How to Help Your Kids Enjoy Science.

One of the most important things any parent can do is help their child learn to love the world around them. Many parents are unsure how they can encourage their kids to become curious thinkers and willing to explore. Fortunately, even if you aren't very good at science yourself, it's possible to help your child learn more about planets, dirt, atoms, chemistry and even fossils. Here's how.

Yue at the Fantasy Forest in Lotte World, Seoul.

Get them the right gear.

Did you know you can buy kids lab coats? Consider investing in a lab coat and some great science gear for your kids. While you can do plenty of science experiments with things you have around the house, you'll be able to study even more with your child if you have a telescope and microscope. At the very least, consider getting items your child can use to collect and examine insects, leaves and flowers in your area.

Read with them.

There are plenty of books available that focus on science. Kids don't have to be bored in order to learn. Head to your local library or bookstore and pick out some fun books about different scientific topics. For example, you could read a book about kids discovering fossils to learn about dinosaurs or a book about a child who gets sick to learn about viruses and illnesses. Make sure you choose several different books to give your kids a well-rounded understanding of different ideas.

Morgan checking out books at the City Library.

Get online.

Did you know there are online classes you can try with your kids? Even if you don't have a science museum nearby, you can take online science courses to learn more about nature, dinosaurs and biology. Consider enrolling in an online course with your kids to learn more. If classes aren't your thing, play some online discovery games together to learn more about specific scientific topics.

Remember that you don't have to know everything about science in order to enjoy learning with your kids. Even scientists don't know everything there is to know about science! The world outside is constantly changing and growing, so the important thing is that you have fun exploring with your kids and learning as a family.

No More Rumbly in the Tumbly with Erceflora ProbiBears!

My son turns ten in a little over a week, and he's at that stage in life where he'd eat just about anything save for ampalaya (bitter gourd), okra, and liver. (I don't eat this stuff either, just so you guys know, lol.) He is quite a voracious eater despite his lanky frame, and it's his insatiable appetite that almost got us into trouble while we were vacationing in Korea last spring.

Yue had stomach flu on our final week in Seoul, which he probably got from all that eating that he (we) did during Father's Day. The next 36 hours had been very stressful for all of us, especially for Yue, who made frequent trips to the bathroom, had very little appetite, and threw up after a few spoonfuls of food. We were on the verge of bringing him to the hospital (it's like deja vu all over again), but thankfully, he got better after several doses of Loperamide and rehydrating him with water, sports drinks, and yogurt drinks.

Had I known early on about Erceflora ProbiBears, I would have packed them in my medical travel kit and brought them all the way to Korea. That way, I could have prevented Yue's nasty bout with stomach flu.

Erceflora Probi Bears.

Erceflora ProbiBears is a trans-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly food supplement that helps improve digestion. It comes in a vanilla-flavored, bear-shaped, chewable tablet, making it easy for even young kids to ingest.

Comes in a foil pack...

These cute, edible bears contain two strains of 'good bacteria' - Bifidobacterium lactis which helps boost your child's immune system and prevent gut problems, and Lactobacillus acidophilus which effectively improves your child's digestive health.

With four bears each.

Although the yogurt drinks that we know and love also contain good bacteria to aid in digestion, the amount of probiotics in them may not be not high enough to treat or prevent stomach problems such as diarrhea. And this is why the use of probiotics supplements such as the Erceflora ProbiBears is essential when the intestinal flora is out of balance. It can help regain that flora balance by fighting bad bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.

Nutritional value of Erceflora Probi Bears.

These chewable tablets are suitable for kids 3 years old and above. The recommended dose is one tablet a day, but the bears taste so good that your kids might ask for more, lol. Yue says they taste like Oreo cookies, but to me they taste more like the classic Nestle White Chocolate. (I had to try it for myself, of course!)

I deformed my bear, sorry! Apparently, they have to be stored in the freezer prior to consumption.

Erceflora ProbiBears are available at Mercury Drug and South Star Drug branches nationwide, and retail for Php 540 (around $10) per box of 20s - that's like Php 27 ($0.50) per bear. A bit pricey compared to a bottle of yogurt drink, but at least you're getting a chock-full of probiotics with just one dose.

Thank you, Erceflora and First Tier Brands!

Many thanks to our friends at Erceflora and First Tier Brands for sending these over! Yue's tummy has been responding positively since he started taking them. He has been pooping regularly, with no complaints of flatulence and constipation. He says he doesn't feel bloated either, even after a heavy meal - and believe me, this kid always eats a lot!

No more rumbly in the tumbly!

Popping one bear after breakfast is now part of his morning routine, and we'll make sure to bring these along whenever we travel. :)

How's Your Halloween?

When I was a kid, Halloween was a holiday that was largely unheard of in this country, or at least in the province where I live. I've only seen Halloween celebrations through cartoons and American TV shows, and have always thought how cool it was to be dressing up in fancy costumes and getting candies and chocolates in return.

Fast forward to more than twenty years later, Halloween has become an annual tradition in the Philippines, with parties and events to celebrate the spooks. Although I must admit, this holiday has become a tad too commercialized, and even I have fallen prey to it - lol.

For years, we'd celebrate Halloween by dressing up my son in a costume and taking him to the mall for some trick-or-treat-ing. Here are Yue's costumes through the years:

Halloween 2010.

Yue's first-ever Halloween costume (2010) was a pumpkin. He didn't go trick-or-treat-ing at the mall (he was only two years old then and I thought he would be too young to be doing so), but we did shower him with candies at home.

Halloween 2011.

The following year (2011), we went all-out with his costume and props, and he even entered a costume contest at the mall. His dinosaur get-up won him second place in the Cutest Costume category, by the way. :)

Halloween 2012.

2012 was a tough year for us. Yue got sick several times that year, and was hospitalized thrice between the months of October and November. But he was healthy and well come Halloween, and he dressed up as a Korean prince for the occasion.

Halloween 2014.

We skipped the Halloween festivities in 2013 because we had to attend my godson's birthday party that year. The following year (2014), Yue was back in the game and dressed up as a ninja, a costume that he chose for himself.

Halloween 2015.

In 2015, he went trick-or-treat-ing as Buzz Lightyear. But I'll let you in on a secret... he's not really wearing a costume. Those are PJs, actually, but Yue insisted on wearing them as his 'costume' anyway.

Halloween 2016.

It seemed like we saved the best for last in 2016. Yue dressed up as Darth Vader that year, which would turn out to be his last costume, at least for now. He refuses to wear a costume nowadays, but he still finds joy in trick-or-treating. After all, who would refuse free chocolates and candy?

What diet? Lol!

I was thinking of dressing him up as Finn Balor this year...

Demon King Finn Balor

Should I try this on my baby nephew instead? :)

So how about you, how's your Halloween? I hope your kids had a blast and got tons of candies!

Super8 Funfest 2018 | Sale, Shop, and Save!

Sale, shop, save - these are my most favorite four-letter words, and I absolutely love it when I get to enjoy these three, all at the same time.

This penchant for discount shopping led me towards Super8, a chain of  grocery stores with a wide selection of goods at bargain prices. I heard they're having a huge sale event coming up this week, so Yue and I paid a visit to the Super8 branch here in San Pablo City to know more about it, and do our weekly grocery shopping as well.

Yue checking out the goods featured in Super8's bi-monthly catalog.

We were courteously welcomed by the Customer Service staff, who then introduced us to John Michael, the Branch Manager for Super8 San Pablo City. John was more than eager to tell me about the Super8 Funfest; apparently, it's a three-day event which has been held annually since 2012. It's like a celebration of sorts with celebrity guests and production numbers, raffle draws with huge prizes at stake, and exclusive deals and deep discounts on participating brands and items. It's sale, shop, and save all together, and any penny pinchin' mom's dream (shopping) event come true!

With John Michael, the cheerful and good-natured Branch Manager of Super8 San Pablo City.

According to John, the Super8 Funfest is open to all, with no entrance fees whatsoever required. However, you get an advantage if you own a Super8 Rewards Card because the first two days of the event will be exclusive to Rewards Card members.

The Super8 Rewards Card - your ticket to great deals and shopping points!

With the Super8 Rewards Card, you get to earn points with every purchase which can then be used as cash at Super8 stores. For every Php 200 spent, you earn 1 point which is equivalent to Php 1. At the Super8 Funfest, you get to rack up more points when you spend more - a single receipt purchase worth Php 3000 entitles you to 50 rewards points (aka Php 50).

More Rewards Points + Special Funfest Deals.

Signing up for your a Super8 Rewards Card is easy. All you have to do is fill-out the membership form and pay the Php 100 membership fee, and you get your Rewards Card right then and there. I signed up for the Super8 Rewards, of course, and as soon as I got my card, John gave us a tour of the store and showed us which items are on sale and which items will earn us more points.

Shopping for his favorites!

Yue was thrilled to see that all of his favorite snacks and food items are available at Super8, and they're all tagged at cheaper prices, too! We discovered even more amazing deals as we made our way through the supermarket - like the Super Sulit Points section, which allows you to earn 25 rewards points for every Php 500 single-receipt purchase of participating items.

Super Sulit Points.

There's also the Try Me section, where new products are priced 5% lower than the standard retail price. The Dove Baby Hair to Toe Rich Moisture Body Wash, for instance, is currently priced at Php 248.70. That's Php 13.10 savings, compared to buying it at beauty counters or department stores.

5% off on new products!

That includes snacks and other food products!

They also have 'Plus One' promos, where you get free products when you buy in bulk. Like this 'Buy 11 Get 1 Free' promo on detergents and other home care items. If you're a wholesaler or reseller, promos like these will definitely help you save more and allow you to earn bigger profits.

Save more when you buy more!

More items on sale!

Aside from big savings, Super8 also gives their loyal customers a chance to win prizes in their Super Hakot Promo and Scratch & Win Promo, exclusive to Super8 mobile app users. You get a promo code or an e-raffle entry when you purchase Php 300 of participating items in a single transaction. Some of the items included in this promo are Oreo cookies, Nestle Koko Krunch cereals, Magnolia milk products, and La Pacita Graham Crackers.

Yue's favorite cereal. :)

You'll get to enjoy more of these awesome deals and astonishing discounts when you head over to the Super8 Funfest happening from April 26 (Thursday) until April 28 (Saturday). The event will be held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, from 9 am 'til 7 pm. As I have mentioned earlier, the first two days of the Super8 Funfest will be exclusive to Rewards Card holders, while the last day will be open to everyone, including non-members.

Super Bidang Buhay at the Super8 Funfest 2018!

Here are some of the celebrities who will be in attendance:

Is your favorite celebrity on the list? :)

And the fabulous prizes at stake:

Could you be the lucky winner of a brand new car? :)

To know more about the Super8 Funfest plus details on how to get to venue, read their FAQ here. Oh, and don't forget to 'like' the Super8 Facebook page to stay updated on promos, discounts, and event announcements!

Many thanks to John, Larry, and the Super8 San Pablo City staff for the warm welcome! Yue says he loved the VIP treatment! :)

Everyday is D-Day with Forti-D!

My son isn't the most outdoors-y kid, which comes as no surprise since I'm not a very outdoors-y person either. Sure, he likes going to parks and playgrounds and looks forward to our occasional beach trips, but for the most part, he prefers playing indoors.

Playing with his Legos.

Unlike other kids who like playing basketball or riding their bikes while basking in the sunshine, Yue would rather spend hours tinkering with his Lego sets and action figures within the comforts of our bedroom, or watch YouTube videos and play games with his cellphone while curled up on the couch.

Looks like he's downloading something... again.

I have no qualms with him staying indoors most of the time with the perennial dengue scare and all (plus he still gets enough exercise with his karate training anyway). However, at the back of my mind, there's always this fear that we're not getting enough Vitamin D since we pretty much have an 'indoor lifestyle'. Same goes for my husband, who hardly sees the sun since he works the night shift.

Watching videos on YouTube.

Unbeknownst to many, Vitamin D deficiency is strongly linked to chronic diseases such as cancer, heart failure, and diabetes. Studies show that 36 of our organs and tissues are regulated by Vitamin D, including our heart, lungs, brains, and bones.

However, not everyone gets the sufficient Vitamin D requirement to stay healthy. In fact, 7 out of 10 Filipinos are Vitamin D deficient (based on a study conducted with Hi-Precision Diagnostics, where 8200 Filipinos from key cities in the Philippines were tested for Vitamin D Deficiency). This could stem from the following reasons:

1. It’s hard to get enough Vitamin D from the sun (indoor lifestyle, clothing, skin color, aging, and use of umbrellas or sunscreen limit Vitamin D absorption).

2. It’s difficult to obtain from food (RDA of Vitamin D is equivalent to 40 eggs / 8 glasses of milk / 800g of salmon / 2 cans of tuna flakes every day).

Forti-D, for your daily dose of vitamin D.

Now this is where Forti-D comes into play. One capsule a day gives you your daily requirement of Vitamin D (800 IU) safe for daily intake. It also gives protective effects against serious diseases by keeping vital organs (heart, bones, muscles, and the brain) functioning healthily. Forti-D comes in an easy-to-swallow, small gel capsule and costs only Php 6.50 each - a very small price to pay to give my bones and body organs some serious protection.

For my husband and I, everyday is now D-day with Forti-D. We'd like to be in the pink of health in the longest time possible for our one and only. Because you know, parenting is some serious business. :)

Seoul Searching | Children's Day at Lotte World Mall.

Children's Day may have long been over, but this will always be Yue's favorite Korean holiday. After all, he has been part of this occasion for two years running.

In Korea and Japan, Children's Day is celebrated every 5th of May. Parents often give presents to their children, as well as spend quality time with them. More often than not, the children are taken on excursions to zoos, museums, parks, and other venues with kid-friendly entertainment.

Last year, I took Yue to Seoul Forest, where he fed deer by hand, went bird-watching, and enjoyed the beauty of nature as we strolled around. This year, we chose to go to the Lotte World Mall because we heard there'd be lots of fun activities on Children's Day. And true enough, there was already a great buzz happening when we arrived at the place. Kids were crowding around the mascots that made a surprise appearance at the Lotte Department Store!

Miniso mascot, and the Miniso pop-up store at the first floor.

Dokkaebi!

Snorkmaiden!

Playful Moomintroll!

The house-cleaning hamster, Ebichu!

More Children's Day photos after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Haru & One Day.

A few days before my flight to South Korea, my childhood friend Kay sent me a message on Facebook asking if we could meet-up in Seoul on the 16th (of December). She was flying from Chicago to Manila for the holidays, and will have a 12-hour layover in Seoul. I was so happy at the thought of catching-up with my first-ever best friend whom I have not seen in years; there was no chance in hell that I would miss this opportunity to spend time with her even for just a few hours.

I offered to fetch her at Myeongdong, but she wanted to explore other parts of Seoul and insisted on visiting the neighborhood where we live. As such, I suggested to meet-up at Haru & One Day, which I have been wanting to visit since it began operation last Autumn. Owned by Lee Donghae of Super Junior, the cafe is located near exit 4 of Seongsu Station, so I figured Kay wouldn't have a hard time finding it.

Haru & One Day!

True enough, she did not have any difficulty locating the cafe and even came earlier than I did -considering that my place was just a few bus stops away. Good thing the cafe opens as early as 7am!

Christmas feels inside Haru & One Day.

I spotted Kay as soon as I entered the cafe. Save for the eyeglasses, my friend looked pretty much the same since the last time we saw each other - and that was like, more than a decade ago! This girl doesn't seem to age! :)

The counter. They even have blankets, which you can use to keep yourselves warm.

Kay already finished a cup of coffee when I got there, and she seemed to have enjoyed the latte that she had. Made me all the more excited to try Haru & One Day's coffee, and cake, too! We headed to the counter, where they have a variety of cakes on display.

Haru's selection of cakes and desserts.

The menu.

They also have a decent selection of drinks - from coffee, milk, and tea, to smoothies and beer, even. 

I settled for good ol' Caramel Macchiato and a serving of Tiramisu. Kay initially had a hard time choosing which tea to order so the barista offered some suggestions and even let her take a whiff of the tea leaves displayed near the cashier. She ended up choosing the Pure Green Tea, together with a slice of Milky Roll.

Tea selection.

After paying for our order, we were given this thingamajig also known as the 'wireless queue calling system'.It didn't take long for our number to be called. There were only a few customers during that time, as the cafe has just began operation for the day.

Because in Korea, everything is digital. ;)

Here's what we had.

Breakfast, haha! :)

Tiramisu.

Milky Roll.

We loved how both cakes are moist and creamy, without being overly sweet.

Haru & Friday!

I like that their coffee is not scalding hot, and that their cups are wrapped in quirky sleeves with the day of the week written on it. We came on a Friday, hence the 'Haru & Friday'.

Cozy and Christmas-y. :)

The cafe's ambiance is noteworthy, too. With its minimalist design, spacious interior, neutral colors, and lots of sunlight coming through the windows, Haru & One Day is an all too perfect venue for meeting up with friends, enjoying some quiet time with a good book, or even telecommuting. The cafe offers free wi-fi, and customers are free to use their electrical sockets in case your phone or laptop runs out of battery.

Reunited! 

Fans of Donghae and Super Junior can also purchase Haru & One Day merchandise such as mugs, tumblers, canvas bags, and shirts. These items are displayed on the rack across the counter, with prices ranging from 16000 won to 60000 won.

Haru & One Day merchandise.

Kay and I spent about an hour or so at the cafe, catching up on a decade's worth of stories and life events. If not for Kay's craving for Korean street food, (we ended up going to Myeongdong afterwards) we would've stayed at Haru & One Day for one whole day!

Succulents.

I actually visited the cafe again on the eve of our flight back to the Philippines. I took the boys with me, and even my husband enjoyed their coffee. We even chanced upon Donghae's mom and his brother, Dong Hwa, but I was too shy to take photos with them as they were meeting with the staff and preparing to close for the day.

Capping off our trip to Seoul with another visit to Haru & One Day.

Haru & One Day
92, Achasan-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul