2019 | My Roller Coaster Ride of a Year.

Hello everyone! I've been extremely busy lately (so many things to do at home!) that I hardly have the time to sit down in front of my laptop, and update my blog. But because this has become a tradition of sorts, I definitely wouldn't miss the chance to do a year-end blog post.

2019, for me, was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. This year has been quite good to my family despite Yue's hospital confinement because of pneumonia.  Husband is doing well in his job (and still with his same old employer), my boy is doing great in both academics and sports (three karate tournaments this year with good results, still with high honors in his class), and as for me, as you can see, my blog is still alive and kicking. I've worked with some really awesome brands this year, and even became a Beauty Ambassador for BeautyMNL.

However, unlike the previous years, we weren't able to travel to Korea for the holidays, or anywhere outside the country for that matter. We had planned to cut back on (travel) expenses this year as we're saving up for something big (ergo, our own home), and thankfully, with the help of my dear parents-in-law, we're almost reaching our goal.

It would have been awesome if my best friend could see this dream of mine finally come to life; unfortunately, 2019 also gave me the biggest heartbreak. My best friend passed away all of a sudden last August, and it took me awhile to come to terms with the fact that he's gone. I miss him terribly, and I break down in tears whenever I think of him - which I still do very often.

"The best is yet to come" so goes the Frank Sinatra song, and I do hope that the new decade will bring better, brighter, and happier things for all of us. Welcome 2020! Happy New Year! :)

Thank you, 2019!

2018 | Goodbye with a Grateful Heart.

And just like that, we're down to the last few hours of 2018.
It seems like it was only yesterday that I was writing about the ups and down of 2017, and now here I am, wrapping up the past 365 days with yet another year-end post.

If I were to rate 2018, I'd say it was a 7 out of 10.
Health-wise, it was not the most fantastic year for my boys - Yue had pneumonia early this year and was hospitalized for almost a week, he had the stomach flu while we were in Korea last spring/summer, and just last week, both of us caught the flu. As for my husband, he had to go through several dental procedures this year, and oh my goodness, dental treatments abroad don't come cheap. (Pain was the least of his worries, lol.)

Thankfully, we had our bases covered. He's back with his old employer, and work - for the most part - is good. As for me, I had the opportunity to work with some very generous advertisers this year, not to mention the PR agencies that collaborate continuously with this blog. Thank you again and again! :)

A few more things that I'm grateful for this year:
- Ten years of marriage, and finally being able to celebrate our anniversary together.

Sun-date with my boys. (Seoul, June 2018).

- The opportunity to travel, and being able to spend time with family and friends abroad.

Coffee with Unni! (Seoul, June 2018).

- My family abroad coming home for a vacation.

Coffee with sibs and cousins. (Laguna, August 2018).

Mum is home for the holidays!

All the Ocampo grandkids, complete!

- Meeting new friends and reuniting with the old.

With Ela and Maan. (Seoul, June 2018).

- Friends that inspire you to dream big and work harder.

My forever friends, my UPRHS barkada!

- My son's achievements and his continued pursuit for excellence.

Another medal for my little man. :)

- Being part of Althea's Beauty Ambassador Community, and all the K-beauty awesomeness that comes with it.

I'm an Althea Angel! :)

- My readers and followers and their unwavering support for this blog! Thank you for the visits, the comments, and all the kind words that you've sent me this year and in the previous years!

Thank you for the likes! :)

Happy New Year, everyone!
May 2019 bring us good health, good fortune, success, and happiness! Ever onward! :)

Goodbye and Thank You, 2017!

There's only a few hours left to 2017, and boy, I have never been more excited to welcome the New Year!

Truth be told, 2017 had been quite challenging for us. I got sick early this year, and had to be admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. Whilst there, I was also diagnosed with pre-hypertension, so now I'm taking maintenance medicine for high blood pressure - and from the looks of it, I'll be doing this for life.

Yue had his own share of sick days, too. Thankfully, none of those instances warranted a stay at the hospital. He did, however, got sick while we were in Korea last spring and we had to see a (Korean) pediatrician because the only way we could buy medicine for his high-grade fever was to consult a doctor and get a prescription.

But perhaps our biggest stumbling block this year was my husband's employment status. It may not seem like it, but the South Korean economy is still in limbo, despite the change in presidency. Small businesses are the ones taking the hit, and my husband's previous employer was among them. He eventually lost his job, and it took him awhile to find a new one.

Now this is where this blog came to the rescue.
This blog, which I created six years ago just for the love of writing and the need to 'channel my creative juices', sustained us during our crisis. It may be chump change compared to the influencers who rake in a six-figure income by just posting a photo on Instagram, but then again, I love what I'm doing and I love that I'm earning while doing something that I love.

And with that, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all the brands that I have worked with this year, and even in the previous years; to the advertisers and PR agencies who have collaborated with this blog; to the blog support groups that I am part of, and the wonderful people that I have met through blogging; and most of all, to you, my dear readers and followers who take the time to visit this blog and actually read my sporadic blog posts. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Happy New Year from my boys and I!

Happy New Year!
Hoping 2018 will be a better, more awesome year for all of us! Ever onward! :)

Uratex Promotes the Value of Sharing Moments Together.

Filipinos enjoy cherishing the times we share with family, friends, and loved ones especially during the holiday season. For the majority, the best memories are created inside the bedroom where family members bond or catch up with each other before they call it a day.

Giving salute to the importance of family traditions, Uratex, who is celebrating 50 years this 2018, unveiled a Christmas-themed video to celebrate family memories made inside the bedroom, their common area of solitude, and the bed, a central and key witness to that celebration.


The video starts by showing a young man longing for the love and company of their mother, supposedly an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). He has not seen her as she has not come home for the past three years working overseas. Not a day passes that the young man misses his mother, where he shared many fun and memorable moments with her while at his bedroom during his childhood. And now that Christmas is near, the longing is felt more than ever.

Meanwhile, the young man’s elder brother also does his best to overcome his yearning for their mother’s presence by focusing all his strength on his job. He silently cares for his brother’s needs and sees to it that his younger brother continues to strive to be the best individual that he can be. But like his younger brother, he misses his mother as well.

Alas, their wish was granted on Christmas Day when, as they try to celebrate Christmas just like in the previous years without their mother, they were pleasantly surprised with her arrival. The joy in the younger brother’s eyes was evident with their mother’s presence in a special time such as Christmas, finally, as one family.

For the elder brother, the arrival of their mother was the perfect time to tell her that he is now ready to take on the responsibility of caring for the family’s needs. With their mother’s long-awaited homecoming, it will be the perfect opportunity to create new memories again together—as one family.

Uratex Philippines, the undisputed leader in the foam manufacturing industry believes that family love and comfort are always at the forefront in the tradition of selfless care and service to the Filipinos. Uratex believes that family love, caring and looking out for the welfare and greater comfort of each other is vital. Each Uratex bed provides ultimate comfort to promote a healthful and relaxed sleep night after night. This helps invigorate the body so it will remain fit and fully charged to make each family member ready to face life’s daily challenges.

For Uratex founders Robert and Natividad Y. Cheng, the products that they’ve developed over the past five decades have been uncompromising when it comes to celebrating the beauty of love and life. Each mattress that rolls out of the company’s manufacturing facilities is the result of the Chengs’ vision to share comfort with every Filipino. With constant innovation, Uratex products remain synonymous to rest and relaxation, love and comfort.

After their mother’s arrival, what special Yuletide celebration awaits the two sons?
Watch this special video courtesy of Uratex Philippines produced by Mode Devi Media Group in collaboration with Project Geekid Productions & Wonderlast Film.

For more of Uratex, visit www.uratex.com.ph or follow them on Facebook, www.facebook.com/UratexPhilippines.

Spotlight | To PH With Love.

Unlike other couples, my husband and I really don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Aside from the fact that we've been physically apart for the past six Valentine's (this year will be the seventh), we just don't like the thought of 'joining the Valentine bandwagon' - you know, flowers and chocolates and all that mushy stuff.

Surprisingly, however, this year is an exception. My husband sent an early present that's actually within the norm of Valentine's Day gifts! (Three years ago I got a cookware set for Valentines, how cool is that?!) But they're not for me, though. They're for Yue, which made this present extra special.

A surprise from Daddy!

Apparently, the husband tapped the services of To:PH With Love, a newly-established company that aims to help OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) around the world to send gifts to their families here in the Philippines. Gifts can be in the form of flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals, even surprise parties for your loved ones.

Made possible by To:PH with Love.

Pre-packaged gift sets are also available, such as the one the husband sent. This gift set in particular contains an assortment of chocolates and a teddy bear keyring housed in a cute ice cream cone.

Sweet treats inside!

Yue was thrilled to discover that the ice cream cone is actually a coin bank. He asked my grandmother for coins and deposited them inside the cone right away.

Saving for a rainy day. :)

This gift arrived at our place last weekend, and could not have come at a better time. You see, we had a bit of mishap at the barbers last Saturday, which led to the skinhead cut. Yue didn't like the thought of having his precious hair hacked off (he really loved his high fade pompadour), and cried a river while sitting in the barbers chair. When we got home, this package was practically waiting at the doorstep and it was more than enough to cheer Yue up and make him forget about the barbershop brouhaha. Whew! :)

Thanks, Daddy!
And thank you, To PH With Love!

Still on the lookout for Valentine's gifts? Let To PH With Love help you in selecting the perfect gift for your loved ones!

To PH with Love
Manila, Philippines
+63-927-988-4523
tophwithlove@gmail.com

Sponsored Video | Knorr's Flavour of Home.

Ever since we were kids, my siblings and I would always look forward to the summer season with eager anticipation. Aside from the fact that we're on a school break during the months of April and May, it's also that time of the year when Mum usually comes home for her annual vacay. (She's a cardiology nurse in London who officially became a British citizen three years ago.)

London calling. :)

And for us, Mum's vacation would mean lots of pasalubong, shopping trips, videoke nights, weekends at the beach, and home-cooked meals everyday! My Mum makes the most awesome kare-kare (a traditional Filipino ox tail stew in a thick peanut-based sauce) in the world, and I'm pretty sure my brother and sister would agree with me on this one. Sure, my Mum taught me how to cook this dish, but I can never ever replicate the taste of her kare-kare. It's true what they say - nothing beats your mum's cooking!

Just another weekend at the beach.

In a research conducted by Knorr, results show that regardless of how much time passed, many of us still find our mother's cooking to be the greatest flavor on earth, and how these flavors can make people happy, feel comforted, and be reminded of loving childhood memories.

These sentiments are echoed in this short film, which celebrates a mother's love, the taste of home, and the power of flavor. Dubbed as 'Flavour of Home', this heart-warming film by Knorr tells the story of Carmen - a husky safari guide who works in the Arctic - and her mom, who traveled more than a thousand miles just to surprise her with a wonderful, home-cooked meal.

This video tugged at my heart and made me miss my Mum - and her cooking - all the more! We all can't wait for her to come home this May!

How about you, which of your mom's dishes do you love or miss the most? :)

About Knorr
One of the world's largest food brands, Knorr defines itself by a high standard of quality, flavour, and freshness. Sold in more than 87 countries around the world, Knorr has a variety of products including the iconic bouillon cube and soup mixes. For more information on Knorr, their products, and recipes, visit the Knorr website.

*This is a sponsored post. Thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Foodie Goodie | Rosing's Champoy.

My husband loves tamarind as much as I do. And so whenever I have the chance, I send some of his favorite tamarind candy to Korea.

Like today, for instance. His cousin flew back to Seoul this afternoon (he came home with his Korean wife for a few days and celebrated the Lunar New Year here in the Philippines), and he brought with him a few bags of my husband's favorite Rosing's Champoy.

Rosing's Champoy - Spicy and Original flavor.
 Php 150 per 450g pouch.

A product of San Pablo City, Rosing's Champoy is widely popular for its balanced zing of tartness, sweetness, and saltiness. These homemade goodies are really yummy, you'd want to eat more, and more, and more. 'Hahanap-hanapin mo ang sarap', as one friend puts it. :)

Bite-sized and seedless. :)

Named after its proprietor, Rosita Lasco, Rosing's Champoy was launched as a marginal livelihood project in 2002. Eight years later, they added the Peanut Brittle to their product line.

Rosing's Peanut Brittle.
Php 120 per 160g pouch.

And boy, oh boy, Rosing's Peanut Brittle is not like any other peanut brittle that I've tried before. The texture is quite similar to Violet Crumble - crumbly, honeycomb toffee center sans the chocolate coating. 

Rosing's Peanut Brittle.

As of 2011, Rosing's Champoy has been operating under license by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD). Their products have also been tested by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and have undergone quality control for shelf life and nutrition facts.

Goodies from Rosing's!

Thinking of buying a bag or two? You'd be glad to know that Rosing's Champoy is available at SM Supermarkets. Or if you're in Cebu, you can buy these goodies at all Islands Pasalubong branches. Or better yet, you can order them online! :)

Rosing's Champoy

788 Macapagal St., City Subdivision, San Pablo City, Laguna

(049) 562 3004

Globe offers Libreng Tawag from 8 countries to the Philippines.

Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom is offering Libreng Tawag services to the Philippines from eight countries in Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North America in support of overseas Filipino workers who may want to check on their families residing along the path of Typhoon Ruby.

Gil Genio, Globe Chief Operating Officer for Business and International Markets, said that the countries identified are among those with the highest number of Filipino migrants and expatriates in the world.  They include Spain, UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, and Italy.

The onslaught of Typhoon Ruby.
Photo credit: Inquirer.

“We realize how important it is for our kababayans abroad to get in touch with their families especially during calamities.  This is why we have set up free calling stations in these 8 countries where Globe is directly serving the Filipino communities there,” Genio said.                   

“In Italy, free calling services are available at the Globe Stores in Milan and Rome. For Spain, UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, this public service started yesterday and is being offered through some of the accredited Globe retailers in those countries,” said Rizza Maniego-Eala, Globe Senior Vice President for International Business.                

“For the United States, Libreng Tawag in the west coast will be available in all branches of Seafood City through our partnership with them while Filipinos in the east coast will be served via web through the subscribed access service of Lunex, the Globe partner servicing the area,” Maniego-Eala added.                

Libreng Tawag will be available until 11:59pm EST on 08 December 2014.

Globe goes global with new international SIMs!

Great news for OFW families and Filipinos traveling abroad!

As more Filipinos fly to Europe, Globe Telecom continues to find ways for them to stay connected to their homeland by introducing in Italy and the United Kingdom (UK) its newest international SIMs with affordable call, text and surfing rates.

Globe local Italy SIM.

With the Globe local Italy SIM, Filipino travelers can keep in touch with loved ones back home using local rates. For just 10 euros or Php 620, subscribers are allocated with 1GB of mobile data, along with 240 minutes of calls to all networks in Italy, valid for 30 days. Using the Globe local Italy SIM, they can also call Globe and TM subscribers in the Philippines for only seven euro cents or Php 4.50 per minute. No other mobile operator in Italy offers these affordable rates.

Globe local UK SIM.

Meanwhile, Filipinos in the UK can enjoy 10 pence or just Php 7.50 for both calls and texts to Globe and also TM users in the Philippines to all networks in the UK. Mobile data costs only £1 (one UK pound) or P75 for 10 megabytes (MB) of data to power a two-minute video stream, 10 emails with attachments and 100 posts on their social networking accounts.

The Globe International SIMs are available at the Globe booths at the departure areas of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The SIMs can also be used with an open line handset. For more information, visit ukglobetel.com and globemobile.it.

Wordless Wednesday #73 | Viber Fun!

Little man now has his own Viber account, and he's having fun sending messages to his Dad.

Here's his message to his Dad the other day. Doodled on Viber. :)

Makeup over Flowers.

A friend of my MIL came home from Korea last week. She's an OFW like my husband, and will be vacationing for about three weeks here in the Philippines. She was also kind enough to bring home these 'pasalubong'. From my husband, of course.

Korean cosmetics, what else? :)

Oh, the pretty packaging! That's Missha Signature Real Complete BB Cream and Missha Wrinkle-Filler BB Cream - two of the best BB creams ever, as far as I'm concerned. I actually began with testers, and after being satisfied with the results, decided to go full-size.

I have yet to do a review for the Wrinkle Filler BB Cream. As for the Real Complete BB Cream, I did a review about it some six months ago - one of the first product reviews posted in this blog.

Also one of the best wash-off masks that I've used is the Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask. My pores were being stubborn a couple of weeks ago, so I ordered a few testers of this online. After the first use, this mask left my skin soft, supple, and pore-less. Hence, the upgrade to a 100mL jar.

And because I'm totally obsessed with my undereyes, husband got me the Missha Super Aqua Lifting Eye Cream. I was actually torn between this and the Golden Snowflake Eye Cream, which is just as popular as the Super Aqua.

I ended up with testers from the Golden Snowflake and Time Revolution line, anyway. Although I have yet to figure out which is the serum, the booster, and the eye cream from this bunch.That's my only complaint when it comes to Missha. Almost everything is written in Hangul!

That cute little compact, by the way, is a lip color palette. It came as a freebie, too.

And because the husband knows I need a daily dose of caffeine, he sent me these ready-to-drink Maxim coffee. The pink sticks are Cafe Latte, the brown sticks are Cafe Mocha.

Isn't my husband the sweetest? He may not surprise me with roses on Valentines Day or other special occasions, but not many husbands out there would go to a cosmetics store and buy stuff like these for their wives. I consider myself lucky to have married someone who does. :)

Sharing with Pink Friday, Pink Saturday, I Heart Macro, and Mellow Yellow Monday.

Foodie Goodie | Red Ribbon Leche Flan Roll.

The husband may not have been around to celebrate our anniversary with me

But I gotta have my cake

and eat it, too!

Shared with Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Yummy Sunday, i Heart Macro, Oh! Snap, and Simple Things.