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Fresh Catch: Salmon Sashimi

  
Suki Market Price:

500/kilo

Tips:

Do not choose the tail part, always choose the middle part of the fish.

Tell “Kuya” to make sure to remove the skin and debone it properly.

You have an option to slice it yourself or have them slice it at no additional cost.

Wash the salmon at home before eating.

Best eaten with Kikkoman and Wasabi

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Mommies and the Little Ones visits Gardenia Land

Mikayla and I had a very fun and educational day today, May 29, 2015. As a Mommy Blogger, I had the opportunity to meet my co-mommy bloggers as we embarked on a one of a kind tour at the world class facility of Gardenia. 

As we approach the facility our excitement were elevated by seeing the 2  huge Gardenia Bread … Mikayla was overly excited since she really loves Gardenia Bread so much and being here and being able to witness how it is made was a big deal for her.

  
     We were greeted by Gardee (Gardenia’s Mascot) at the registration area together with Gardenia’s very nice and accommodating staff.

   
  

 Our Gardenia Tour started with a program and a video presentation of how Gardenia makes their bread . After the presentation, we were toured around the facility and we witnessed first hand how they are producing the bread. 

   
     
The equipments in their facility was really One of a kind…. I’ve never seen anything like it. 

   
  

   Mikayla’s Favorite was the Twin Bread Tower…it is the cooling area for the bread before they are cut and packed. Too bad I don’t have a picture but it was enormous and it has I holds several thousands of Freshly baked Gardenia Bread.

After the tour, it was photo ops time … Here are some of our group and individual pics.

    

         

   

The fun didn’t end there, Gardenia prepared an activity for the little ones. They set-up prep tables and gave the kids aprons for a mini cooking demonstration… There was really no cooking involved, they were taught how to prepare a ref cake made of Gardenia Bread

   
  

  


The kids had so much fun and at the end of the activity they were asked to write something in a small card for us, their moms. It was really a great moment for everyone. You can see how supportive the moms are and how the kids are enjoying the time with us.
 

  

  

 When we thought our enchanting day was over, Gardenia surprised us with a sandwich buffet featuring some of their very own recipes…

 
The food they prepared was really delicious. I cannot believe that all of them are made from bread. 

This is my favorite amongst all the mouth watering foods they served…

 

That’s not the end of it, Gardenia also prepared packed lunch for us to go 😀 and a bag of goodies consisting of gardenia products and stuffed Gardee and tumbler for the little ones .
If this is how Gardenia treats their customers , Then we are assured that they are giving out only the best for their consumers. More power and Great Job to Gardenia for continuously providing us World Class Quality Products  and Great Customer Service.

Ty Gardenia for the wonderful tour and Thankyou Mommy Lani for making these possible.
For more information visit their website at http://www.gardenia.com.ph/

FB: www.facebook.com/gardeniaph

Twitter: @gardeniaph

IG:@gardeniaph

#mommybloggers #gardeniaph #pinaymomofalltrades

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Elabram Systems Group at LTE MENA, Dubai

  
Just recently, Elabram Systems Group Managing Director Mikel Yaw participated as one of the distinguished speakers at LTE World Summit- Middle East and North America (LTE MENA) and it happened at Conrad, Dubai. 

The event’s main objective is to position the Middle East and North America at the forefront of the connected world. 

Directors like John Tey, Tommy Ng and Muhammad Fathi Ali from Malaysia joined Mikel in Dubai and shared the Elabram Systems Group (ESG) solutions to the attendees such as Network Planning & Optimization (NPO), Talent Acquisition & Deployment (TAD), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO).

  
According to its official website, LTE MENA 2015 returned to Dubai this May 2015 for the 5th year and fulfilled the promises to be the most exciting event, reflected the impressive progression of the region over the last 12 months. 

More than 800+ attendees participated, more than 50+ Operators came and more than 50+ exhibitors shared their products and services. Middle East Operators such as Etisalat and Du are working towards increased network capacity, improved QoS for consumers and better monetization of new and current services. Challenging the leading innovators in the mobile broadband market, they are beginning to drive the connected revolution towards LTE-A, IOT, Smart Cities and 5G.

The emerging markets of the region continue to rollout LTE and expand their networks. Encountering different challenges and following different business models to their more established neighbors, they are beginning to harness the potential of LTE and drive revenues from new services.
LTE MENA 2015 took a balanced look at both markets. Examining real case studies, the event incorporated advanced issues such as LTE-A, VoLTE, Video, Carrier-aggregation and 5G with LTE rollout success stories from emerging markets.
  
In addition the most senior speaker line-up seen to date, the event offered unparalleled networking opportunities, through round table sessions, panel discussions, speed networking, in-depth focus sessions and a considerable exhibition floor bringing together MENA’s leading solution providers. The Elabram Systems Group (ESG) Directors participated in the Speed Networking, Signalling and Focus sessions. Also, ESG took advantage the booth space to share to the attendees a more detailed explanations of the solutions.

Elabram Systems Group is already 16 years in delivering quality solutions to different multinational and global companies worldwide and expanding to different industries such as Telecommunications, Mining, Information Technology and FMCG with headquarter in Malaysia and offices at Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore and with more than 6000 manpower around the globe delivering quality solutions to different global companies. 

For more information: mariagracia.n@elabram.com or please visit http://www.elabram.com

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Sagip Kalusugan Medical Mission – Batangas

When I was a child , I remember this verse from the bible :

Proverbs 19:17 “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”

I Encourage Everyone to join us and start “SHARING” to others. 

There will be an upcoming medical mission in Batangas, Sagip Kalusugan on May 30, 2015 from 8:00am – 2:00pm at the 2nd floor Big Ben Building , JP Laurel Highway , Lipa City. This is a perfect opportunity for you to give back to others 🙂 

Those who would like to volunteer and take part of this event please contact Gellie at gellie.abogado@sharing.ph.

  
This medical mission activity is organized by KMBI www.facebook.com/kmbiphilippines and Sharing in partnership with Big Ben, Jollibee, Magdalo Party-list, Good Samaritan Diagnostic Center, and 286 Printing Press.

Sharing Kingdom Ministry-Building Initiatives Inc., or simply “Sharing” is a non-profit organization that exists to serve families and communities. We create positive change by implementing initiatives that changes mindsets and fosters a community-driven outlook. 

For more information about Sharing:

www.facebook.com/sharingph

www.twitter.com/sharingph

www.instagram.com/sharingph

   

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A Letter of Encouragement to Myself

Dear “disheartened me”,

Hi. How is everything? I hope you are well. I know you are going through so much right now that you feel devastated.

I know you think you are alone but you are not… Your family is just here to support you in any way they can so STOP feeling that you are alone. 

I know you think you are the unluckiest person in the world but you are not. Look around you, you have wonderful kids that loves you so much. They are smart and in good health so STOP feeling sorry about yourself.

I know you feel that GOD has deserted you and that He favors others than you but He hasn’t deserted you and He loves you just as much as he loves others. 

Remember all the time when things seems to be hopeless but you always find a way? That is God showing you that He is always there for you and you just need to reach out to him and have faith.

We all go through these hardships in life although in different forms but always remember that no matter how hard life is now there is no other way but up..

Stay Strong..

….. This is not the time to allow yourself to crumble and break into pieces.

Strive more..

…. Don’t stop. You will eventually reap what you sow.

Be Patient..

….. Don’t lose hope. Things will get better soon, you’ll see.

Have Faith…

….. Don’t stray away from God. He is always there for you and He will help you in his own way. 

Love,

The Enlightened Me

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Lazada Philippines launches “Mom Loves”

It’s not yet too late for all the Moms out there.

  
Lazada Philippines launches Mom Loves – a shopping extravaganza for moms last May 26 and will run until June 4 via www.lazada.com.ph/mom-loves.

So what are you waiting for?

Mom Loves is a shopping event designed for every mothers out there. 

It is for every kind of moms out there wether you are social media savvy, on-the-go, urban lifestylista, or even the stay-at-home type of mom, Mom Loves has something in-store for every mom. 

From exciting flash sales coming from top brands, to hot discounts and exciting games, Mom Loves is packed with all the coolest deals that every mom could get to nurture her family.

Lazada carefully took into consideration a couple of fun mom facts into designing this year’s mom-focused shopping event:
1. 60% of mothers visit social media sites such as Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram

2. Mothers in emerging markets such as the Philippines consider a variety of other product information beyond quality, price, and convenience, such as branding and packaging;

3. 8 out of 10 moms would buy frequently but of lesser basket size due to the management of cash flow;

4. Top items bought by moms in Lazada would be the following:

a. Learning Toys

b. Home Appliances

c. Home and Living Items

d. Fashion

e. Health and Beauty

 

About Lazada

Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) is Philippines’ largest online shopping mall and is pioneering e-commerce by providing a fast, convenient and secure online shopping experience combined with an extensive product offering in categories ranging from mobiles & tablets and consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment. Lazada is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible shopping experience with multiple payment methods including cash on delivery, extensive warranty commitments and free returns. Lazada mobile applications for Android, iPhone and iPad provide additional convenience to its consumers’ allowing them to shop anywhere, anytime.

 

For more information, please visit http://www.lazada.com.ph

For updates on Lazada’s latest innovations, as well as activities, contests and promotions, connect with us via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines
 

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Family Summer 2015 Day 2 : Our Morong Bataan Adventure

Day 2 of our Morong Bataan Adventure.. 

I had had the most wonderful sleep last night thanks to the wonderful accommodations of Brizo resort.

We woke up early and had an early stroll along the beach. 

   
 We also plan to swim and spend our remaining time here in Brizo at the beach. 

Everyone except the little ones were far from being fully awake and need their early coffee fix. 

  
But Like what I have mentioned in my previous blog, Brizo serve breakfast at 7:00 Am including the coffee. It is only 6 am , So we have to wait …. While waiting the kids played at the beach…

   
   The wait was long but worth it, they  served us TapSiLog which tasted really good however for the boys it was not enough to satisfy their hunger. They also served us coffee. I guess my only critic in addition to the time they serve food is the coffee being served in a styro cup. 😂😂 ☕️☕️

  

After breakfast, We initially wanted to swim 🏊 but swimming was out of the question now after seeing some men burying trash at the beach near the water… I’m not sure if this is the right way but them doing so in broad daylight made us decide not to swim anymore.   

So as not to dampen our spirits and As a birthday treat for my sister since she rarely goes out of town, we decided to treat her for a boat ride to see pulo island, pawikan conservation and go snorkeling

It was a 200 per head for the trip, kids 4 below are free.  

  

   

The waves were not calm but our excitement overcame our fear. 

First stop was Pulo Island, the boatman said it was white sand and a place where we can all swim but I didn’t like pulo island much , it is white sand but not as white as the beaches in Bolinao and it only has a small stretch of beach like one of the small islands in Hundred Islands. I just hope that Morong will have rules and be more strict when it comes to throwing stuffs around. Oh an there are a lot of jelly fish in the water. Literally you can see them.

I guess we need to be more vigilant in protecting Mother Nature or we will lose this beautiful gifts.

In the island you can see the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant nearby, there is also a cavelike opening in the island

   
        
     

After Pulo Island , we went snorkelling. Everyone seemed to  enjoy it except me and jaden…. I was feeling dizzy so I didn’t join them and Jayden was still a baby so we just stayed in the both and took pictures. 

   
  

         

After snorkeling we head off to Pawikan Conservation… 

Now this place is absolutely amazing, the beach is really divine. The sand is not the white sad everyone seems to love but the black gray fine sand and the cleanliness of the place was simply magical for me… The pristine water made us want to swim so bad and glad we did. It was refreshing.

If you plan to go to Morong and wants the best beach, I highly recommend choosing the resorts in this area…

This is located at Nagbalayong Morong Bataan. 

We only saw 2 Pawikans at the conservation but it was ok… It’s nice to see people taking care of them and to think they used to be poachers. I guess they have seen the light… And that is wonderful. 

The Pawikan Conservation might not be organized but it was good that there is someone who tells you the history of the place and you can see conviction in him.

   
            

After that, we went back to Brizo and started packing up. I have Mixed emotions, I hate to leave but at the same time I can’t wait to go back home. My daughter Mikayla who is 4 told me that She wanted to live here and that she is sad that we are leaving. If only I don’t need to work I would give in to what she wants…. If only.

Well, that concludes our Morong Bataan Adventure. 

Short but sweet but a breather from our busy lives…..a good one.

Such a lovely place and I am sure to come back, explore and enjoy wonderful Bataan all over again.  
List of expenses:

Breakfast: Inclusive with Hotel Rates

Boat ride (pulo, snorkelling, pawikan) : 200.00/head

Pawikan Entrance: 20/head

Total Gas Consumption: 1000.00

Places to Stay:

Brizo – Pani Beach, Poblacion, Morong, Bataan                                                          email: info@brizo.ph                           phone: (02) 998 1563 (02) 998 1531

Next Reaort we will try:

Miami Heat Beach Resort – Barangay Nagbalayong , Morong Bataan        contact : 09209095283 / 441-1111     email : jimmysbustamante@yahoo.com

Places to go:

Pawikan Conservation Center – Nagbalayong, Morong, Bataan

The Pawikan Conservation Center is a protected area in Nagbalayong, Morong, Bataan where pawikans (marine turtles) are able to lay their eggs away from threats of poaching, egg gathering, slaughter, illegal fishing, and pollution.

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Everytime a Child is born is Mother’s Day

In my opinion, there is no day more special for a mother than the day she gives birth to her child. It is what we have been looking forward to for nine months and the joy of finally seeing the little person you have been carrying in your womb for that long is truly a special day for mothers like me. When I had my first child born, I can’t explain the joy I felt seeing her the first time and being able to hold her in my arms. I never felt luckier and happier. I was so overjoyed and thankful for the wonderful gift I received from God. The pains I have experienced for the past nine months is worth it. 

In this video you will see some first time mothers giving birth on Mother’s Day.  Somehow I know mommies like me can truly relate…

https://youtu.be/Ivar8GBRduE
Hope you enjoy….

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Fun Run for Health : Alaska World Milk Day Family Run

I am inviting all of you to join us on a Fun Run for health and well-being brought to you by Alaska. This is a running event for the whole family. Bring your family and Join the Fun as we celebrate World Milk Day! 
World Milk Day is celebrated annually in many countries worldwide, providing an opportunity to focus attention on milk as a global food central to health and well-being across cultures and nations, and to highlight the contributions connected with milk and the overall dairy industry. 

Alaska Family Run celebrates Family bonding of going out and enjoying fun activities together like running.

To celebrate this year, Alaska will have a running event with six (6) categories: 100m & 1KM for kids, 3KM, 3KM Family, 5KM and 10KM.

✅ Milk Hour (6 am) will be launched in four different locations; Manila, Baguio, Cebu and Davao. This activity aims to promote proper nutrition for kids.

✅ Run with Popular personalities, health advocates and sports enthusiasts to take part.

✅ The Event’s beneficiary is Children’s Hour.

RACE FACTS
Race Day: May 31, 2015 (Sunday) Venue: SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds (Blk. 16 Seaside corner Palm Coast Avenue)

Start Line: Seaside corner Bayshore Avenue

Categories: 100M, 1KM, 3KM Individual, 3KM Family, 5KM and 10KM

Cash Registration: SM Megamall, May 1-25/27, 2015

Website & Online Registration: www.alaskaworldmilkday.com

Milk Hour: 6AM

Alaska to give milk in 1.8kg cans to all participants

RACE FACTS

Registration Fees for Manila (SM MOA) leg: 
Registration Fee for Provincial legs (Baguio, Cebu and Davao):

 
REGISTRATION SHIRT

 
 ZUMBA SHIRT

 300pcs per Provincial                     (Baguio/ Cebu/ Davao) 
SHIRT SIZE CHART

  
REGISTRATION SITES

ONLINE: www.alaskaworldmilkday.com 

ONSITE: SM Malls

  1. Manila: SM Megamall                     – EDSA corner J. Vargas Avenue, Mandaluyong City
  2. Baguio: SM City Baguio                    -Luneta Hill Upper Session Road Baguio City
  3. Cebu: SM City Cebu                        -North Reclamation Area,Cebu City 6000,Metro Cebu
  4. Davao: SM City Davao                    -Quimpo Boulevard Corner Tulip Drive Ecoland Subdivision, Barangay Matina, Davao City, Quimpo Blvd, Davao City

PROVINCIAL ACTIVITIES
Zumba  -300 per Province – Baguio/ Cebu/ Davao

Fun run/walk

Milk Hour: 6am

General Rules:

  1. All participants must wear their assigned Bib/Race number. Participants not wearing their race number will be taken off the course and is not allowed to win.
  2. Participants who commence before his/her actual start/gun time will be disqualified.
  3. On the cue of a start shot, the starting line rope shall be released to indicate the start of the fun run. Cyclist Marshals and a pace car shall guide the participants along the route of the fun run.
  4. For 3KM Family category — family members should cross the finish line at the same time.
  5. Six (6) water stations will be available on the indicated portions of the route.
  6. Paramedics will be on stand-by at designated portions of the route.
  7. A sweeper (car or van or truck) shall pick-up the runners who cannot run anymore for health reasons. Marshals patrolling the route are in charge to assess the participants’ conditions.
  8. The organizers reserve the right to cancel the event without notice should they consider this necessary for safety reasons. However, the organizers will exert all means to post prior notice, whenever possible, at the race website for any change to the event details, or for cancellation of the event due to inclement weather and/or force majeure.
  9. No dogs permitted to accompany runners.

Who can Join:

3KM- Child and Adult                         (Child Age on December 31, 2015 must be up to 12 years only)

3KM Family – 2 Adult and 2 Child     (Child Age on December 31, 2015 must be up to 14 years only)

5KM- 8 years old and above  

10KM- 15 years old and above

* Child participant must present a copy of NSO Birth Certificate and / or Passport with Parents Consent for those running as individual.
Full race mechanics  at Alaska Family Run Mechanics

For inquiries:

Email: secretariat@alaskaworldmilkday.com

Facebook: fb.com/AlaskaWorldMilkDay

For Twitter and Instagram: #AlaskaWorldMilkDay

Twitter: @AlaskaSportsHub

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Family Summer 2015 Day 1 @ Brizo Resort, Morong Bataan.

The date was set for our yearly family summer outing, May 17,2015. This day is very special because we are also celebrating my sister Tasha’s birthday. 

This year we decided to try out Morong, Bataan for a change. There was a lot of resorts to choose from and we chose to go spend it at Brizo Resort.

We left Manila at around 5:00 am and with the help of my ever reliable Waze app… It only took us 2 and a half hours tops to get to Morong.  Waze suggested for us to take the San Fernando Exit instead of SCTEX  and it saved us around 180.00 in toll fee.    

  

  

We arrived at Morong at exactly 7:30am , no stop over. 

Before we proceed to the resort we had our breakfast first at MM eatery at the side of the church. 

The food was ok although the place was really small. 

Price range is around 70-80 for the tapsilog , longsilog, hotsilog, and they have beef mami for 30.00. Not bad , it wasn’t the best but for the price it was ok. Too bad I wasn’t able to try their Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich). It looks delicious.

 

waiting for food….

 

After having our much needed breakfast. We decided to go directly to Brizo even if check in time was 2:00pm. We plan to just take a boat there to go see the pawikan sanctuary. instead of driving there.

  
When we arrived, we were greeted by their friendly staff . They offered one of their dormitory rooms for us to stay while waiting for our room to be cleared. This was a good thing for Brizo to offer, some resorts will just ask us to wait outside since we are way too early.

The resort is really nice. It is smaller than I have expected but it was a really homey and cozy resort.

  
Here is a pic of our temporary  room. This is what they call their dormitory room which can fit 12 people. The room is really nice with their unique triple Decker beds….   

  

 

the triple decker

 
The room we rented is the Family connecting rooms. One room is good for 4 people at 5000.00. Two rooms for 8 people is at 10000 plus we paid extra 2 people at 700 each since we are 10 pax in total. 

The good thing about the resort is that children 4 years and below are free and breakfast is also included.

 Here is a picture of our room…

  
      

One thing that I really like about Brizo is the cleanliness of the place. It is small compared to the other resorts in the area but the place is spotless. The rooms are nice and clean and the infinity pool was really pretty.  

the pool at daylight

  

the pool and a glimpse of the beach

  

the pool at night

    

The pool was magnificent and refreshing especially on a hot summer day. At night, the temperature of the pool was just right for a night time dip.
The food at the resort was delicious and affordable. The choices were few but it worked for us… Too many choices sometimes makes it more difficult to pick 😅.

Personally, I recommend the bagnet and the pork sisig, they really taste good. 

Breakfast is served at 7am, so if you are an early riser make sure you bring enough snacks to munch or you can ask Brizo if they can prepare it earlier.

Ofcourse, before doing anything else we made sure to greet my sister a happy birthday and surprised her with Mickey Mouse cake made by Kekoos..

 

The Birthday Girl

  
 
The whole day was spent swimming at the pool and strolling at the beach… Today we decided not to swim at the sea since it was low tide. The kids had so much fun playing and swimming..

   
         
We were supposed to have bonfire that night but we weren’t able to inform Brizo beforehand. So if you plan to have a bonfire or a smores night, better mention it when you make your reservations. 

If there is one thing that I was dying to see in Morong, it was the sunset… 

I love sunsets…. It is something I always look forward to when I travel.

Being able to witness the Morong Sunset  firsthand makes our trip more memorable than it already is……. 

   
  
 
Drinking at the beach while watching the sun set was simply magical..   

Of course, a photo ops at the beach will not be complete without  a jumpshot.. Here are our jumpshots…

   
  

To conclude our almost perfect day, we spent a few hours at the pool…

   

  

At 10:00 pm everyone was almost asleep and I also called it a day. Tomorrow will be another wonderful day in this amazing place … I need all the strength I can get…..

Stay tune on my next blog , the continuation of our Morong Bataan Adventure.

✅  Things to Keep in Mind:

1. Nearest ATM is at Subic which is 33km away – Remember to bring enough cash.

2. There is no fast food in the area, there is a jollibee food cart but it was closed when we were there. – there are eateries around the area and they serve good food.

To know more about Brizo, visit their website at www.brizo.ph

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