TOPAZ HORIZON

Summer was super fun for my two younger boys, Iñigo and Piero, because of Ready Steady Go Kids! Every Saturday, we trooped to the 9th Avenue School at BGC, Taguig, for an hour of fun and fitness with other kids.

You know how people call play the real work of kids? Well, this is exactly like that! The kids may seem like they're just throwing and catching balls or jumping up and down or chasing each other. They look like they're just playing but really they're developing eye-hand coordination, learning what their bodies can do and how it moves, building strength and flexibility, learning focus and patience and determination, learning to listen to instructions and pay attention to others—and doing all of that while having fun!

Ready Steady Go is Australia’s largest and most reputable multi-sport and exercise program for preschoolers (aged 2.5-7 years). We have been with RSGK since they launched here in the Philippines 5 years ago. At first, we were skeptical because it was just play. They can play at our playground for free! But at the very first session, when Vito was just 4, we saw that Vito learned motor and social skills fast. We were converted to the Temple of Play!


RSGK offers a high-quality, physio-designed program that teaches children the fundamentals of 10 different sports in a fun, non-competitive, team-based environment. There are 5 sports covered in each term. Each class focuses on a specific gross motor, hand-eye/foot-eye and/or balance activity to complement the sport component. The program has a structure repeated each week so that the kiddos become familiar and comfortable with the routine. It's not drastically different from each class, which is good because kids like familiarity.


So far, my kids learned basketball, golf, and tennis. But not in a competitive way. It was really just taking the basic moves of the sports and then using them to teach kids how to use and develop their muscles and social skills. It's really fascinating to watch the coaches apply sports to instill useful life skills! 


The classes run for 45 minutes. Best to go early so your kids can settle in. We also stay and play with the other kids after the class ends so we spend about an hour to an hour-and-a-half at RSGK. Super fun, mamas!


If your kids have summer vacation now or if they have classes but you want them to improve their motor skills or if you have a preschooler, please enroll them at Ready Steady Go! Super highly recommended! Topaz Mommy-approved! Register here: http://readysteadygokids.com.ph/enroll/

You can also follow their Facebook page to find out more: https://www.facebook.com/ReadySteadyGoKidsPhilippines. I can't say enough good things about RSGK! Please enroll your kids na!

Yo, I came out very quickly from blogger hibernation because someone slid into my DMs to say, "Kawawa ka naman puros lalaki mga anak mo." Girl, bless your heart, pero hindi ako kawawa. I am already so blessed to be a mother of one amazing, gorgeous, smart, healthy son. Na-times three pa! Sinong panalo? Sino???

Sinong pikon also haha

Pero nakakapikon talaga, ha. I was too suffocated with babyhood to have bothered before but, hey, I'm gonna make patol now. Why? Because this is not the first time this has happened! Piero wasn't even born yet and people have plagued me with this! Whenever people find out I have three boys, they get this look on their face, like, "Oh dear. Poor you."

Don't give me that look. Yes, I have a hard time with motherhood not because of the gender of my kids but because I'm a working mom, I have two (sometimes three) jobs, I have no household help, and no family around to help save my sanity. I may look kawawa kasi pagod na pagod ako at may losyang vibes na BUT I don't feel sad for having sons. Are you kidding me? I'm surrounded by three beautiful boys every day!

Three handsome boys all in a row. I mean, the world is always a better place when amazing brothers band together to rule it. Just look at these examples:


The Stark Brothers: Jon, Bran, Robb
Okay, technically Jon is their cousin but he was raised as their brother so don't fight me. And, yes, we will conveniently forget real brother Rikkon who was murdered by Ramsey. But just look at this photo from the first season of Game of Thrones! Who'd have thought they'd all become kings one day?


The Kennedy Brothers: John, Robert, Teddy
Yes, we'll do real life now. Yes, two weren't very good at staying alive and the last one wasn't very good at staying out of trouble but they did change US history and for three sons in one family to do that is pretty darn awesome.


The Hansons: Taylor, Zac and Isaac
Dreamy, can play music, can sing, knows a lot about art history, good looking, are amazing husbands and fathers. Perfect!


The Hemsworth Brothers: Liam, Chris and Luke
All three are successful actors (Westworld fans will recognize eldest bro Luke). They're easy on the eyes, too.


The Jonas Brothers: Nick, Joe, Kevin
Famous all over the world for being a pop sensation and for marrying strong and independent women.

The Sales VIPs
Best boys in this list! I can't even imagine what amazing things they'll do! I bet they'll be legendary. My mommy heart says so!

Mother of men. That's me!

I think having daughters is probably amazing, too. I say "probably" only because it's not my experience. I bet moms of daughters think they're the luckiest mommies, too. I'm super happy really. I seriously don't spend my days pining away for a little girl (sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, hindi talaga haha). Neither do I go around looking at moms of all girls and saying, "Kawawa ka naman." Loko ka. I think having kids of any number and any gender is a gift! So stop it and just congratulate me for being blessed three times over. Mwah!

"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalm 127: 3-5a

All the flowers last Mother's Day reminded me that I have a giveaway for my blog's 13th anniversary! If you follow @topazhorizonblog on Instagram, you'd know I was giving this bottle of Jo Malone Red Roses cologne. I'm moved by all the entries and I can't wait to see your story there.


I also wanted to share that my skincare products since summer of last year have a theme: roses. I sometimes stray from these and try out new beauty goodies (because who can resist?), but I find myself going back to these rose-filled beauty products because my skin looks and feels amazing when I use them.


This is my super favorite: Pure Beauté Facial Wash in Rose. I use this every single day (except for those times I sampled new facial washes sent to me). My face is so fabulous whenever I use this!!! I also use a tiny amount of the Pure Beauté Body Scrub on my face. Yes! It's so gentle on my skin anyway so I don't mind using the exfoliant once every 2 weeks.

The packaging looks so worn out na! That's proof that I really use them! You can buy these from the Simple Mama online store. I love Simple Mama's products. They're clean, pure, fresh, practically homemade. Every product feels like love in a container.

Okay, here's the link to the Pure Beauté page but the Rose Collection is a limited edition. That stresses me out because when my facial wash is running out, I go on panic mode. I don't think I can live without Pure Beauté Facial Wash in Rose! I won't guarantee this but maybe if you ask nicely, Simple Mama will make a batch for you. Tell me so we can order together!


Next favorite: In Her Element Petal Skin Rose Toning Essence. It's beauty water. It sounds unnecessary but it does what it says it will: Its water will beautify you. You know that part in the title that says petal skin? Yes, that will happen. Your skin will feel like rose petals. So soft and velvety smooth. So perfect!

It's P875 and the bottle is small. It feels like a lot of money for what is essentially water but get it!!! You don't need a lot anyway. I just pump the dispenser once and apply the toning essence all over my face. Pat, pat, pat. I don't use a cotton ball because I want ALL the drops on my now smooth and petal-soft face. So worth it!


So now you know my cleanser, exfoliant, and toner. Now check out my moisturizer: The Ordinary Rose Hip Seed Oil. This oil is pressed from the seeds of a rose plant. Oil is great for trapping moisture in skin but rosehip oil is also amazing for its anti-aging benefits. I added it to my skincare routine when I found out that Miranda Kerr, Rose Byrne, Cara Delavigne, Victoria Beckham and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, use it.
It's P900 from Calyxta and though it's a tiny bottle, you only need 2 drops for your entire face. You just warm up the oil in your palms then press, press, press. it's one of the best things I ever got for my skin. It smells like cooking oil, though, but the smell goes away soon enough. I love that the oil is quickly absorbed and so my mug doesn't look like a greasy frying pan.

My last rose-infused product is this super sulit Heritage Store Rose Petals Rosewater Mist. I use it for a ton of things! I got it from Calyxta for just P600 and I'll copy-paste na lang my review below.

So there you have it! My complete skincare products that all happen to have roses as its main ingredient! Have you tried roses in your skincare?

Now remember: I have a giveaway!

Okay, I'll talk about multi-masking with L'Oréal Pure Clay Masks in a bit but let me say this first: I totally forgot it's my blog's 13th anniversary this month! To celebrate, I'm doing a weekly giveaway over at my Instagram. Make sure you follow @topazhorizonblog to get a chance to win beauty products!

Now let's talk about multi-masking. From long-ago queen Cleopatra to today’s beauty vlogger royalty, clay masks have been used to detoxify and pamper skin. How does that work? The negative charge of clay attracts the positive charge of oil and dirt on your skin, sucks the yuckiness out of your pores, and leaves skin clean and balanced.

I was so lucky to be invited to the Samsung Forum 2019 at Resorts World Singapore! They wanted me to check out the new and impressive home appliances the huge electronics brand rolled out just for mommies like us. And, boy, was I truly impressed! I wanted to bring home every gadget I saw. And after I tell you my favorites, I'm sure you'll want a Samsung appliance in your home, too.

Here's what I want:

1. QLED TVs

The star of the show was this gigantic TV aptly named The Wall. It is so large, it is literally a wall. If anyone watched How I Met Your Mother here, that is the TV that Barney Stinson would've owned. It is massive! You'd need a mansion just to sit far away from it so that you can view your shows and movies properly. I don't have a picture of The Wall because there were just too many media buzzing around it, but here's a photo from Samsung:



Yes, it's 98 inches and while I'm very happy with our current 40" one, after I saw this, well, maybe bigger really is better! I really want a new TV now! And a Samsung TV, too, because I saw that the images were sharper and the colors more vivid. The fantastic picture quality is made possible by this feature called HDR10+. It processes the pictures to brighten scenes. It also has an automatic light control sensor so that it adapts to the brightness of its environment. So whether you're watching in bright daylight or in a dark room, your Samsung TV will adjust accordingly. This is the TV we should have used when we watched The Battle of Winterfell!

I also want to tell you about this clever function that the QLED TVs have. It's called The Frame because, okay, let's back up a little. When you turn off your TV, what does it become? A big black ugly rectangular hole in your shelf or living room. Ugh. Well then, if that annoys you, you will love The Frame TV.


Guess which frames up there are TVs? The Frame functions as a picture frame when you turn it off, displaying personal photos or art. I first saw this TV at Mandy Moore's exquisite home (the video tour shows the TV at 3:34) and it is now my dream home. A Mid-Century Modern Home nestled high up in the mountains is my definition of heaven. Anyway, since Mandy owns a Samsung The Frame, I now want one, too haha

2. Sound Bar

I've been lucky to watch my shows and movies with a better experience than most because my husband has always invested in a sound system. We are truly always surrounded by sound! Except lately because we need to upgrade our sound system. This is such a nerdy need but we need new speakers and when I saw the Sound Bar of Samsung, I just knew I had to have it!


According to the Samsung website, we should get a Soundbar HW-K350. It has 2 built-in speakers and a subwoofer for that truly immersive sound experience! I really want this! If you don't have a sound system with your TV, you're totally missing out. Buy one!!!
3. Powerbot Vacuum Cleaner

I have 3 boys. I live along EDSA. I have a rabbit. Of course we need a vacuum!!! We actually own a really good vacuum cleaner. While we love it, it's also large and unwieldy. It's difficult to take out of storage and it's heavy. Plus, its very long wire is always a hazard when you have 3 little boys running around.


So here's the solution! A robot vacuum that takes up so little space and just cleans the house all on its own. Maybe it's still a hazard because it's zooming around quietly and my sons may not see it, trip over it, or ride it (the most likely scenario). But I still want it!


And here's another vacuum cleaner that I want: the PowerStick Jet200!!! It sounds like something out of Harry Potter but this cordless stick is even more magical—it doesn't fly, no, but it sucks up dust like no one's business and I need it in my life! I know you all want this baby, too, because when I shared the appliances I found on my Instagram Stories, this is the gadget that everyone asked about! Sadly, it's not available here yet but, Samsung, you tell us once it hits our shores because my husband and my IG followers want one, too!

4. Air Purifier

I live along EDSA. I have 3 boys. We have allergies (don't worry—rabbit fur is hypoallergenic). Of course we need an air purifier! I saw these really amazing units at the Samsung Forum but I found out they're not available here yet. Sad face now.


That big one at the far right can handle our 110+ sqm home. I know we need an air purifier so that my kids can be safe from dust, allergens, viruses, smog, harmful indoor air gases. It's also relatively small and sleek so it won't take up too much floor space. And it's quiet. I want it!!!

5. Family Hub Refrigerator

You all know I just got a new refrigerator and I love it to bits so I really wasn't checking out the refrigerators at the convention. But I do want to share with you this amazing technology called Family Hub. It's all about Connected Living and Family Hub is the control center. You can check schedules, check who's at the door, answer phone calls, post photos and artwork, send messages, check the weather and the news, search for information—while cooking, cleaning, helping your kid with homework! Hands-free! It sounds like something from the future!


Samsung put this Family Hub technology in their big refrigerators because they deduced that the heart of the home is the kitchen. Every single member of the family visits the refrigerator at least once a day! So as you can see above, it's like a big phone on your ref door. Voice-controlled! It's amazing. I can't even explain it. Lemme study it and maybe do another post describing it once I fully understand it!

And there you have it! My favorite finds at the Samsung Forum Singapore! I had a wonderful time discovering all these incredible technology... for homemakers!!! And I'm not just talking about moms and dads. Anyone who lives in a house and wants household chores to be lots easier will want all these Samsung appliances.

Check out the Samsung Philippines website for more information and more gadgets. There are definitely more than 5 appliances that Samsung showed off (phones, washing machines, air conditioners, ovens, etc) but I was most impressed and needful of the ones I talked about here. Like the Samsung Ph Facebook page for more product announcements and sale promos!