TOPAZ HORIZON

1. Beachborn 3 Kings shampoo bars

This local brand offers 7 shampoo bars in their roster of hair care products. Shampoo bars are just as effective as liquid shampoo, but because they're solid, their paper packaging is more environment-friendly. Choose from the 7 variants according to your mom's specific hair needs and get them in a bundle.    

2. Mirth & Yift Belinda rose quartz drop earrings

Meticulously handcrafted, these pretty drop earrings are so feminine and flattering. Grab a pair for yourself and gift another for your mommy. 

 With the pandemic showing no signs of abating, we'll really have to make sure our bodies are stronger and healthier so we can resist the COVID-19 virus. I wrote a list on what I would do just in case but it never occurred to me to make a special home care kit until VP Leni launched her COVID Care Kit. And this weekend is the perfect time to complete the kit because of the Watsons Vitamin Super Saver Sale!

1. Phenylpropanolamine Hydrochloride/Chlorphenamine Maleate 325g – For colds accompanied with nasal congestion
2. Paracetamol – For fever and pain relief
3. Carbocisteine – For coughs with phlegm
4. Cetirizine – For allergies and itching
5. Butamirate – For dry coughs (without phlegm)
6. Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) – To help prevent dehydration
7. Hexetidine Gargle – To help relieve sore throats
8. Vitamin C + Zinc, Calcium + Vitamin D3 – Supplements for recovery

I also need these medical tools in the kit:
1. Digital thermometer – To monitor temperature every 4-8 hours
2. Face mask – To prevent the spread of the virus
3. Pulse oximeter – To monitor oxygen levels
4. Disinfectant – To sanitize surfaces
5. Rubbing alcohol – For disinfection and hand hygiene
6. Trash bag – to dispose separately items used by the patient

Blue, blue, their world is blue!

If there's anything that stamps the Cambridges as millennials it's this: They made themselves into a brand. It's such a millennial thing to do - everyone is a brand now. Even I'm told by PR agencies that my brand is the "raw and authentic mama" and my blog color (which used to be nothing) is orange because topazes are orange (uh, they also come in clear, blue, pink, brown, purple, and green). I'm not a millennial but, sure, okay, I like the branding created for me so let's go with it. 

Anyway, back to the Cambridge family. William and Catherine made themselves officially a brand in 2014 when they registered their selves as businesses. According to the Daily Mail, "Kate’s firm is called CE Strathearn – from her names Catherine and Elizabeth and the Countess of Strathearn title awarded by the Queen. William’s is APL Anglesey – after his middle names Arthur Philip Louis and the Welsh island where he and Kate lived after they married." 

Oh, William. What a romantic!

This is the first time a royal family made themselves into a brand (the second one is Harry and Meghan, and they were severely criticized as usual because apparently, only W&K can do it but H&M can't *roll eyes at tabloids and haters*). Their brands are supposedly not about making money but "more about creating a vehicle that could be used in future for specific situations. It is not necessarily about making money – it could be about protection such as the issue of trademarks for example." Their spokesman added, "APL Anglesey and CE Strathearn have been set up to house the intellectual property rights of the Duke and Duchess."

What that means is they won't stop businesses from making commemorative mugs. But if someone uses their image or names and presents them in a bad way (say, in a gossip site or in a show called The Crown), they can sue and stop these shows, movies, tabloids from profiting from them.

Still, their spokespeople don't deny that the Cambridges may create official items that they will sell. Prince Charles has Duchy Originals, an organic farm that sells premium organic goods, for example. So if Catherine ever decides to start a fashion line or launch a photography book (and she has) or William wants to start a  helicopter royal tours thing, they can.

Obviously, a brand needs colors that will establish its identity to its consumers. Coca-Cola is red, Nickelodeon is orange, McDonald's is yellow, Spotify is green, Barbie is pink, and the Cambridge official color is blue. 

I don't know when it started, or if it was consciously decided on. Maybe it was Diana's sapphire ring that became Kate's engagement ring that started it. At that time, I don't think they thought of themselves as a brand yet. But through the years, whenever they are presenting themselves officially, they come out in blue.