Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Eat well, live well, stay well! Ajinomoto asks all Pinoys to join Mag-Pinggang Pinoy Tayo 7-Day Menu Challenge

Ajinomoto sent me a gift pack of their products and asked me to join their Mag-Pinggang Pinoy Tayo 7-Day Menu Challenge. Thanks, Ajinomoto! I love using their Crispy Fry for my fried dishes - super hit with my boys! So I was super happy to get their other products. I've been using them for a few weeks now. Today, I cooked pork mechado and the Pork Savor did add linamnam to my dish! So excited to cook more yummy Pinoy meals now!


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PRESS RELEASE - The COVID-19 Pandemic intensifies the Philippine’s battle against Double Burden of Malnutrition. Double Burden of Malnutrition is defined by World Health Organization (WHO) as “the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight and obesity, or diet-related non-communicable diseases, within individuals, households and populations, and across the life course.” 

The limited distribution and access to food supplies aggravate the plight of poor and low-income Filipino households to sustain each person’s required nutrients through healthy meals. On the other hand, home confinement due to the mandated community quarantine may cause more people to not only restrict their physical activities but also to overeat and/or consume more food with empty calories as part of coping with stress and/or boredom. 

Just 1 sachet for every half kilo of pork for malinamnam yumminess!

Given the importance of maintaining healthy diets to sustain our health and immunity against viruses and bacteria, we should turn to the practice of Pinggang Pinoy® as a viable safeguard to protect our family from diseases. 

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation introduced “Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo 7-day Menu Challenge” as a way to encourage homemakers to serve a variety of balanced meals to their families. Homemakers could access the Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo 7-day menu plan at www.ajinomoto.com.ph and facebook.com/CookmunitybyAjinomotoPH.

I fry my meat and veggies, add the flavoring, then water, and tomato sauce.

This is part of the company’s “Eat Well, Live Well. Stay Well.” campaign to provide Filipino families with practical tips on proper nutrition, recipe menu, and fitness activities to cope, stay well, and enjoy life despite the current COVID-19 situation. 

Ajinomoto’s 7-day menu plan is composed of complete meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal provides recipe suggestions for Healthy & Delicious Pinggang Pinoy® Recipes that are easy-to-do and affordable. These recipes are simple, solutions to serve enjoyable Pinggang Pinoy® meals. 


Homemakers could make use of their extra time to purchase widely available and inexpensive vegetables and fruits to complement rice beyond the usual supply of canned goods. Ajinomoto’s recipes make common ingredients more palatable like tofu sisig, meaty pechay picadillo, pork tapa and tomatoes, ensaladang talbos ng kamote, sweet and sour galunggong, and many more. Here are three recipe samplers done in three easy steps: 

Meaty Pechay Picadillo 
1) SAUTÉ onion, garlic, and ground pork. Mix in carrots, green peas, and pechay. 
2) SEASON with pepper, soy sauce, and AJI-GINISA® Flavor Seasoning Mix. 
3) COOK for 1 minute more.

Tofu Sisig 
1) FRY tofu until golden brown. Set aside. 
2) SAUTÉ ginger, onion, and garlic, add fried tofu and liver spread and mix well. 
3) SEASON with sugar and PORKSAVOR® All-in-One Seasoning mix and add chili peppers.

Pork Tapa with Tomatoes 
1) MARINATE pork in water, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, and SARSAYA® Oyster Sauce for an hour or overnight. 
2) SAUTÉ onion, garlic, and pork. 
3) BOIL. Pour the marinade mixture and boil until mixture is thick. 

For full recipes and for more information about Ajinomoto and its products, visit www.ajinomoto.com.ph and facebook.com/CookmunitybyAjinomotoPH.

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

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Friday, June 26, 2020

How to tell stories that win the hearts of people

Everyone loves a good story. And everyone has a story to tell. Some people want to share their stories with the world, shouting out loud on blogs, vlogs, and social media. Some people, however, don’t want to be so public so they use anonymous blog sites to share their stories with others online.

Sharing stories that win the hearts of people (a.k.a. viral content) is a talent. If you feel you don't have the talent for this, don't feel bad. You can learn how to tell stories that people will love by honing certain skills. Once you learn these skills, you'll be confident enough to share your stories with your online readers. In today's guest post, you'll find a few tips to gain the best skills to win the hearts of people with your stories.

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GUEST POST - Are you someone who tells stories for other people anonymously? That's called ghostwriting where the stories are shared through the strength of the person or brand you wrote for. But what if you want to tell your own stories but don't want to reveal who you are? How can you make people be interested in your story without making them interested in knowing you? 

Knowing how to tell your story anonymously is a tough deal. Your story must stand on its own. When you’re making an anonymous blog, you need to learn about all the tactics of storytelling to win your reader's heart. Here are some beneficial tips to tell stories that win the hearts of people. 

1. Talk about real things. 

Readers want authenticity. If you cook up a fake story, it will sound false and unrelatable. Only your real stories can make you win the hearts of people. People start developing a feeling of trust and empathy when reading someone’s true story. Don’t make your readers lose trust in your stories. 

2. Don't miss the suspense element. 

What’s the main thing which keeps you engaged in a story? Suspense. It doesn't need to sound like a murder thriller but the secret to keeping your readers engaged enough to read until the last line is to feed them little details throughout. Don't reveal everything. Build up the story before delivering the final statement.

3. Add a human touch to your simple story. 

Whether your story is simple or thrilling, you need to make people feel your experience is relevant to them. You want to make them feel they're not alone. For instance, you can talk about some past experiences which helped you gather confidence to move ahead in life. Your story may be about an ordinary day in your simple life but adding inspiring elements will make it special.

4. Use proper story structure. 

You may have a great story but if you can't tell it properly, people will lose interest and scroll past it. You need to have the basics—good grammar and correct spelling. A good storyteller writing anything from a blog post to a sales pitch knows how to use tone, relatable characters, build conflict, and impart an unforgettable message. 

5. Always have a message. 

Every storyteller knows that the best stories have a lesson. From fairy tales to parables, all the most memorable stories had a profound message. If your story doesn’t have a moral or a message for the readers, then why are you even telling a story! If you want people to remember your story, then it has to have a powerful message they can take away with them.


*This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com for my rates.

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Thursday, June 25, 2020

Watch the Mad Men theme song but with a twist

I'm on YouTube a lot these days. I love watching music videos of my favorite songs, interviews of my favorite stars, and home tours of tiny homes and expansive mid-century modern mansions. So imagine my delight when I found this video! I just had to share it with you in case you're a Mad Men and Moulin Rouge fan like me.


If you put together the iconic opening credits of one of the best TV shows of all time and the opening scene of my favorite movie of all time, you get this:


Gorgeous! The song "Nature Boy" is so Don Draper!  

There was a boy 
A very strange enchanted boy 
They say he wandered very far 
Very far 
Over land and sea 

A little shy and sad of eye 
But very wise was he 

And then one day 
One magic day he passed my way 
And though he spoke of many things 
Fools and kings 
This he said to me 
"The greatest thing 
You'll ever learn 
Is just to love 
And be loved in return"

P.S. I'm happy I've learned the greatest lesson in life =)

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6 reasons couples should sleep in different beds

Confession: I don't always sleep in the same bed (or at the same time) as my husband. People tell me that not sleeping in the same bed will lead to marital woes. I see their point and I don't disagree. But sometimes I have to work in the dead of night when everyone's asleep. I think I'm also going through menopause so I'm always hot. I want the fan and the aircon on—full blast! So when I do sleep in our bedroom, my poor husband freezes even under the sheets and wakes up miserable. That's why when this guest post landed in my inbox, I just had to share it with you! Tell me if you know exactly how I feel!

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GUEST POST - Is your marital bed feeling like a storm-tossed ship? This is the case in many homes. As much as the couple tries their best to persevere through the challenges, sleep deprivation can affect a marriage in many ways. If getting cozy sleep is affected by the tossing and turning of your partner, it is time that you consider sleeping in different beds in separate rooms. 

Sleeping separately should not be a reason to freak out as the reasons for this may boost your sleep and improve your health as well. Although most couples feel like their sex life will be affected negatively, this is not the case. Give this a try to see how it works out for the both of you. Read on to find out other reasons couples should sleep in different beds.

1. You have different sleep patterns. 

Not all family members have the same sleep patterns—from the children to their parents. In the same way, not every couple share similar sleep patterns or circadian rhythms. As a result, your partner's sleep pattern may be interfering with your sleep quality. If he is suffering from insomnia, for example, you may want to stay up and keep him company, or his tossing and turning may keep you awake, too. Insomnia is not easily solved by just telling your partner to count sheep. Sleeping in different beds or rooms is one way to solve the issue. 

2. You desire different mattresses. 

It's true that once you are a couple you should learn to compromise on many issues. How about when the type of mattress you share is not right for one of you? It is easy when the mattress is not right for both of you—just get a new purple bed mattress to sort out your mattress issue. But when you like a firm foam for your bad back and your husband wants a nice soft mattress to curl up in, there can be no compromise. Someone's going to have poor sleep quality and this will lead to a disagreement that will affect your relationship. Try sleeping in separate beds with mattresses of your choice. 

3. You have poor sleeping habits. 

Does your partner fall asleep only when he's watching a television rerun? If this is not a fun activity that you do together, both of you will suffer in different ways. Particularly, if your sleep habits are completely different from one another. Such as one has to listen to music and the other wants complete silence or one wants the lights on and the other needs complete darkness. There's also different sleep hygiene—one likes lots of pillows and wrapped in smelly blankets while the other can only sleep on crisp, bleached and starched sheets. These factors can cause sleep fragmentation and non-restorative sleep that cause you to be irritable and fatigued the next day. Again, sleeping in separate rooms may be the solution here. 

4. Your partner snores.

Have you ever considered kissing your partner good night and then retreating to separate rooms? If no, then you must be lucky to not have a snoring husband. Once your partner starts snoring, you will consider sleeping in another room as a perfect option as his snoring will drive you nuts night after night. The snoring issue is common among many couples and it ends up in a conflict that may affect your relationship if not solved. Just as individuals that sleep next to a freight train are disturbed with loud and irregular sounds, a snoring partner will interfere with your sleep cycle, preventing you from reaching the deep sleep stage that makes you feel refreshed in the morning. One step to solving this particular sleep deprivation issue is to discuss with your partner about consulting a doctor for it could be health-related. Meanwhile, rather than sneaking to the couch in the wee hours of the night, discuss sleeping in separate rooms, too. 

5. Your daily routines clash.

Your sleep may be disturbed by different daily routines, such as when your partner works in an evening shift job. This is a common issue that affects a couple's sleep patterns. Hence, choosing to sleep in separate beds will give both of you peace of mind especially when one is an early bird and the other a night owl. 

6. Your partner is too hot. 

If your partner rivals a flaming log, this is another reason you have to move to a separate bed. There is a certain room temperature that is conducive to fall and stay asleep—between 18 to 22 degrees Celcius is the recommended range by sleep experts. When it comes to couples who sleep together, the heat under the covers may be more than the optimal temperatures. When the temperature goes way up due to a partner that generates a lot of heat, it will affect the other one who ends up tossing and turning and waking up soaked with sweat. 

In conclusion, a couple having to sleep in separate beds is quite a sensitive issue. However, who discusses their sleep compatibility as they are courting their partner? It is important to make sleep a priority for you and your spouse. Also, help each other solve any sleep-related issues that make you not achieve perfect sleep. Besides, it's not just your marriage at stake here. Lack of quality sleep can lead to other chronic illnesses as it gets worse by the day like cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, stress-related illnesses among others. Consider sleeping in separate beds until the issue you have is solved or if there is no other option for better sleep. 

* This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com. 
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Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Tips to select the skirt that suits you best

Anyone who ever followed my old blog series, Fashion Fridays/Topaz Fashion, would know I love wearing skirts. I like long skirts, pleated skirts, pencil skirts, full skirts, skirts with deep pockets—I love skirts! They make me feel pretty. So when I got a guest post submission today about selecting the best skirt for you out of the many skirts for sale, I just had to publish it!

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GUEST POST - A skirt is never just a skirt. Like any piece of clothing, it should not just be functional but also express who you are. It needs to make you feel comfortable while serving the needs of the day. It should make an impression on others, and that impression should be positive. Here are some ways to select the skirt that suits you best.

Your skirt and your body should go together. 

Long doesn't have to be boring. Just get a fit that hugs you in all the right places. Only P1,553.42!

Skirts come in several shapes to suit every kind of body. The skirt you choose needs to look good and feel good on your body. So choose a shape that flatters your figure. Some skirt selection decisions are obvious for that reason. For example, a form-hugging pencil skirt is perfect when you want to highlight your tiny waist and wide hips. Very sexy!

If you want to show off your legs, a mini is great. The shorter the skirt, the longer your legs look. At the same time, however, a short skirt might not be an ideal choice when your legs are already long. It throws off the proportion of your body. Often, a skirt of a mid-range length is ideal because it shows some leg while keeping your look proportional. 

Choose the fabric that suits your needs.

Denim—the working man's fabric—is comfy and versatile. It can be sexy, too. This skirt is just P931.53!

Knowing the fabric you need or want also makes buying a new skirt far easier. When picking a fabric, you need to think about things like general comfort and how well the fabric allows airflow. A denim skirt or denim blend, for example, offers a high level of comfort. Certain blends also have additional ability to stretch, which may be important to you, especially if you intend to buy a tight skirt. Some fabrics like silk, chiffon, or lace are very pretty but can be flimsy or too high maintenance. Those would be great for a special occasion but not for your everyday needs. 

For daily wear, denim skirts are a popular choice. Denim—or the material used for jeans—is among the most long-lasting and low-maintenance fabrics. It's a safe bet for repeated use because they are comfortable and easy to care for. That's why there are so many denim skirts for sale today. Denim isn't suitable for every occasion and place (like a wedding or at the office), but if you choose a dark color and simple line, it can look formal enough to wear to a lunch out with family or a date. 

Don't be afraid of patterns and colors!

Give off a tropical vibe in this cute mini. Only P1,190.95! 

When choosing a skirt, look at color for inspiration. First, check what colors are already in your closet. Plan to buy skirts that will go with the shirts, accessories, and jackets you have to make the best and most number of combinations. This is a solid plan so you can make good color combinations ahead of time. 

Another thing you have to figure out when buying a skirt is whether you want a solid color or a pattern. Both options are fine, with some exceptions. For example, a solid white skirt will be harder to keep clean. Also, some patterns may make your butt look flat or your belly more rounded. 

Make your skirt work harder.

This bright pink skirt can be used for many OOTDs. And it's just P879.23!

When you finally choose a skirt, it's important to make the best use of it. Having a skirt you love is not enough. You have to know how to wear it in many ways. Don't be afraid to change up how you accessorize it. That way one skirt can help you create many excellent outfits. Pair this bold pink denim skirt with a statement tee and sneakers for a fun day with your girlfriends. Go high-low with a luxe silk blouse, blazer, and pearls for a creative work environment. Liven up an all-black outfit (black turtleneck, black tights, black boots) with this loud pink. 

* This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com. 

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