A Visit in Rocky Mountain's Chocolate Factory in Molito

Rocky Mountain's Chocolate Factory facade

It was December 24 when my sister and I went to Molito to pick up our ham and cheese platter that we ordered from Brera Delicatessen. Right beside the said store, I was delighted to see this establishment named "Rocky Mountain's Chocolate Factory," so I decided to check it out. When I went inside, I realized that they are indeed true to their name because everything in their store is all about chocolate, a true heaven for chocolate lovers. 

My 6-Year-Old Had an Eye Check Up in Star Finder Optical Shop

Since it's Christmas and I already have extra budget with me, I decided to have my daughter's eyes checked. My 6-year-old is currently wearing eyeglasses which she wears to school and at home. Since it's been 2 years since she had her first set of glasses, I decided to have her eyes checked in an optical shop because she would always blink her eyes due to gadget use (sigh, yes I'm guilty of allowing her to use gadgets, but now I'm no longer allowing it). I thought her glasses needed an upgrade.

Great Rewards Awaits Nimo TV’s Game Streamers

Manila, Philippines – Live Streaming app Nimo TV announced an exciting promo for its game streamers this December entitled Road to the Top 2018.

As one of the leading video game streaming platform, Nimo TV’s Road to the Top 2018 is a way of rewarding its streamers with the support they gave since its launch in the Philippines.

“They play a big role in achieving our goal of making an interactive community” Amy Cao, Global Marketing/PR Head Nimo TV. “They share and foster a positive culture that entertains our audience, and this is our way of acknowledging their efforts in helping us succeed,“ Cao added.

The promo is open to all active streamers and winners will be recognized based on three categories: Popularity, Chatting and Stream Time. The first category is Popularity; this category is base on the total number of new users gained by streamers during the promo period. Streamers should keep on sharing their channel to gain new subscribers. The second category is Chatting; this is base on the number of comments made by the streamers to their channel. And since Nimo TV values conversation, streamers should reply to the comments made by their viewers.Lastly the Stream Time category, this category is base on the duration a streamer made during the promo period.

A cash prize and an appearance to Nimo TV’s Road To the Top 2018 main page as “Last week’s Champion” await the weekly top streamer per category. Aside from the weekly winners, a December Leader Board will be rewarded with the following:

·         Rank 1: Limited Edition Profile Badge (for 1 month), Customized Channel Background, Customized Channel Thumbnail and PHP 10,000 Cash

·         Rank 2: Customized Channel Background, Customized Channel Thumbnail and PHP 5,000 Cash

·         Rank 3: Customized Channel Thumbnail and PHP 2,000 Cash prize

·         Rank 4-10: PHP 1,000 Cash

The Nimo TV Road to the Top 2018 will run until December 31, 2018.

Start streaming nowand accelerate your way to the Top! Join now and click here: http://bit.ly/nimotvrttt

xxx

About NiMO TV

Nimo TV is a leading global platform that allows millions of gamers from all around the world to play and broadcast their games to other like-minded players building a community of players, gamers, and fans that drive conversation, and allows peer-to-peer rewards and recognition. Utilizing a high-quality interactive technology, audiences can interact with streamers, and gain access to exclusive esports events and tournaments, along with unprecedented access to the top streamers from across the region.

Kids Make Recess Refreshingly Fun with Jolly Kiddie Meal Tumblers

The country’s leading fast-food chain’s Jolly Kiddie Meal makes school recess and playtime breaks more refreshingly fun for kids with its Jolly Tumblers! The colorful and jolly-looking beverage containers are one of the convenient ways for young ones to bring their favorite drinks to school, the playground, and to their playmate’s house.

Jolly Tumblers

With the new Jolly Kiddie Meal Tumblers, young ones can enjoy their favorite fruit juices, iced tea, milk and chocolate drinks, or water anytime and anywhere with their most-loved Jollibee and Friends mascots.

With its built-in straw, kids can easily sip beverages from their rainbow-colored Jolly Tumblers. They can also play with Jollibee, Hetty, Popo, Twirlie, and Yum by turning the gear and seeing the Jollibee and Friends mascots rotate on top of their tumblers.

The Jolly Kiddie Meal Tumblers come with every purchase of a Yumburger (P80), Yumburger Meal with Drink (P100), Jolly Spaghetti (P95), Jolly Spaghetti Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Burger Steak (P95), 1-piece Burger Steak Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Chickenjoy with rice (P120), or 1-piece Chickenjoy Meal with Drink (P135), each with its own Jolly Joy Box.

Get all five collectible Jolly Tumblers from December 1 to 31 and make your kids’ recess more refreshingly fun!

REX Team Gets Lauded at Oxford Education Conference

MANILA | During the International Conference of the International Association on Educational Assessment, a gathering of researchers and professionals in the field of education and learning technologies held in the U.K., a Filipina researcher´s presentation was cited by the conference´s keynote speaker, Dr. Arthur Graesser, as being ¨very contemporary,¨ a citation which reflects the Philippine education sector´s ongoing forays into developing 21st-century learning methods and tools for today´s young learners.

Dexter Ngo GM REX Institute for Student Excellence, Dr. Marilyn Balagtas Director of the Center for Research & Development at Philippine Normal University and REX Book Store Managing Director Danda Buhain-Garcia

The Filipina researcher lauded at the recent conference was Dr. Marilyn U. Balagtas, current Director of the Center for Research and Development in Education at the Philippine Normal University (PNU), the country´s foremost academic institution for training future educators. As a research consultant for the REX Institute for Student Excellence (RISE), the assessment arm of REX, Dr. Balagtas has worked to help REX Book Store Inc. gain insight on the latest trends and developments in learning technologies, as well as new approaches to teaching based on education research.

The paper, entitled ¨Development and Use of the 21st Century Standards-based Assessment for the K to 12 Curriculum: Towards Building a Database for Knowledge Creation,¨ was co-authored with two RISE officials, Ms. Danda Crimelda B. Garcia and Mr. Dexter C. Ngo. It was presented to a panel composed of educators and education industry assessors at the International Association in Educational Assessment (IAEA) last Sept 14, 2018.

The paper´s core idea of building an open and shared database for assessment methods, competencies, contexts, and choices,  was noted as ¨very innovative¨ by Rachel Sperring, Session Chair of the research panel. The international conference was hosted by the Oxford University Center for Educational Assessment, with participants coming in from all over the globe.

The recognition of Dr. Balagtas´ pioneering research work on the education sector at both the local and international levels has helped REX refine its development of learning solutions for the Filipino learner. As an organization at the forefront of serving and transforming the education sector towards achieving competency in meeting the demands of the 21st century, REX shares the same commitment to excellence and forward-thinking passion.

Learn more about the REX Assessment Solutions, visit https://www.assessment.rexbookstore.ph

Spoil Your Eyes with Voogueme Eye Wear

The holidays are coming! I know a lot of you are thinking of the best of gifts for you or for your loved ones.  Some might think of gadgets, cosmetics, or even clothing for Christmas which are nice indeed. 

However, this Christmas, why not choose the best products for your eyes? Let’s face it – our eyes are very important part of our body and does an important job on our everyday lifestyle.  If you do not take care of your eyes, you wouldn’t be able to do the things you mostly do every day. Our eyes play an important role in everything we do so I think they deserve to be treated specially.

Shangri-La at the Fort Invites Guests to Celebrate the Holidays in the Heart of Bonifacio Global City

Manila, 22 November 2018 – Guests can look forward to the most wonderful time of the year as an array of staycation offers, festive feasts and treats await at Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila.

Start Your Fitness Journey at Fitness Revolution!

Invite your friends and head on to the ABS-CBN Vertis Tent at Ayala Malls Vertis North, Quezon City on November 16, 17 and 18 to have a weekend of fun and excitement at Fitness Revolution Health & Wellness Expo.

A World of Joy Awaits Kids with Jollibee Around the World Jolly Kiddie Meal Toys

Children are bound to have lots of fun playtimes as they discover and explore an even bigger world of joy with the latest Jollibee Around the World toys!

Jollibee Around The World Toys

The new and exciting set of Jolly Kiddie Meal collectibles—to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the country’s largest fast-food chain and to showcase where the brand is present around the world—features Jollibee introducing kids to cities and countries such as California, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

With the new Jolly Kiddie Meal Jollibee Around the World toys, kids can surf and ride waves in sunny California, play the ukulele and enjoy the beachesin Hawaii, strike the drums in Hong Kong’s dragon boat festival, ride a Venetian gondola in Italy, see the iconic Merlion in Singapore, and march with the Queen’s Royal Guards in the United Kingdom.

The latest Jollibee Around the World toys come with every purchase of a Yumburger (P80), Yumburger Meal with Drink (P100), Jolly Spaghetti (P95), Jolly Spaghetti Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Burger Steak (P95), 1-piece Burger Steak Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Chickenjoy with rice (P120), or 1-piece Chickenjoy Meal with Drink (P135), each with its own Jolly Joy Box.

Collect all six Jollibee Around the World toys until November 30 and help spread a world of joy with Jollibee!

Delectable Cakes from Mrs Pepper's in BF Homes

I was looking for a special chocolate cake online for my sister's 39th birthday last October. I came across all the typical chocolate and birthday cakes online until I was lucky enough to find a certain Ferrero Cake from Google. Ferrero chocolates is my sister's favorite so I thought buying her a Ferrero cake would be a great idea. I was so happy to know that it's available in Mrs. Pepper's Bakery located inside BF Homes, Paranaque - just a tricycle ride away from our home! 

Lunch Buffet at The Cafe in Hyatt City of Dreams Manila

Thanks to Metrodeal, we were able to purchase our lunch buffet at the Cafe in Hyatt City of Dreams Manila for a discounted price of Php 1,105 per person.

Our Dreamplay Experience in Hyatt City of Dreams Manila

For my son's 11th birthday, we decided to go to Dreamplay in City of Dreams, Manila simply because we've never been there and we wanted to see what's in store for us. 

BAVI is the First Filipino Company to Provide Leadership Coaching to Store Managers

Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI), makers of Chooks-to-Go, has created Leadership Development, an internal coaching unit that provides leadership coaching programs to middle management employees and even first-time management trainees.

SM Supermalls Treats Kids Nationwide with the "Super AweSM" United Nations and Halloween Celebrations

After the nationwide success of #SuperAweSMKidsDay, SM Supermalls continues the #AweSMKidsMonth this October with back-to-back awesome events, namely United Nations Day and Halloween.

V11: A Fusion of Art and Technology

Gone are the days of bulky and monochromatic mobile phones. Compact and sleek phones are now considered the norm, thanks to smartphone brands that design products with the consumers’ need in mind. Aside from a smartphone’s key functions, its appearance attracts customers since they are more mindful of trends and it’s also an avenue to fully express their artistic preferences. Thus, Vivo fused art and technology together in their latest flagship phone through their two trendsetting fusion color selections.

Eyes on Manila Lands a Spot in the Top 20 Manila Blogs

This is a late post, but I just wanted to thank Feedspot.com for including me in the top 20 Manila Blogs and Websites to Follow in 2018. I know I barely post new articles nowadays because of work, but I do try my very best to keep my readers updated on the significant and relevant news around. 

Again, thank you very much and to God be the glory. 

Converge ICT Reinforces Ethernet Capabilities with MEF CE 2.0 Certification

Leading Philippine ICT Solutions Provider Strengthens Services Portfolio with Coriant Packet Transport Platform

Converge ICT (CICT) Solutions, the leading provider of pure fiber internet solutions in the Philippines, today announced it has further strengthened its Carrier Ethernet services capabilities with successful completion of MEF CE 2.0 Certification. The certification augments the company’s core solutions competencies.

The rigorous CE 2.0 testing included certification of E-Line EPL/EVPL, E-Access EPL/EVPL, and E-LAN/EP-LAN service configurations, and was performed across CICT’s deployed metro core and regional transport infrastructure leveraging the Coriant® 7090 Packet Transport Platform and Coriant Transcend™ Chorus network management solution.

My Maxicare Lite: The Prepaid Health Card for Dengue

Dengue is still on the rise especially this rainy season. According to Wikipedia, Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. This may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash.

Photo from Pexels

How to Have a Smart Baby

How to Have a Smart Baby: Three simple things you can do for your child’s brain development during pregnancy

By: Ms. Mary Jude Icasiano, Nutritionist

Makati City—September 3, 2018— As an expectant mom, you want the best for your baby. That is why you do everything you can to ensure your baby’s health. But did you know that you could do a lot of things that can help give your baby a bright tomorrow?

While your child is yet to be born, your pregnancy is a crucial time in his or her life. In fact, the World Health Organization says that the first 1000 days of your baby’s life, starting with the 270 days of pregnancy and first two years of a child’s life, is an optimum period to building a strong foundation for their health, growth, and ability to learn in the future.

Take these three simple steps to help promote proper brain growth and development of your baby while in the womb.

Stay fit and active

Exercising during pregnancy may not only improve your health but also, the brain development of your baby. The University of Montreal conducted a study where 18 expectant moms and their babies found out that after 10 days of exercising, their unborn children have a faster brain development.

This finding also suggests that being physically active during pregnancy can help increase your body’s blood flow, which can stimulate your baby’s overall development.

Talk to your baby

It may seem like a silly thing to do but, talking to your unborn child can help create and establish a bond between you and your baby. In a 2013 study by Eino Partanen, et al., expectant women were given a recording that they will play towards the end of their pregnancy, which included a made-up word. The babies who heard the recording most frequently had the strongest response, suggesting that language learning begins in the womb.

Playing music is also beneficial to your baby since it helps trigger happy chemicals like serotonin, an important neuromodulator of brain development and the structure and function of neuronal circuits. These chemicals also encourage your baby to feel calm and even increase concentration power.

Eat healthily

Every food you eat during pregnancy has a direct effect on your baby. Take this as an opportunity to eat healthy meals that will help with your baby’s growth and development.

There are certain foods that have been proven to effectively help your baby’s memory and ability to learn. For example, a study led by a researcher from Cornell University found that expectant moms who consumed nearly twice the recommended amount of choline each day during their last trimester gave birth to babies who showed better brain function.

Similarly, consuming foods rich in DHA, Folic Acid, and Iodine, are essential for a healthy brain development.

It is also critical to provide your baby with the nutrients that will support your baby’s brain development. In addition to following a healthy diet, you also need a maternal milk to supplement you and your baby with essential nutrients.

ProMama^® is a delicious tasting nutritional milk drink, scientifically formulated with key nutrients designed to support you during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation. It is rich in brain-building nutrients such as DHA, Folic Acid, Choline, and Iodine. Proper growth and development early on can lead to better health outcomes later in life.

Caring for yourself is essential during pregnancy since it supports all parts of your child’s brain growth and development. Creating a strong foundation built on healthy environment and diet can ensure that your baby will have a bright tomorrow.

Traveling To New Cities Using a Limousine Service (US Residents)

Image from Pexels

Are you excited to get ready for your next vacation, or maybe you get ready for a business trip and want everything to be set up ahead of time so you can make the most out of your experience? Whatever the purpose of the trip may be, traveling can be an exciting, relaxing time if you take care of certain aspects.

Vivo Ready to Wow the World with an All-New Screen Design

Global smartphone brand, Vivo, has been known for its high-technology innovations that have wowed the world several times over. But it has also been a pioneer of various consumer-centric smartphone designs. 

Starting August 20, the fastest growing smartphone brand has teased tech savvy followers with a series of mysterious videos posted on its social media pages. The latest was a video of the moon with its shape emphasized by a curved line, a hint of the look of the next flagship smartphone

The galaxies coalesced. Prepare for something greater. #GoBeyond,” Vivo wrote in its latest post

For its latest smartphone releases, Vivo has pushed the boundaries of the screens based on various studies and insights on what its consumers want. 

Advantages of Renting a Condo

Rent is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property according to Wikipedia. Renting a place is way much easier than building a house whereas you don't need to deal with a developer, a property refurbishment company, and others related to real estate development. 

Just a few weeks ago, my sister rented a condo in Pasig through Airbnb and it surprised me how easy renting would be as long as you prepare your budget for it. I realized renting a place does have advantages if a person were to rent a place based on my observation. Let me share it with you below: 

Image from Pixabay

Expandable Batons vs. Self-Defense Stick – Which is better?

Photo from Pixabay

Despite both weapons looking like a normal stick, there are significant differences when it comes to comparing an expandable baton (also called extendable baton) and a self-defense stick.

Many self-defense sticks are mainly wooden while expandable batonsare mainly made of steel or metal alloys. See expandable batons.

Both weapons, though, use force as the mode of self-defense to inflict pain and damage on sensitive body parts.

Have Your Groceries Delivered At Your Door Step

As a working mom with no babysitter, I used to dream to have my groceries done online and get delivered at home. I'm just so busy on the weekdays, so on weekends, I would often prefer to rest at home instead. 

Thanks to the internet, my dream has come true! I can get my groceries delivered! It's very convenient for me and saves me time and energy. All of this was made possible by Honestbee.

Honestbee is an online platform/delivery service where you can order food from their list of restaurant partners (e.g. J.Co Donuts, Zark's Burgers, Army Navy, etc.) or do groceries from their select supermarket partners such as Robinsons Supermarket, S&R Shopping, and more. 

I want my groceries delivered. Where do I get Honestbee? 

For PC users, you may go to www.honestbee.ph and register for free. For first time users, you get P500 OFF on your first order for groceries and P200 OFF on your first food order! You may also download the Honestbee app in Google Play for mobile users. 

I have been doing my groceries online with Robinsons Supermarket via Honestbee more than 5 times now especially during the rainy days.Here's a screenshot of my orders to prove that Honestbee is totally legit: 

My orders from Robinson's Supermarket via Honestbee

Is there an additional charge? 

They have a delivery charge and a concierge charge. I'm not sure if these charges are fixed or there's a certain computation, but in my case, my delivery charge is always P49 and my concierge fee is P99, totaling to almost P150. But, if your grocery is worth P2,500 or more then your delivery is FREE. They also offer huge discounts when your total bill is more than P5,000.

 At first, I got discouraged a bit when I saw these charges, but after thinking about it, it's a reasonable price for me. First of all, my tricycle ride (to and from the supermarket) is P50. Now, when I take my kids to the grocery store, they would be hungry and would insist on me buying some fries or drinks which would often cost me P250 or more. That's P300+! So I think an additional of P150 for the online grocery service is very reasonable. 

Honestbee delivery service is available in Metro Manila and nearby areas. 

If you have questions or would like to add something, please write them down on the comments below. 

This is not a sponsored post. 

Working At Home: Requirements and Where to Look for a Job

Hey, guys! Sorry for not posting much on my blog lately because I'm busy working at home. Yes, even if I work at home, I still get busy meaning having less time with blogging or other stuff. 

Image from Pixabay

People have been asking me ever since how to start working at home so I decided to create a blog post about it to help out moms like me who wants to help out their husbands financially or simply to support their family. There are a lot of ways to start, but let me share with you how I started with mine. 

Yanolja invests USD 15M into Leading Southeast Asian Economy Hotel Chain ZEN Rooms

• Seoul-based accommodation/leisure company Yanolja enters South East Asia by investing USD15M into ZEN Rooms in return for a minority stake
•   Strategic investment into ZEN Rooms to benefit from exponential growth and synergistic effects in Southeast Asian market·  
• This marks the first cross-border transaction for Yanolja and the largest startup investment by a Korean company in South East Asia 

Singapore, July 26^th 2018 

Leading Southeast Asian economy hotel chain and online booking platform ZEN Rooms (www.zenrooms.com) announces a strategic minority investment of USD15M by Yanolja, the leading Seoul-based leisure company with rights to acquire 100% of ZEN Rooms in the future. This is the largest startup investment by a Korean company in Southeast Asia. 

Vivo X21 is an eyecatcher at the Mobile Fest 2018

Global smartphone brand Vivo has made a good impression on tech enthusiasts at the SM Cyberzone’s Mobile Fest 2018.

To explain all the goods on Vivo’s latest flagship smartphone—the X21, the brand tapped respected tech experts Mark Macanas of TechPinas and Alora Uy Guerrero of Revu.

The experts discussed Vivo X21’s unlocking technologies, dual rear camera, AI Selfie Camera, AI Game Mode, Hi-Fi, performance, and design.

Alora Uy Guerrero of Revu and Mark Macanas of TechPinas had nothing but praises for Vivo X21. 

Macanas and Guerrero mentioned that there are two ways to unlock the Vivo X21, through the Face ID Access with Infrared that accurately identifies a user’s facial features even in nighttime and the In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology that replaces the rear fingerprint sensor. Vivo is the industry pioneer of In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology.

Get Your Head in the Game with Vivo X21

For a gamer, there is nothing more frustrating than getting a call, or any disturbance for that matter, in the middle of a play. That is why Mobile Legends or PUBG players pick phones that are powerful enough to meet their heavy gaming needs. Global brand Vivo has been in the forefront of developing innovations to address the usual woes of a gamer. 

Vivo knows that the first step to handle mobile games, especially the ones with heavy graphics, is reliable hardware. Its latest flagship, the X21, is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Artificial Intelligence Engine chip. This can effectively utilize CPU resources for complex processes.   

To complement the powerful chipset, Vivo X21 has a whopping 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM that improves the app launches and loading including complex mobile games. This also allows gamers to store not only one but many other gaming apps in their mobile phone.

The Vivo X21 is also equipped with AI technology. Through machine intelligence, the X21’s AI Smart Engine can intelligently allocate system resources in real-time to optimize its performance based on the requirements of a gaming apps. It also manages all apps running in the background and prioritizes memory space to commonly used apps.

The Vivo X21 also has a dedicated AI Game Mode that knows when a user is playing games to transform the smartphone into a dedicated game console. It then activates features that help minimize distraction.For instance, it can block new message alerts when playing games.

But it also offers features that allow a gamer to keep in touch. Vivo’s new flagship smartphone can receive calls on the background when the Wi-Fi is turned so a gamer can still have the option to talk to their callers even while playing a game. It also has a picture-in-picture feature that gives the player to respond to messages without stopping the game. 

The smartphone with its AI capabilities also prevents accidental touch operations tokeep gamers from making the accidental moves—especially if the user is in a crucial play. #

About Vivo

A global smartphone brand focused on introducing perfect sound quality and ultimate photography with cutting-edge technology, Vivo develops innovative and stylish products for young people. We now have over two hundred million users and are one of the preferred brands of young people around the world. As an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™, Vivo believes in the importance of encouraging young people to embrace self-expression and an energetic lifestyle.  In the Philippines, Vivo is the top 3 smartphone brand in terms of market share with 1.5 million users nationwide.  

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at vivoglobal.ph or check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vivophil), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vivo_philippines/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/vivo_phil) accounts.

Premium Coffee Ignites Creative Community at Spaces

Co-working hub serves hearty bites and artisan coffee exclusively catered by Wildflour Café + Bakery

Manila, Philippines; July 18, 2018 – Shared office provider Spaces has partnered with renowned homegrown company, the Wildflour Café + Bakery, to cater a deli café exclusive to the co-working hub’s tenants and guests. The dedicated deli café will take a spot in the center of the massive 850-square meter community hall of Spaces’ first brand in the Philippines which is located at the penthouse of the towering skyscraper, World Plaza, in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig.

This partnership aims to provide Spaces’ tenants and guests, who are mostly entrepreneurs and creative freelancers, with a wide array of healthy bites, savory pastries, and the famous artisan Wildflour coffee. By offering hearty and appetizing food and beverage selections within the compound of a social working atmosphere, Spaces hopes to provide an innovative vibe, and to inspire creative flair.

Country Manager Lars Wittig (2nd from left) at the Wildflour cafe  in Spaces World Plaza