Saturday, October 31, 2020

Life and Learnings during the Quarantine

October 31, 2020 0 Comments
During the quarantine, I tried to get busy with things to keep me preoccupied so I will not have time to think of all the negativity this pandemic has brought us. Many people have learned new skills or talents that they never thought they could do if the pandemic never happened. As for me, I have learned to make Homemade Blue Butterfly Pea Jelly last summer which the kids loved. I also have learned another skill, which is video editing. I really enjoyed doing it even though it was quite hard learning how to do it all by yourself, but with the help of friends and YouTube, it was bearable and fun. I also went back to blogging and I was able to update my blog, not regularly though but at least I am trying to keep it up after a long hiatus.


I am also into gardening long before the quarantine happened and it has helped me keep those negative thoughts away, it's actually my stress reliever. We have planted vegetables and other fruit-bearing trees before and I am happy to harvest the fruit of our labor. Seeing your plants grow healthy and harvest them to add to your food makes us really happy and proud that we made it as a family because we also included our daughter in planting those vegetables and other plants. It makes her happy and excited whenever she sees that our plants have bloomed and produced fruits and vegetables. Gardening is fun and teaches us to be self-sufficient and frugal.

This is our daughter, Miel harvesting the Blue Ternate flowers that we used to make tea, juice, or homemade jelly. Our Blue Ternate plant is not as bushy as in this photo from last year but it is still growing a handful of flowers which we mostly used to feed our pet. By the way, our pet rabbit also loves eating these flowers aside from grass and feeds. Now that we are homeschooled, she learned to be more responsible for her pet, she feeds him every day and makes sure he has enough water for the day.

We have fruit-bearing trees like guyabano, guava, pomegranate and the recent one that we planted a few months ago is the avocado tree but only the first two have produced fruits as of now and we have sold most of it to our friends. Our front yard is not that big so we recycled some old plastic bottles and planted some of our plants like the chillis, chives, and pechay in those containers. 


We have also added some herbs into our garden and we have sold some of them and other extra plants that we have like my cactus and succulents. We have bartered some of the plants online and this was the first time that we have experienced trading on social media through Facebook. We have bartered some of our plants for fruits, milk, eggs, and different kind of meats. It was actually a great experience and we were able to have a food supply for more than a month because of the plants we have bartered online. I am happy that someone initiated the Facebook group "Davao Barter Community" because it has really helped many people in our community especially those who are trying to survive and have food on their table after losing their jobs because of the pandemic.


Aside from vegetables and fruits, I have a cactus collection that keeps on blooming, there were two cactus from my collection that bloomed on the same day and both of them are of different variations. I tried and experimented on cross-pollinating them manually using cotton buds. After the flowers had bloomed and dried out, I was so happy to see a seedpod on each of the cactus; it means that I have successfully cross-pollinated them! After a few weeks, I harvested their seeds but unfortunately, I misplaced it and it took 2-3 more weeks before I saw the seedpods on the farthest corner of our house! I planted them immediately hoping that the seeds are still okay. After more than a week, I checked on them and saw that the seeds are growing! Those tiny green sprouts really made me happy because it is my first time to cross-pollinate two different kinds of cactuses and it was a successful one! For now, they are still tiny but I am really hoping they would grow healthy with no complications or whatsoever. 


(Seedpods from my Gymnocalycium mihanovichii and Gymnocalycium Damsii)

I know that cactuses are very resilient and those tiny cactuses have proved that even though they had been tossed around (I'm pretty sure they've been because it was way too far from where I remember I put it in) and some of the tiny seeds are scattered on one corner for weeks but surprisingly they are still okay and I was really amazed to see them grow after a week. Then, I thought... maybe this is a reminder that no matter how many times we've been tossed around, even though life is hard for us right now, there is still hope and like those tiny seeds, we can overcome those adversities and grow to be the best version of ourselves and be more resilient should there be a crisis that may come again in the future.


Life is tough since the pandemic started and it was not easy but we have to keep moving or else we will be stuck in a hole and it will be too hard to get up. As the saying goes, “Life goes on”… Whether we want it or not, life goes on even if there is a pandemic. While some of us feel scared and anxious, some are holding on and keep their hopes up not for themselves but for the family they have built. 


During the quarantine, we've learned to value and appreciate the small things that we have often taken for granted. We've learned to appreciate the people whom we didn't expect to extend their hands during our difficult times and we are so thankful for the people who were just there to offer their time and lend their ears and listen without judgment. We are beyond grateful for our friends and families who have been there for us to overcome these trials. We've learned to value more our family now that we have a lot of quality time to spend with them at home. On my family's side, I haven't seen my Mom and some of my siblings for a while but I am so glad that despite the distance we still get to communicate and update our family member's status from overseas, thanks to social media, it helps to lessen our worries and the good thing is that it has brought us closer than we were before pandemic happened.


For now, we try to live each day as best as we could, hoping and praying that this pandemic will be over soon and everyone can go back to his or her lives packed with all the realizations and lessons that this pandemic has taught us.

May this photo of a cactus inspires and reminds all of us to be resilient and that we can still bloom despite all the adversities life throws at us...


“This is an official entry to the Davao Bloggers Blog Caravan for October 2020 with the theme Quarantine Lessons.”

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

DIY Robot Using Recycled Materials for Math & Science Week Activity

September 30, 2020 0 Comments
DIY Robot Using Recycled Materials for Math & Science Week Activity

This is the DIY Robot Using Recycled Materials that my 8 year old daughter made for their Math & Science Week Project. She gathered the recycled materials that we have at home and used it to make this DIY Robot. :) 

Here's the short video introduction about her DIY Recycled Robot named Cubee.

The recycled materials used to make this robot are
  1.  Cardboard box 
  2.  Japanese Paper 
  3.  Plastic Caps 
  4.  Pipes 
  5.  Scotch tape 
  6.  Glue 
  7.  Glue gun 
  8.  Buttons 
By the way, you can also use any type of papers or pages from newspapers or magazines to cover the box. :) It's all up to you and your imagination. 

I hope you like this video and comment down below if you have made something like this too.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Watsons Haul 2020 + 9-9 Shopping Day Sale!

September 09, 2020 0 Comments

 Watsons 9-9 Shopping Day Sale!

Don't miss out on amazing deals at Watsons on 9.9 Shopping Day Sale which starts today September 9 until Sept. 13 only! 

There will a lot of items where you can get huge discounts most especially on their skin care products and vitamins. You can enjoy deals like Buy 1 Take 1 and Discounts at 50%! You can also get an additional 10% Off with this one-time Use Code: SHOP99 when you spend a minimum of PHP 2,000!

With the pandemic going on, it's best not to go outside and just order online the essential items that we needed. Watsons offer deliveries on selected branches nationwide. So what are you waiting for?  Shop here!
Watsons Haul 2020

By the way, I just want to share my Watsons Haul last month on my YouTube Channel. Enjoy watching!  :)

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

How to Create or Make a Facebook Avatar?

September 02, 2020 0 Comments
How to Create or Make a Facebook Avatar? Paano Gumawa ng Facebook Avatar?
How to Create or Make a Facebook Avatar? O, Paano Gumawa ng Facebook Avatar?

It's so easy, guys, just follow the steps below:

First step is you have to go to your Facebook App, and go to your Facebook's Menu and click "See More" and you will find "Avatars", click or tap on it and you can start creating or making your very own avatar. You can edit your avatar's skin complexion, hair design, eyes, nose, lips, and their colors. Also you can add a fashionable dress or clothes, earrings and head-wears to match your personality. 

I have made a video on How to Create or Make a Facebook Avatar, you can watch it and use it as a guide. :) 

After you have finished making your own Customized Facebook Avatar, you can use it as a profile picture and you can also use the different sets of your customized avatar emojis on Facebook Messenger and you can also add your avatar stickers when you comment on your friend's post or even at your posts. They are so cute by the way. :)

And that's how easy it is to make your very own Facebook Avatar. Have fun exploring the new Facebook update and I hope you will subscribe to my YouTube Channel - Mama Miah! :)


Saturday, August 29, 2020

Buwan ng Wika: The Aetas Performed Cultural Dances at Zoobic Safari

August 29, 2020 0 Comments
August is National Language Month or Buwan ng Wika and while I was cleaning up my trusty old hard drive, I found this video that I captured years ago, the video is about the Aeta's who performed their cultural dances at Zoobic Safari in Subic, Zambales. So, I edited the video and posted it on my YouTube Channel because it is so timely for the Buwan Ng Wika.

The cultural dances that the Aetas performed in this video are the "Sayaw ng Unggoy" (Dance of the Monkey), and "Sayaw ng Pagbabayani". I wasn't able to captured the first dance which was "Sayaw ng Tutubi" (Dance of the Dragonfly) because they have already started when we arrived at the Aeta's Trail. 

Meeting the Aetas at Zoobic Safari in Subic Zambales

It was a fun learning experience for us because it's actually my first time to see the Aeta  Tribes (indigenous people) who are one of the earliest inhabitants in our country, Philippines

I would also like to share my daughter's artwork which is her entry in their school's Buwan Ng Wika Poster Making Contest. She loves art and this is her first time to make a poster. 

Buwan ng Wika Poster Making Contest Grade 3

Monday, August 3, 2020

Why Your Comments are Marked as Spam on YouTube and Tips on How to Avoid it

August 03, 2020 2 Comments
Why Your Comments are Marked as Spam on YouTube and Tips on How to Avoid it - Mama Miah Vlogs

Have you been constantly commenting on YouTube and wonder why your comments aren't showing up on the comment section of the YouTube video you had commented on? It's more likely that your comments went to "SPAM" and that is why it isn't showing in the comments section.

So, why are your comments marked as "Spam" on YouTube?

If you want to know why then watch this video so you will have an idea what are the usual comments that are marked as spam and what you can do in the future to avoid your comments being sent to the "Likely Spam" section.


If you have seen the video, you would notice that some of the comments on the "Likely Spam" section are very short and most likely they are copy-paste. 

Here are some examples of common words or comments that will usually go to the Likely Spam:

Example of Comments that are MARKED as SPAM on YOUTUBE - MAMA MIAH

The examples shown above are based on my observation while I was checking my Likely Spam comments. If you have something to add or anything to say, please leave a comment below and I'd be happy to know about your thoughts on this.

I hope you learned something in this post and if you like my video, please like, subscribe and hit the notification bell to be updated on my upcoming vlogs. Thank you. :)

Subscribe to Mama Miah's Vlog

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Happy International Self-Care Day!

July 25, 2020 2 Comments
Happy International Self-Care Day!


Having a good skincare routine is one of the best self-care you can give to yourself. Just because we are always staying at home during these trying times, doesn't mean that we stop taking care of ourselves.

As for me, I always use Bio-Oil to moisturize my skin, I love that it's not greasy when I apply it on my face and I love its scent. Over the years, I have seen how it works on my skin. Bio-Oil somehow lightens my uneven skin tone and minimizes the appearance of dark spots and stretch marks brought by my pregnancy before.

I am not getting any younger so, I don't take skin-care for granted. I try to be gentle on my skin too by using products that make me feel good and beautiful inside and out.

By the way, you can also check out my Bio-Oil Review from 5 years ago. :) And you can also purchase the Bio-Oil 200ml here.

Stay strong, stay beautiful!

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

How to earn Php100 or up to Php10,000 with Maya (PayMaya)?

July 08, 2020 0 Comments
How to earn Php100 or up to Php10,000 with PayMaya?


It's so simple, all you have to do is download the Maya (PayMaya) app on iOS, Google Play, or Huawei AppGallery and use my invite code: K48RYDY2R6DL when you register.

You'll get Php100 after you have upgraded and added money to your account. Make sure you upgrade your account because only upgraded accounts can unlock their invite codes, so you will be able to invite others to join and EARN Php100 or even up to Php10,000 or more (depends on how many people you can invite). ;)

How to earn Php100 or up to Php10,000 with Maya (PayMaya)


 
So, start referring now and don't forget to use this invite code: K48RYDY2R6DL 



Enjoy cashless transactions now, Don't pay cash, PayMaya!