blend coffees and instant beverages have Stevia as its natural sweetener. The blend of natural and healthful ingredients make the drink not only refreshing and safe, but also good for one’s overall health.

The Glorious Blend boasts a full line of healthy drinks, including a 7-in-1 healthy coffee mix. This special blend is made with proven medicinal ingredients like Malunggay, Mangosteen, Calcium, Gotu Kola, and sweetened with Sweet & Fit Stevia. What’s even better is that the Glorious Blend 7in1 Coffee is non-acidic and promotes regular bowel movement.

The Glorious line-up also includes the 3-in-1 coffee mix with Stevia; 7-in-1 choco mix; 4-in-1 coffee with Malunggay; 5-in-1 coffee mix with Brown Rice; and the MaxiTrim coffee.

All Glorious Blend beverages use Stevia which has no calories, no carbohydrates, and zero glycemic index. All of their instant drinks will keep you alert and energized throughout the day.
Also, Glorious Blend products are locally sourced and manufactured. Their company supports local farmers, stevia growers, and other agricultural communities.

So if you’ve been cutting back on drinking coffee because of health problems like diabetes or hyper acidity, Glorious Blend coffee mixes are here to help. You can enjoy all the aroma and flavor of freshly made coffee all day —without the guilt!

Now, you can drink coffee for better health! Glorious, isn’t it?


For more information about Glorious Blend coffee mixes, check out https://www.facebook.com/gloriousblend.

Friday, April 30, 2021

How To Cope With Giving Your Baby Up for Adoption

If you find yourself pregnant but don't have the resources to care for a baby properly, you may want to consider adoption. Giving your baby up may seem like a cruel option, but you are giving him or her the chance to find loving, attentive parents who are ready to expand their family through adoption. If you are considering giving your baby up, you should plan to go through a grieving process, but here are three tips to help you cope.

Research Adoption Agencies

The adoption agency you choose to use is in charge of placing your baby with the right family, so make sure you trust the people who are helping you. Research the best adoption agency for birthmothers before making the decision to put your baby up for adoption.

Choose the Right Family Carefully

In many cases, you can choose the family you want to place your baby with. You can meet with the prospective parents and ask questions to determine if you think they will be the right family for your baby. Knowing how they plan to raise your child and seeing how much they want to become parents may help set your mind at ease.

Find a Support Group

There are other people who understand exactly how you feel when you give your baby up for adoption. Unless people close to you have had the same experience, they can't know how you feel and won't be the best form of support, so it is important to find a support group online to help you with the grieving process.

Resuming life after giving a baby up for adoption is hard. It is important to take the right steps before and after the birth of your baby to prepare yourself for giving him or her up. These three tips can help you navigate the process.

Friday, April 16, 2021

Lola Remedios to the Rescue

These days, getting sick is a major no-no! With the ongoing pandemic, we all need to be extra careful and be healthy all the time. However, with all the stress, pollution, lifestyle and the treat of the virus, we can never really avoid feeling under the weather at some point.

Thankfully, eating healthy food, getting enough sleep and exercise, and drinking our daily vitamins and supplements or vitamins can greatly help us in achieving a body that can withstand life's stressful situations. Being stuck in the house with only limited activity most of the times can also affect our health. Sitting down holding our phones and tablets, can make our muscles stiff. Oh I know that because I am experiencing that quite a lot because I am working from home. Not only it can make me sluggish but gives me frequent body aches.

One truly amazing product that is making waves is LOLA REMEDIOS. It is a food supplement syrup that is ready to drink and only costs P 10 pesos that can be bought in groceries, pharmacies (Mercury Drug, Watsons) and suking tindahan (neighborhood stores).


Though it is not a medicine and have no therapeutic claims, many can attest that simply drinking it regularly can help ease their body heaviness, simple colds, and over all body aches. A friend of mine has been telling me to give it a try when the time comes that I don't feel well or having that "Mabigat na pakiramdam ngunit wala namang sakit" feeling because it works wonders to her. 

With all the natural ingredients like honey, ginger, mint, clove and fennel, surely it will  gently soothe our body and help it recuperate.

Honey -antiviral
Ginger - anti-imflammatory
Mint - Decongestant
Clove - Analgesic
Fennel - Antitussive
I know I have to give it a try when the need arises. For now, I am keeping a good stock of Lola Remedios in our house and will also give some to my relatives. 

So.. if you are feeling under the weather.. Lola Remedios can be the rescue we all need to have. Just like the magic touch of our grandmas (haplos ni lola) that brings comfort. Now, I can have this first instead of taking a medicine right a way. In fact, products with natural ingredients will always be a bonus! Thanks Lola Remedios! 

Just a precaution: It is only recommended for adults but not to be taken by pregnant women or those that are allergic to menthol. 

#lolacares #LolaRemedios