Friday, October 13, 2017

What I got from the 8th anniversary sale of Quirks Novelties & Curiosities

It's the 8th anniversary of Quirks! I'm really happy that the novelty store is going strong. I remember meeting my friend and the co-owner of Quirks, Zerl Chan, at a coffee shop a few days before the opening of the first Quirks store at Power Plant Mall. It was such a tiny shore. Parang cabinet lang siya. Does anyone remember that tiny Quirks store??? But even though it was small, it was filled to the rafters with the most fascinating finds!

Now, 8 years later, there are five big Quirks stores all over Manila. And to celebrate its 8th anniversary, Quirks is having a big sale!

From now till Oct, 15, it's...
10% off all regular items!
15% off when you buy 2 or more items!

 From October 16-31, it's...
Pick a prize for a minimum purchase of P800!

This is storewide and site-wide. Yes, even their online store has the anniversary discounts!!!

Want more Quirks perks? Become a Quirks VIP member much faster because this month, you get double stamps on all purchases!

Here are three Quirks goodies for my family:



It's a ladle/wooden spoon/etc holder. Obviously, it's for me. But my bunso Piero thinks it's Spider-Man's hand so he says it's his and my little chef, Iñigo, says it must be his since he cooks. So we decided that when Iñigo cooks, it's his. Beyond cooking, it's Piero's.



It's a big tin for keeping memories, like photos and letters. I gave it to my husband because between the two of us, Vince is the sentimental one. He keeps EVERYTHING. Like, you can not KonMari method this guy because everything sparks joy. I love that man I married!


This is such a fabulous lunch box but my kids are going to store their Legos in it instead. Taking after their father, I see!


Vince's favorite Quirks item is the Sun Jar. It's a rechargeable lamp—you just put it under the sun and it soaks up all that light then you have naturally powered light all night. Vince LOVED his Sun Jar so much and then I broke it accidentally. He was a lot heartbroken about it. But now because of the sale, I think I'll go get him a new Sun Jar!

You can visit Quirks at Power Plant Mall, SM Megamall, SM Aura, UP Town Center, and SM North EDSA. You can also shop online at https://www.quirksph.com.

Happy 8th birthday, Quirks!

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Thursday, October 12, 2017

Cheesy quesadillas made healthy with Gold Seas Tuna Chunks

Hi, mamas! Today I'll share with you another recipe Chef Rosebud Benitez taught us mommy bloggers last week. These cheesy quesadillas are so delicious and so easy to make—definitely a snack (or even a lunch) you and your kids will love.

 (Check out the first recipe: Shepherd's Tuna Pie.)

All the ingredients are easy to find at your favorite supermarkets, too. And it's quick to make! Working mama me was delightfully surprised! And instead of ground beef, Chef Rosebud used Gold Seas Tuna chunks, which are lighter on the tummy and much healthier, too. Happy cooking!

TUNA QUESADILLA
  • 1 pack spaghetti sauce
  • 1 pack flour tortilla, small size
  • 500 grams mozzarella cheese 
  • 250 grams button mushrooms, sliced 
  • 2 cans of Gold Seas Tuna in Water
  • Olive oil for pan frying (optional, not needed when using a non-stick pan)
FOR THE SALSA:
  • Tomatoes, diced
  • Ripe mango, diced
  • Olive oil 
  • Cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Spread some spaghetti sauce on a tortilla. Don't put too much since this will make your tortilla soggy.

2. Top with grated mozzarella cheese, sliced mushrooms and tuna flakes. 

 3. Fold in half and toast in a frying pan until golden.

4. If you used a non-stick pan, no need for oil. If you had to use cooking oil and fried your quesadilla, rest your quesadillas first on tissue paper to remove excess oil.

5. Serve with lots of tomato salsa on the side.

This was really so good! As in, super tasty, malinamnam, and also easy and quick to eat. That last part can be a problem because I ate so much! I just  happily pushed the cheesy tuna quesadillas in my mouth one after the other—chomp, chomp, chomp!


 Sarap na sarap ako haha It's a good thing tuna and salsa are light and healthy! All that cheese, though...

Thanks so much, Gold Seas Tuna Chunks, for inviting me to join Chef Rosebud and the mommy bloggers to this fun cooking class. I really enjoyed myself! Gold Seas Tuna Chunks is now going to be a regular ingredient in my cooking!

 Gold Seas Tuna Chunks is the pure, healthy, and chunky tuna choice for you and your family. With only premium tuna caught through sustainable fishing practices, every can of Gold Seas Tuna Chunks is filled with wholesome tuna goodness you will enjoy to the last bite. 

 Gold Seas Tuna Chunks is available at all leading supermarkets, groceries and convenience stores and are offered in 90g (solo) and 185g (sharing) variants. To get the latest news and updates, like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram @goldseastunachunks.

 This post is brought to you by Gold Seas Tuna Chunks.

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Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Ladies, Forget Flexible – Be A Free Agent Instead

I just started a new job as beauty editor at L'Oréal. Yes, hooray!!! I'm so happy! The beauty giant has lots of major skin care and cosmetics brands under its umbrella like L'Oréal Paris, Maybelline, Kiehl's, Garnier, Kerastase, and many more. Lucky me, I get to work from home because I was hired as a consultant, and I'm so happy I registered my writing services as a legitimate business because I was able to get this dream client! Instead of getting a flexible job, which I had been hoping for these past year, I got a client that let me work wherever I want, whenever I want, as long as I submitted what they needed every month. It truly is a dream come true! Thank you, God!

Testing out lipsticks at home.

Flexible jobs appeal to women, especially mothers. A mom not only needs to be able to get her career on track, she also has to raise a child/children at the same time. People call working mamas supermoms but we all know none of us can be the best at both job and motherhood at the same time.

That's why I've been exploring income-generating pursuits like blogging, consulting, and hopefully one day, selling real things for working mamas. The farther I get away from my employment days, the more I see that entrepreneurship is the way for us mommies. You don't have to put up a brick-and-mortar store. A free agent, a.k.a. freelancer in our parts, can be your way to a life of satisfying career and devoted motherhood.

Here are the benefits of going freelance:

1. I Have Unlimited Options
Women will not and should not stop until the glass ceiling is gone forever. Until that happens, it is essential to understand and accept that it exists. Fellow feminists might see this as a slight, but it is far from it. By recognising that a glass ceiling is apparent in a particular company, you can move to a business without one. At the least, you can go to an organisation where the limit isn't as low and there is room to grow.

Freelancers get to take advantage of better opportunities merely because they are, well, unfaithful. We were raised to believe that happiness lies in finishing college, getting a job in a big company, getting married and having kids, and retiring from that same company 20 years later. Loyalty to that one company till you die! Looking around for work, getting rakets and sidelines, going freelance—these were frowned on. But I know that staying in one company limits you. It limits your professional circle, it limits the skills you know, it limits your pay. I should know because the last 5 years were WILD! But I've learned more as a freelancer in the last 5 years than I ever did as a magazine editor for 10.

I said yes to many things, like hosting an event with RJ Ledesma. I'd never have done this had I stayed employed!

2. I Can Make More Money
The gender pay gap has been an issue of debate for years. In 2017, organizations such as the BBC still don’t pay women as much as men. It’s a feature of the industry which is as infuriating as the glass ceiling for women. 

Thankfully, your role as a free agent lets you earn as much as possible. Too many men and women stay in workplaces where the opportunity for promotion is low. Ever read that Forbes article, "Employees who stay in companies longer than 2 years get paid 50% less"? Again, it’s a loyalty thing which we can’t seem to get over. As a result, an average person’s wage stagnates and gets lower as the rate of inflation increases. 

Women who are willing to switch roles give themselves the best opportunity to avoid low wages. As long as you take an offer with a higher yearly salary, there is no reason to get paid less than a man. In fact, what I love about being a freelancer is I earn more now than I did as an employee. Sure, there are stressful times like when clients don't pay on time, and so my husband and I are not averse to looking for employment, just some little job that can pay us every 15 days, while the blog and the writing business continue to be the main income source.

I learned to paint for a client. They paid me to paint my walls so why say no???

3. I Can Build My Life Around My Kids
Moms don’t have it easy because the cost of starting a family is high. Not only do we women have to spend so much on pregnancy, child birth, and child care, but we also lose out from a career point of view. Businesses may provide maternity leave and pay, yet a mother’s career is bound to languish because she has to take nine months off. Then there is the difficulty of being a mom who has a full-time job. 

Being a freelancer won’t solve the first issue, but it can help the second. Mothers who are not tied down to a position don’t have to build their life around their job. Also, because free agents pick and choose, it is possible to secure a position with flexitime. Coming in late and leaving early is an excellent way to make sure the kids are safe and secure. 

This is my life now really—family first, then whatever spare time I have, that's when I work. And crazily enough, this has resulted to more money! What! Didn't they say you have to work 10-14 hours a day just to get ahead? Well, when you're a freelancer, you don't have to work that hard. Just work smart... whenever you want to!
Like Cheka Kramer, I'm a mommy who puts her family first. It's so wonderful that prioritizing our kids worked out so well for us!

4. I Can Meet More People Who Can Propel Me Forward
As you can tell by the tone of the article, there are lots of roadblocks for women and mothers in the workplace. So it makes sense to try and hurdle as many of them as possible. Many of the obstacles are ingrained in the industry and really hard to jump over. 

However, you can sidestep any obstacle with the right people by your side. All you need to do is call them and ask for a favor. In my case, I've had to ask people how I can help them or how we can work together. That was how Ginger Arboleda of Manila Workshops and Taxumo created the Boss Bellas workshop series. She had an idea but she didn't have time to devote to it so she passed it on to me! Even my L'Oreal job came to me because I sent an email to a former colleague, just asking for a favor to put in a good word for me. She did and I got the job!

It shouldn’t come as a shock, but staying in one job won’t help your career. Yep, I said it. Women who move around the industry are more likely to meet new people in varying sectors of business. Should a free agent need help, their little black book will be full of potential candidates. Yes, it is possible to network while staying in a job, but it takes a lot of effort for moms to go to events after a hard day at work.

Ginger and me at our first Boss Bellas Workshop this year. God bless my working mama friend!

5. Life's Exciting!
The reason freelancing is an excellent option is the excitement factor. Yes, it might be frightening at times, but since you never really know what each day has in store, freelance life can get the blood pumping. Rather than rolling out of bed in the morning, dreading another boring day at work with people you despise haha, you will jump out refreshed and ready to tackle the day because who knows what will happen today??? 

The problem with this, however, is I have a hard time keeping my schedules straight. Like yesterday I told my accountant, "I don't know if I can see you this week because I don't know what my week looks like yet." She is endlessly frustrated with me, I know! 

I also know many freelancers who work not just from anywhere, but from fantabulous locales, too. They work while traveling, or their work sends them all over the world. The idea of making money while living near a beach is an enticing prospect. Lots of people ask questions such as “how do I become an international nurse?” or, “how do I find a job abroad?” Pretty cool except that, personally, as a mama to little boys, traveling doesn't excite me. That's why I took on this life so that I won't have to leave my kids, right? Well, us new moms may not be tempted to travel any time soon, but kids do grow up. Maybe one day, when the kids are busy with school and friends, I can be more mobile without any hassle. It's an exciting prospect, right? But if you're employed with a set number of leaves, you don’t have the chance to exploit the globalisation of the industry. 

Ultimately, women and mothers need flexibility in their careers. There are other ways to secure it, such as sticking with a job which offers a balance between life and work—but this kind of job is very rare. In my experience, being a free agent not only provides flexibility but pays more and increases opportunities. 

Try exploring it, mamas! If you can provide a service or product, offer it to friends and family. They'll spread the word. Sooner or later, you just might have enough raket to actually make it your legit biz. That's how I did it! Good luck!

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Monday, October 09, 2017

Why we believe all kids—yes, even boys!—belong in the kitchen

This is my husband, Vince, showing our three boys how to cut up a whole chicken. The kids are both fascinated and freaked out so there's a lot of shrieking and laughing coming from the kitchen now. 

Forgive the pambahay look and the messy kitchen. The hubby and the boys aren't bloggers haha! I just heard all the ruckus, saw what was happening, and grabbed my phone to snap a pic.


I wanted to share with you, mamas, this photo so that you know how we care for the food we eat. As much as possible, we want to eat homecooked meals. We love fast food, of course, but it matters to me that my sons see what food looks like before it is served hot on a plate. I want them to see the plants and animals before they got cleaned, sliced, chopped, fried and baked. I believe it teaches them about our place in the circle of life, that lives of animals and plants were given for them, and that will hopefully teach them to be mindful of what they eat and not waste their food.

For example, Vince was cutting up the chicken because he wanted the spine, neck and butt. He was going to use those to make chicken stock because he wants to cook miso soup and risotto. Instead of buying canned stock, he will make it. Our boys see that every part of the animal will be used, even the ones they don't want to eat. 

That's the blessing of cooking your own food really. You're connected to your past because you usually cook dishes taught to you by your family. And you really are confronted with the fact that you're part of the food chain because you are literally handling animals and plants that used to be alive. I know it sounds so mumbo-jumbo but for me, the only way we can honor that sacrifice is to not waste any of the food we eat. 


It also matters to me that the meat I buy is from ethical farms. That means the animals were kept in a clean environment, fed with good feed and clean water, and slaughtered as swiftly as possible. That's why the chicken Vince is chopping now is Magnolia Fresh Chicken because the chickens are raised in a clean, spacious farm, fed good food and water, not injected with antibiotics and other suspicious things, and are slaughtered swiftly.

I used to chop the heads off of chickens myself. Yep! I'd buy live chickens from the palengke. Super fresh, right? But one time, I chopped off the head of a chicken (with great difficulty because the manok was malikot), drained the blood, then put it in a big pot of boiling water to make plucking the feathers easier. Guess what??? The headless chicken jumped from the pot and ran around our backyard and... That was the last time I did that!!! That was also when I truly understood that funny phrase, "run around like headless chickens." Totoo pala yun! Now I want my animals slaughtered as swiftly and as humanely as possible. 

So if you cook, mamas, I hope you also teach your kids to cook! It really helps our kids to be more mindful of their food and to keep wastage at a minimum. And in this world of excess and waste, we have a moral responsibility to teach our kids to go against that lifestyle of consumption and avarice. 

Yes, I take my food very seriously! Food is life. There's so much one can understand about life when you cook, I believe! 

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Sunday, October 08, 2017

Why so hard to look for pantulog? (Note: Medyo NSFW)

Okay, so matagal ko na gustong mag-pajamas. Konting kwento muna bago ko i-share yung adventures ko this Sunday haha Okay, since putting on weight after I became a mother of three, my body bothers me when I sleep. Before, it was the swollen pregnant tummy, then the leaky breastfeeding boobs, and now it's just... I dunno, the naked flesh of my thighs brushing against each other. It sounds sensual but when you're a working mama who just wants to sleep, you don't want to feel sensual (or malagkit actually).

Obviously shorts are out of the question so I tried leggings and okay naman siya but hapit siya sa legs, you know. Gusto ko maluwag. That means pajamas. I've looked at malls for pajamas and ayoko sa kanila because they look like scrubs. Depende sa pattern at material, pwede siyang yung suot ng mga medical personnel or ng mga yaya. So instead na I'll look like I'm going to sleep, I'll look like I'm going to work. Gusto ko pantulog talaga.

I realized only last night that I should be able to find pajamas online! Silly me. So I logged onto eBay and Lazada and here's what I found:
Penguin pajamas
Winnie the ?oo? pajamas

These actually look very comfortable but at my wonderfully mature age of 40, they'll just look ridiculous on me. Malamang hindi naman importante what I look like considering patay naman ang ilaw, but hindi siya talaga kaya ng matrona me.

Then my search took a surprising turn when under the keywords "ladies sleepwear" and "ladies pajamas," these came out:
Bondage, este, sleepwear
Black lace that promises to be itchy with matching panties
Pink see-through nightie with matching thong

Sa first page pa lang ng search results yan! Ang dami pang sumunod. I have nothing against sexy things, ha. In fact, I have a few tucked away in my underwear drawer. But hindi pajamas yan! I dunno whoever thought that these things would be comfortable enough for any woman to sleep in! And sa totoo lang, kung ganyan ang pantulog ko, hindi ako patutulugin ng asawa ko! Amiright???

Eventually, I did find some lovely pajamas. Check these out, mamas:
Nude pajamas
White pajamas
Red pajamas
Pink pajamas
Very nice! I like that the last three were the fashion trend for Spring this year:

I'm ordering a few for my birthday! Finally, the search for pajamas has ended and I can sleep!!!

*Catalogue photos from Lazada Philippines; celebrity and street style photos from Pinterest: Selena Gomez, Ryan Gosling, black with silver flowers, blue with orange flowers, white pajamas
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Friday, October 06, 2017

Frances Finds: Homecooked hash browns using frozen US Potatoes

My kids love hash browns and twister fries. I think all kids like fried food and finger food. Hash browns and french fries just happen to be both so every weekend, we order from McDo. But our food deliveries every weekend cost about P700. We don’t buy just the fried potatoes, you see. Syempre, we also buy burgers and spaghetti. Anyway, P700 or so every weekend, aba, that’s P3,000 na every month!

So last weekend, I went to the frozen veggies section of Rustan’s The Marketplace to buy frozen fries and hash browns so I can save some money. And, mamas, there’s a wealth of US Potatoes I found! 


Okay, first, let me tell you the brands of US Potatoes: Carnation, Park Lane, Dane, Lamb Weston, Island Valley, Food Service Pack, Alexia, American Maple Leaf (hindi siya bacon haha), Golden, and Frenchies. There are many shapes and kinds available, too: wedges, thin slices, crinkle cut, basket weave, tater tots, and of course the ones I need, hash browns and loop/curly (a.k.a. twister fries).


All are reasonably priced even though they’re from the US. I’m particular about that because the United States is the only country that is required by USDA Grading Standards to ensure food safety by using state-of-the-art technology to instantly freeze potatoes to lock in the flavor and nutrients. 

Okay, now that you know how careful I am with the food I buy, here’s what I got: Carnation Mini Hash Browns and Golden Crinkle Cut Fries.

Here was the kids’ breakfast:

Crisp and crunchy outside, soft and moist inside. Tasted slightly buttery, too!


They loved brekkie! Thank you, US Potatoes, for making me feel like a smart, money-savvy mama! 

US Potatoes are found at major grocery stores like Cherry Foodarama, SM Supermarkets, Rustan’s The Marketplace, Robinsons Supermarkets, and S&R. For more recipes and information, like the Potatoes USA Facebook page.


This post is brought to you by US Potatoes.

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Thursday, October 05, 2017

Shepherd's Pie recipe made special with Gold Seas Tuna

A few months ago, I discovered Gold Seas Tuna—and it's one of my best mom finds this year!

I love tuna. I've loved tuna forever! I make the best spicy tuna sandwich spread. I know because I've not tasted any tuna sandwich better than mine and everyone who's had my tuna sandwich says so, too. I make really amazing tuna and roasted tomatoes pasta. Super quick and easy to make and everyone who's had it thinks it's so gourmet, they get shocked when they find out my tuna's canned. Yes, I'm very mayabang when it comes to my tuna recipes!!!

Maybe one day I'll share the secrets of my super special tuna recipes with you, dearest Loyal Readers. One day, but not today!


Today, I'll share with you the delicious shepherd's pie we made with Chef Rosebud Benitez (the lady at center, with glasses) at The Cookery. With other mommies, I learned to make shepherd's pie with tuna. Not just any tuna but with Gold Seas Tuna Chunks. It is the very best canned tuna in the Philippines, mamas!

TUNA SHEPHERD’S PIE
  • 3 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped, boiled and mashed
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 720g jar tomato pasta sauce
  • 2 celery stalks, trimmed, chopped
  • 150g broccoli, chopped
  • 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cans Gold Seas Tuna in Spring Water, drained, flaked

 1. In a mixing bowl, add butter, milk and two-thirds of the cheese to the mashed potato. Season with salt and pepper (I use white pepper so that my mashed potatoes won't look "dirty."). Stir gently with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover to keep warm.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion has become transluscent. Add pasta sauce, celery, broccoli, and corn. Stir until vegetables are tender (around 7 minutes). Add basil and tuna. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.

3. Preheat oven on medium. Divide tuna mixture between four 1 1/2 cup-capacity ramekins. Spoon in mixture so that it fills just two-thirds of the ramekins. Fill to the top with mashed potato. 

4. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Lots and lotsa cheese! Grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until potato is golden and cheese has melted. Serve.

This was soooo easy and soooo delicious! My husband—who is a meat man—loved it! Definitely a lighter and healthier version of shepherd's pie, which is usually made with ground meat.

Next week, I'll share with you another recipe Chef Rosebud taught us. Of course, we made it with Gold Seas Tuna Chunks—the chunkiest, most delicious canned tuna ever!!! Happy cooking!

This post is brought to you by Gold Seas Tuna.

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Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Exercises we can do at home to get sexier!

It's the last quarter of 2017! I'm almost 41! I haven't done any real consistent fitness regimens at all this year! This time in 2016, I promised myself that because I'm turning 40, I need to be fit and fab. I was going to use #FrancesFabAt40 and #FrancesFitAt40 to document my journey to fabulosity. Alas, it din't happen, mamas.

I did do more physical work than I ever have this year. But since I wasn't consistent, I guess the effects weren't visible. I do feel stronger. I'm doing things I've not done in decades—briskly walk 3 kms straight, jog, climb stairs without dying, heck, I actually can even run up stairs now! So, yes, I am healthier and more fit, but I also want this new strength to be visible on my body.

Problem is, as a super busy working mama who can't rely on yayas and kasambahays to look after the kids while I go to the gym, I can't go to a gym. So let's do this fitness thing at home!!!

I went on YouTube and found this lovely woman who does exercises at home. Bodibiday deserves more views and subscribers, mama, so let's give those to her. Watch her videos and WORK OUT WITH ME!!!

Okay, so I collected the videos I plan to do every MWF (let's start slooooow) on this blog post so I can just keep going back to this page every time I need to exercise. Here we go!

Because I need to tone my arms. My arms are strong. After seven years of lifting and carrying babies and toddler, lifting heavier loads of groceries and diaper bags, I know my arms are. I just don't like that all those muscles are buried by fat!


Because I have a big belly and a big belly doesn't look nice on a skinny lady. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm pregnant again.


Because I want to lose my back fat. How can I be skinny and have back fat anyway???


Because I want nice wide hips. My hips already widened after three pregnancies but I have these awful things called hip dips.


Because I want a big butt! I used to have a cute butt but when I became a mama, it flattened to pancakes. Whhhyyyyy???


Because I want toned legs. I know my legs are stronger than they've ever been. I run after little boys! I run up MRT steps! I walk everywhere! But they still don't look firm and toned. So I'm doing this.


Okay, yan na muna, mamas. I'll start this week and then I am super hoping that in a month's time, which would be my birthday week, I'll not only feel better, I'll also look better. Good luck to us!

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Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Frances Finds: OMRON nebulizer for quiet, on-the-go, and effective respiratory treatment

For mamas like me who have asthma, we're familiar with nebulizers. It's one of the best tools to manage asthma attacks. My first nebulization was in my teens, and nebulizers back then were big, heavy and so loud it woke up the dead. I think that's part of the reason I survived my asthma attacks haha

The last time I was confined at the hospital for a deadly asthma attack was 7 years ago. 

Joking aside, asthma is serious business. It's life-and-death. A lot of people who don't have asthma never could understand it. I tell them, "Imagine suffocating. Drowning. Being strangled. Still can't fathom it? Then stop telling me to 'Breathe!' because asthma is not being able to breathe, you dimwit!"

Okay, I don't say that last part. All I say actually is, "I will never wish asthma on anyone, not even my worst enemy." It's sobering to always confront one's mortality when you have an attack. Your first thought is, "Where's my inhaler?" If that doesn't work, your second thought is, "Looks like I'm going to die today." You learn how to be calm in the face of death because you've looked at it in the face too many times. And to be honest, I'm not afraid to die anymore, having been on that brink too often. It really isn't so scary. If anything, all I feel is sadness and acceptance—acceptance because we all die and this is how mine will go, and sadness because life is good and I have a wonderful husband and amazing children and I don't want for us to part ever. I really never want to die.

So serious! I'm actually here to tell you about the new OMRON nebulizer!!! OMRON invited me and other mom bloggers to a delicious lunch at Stacy's BGC where we learned about asthma and allergies and how to manage them well. We also found out about the new OMRON Compair Nebulizer System NE-C801 nebulizer.


Like I said, if you have asthma, you know those nebulizers can be very loud. If you're a mama of asthmatic kids, then you know those loud nebulizers scare kids, especially babies and toddlers. Most of them time, the nebulizer upsets them so much, their crying exacerbates their condition. So you beg, plead, bribe, threaten, weep. Usually doesn't work. What we used to do was wait for the kids to sleep before we put the nebulizer as far away from the bed as its cord and air tube allow, muffle our nebulizer behind (not under) a pillow, and then only then do we turn it on. Now that they're older, they've dealt with the noise so this isn't a concern anymore.


With the new OMRON Compair Nebulizer System NE-C801, however, you won't have to worry about scaring your kids anymore. Hooray!!! Here's why I want to buy it:

1. It's so portable.
Well, all nebulizers are portable but the OMRON Compair Nebulizer System NE-C801 is more so because it's so small and it's so light. It's just a little bigger than my hand, about as big as a Polaroid camera. And at 270 grams, it's so light! If ever I need my kids to get it for me, they can carry it. And if I ever need to bring a nebulizer when we travel, I can! It comes in its own nifty little bag that contains two face masks (one for kids and one for grownups) and one mouthpiece.

 2. It's efficient.
This little nebulizer uses Virtual Valve Technology, which efficiently compresses the liquid medication and turns it into the finest vapor so that you get most of it into your lungs.

3. It's affordable.
At just P3,280, the OMRON Compair Nebulizer System NE-C801 is not an expensive medical equipment. It's available at leading drugstores. And because it's being launched to the market, for the month of October, it's only P2,980! Bili na, mga mommies!!!


Oh, by the way, my kids don't have asthma—so if you're a mom who thinks this is all useless information, think again! What my kids have is allergic rhinitis. Then when they have a bad cough or cold, their pedia recommends nebulization with saline solution, sometimes with a few drops of decongestant or mucolytic mixed in, to ease their breathing. So even if you and your kids don't have asthma, as long as you have allergies or you get colds and coughs, a nebulizer at home is still a great thing to have.

To know more about OMRON medical devices and how to lead a healthy life, like their Facebook page.

*This post is brought to you by OMRON. Photos courtesy of OMRON Facebook page. 

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