Tomorrow is my 30th birthday but I don’t feel like one, my heart says I’m 18 but my physical features shouts 45! Should I be worried? Of course but I know that I can still do something about this. They say that dryness is one sign of aging and tomorrow I’ll kiss dryness and aging goodbye because I’ll be taking Immuvit, a multivitamin supplement.

Immuvit is the only multivitamin supplement in the market that contains the powerful combination of CoQ10 and two ginsengs—Korean RPC Ginseng and Siberian Ginseng.

For the information of everyone, CoQ10 is a type of antioxidant capable of protecting the body from damages caused mainly by free radicals. It helps maintain cell growth and maintenance and it also boost the immune system.

On the other hand, Korean RPC Ginseng and Siberian Ginseng both helps in revitalizing the body and increase its resistance and fatigue.

So what are exactly Lucy’s way to be this beautiful and how does she sustain youth?

• Regular intake of antioxidant-rich vitamins – she takes Immuvit regularly because as we all know, Lucy is as busy as a bee! She goes to tapings and serves her fellowmen in Ormoc, Leyte as the city’s newly elected Congresswoman.
• Sticking to a fitness regimen – Lucy is into dancing to keep her fit and maintain her figure. According to Lucy, dancing gives her a natural high and makes for a very happy space.
• A diet rich in fruits and vegetables - Lucy’s diet usually consists of brown rice, fruits, and vegetables, and she usually munches on healthy snacks. She watches what she eat though she has cheat days so she doesn’t feel deprived of sweets.
• A good attitude - Lucy feels good so she looks good. She faces daily life with a good attitude, positive outlook that’s why she feels energized and youthful looking.

I am a fan of multivitamins, but I guess at my age I should be loving it more. It would not only make my skin healthy but I can also be assured that my body is taken cared of. Starting tomorrow I’ll take my daily dose of Immuvit, start moving around and eat more fruits and vegetables instead of meat and junk foods.

At 30, I’m willing to take this challenge.

French-American foreign war correspondent Diego Luis Buñuel never wanted his mother to get nervous knowing where his assignment would be so he always told his production crew in their Paris office, “Don’t tell my mother.” Thankfully, his colleagues always heeded his requests.

Since 2001, Diego has covered the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the US intervention in Afghanistan. In 2003, he was embedded with the US Marine Corps in Baghdad and had reported on the Second Congo War, the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, and Yasser Arafat’s funeral.

But after a few years of covering conflicts, Diego realized that most global news headlines just focused on the worst events in these countries. No one was telling the story about the interesting people and culture in these places. So Diego went on a mission in search of fascinating people and their remarkable stories in some of the most dangerous places on earth and the National Geographic Channel series Don’t Tell My Mother was born.

In 2006, Diego began shooting episodes for the first season of Don’t Tell My Mother where he offered a new look on rarely traveled areas affected by conflicts such as Afghanistan, Colombia, North Korea, Congo, Venezuela, Israel, Iran, Iraq, the Balkans, and Pakistan.

A few months ago, Diego was in the Philippines to shoot an episode for the new series of Don’t Tell My Mother. “We are doing a ten-part series on the biggest cities in the world – Mexico City in San Carlo, Lagos in Nigeria, Cairo, Beirut, Delhi, Tokyo, and Manila,” explained Diego, the host, director, and producer of Don’t Tell my Mother.

Diego said the new series was inspired by a 2008 United Nations report which cited that for the first time in history, more people are living in cities than in the countryside. “I thought it would be really interesting because if our future is going to be in cities then we have to find solutions on how we can live together now.”

And for Diego, one great example of how thousands of people can live together in a densely-packed community is the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prisons, which he visited in Muntinlupa City.

Diego inside New Bilibid Prison.

“When I was doing my research on New Bilibid Prisons, I realized why was nobody talking about this? I mean I’ve been in many maximum security prisons before like in the US with armed guards and raving maniacs and chain gangs, and suddenly there’s this maximum security prison in the Philippines, which is the largest prison in the country, and there’s 20,000 inmates in there and it seems that none of the usual stigma of prisons happen there. When you go inside the prison, you will see rapists, murderers, and kidnappers all trying to work as one community.”

Diego also noted that at the New Bilibid Prisons, “women are allowed overnight stays and there are playgrounds where children can play. I mean, you will never expect to see a playground in a maximum security prison.”

While in the country, Diego and cameraman Nicholas Boero also visited the Manila North Cemetery and a firebird farm in Tanay, Rizal.

Diego at the firebird farm in Tanay, Rizal.

They also went to San Pedro Cutud in San Fernando, Pampanga for the Maleldo 2010 where penitents were nailed to the cross on Good Friday, played sakla, a popular card game, and rode a train trolley in Sta. Mesa.

Diego tries out the cross where penitents are nailed during Good Friday.

As a city, Diego found Manila as a real mix. “You’ve got the Asian side, you’ve got the sky scrapers, the modern buildings, and then you’ve got this more rural side that’s filled with poverty. It’s rare to see a city with this kind of balance.”

Diego (right) and cameraman Nicholas Boero ride a train trolley in Sta. Mesa.

Diego hopes the new series would show viewers how today’s biggest cities have their own ways of dealing with common problems such as congestion, traffic, poverty, and violence. “This new season of Don’t Tell My Mother offers a real way of discovering the world and how the world changes based on different cultures and ways of exploring things.”

“I think that’s what the National Geographic Channel is all about – showing people on one part of the planet what people are doing on the other side of the planet, and to try to bring this global network of vision and surprise and exciting stories to one another.”

Don’t Tell My Mother I’m in Manila will air on September 7 at 9:30PM, only on the National Geographic Channel.

You’ve seen them on your celebrities: petite bags with long shoulder straps worn on their sides. Fashion chics call them messenger, sling, saddle, or cross-body bags! Whatever you call them, I LOVE THEM!

I haven’t bought anything of this kind yet but soon (ugh! I should before it goes out of season!). Locally, you can find these bags at My Favorite Store. They have them in different shapes and sizes but they come in very limited number so I SHOULD, I SHOULD place an order now!

Prices of the bags vary, better visit My Favorite Store on Facebook today!

How to order:
1. Send My Favorite Store an SMS at +639277206515 with the following information:
NAME
SHIPPING ADDRESS
CONTACT NO
ORDERS (Indicate Product Name)
MODE of PAYMENT (BPI Bank Deposit or GCASH)

2. Shipping Fee:
Metro Manila – P50
Provincial Areas – P100

I am such a huge fan of bags though I am not a bit concerned about brands – I just can’t wear something that it isn’t authentic. The moment I learned about authenticity and it’s importance, I stopped buying fake products. I use to buy Fendi and Louis Vuitton imitation bags and wallets ^_^ but hey, people learn and change naman no.

IMHO, It’s so degrading For me, if you cannot afford the real one then fine but don’t settle for imitations – buy a cheaper brand that suits your budget because if you can’t afford it, then for sure, it won’t be bagay on your porma.

I’ve been staying at home for more than two years now and so far, no regrets. No salary can ever pay the peace of mind and freedom I am enjoying from just staying home and being with my kid.

So what does this cool mom do when she’s at home? Of course I am busy! I am no couch potato ^_^ I have a demanding daughter to attend to, bake cakes, cupcakes, etc. I don’t just sit in front of the television or do Facebook everyday — I also work.

Did I just say work? Yes, I work. I get odd jobs from the internet, I say ‘odd’ because oftentimes I do jobs which require skills that I do not have but surprisingly I always pull it off Thanks to common sense and Mr. Google ^_^

I sometimes assist graphic designers, do transcription which is quite a pain, accounting jobs for overseas companies, etcetera. And yes, I’d get paid too – just like other 9-5 employees who drag themselves to work every single day. What’s the difference? Seriously, A LOT.

1. Freelancers like me get paid in dollars – yes, $$$.
2. I don’t have to spend much on clothes because I can work in pajamas.
3. I don’t get late.
4. I don’t have to spend much on food.
5. And most importantly, a right brained person like me HATES to be confined in a box. I want to explore and learn new things everyday ^_^

And the best part of all? I get to be with my daughter 24/7 and with my friends whenever they need me.

Brand managers, marketing executives, and communication practitioners can soon find the secrets in turning consumers them into valuable brand or product advocates by attending the “The Digital Ripple: Engage one, engage many” 4th Internet and Mobile Marketing Summit on August 19-20, 2010 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The summit will host world-renowned digital marketing experts who will show how brands can create a digital ripple – a successful digital marketing campaign – through the Internet and mobile media pond.

Organized by the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), The Digital Ripple will feature some of the most respected and sought-after digital marketing thought leaders in the world.

These include web and social media strategist Jeremiah Owyang, ABS-CBN SVP-News and Current Affairs and ANC managing director Maria Ressa, Mobile Marketing Association Asia Pacific Limited managing director Rohit Dadwal, Yahoo! Asia Pacific Regional VP-Advertising Sales and Marketplace Ken Mandel, Smart Communications Inc. senior product manager Jim Ayson, RockYou Asia Pacific general manager Robbie Hills, and Euro RSCG Southeast Asia regional digital director Daniel Lee.

First day conference topics include Branding Strategy Goes Social and Delivers (keynote), Digital for Advocacy, Mobile Engagement, Digital Thoughts and Trends, Mobile is Social, Social Gaming, Going Social with your Brand, Return on Engagement, Blog Marketing, and Digital in Measuring Brand Health.

The conference will feature Mindshare Asia Pacific digital direct head Nick Seckold, Dentsu Asia regional senior director-Digital Division Angeli Beltran, Tribal DDB Asia & the Pacific president Amanda King, AdMob APAC head-Brand Advertising Christian Cadeo, iHub Media’s George Foo, GSMA’s Blums Pineda, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising managing director Peachy Pacquing, and Driving Left Digital’s Paul Papadimitriou.

The speakers will talk about Digital Engagement that Delivers, Integration Delivers Maximum Potential, Are your Marketing Values Adding Value to your Bottom Line?, Mobile Planning and Measurement, Integrating Digital, Integrating Planning, and Social Listening and Value of Earned Media. There will also be panel discussions on SMEs, Search, E-commerce, and e-mail marketing.

Checking on camera reviews has become a past time for me whenever I’m online

Going through heaps of websites and blogs about cameras doesn’t bore me at all. It’s like window shopping at a different, more mature level ^_^ I get tips and tricks from various websites and the comments on the reviews make it even more read-worthy! I love how camera enthusiasts willingly share their ideas to noobs like me.

Photography appeals to me so much so I really hope that my husband and I could buy a good DSLR next year. I love my Canon G11 but it’s still best to have a stand by, reliable DSLR for more important photo shoots.

At first it was just a hobby but since we need all the moolah we can earn for our daily expenses and our daughter’s education, I tried taking it to a whole new level.

Baking in itself is easy, the hardest part (at least for me) is finding the right recipe that people will love yet at a cheap price. I hate the costing part as well, it racks my brain big time. I am no math person and I’ll be ever thankful to the inventor of calculators and MS Excel ^_^

Decorating is both therapeutic and stress-bringer LOL I didn’t take any formal baking and cake decorating lessons so I am learning as I go. I still have a long way to go and I know that to keep up with the competition I have to do better each day. Part of the plan is to revamp my website and taking online courses on cake decorating. Online courses because I don’t have the luxury of time to go to school to attend formal lessons

Wish me luck!

I swear, I still couldn’t believe that I finally met the man of my dreams – Piolo Pascual!

During the launch of Sun Life Financial It’s Time, Piolo talked about his personal experiences, thoughts and values when it comes to financial planning and his plans for his future. Piolo doesn’t depend on his stature as a multi-awarded actor so now he has ventured into film producing, photography, charity work, running and singing. According to him “Since life offers no guarantees, we must always protect our dreams from uncertainties. It is never too early to aspire for great things and never too late to protect your dreams, not only for yourself but also for your loved ones. It’s Time!”

There ^_^

It’s Time’s goal is to empower Filipinos so that we can all achieve financial security. Unlike other health insurance companies (i.e. Blue Cross NC, Philam, etc.) their goal is financial freedom for all Filipinos and since their launch last year of the first ever financial literacy advocacy, 79% already said that it made them think about financial planning and 67% has declared that it made them want to buy a financial product for their future.

Our financial planning today isn’t just for us but for the future of our children. I say that It’s Time!

I can’t believe that I am no longer ’20-something’ or ‘in my late 20′s’ come September 2 as I’m turning 30 this year! I don’t know how I should feel about being 30. Should I be happy? should I be sad? It seems that I am not yet ready to face another century ^_^

Seriously, how do you prepare for a party for a 30-year old mom? I have no idea, really ^_^ Oh, nothing kinky and childhood slideshows please?

I saw a post somewhere that I should not turn my 30th birthday into a depressing event for 30 is still young and way better than 20!

I was looking for a dessert that isn’t too sweet so I thought “why not make a dessert that’s creamy, minty and chocolatey?”  I’m afraid that the desserts I’m baking will lead me to wearing plus size lingerie in a few month’s time – NO!

But who cares di ba? Desserts are L♥ve.

So everyone, without further adieu, here’s my addition to PH Bakehouse’s Bars Galore: my Oreo Cheesecake Bars!

Squares of luscious dark chocolate brownie topped with creamy cream cheese filling.

The cookie base is made from Blueberry Ice Cream flavored Oreo leaving a minty aftertaste after each bite.

Cut into 2″x2″

P400/box of 12