Roasting 2020 the Kenny Rogers Roasters way

[PR] Who can ever forget 2020? The year that brought about a volcanic eruption, super-typhoons, and a global pandemic which caused everyone to rethink how they should live their lives. Set aside some silver linings, 2020 brought about a lot of unprecedented moments and everyone was just ready to say good bye to it.

But before that, we had the opportunity to let out all our emotions and say our final words about 2020, no holds barred. Last December 29, Kenny Rogers Roasters Philippines took on a bold and crazy move by literally roasting 2020—skewering meat shaped like 2020 and setting it on fire—and documenting it on Facebook Live. Everyone figuratively and freely roasted 2020 through the comments. Well, there's no better way than roasting such a challenging year and we gotta do it the yummy way. 

“2020 was an extreme year, and we each have our own opinions on how it impacted our lives. We were locked down for months, and most of our plans had changed. Roasting 2020 was a platform for everyone to say anything they wanted and to unify the sentiments,” Kenny Rogers Roasters Philippines Marketing Director Lorent Adrias said. 

On top of that, those who shared their feelings received a special treat from Kenny’s. “We know that the pandemic isn’t over but we wanted to end this year with a bang, and then move on. After roasting 2020 and all its negativity, we hope that our treat would somewhat help in signaling a better year in 2021,” he added. 

Check out the 2020 roast video here:

My thoughts on 2021 : New Year Musings

 "Nothing can dim the light that shines from within." - Maya Angelou

2021's entrance was probably one of the most quiet that I've ever encountered in my 39 years of existence. With the absence of massive fireworks and social distancing protocols are still being observed, we gladly bid 2020 adieu and hope that this year will be much better. If you asked me what I was doing as we counted down to the end of 2020, I'd tell you that I was quietly in my study area, working on my laptop. With my twins and my parents sleeping soundly and Paul sitting right beside me, it may not sound very happening but to be, I got everyone who mattered around me and that's just what I needed. Of course, we had a nice family dinner with my sister and her family on video call. I guess this is really the digital age where technology makes being apart physically makes it feel less painful and lonely. 

So what do I hope for this new year. I just hope for the pandemic to end. For families to go back to being physically together, for my children to enjoy being in pre-school and for the world to go back to normal again. I got to admit though that I had a lot of things to be grateful for despite the challenging year. Being online more has allowed me to reconnect with friends and extended family more than I ever had in the past years, I got to spend a lot of time with my parents, with Paul and with my kids, I learned to accept challenges head on and I pushed myself to get out of my comfort zone (how about that?!). 

This is actually the only year wherein I didn't made big plans or any resolutions except for perhaps to get back in shape. I signed up for more 808 studio dance classes and I hope I can make the most out of it this year. It feels good to take that 1 hour off to just dance like no one's watching. Whether I look like a graceful dancer or a headless chicken, it doesn't matter for as long as I'm having fun and am burning all those unwanted calories away. 

So here's to you, here's to us and here's to 2021. May you bring more smiles, more laughter and more love to everyone this year. 

Happy New Year! 

Break the Habit and #PledgeToDoubleCheck products for your Family’s sake

Every morning, I would ask the #AngTwins what they would like to eat for breakfast and they would love enumerating all their favorite food. Cake, Ice Cream, Pizza, Spaghetti, Burger, Waffles...and the list goes on and on. As a food lover, it's a dream to watch your kids showing more love and interest in eating. I get so excited whenever I can share something delicious with them and to watch them eat it with so much delight just fills my heart with joy. 

However, as a mom, I sometimes have to step on the breaks and carefully plan out their meals. Teaching them to eat right and healthy is our responsibility has their parents and they're at this stage wherein we have to train them to eat their veggies and fruits. This is also when I've learned to check the labels.. not only once but twice. I watch out for the sugar content and making sure that they get their vitamins and minerals too. 

[PR] Our family, most importantly, our kids are the special treasures we have and with that, we only want what is best for them especially in terms of the food and drinks they consume. However, with the goal of making them happy with their favorite refreshments, desserts and snacks, are you sure that they are nutritious for your little ones? 

Beware mommies, do not put your guard down and don’t be complacent because it’s not enough that we buy products having popular names. There might be red flags that you don’t see in the usual products that you buy. Just because we see our kids are enjoying their usual snacks and drinks doesn’t mean that our job is done, because as important it is to give them what they want, it’s even more important to give them what they need. As wise moms, we should check what ingredients are in the snacks and drinks that we serve to our kids. Is there too much sugar? Too many artificial ingredients? Remember, giving what’s best to our children is not only about providing tasty snacks and beverages –but rather, about providing them with snacks and drinks that will nourish them and keep them healthy. 

Guilty? It’s never too late to break the habit of buying whatever is pleasing to the eyes and what is popular because All Natural Seasons Juice by Dole have started the mommy movement #PledgeToDoubleCheck that advocates for smarter and wiser grocery shopping. 

This is why I was totally all for All Natural Seasons Juice by Dole's movement to remind moms like you and me to #PledgetoDoubleCheck. I remember going to the grocery with my aunt last year and while I have the tendency to just quickly grab items off the shelf, toss it into my cart and move on to the next aisle, my aunt would carefully look at each items, check out the nutritional value, see the expiration date and compare with other brands if possible. My usual 30 minute grocery run ballooned to more than two hours but being with my auntie taught me to be more cautious especially when it comes to items being consumed by my family. 

So what is this movement all about? 

DIY Mommy : the #AngTwins' THREE-riffic Birthday with Elmo and Friends

I can't believe I have 3 year old twins! It still feels like yesterday when I patiently waited for my scheduled CS day to come and how Paul and I finally welcomed them in this world on that fateful day at 6 in the morning. It's been 3 years of living a purposeful life being called Mama by my intelligent, adorable and very sweet twins J & L. 

For someone who loves to plan everything down to the last detail, 2020 really taught us to be flexible, to be resilient, to accept change and to roll with the punches. As they say, when life throws you lemons... you make delicious lemon squares. Haha! Seriously, the year went by so fast and while it wasn't really a smooth sailing one, it's the year where we got to spend the most time with family. Before the pandemic happened, I worry that I might miss out on their developmental years as I have gone back to working full-time and I often wonder if doing so will make me spend less time with them too. I guess, life has its funny way of making things work and with my current work-from-home-status, I get to dedicate time both for work and of course, for my kids. 

So, as soon as October rolled in, I got to work on planning for their birthday. Thinking of this year's theme was easy. My twins love Disney and they love Elmo too. They can sing the Elmo Song repeatedly while dancing to the Disney Clubhouse theme song. Paul wanted to go do a Disney theme as he's been pushing for this since last year but while browsing through the decors and props, I felt that a Sesame Street theme would be cuter. 

They're in this age where they can really voice their opinions and so, for this year's birthday theme, we left the decision to them. Needless to say, our little red furry friend Elmo won by a landslide and so Mommy got to work immediately. Putting on my brand manager cap on, I made sure that everything was on theme and within schedule. 

No family gathering or big birthday party this year though as we are still strictly following all safety protocols so instead of inviting everyone over, we decided to have a simple candle blowing ceremony instead and we sent over lunch platters to everyone in the family. Of course, a simple text message will never suffice so I created an invite and sent to the family to invite them to join us online. Since we wanted to keep it simple, I decided to do the invites myself. What do you think? ;)