If there is one thing I really do appreciate about summer, it should be the sun-kissed skin. Fair skin can be boring at times, you know. Though I am not complaining about my skin color (I’m a fair-skinned Filipina), it’s also nice to have that sun glow once in a while. Well, since not all of us loves to have sun bathing because it might burn our skin, which can be very painful and uncomfortable, we can always use some bronzers. Yes, bronzers are really an effective tool for one to achieve that healthy glow and defined facial contour. In effect, one looks slimmer, and the whole face, lifted. That’s the beauty I found in bronzing.
No Place Like Home
Although traveling makes me feel very good, for me, there is still no place like the Philippines . Every time I come home, I always feel how blessed I am to have what I have back there. Life is really different in the Philippines .. It made me love my country even more. Every time I come home, I feel so happy to be back in my own place. It made me realize how lucky I am if I’m there. I have everybody to do things for me. I would never trade the Philippines for any country in the world.
Belt Bag Boom
Packing the things I need as I travel is a necessity. Being able to bring these items along as I tour around my destination is a privilege. Being able to bring all my travel essentials hands free is truly a pure bliss. A belt bag is not really a new idea.. In fact, the usual visual of a tourist has always been someone wearing a pair of shorts, sandals, a camera on one hand and a belt bag around the waist. But with new innovations, the belt bag now is a travel essential that rates high in both form and function.
Seeing the Real Thing
Photography has always been a tool to show the reality of life. It is a strong medium that usually freezes various scenes the way they happen. While words an exaggerate or downplay stories in every possible way, in truer sense of photojournalism, there is only one way to deliver a story –by showing off the real thing as it is. Photojournalism more closely depicts to what we call reality. And that’s what they definitely mean when you say “to see is to believe”.
Personal Child Rearing
Never in my life have I entrusted another person to rear my children. May it be to a nanny or a helper. I always assure that my child’s physical, emotional and psychological well-being will develop with me at their side. I believe that there could never be a substitute to parents spending time with their children. It’s really important for me to be involved in my child’s life so I can monitor them, know them even more and address their needs.
Let Them Play
As a parent, I provide my children with various activities that may or may not require spending a lot of money. I expose them to different kind of people and make sure not to limit their friends to those belonging to the same social strata. I want them to be competitive in sports and let them realize their strengths and weaknesses. Children will become more self-assured adults if we will allow them to explore on their own, make their own mistakes and develop their own interests and hobbies.
Best Halo-Halo
Halo-Halo is one of the best selling thirst quencher in the Philippines. Literally, it’s called Mix-Mix in English. It’s some kind of a dessert actually. It’s a mixture of caramelized fruits like mangoes, young coconut, lychees and preserved beans, colored gelatin, purple yam, cereals, sweet corn, leche flan, covered with ice, sprinkled with evaporated or fresh milk and topped with ice cream. We have various versions of Halo-Halo in the Philippines but the best I have tasted so far is the one from Ice Castle ! It’s really the best! For only 72 pesos (less than $2) you can already have a Super Halo-Halo that’s superbly yummy.
Dinuguan at Puto
The perfect match for the puto calasiao is this dish—Diniguan. I really loved eating this dish. It’s one of my mom’s specialty. This Filipino dish is made of pork in-thrills (intestines, liver, stomach, blood, etc.) that is chopped into pieces and seasoned with spices, vinegar, salt and pepper. A lot of Filipinos love to eat this with puto, but for me, I prefer to eat it with rice. I usually make it as a rice topping. This dish is one of the most unique dishes in the world that’s only found in the Philippines .
Henna Tattoo
Are you one of those who badly wanted to have that tattoo but are afraid of needles?! Or those who just wanted to have that tattoo for a week or two? Well, good news for you! Henna Tattoos are now offered in the market. These are just temporary tattoos that would only last for not more than two weeks. Plus, these are painted only on your skin without any needle! Now, you can have that fashionable tattoo that you have always wanted without any ouch!
Loose Weight By Eating
It is a common misconception that one should skip meals to loose weight. The truth is, to be lean and fit, you should eat right. This means having a balanced diet and eating a healthy breakfast. Skipping the first meal of the day can lead to big lunches and snacks. Breakfast helps the stability of sugar levels, which regulate appetite and energy. People who eat breakfast are likely to be less hungry for the rest of the day and less likely to overeat.
Amazing Accident
I have always been fond of reading. No one can pry me away from a book the moment I become engrossed in it. Once, when I was about 9, my aunt asked me to look after my little cousin who was 3 years old at that time. I said yes without averting my eyes from my book.
After many minutes had passed, I remembered my cousin. I looked for her and found her just below our stairs. She fell down at the stairs! I looked down, horrified. I was frantic. What will my aunt do if she knows about what happened to her daughter? But I was so amazed that my cousin wasn’t injured. I need not tell my aunt about the accident.
Trivial Pursuits
Have you tried playing Trivial Pursuits? It is a board game which can be played by two to six players. The progress of the game will be determined by the ability of the players to answer the questions usually regarding popular culture and just general knowledge. Even though the game was created in 1979 by Scott Abbott and Chris Haney it gained popularity in 1984 in North America with over 20 million games sold in the market.
Be Warned
As a Christian we should always be ready for we do not know when the end of the world will be or when will be the final coming of Jesus into our lives. Even the first disciples had asked when the end of the world would come. Jesus didn’t get specified about time, but his central teaching is that he will return in glory to usher in the end of the world. Because no one but the Father knows the precise time of any of the end events, it’s necessary to be constantly vigilant.