Thursday, September 15, 2016

Blog Biz: Come to my super fun blog and chika workshop on Oct 8!


I'm finally doing it, Loyal Readers! I'm doing a blog workshop again! This will be so much fun because I'm going to be so madaldal and I'll tell you everything I know about blogging. And when you've been blogging for 10 years like I have, you'll know plenty! And I want to share it all!

So let's do the Topaz Horizon Blog Biz: Blogging Chika Workshop!!!

Here's what you'll get:
  • Tips on how to start a blog and create content that clicks with readers.
  • Tried-and-tested ways to grow your blog. After this session, you have no excuse to say that no one reads your blog!
  • How to make your blog make money. I'll teach you how to make a media kit, pitch to brands, and work with brands.
  • Blogger etiquette on the blog, at events, and while working with brands.
  • Style and beauty tips to look like a professional blogger, not like someone who never leaves her computer!
  • Free facials from Flawless because you want to polish up your look!

What a fun afternoon we'll have! I'll be revealing secrets and we'll do a bit of chika and I'll also raffle off some freebies which I get all the time as a blogger!

Regular fee is P750 but from today till Sept 25, you can use this discount code to pay just P600: THBLOGFUN.

Just email me between now and Sept 25 with the discount code and pay via BDO or PayPal on or before Sept 30, to reserve a seat. Slots are limited! I like to keep the class small so we can really talk.

Sign up now! Email me at frances@topazhorizon.com and let's have fun learning how to make blogging money!!!

Thanks so much to FLAWLESS Face & Body Clinic for generously providing us their own office to host my workshop.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Why we shouldn't ignore our children

This is the Still Face Experiment.

It shows that when we don't react and interact with our children, it upsets them and hinders them from learning. Their emotional, mental and psychological development is severely compromised.



And that's why I now feel bad that I'm a work-at-home mom!

Working at home is really hard because I need to focus on the tasks. Like, really focus. Anyone who works knows that! After all, writing and editing articles, replying to emails, talking to people on the phone, doing accounting—these things can't be done while distracted. And while there's that adage that truthfully says, "Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work," it was said at a time when mothers didn't work and weren't expected to work (the quote is attributed to writer C.S. Lewis). Things are much different now.

Oh! I'm making excuses for my behavior.

Many moms tell me how lucky I am to spend time with my kids and work at the same time. I always agree (and I really do!), but I also feel guilty because I may be with my kids but I'm not really with them when I work. And lately, I've been getting irritated a lot at my sons when they demand my attention. "Look at what I draw, Mama! Look at what I eat, Mama! Look at the funny guy in TV, Mama! Look at me, Mama!"

And I snap, "Yes, yes! Stop bothering me. I'm working!"

I feel horrible.

Do any of you work-at-home moms do the same thing? How do you deal with this? I've tried not working when the kids are awake, so I work really late at night. But it's my health that suffers. I seriously don't know what to do. Except maybe go work in an office, like I used to. Back then, when I did that, I worked when I had to work, then left the work at the office so I can really pour my attention on my kids. But the traffic scares me.

I don't ever want to ignore my kids. Ever. I've seen the hurt in their eyes and I always justify it with "We need the money so I have to work." But my kids need me now so what now? If only love can buy the things we need!
 

Lord, thank You for providing for our needs by giving us work. Please never let me forget that my work is for You, my kids and myself. Please always remind me to put You and my family before work. And bless my children for their forgiving hearts. May I deserve their love by becoming a better mommy to them! Amen.

Monday, September 12, 2016

Dry air, dry cough, dry skin? Crane humidifier to the rescue!

Hallooo, everybody! I am alive! My kids got sick again, on the very day I published my last blog post, which was 10 days ago. So Vito first, then Iñigo, then Piero, then Vito again (!), then Piero and then Iñigo, and then finally me. I guess all the sleepless nights lowered my immunity and I succumbed to the sick germs my kids were spewing all over our house.

While I thank the Lord, homeopathy, modern medicine, and my dear husband for nursing us all back to health, I want to take this opportunity to thank Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist humidifier. Nope, this is not a sponsored post. I just wanted to do this blog post because I'm so grateful that we're feeling much better now, and part of the reason is our nifty humidifier.

We've had our Crane humidifier for a few months now. To be very honest, when we first got one, I didn't think much of it because our country is already so humid. Why on earth would we need a humidifier???

Because we have aircon, that's why.

The cold air from the A/C is very drying. It dries out our hair and our skin so we wake up parched, wrinkly and looking more tired than we should be. It dries out nasal passages and airways so those who suffer from asthma and allergic rhinitis might have their conditions triggered, which is what happens to us from time to time if we forget to use the humidifier. If your young kids suffer from nosebleeds, the dry cold air might also be to blame.

So as you can see, our humidifier's been a godsend—health-wise and beauty-wise!

Cool mist so you won't have to worry about hot steam burning your kids!
The unit is quiet and instantly produces mist. No waiting! No noise!
Easy to use—just pour distilled water and turn on!
It turns off automatically when there's no more water. You can really forget about it!

I included Crane Ultrsonic Cool Mist humidifier in BABY Magazine a few issues ago. Yep, mommy-and-magazine editor me highly recommends it! It comes in many fun designs, too, so your kids can enjoy having it in their room, although I got the classic drop design because I wanted to be able to use it around the house.


You can get Crane humidifiers from Rustan's, Toys R Us, Babyland, S&R, and from online shops Lazada and Key West Internationale.

Friday, September 02, 2016

My kids' vitamins is now FERN-C kidz. Here's why.

This post is brought to you by FERN-C kidz.

My kids have been going to the hospital one too many times this August. That's because they were sick. Right after Vito's birthday, the kids fell ill. Fever, coughs and colds. Then we found out that half of Vito's class was also absent that week. Poor boys!

But they got better and here they are for their follow-up visit at the pedia, just to make sure they've recovered fully. They got vaccinated, too. Better make sure their bodies' immune systems are strengthened!

(Does Vitamin C really boost immunity? I found out here!)


We've also added a better immunity booster to their multivitamins and we picked FERN-C kidz. Why FERN-C kidz? Okay, you're going to find out a secret: Whenever Vince and I took FERN-C—yes, the Vitamin C for grownups—we got pregnant! It's not a fertility booster haha but we think it made our bodies super healthy so making babies was easier. I don't know, okay. All I know is we were never sick whenever we took FERN-C so when they came out with a Vitamin C supplement for kids, then our kids better take it!
 
My kids love FERN-C kidz except for the fact they keep insisting that the smaller bottle is for girls =( 

I found out about FERN-C kidz because of celebrity mom, Danica Sotto Pingris. She didn't tell me herself but I saw on Facebook that she and her husband, basketball player Marc Pingris, were endorsing it.

Danica and I used to be neighbors. When she and Marc joined the garage sales at our condo complex, the yayas and drivers would go crazy. But I only met her at the Mom-ME event Baby & Breakfast threw for moms a couple of years ago. Danica sat beside me and she is the most gracious and humble woman. I knew who she was but she introduced herself anyway: "Hi, I'm Danica. I'm a cook." And I had to pretend I didn't know she was a celebrity!

More than a celebrity, Danica is a mommy. And just like any mommy, she doesn't want her kids to get sick. She wants her children, Mic and Caela, to have the best possible care, in the best and safest way possible. That is why she chose FERN-C Kidz as her children’s Vitamin C supplement. You know my reason for choosing FERN-C Kidz. Here are hers (which became mine!):

It's better than ordinary Vitamin C. 
FERN-C Kidz is not Ascorbic Acid. It's Sodium Ascorbate. That means it's not acidic and won't harm little tummies! Hooray! I didn't even know that! Danica says, "We want to make sure that it's made of high quality ingredients and that it is safe and effective [for our children]." Every bottle of FERN-C kidz also has the Quali-C seal, which is only given to Vitamin C products that are made of the highest quality ingredients and are effective.

It's more than Vitamin C.
FERN-C Kidz is formulated with Zinc. Zinc is an important element that not just wards infection but also aids in healing wounds. This added protection made Danica favor the supplement even more for her children. "Knowing that FERN-C kidz has added Zinc to their vitamin C lessens my worries when it comes to my kids being exposed to viruses and other diseases. This will give them extra protection on top of the Vitamin C," Danica says.

It tastes good!
You know, no matter how amazing a vitamin supplement is, it's useless if it isn't inside a body. How many battles have we fought with our kids? How many teaspoons of syrupy hell have been spilled? With FERN-C Kidz, no problem. My kids love the yummy orange flavor! Danica says this is important to her, too: “[My] kids should be able to take it with ease.” She wanted a supplement that her kids will drink every day without any complaints. When asked if her children liked the taste, Danica said, “They love it! In fact, they even remind us that it's time to take their Vitamin C.”

Danica says that her children's health really improved when she gave them FERN-C kids. "They are happy and healthy kids! FERN-C kidz helps my kids keep [up] with their daily activities."

So be like Danica Sotto Pingris and me and the many moms that are now switching to FERN-C kidz! 


To know more about FERN-C kidz, like their Facebook page or visit their website

FERN-C kidz is now available in leading drugstores, supermarkets, convenience stores and FERN kiosks nationwide for P62 for the 60ml bottle and P119 for the 120ml bottle. FERN-C kidz is from the makers of FERN-C and a quality product of FERN.

Buy FERN-C kidz from Lazada - click here!

*The dosage information says FERN-C kidz is for kids 4 and up. So I only give this to Vito and Iñigo. Please ask your pediatrician for supplements for infants and toddlers.

Thursday, September 01, 2016

NEW SERIES! Topaz Talks to 100% Whole Moms Cheska, Rica, and Marilen

Hi everyone! I'm starting a new series yet again. This time, I want to share with you conversations I've had with the people I've just met, have known for a while but I've always been curious about, and my own beloved friends. They'll all be working moms. This is for me really, because I've been looking for mentors, inspiration and community. So I'm going to look for working moms who inspire me and have a little chat with them... and share those chats with you through Topaz Talks!

For our very first Topaz Talks, I'm sharing with you a snippet of the lives of the 100% Whole Moms Cheska Garcia-Kramer, Marilen Faustino-Montenegro and Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio. They invited me and other moms to a little afternoon of fellowship a few weeks ago and it was hosted by Moleskine journals. We had a fun afternoon of sharing each other's stories as moms.


After sharing our stories and eating really good food at Vask Tapas Room, the celebrity moms that form the trio that is 100% Whole Mom then launched into what 100% Whole Mom is all about—caring for a mother's home, beauty and heart through workshops. Marilen, an interior stylist, shared tips on tabletop decor with H&M Home and flower arrangement with Fiora Manila. Cheska, popular endorser with her family, the social media phenomenon #TeamKramer, gave tips on mommy beauty with help from Inglot and Brow Haus. Then Rica, a devoted pastor's wife, reminded us all about being intentional about our mothering, which could be helped a lot through journaling (on Moleskines preferably!).

Rica's question to moms was, "How are you today?" This is a question no one asks us moms really. Us moms, we're just supposed to be super, to be on top of everything, to never drop the ball because if we do, the whole family will suffer. This kind of pressure is insane! But do we stop to ask ourselves, "How am I today? Am I okay? Am I happy? Am I grateful?" Do we stop to ask other moms this? No one does really.

Oh, but wait. I was asked that by my friend, Jing Lejano of Urban Mom, once at an event. I had stopped to chat with her, me all chipper and bubbly. Then she asked, "Kumusta ka na? Yung totoo?" And I just broke down. Like, then and there. What a mess! I was okay, okay? But the surprise of the question, of someone actually caring enough to ask how I really am, was so overwhelming, I cried.

Rica exhorted us moms to ask ourselves that every day, to listen to ourselves and to our own needs. Write it down! Reflect on what you wrote. Set goals. Take action. Take care of our own needs and dreams. That's how we take care of ourselves, and when we do that, we can truly care for others.


So of course, for Topaz Talks, I talked to Cheka, Carla and Len about journaling. Listen in!
What do you use your Moleskine journals for? 
Marilen: I use my journal to talk to God. Pour out my heart, write what I learn from my Bible reading. Sometimes I've written to people that hurt me, then I throw it away! Haha!
Rica: Everything. I am a person full of thoughts. I might actually speak more to paper than to people. So I jot down everything in a single notebook—from essays in progress, to cinematic lines, quotes from favorite authors or people, to grocery and packing checklists. Hahaha!  
Cheska: Writing my poetry, favorite sayings, verses, my doodles... Just basically my thoughts. 

How does writing down your thoughts, prayers, dreams, goals (or whatever you use your journals for!) help you as a mother? 
Marilen: When I go to the journal, it allows me to really slow down and reflect. It organizes my thoughts and priorities. I create steps to my goals in a journal or planner also. When I am "fixed" inside as an individual, I can be a better mom and wife.  
Rica: It helps me discern patterns of seasons and my life in general. I believe God has written my days already and it's just a matter of finding out which path He has set out for me. I think that when I write down thoughts, prayers and dreams, a certain pattern or message kind of emerges and it partly helps me get to the revelation of God to me about my life.  
Cheska: I grew up where my mother encouraged us always to write our thoughts and to write poetry. It was a form of release for me during the time my parents were separated. I never really wrote "diary style" but wrote poetry instead. So that carried over to this day—now I write my journey, love, sayings, goals that I am going through. Poems for my kids that maybe later on when they can understand better, they will know how much I love the three of them. Always been my way of release and another way to express myself. Sometimes we have a hard time telling people what we feel and it's easier when we write it instead. 

With the advent of blogs, apps and smart phones, why do you still use pen and paper? 
Marilen: I really still prefer paper because I am a visual person. I delight in writing. In creating different strokes with different colors. I retain more when I see it.   
Rica: Retention is still better when there remains to be something physical and tangible, I guess. I also cannot completely give myself over to the virtual way of things. It's hard to feel fully when you have nothing but an image and no materiality or spirituality. 
Cheska: I never really got the hang of technology... I always have my husband to tell me! Till this very day, I write it first and then start typing everything when done writing my thoughts. A lot of work but I'm really most comfortable with a pen and paper. A pen and journal at that!

Thanks for the little chat, Whole Moms!


To sign up for 100% Whole Mom workshops, join the community on Facebook.

I wanted to focus on journaling because that's something I can't seem to do well. Mostly because I noticed I become really negative when I write and it's only myself that's the audience. When I blog, of course I'm always honest but I rein in the negativity that overwhelms me sometimes because I have to think of my readers. People think I'm a sunny person but I'm actually quite the pessimist. I'm very critical of myself—that's why on this blog you'll see me write stuff like, "I'm gorgeous! I'm amazing! I'm a supermom!" mostly because I need to tell myself that or else I'll drown in my personal drama.

So, like Cheka, I don't journal in a "Dear Diary" way. But, like Marilen, I've found that when I write my prayers instead, that helps me a lot. Prayers take my focus from criticizing me to how God sees me—and God sees me so lovingly. Prayers make me write down my weaknesses, sins, and problems but I can't stop there because then I offer them to God for Him to make them right. Prayers turn my negativity to positivity because when I see myself, my life and my sorrows in God's light, then they are diminished and they disappear. So prayer journaling works!

I won't share my prayer journals, though! Instead, I'll share with you my new project: the bullet journal! I'm using the Chapters journal from Moleskine. I'll do a separate post on that soon... and maybe we can do a bullet journaling workshop together! BuJo is super fun!


*workshop photos by Sheila Catilo