by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 27, 2020 | Kitchen Tips
“Going back to school” is different this year as many schools shift to distance learning due to the pandemic. In addition to other responsibilities, most parents now need to take on their kids’ schooling and ensure that they really understand their online lessons.
If you’re already working from home, you may be thinking that you just don’t have enough time for your job, household chores, and helping your kids with school. Before you get overwhelmed, Solane, the leading supplier of LPG in the country, is here to offer some kitchen tips to make your new arrangement at home easier.
Set a schedule.
Preparing a meal, on top of everything else that needs to get done, can be time-consuming. Make sure you have a daily schedule that includes the time you will allot for cooking, uninterrupted work, your kids’ school hours, as well as your break time and mealtimes. Once you have your schedule, do your best to stick to it so you can manage your time better.
Plan meals in advance.
Save yourself from unnecessary stress by planning the meals you will cook for the family ahead of time. By doing this, you get to save some time by getting all the ingredients you need at the grocery in one trip during the quarantine. Just make sure to plan a variety of dishes that are easy to prepare, flavorful, and nutritious.
Get the kids involved.
If your kids aren’t too busy, you can ask them to help with some simple tasks in the kitchen like rinsing the vegetables or mixing ingredients. This can also be an opportunity to teach them about kitchen safety when it comes to things like peeling and chopping vegetables to avoid accidents. A few minutes before your meal, ask your kids to help by setting up the table. After eating, they can also help clear the table and put the dirty dishes in the sink. Not only will this help you, but this will also teach your kids responsibility and discipline.
Do the chores immediately.
Try to get the chores done right away. Small stressors, like unfinished kitchen chores, only add up and affect your overall well-being. If tasks are left undone, you may feel more stressed, especially while working or tutoring your kids. Start small. After eating, you can wash your kitchen tools and tableware, wipe the counters, and throw out the trash immediately. If you don’t feel up to it, don’t think of it as, “I need to clean the kitchen.” Instead, look at it this way: Do you want a clean kitchen? Then, get cleaning.
Invest in the right kitchen equipment.
Invest in kitchen tools that can help you save time and cook faster, such as convection ovens, food processors, and instant pots. Also consider kitchen appliances that don’t need too much attention while cooking, like slow cookers. Just put your ingredients in them and they will take care of the cooking process.
This will give you more time to focus on your work and kids’ lessons. In addition, opt for an LPG brand that is made for fast and safe cooking, like Solane. With the help of Solane, you can easily prepare your meals without the hassle or any worries.
For more information, visit www.solane.com.ph or follow @solane.ph on Facebook.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 26, 2020 | Health Tips
These times are extra difficult to deal with, especially when it comes to finding a balance between our work and personal lives. Just imagine how a regular day unfolds for a working millennial mom, who tries to hustle while caring for her family, and herself. It may seem like a tough job really, but some of them turned to meditative journaling, also known as mindful writing, as a healing method to get through the day. But how?
It makes them start and learn something new.
For working moms who are mostly busy with their responsibilities, there’s this sense of hunger for new discoveries and tasks but they need to be light, rewarding, and easy to maintain, too. The habit of regular writing itself is already a form of a new process – something that is not usually part of our daily lives. But it gives one the freedom to express emotions and create something as they feel it. No pressure. It’s just that joyful connection between the self and those blank pages – the kind of beginning that is comforting than intimidating.
It makes them become more open.
Working millennial moms usually feel anxious, unheard, and unseen. It is a struggle to share their sentiments with other people because of the fear that they may not understand it, or simply because they don’t know how to articulate what they’re going through.
For the times that they couldn’t catch up with their friends, journals serve as their perfect outlet. The beauty of writing an entry is that there are no rules or boundaries. They can acknowledge their feelings, rant, or even sketch what they feel. At the end of the day, it’s all about taking a pause, seeking comfort, and finding their light.
It makes them remember more things.
Juggling multiple responsibilities at the same time can really make us forget a lot. Meditative journaling can help us find our center and remember all the important things, the little wins, and even our failures.
It’s like the flow and reminder they need every day. By turning various moments into written tangible experiences, they’re able to keep track of time, pay more attention to details, and regain this sense of control.
It makes them respond to their needs quickly.
Narrating your feelings and daily experiences is not only a form of expression but more importantly, it gives you more signs and ideas on how to care for yourself. If you have noticed how the past few weeks have been consecutively rough, maybe it’s time to realign and change your routine or perspective.
If you’ve noticed changes when it comes to your body, maybe it’s time to ask if you’re still okay, happy, or healthy, and make adjustments that are comfortable for you. Listening to yourself is an important element of meditative journaling.
It relaxes them and rewards them at the same time.
Mindful writing is like a me-time that is easy to squeeze in every working woman’s hectic schedule. The key to rewarding mediative journaling is to set a particular time for it and treat it not as an additional assignment, but a form of self-care. Write based on your observations, feelings, reflections, and needs. It’s like talking to yourself – and choosing to be kind to yourself.
Whether you want to keep a journal for growth, self-love, reconnecting with yourself, finding your light, or simply capturing your thoughts and feelings through words, Viviamo offers different styles and formats that could match any undertaking.
Belle de Jour (BDJ) Power Planner’s Earth theme inspires you to acknowledge your existence, struggles, and victories, through beautiful, motivational graphics and quotes.
Everything Is Possible design encourages you to take little steps towards your goal, while NAVI’s Lighthouse theme embraces the wanderlust in you.
FOCUS planner reflects ambitions and bold dreams through its geometric designs, while Essentials and Petit collections remain perfect for those on the minimalist, sleek, and elegant side.
Go to https://go.crazyaboutpaper.com/viviamoplanners to view more of their products, and start your meditative journaling this 2021.
About Viviamo! Inc.
15 years ago, Viviamo! Inc. which means “WE LIVE” started out as Belle de Jour Power Planner” and has since expanded products and services beyond planners.
Today, Viviamo! Inc. is a growing custom publishing, marketing, and e-commerce company, with an active community of 100,000+ fans, a purpose-driven line of paper products available in retail and online, and collaborations between the country’s top brands and creative talents. Through it all, we seek to empower people to dream, plan, and dare to live their best lives.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 26, 2020 | Lifestyle
This a year everyone will remember. As we’ve been locked in our homes, everyday balancing fear and anxiety over the uncertainties brought about by a global pandemic, we hear a quiet rebellion, with some of us saying — oh this year doesn’t count, this year is canceled, my planner is a waste. Yet in this time of great pause, we really cannot deny we are also given the choice to simply be, to get to know ourselves again, to journey deep in that space within where all is well.
Though many of our plans seem to have turned upside down, does that mean we should stop going after our goals and passions? What if we are given this pause to recalibrate, to course-correct, to redesign ourselves? And to help Filipinos continue to journey through life courageously, Viviamo, maker of the Belle de Jour (BDJ) Power Planner, launches its 2021 planner and journal collection on September 19-20, at the First Planning and Journaling Online Summit: #YouGotThis.
#YouGotThis was created because now more than ever, this message needs to be felt, and heard, and passed around. At a time when we must distance ourselves from each other to survive, we can’t ignore the human yearning to still connect–and isn’t it that the most important connection we can make, is with our Inner Selves? When we are forced to strip down to the barest of essentials, we journey deeper within, and with the help of pen and paper, we begin to acknowledge our emotions, start to power through anxiety, again remember our dreams, then recommit to our goals, and in the process, rediscover the strength and power of our innermost Selves.
It is our hope that with #YouGotThis, we can help every Filipino strengthen that spark of hope within, so we can all journey on, past this pandemic, as stronger and better persons. Our hope for each Filipino is to feel and to believe that #YouGotThis. For this is the year we choose courage over fear. This is the year we choose to trust that we are still worthy of our dreams and that with an open mind, open heart, and open will–we are limitless.
And whatever your space, whatever your psyche, whatever your journaling or planning style, you want a journal or planner that can be a witness to your life. Viviamo promises a 2021 collection like no other; thoughtfully, intuitively, and beautifully designed products to help you achieve whatever you desire and journey courageously through life.
Balance dreams and responsibilities with the 2021 Belle de Jour Power Planner
Viviamo’s flagship offering, the Belle de Jour Power Planner, inspires you to “Grow with the Earth”. As we experience change and chaos in the present, and even when things aren’t going to plan, there is always a silver lining—that all will eventually be well, and we are in the process of becoming whole again. Now on its 15th year, BDJ recommits to growth with a logo refresh.
The 2021 BDJ Planner features monthly narratives and worksheets to help you stay focused and connected to yourself and motivated on your goals. Meanwhile, the weekly spreads provide enough space for your priorities, schedules, and self-care mantras.
With four beautifully designed covers, the 2021 BDJ planner is the perfect companion for whatever life phase you are going through. Whether you are in for a pause or you are slowing down, remember to journey on with your dreams, and keep planning to live a meaningful life!
Live in the now with 2021 Navi Planner
Amid very trying times, we hold on to our moral compass, and we search for light. What if that light is already within? NAVI: Your Life Navigator 2021 is inspired by the steadfast beacon of light from the world’s most beautiful Lighthouses.
Significant to seafarers who spend the darkest nights at sea, the lighthouse is an icon of safety, a glorious sight, as though affirming this is the way; trust that wherever you are is where you need to be.
With travel plans on pause globally, NAVI 2021 makes it possible for travel lovers with a virtual “around the world” edition page. When wanderlust strikes, just flip through the pages of NAVI 2021 that feature lighthouses from 12 different countries and the stories behind them. This will include checklists and writing prompts related to traveling.
Let NAVI 2021 inspire you to celebrate how far you’ve come and shone the light on how much farther you want to go.
Trust and Allow life’s possibilities with 2021 Everything is Possible Planner
Feeling stuck? It happens to the best of us. The 2021 Everything is Possible Planner is the perfect reminder that right when we feel we can’t handle any more of the mess and the madness of life when we truly commit to the journey, we will experience the breakthrough we’ve all been yearning for. And that is when we realize: each one of us is in the middle of becoming who we are meant to be.
The shards of broken glass on the cover of the 2021 Everything is Possible Planner shows us the beauty of breakthroughs. Transformation only happens when you embrace vulnerability and allow yourself to first be broken.
The life you’ve always wanted is just waiting for you outside of the glass walls you built yourself. All you need is to trust and to be open to possibilities.
Find your center with 2021 Focus Journal
The Focus 2021 Journal is all about creating positive changes within yourself. These changes are meant to prepare you for life’s inevitable challenges. Quite significantly, each page of the journal is decorated with the icosahedron, a three-dimensional figure that is made of 20 triangle-shaped sides.
This structure is believed to represent change and the movement and flow it creates. Said to be connected to the water — an element that adapts to the shape of the container and is both destructive and life-giving — the icosahedron channels your life force or chakra to help balance your emotions, allowing you to generate and heal.
The 2021 Focus dividers highlight powerful words that are significant to change.
Start anew with the 2021 Essentials Planner
The great thing about a new year is that you are given the chance to start with a clean slate. With the 2021 Essentials Planner, you can do just that with its clean and unstructured pages specifically designated for bullet journaling or creative journaling.
This year, the cover designs are influenced by Art Deco which is popular in the field of architecture. The intention of the design is to have a sleek and elegant feel.
Plan anywhere with the 2021 Petit Planner
For the on-the-go, the 2021 Petit Planner is just the perfect companion. Portable and handy, this planner allows you to give a quick overview of your plans and schedules. The neon minimalist typography on the cover is modern and unisex.
This year, Viviamo also journeys toward sustainability. All 2021 Viviamo Planners are all Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified which means that products are made with sustainably sourced paper that was produced with responsible forestry in mind.
The Viviamo 2021 Planner Collection is here. Our circumstances may have changed, but the future belongs to all of us who journey on. Continue your courageous journey by journaling with the new collection of Viviamo available at https://go.crazyaboutpaper.com/viviamoplanners and in all major bookstores nationwide.
About Viviamo! Inc.
15 years ago, Viviamo! Inc. which means “WE LIVE” started out as Belle de Jour Power Planner” and has since expanded products and services beyond planners.
Today, Viviamo! Inc. is a growing custom publishing, marketing, and e-commerce company, with an active community of 100,000+ fans, a purpose-driven line of paper products available in retail and online, and collaborations between the country’s top brands and creative talents. Through it all, we seek to empower people to dream, plan, and dare to live their best lives.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 25, 2020 | Awards and Competitions
In a landmark event hailed as a strong and successful finish amid the pandemic, Century Tuna Superbods 2020 named nursing student and ESL instructor Samantha Ashley Lo and fitness coach and professional model Sam Ajdani as the Century Tuna Everybod Superbod title holders. The most anticipated health and fitness event of the year was also a momentous occasion as it set the standards for future online events in the new normal.
Held at the Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan in Quezon City, the finals event followed strict adherence to the FDCP-DOH-DOLE safety protocols for film and audio-visual shoots.
“We needed to rise up to the challenge. We knew it was going to be tough but we stayed focused and if we’re able to pull this off successfully then at least we are able to provide a template for the industry to learn from and use. We soldiered on despite the challenges to show that it can be done,” said Century Pacific Food Inc. EVP & COO Greg Banzon.
He also added, “It’s important to stage the event to provide inspiration and a good benchmark for the country to put health, wellness, and fitness as the top priority.”
The success of the event amid the pandemic made their victory even more memorable for both Samantha (27) and Sam (30).
Sam Adjani
Sam, who is a professional commercial model, admitted that one of the most challenging parts of the competition was trying to stay healthy given the restrictions of the pandemic.
Samantha Ashley Lo
Meanwhile, Samantha, who is a former Miss Grand International Philippines winner, had to strengthen her focus and remain creative in her home workouts, even when she could not go to the gym. Their persistence and commitment to stay strong and focused paid off when they were proclaimed winners of the biggest health and fitness competition in the country.
Samantha and Sam bested 25 other Superbods candidates and will each take home Php 500,000 tax-free cash and other amazing prizes. Both winners passed rigorous digital challenges required during the competition to emerge as the new ambassadors of Century Tuna Superbods 2020 — health and fitness advocates who are passionate about promoting health and wellness as an everyday commitment, especially during these trying times. They are also exceptional individuals who remain optimistic and believe in getting back up again even after falling so many times.
Meanwhile, the runners-up were Superbod 2020 Stunner Candice Ramos and Superbod 2020 Ageless Erie Matic. Other candidates who took home special awards were Shirley Garcia, Zai Ebido, Enzo Bonoan, Samantha Purvor, Philippe Magalona, Nelson Banzuela, Key Trajano, Albert Lorenzo, and Grace Del Rosario.
The 25 finalists were all strong contenders, showcasing inspiring traits and skills to encourage themselves and their fellow Filipinos to keep going and remain healthy and strong during these trying times.
The finalists were judged by a distinguished panel of judges. Joining Century Pacific Food Inc. EVP & COO Greg Banzon, Century Tuna Marketing Director Carlo Endaya, triathlete and SEA Games gold medalist Nikko Huelgas, GMA Network Senior Assistant Vice President for alternative productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, Isabelle Daza, Alice Dixson, Sarah Lahbati, Ina Raymundo, and DJ Toni Tony.
The health and fitness competition was relaunched last July 25 with a more inclusive and relevant #StayStrongPilipinas theme. To signal its resumption, Century Tuna released a rousing video via its official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/centurytuna), featuring Century Tuna celebrity ambassadors Nadine Lustre and Alden Richards with the Superbods finalists urging everyone to stay strong and to continue pursuing their dreams of a healthier future through proper diet and exercise.
To relive the “Century Tuna EverybodSuperbod 2020” finals, visit and follow Century Tuna’s Facebook page, @centurytuna, or Instagram @centurytunasuperbods.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 24, 2020 | Advocacy
September 2020 marks the seven (7) fruitful years of collaboration between NOVUHAIR®, the leading hair loss treatment in the country, and THE ALOPECIA PHILIPPINES, a group founded in 2012 by singer and songwriter Abby Asistio.
“VICTORIOUS, Rising Above Alopecia and the Pandemic Together” is this year’s official online gathering theme LIVE at When in Manila’s Facebook page on Saturday, September 26, 2020 (3 pm to 8 pm). Everyone is invited to witness this momentous event.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3iUQoUD.
Abby Asistio is currently one of the ambassadors and the Inspirational VIP Coach of NOVUHAIR®, nature’s answer to hair loss, which she has been using since March 2013.
Know more about NOVUHAIR® at https://www.novuhair.com/novuhair-3-in-1-vip-promo-kit/
#NovuhairxAlopeciaPhilippines #AlopeciaAwareness #NovuhairCares #NovuhairxAbbyAsistio
Preparing a meal, on top of everything else that needs to get done, can be time-consuming. Make sure you have a daily schedule that includes the time you will allot for cooking, uninterrupted work, your kids’ school hours, as well as your break time and mealtimes. Once you have your schedule, do your best to stick to it so you can manage your time better.
If your kids aren’t too busy, you can ask them to help with some simple tasks in the kitchen like rinsing the vegetables or mixing ingredients. This can also be an opportunity to teach them about kitchen safety when it comes to things like peeling and chopping vegetables to avoid accidents. A few minutes before your meal, ask your kids to help by setting up the table. After eating, they can also help clear the table and put the dirty dishes in the sink. Not only will this help you, but this will also teach your kids responsibility and discipline.
Try to get the chores done right away. Small stressors, like unfinished kitchen chores, only add up and affect your overall well-being. If tasks are left undone, you may feel more stressed, especially while working or tutoring your kids. Start small. After eating, you can wash your kitchen tools and tableware, wipe the counters, and throw out the trash immediately. If you don’t feel up to it, don’t think of it as, “I need to clean the kitchen.” Instead, look at it this way: Do you want a clean kitchen? Then, get cleaning.
Invest in kitchen tools that can help you save time and cook faster, such as convection ovens, food processors, and instant pots. Also consider kitchen appliances that don’t need too much attention while cooking, like slow cookers. Just put your ingredients in them and they will take care of the cooking process.
Working millennial moms usually feel anxious, unheard, and unseen. It is a struggle to share their sentiments with other people because of the fear that they may not understand it, or simply because they don’t know how to articulate what they’re going through.
Juggling multiple responsibilities at the same time can really make us forget a lot. Meditative journaling can help us find our center and remember all the important things, the little wins, and even our failures.
Belle de Jour (BDJ) Power Planner’s Earth theme inspires you to acknowledge your existence, struggles, and victories, through beautiful, motivational graphics and quotes.
15 years ago, Viviamo! Inc. which means “WE LIVE” started out as Belle de Jour Power Planner” and has since expanded products and services beyond planners.
Amid very trying times, we hold on to our moral compass, and we search for light. What if that light is already within? NAVI: Your Life Navigator 2021 is inspired by the steadfast beacon of light from the world’s most beautiful Lighthouses.
Feeling stuck? It happens to the best of us. The 2021 Everything is Possible Planner is the perfect reminder that right when we feel we can’t handle any more of the mess and the madness of life when we truly commit to the journey, we will experience the breakthrough we’ve all been yearning for. And that is when we realize: each one of us is in the middle of becoming who we are meant to be.
The Focus 2021 Journal is all about creating positive changes within yourself. These changes are meant to prepare you for life’s inevitable challenges. Quite significantly, each page of the journal is decorated with the icosahedron, a three-dimensional figure that is made of 20 triangle-shaped sides.
The great thing about a new year is that you are given the chance to start with a clean slate. With the 2021 Essentials Planner, you can do just that with its clean and unstructured pages specifically designated for bullet journaling or creative journaling.
For the on-the-go, the 2021 Petit Planner is just the perfect companion. Portable and handy, this planner allows you to give a quick overview of your plans and schedules. The neon minimalist typography on the cover is modern and unisex.
“We needed to rise up to the challenge. We knew it was going to be tough but we stayed focused and if we’re able to pull this off successfully then at least we are able to provide a template for the industry to learn from and use. We soldiered on despite the challenges to show that it can be done,” said Century Pacific Food Inc. EVP & COO Greg Banzon.
September 2020 marks the seven (7) fruitful years of collaboration between NOVUHAIR®, the leading hair loss treatment in the country, and THE ALOPECIA PHILIPPINES, a group founded in 2012 by singer and songwriter Abby Asistio.
Abby Asistio is currently one of the ambassadors and the Inspirational VIP Coach of NOVUHAIR®, nature’s answer to hair loss, which she has been using since March 2013.
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