How I Make Worklife Easier

Stress at work is inevitable, that is an understatement, but there are workarounds and tips on how we can lessen, avoid and make worklife better and manageable. Being an IT development team lead in an industry with so much expectations, deadlines and services offered, stress is definitely always in the way. So I have a few tips and tricks that I do to make everyday work at the office easier and less of a hassle, and here they are:

1. Manage meeting schedules well. Online calendars keep us organized and notified, use this if you still are not using it until now. Manage your meeting schedules properly, if there are conflicts or overlaps, decide which one to prioritize and respectfully decline the other. This will lessen office drama on meeting prioritization.
 

2. Don't skip lunch, or better yet eat snacks in between. No one would want to work in an empty stomach, so don't forget to eat!

3. Hydrate. Water intake cleanses the toxins in our body, the more you are hydrated the less stress you will feel because your body is well.

4. Treat your office mates as friends. No one would like to work on an environment full of enemies. As once our CEO said, when you are surrounded with friends at work, work will not feel work. 

 5. Stay healthy with daily intake of Vitamins like Fern-C! Choose this daily vitamin because this is definitely Subok Na! This is the first vitamin C in the Philippine market that is non-acidic. It definitely promotes a better immunity and more energy for everyday stress at the office. Learn more about Fern-C here ---> Fern-C Website or you may also get to learn more at the following official accounts:

FERN-C Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernconline/
FERN-C Twitter: https://twitter.com/FERNCOnline
FERN-C Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferncofficial/

My Belkin Wishlist

Having my gadgets with me at all time, may it be for work or pleasure, is very crucial on my daily life. Leading a team who are located on different sites and relying on technology for communication, organization and meetings is very important to fully perform my role. I need my mobile phone, at least to be with me at all cost to address any issues that may arise.

Having known the Belkin brand, I have my full trust of the quality of products and accessories that it can provide for my mobile phone. I have an iPhone and their accessories are a must for me to survive a long day in this oh so techy world.

I visited Lazada and created my simple wishlist of the top quality products that Belkin offers:

So why are they on my wishlist? Because they can definitely make my work easier and remain on the go. Here are my top 5 most wanted Belkin products on my wishlist:

1. Belkin Family Rockstar 4-Port USB Charger
 - I super love the 4-Port USB that this charger features. Being a person with 3 or more gadgets (mobile phone, laptop, powerbank, another powerbank), this will make charging them at once much easier and efficient. Without this charger I would have to wait for one gadget to finish charging to charge the next one.

2. Belkin Micro USB Cable with Lightning Connector Adapter
- I have multiple devices of different manufacturers, Apple and Samsung. You definitely know the dilemma on cords as they differ on having micro USB and lightning cords. This adapter will relief all the tangled cords that I bring everyday. This will be my go to cord if ever I will be able to have one.

3. Belkin Clip-Fit Armband for iPhone 6/6s
- When on the go during night jogs and afternoon brisk walks, this will definitely come in handy as my phone will fit on it perfectly without losing the touch of the screen. Without this, I would not have any way of securing my mobile phone during my activities.

4. Belkin QODE FastFit Keyboard Cover
- When at work and my calendar is full of numerous meetings in different locations, I prefer bringing my iPad during meetings and take my notes and presentations with me. However, without the feature of a keyboard with me, whenever I need to modify my slides it is very hard by using only the built in touch keyboard so this FastFit keyboard would really help me on my fast typing needs when I'm with my iPad.

5. Belkin 2.4A Universal Charger Kit (White)
- The versatility of this USB Home Charger is great for my gadgets may it be Apple or Samsung. With 2.4A, I know that the power of charging will be super fast compared to other generic brand charges.

Check more of their great and durable products in Lazada through this link: http://www.lazada.com.ph/belkin-ph-by-macpower/

5 Tips to Boost Your Immunity during the Holidays

The holiday season is just around the corner. I would admit this is the most happiest and my favorite season each year. Oh, how I wish that I was that child way back, some 20-ish years ago, who just waits for Santa's gift to arrive and open them at midnight and not to worry of anything else but the gifts I received that Christmas Eve. With the simple hamon de bola, keso de bola and spaghetti on the dinner table, my Christmas is already complete!

Now, that we are all grown up, we are the one tasked to make this season a meaningful one with our kids, nephews, nieces and our inaanaks. With a handful Christmas parties that you need to attend to, to the countless number of inaanaks (godchildren) that you need to give gifts to, to the unending thinking of what is the best gift to buy for your loveydubs and loved ones, this season may be fun but at the same can be a little bit stressful.

In order to enjoy the most of this season, we need to fully equip ourselves with habits and essentials that we need to boost our immunity and go through the holiday season with ease and no sickness. Here are some of my tips:

1. Have complete hours of sleep everyday of at least 8 hours. Do not deprive yourself of sleep. No matter how hectic the December nights are. Take time to rejuvenate and relax. Relieve your body and your brain with all the worries by resting.

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2.  Plan Ahead of Everything. May it be for shopping, attending parties and the like, one should learn to prepare ahead to avoid accumulating stress due to hassles and unforeseen events. More planning, less stress.

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3. Eat well-balanced meals. Oh that crispy "Cebu Lechon" can be tempting! And having a bite or even tens of bites of it should not be a sin. But try to eat healthy too. Eat the right amount of meat, veggies, fish and fruits on your basic meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and you are good to go party and eat those unending buffets!

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/PublishingImages/eatwell%20plate%20377%20sized.jpg

4. Drink at least 8 glasses of water everyday. This is one of my weakness, I admit. I cannot drink enough water for my body. (Ugh.) But yes believe it or not, we should make water our bestfriend for the rest of our lives. Why? We lost a lot of liquid everyday and in order to replace it, we should keep our bodies hydrated to function well. And who doesn't want clear and attractive skin? Well, drinking water helps our skin feel and look young, so hydrate!

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5. And lastly, and the most important thing, take a dose of Fern-C as the added vitamins of Sodium Ascorbate - the non-acidic vitamin C can boost our immunity more and protect us from the stress of the holiday season. FERN-C is tried and trusted as an immunity booster and tested for 10 years already. It is a potent anti-oxidant that increases body resistance against infectious diseases. Given that it is in a Sodium Ascorbate form, it doesn't cause and contribute to stomach irritation and ulcers. So it is safe to take a dose daily for our daily immunity boost.

You may visit their official website at Fern-C or their social media sites for more information:

Fern-C Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernconline/

Fern-C Twitter: https://twitter.com/FERNCOnline

Fern-C Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferncofficial/

Taking Gifting to the Next Level

As the Christmas season is coming near, I am getting excited to celebrate the most wonderful and lively holiday of the year. Being able to spend it with my daughter, now a toddler, would make every effort worth its while. We are planned to spend the holidays in Florida this year, so extra planning and prepping is needed as we welcome the Christmas season. And as I plan early, I think of three things that I may want to do before the Christmas season starts...

First, What is my Christmas wishlist for myself? And here goes my list...

•  Spend a Christmas Evening at Disney World.
•  Experience the holiday ambiance in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
•  Buy my ultimate Harry Potter souvenir!
•  Go find some snow in the East Coast and do a snow angel! Yey!
•  Had a once in a lifetime American Christmas tradition experience

Second, What are my Christmas gift ideas for my loved ones this year?

•  Since I will be spending Christmas in Florida, I would be giving my loved ones in the Philippines some of their favorite stuff directly from the USA. Downside is I will be giving them late this year, but hey I got them from my vacation! :)
•  For my loved ones in the USA, I will go Christmas Shopping in Kultura Shops and buy their favorite Filipino goodies and munchies. I know they are definitely craving for the dried mangoes and Boy Bawangs! Truly Filipino!

Lastly, how am I planning to give back to others this Christmas?

•  Now that I have become a mother, I developed this soft spot for children. Specially those who are in need and those that are either abandoned or left by their parents. I usually shop at SM Stores and Malls and I became aware of this program "SM Cares Bears of Joy" as selling these colorful bears for only P200.00 and by buying one bear you give another one to the foundation and give some joy to some children in need. Isn't that fantastic? It's like giving twice as much to our loved ones and to those children who needs to feel loved. #SMBearsOfJoy #MerrySMChristmas

 

Oh before I forget, have you heard of the Merry SM Christmas's wonderful shopping experience? Oh, you got to see these wonderful finds and deals for the holiday season!

For more updates about this year’s “Merry SM Christmas” campaign, visit SM’s official Christmas microsite (https://www.smsupermalls.com/merrysmchristmas2015) and follow its official social media accounts at Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/smsupermalls), Twitter (https://twitter.com/smsupermalls), and Instagram (https://instagram.com/smsupermalls/); and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through Viber (http://chats.viber.com/SMsupermalls). Shoppers can actively share their holiday merriments inside the SM Supermalls by posting their photos on social media and adding the hashtag #MerrySMChristmas2015.

Pocket Scrapbooking

I have been project life-ing for the past months and this is the first time that I will share something on my blog. Almost a year ago I gave birth to a wonderful baby and I've decided to scrapbook these precious moments while growing up. Just as I want my baby to have a baby book (the one that I have which my Mom prepared when I was still a baby), I've decided to research on making something more creative.

I want to express my creativity on full scrapbook pages, but with the following callouts, I need to find a more suitable way of memory keeping:

•  I take a lot (as in a lot) of photos and I find it hard to choose just one picture to relieve the moment
• I don't have enough supplies to make a creative full page layout
• A full page layout takes a lot of time to finish

So from my dilemma, I have chanced upon the Project Life concept of Becky Higgins. It is also called pocket scrapbooking where in just like the old times albums with sleeves, you only slip your photos, add some cards, a few embellishments (if you want to) and voila you have a scrapbooking full page sized layout with lots of photos and simple designs! So I did the pocket scrapbooking of my early pregnancy days up to my little one's first year. I am still far behind from the current photos but I am so happy I was able to relieve and reminisce every moment while I scrapbook our memories as a family.

Sample Project Life Layout

Lady Lakwatsera's Search on Where To Next?

I have always dreamed of Santorini, with the sparkling sea water and beautiful views and landscapes, it surely is on my top list to visit even for just once in my lifetime. A few years back I was able to visit the Maldives for a short summer getaway and I'm so thrilled I was able to visit that beauty of an island. 

Santorini of Thira Greece is however different. It's majestic view of the ocean, the beautiful sunsets and picturesque blue and white painted houses is really something to look forward to seeing myself.

But of course for any travel/vacation, budget is really a concern. So browsing through https://www.airbnb.com/ is what I think the best option to look through listings of beautiful yet affordable places to live for just a few days of vacation. While searching for the most convenient and beautiful view among all the listings, I found this little studio perched on the cliff side and very near the town capital of Santorini. Talk about convenience! Here is the listing that I've found: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1072117?s=812k

Having been named as a studio with the volcano and sunset view really got me already. Browsing through all the photos and these are not just ordinary photos but around 60+ of them, I am quite convinced that this is going to be a nice, cozy place to live in for a dream vacation. Not to costly, not five-star material, but the view and experience I know would be superb! And not to forget about the reviews and feedback (around 41) which help me see how others who've been to the place thought about their stay. Feedback is very important especially if you are going to a new unfamiliar place. It gives you some sort of peace of mind. :)

I am so happy that a site like #Airbnb does exist as it gives convenience, accurate feedback, proper information and options on where to stay next on your next travel while you are on a budget and while you would like to experience things you wouldn't experience while you are inside the hotels. So I already started telling my friends and family, and you too of course, to signup at Airbnb and see how convenient and inexpensive looking for accommodation to our travel places is! So don't forget to signup using this link SIGN UP HERE so we can both get free credits of our next Airbnb bookings!

“WHETHER AN APARTMENT FOR A MONTH, A CASTLE FOR A WEEK, OR A VILLA FOR A MONTH, AIRBNB CONNECTS PEOPLE TO UNIQUE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES, AT ANY PRICE POINT, IN MORE THAN 34,000 CITIES AND 190 COUNTRIES”

So wherever I am traveling, looking through listings at #AirbnbPH will be on top of my list! So now #WhereToNext

Cadbury Sweet Endings: Let's go to Paris!

Being introduced to the two new Cadbury Dairy Milk Flavors: French Vanilla and Chocolate Mousse, we really got inspired to dress up and imagine we are already in Paris attending a exquisite dinner while viewing the Eiffel Tower. Here's me and my best friends smiling on our Paris inspired attires.

Aren't we gorgeous? Despite the busy and haggard lifestyle we all try to juggle everyday, we can always have sweet endings. 

How? Just by having a yummy bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk's Chocolate Mousse! We are definitely a #TeamChocolateMousse! This is because as we bite into the light and airy taste of chocolate-flavored cream covered in delicious milk chocolate we get our best dessert savored and delighted with each other.

 So how about you, don't you want a sweet ending? Try out these two new variants from Cadbury Dairy Milk. Watch out on Facebook (CadburyPH) and Instagram (@cadburyPHL) for sweet endings with Cadbury Dairy Milk.