Lifestyle Archives » Page 9 of 68 » Touched by An Angel

12Oct 2016

Honoring the everyday heroes in 6th Jollibee Family Values Awards

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

When I think of family, I remember my dad. I think of the family values he passed on to me which have been treasured and passed on for many generations already. One such value is Pagpapahalaga sa Pamilya, putting importance on family. I remember how he took on two jobs just to provide for us. I recall how he volunteered his services for elections’ quick count, for the church, charity and other civic organizations. I wished dad involved the whole family for his advocacy. Usually, I just tag along and watch him organize his activities. The thought entered my mind when I saw the winners of the 6th Jollibee Family Values Awards (JFVA) . Jollibee recognized families who can be considered as everyday heroes, families who truly exemplify how the power of Filipino family values can nurture and continue building a nation that can sail through the various challenges, calamities and adversities.

Exemplary Filipino honored at the 6th JFVA winning families include: Mr. Rommel and Mrs. Analy Basa and family of Capiz, champions of the environment and sustainable livelihood for their community; Mr. Donato and Mrs. Merlita Bumacas and family of Nueva Ecija, dedicated to protecting and upholding the rights of indigenous people; Mr. Ian and Mrs. Cecilia Cabalza and family of Cagayan Valley, whose work centers on uplifting lives through health and education; Mr. Victor and Mrs. Elizabeth Castañeda and family of Quezon City, for leading the fight against cancer; Mr. Joe Dean and Mrs. Ardis Sola and family of Quezon City, for helping improve the lives of street children; and Mr. Marciano and Mrs. Josephine Par and family of Saudi Arabia, named as the Jollibee-Coca-Cola OFW Family of the Year for their mission in empowering underprivileged fellowmen both in the Philippines and the Middle East.

I was amazed at all the work they did in their respective community. My favorite family is the Sola family who have dedicated their lives to helping street children by providing their basic needs such as food and education. Their foundation, He Cares Mission Street Children Caring Center, was founded in 1997 and has already produced 19 college graduates, one of whom is already a successful architect working in Abu Dhabi. What initially began as an intervention for street children through values formation has transformed into an organization that develops children using a holistic approach. Their program has several components including: Balik Aral, Balik Kalusugan, Balik Loob sa Diyos, Balik Bahay, and Balik Hanapbuhay. Each family member has grown to love and accept their roles in the advocacy that their parents have instilled in them.

This is truly astounding. I wish this can be replicated by educational institutions.

The 6^th Gabi ng Parangal para sa Pamilyang Pilipino centered on the theme of the balangay, whose historical journey captures the solidarity, harmony, determination, courage, bravery and resilience of the Filipino community. It is admirable that there is recognition for such family-led advocacies. Such work may inspire other families to take up their own advocacy that will not only make lives better for others but also strengthen the core of the family.

Let us nurture the practice of family values, by embracing policies that value families. – Benjamin Todd Jealous

27Sep 2016

Mom’s “Me” time: A must for fit moms and happy homes

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 1 Comment

Women seem to have it all these days: children, careers, families and relationships, social and civic networks, among other things. They seem to have everything, yes, except time for themselves.

As a mom of three I wrote this not too long ago in my blog : Moms should find time for a “ME” time. Emphasis on “ME” time and not “MOM” time.

Is this being selfish? — this wanting to spend time with one’s self, without the children, without thoughts of house work and just focusing on oneself and not one’s role as mother or wife.

Too often we moms spend our time doing a lot of things. We even boast that “Multitasking is my middle name.” The result: stress and fatigue and sometimes a feeling of angst. “Is drudgery our lot?” we sometimes ask silently.

Many moms seem to be able to work on autopilot mode. They operate on little sleep because the toddler is too fretful at night or the teenager needs to be fetched from a classmate’s home where she joined group study. Some moms are in the “sandwich stage” — taking care of young children on one end and of aging parents on the other, while trying to make it professionally. This role strain will make even a young, healthy woman so needful of occasional breaks, lest she burn out or get sick, or worst, break down.

Becoming a mother doesn’t change who you are.

Moms usually spread themselves thinly over many tasks and responsibilities, leaving no room for them to be the person they were before becoming a mother. The creative side, the free-spirit, the essential self is neglected and set aside. Some moms feel unhappy because they feel confined and constricted.

Young women get married to their men wanting to be more together. But before long, too many things separate them — the early morning rush to work, the dishes piling up in the sink, the bills running due, the washing machine breaking down, the often problematic children. So many a woman would listen to their husband’s snoring at night wondering what happened to her romantic dreams.

Moms do not have to wait for their nest to empty to enjoy their time away from drudgery. They can in fact have this on a daily basis, with determination and time management.

Yes, it IS possible.

Importance of “Me” time

The time to be “You” and not “a mom” should be a real “ME” time and not hours spent planning what to do for the long weekend, writing down recipes and ideas for the youngest child’s party next month or putting the toys away in the baby’s room. Mom’s “Me” time is a time to be selfish, a time to just do what you love and a time to relax and be yourself and find your own self-worth amidst the daily grind.

Mom’s “Me” time ideas

How can moms find their own “Mom’s Me Time”? How can they make it happen?

1. Schedule the “Me’ time. Perhaps waking an hour or half an hour earlier than everyone to be able to enjoy a quiet time with a cup of coffee and a good book or a walk around the neighborhood.

2. Make time. For those with young children, make “Me” time the time when the children are taking naps. For those with school children, it is best to do the house chores early in the day to have extra time before the children get home from school. For those who work outside the home, half an hour before going to work or before bed or lunch break at work would be best.

3. Connect with friends outside the family circle. Have lunch or coffee with friends or even a spa date to connect with them. Make sure that talking about kids are kept at a minimum level because after all, this is all about you.

4. Focus on yourself. Just sit back, relax, and do what you think would qualify as your “Me” time and savor the moment.

5. Follow your passion. The passion for things unrelated to being mothers or wives should not take a back seat but rather nurtured and encouraged.

More ideas

Not sure how to go about having a “Me” time and needing ideas? Here are a few more for that perfect time all to yourself:

• Once-or-twice-a-month salon pampering like having a haircut or manicure and pedicure
• Spa date for a full body or just foot massage
• Sit-down dinner out with friends
• Movie time with your BFF
• Coffee time with college friends you haven’t seen in years
• Once a week lessons on cooking, crafting, sewing, dancing, yoga, floral arrangement, quilting, scrap-booking, guitar or piano playing
• Going to church
• Early morning/evening walk at the park or around the neighborhood
• Reading
• Gym time or exercising on your own at home
• Enjoying a slice of your favorite cake or a bar of chocolate, alone.
• Enjoying a movie or a television series that has no animated character in it
• Dancing
• Honing skills like crafting and needlework. (There are a lot of online video tutorials if there is no time for formal lessons outside the home.)
• Afternoon with friends: Gather your friends with the same interests and learn together or learn from each other.
• Pampering your skin with your DIY skin care products or store-bought ones
• Taking online courses to feed that inner nerd in you (because learning doesn’t stop even for mothers)
• Tackling a challenge: Train to run a half or full marathon, learn to ride a bike or sing solo at Sunday Mass.

The possibilities are endless if only moms look hard enough for that special time and activity to indulge themselves.

Remember: Healthy, fit, stress-free and happy moms make happy homes.

Photos: By the author, some rights reserved

Written by Julie Fuertes-Custodio as originally posted at the Philippine Online Chronicles

13Sep 2016

Make investment a habit as you pursue your passion

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

Who would have thought that my passion for blogging would lead me to earning income? Earning from my blog was farthest from my mind. I was blogging for an advocacy, to offer hope to parents that walked the same journey as I did. Little did I know, opportunities came in the form of being a social media resource speaker, an editor and contributor . Blogging also paved the way to the awareness of new products and services. How timely that Security Bank gathered bloggers together and affirm that we can pursue our passion without going broke.

Two bloggers, Monica Manzano and Christine Dychiao, shared their stories on how they pursued their passion yet are able to invest part of it for the future. Christine Dychiao, a fashion entrepreneur , says that one must make it a habit to save a portion of our income. Monica not only shared her dreams and passion but the eight steps to manifest anything:

Meditate
Write goals: then tick them off one by one
Collaborate with like-minded people
Time management
Have a Plan A, B, C, and D,
Protect your own life missions and boundaries
Learn how to flow with change
Failing is part of the process.

There are many great lessons in failing. One gains new insight and confidence after having been there and done that. One can create a revised model at pursuing bigger and better dreams after your experiences. My exposure to investments has always been real estate which I learned from my dad. Thanks to blogging I got exposed to other ways of investing money like the offerings from Security Bank.

Security Bank encourages us to make investment a habit as you pursue your passions. There are no excuses because it is easy to invest. The best time to invest was YESTERDAY and the next best time is TODAY. Since the long term trend of the market is to go higher, the sooner money is invested, the sooner it can grow. There is no need to time the market. Investments made over time will earn and will be reinvested over and over again to generate greater earnings. This is a good mantra to remember. Invest today. Now na.

I got introduced to the Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITFs). A UITF is a curated investment fund that is managed by experts to ensure high yield and quality returns. I get to enjoy the profits of a diversified portfolio by purchasing units of participation in the fund. It’s the perfect investment option for me since I am not an expert in actual stock trading. Experts will manage my investments through securities, bonds, equities, and other best-in-class instruments.

Security Bank offers UITFs with options for every risk appetite. I started investing with just PHP 10,000 for the money market . This is the short “Investment and Risk Profile” questionnaire I took. Though the results show I am moderately aggressive, I chose to be conservative considering I am nearly 60 years old. I may not be as productive in my golden years as I am today.

So why invest? I was shown this infographic below on the results of investing 10,000 each month for 5 years . There is a potential return of 10% in an investment fund . Well , this is comparably bigger than the 0.25 % per annum in the savings account. The inflation rate is usually higher than prevailing deposit rates and it decreases the value of your money. By investing in a UITF, I will be able to invest in assets that offer higher rates than ordinary bank deposits. Investing in UITFs gives me a better chance of beating the inflation rate. I still do the same with my investments in real estate but the latter is not liquid. Diversified investment is the key.

With just a minimum of Php 10,000, I will have diversified portfolio of assets. Diversification lessens the risk in any investment portfolio. I like this option. This is the way to pursue my passion without getting broke.

Make investment a habit as you pursue your passion. Are you ready to invest?

Security Bank introduces the Human Switch Kit, a personalized banking service that gives clients ease and flexibility in account opening. With this service, you can now request for a dedicated sales associate to open your account right in the comforts of your home or office. To get started, just visit www.securitybank.com and select your preferred branch, and a sales associate will set an appointment with you.

29Jul 2016

What is something that I want to end in order to begin? #StartYourStory

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

I am no stranger to death and dying. Let me count the ways:

1976– My mother, succumbed to breast cancer
1990– My 28 year old brother, Reuben died from Fulminant, Hepatitis A
1999–Oscar, my 40 year old brother died of leukemia (AML- 6)
2000– My beloved son, Luijoe died
2003– Dad died of diabetes complications, after being bedridden for 4 years.

Two of the above deaths were quite sudden without grief preparation of inevitable death unlike an illness where there is time to weep. Every death is not an ending . It offers new beginnings, an opportunity, to seek the meaning and purpose of the death.

We all must face death. Perhaps we can even find grace in it. If it is our time to move on , we need not fear death. If it is nearing the time to say goodbye to a loved one, then pray that their transition be graceful and peaceful.

The ones left behind are those that feel this tremendous loss. I always pray that God gives me a long and healthy life so I can still be around for my family. Sure it is everyone’s dream to live a full life specially with our loved ones but I never know for sure what the future holds for me.

What is something that I want to end in order to begin?

With so many deaths in my family, it took time to struggle with my new normal. I could not help but reflect on the losses in my life. The five deaths in my family left me so devastated that I often found myself saying “Bahala na” to my future.

No to “Bahala na”. Bahala na (come what may), is something that may not END to most of us. Yes, it is okay to pray and lift our burdens to God. I know God is with me all the time and when HE is with me , HE wants me to help myself. All I think is an increase and abundance in my life. It is time to create a meaningful yet comfortable life and live purposefully.

This is the advice I learned from a good friend:

Let go of the pain. Do something different today and welcome happiness back into your life.

Questions to ask “Who will take care of my family if , something unfortunate happens to me?” “How will I meet my basic needs when I can no longer work?”

My preparations include health maintenance program , life insurance and mutual fund investment. I even have a notebook that lists all the things that need to be done in the event of my death. Preparing my family is the least I can do to minimize the pain of losing a loved one. I talked to my children that I may not be around forever but I can at least prepare them for life without a parent. Though they are done with school, they dream of a comfortable life too. Leaving life insurance is one way that sufficient money is left behind to meet basic living needs or prepare them for future goals. I believe that a life Insurance plan ensures that my family is financially secure even if tomorrow I am no longer around to care for them. It is one legacy that will live forever in those I leave behind.

Another plan is having enough to tide me over during my golden years of over 50 and above. I do not expect my children to be burdened. I often remind myself that health is wealth and I need to prepare for accidents, complications, if ever, on my diabetes.

I can’t leave my fate to a “Bahala na” attitude. Taking responsibility for my finances enable me to take focus off money. It frees me to do my work and live the life I want. I have choices. We have choices, more choices than we let ourselves see. I learned through my painful experiences . It takes courage to let go of the past , things and people that hinder my growth. What I can control is doing something today and achieving a new normal.

As Mahatma Gandhi tell us, “learn to live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

22Jul 2016

The future of sleep experience

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

Did you know that you will spend 20,000 hours on your bed over a seven year lifespan ? It’s worth taking some time and effort to make sure you make the right choice . I have written about how Moms need the gift of sleep . Sleep is the key for renewing and rebalancing the body and mind.

A sleep that is clean, rejuvenating , refreshing and seductive is something to consider. I got introduced to Uratex latest innovation that revolutionizes a sleeping experience with the introduction of four new mattresses: Perfect Serenity Aura Fresh, Orthocare Biorytmic, Senso Memory Ultima Plus and Premium Touch Romance.

Let’s take a look at these four innovative mattresses and think what mattress will be right for you (and your partner too).

Perfect Serenity Aura Fresh

Worried about odors in your bed? The Perfect Serenity Aura Fresh may be the answer to your problem. This mattress has odor-repelling qualities that offer a fresh, clean sleeping environment. Its cover is formulated with complex compounds that effectively eliminate all unwanted odors from the body so your body smells fresh while you sleep. it also features a convoluted high-resilient foam with an egg crate design that allows air to flow freely.

Orthocare Biorytmic

This mattress uses advanced sleep technology using rejuvenating minerals responsible for restoring energy and regulating the body’s biorhythm. As you sleep, it helps reduce stress and provides better balance and concentration. Honestly, I don’t know how that is possible but a fellow media who was with us swears he felt so good after lying down on the Orthocare Biorytmic mattress.

For pressure relief and back support, the Orthofirm foam gives firm comfort feel all night long.

Premium Touch Romance

The Premium Touch Romance is my favorite. It is perfect for my romantic husband and myself. Keeping the love (and sex) alive doesn’t have to end with the day, right? Seriously, this mattress is all about inspiring passion and desire for your significant other.

So what makes this different? The secret lies in the mattress which is infused with the essences of ginseng, ylang-ylang and cinnamon, giving it a sweet and spiced romantic ambiance.

When I tested it out, I didn’t smell a thing . I only noticed the fragrance when I caressed and rubbed the pillow . Very seductive.

Senso Memory Ultima Plus

If you often feel warm and need a refreshingly cool sleep, then this mattress is for you. The Senso Memory Ultima Plus is specially designed with a cooling technology that helps you fall asleep faster. What makes it different from others is that its memory foam is blended with Hydragel beads that absorbs heat.

Wrapped with a Cooler knit fabric, it provides an enhanced cooling effect and has been proven to lower body temperature by up to 2 degrees Celsius. Its plush comfort layers delicately adjust to your body’s movements while you are asleep, relieving you from painful pressure points.

There are also traditional pillows that offer the same sleep technologies to complement these innovative mattresses. Both mattresses and pillows are treated with Sanitized that protect against growth of bacteria, odor , mildew and dust mites.

So, what do you think? Aside from comfort, which sleeping experience would you add ? Clean, rejuvenating , refreshing or seductive? I already know what I want.

Visit the Uratex area at Our Home , SM Megamall A if you want to test out these four mattresses.

22Jul 2016

Unleash Yourself: Achieve your fitness goals

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

The greatest wealth is health. After all , “it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver”. The entire Step Diet premise is simple: Walk 10,000 steps a day and trim your portions by a quarter and you will lose weight, simple as that. Move more, eat a little less.

I met those goals so I was excited that Samsung Gear offers a better and more affordable wearable for you to start a fitness regimen.

I am sure some of you may have tried working out and you can say it’s easier said than done. I know because I have been there. It’s already hard enough to set aside ample time and reserve so much energy into staying fit, but it gets even harder when things are holding you back from giving it their best.

It takes a lot of motivation and inspiration. I love walking with sounds because it moves me to walk faster. Any fitness animal knows the struggle is real when they need to switch songs through their smartphone just to get the right song that keeps them pumped up for their workout, all on top of having limited movement because of earphone cords that always get in the way. Not only that, but anyone who’s tried keeping track of their progress know that looking through their smartphone risk tripping, especially when running.

Samsung all-new Gear Fit2 and Gear IconX can help you reach your fitness goals, and keep pushing for greater performance, too.

See the all-new Samsung Gear Fit2 beside my Fitbit Surge? Not that I am ditching my FitBit, but you might want to compare wearables. The Gear Fit2 is a GPS sports band that promises a bulk-free and advanced fitness experience. There lies the difference. The Gear Fit2 looks elegant on my wrist unlike the bulky Fitbit Surge. There’s no need to bring around a heavy smartphone for progress tracking because the Gear Fit2 will help keep you motivated to outdo your last fitness record – may it be in terms of length of time, number of reps, or calories burned.

With its stand-alone GPS tracking capabilities, the Gear Fit2 can help fitness animals easily monitor not only location, but also their burned calories, distance, speed, route, time, hours of sleep, and stress levels to keep them fit and healthy.
With its Social Challenge capabilities, the Gear Fit2 also allows fitness animals to challenge one other into doing fitness routines that can help create motivational friendly competition amongst friends, pushing themselves more and outdo their best records.

Worried about water or sweat breaking your device? Don’t be. The Gear Fit2, with its IP68 rating, is water and dust resistant, all wrapped into a sleek and lightweight band-type design compatible with any style.

Thanks to other features available on the Gear Fit2 like a 2GB storage capacity to store up to 500 songs, and a curved Super AMOLED Display for easy viewing of their fitness data, the Gear Fit2 is truly an essential companion for fitness animals.
However, being able to track one’s workout progress is not enough for fitness animals to achieve their goals. Movement and focus are equally important. Imagine doing a 10km run with wires hitting the face. That would immediately distract a fitness animal from truly focusing on his or her full goals.

I like that the Gear Fit2 has exercise options. When I did the squat in the right position, it would register the count. I did 29 squats in one minute.

The all-new Samsung Gear IconX helps with just that. Having a truly wireless design, these cord-free fitness earbuds and help motivate fitness animals to push themselves more with its in-ear fitness tracker, something the market hasn’t seen or any other earphone device can do, with real time updates on time, distance, speed, heart rate, calories burned, etc. Equipped with audio feedback, the cord-free earbuds provide fitness animals with a coach’s voice in their head – literally – to push them further into achieving their goals and the most effective training they long for.

But it doesn’t stop there: The Gear Icon X allows fitness animals to listen to up to 1,000 songs on its 4GB storage. Now if you use Spotify, you can connect your smartphone’s bluetooth to the ear pods. Controlling the music player is done much easier, too, thanks to its Smart Touch function: users will be able to control the volume, or select play, pause, and skip with just a few simple taps on a Gear IconX earbud.

Samsung has also taken into consideration the safety of its Gear IconX users. The cord-free earbuds have an ambient noise feature that allows fitness animals to still hear their surroundings and be aware of their environment without sacrificing the need for a seamless music experience.

One of the best things about Gear Fit2 and Gear IconX is their compatibility beyond Samsung, working with Android 4.4 or above and 1.5GB RAM devices. Both fitness devices have the ability to function without the other. Too bad for iOS users like me but I have a second Android phone.

Anyway, I should stop writing now and work my way to 15,000 steps to wealth. Health is wealth after all. Do you agree? Join me.

The Samsung Gear Fit2 and Gear IconX are now available at Samsung Experience Stores and authorized dealers nationwide for only P8,490 and P7,990, respectively.

16Jul 2016

AlDub’s Phenomenal Romance Celebrates 1st Anniversary With Special Twitter Heart Emoji #ALDUB1stAnniversary

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

Wow, the kilig factor is still alive a year after. The AlDub phenomena is a year old. Two factors strike me on why ALDUB, this “Kilig Pa More” KalyeSerye is a hit : the kilig factor, of course and the timeout experience. I am not surprised ALDub phenomenal romance is celebrating its first year anniversary.

Starting 12:00PM today, July 16, AlDub fans can join the conversation on Twitter to mark the first year anniversary of supercouple Alden Richards @aldenrichards02 and Maine Mendoza @mainedcm by Tweeting with #AlDub1stAnniversary hashtag to unlock a special heart emoji. This Twitter emoji pays tribute to the global AlDub phenomenon and celebrates the romance that has taken the Philippines and the world like a perfect storm.

By including #AlDub1stAnniversary hashtag when composing a Tweet, a special Twitter heart emoji will appear after the hashtag in the sent Tweet. This is the first time that Twitter has created a customized emoji for a TV show in Southeast Asia.

“As a partner of Eat Bulaga, Twitter has witnessed the rise of AlDub from a local sensation on Philippine television to a global social TV phenomenon. It is powered by the love of fans all over the world, and the creativity of the show producers. The recent launch of the emoji for AlDub’s first year anniversary celebrates the show, the AlDub love story, and most importantly the fans who have flocked to Twitter to express their love and support over the past year,” said Pratiksha Rao, Twitter’s Head of Media Partnerships in Southeast Asia.

Looking back, the AlDub love team debuted on July 2015 in the ‘Kalyeserye’ segment of the popular noon-time TV show Eat Bulaga before they became one of the most well-known personalities on Twitter. Eat Bulaga’s Twitter account (@EatBulaga), which constantly keeps fans updated on the show by live-Tweeting each telecast and sharing behind-the-scenes images and videos, has added over 1.8 million followers in the past 12 months (over 200% growth) from 880,000 to 2.72 million followers today.

The record breaking 41M Tweets for #AlDubEBTamangPanahon concert on October 24, 2015 placed the Philippines in the Guinness World Records, making #AlDubEBTamangPanahon the most used hashtag in a 24-hour period.

Group shot! #ALDubEBTamangPanahon pic.twitter.com/4YK0iMle8U

— Eat Bulaga (@EatBulaga) October 24, 2015

These women in front of me started hitting Alden’s dad after seeing Aldub hug! Lol so funny! #ALDubEBTamangPanahon pic.twitter.com/M7IhuqE8yb

— Jocas de Leon (@jocasdeleon) October 24, 2015

HULI KA! While everyone is busy on stage, meh sariling mundo ang dalawang to. OY! #ALDubEBTamangPanahon pic.twitter.com/dLEuZ4Ccyh

— Gwendy G. (@gwendy_gayle) October 24, 2015

On October 25, 2015, Maine’s Tweet thanked the Dabarkads and AlDub nation for their love and support, accumulating over 76,000 ReTweets and 133,000 Likes, which made it the 2015 Golden Tweet for the Philippines.

Maraming salamat Dabarkads at AlDub Nation sa suporta at pagmamahal! Grabe kayo! God bless us all!!! #AIDubEBTamangPanahon

— Maine Mendoza (@mainedcm) October 24, 2015

The love team’s road to stardom continued as AlDub’s Valentine’s day campaign #AlDubIsLove amassed over 4.1 million Tweets from February 12 to 14, 2016. This marked an iconic moment for AlDub fans as they received personalized autographed posters from Alden and Maine on Twitter.

Thankyou so much @aldenrichards02 :))#ALDUBisLove pic.twitter.com/rTCAIztaMS

— C I N D Y ~ (@TheRealCindy_) February 11, 2016

My personalized E-Card from @mainedcm and @EatBulaga .
Thank You!
get your own guys! #ALDUBValentinesDate pic.twitter.com/M8BzVSePTz

— SUPREMO QUANDOS (@TheRealQuandos) February 12, 2016

Kumpleto din ba syo?
tingin nga?
i RT ko with HT.
Tnx @EatBulaga @mainedcm and @aldenrichards02 #VoteMaineFPP #KCA pic.twitter.com/UfJM2qZKEd

— Jayson Floresca (@jaysondmx) February 13, 2016

The recent release of the first movie starring the AlDub couple, Imagine You and Me, on 13th July also generated mass conversation on Twitter with over 7.9 Million Tweets about the movie in the one week leading up to its release. Set in Italy, the movie was discussed on Twitter by fans globally with the top five countries that generated the most conversation about the movie being the Philippines, United States, Canada, UAE and Australia.

Imagination turns into reality on July 13! #ImagineYouandMe #ImagineYouandMe2016 pic.twitter.com/Zs153JDAtl

— Maine Mendoza (@mainedcm) July 8, 2016

Abangan niyo po mga Dabarkads. ???? pic.twitter.com/OT552zmY6C

— Alden Richards (@aldenrichards02) July 7, 2016

Finally, Eat Bulaga and the AlDub couple have used Twitter to innovate and create special moments for their fans globally. Recently, they surprised a few lucky fans by Tweeting personal video answers to their questions.

.@maichardestined #ALDUBPowerOfTwo pic.twitter.com/AYjh6czqMa

— Eat Bulaga (@EatBulaga) July 2, 2016

.@Alnicaze #ALDUBPowerOfTwo pic.twitter.com/qIAHwnfGDl

— Eat Bulaga (@EatBulaga) July 2, 2016

Fans should follow @EatBulaga (Eat Bulaga), @mainedcm (Maine Mendoza), and @aldenrichards02 (Alden Richards) on Twitter to get real-time updates on the AlDub love story, participate in the conversation, and get behind-the-scene moments first on Twitter.

14Jun 2016

Five secrets about me that you probably don’t know

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ 2 Comments

A few years ago, I was tagged to write a “Disclosure meme” on five secrets about me that you probably don’t know. I might have blogged about some of these secrets in past entries but let me just list them down.

1. Annoyance over habitual latecomers– I am such a stickler for time that it annoys me off when people arrive ONE HOUR late without any notice. It’s common decency to advise the other party or whoever is waiting for you on your estimated time of arrival. I’m fine if you’re late as long as I know beforehand so I can do something with my time.

2. Fear of dentist– I’ve had this fear ever since I had profuse bleeding when my molar was pulled out.

3. Handy woman– I can climb on the roof of my house (then a bungalow) and repair roof leaks. I can also fix leaking pipes and electric wiring. But….I probably made my husband feel inferior when I did all that during our first year of marriage. Since I broke my ankle 11 years ago, I have not attempted to climb roofs. I still do handy woman jobs.

4. Lazy cook– I only cook on special occasions or birthdays. During the first ten years of my married life, I trained all the maids to cook , even the yaya (caregiver). I trained them to read recipes as well. After a few years, they turned out to be better cooks than I am so I let them do the cooking now. I posted my recipes at pinoyfoodblog.com . One or two loved baking so I also taught them to bake. These days, I write the recipe, give instructions and then taste their cooking if it’s alright. Haha, lazy.

5. Fear of driving in high places– Driving near the Tagaytay ridge or towards Baguio City makes me throw up. High places just nauseates me. I once drove to Tagaytay but my eyes focused straight ahead not looking once at the deep ridge.

So now you know. What about you?

06Jun 2016

Money for life: Leaving a legacy

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado ⋅ Leave a Comment

It’s that stage in my life where I am an empty nester. My two girls are now financially independent and not living in the family home anymore. It is that stage in my life when I am preparing for my golden years…not retirement because I will never retire. Life is so much fun being a blogger. These days, one can still continue work and yet enjoy life at the same time using online opportunities. My goals are income, wealth and protection.