Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Happy 5th Home Anniversary!

June 15, 2021 0 Comments

Home Sweet Home

Two weeks from now, and it will be our 5th Home Anniversary! Wow! Time goes by very quickly! I can't believe it's almost five years already; it feels like just a year or two has passed. I can still remember the day we visited our place, it was still bare, but now it has many plants and fruit-bearing trees. We love gardening, and if you've been reading my blog, you have already seen some of my gardening posts


A lot has changed over the years; it's been a roller coaster ride with the good, and not-so-good memories of the pandemic happening. My husband lost his job for a few months; we're struggling with our finances, especially the bills and our house mortgage. Luckily, he got hired on his new job, and since then we have been strict on budgeting and established our savings goals with the help of tools we found online. We still have more years to pay for our home, and having tools like online calculators helps us figure out our budget, saving, and mortgage payments. 


Five years have passed, and there's still a lot of development needed. We don't have a proper fence and gate yet, but we're working out on that. Hopefully, we'll be able to achieve our goals one by one in God's time. :) 


Here's a photo of me when we visited our humble place. It's been our wish to have our own house, and having this photo will keep us reminded that dreams do come true if we work hard to make them happen. "God designed us to work and trust - not just trust." This is one of the lines in the book that I read entitled 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich by Bo Sanchez, which really inspired and motivated me to work on our goals.


Saturday, May 29, 2021

Learning How to Play the Ukulele

May 29, 2021 0 Comments

My daughter has her Ukulele for almost a week now, and she's been practicing this song every day - "Happy Birthday". It is the first song she learned from her Ukelele. She chose this song because she wants to play and sing this song for her cousin, Dylan.


I don't know how to play the Ukelele, so we rely on video tutorials on YouTube at Andy Guitar's Channel. So, if you want to learn how to play Ukulele, you can visit his channel or search "How to Play the Ukulele for beginners"; that's how we ended up on Andy's channel. ;)  


Did you know that I also practiced and learned to play this song too? LOL! It's not too late to start and learn a skill, right? Anyways, here's Miel playing the Happy Birthday song on her Ukelele (fingerstyle). :) 



Playing Ukelele is just one of the activities that she does during her summer break. It keeps her busy, and this activity also reduces her screen time. She's been glued on her tablet after her online class ended, so we came up with different activities to keep her occupied, have fun, and learn at the same time. :)


Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Nostalgic Classic Games

May 25, 2021 0 Comments

For months, I have been busy creating content on my Blog, Instagram, and Facebook page. I haven't updated my YouTube Channel, and I missed doing Livestream already. It's been a while since the last time I've played online games. I used to play games, and do Livestream on my YouTube channel - Mama Miah, and had fun playing with my viewers in real-time. 


I love playing games, especially strategy games like tower defense and puzzle games. Even if I'm already a Mom, I still play games, whether on PC or mobile. I play games to relax and have fun; it is one of the things I do on my "Me Time". ;)


Play Free Classic Games at Plays.org


So, today, I decided to play online games to reduce stress and have some fun for a while. I have found this online site plays.org that offers free games on their website. No need to download the games since it's web-based, you can play the games directly using your browser. There are numerous games to choose from but what I love the most are classic games like PinballSpace Invadersand Tank Wars. These classic games remind me of the games we used to play on our Family Computer, so nostalgic. 


Tank Wars Similar to Battle City Classic Game

The Tank Wars is very similar to the classic game Battle City, where you have to shoot other tanks and defend your base.

Tank Wars
Space Invaders

I used to play these games with my siblings and cousins before. Games like this bring back a lot of childhood memories. I'm pretty sure the Batang 90's in you would agree with me. 

I had fun playing these classic games, especially the Tank Wars; it keeps me entertained during these trying times. How about you, do you love to play games? What are your favorite games? As for me, I have lots of favorite games, the classic Mario Bros. is the first game I've played, and it became an instant favorite of mine. I also love Pokemon games, my brother and I enjoyed playing them on Gameboy before. It's one of our bonding times, playing together on different gaming consoles. 

Anyways, I'm happy plays.org has many arcade games similar to what we used to play when we were young. I love that you can enjoy playing games on their website without irritating ads popping up, which are a common sight when you are playing free games. I am just glad I found this free site, I already bookmarked it so I can play the games that I love during my "Me Time". :)

Friday, April 9, 2021

My Version of the Korean Egg Toast

April 09, 2021 0 Comments
Preparing and cooking our own food at home should be a priority. This is safer and you are confident that what you give to your family is nutritious just like Gardenia Classic White bread - delicious, fresh, and packed with vitamins and nutrients.

Korean Egg Toast made with Gardenia Classic White Bread by Mama Miah

So, today I did my own version of Korean Egg Toast also known as Gilgeori Toast and here are the ingredients that I used:
  • Gardenia Classic White Breads
  • 2 eggs
  • Cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 Carrot, grated or shredded
  • Spring onions, thinly sliced
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Cheese, grated
  • Ketchup

Procedure: 

1. Combine the egg, cabbage, carrots, and spring onions in a mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and ground black pepper and mix them well.

Korean Egg Toast Ingredients

2. Preheat the pan on medium-low heat then toast the slices of bread until it's golden brown. (You can also spread the bread with butter before toasting, we ran out of butter so I just toasted the bread without it).

3. Add some cooking oil to the pan then put the egg mixture and cook until it's fully cooked.
Put the toasted bread on a plate and add the egg, and cheese then spread the mayonnaise and ketchup on top of it. 

Korean Egg Toast made with Gardenia Classic White Bread by Mama Miah

4. Then place the other slice of the bread on top of it and you're done. Serve and enjoy!

There's a lot of recipes that you can make with the Gardenia Classic White bread. Aside from our favorite Korean Egg Toast, we also love to make homemade pizza with ham and cheese

How about you, what's your favorite sandwich spread or recipe to go along with the Gardenia Classic White bread? Please comment below and share how you prepare it as well.


Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Holcim Philippines Launches Build to Win Promo in Mindanao

March 24, 2021 0 Comments
Holcim Philippines, Inc. - Mindanao's leading cement manufacturer has launched their biggest promotion, Build to Win! This promo will encourage customers to use its products to build strong, durable, and high-quality structures. Major Prizes at stake are brand new Toyota Wigos, Vios, and Ford Raptors!

The Build to Win Promo started last March 1 and will end on November 30, 2021. These will give cement buyers and hardware owners more time to win the prizes. Prizes to be won are the following: 10 cars, 14 motorcycles, 24 smartphones and tablets, and Php8.5 million worth of gift certificates! They will draw the winners in June, September, and December. 

How to Join?

A cement buyer earns a raffle entry for every 10, 40-kilogram bags purchased of road infrastructure cement Holcim Solido, general-purpose cement Holcim Excel, or masonry cement Holcim Wallright or every five bags of Holcim Skim Coat or Holcim Tile Adhesive. Bulk cement buyers earn a raffle entry for every 800,000 kilograms of cement bought. 

Hardware stores that have sold Holcim products will also receive a prize if their clients are selected.

Holcim Philippines Launches Build to Win Promo Exclusively for Mindanao

Paulo Tan, Holcim Philippines' Vice President and Head of Sales for Visayas and Mindanao said: “We are excited to hold this timely contest in Mindanao, which we expect to have a strong construction activity this year and moving forward. Aside from driving sales, the Build to Win contest is another way to reward our customers here while encouraging more people to try our various products. We at Holcim Philippines are confident that end-users will find that our offerings can help them build strong, durable, and high-quality structures and encourage them to become regular customers.”

For more details about this promo, you may visit this link: http://bit.ly/3vOPLCJ. Like the Holcim Philippines’ Facebook page to get updates on their latest innovations and promos like this one.




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Holcim  Philippines,  Inc.  (Philippine  Stock  Exchange:  HLCM)  is one of the leading building solutions companies in the country. The Company has a deep portfolio of innovative solutions fostered by a full range of products from structuring to finishing applications that can help local builders execute with high performance and efficiency a wide range of projects from massive infrastructure to simple home repairs.

 

With cement manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Batangas, Misamis Oriental and Davao, as well as aggregates and dry mix business and technical support facilities for building solutions, Holcim Philippines is a reliable partner of builders in the country.

 

Holcim   Philippines   is   also   committed   to   the   highest   standards   of   sustainable   operations   and manufacturing excellence with its plants certified under ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System), ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) and OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).

 

Holcim Philippines is a member of the LafargeHolcim Group, the world leader in the building materials industry present in 80 countries with over 75,000 employees.


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Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Say Nice Things to Yourself

March 23, 2021 0 Comments
"The mind is everything. What you think, you become."

So, say nice things to yourself. When you tell yourself positive things every day and believe in them, it can have a positive impact on your life. This will help you feel good about yourself, which can result in a happy and productive day. 🙂

List of Self Affirmations

Have you been saying nice things to yourself every day? Here's more list of positive affirmations that you can use every day.

List of Positive Self-Affirmations by Mama Miah


Monday, March 22, 2021

Online Learning Tips for Parents

March 22, 2021 1 Comments

When the pandemic started, all schools have been closed. It is unwise for kids to go out and have face-to-face classes, so most students have shifted to online learning at home. This experience is new and overwhelming for all educators, students, and parents. 


To make the best of their learning experience from home, here are some Online Learning Tips for Parents to consider:

Online Learning Tips for Parents

1. Find a learning space where your child can study and learn

Having their own learning space with minimal distractions will help them concentrate. These might be challenging for some families like us who have a small house, but their designated learning space doesn't have to be huge and fancy. You can use whatever you already have at home as long as they are comfortable with the set-up.


2. Set-up a Schedule

Routines help children learn how to manage their tasks. Try to get your kids on the same schedule they had when they were going into school. Aside from their online class schedule, try to have the same itinerary for their sleeping and wake-up time, meal times, study time, playtime, break time, or snack time. 


Children need a break when things get too stressed for them, so let them play, and organize a  fun activity together. You can be flexible with your schedules and make adjustments if necessary. See what works best for your child. 


3. Reduce Distractions

Children get easily distracted. To keep them focused, remove the toys from their learning space and turn off your TVs or radio. If they have their cellphones or any gaming gadgets, keep them away to avoid distractions during their online class.


4. Set Rules on their Internet and Gadget Usage

These days, children have easy access to internet sites and have learned to use technology for educational and leisure purposes. As much as possible, parents want their kids to stay focused on learning and minimize their exposure to games, social media, and YouTube videos.


Establish a time when the kids can use their gadgets for non-school-related activities and how much time they must spend using them. For example, they can play games or watch their favorite movies/series after accomplishing their homework. Be firm on your rules and stick to them.


5. Be Patient and Supportive

Lastly, be patient with your child. Shifting from traditional school to online learning at home is not easy for them, and some kids are still adjusting. Just be there to support them and let them learn at their own pace. 


I hope you find these online learning tips helpful. Our online journey is far from perfect, but I am glad that it has been made possible thanks to the fast and reliable internet connection of PLDT Home.

To Do List For Today

March 22, 2021 0 Comments
I used to struggle with my emotions and often times I drowned in my pool of negativity. But, today, I choose positivity and eliminate negativity as much as possible. I created this list as a reminder to always choose to be positive in everything, not only today but every day. 


How about you? What is your to-do list for today? 

Monday, March 15, 2021

Fun Activities for Kids During Quarantine

March 15, 2021 0 Comments
Staying at home for over a year is quite challenging for us parents. Some kids aren't used to staying at home. They miss going out and doing outdoor activities, especially with their friends. 

If you're running out of ideas on how to keep your kids entertained while being quarantined at home, I recommend fun activities you can do with them on this blog post. Hopefully, my list can help you.

Fun Activities for Kids During Quarantine

Here are some fun activities that you and your kids can do during the quarantine:

1. Watch and explore different kinds of animals in their natural habitat or in an aquarium live on cam! 

There are lots of livestream feeds to choose from on the Explore website. We enjoyed watching the different animals in the oceans, birds, wildlife from Africa, the bears, especially the pandas--they are so cute! You can even watch the Aurora Borealis - Northern Lights

2. Explore Mars surface from the comfort of your home. 

Access Mars welcomes anyone with an internet connection. Take a guided tour of what some scientists have experienced on Mars. Check it out here: http://g.co/accessmars
Access Mars_ Follow the Curiosity Rover's Tracks in Virtual Reality

3. Play board games like Scrabble, Snake & Ladders, Monopoly, Chess, etc.

Playing board games is a fun bonding activity for the family. It also keeps your mind engaged and helps improve critical thinking. 

4. Build a blanket tent or fort 

This is also a fun activity that your kids will surely enjoy. Building their own fort will develop your kid's fine motor skills and boost their creativity and imaginative skills.

It's an amazing activity where they can do role plays, or just hang around their tent or fort and read a book or watch a movie.

5. Create a Boredom Jar with a list of random activities 

Creating a Boredom Jar helps kids to be active and productive. It’s a great way to reduce their screen time. In this activity, you will only need a jar, paper, and make a list of things or chores that your kids can do whenever they say "I'm bored."
Boredom Jar Activity Lists - Mama Miah
(Note: I made this list before the pandemic happened, so you can just omit the outdoor activities on the list)

6. Draw, Color and Paint

Kids love to draw, color, and paint. Let them be imaginative and creative.  It helps increase their emotional intelligence and reduces their stress levels.
Fun Activities for Kids During Quarantine
My daughter loves to draw. She learned to draw her favorite movie characters on Art for Kids Hub's YouTube channel. You can check it out too. I'm sure you'll also enjoy watching and learning together with your kids. 

7. Bake yummy treats

Bake cupcakes, cookies, or brownies and eat them together. In this activity, your kids will learn how to measure the ingredients, boost their creativity and develop their fine motor skills.

8. Exercise together

Exercising together is a healthy way to bond with your kids. It keeps them active, maintains their healthy body, and improves their posture.


9. Connect with family members and friends

Staying at home reduces our kid's engagement with other people, especially our family members and friends who live far from us. It's a good thing that there are messaging apps like Facebook and Viber where we can chat and do video calls every time we miss them.

My daughter received a tablet from her Grandmother as a Christmas gift last year. I've installed Messenger for Kids and added our family members and her close friends to it. She's very happy that she can now chat and talk to her cousins, former classmates, and her best friend Nati anytime (except during online class hours), all thanks to our reliable internet service provider - PLDT Home.

By the way, you can restrict your kid's usage on Messenger for Kids. There’s an option in the app where you can turn on the sleep mode at specific hours. In our case, I let the app sleep during mornings until after lunch, so it would not disturb her when she is having her online class.

10. Learn to Edit and Create Amazing Designs

Recently, my daughter got interested in creating designs using Canva. She enjoyed creating different designs using my account, and I am happy that she learned a new skill.

By the way, Canva is a free-to-use graphic design platform where you can create graphics, edit photos, and style images. It has a lot of tools and features that you can use to help you create amazing designs. It is actually one of the essential tools that I used when I was still working as a Social Media Manager.

There's No Place Like Home Canva Challenge
Here's the sample photo of my 9-year-old daughter's design using Canva. :)

11. Listen to Audiobooks 

I've recently discovered this Disney Audiobooks playlist on Spotify. It has a lot of stories from Disney movies that my daughter enjoys listening to before we sleep. She also gets to discover old Disney movies because of this playlist, like the Emperor's New Groove, The Rescuers Down Under, and Oliver & Company.

12. Plant seeds and watch them grow 

Gardening is fun, and it helps kids learn more about plants. It will keep them busy, too, taking care of their plants every day and monitoring their progress. Plus, growing your own food can be rewarding and help you save money. 

So, those are just some of the activities that you and your kids will enjoy doing at home. I hope these fun activities with your kids will help strengthen your bond as a family and reduce the stress that this pandemic has brought us. Have fun!


Related Post: Toddler Activities

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Self-Care Checklist

March 03, 2021 0 Comments
Self-care is important most especially during these trying times where most of us feel stressed, anxious, sad, irritable, drained physically and/or mentally, etc.

Taking a break from watching the headlines about the pandemic can help lessen your negative thoughts and feelings, that's what I do, and it also helps to have a "Me Time" too. Taking a few minutes off from your usual routine can have a huge impact on your overall well-being. 

For moms like me who had been stuck at home since last year and have bouts of panic attacks, it really helps to have time to take care of yourself, relax and recharge. So, what do I do? I watch movies or tv series, listen to music, gardening, exercise, write or blog, play online games or board games with my daughter, or go out and ride a scooter with her. 

Love yourself - self-care

Self-care comes in a variety of forms, it looks different from person to person with different preferences and needs. So, find a time and do whatever makes you feel better and don't think of it as a selfish act. You can't pour from an empty cup, love yourself first.

Self Care Checklist, Tips, and Ideas
Treat yourself like someone you love...  It's okay to take a break, a moment for yourself... It's okay to be selfish if it means rediscovering your own power and happiness...

Friday, February 26, 2021

How to Create a FREE Instagram Bio Link Landing Page in 5 Easy Steps!

February 26, 2021 4 Comments

Do you want to have all your social profiles and website or blog links all on one page? If your answer is "Yes", then you are in for a treat! 


So, How can I make a landing page for my Instagram Bio Link even if I don't have a website?

It's so easy! You can create and design your own landing page using Canva! You can customize it to your liking and branding color and place all your social profiles and website, all in one page and it's FREE! You just need to have a Canva account which you can also have for free! ;)

Canva Tutorial How to Create a Free Customized Instagram Bio-Link Landing Page by Mama Miah

I had fun making my own Instagram Bio Link Landing Page using Canva, there are lots of templates to choose from and you can even make one from scratch just like I did.


Here are the steps to create your Instagram Bio Link Landing Page:


1. Search for "Bio Link Website" on Canva, then select a template. But if you choose to make your own from scratch, then choose the "Create a Blank Bio Link Website".

2. Start designing and customize your landing page, you can add images, borders, frames, icons/logo of your social profiles which you can find in the Elements section, and a lot more! It all depends on your style and design. 

3. Add the hyperlinks to your social profiles like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Blog or Website, etc., so you can send your followers to your respective social profiles and blog/website. Select the icon or element that you want to add a hyperlink and click the hyperlink sign which you can see on the upper right corner (check out the image below for reference) and then add your link in the space provided and click Apply.

How to Add a Hyperlink or Links on Canva

4. If you're done designing your Instagram Bio Link Landing Page, you can now Publish it as a Website and choose "Scrolling".

How to Publish Your Design as a Website on Canva

5. And you're done! The next step is to copy your link, it is too long and you might want to customized and shorten it using a link shortener like bit.ly. After you have shortened your link, you can now copy and paste it to your Instagram profile. 


So that is How to Create and Design your own Landing Page for Instagram Bio Link and you can now send your followers or potential clients to the right place even if you don't have your own website! ;)


I hope you enjoy this Canva Tutorial and have fun making your own landing page now! :) 


If you want me to create a landing page for your business or personal profiles, I'd be glad to work with you, check out my profile here and let's talk http://bit.ly/ConnectWithMR. :)