GoodWork.PH, are they worth booking?

One of the things that I have been seeing is the rise of cleaning service. I know that this is a thing in Korea and Japan but I did not realize that the Philippines is slowly learning to go for this kind of service.

As someone who has always had a helper to clean our home, I didn't see the value of it before until I saw that if I needed a deep clean, this is the service that I need if I didn't have time to do it myself.

I chanced upon GoodWork.PH from the post of a friend. I became curious and so I booked a cleaning service for M's home. M's home is pretty clean (or so I thought) but since he had 9 cats roaming freely, things kind of went to pieces and now that they are locked once again safely in their designated room, I felt that this was the best time to book a cleaning service to cleanse the house of cat hair and fur.

At Php699, I felt that this was actually pretty cheap for a deep clean. I later learned that this was food for 2 hours but since M's home is not so big, I felt that there was more than enough time. If you do extend an hour, it will cost Php75 per hour.

For me, that's still not a bad thing especially if it's our garage that will be cleaned.

Last weekend, GoodWork.PH came over and started cleaning. 

I loved that they have a vacuum cleaner for the screen windows. It is one of the things that easily absorb dust so to have it cleaned at least once every quarter is a must!

I also loved that the cleaner had no qualms going under the bed and making sure that everything is cleaned.

M's living room was a favorite of the cats. This vacuum cleaning is a MUST.

They also thoroughly cleaned the bathroom so that's awesome.

I liked that they wiped the shelves and wiped with a dry cloth. This ensures that fewer dust will get to to it.

As you can see, the cats really did a lot of damage and the dirt is mindblowing.

This one was a real shocker because to the bare eyes, it seemed that the floor was clean but upon further checking, NOPE. It definitely wasn't.

This is from the other room where the pregnant cat gave birth and stayed for a month. Yes, that's the effect of the cat litter. The gum, M says he dropped it and lost sight of it. Sigh.

Now we also asked a few questions from the owner of GoodWork.PH because we are nosy that way.

1. Is there an option to just have a garage cleaned or for example people just want the sofa vacuumed and deep cleaned coz of house cats?
Yes there is an option for both of that. Actually the reason why we made an option for Condominium & Residential is because we considered that a residential place may have a lot of different factors from compared to a condo. However, pricing won't change because there's also the time x value factor that we are considering for the service.

2. What happens if the workers are the ones who are slow in cleaning? Can the customer provide feedback? I saw that there is an additional Php75 if it exceeds two hours.

So far we haven't received any kind of complaint regarding the cleaners cleaning really slow that's why I can't answer your question yet. In terms of feedback definitely, there is always an option to provide feedback.

3. Is there a way for people to book services for half a day? For example, people are decluttering and need people to lift trash bags and the like for half a day. How about whole day service, say 8 hours.
For now, none.

4. Will you have grooming services in the future for pets?

We used to have a pet service category when we launched but we realized its much better if we narrow down our categories in the beginning to provide quality services for our users. But eventually, along the way its possible that we might bring it back.

5. What made you go into this kind of work? What's the back story?
We realized that there is a huge opportunity in the service industry here in the Philippines. Especially right now since e-commerce is actually booming you now have Lazada for services, Grab for transportation, Honestbee for groceries, and same thing what we want people to think is if they need services GoodWork is there for them.

VERDICT: I would DEFINITELY recommend this to anyone who does not have the time to clean their own place or to anyone who hates cleaning but does want to live in a clean place. You can also book them for a manipedi, massage, plumbing, carpentry, and even laundry. ACK!

I do believe that people still need to know how to clean their own homes but sometimes, you just need someone to help you out and if it's this affordable? Why not?

PS. Please give your cleaner a tip. They deserve it.

SM Summer Stories

School is out which means it's summer and with summer!

SM pays homage to the kids because during summer season, it's all about kid's play which means parents can dress up their kids. Now dressing up the kids does not mean breaking the bank because with SM, you can find fashionable pieces at really friendly price.

SM Kids recently launched a new collection which is made to mix and match all summer long. It's simple and airy which makes it perfect for daily wear and perfect for playtime.

As you can see, all of the clothing are adaptive clothing which means that it is inclusive for all kids of all backgrounds, shapes, sizes, and personalities. After all, kids have their own personalities and their clothing should be able to reflect who they are.

The fashion show was in collaboration with Toy Kingdom. This newest line is meant to inspire children to simply be themselves and just be kids. It's what I loved the most about this line. There was no outfit that looked like it was meant for a grown up. The kids line was truly for kids which is something that I, as a Mom, strongly believe in.

SM Kid's collection are available in all The SM Store branches.

Autism, Facts and Demystifying Myths

In the US, 1 in 59 kids have autism. Worldwide, 1% of the population is inflicted with Autism. Though genetic in nature, environmental factors may regulate expression. If there is one child in the family who has autism, the chances of another child having it increases by 10%.

Sadly, in the Philippines, the numbers remain undetermined.

So what is autism?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.

Early communication skills and level of cognitive functioning are the two things that parents need to look out for. The earlier the kid is diagnosed, the better chances of helping kids be more functional. 

Now there are a lot of misconceptions about autism and that is what we want to address here. We were lucky to have Dr. Maria Isabel Quilendrino (Developmental and Behavior Pediatrician) and
Dr. Rita Grace Villadolid (Child Developmental Pediatrician) to tell us more about it.

Autism is not a mental illness. It is a neurologic condition that makes the brain process information in a different way. There is a genetic predisposition to it so even if the baby has just been conceived, the child could already be suffering from autism.

People with autism do not want to make friends. This is not true. They have problems with social skills which makes it more challenging for them to participate in social gatherings. They are simply socially awkward. They need to be taught how to make friends in a different way.

Some people have also said that people with autism do not feel emotions. People with autism actually feel emotion, they are just unable to express their emotions the way other people do. They also have a hard time understanding emotions and lack understanding of verbal cues which could lead to their perception being different from others.

People with autism have low intelligence. While this may be true for some, this does not apply to all. It varies, just like with ordinary persons. It is also not true that they are specifically talented in a certain skill set. This is what pediatrician's refer to as the "Rain Man" myth.

Autism cannot be outgrown. This is true. This is a lifelong condition and any kid who has it will carry it to their adulthood. They may be able to learn how to handle it and be fully functional but autism cannot be outgrown. Though it cannot be cured, it can be treated and people with autism can live a normal life.

Autism is NOT caused by bad parenting. Once again, this is a genetic disorder. This is also not caused by vaccination.

Symptoms start showing up from 10 months onward so if you see something off or different with your child, consult your pediatrician. 80% of the time, a parent's instincts will always be right so trust it.

April 2019 Recap

Since April has ended, it's time to do another recap and have a look at what happened last month. I feel that it's a great way to know where you were and to know what steps you need to take to make the new month awesome.

January, February, and March were great months. April was a bit of a slow one in terms of events but was pretty big for family and friends which is fine with me because I'm prepping for something big.

April started with an awesome fashion show with Zilingo. I really enjoyed the collection and was reminded of the time in my life that I was fully immersed in this world. 

It was also in April that my son had his first awarding in his new school. I am ONE PROUD MOMMA. My son self studies and also engages in sports and arts and crafts. I'd say he's pretty well rounded.

And even though it is summer, I still manage to cook for him from time to time.

My son and I also managed to finish one diamond painting each. This is mine and the one below is his.

 

 

Finally, I've done away with 3-in-1 coffee and have started drinking real coffee again. I still don't like black so much so I add Coffee Mate and sugar to mine. It defnitely tastes richer and way better.

I've also started my journey with learning more about essential oils. This doTERRA oil named Motivate and it really helps with my focus when I need to be productive at work.

This month was also all about celebrating birthdays with friends. Mela, Horacio, and Kimi.

Two of my cousins were also in town so we they came over and we took them out to eat. First one was at Matgalne and though they have buffet on top of the Korean BBQ, I wasn't really impressed with them just because when the aircon was spitting water at us, they didn't do anything about it. It's hard to enjoy your food and drinks when you're worried that it might be contaminated and the server couldn't care less.

 The second one was at Honolulu Hong Kong Cafe and this time around the food was awesome.

We also had three new puppies and they are the cutest lot. Every single one is healthy and noisy.

M also cooked for me which is a first. I mean, he's cooked eggs and all but this is the first full meal he's ever cooked for me and I loved it. He made tinola and though the style is different from what I was used to, it tasted really good.

Yang also took a bath for the first time in a year. She didn't make a fuss but when I turned the hair dryer, that's when hell broke loose. Lesson learned, do not startle Yang.

My son also cooked for me. He made pansit canton so I guess April is the month that the two special men in my life cooked for me.

A dear friend of mine also visited me all the way from the East to give me coffee. It's really sweet and I felt so appreciated.

This month, M took me to a lunch date which was a really nice surprise. We haven't done this in a while so I really appreciated the thought.

We also had a strong earthquake which has been frightening and the aftershocks keep coming so I wrote this piece on other things people need in their go bag to hopefully help someone else.

Lastly, our work blog for BeLive.TV is now up and running so I hope you guys can visit or try it out so you can level up your live streaming.

How was your April? Overall, how has the first quarter been? 

Caronia's Tropical Glam

It's hot. Nope, it's sizzling! Fact is, we're all melting from the heat but it doesn't mean that our nails should too. We can still be hot and stay hot with our nails intact and looking fire hot with the newest line from Caronia. After all, Caronia knows it's business or it wouldn't last 50 years in the business.

With the newest travel destinations in mind, Caronia has come up with a line aptly named "Tropical Glam" that will guarantee you fresh and sparkly light colored polishes that imbibe summer fun.

This line is inspired by the different textures and colors of summer so you can guarantee that you're bringing sunshine wherever you go this season. There is also a softer but shimmering pastel colors that can be mixed and matched with any outfit so that any activity that you may want to do, you have a nail polish to complete your look.

Here's a complete look at the entire collection. 

The Tropical Glam collection has six trendy and glamorous colors in two collection packs – the Tropical Glam Shimmer set and the Tropical Glam Metallic set, that girls can choose from.

Tropical Glam Shimmer set is composed of Limelight, Primrose, and Fantasia.

Limelight is a glittery ocean green shade and, just like the ocean, it sparkles in the sun.

Primrose is a baby pink in matte finish perfect for a rustic summer feel.

Fantasia is a glittery darker pink shade that sparkles with any outfit;

Tropical Glam Metallic set consists of Fairy Dust, Lumina, and Ethereal.

Lumina has a light gold shimmer that perfectly gives off that earthy summer vibe.

Fairy Dust is a metallic silver like the sparkling waves of the sea and Ethereal is a shimmering deep rose gold that blends well with any outdoor summer activity.

To amp up the summer fun vibe, Caronia has released a first edition of a DIY Nail Art magazine to its partner salons nationwide and girls can choose from an assortment of nail art concepts using the Tropical Glam collection.

In celebration of Caronia’s more than 50 years in the industry, the magazine has 50 nail art designs where girls can surely find a perfect design to match with the new summer collection, or let the imagination run wild when it comes to creativity in doing nail art.

I personally love this collection. I normally go for nudes and pastels but from time to time, I like colors and these fit what I have in mind for summer. With the crazy heat, we need all the good vibes that we can get and these fit the bill. 

They said that this collection is for girls who are glamorously summer crazy and this summer, I believe that I am one.

Even my Mom loves it. Those are her nails in the photo and she marveled at it.

I also tried out all the colors and it's so colorful!

Caronia has been the go-to nail polish brand of Filipinas for half a century now and the brand still holds their reputation of being the most trusted nail polish brand in the country. I've used it since I was old enough to wear nail polish and 21 years later, I'm still using it.

Why should you do Cordlife?

With so many diseases cropping up and taking life away before it should end, talks about cord blood stem cell is becoming more and more prevalent. However, this remains a question. For a lot of people, the cost may be too high but when we are talking about saving a life, when is the cost too high?

A Readily Available Supply of Stored Haematopoietic Stem Cells. In the event of an already time-critical situation where stem cells are required for a transplant, having your child's cord blood stored compares well to having to do a national or international search which is both costly and time-consuming.

This is what Cordlife is all about. Cordlife Philippines has been in the country for 10 years which is a huge milestone. The greatest breakthrough has been making the decision to start. They took a chance and made a choice that proved to be right.

The cord blood processing and storage facility they have has a storage capacity of 30,000 cord blood and cord lining units. It is built in accordance to global cord standards to give local families peace of mind.

The cost may be high but the benefit is priceless.

According to CordLife Singapore:

A guaranteed match for autologous transplants (where the donor and recipient are the same individual).

Autologous stem cell transplants refer to transplants where the donor and recipient of the stem cells are the same individual. The cord blood that you are storing for your baby today is a potential medical resource for the future, and does not require stringent matching as opposed to conventional bone marrow stem cell transplants. About 70% of patients who need a transplant are unable to find a suitable match within the family1.
 
A Readily Available Supply of Stored Haematopoietic Stem Cells.

In the event of an already time-critical situation where stem cells are required for a transplant, having your child’s cord blood stored compares well to having to do a national or international search which is both costly and time-consuming. The cost of procuring a cord blood sample in Singapore can cost up to $75,0002, and that is, if a match is found.
 
Lower risk of Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD) for autologous transplants.

Graft vs. Host Disease refers to a common complication where the transplanted tissue attacks the patient's own tissue. This disease will usually occur in transplants when the donor and recipient are different.
 
Ease of collection, which is pain-free and risk-free to both mother and child.

Cord blood collection is a relatively easy task, which is handled by your own delivering doctor (OBGYN). This process does not affect the birthing process in any way and can be done on both natural and c-section births.
 
Umbilical cord blood stem cells are younger and more primitive.

In comparison to other types of stem cells obtained from other sources, e.g. bone marrow and peripheral blood, umbilical cord stem cells are able to grow healthy blood stem cells at a faster rate and are also more tolerant to HLA mismatches. 

In a recent event held in Manila, blogging Moms were given the chance to understand why this is necessary especially for those who are still planning on having another child. Since more and more families are now availing of this, Cord Life Philippines is now extending it's services to Visayas and Mindanao.

With a firm belief that their services may offer life changing and life saving therapeutic options for families in the future, their commitment to continuously offer quality services will never be compromised. To know more about them, you may visit their site.

Praxis Financial Literacy

One of the main problems that people in general suffers from is the lack of financial literacy.

People know how to earn money.
People know how to spend money.
Some people know how to save money.
However, very few people know how to EFFECTIVELY and EFFICIENTLY handle their money. After all, if you are young, you have most likely never been out of a job, sick, broke, or a combination of all.

I have.

I've been out of job, broke, and pregnant. It's one of the worst situations that you could ever be in. I've also been broke and sick, living on paycheck to paycheck. I've lived on Php500 for the next two weeks not knowing how to make everything fit because I had a baby to feed, transportation costs to manage and a home to feed.

When you don't know how to manage your finances and invest well, your life can literally go to pieces in a snap. You could lose a job and be lost. You could get sick and be in debt overnight. You could have an emergency and not have anything to cover it.

Only 2% out of more than 100M Filipinos are financially literate according to a World Bank study. This means that 98M Filipinos are not adept or skilled in making smart money decisions.

Learning how to manage your money is very important so that you can live a comfortable life and not simply survive. With inflation an ongoing thing and wage still not rising, learning how to invest, save, and spend wisely is very important.

Praxis helps people realize this with the help of a board game. Initially I was very hesitant because it was just a board game but after playing one round, I realized that this board game mimics real life with all the sudden twists and turns. One day you could have a secure job and the next day, the company shuts down. If you don't know how to save your money, then that's gonna be a problem.

I've talked about ways to save money and how to grow your money. In a country like ours where over 22M live below the poverty line and where inflation is at a 9 year high of 6.4%, we need all the help we can get.

Another thing I've learned in life is that it is not the amount of money that you earn but how you handle what you have. You could earn 6 figures and still have no savings.

Praxis teaches you how to avoid that. When you play the Praxis game, it will make you realize what you value in life and how you manage your money. Each Praxis Gameplay is facilitated by a certified Game Master who will direct the flow and announce realistic "Breaking News" much like how the world suddenly throws curve balls at you in the likes of health scares, drastic changes in stock prices, and other things that affect your decision about money.

If you would like to know more about financial literacy, leave a comment and I'll help you get in touch with Praxis.