Mama Miah!

Good news to all S&R members, the S&R Members Treat is back and it will start on September 30 until October 2, 2016 from 8 AM - 9 PM!

Have fun shopping on favorite imported goodies which will be at 50% off, Buy 1 take 1 and more exciting and great deals! So, mark your calendars and get ready to fill your carts with your favorite S&R items and save more during the S&R Members' Treat Sale!

It's the rainy season once again and there are so many cases of dengue in today's news and most of them are children. As a parent, I can't help myself from worrying about this. I want to protect my family from these Dengue-Causing mosquitoes.

First, What is Dengue?   

Dengue is a debilitating viral disease of the tropics, transmitted by mosquitoes, and causing sudden fever and acute pains in the joints. [Source: www.google.com]

 

What causes Dengue fever?

The bite of an Aedes aegypti (yellow fever) mosquito, infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. When a mosquito bites a person infected with a dengue virus, the virus enters the mosquito. When the infected mosquito then bites another person, the virus enters that person's bloodstream.

Here's a very helpful piece of advice from the Department of Health (www.doh.gov.ph). Follow the 4S against Dengue.

The Zenfone 3 family just got bigger and bolder! ASUS Philippines confirms the arrival of its newest addition to the ZenFone 3 smartphone series, the ZenFone 3 Laser and ZenFone3 Max together with the three phones slated to launch in August in the country.

The ZenFone 3 Laser and Zenfone 3 Max features a 13MP camera with the latest Sony IMX214 sensor that captures stunning photos without any lag. The ZenFone 3 Laser in particular is able to achieve focus in just 0.03 seconds, and its laser has an operational range of 1.5, twice compared to other smartphones.

This camera also has an industry-leading Low Light mode with pixel-merging technology that captures 400%-brighter photos at night or in extreme low-light scenes – all that without the need for any flash.

Meanwhile, their Backlight (Super HDR) mode can see through daytime shadow with superb clarity, while its Super Resolution mode captures detailed images at resolutions of up to 52MP.

The 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 Laser and 5.2-inch ZenFone 3 Max sport a sophisticated aluminum alloy with design elements that add visual aesthetics and an easy, comfortable grip.

Both phones have a finely sandblasted matt surface and a gently rounded edge, combined with a refined metallic-chamfered edge surrounding its display.

Both also sport the quintessential and ergonomic fingerprint sensor placed near the top of its rear panel, allowing the index finger to naturally rest on it. The fingerprint sensor allows it to rapidly unlock the phone, using authentication by other apps.

ZenFone 3 Laser is available in two attractive colors to complement even the most-color conscious attire: glacier silver and sand gold. While the ZenFone 3 Max is available in three attractive colors: titanium gray, glacier silver, and sand gold.

The ZenFone 3 Laser boasts a powerful Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage that will be able to satisfy everyone’s entertainment needs, that is also backed with one of the loudest and clearest speakers in its class because of the magnets used in its voice coils that have an extremely strong magnetic flux.

Meanwhile, the ZenFone 3 Max offers longevity like no other with its 4130mAh battery that provides up to 30 days of standby time, and the ability to turn into a power bank with reverse-charging capabilities offering high-speed charging of other devices, it is also equipped with a powerful Quad-Core 64 bit processor running at 1.25Ghz complimented with a Mali T720 graphics processor.

From the birth of ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone Max that pushed innovation to deliver an unparalleled smartphone experience, ASUS has outdone itself once more with a rebirth in the form of the ZenFone 3 Laser and ZenFone 3 Max which offers the best of both worlds in terms of design and performance, without a doubt – innovation is, and will always be, the middle name of ASUS.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser (ZC551KL) Specifications

Construction: Premium-crafted metallic design with Corning Gorilla Glass and 2.5D contoured edges / Slim bezel (2.58mm) and 77% Screen to Body ratio / Exquisite Zen pattern inspired buttons
Display, Resolution: 5.5" Full HD 1920 x 1080 display / 400nits brightness / Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D contoured edges
Processor: CPU - Snapdragon 430 octa-core 64-bit processor / GPU - Adreno 505
Memory (RAM / ROM): 4GB RAM / 32GB ROM
PixelMaster Camera:
•Front Camera: 8MP PixelMaster Camera, f/2.0 aperture, 89˚ wide view angle / HDR / Lowlight Selfie
•Rear Camera: 13MP PixelMaster Camera (Sony IMX214) ; f/2.0 aperture / 2nd generation 0.03s laser auto focus / Color correction (RGB) sensor for the best white balance and natural-looking colors / Dual-LED real tone flash
•Camera features: Electronic image stabilization for the best steady video / FHD video recording / 52MP Super Resolution Mode / Advanced Lowlight / Real-time HDR / 32 seconds long exposure / Selfie beautification mode / Manual mode
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot / CAT. 4. 150/50Mbps (download/upload)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 / Rear fingerprint security sensor
SIM card and SD slot: slot1:Micro SIM (2G/4G) / slot2:Nano SIM (2G/4G) / up to 128GB Micro SD
GPS: GPS, AGPS, GLONESS, BEIDOU
OS: Android M with ZenUI 3.0
Battery: 3000 mAh
Audio: ICEpower enhanced speaker / Dual Microphone with Noise Cancellation / Audio Wizard for enhanced audio experience
Dimensions: 149 x 76 x 8.05mm
Weight: 150grams
Color: Glacier Silver, Sand Gold

ASUS ZenFone 3 Max (ZC502TL) Specifications

Construction: Premium-crafted metallic design with 2.5D contoured glass / Slim bezel (2.25mm) and 75% S to B ratio / Exquisite Zen pattern inspired buttons
Display, Resolution: 5.2" HD 1280 x 720 display / > 400nits brightness / 2.5D contoured glass
Processor: (CPU) Quad-core 64-bit processor, 1.25GHz / (GPU) Mali T720 /
Memory (RAM / ROM): 3GB RAM / 32GB ROM
PixelMaster Camera:
•Front Camera: 5M PixelMaster Camera, f/2.0 aperture / HDR/Lowlight/Beautification mode
•Rear Camera: 13MP PixelMaster Camera, 5p Lagan lens
•Camera features: 52MP Super Resolution / Backlight HDR mode / Low Light mode / Selfie mode / Panorama mode / Beautification / Time Lapse / Effect mode
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot / CAT. 4. 150/50Mbps (download/upload)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 / Rear fingerprint security sensor
SIM card and SD slot: slot1: Micro SIM (3G/4G) / slot2:Nano SIM (3G/4G) / Micro SD up to 64GB
GPS: GPS and AGPS
OS: Android M with ZenUI 3.0
Battery: 4130 mAh / Supports Reverse Charging and Super Saving mode
Audio: ICEpower enhanced speaker / Dual Microphone with Noise Cancellation / Audio Wizard for enhanced audio experience
Dimensions: 149.5 x 73.7 x 8.55 mm
Weight: 148 grams
Color: Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver, Sand Gold

Tune into ASUS Philippines’ social media pages for more information on local pricing and availability.

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets, smartphones and wearables. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,326 awards in 2014 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 17,000 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of over 5,500 engineers. Company revenue for 2015 was approximately US$14 billion.

Pokemon Go is a location-based reality game developed by Niantic, Inc. which is optimized for smartphones and not for tablets. Pokemon Go is finally available in the Philippines! Yay! I liked playing Pokemon in GBA way back in college and my favorite Pokemon is Charmander. So, I was really excited when I heard the news that Pokemon Go is now available in the Philippines.

And the best news is Smart Communications Inc. lets you Play Pokemon Go for 7-days for FREE! All Smart and TNT subscribers with Android or iPhone smartphones can now enjoy a FREE all-day data for Pokemon Go for 7-days from August 6 to August 12!

So, what are you waiting for? Get out, explore and start catching the Pokemon all around you! ;) In case you'll be needing Pokecoins to buy some useful items like Pokeballs, potions, and revives, you can now buy Pokecoins using your PayMaya card.

Want to Win an ASUS ZenPad C? Join the ASUS ZenPad C Trivia Challenge! Test your knowledge and you might be one of the winners to have an ASUS ZenPad C!

I haven't been into any baking workshops before, I just tried and experimented on my own. A few of the recipes that I've tried were from my sister who had been into baking too and had attended formal lessons and workshops on how to bake. I was inspired by her works and that's where my interest in baking started.

It was all new to me and I had to search some of the terminologies used in baking. :)

I really liked baking and wanted to learn more about it, so when the opportunity was given, I immediately grabbed it. Last May 28, 2016, I was one of the bloggers who attended the 1 Day Basic Baking Workshop at Philippine Baking Institute, Inc.

The workshop started with a lecture about baking and bread making which was presented by one of the instructors of Philippine Baking Institute, Mr. Francis Louie C. Mangubat.

He tackled about the basic baking principles, methods in bread baking, uses and limitations of formulas and recipes and bakeshop math.

After the lecture, we were assigned into 3 groups and we had an experiment in making the loaf bread. One group will have no yeast in their ingredients, the others will have no margarine and no water while the last group will have the complete ingredients. 

We tried the manual process of kneading the bread dough and it was really hard! Making bread isn't that easy as what I thought it was, but it was a fun learning experience.

So, this is how our dough looked like before baking...

After making the loaf breads, we made...

After making the breads, Mr. Steven Mathew Lim taught us how to bake brownies, butterscotch and pineapple tart.

If you want to learn the art and science of baking, you can check out Philippine Baking Institute's Courses and Programs:

Philippine Baking Institute is a premier institute and TESDA accredited training center, offering you a unique opportunity to learn the art & science of baking.  With its holistic approach, students are not just taught on the technical aspects of baking but to include the necessary skills required in the baking industries such as management, entrepreneurial, leadership, practical, and social skills. They are located at Ecoland Drive, Matina, Davao City.

You can contact them at these numbers: (082) 286-8552, 09176847538 and 0922914529. For more information and schedules on upcoming workshops and courses, you may visit their website at http://pbi.edu.ph or their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/pbidavao. :)

Just want to share my Spotify playlist here. This is the playlist that I am listening whenever I am working late. It keeps me awake and prevent me from dozing off while working online especially during the wee hours . Aside from that I also liked listening to Electronic Dance Musics (EDM) when I work out. Yup, I rarely work out though because of our busy schedule and online work, but whenever I can, I would work out. I also like walking and sometimes I bring slong my daughter who also enjoyed walking with me. Its one of our bonding moments and we get to exercise in the process..

So, here's my Working Mom Playlist / Workout Playlist. Enjoy! :)

This was my first Zip Line experience at Outland Adventure. This is 5 years ago, yeah, I'm still single at that time. LOL. I had to make a post about this because I lost my old post when I forgot to renew my domain 5 years ago. Yeah, silly me, I got too busy and didn't spend much time checking my emails or going online.

So, I'm making another post now about my  Zip Line experience. I was really nervous at that time because I am afraid of heights. It was an amazing experience for me because I have somehow overcome my fear of heights and I also have experienced to ride in one of the longest zip lines here in Davao City. The view was breathtaking too which I only get to notice when I was in the middle of the line.