May 2014 - Page 3 of 8

Filipino Ingenuity Spruces Up WeChat’s Sticker Gallery

May 21, 2014 19 Comments

Filipino Slang is something that our country is known for and some would probably agree that it is what set us apart from our foreign contemporaries. We have, after all, 11 recognized languages and more than 175 spoken dialects throughout our more than 7,000 islands, and communication may be all too difficult if the brilliant minds behind these well known slang language have not thought of it in the first place. These words is a league all their own and we may search high and low if we must but we will never find them in any publication instead you will hear the series of catchphrases everywhere, from the streets to the local television shows or just about anywhere the influences of media exist.

Filipino slang is a beautiful cacophony of preexisting language and is highly dynamic compared to the usual colloquialisms thereby allowing people who use it more freedom to express themselves. These words and phrases do not follow specific or standard set of rules and famous slang can come from witty Taglish {that’s Tagalog and English combined} words to famous celebrities or gay lingo or a it can also be a riot mix of all, giving the words a whole new meaning in different contexts.

Recognizing the fact that the Filipino Slang is now more recognized as a language of everyday use, one of the country’s top social mobile apps, WeChat, joins the bandwagon of humor and beautiful Filipino language by releasing 16 animated stickers depicting the candor, wit and ingenious Filipino Slang. Now communicating with your family and friends has never been this simple, colorful and interesting. If you are about to wing an emergency meeting, send out a “Bahala na si Batman!” sticker to your teammate to lighten up the air. Commending a colleague for a job well done for their presentation? Send out a “Boom!” sticker to congratulate him! Meanwhile, it will be more inspirational if you would send your sister a “Push mo yan!’ or “Gorabels” to give her a quick confidence boost when starting a new project and finally having the courage to go to the gym and get rid of the extra pounds. With stickers that perfectly depicts how we feel or best describes the message we want to convey, reaching out and communicating has never been this fun.

Start adding color and pizzazz to your daily digital conversations with this set of WeChat Stickers. Simply click Me > Sticker Gallery and see all the interesting Filipino Slang stickers available.

Learn more about WeChat and the WeChat Sticker Gallery at www.wechat.com

mum musings, Tips and Tricks

8 Things Every Mum Must Know About Finance

May 19, 2014 No Comments

Among the many roles we have to play as mums, we also have to be financial-savvy to be able to help stretch the family budget, augment the family income and, hopefully, save enough for our children’s college fund and our retirement. It is no easy feat, but here are a few tips shared by our friends from MoneyMax.ph, the Philippines’ leading financial comparison portal which helps Filipino consumers make the right financial decisions as they settle on the best credit card, home loan, broadband plan, and more—fast, comprehensive, and free.

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, being the queen of the house is a tough profession more than the royals. Among all the physical and emotional pressure, the stress of financial management is a big, exhaustive chunk to what Moms juggle every day.

Here are some tips for all you superheroes:

Expense Tracker

As the resident Chief Finance Officer, you should have at least an overall idea of the cash flow of everyone in the family. Track their expenses and help them improve it. It will help you come up with a monthly expenditure plan for your family. Visuals are great tracking channel – let everyone in the house know the value of income and expenses of each.

Grocery shopping

No one in the house knows better than you do when it comes to household supplies. You have the power to do the budgeting and listing of your grocery items. Shop for groceries on your preferred schedule – weekly or bi-monthly or monthly. Doing this can reduce your transportation costs and you could devote your travel time to more important things. Also, involve your kids on grocery planning and shopping. It is a good chance to teach your kids on budgeting your finances out of a given allowance, plus a good source of bonding as well.

Deflation

Be in-the-know: watch the news or subscribe to rollbacks and price hikes so you would know when to buy an item more or when to avoid an item because of higher prices. Update your shopping list in a manner that is dependent on the price changes of each and every item. For example, you can buy more products in your shopping list that cut its price to get the most out of your spending.

Credit Card Perks

There’s a whole ton of perks you can get if you play your {credit} cards right. Almost every bank offers credit card rewards that moms can take advantage of. For example, you can take your whole family out on a date with half-price tickets to musicals and a delicious lunch at 50% off.

Another unique advantage of credit cards is that you can use it for online shopping. Besides being able to scour online reviews on products that you want to buy, you’ll also save time, money, and effort because you don’t actually have to get out of your chair to do your shopping. Just make sure to keep your credit card information secure.

But… Don’t give in too much to rewards

If you focus more on coupons, deals, rewards, rebates, you may end up paying for more than the promise of saving more. Don’t get tempted on adjusting your finances by overspending just to avail a certain promo or reward points.

Window Shopping

Don’t spend too much time on window shopping. Going to malls just to window shop especially on items that you just want won’t be healthy on your finances and self-esteem.

Brand Conscious

Be a wise consumer; don’t focus on the brand, but more on the quality and value of money. After all, what matters is how you’ll use it. If you’re eyeing for something you want to wear, it will depend on how it will look on you and how comfortable you’d be in it. Gadgets, furniture and appliances’ longevity will always depend on how you use it.

Digital Lifestyle

Improve your ways by feeling right about the digital world. For sure, it will be hard in the first stints and when you’re not used to it, but as soon as you get along, everything will be as easy just like every single thing you do in the household. Paying your bills online, online bonding with friends, etc. can only be beneficial to you in every sense possible.

second image is from freedigitalphotos.net

Product Review, Products and Brands, Reviews

Product Review: Wen Cleansing Conditioner by Chaz Dean

May 17, 2014 No Comments

A new hair product is due to be out this May and I was given the chance to get the first dibs and try it out before it was made available in the market. I received a package a few weeks back containing a pack of Wen Cleansing Conditioner by Chaz Dean and tried it out as soon as I can.

Wen Cleansing Conditioner by Chaz Dean in a nutshell

Chaz Dean, a US-based celebrity stylist and GuthyRenker {makers of Proactiv Solution} worked together to formulate a new concept in hair cleansing and came up with Wen Cleansing Conditioner. Veering away from harsh detergents and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates which most shampoos have that makes the hair dry, faded, dull, frizzy and lifeless, Wen Cleansing Conditioner, with its 5-in-1 formula, takes the place of shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner and leave-on condition, as well as detanglers. It works by thoroughly cleansing the hair without lathering and without all the harsh ingredients found in ordinary shampoos thereby leaving the hair with sheen, manageability and moisture and with better color retention.

Wen Cleansing Conditioner comes in two variants ~ Sweet Almond Mint and Pomegranate.

Sweet Almond Mint Variant Ingredients

Aloe Vera gel that has anti-fungal, soothing, moisturizing and antibacterial properties
Sweet Almond Oil, which is an excellent emollient and high in protein and fatty acids making it ideal for treating dry, chapped skin. It also heals and nourishes skin without leaving a greasy residue.
Chamomile Extract that has calming, soothing, as well as antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Also ideal for dry and flaky skin
Glycerin that provides moisturizing benefits
Cherry Bark that brings out the color, softness and shine in all shades of natural, as well as color treated, hair. It also helps in improving manageability of hair
Calendulay Extract that serves as an antiseptic and ideal in healing wounds and reducing inflammation
Rosemaryy Extract, a restorative herb that prevents premature baldness by stimulating hair growth and fighting scalp problems
Menthol that has local anesthetic and counter-irritant quality to help reduce itching and tenderness of the scalp

Pomegranate Variant Ingredients

Pomegranate Extract that has anti-oxidant properties as well as incredible hydrating properties
Hydrolized Soy Protein are soya-derived protein which increases hair strength and manageability
Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice that has healing, moisturizing, as well as anti-fungal and antibacterial properties
Rosemary Extract that has amazing antioxidant properties that help stimulate hair growth and fight scalp problems
Marigold Extract that functions as an antiseptic, ideal for healing wounds and reducing inflammation
Wild Cherry Fruit Extract that has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties
Menthol that has local anesthetic and counter-irritant properties that help reduce itching and tenderness

Directions to use Wen Cleansing Conditioner

products, reviews, product review, hair products

Here are the very easy steps on how to use the product:

Rinse hair thoroughly
Apply Wen Cleansing Conditioner to the palms and rub together
Apply evenly from the roots to your ends, making sure the hair is completely saturated with Cleansing Conditioner
Add a splash of water and gently massage into the scalp and hair for 1-3 minutes.
Leave on for at least 3-5 minutes for maximum conditioning.
Rinse thoroughly and completely
Apply a small amount of the Cleansing Conditioner while the hair is still soaking wet as a leave-on conditioner