TOPAZ HORIZON

My family's favorite is the white grape. Super happy drink!

This Season of Giving, treat your family and friends to a Christmas celebration perfectly paired with Welch’s line of Sparkling Juices. Fizzy but guilt-free, Welch’s Sparkling Juices are the bubbly, alcohol-free beverages that both kids and adults will enjoy—even expecting mommies can drink this bottle of bubbly goodness! 

Heart-healthy and delicious, Welch’s Sparkling Juices are pressed from the freshest Concord and Niagara grapes across America by farmer-families. This 150-year tradition of Real Grape Goodness has made Welch’s one of the most loved beverages in the world, especially by Filipinos who enjoy organizing great moments with friends and families. 

Available in both Red and White Grape flavors, Welch’s Sparkling Juices are easy to mix with other beverages to concoct a variety of unique bubbly mocktails. Add a splash of your favorite juices and discover the goodness in each sip. 

Each bottle of Sparkling Juice is tastefully prepared and packaged, making for an excellent and convenient Christmas gift. Truly, it’s an unforgettable holiday feast when you share the sparkle to those who make life sparkling.

Dear family and friends, you now know what you're getting this Christmas!

A product of USA, Welch’s products are widely available in retail stores across the Philippines. To learn more about Welch’s Sparkling Juices and recipes this holiday, visit www.welchs.com or follow WelchsPH on Facebook and Instagram.

*To be featured on Press Release Tuesdays, send it to frances@topazhorizon.com.

Mr. Baldemor is a painter, sculptor, book illustrator, and printmaker. He's a writer, too. Basically, he's someone I would want to be when I grow up! He started painting at 8 years old and became a folk artist. He told us at the exhibit and launch at Ronac Art Center that he's always loved flowers because he was surrounded by them in childhood. “Flowers, for me, are universal, a symbol of peace, love, and have unspoken language of diplomacy,” Mr. Baldemor told MEGA magazine.

So for beabu, Mr. Baldemor selected three of his paintings for the MBaldemor x beabi Floral Symphony Collection. This is beabi’s way to bring Baldemor’s art to a wider audience and to make art wearable and functional. It's also a lovely way to add beauty to our endless chores and errands, right, mamas? 

The Mbaldemor x beabi Floral Symphony Collection consists of three designs: Flowers Are A Joy Forever, Flowers Speak From The Heart, and Amazing Grace. The MBaldemor x beabi Floral Symphony Collection is only available at all beabi stores nationwide and online at www.beabi.com.ph until stocks last.

Or you can get your own bag from ME! Yes, I would like to share my Mbaldemor x beabi tote bag with a Loyal Reader! All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me your favorite memory of flowers. It could be the first rose you ever got, your wedding bouquet, the crushed flowers your little one gives you from your garden—anything! I just want to know.

Make sure to also tell me your Facebook name with your answer so I know how to contact you in case you win. Comments will be published when I pick the winner. I'll announce who won next Monday! 

The winner is Shirley Mae Tabora for telling us her love story with a touch of the divine.

But a modern working mom’s time with her child is incredibly limited. As such, moms must set time every day to bond with her child—and take every chance to turn regular activities into quality time for herself and her kid.

There are various fun and educational activities moms can do with their kids every day. The kids will not only enjoy these activities but will also develop valuable skills and habits needed for life.

A child’s imagination and creativity know no bounds, that’s why it’s important to do activities that will help develop their artistic skills. Doing arts and crafts projects with your child will expose them to a world full of visual imagery, which can be a new channel of communication between parent and child.

Gardening

Growing a garden is a surprisingly relaxing way to teach kids about the importance of nature and the environment. It also teaches them to be responsible, as plants are placed under their care.

Playing Sports

Kids need to have fun and be active, and sports enables them to experience both. Physical activities such as running and playing badminton will give kids the energy and strength they need as they grow. Playing sports with your kids will also teach them how to play fairly and win a game with a ‘teammate.’ 

Cooking

If there’s one thing kids love doing, it’s eating. Since they already love to munch on their food, teaching them how to cook will make them appreciate what goes into their meal. This activity can make kids realize their dreams of becoming a chef—or help establish healthier eating habits at least.

Bath Time

One of the most relaxing and intimate bonding moments between a mom and her child is bath time. Bath time with the kids can be used as another means of communication between mother and child, creating conversations that both of them will fondly treasure. 

An activity as simple as bathing your toddler can create a lasting bond between a mom and her child. Cetaphil Baby further strengthens this bond thanks to their line of products that gently touches your toddler’s skin. 

Bath time with the kids isn’t only a great bonding activity, as it’s also one way of showing your kids the importance of taking care of their body, keeping their skin clean and from acquiring unwanted skin diseases. The Cetaphil Baby products are made up of ingredients that keep your child’s skin moisturized while also soothing sensitive skin, making it an ideal bath time essential for kids.

Cetaphil is a skincare brand that has been recommended by dermatologists for over 70 years and is today used by millions with delicate skin from all over the world. Recently, the brand carried its gentle cleansing ways over to baby products with the launch of the Cetaphil Baby line. For information, visit www.cetaphil.com.ph 

*To be featured on Press Release Tuesdays, send it to frances@topazhorizon.com.

Because I’m a mommy, I checked out the toy section of The Metro Department Store and of course I had to see the deals at The Metro Supermarket. Because I’m a wife whose husband has been looking for a new TV for our bedroom and maybe a new air-con, I just had to check the appliance section.

Actually, ang dami ko talagang nakita sa Metro Store. For example, T-shirts for the kids, towels, mga bedsheet sets, Christmas decor, bags, shoes. And soooo many gift ideas for the holidays! Yung mga fruits and veggies were really nice and fresh. Bibili na nga sana ako kasi andun na ako, right, but because they told me that the stuff I want are discounted up to 70% off, well, talagang hihintayin ko ang Nov. 30 to shop, mamas!

One week na lang! Happening for only one day from 7 AM to 12 midnight, the Metro Crazy Sale is promising slashed prices to an all-time low. Up to 70% talaga! Yung iba, buy 1-take 1 ang gimmick. I can’t wait for Nov. 30! 

Now, here’s good news for Metro Rewards Club Cardholders: You will also receive 3x more points per purchase during the Metro Crazy Sale. There are also extra freebies for you when you every minimum purchase of Php 1,500 or Php 2,500 for MRC Cardholders and Php 5,000 for Metro Business Club Cardholders when you buy your groceries at The Metro Supermarket. 

When I went home after making my promo video, I told my Grab driver about the Crazy Sale. He got excited talaga. He said that Metro malls are always so sulit and favorite ng misis niya. I actually also like buying clothes and toys there. Shoes ng boys ko also! Mas maganda ang stock nila. Maganda ang curation so I always find something that’s quality, affordable, and hindi available sa ibang department stores. Promise! Favorite kong Metro Store is the one at Feliz Ayala Mall. But you can go to your nearest Metro Store nationwide if you want to be at the biggest shopping event of the year! 

For more information on Metro Pre-Christmas Sale, visit their website at www.metroretail.com.ph. You can also like and follow their Facebook page at <facebook.com/TheMetroStores>, and Instagram <@themetrostores.ph>

*This post is brought to you by The Metro Stores.

My friend Rowena Lei of Animetric told me about SeaKing Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon. She said it's real wild salmon. Yung tipong tumatalon upriver kind of salmon. This fish isn't farmed at all. Why does that matter? Wild salmon has better good fats so it’s healthier. It's that simple.

So imagine my extreme happiness when SeaKing Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon sent me enough salmon to stuff my freezer full! The first thing I cooked was the salmon chunks. I just lightly salted them then fried them. I like it simple like that so I can judge the freshness, taste, and quality of my meat, fish, and vegetables. When I'm convinced na fresh at masarap talaga siya, that's when I trust the product enough to play with it.  

SeaKing Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon was firm, smelled like the sea, and tasted clean and fresh. Really delicious! I love it! So my next dish was a Pinoy classic and one of my absolute favorites: sinigang! Here's my recipe for sinigang na salmon.