IKEA Philippines Invites Filipinos to Join IKEA Family Club

 

Who loves IKEA?

Who visits IKEA store whenever they are abroad?

ME!  ME!  I love IKEA especially when I was living and working in Shenzhen China which was 30 minutes Ferry-ride away from Hong Kong.  I would take a ferry and visit IKEA store just for a couple of hours to buy Home-related stuff, to make my apartment feel homey!  And it did, for 2 full years!  Sad that I came back home leaving all the IKEA goodies and memories behind.

Thankfully, after years of waiting, IKEA PHILIPPINES is finally here! 

Manila – In preparation for the opening of the first store in Pasay City, IKEA Philippines is launching IKEA Family on July 7, 2021. IKEA Family is a home furnishing club with more than 150 million members globally. The club aims to reach, inspire, and support members in creating their dream home. IKEA Family is open to everyone who wants to make life at home better—from those whose homes are their passion, to those who are just starting out and need a helping hand. Members are treated with special IKEA Family benefits, rewards, experiences, and surprises all year round.

On what it is calling IKEA Family Day (July 7, 2021), IKEA Philippines will be looking to onboard a record 100,000 IKEA Family members within the first 24 hrs of launch. To achieve this milestone, IKEA is giving all members who register during the first 24 hours a chance to win one out of three IKEA Home makeover packages worth 50,000 PHP with exclusive design consultation with IKEA interior designers.

Is Your Kid Ready for Homeschool?

I have to admit something to you fellow mommies and daddies.

For the past years that Kyle started school, we don't have a "serious" study place because I personally don't want my son to take his studies seriously.

SHOCKING RIGHT?  

What kind of parent would want their kid not to take their schooling seriously?

Well, ME!

Kyle is a natural studious boy!  He picks books instead of toys even at the age of 2 or 3 years old.  "You should be grateful mommy!"  That's what I hear from every single parent I chanced upon whenever they see Kyle read books EVEN AT BIRTHDAY PARTIES!

It is okay to hone his serious attitude when it comes to studies, but one thing I noticed about him is how he cannot accept mistakes!  It was a long process for me to teach him to accept failure and "x" marks from school papers.  I even requested his teacher to be firm in telling him IT IS OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES.

Kyle is way better today at the age of 7.  Still a work in progress on some areas but a huge change from his younger years!  

So the point of my LONG intro is that, I never took a "study" session as seriously as today!  Well latter part of his Grade 1, I was really serious in teaching him Chinese and Filipino but I let him be for other subjects.  But since COVID-19 happened and most schooling are to be done at home, I had to create a comfortable space for him to sit and study for 4-6 hours a day!

Our study nook - also a work in progress - came to life during lockdown and I am so grateful for ONLINE shopping!

Kyle have a LOT of art materials that I knew I had to do something about it!  Inspired by the white cart I got from my sister in law, I bought buckets from Lazada and fixed everything for him to see ALL his art materials!  It is also a wake up call for me not to purchase more!  There were a LOT dubplicates!  

Aside from fixing his art area, I also removed and kept most of the toys he does not play with!  There were loads so I've decided to donate most of them and keep the rest in a nice storage box so he can always go back to it for play time.

I pulled out my own table and got a super comfortable chair.  For kids who are studying at home, I highly recommend to invest on comfortable chair - if you plan on buying one or use an existing chair that is VERY comfortable for them to sit on!

I got Kyle a Kid2Youth DUO Ergo Chair  which I think is a great investment since this chair works for kids and adults alike.  That said, the chair will grow together with  my son!

I picked a Blue chair and you may purchase a separate cover to save up on cleaning!  The chair has a great back support which keep correct posture for my son which is super important!  Aside from that, I like the customized foot rest which helps in keeping my son "on the chair"!  

For Philippine readers, you may contact Kid2YouthPhilippines on Instagram and DM them directly on how to order.

Table accessories are also important for me to keep things organized.  An organized table will make it easier for them to focus on their studies as opposed to messy ones.

A New Decade Welcomes Panasonic Air Conditioning Philippines!

#TrueStory .
When I got married 13 years ago, we invested on home appliances and the first item we purchased was an air conditioner unit, the second was a nice coffee maker!  The air conditioner was for Mr. AMW because he can't sleep without one!  As for coffee maker - self-explanatory #CoffeeAddictHere .

Our first Air Conditioner investment was a 2-Horsepower Panasonic Air conditioner which served us 7 long years!  This is NOT an  ODE  to my old Panasonic Air Conditioner because it is still doing well at my husband's old home at this very moment.  We moved to a different home so we've decided to go along with the change and purchased a new one!  And you guessed it right, it was the same brand because it was tested to be of great quality!


In this age of innovation, change is inevitable.

Panasonic reiterates its commitment to create “A Better Life, A Better World” as it aims to contribute to the progress and development of society and to the happiness of people around the globe, highlighting its expertise in the Air Conditioning business in over 120 countries globally.

Mr. Yuji Majima, Deputy Managing Director, Air Conditioner Marketing,
Panasonic Appliances Asia Pacific

As we enter a new decade, Panasonic launches a new company that is dedicated to provide professional services for your air-conditioning needs, the Panasonic Air Conditioning Philippines (PACPH).

With this development, PACPH promises to provide the best comfortable and #CompleteAirSolutions with innovative professional technologies and services to suffice every Filipino’s need from home to business.

My Tiny Secret as a Multi-Tasking Mom!

NO, not a messy table!  *laughs*

I hope this overview shows you how much work I do on a daily basis.  Come, join my world!

After sending my son to school and workout, I go back home and answer emails!  Loads of them!  

I also schedule meetings and events in between creating curriculum for my makeup and skincare training jobs, send out proposals for clients and a whole lot of PR work.

And of course, I also do a lot of online shopping in this particular workplace because ... too busy to go out for shopping!  So if you wonder how I manage to do a lot of things, this is one tiny secret I'm sharing! There's no way I could get everything done without sites like Amazon!

Asvel Launches Young Endorser Andrea Brillantes #IbangLevelSiAsvel

Asvel has been a huge part in our home after I attended the Grand Launch of Asvel at The Podium with Kris Aquino as their endorser.

I use their clear water jug (so nice to see them neatly inside the fridge), Kyle's lunch box is the Asvel Luntus Cafedon which indeed retain the warmth of the food.  Our rice dispenser which does not only look cute at home but keeps my grains fresh for months.

And my recent favorite water jug which can store hot or cold drinks!  I used it in my recent hike and it didn't fail me - no water leaks and it isn't heavy to lug all the way up to the mountains!

Backtrack to last Friday October 11, I was there at SM The Block for the launch of Andrea Brillantes, as the newest endorser for Asvel.

A little bit of tidbit about the Kadnang Ginto actress -

• Her favorite color is yellow.
• Because of Kadenang Ginto and her endorsements, she was able to purchase a home for the family!
• She loves to use Asvel lunchboxes and tumbler in her shoots.  She also gifts her directors and co-workers with Asvel products.

BLUEAIR Blue Pure 411 Review

I started having allergies by the time I turned 26, it was a late event I wished I didn't have to go through.  I've done Skin Allergy Test (Skin Prick Test) resulted me in knowing that I'm allergic to dust, pollens, dust mites and a whole lot air born stuff I can't seem to stay away from!   One way for me to "lessen" my allergies is to invest in an Room Air Purifier which I did for the past decade and so far some works at a certain extent and some failed to live longer than my allergies!

I recently got to try a brand called BlueAir Philippines.  Blueair offers high performance indoor air purifiers with focus on quality, energy and environmental care.  I did a couple of research and finally decided to give Blue Pure 411 a try!

Note from Author: There's only 3 of us in the family and all 3 of us have allergies!  So yes, this is definitely a MUST in our household.  

Blue Pure 411 says ---

I love the fact that this is visually beautiful to look at and out of all the Air Purifier brand I've searched for, this has the simplest yet most classy design.  It doesn't hurt that the Blue Pure 411 comes in 3 choice of color and design for the fabric pre-filter.

How To Have #ZeroWorries Life

Is that even possible?

As a human, there can't be ZERO WORRIES lalo na as a mom! 

"Will my son be okay in school?"
"Will someone change his towel when he perspires?"
"Will he fight with his classmates today?"
"Will he gets cranky?"
"I hope he won't get hungry!"

Fellow mommies, I'm sure the list goes on!  As much as we try to control everything in our hands, we knew by heart that the challenges we face on day to day basis is actually (what they call) the joys of motherhood.  (Kaloka no?)

As to what Ms. Universe 2018 Catriona Gray would say: "There is a silver-lining the challenges we face!"  And that "silver lining" I see in motherhood is that, there are certain things WE CAN control.  Here are just some of the tips I learned along the way that works for me and I hope you'll share yours too by commenting below!

Tough Mama - that's us mommies!

I used to think my mama is so tough nothing can make her tired!  After turning into a mom myself, I realized my mom is not just tired (taking care 4 of us + 2 bedridden grandparents) - SHE WAS EXHAUSTED!

But because of her extreme love for the family, she is turning herself into a TOUGH MAMA because she wanted the best for us.

Up until today, I still call my mom to tell her I miss her, love her and appreciate her!  I know NOTHING CAN REPAY her unconditional love but its' the least I can do!  Mommy work is NO JOKE! 

So when I got an invite to attend a Tough Mama event, I knew I had to clear up my schedule because I want to meet fellow tough mommies and learn ways to make life easier!

I wish my mom has these means to make her life easier back then - aren't we lucky?

The event was held at Flossom Kitchen last February 19, I met a lot of cool mommas!  I had a great afternoon with loads of laughter!

It was hosted by Ms. Karen Kabuhat and Chef Jam Melchor was there to do a cooking demo!  I actually did his Pork Chop recipe and it was a huge success!

Living Fresh and Easy with Panasonic Home Appliances

Name the brand of your appliances and I won't be surprised to hear the brand Panasonic as we have quite a number of Panasonic items at home.

last month, I attended a Panasonic Philippines event and they proved their brand's legacy of innovation and reliability with its newest line of home appliances displayed beautifully during the launch. 

AMW Visits Zojirushi Flagship Store

Let me tell you something about my childhood....don't worry it's not going to be a novel!  

I'm the youngest in the family so whatever I use are hand-me-downs from my sister or brothers!  I am not really into material things but one thing I really asked from my parents is a cute lunchbox OR a cute stainless steel tumbler to keep my water cold all throughout the day?

I didn't have any of those and I cried bucket of tears during summer!  So imagine the happiness (and memories) I had upon entering the first Zojirushi Flagship Store at Promenade Greenhills?

Zojirushi is the leading Japanese home and kitchen lifestyle brand which has been a partner of many households all over the world.  Designed with a simple yet powerful slogan in mind: Inspirations from Everyday Life, this global Japanese brand known for quality products since 1918, has established itself as a top manufacturer of vacuum bottles and has continued to leverage the latest technologies to create a constant stream of leading-edge products that make life more comfortable and convenient.  Although much has changed and lifestyles have become more varied, this brand’s philosophy of  “creating a quality of life” continues to be reflected in its products and services.

I Go To Such Events Because I Love to Cook...

If you follow my IG Stories or previously, Snapchat, you'll see how much of a Kitchen-nerd I am!  Don't get me wrong, I'm not super good at cooking but I have the passion to create feel-good, easy-to-prepare, homecooked meals for Mr. AMW and Kyle Nash!  

I can probably say, I'm doing a pretty good job because my parents-in-law, sister-in-law (at times) would join us for dinner!  They won't if they don't enjoy the food di ba?  *self-pats my back* 

So when I got an invite from our friends from Electrolux Philippines to learn how to keep food fresh and healthy for the family, I knew I had to be there!

The event was held last Wednesday at The Green Sun Makati, it was a huge event and I love how they emphasized on "Happiness Homemade" because I believe homemade food will always be the best!

AskMeMom: Safe and Natural Antibacterial Dishwashing Liquid

I used to say: "Dishwashing Liquid?  Ba't kelangan pang mahal?".  

Then everything turned around when I became a mom!  Everything I use in the household has to be SAFE!  Especially since my son has the tummy of his dad!  #SensitiveTummyProblems

Aside from making sure the sponge used for cleaning his utensils is separate from ours, I actually was looking for a better dishwashing liquid and found it finally via Cusina!  

"Cusina Natural Antibacterial Dishwashing Liquid uses the power of nature instead of harmful chemicals to fight bacteria.  It contains tea tree and eucalyptus essential oils for its innate antimicrobial and antiseptic properties and doesnt' rely on synthetic chemicals like triclosan."

There are a total of 3 scents to try --- Lemongrass Citrus, Ginger Yuzu Peel and Grapefruit Lemon Zest. 

Out of the 3, well they all smell great but I'm partial to Grapefruit Lemon Zest!  Thankfully, all 3 do not have the "artificial fruit" scent most commercial dishwashing liquid offers.  

Overall, I am a happy momma!  It removes oil, dirt and leaves my utensils smelling great!!!  And so far, one bottle lasts a bit more than a month!

Visit www.cusinahome.com for more product information.  Follow them on IG @Cusinahome .

As a mom, do you use a separate dishwashing liquid for your kids? 

If not, how do you make sure to keep them safe?

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

 

My Kitchen Helper: Glad Products

When we moved to our new home 2 years ago, Mr. AMW and I bought in a lot of plastic containers to store leftover dishes and other food items like crackers, chips, nuts, etc....  Turns out, using these plastic containers to store our leftover dishes aren't as money-saving as we thought it would be.  Food gets spoiled easily, chips and cookies lose their "Freshness" state in just a day or less!  I might as well throw all our money to the trash bin!

Last year, I've read this article from www.yummy.ph  and it was a lightbulb moment for me!  I always have Glad products in my kitchen (hoarding problem girls! :P)  and I use them mostly for cooking!  Ex. Extra Wide Seal variant to marinate my meat dishes

Luva PureAir Purifier Review

Before I had a baby, our family invested on an Air Purifier for large room hoping to help clear out my allergies.  At that time, there wasn't much choices back then!  I remembered choosing between a "bulky" and "less bulky" Air Purifiers which does not look "aesthetically" nice inside our room.

Fast forward to today, thankfully, we, as consumers are so lucky to have better Air Purifier Choices both the looks, quality and price!

So I recently blogged about the difference between Air Purifier and an Air Humidifier , now that you have a clearer picture of what you need, I may as well add on another post on my current Air Purifier.

Can you spot it?  It looks perfect on top of my white desk!

Luva PureAir Purifier by Gwell ---

"Luva Pureair has four functions that make the air you and your baby breathe safe and clean. The processes are Purification, Sterilization, Deodorization and Aromatherapy. The first and only 4in1 functions purifier here in the Philippines will surely shield your family to various diseases. Below is the link of youtube for your reference."

Christmas Gift-Giving Idea: Crane Humidifiers and Purifiers

It is true what Crane says: "The Best Medicine is No Medicine".

I used to take at least one tablet of anti-histamines a day to ease up my skin allergies which I highly blame on both food and air pollution!  Mr. AMW actually bought me an Air Purifier a couple of years ago.  And now that we have Kyle, we were actually on a search for Air Humidifier too! 

Which is which?  Well, after attending their first ever event at L'Indochine a couple of days ago, I learned so much about Humidifiers and Purifiers I actually took notes and will share to you the difference and you'll see by the end of the post which your family needs!  I actually needed both!  And don't worry, these are not only cute, they are inexpensive as well!

Crane USA actually took a leap on creating not only good quality humidifiers and air purifiers, they actually followed their own mantra of "Design for Better Living".  As you can see, their products are not only functional and efficient!  They come in Adorable and elegant designs to fulfill any home improvement needs!

Now, let us first talk about Humidifiers ---

• They help increase air moisture for easier breathing and good night's sleep.
• Can relieve cough, cold and flu symptoms including nasal congestion, dry cough, sinus irritation, nose bleeds and dry skin.
• Can reduce mold and bacteria growth up to 99.96%.

And Crane actually came up with Adorable Cool Mist Humidifiers (Php2,799.75-Php3,499.75) to satisfy the descriptions above.  And aside from that, they can hold 1 gallon/3.78 L water and it can run whisper quiet up to 24 hours!  These CRANE Humidifiers can mists up to 250 square feet and has auto shutoff safety sensor!  Best of all?  They use less energy than a standard household light bulb!

 

I highly recommend the Adorable designs for household with kids and kids at heart!

AMW Reports: DunloPillo Moments with Fellow Mommies

A lot of you are probably not used to seeing me posts about "mommy-related" topics!  A lot of you probably can't even blurt out "AskMeMom".  As for me, as early as 16 years old, I knew I'd be a great mom!  I always have this "motherly instinct" and actions that would lead my friends to say: "Mommy Nikki" or just plain "Mommy"!

I didn't mind that, I actually enjoy taking care of my friends and relatives!

BUT, the moment I really turned into a mom, my life was turned upside down!  One of the biggest change I've encountered for the first year of motherhood is how taking a full 30 minutes sleep/nap is a luxury!  And how much I appreciate comfortable mattress and pillows!

To my single readers out there, I'm sure it never crossed your mind to save money to invest on a good mattress or pillow right?  AH HA!  I knew it!  Because I'm used to be like that ! I would laugh at the thought of buying pillows even if they are on sale!  I just think the old ones I have are enough.

Yes, I'm eating all my words right now!

I know I don't have the right to complain, I'm a mother of just ONE little boy as opposed to my mom who personally took care of all 4 of us siblings! 

I co-sleep with my son because, well, we just want to savor the moment our son still wants to be with us, as we are sure by the time he grows older, he'll want to have his own bed or even room!  Fellow moms out there who co-sleep with their kids, I'm sure you understand how it is to wake up with sore back, stiff neck and still laugh about it because it will be an everything thing!

I Wonder: How Do You Relax?

I always answer: "When my son is asleep, one hand holding an iPad watching my favorite films and a cup of coffee or a glass of milk on the other hand."

And yet, I always feel sluggish.  

When my dear brother bought me a Muji Large Aroma Diffuser, we set it in our living room to keep that area fresh and smells great whenever we have visitors coming in!  Okay, the living room turned out to be Toddler AMW's "playground" and most of the time, visitors do not get to sit anymore...well at least, the house smells great so they'll forgive us on not letting them sit!  hahaha

As much as I want to have the whole house smelling clean and fresh or yummy, I can't move the Large Aroma Diffuser around so I am still on the hunt for an inexpensive aroma diffuser.  Scented candles weren't an option because I'm not a candle-person!  Not until I found the brand Heart & Home.  I finally have choice and the scented candles do not smell like candles with a scent, instead, it smells delicious I almost forget we are using candles!

Heart & Home comes with huge selection of fragrance-rich candles, wax melts and votives have been produced to fill our homes with scents depending on our preference and mood.  I believe the company have worked alongside with leading perfumers to build unique scents that is said to help "turn on that lightbulb moment" in our brains!  

True enough, aside from feeling more relaxed, on days, I get to have more ideas on what I want to do with my blog whenever I'm relaxing with soft music and my favorite scent!  I'll share my favorites later on!

Heart & Home Country Kitchen

Php995.00 (approx $23.00) 

Upto 70 hours burn time

L-R French Vanilla, Sweet Black Cherries, Mediterranean Fig and Welcome Home

As much as you and I would like to go "in shock" for the price, I actually find these to be more inexpensive as compared to using fragrance-oil!  This huge candle goes a long way!  After a month's usage, I still haven't finish 1/4 of the candle and I'm actually looking forward to finish 1 to try on the next one!  

Something New: Mandaue Lifestyle (Kid's Room PEG)

February of last year, Mr. AMW and I decided to move out of his parents' place and live on our own with an active toddler around!  And let me tell you, furniture shopping is expensive and extremely stressful when you're too busy to go out for furniture shopping!

A year after, and ALMOST settled, I want to plan ahead in terms of Kyle's future room!  He has a room but it looks extremely bare!  So instead of the usual mistake of panic-buying, this time, I want to plan ahead!  And I saw some "pegs" for his room!

I want this!!!!

Photo taken from Mandaue Lifestyle

Looks very pricey right?  But I was told otherwise!  Mandaue Foam (a local Cebu-based company) finally introduces MF Lifestyle!  A chic furnishings for the modern Filipino Family (us!)  They finally presented design-forward line of home furnishings to suit any lifestyle --- whether you're single, married, a fashionista or crazy mom like myself.... MF Lifestyle believes that the home is an extrension of one's personality! 

And I believe them after searching online checking their wide variety of offerings!

I felt bad I wasn't able to see these in person as I was stuck at home to look after Toddler AMW, but I will definitely include the brand as part of my #ProjectKyleRoom as MF Lifestyle can offer custom requests!  Whatever size, pattern, and shape that I may need, they will definitely oblige to my request!  YAY!

Eureka Moment: For Your Home

Happy New Year again AMW Friends!
Are you back at work?  Well, either you're in the office or at home, I would like to thank you for visiting this blog for updates!  I appreciate it a lot! :)  *hugs*

Today is my first Eureka Moment for the year 2014 and there will definitely be more to come!  Since I think you guys are a huge part of my life, I would like to share to you that we are moving (not countries, but I'm referring to home!)  It is not far from where I live but yes, it is one huge step for us to move out and I'm sure it won't be easy!  

One thing about the Chinese culture when moving houses, aside from picking a good date, there are also some no-nos when it comes to drilling!  For someone who loves trinkets and cute stuff, and let's not forget, with a baby around, you bet I can fill up the house in no time!  So I'm definitely on the lookout for products that would help us keep our home simple yet organized! 

First Eureka Moment --- Home Edition!  SureStick!

SureStick is owned by a dear blog reader and a high school mate of mine!  :)  Thankfully, this isn't a shameless plug as when I received the products, I knew I would love them as they are indeed made of good quality and I can't wait to install them at focal points of our new home!

I know you can find hooks and attachments at various shops but what I love about Surestick is the wide arrays of colors and designs you can choose from!  

Soap and Toothbrush Holder 

(in Pink Square, Violet Saure, Floral Square and Animal Printed Square)

AMW Reports: Getting to know Magniflex

Last Wednesday, I got an invite to visit the three-story building along  Connecticut Street in Greenhills called Homestudio Inc.  What's inside the building?

A high profile brand called Magniflex.  To those who don't know the brand, Magniflex is 100% Italian made mattresses and sleep accessories!

You read that right, mattresses....sleep accessories!  That's the reason why the pregnant woman who suffers morning sickness drag her butt out of the house to visit the showroom!  I am definitely in need of good night sleep and so far, 4 pillows with me still doesn't help and I'm intrigued to get ideas on how to have a more comfortable sleep! At the right price and within my budget of course!  *winks*

The event was hosted by Melai and we were introduced to the owner of Homestudio Inc. Mr. Grant Lim.  It was a wonderful success story to share that Grant finally fulfilled his dream to open up his own business and this is actually the industry he is very passionate about!  See?  Dreams do come true!