We feel sad for fellow Filipinos affected by flooding during the past weeks just as we also feel sad for those in other countries like Australia and Brazil. Ondoy had us scarred and scared and the thought that there is a possibility that this will happen is not exactly something to look forward to.

Having easy access to news bits enables us to know what is happening to the other side of the world. As much as possible, I try to   involve the children in the discussion about events, whether negative or positive, that help shape the world. Sure, there may be issues that are too strong for them to grasp but then these are explained in simple terms.

I want the children to know what’s going on in a bigger picture and not just concentrate on what’s happening around them. I’ve talked to children who can name the latest games, gadgets, new and fun places at the malls, even name the latest movie and the best fat burners but are surprised that the there is so much happening that they don’t know about.

Sometimes we even watch viral videos trending in the web for more info.

Moms and dads, do you let your children watch the news? I do especially since they have once a week news reporting in class.

I was able to watch President Barack Obama live on net tv yesterday, as he addressed the people in Arizona during the memorial service for those who passed away in the Arizona shooting rampage.

I was deeply touched by the president’s speech.

And some of what he said were as I remembered it: “we not only look backward but we also look forward… do not forget to tell your loved ones you love them, everyday… what’s important is not fame, money, but how we lived our lives, how we loved and what we did to make the lives of others better… I believe in our imperfections, we are also full of goodness”

And I was doubly touched when I learned about Christina Taylor-Green who was a part of the Faces of Hope book.

“I hope you know all the words of the national anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.” continue reading this entry »

When we go window shopping, we usually are on the lookout for a new television set mainly for the children’s DVD watching. We personally prefer a Samsung (evidenced by how we gravitate towards this brand’s section in electronics stores) but for now that seemed an elusive buy yet since the price is quite steep. Meanwhile we just make do with the current set we have.

We don’t have internet cable so that the children are not enticed to watch tv shows until way past their bed time. For special live shows, we rely on the internet for livestream links. We also rely heavily on the net for homeworks, project ideas, gardening, crafts, baking and cooking tip videos and a host of other online time and bandwidth consuming sites like my favorite tv series. continue reading this entry »

Havaianas is having a flip-flop design competition for the benefit of Operation Smile.

Mechanics of the Havaianas Design a Smile flip-flop competition:

What: Design the sole of a Havaianas pair of flip-flop for 5-12 years old based on the question: “What makes you smile?”

The winning flip-flop entry could be produced to heal the broken smiles of the children of Operation Smile.

Where: drop by any Havaianas Design a Smile booth at the following dates and venues:

• October 16, Activity Center, Alabang Town Center
• October 17, Level 4 Exhibit Area, TriNoma
• October 23, The Gallery Greenbelt 5
• October 24, Left Wing G/F Glorietta 4
• October 30, Activity Pod 3, Bonifacio High Street

Prizes to be won:

• The Top three designs, which will be chosen by the public through text voting, will receive fun prizes from Havaianas, a creativity workshop from My Masterpiece Movement and gifts from Polaroid, Faber-Castell, KidSports and Orange Juice.
• The Top Ten finalists will get cool prizes from Havaianas, KidSports and Orange Juice.

For complete mechanics, visit HavaianasPhilippines.com

What is Operation Smile?

Operation Smile is a private, non-profit volunteer medical services organization and worldwide children’s medical charity that provides reconstructive surgery and related health care services to indigent children and young adults with cleft palate, cleft lip and other childhood facial deformities. Along with the surgery, Operation Smile provide training to health care professionals who work with these children.

Cleft lips and palates is said to be among the top 12 birth defects in the country. Along with these facial deformities, the children are found to experience other conditions: malnutrition, respiratory problems, and ear infections. Psychological as well  as sociological impact due to low self-esteem brought about by their inability to interact socially because of these deformities also has an impact on the child.

A simple surgery is needed to be able to reconstruct the deformity. But to those coming from the low-income bracket, the cost is a heavy burden to bear, considering a number of patients come from this group. Operation Smile gives the gift of surgery that can change a child’s life at the cost of PhP15,000 per child.

So far, since 1982, Operation Smile Philippines has done more than 22, 500 free reconstructive surgery all over the country. Around 140,000 children and young adults have been given free reconstructive surgery all over the world.

Join the Havaianas Design a Smile flip-flop competition and who knows, your child’s entry would help put more than just a smile to other children who need the services of Operation Smile

And yet another life was lost.

News like this and this make me extremely sad. Suicide is not the way to end or face problems, as people would opine, but if the young people and even children who took this way had not been treated as how they were treated, I don’t think they would resort to this.

What Tyler’s roommate did was beyond words to describe.It was not just Tyler’s privacy that was invaded by two persons. Considering Tyler decided to end his life is not something to be taken lightly. I really hope these two will pay for what they did and I don’t mean “bail” when I wrote pay.

My burning question is: Would these two be liable with Tyler’s demise?

The fact was that what he was doing privately was on broadcast for the world (or the curious) to see and read about in 140 characters or less.

Social networking sites are powerful enough to make or break a person.It is therefore important for parents to teach their children netiquette as early as possible.

The livestream channels for the Emmy’s were blocked this morning so I was not able to watch the event. I only read about the wins of Temple Grandin’s biopic in the Emmy Awards a while ago, just after I wrote the last post and I was about to turn off this gadget.

Yep, this extra-ordinary woman named Temple Grandin has definitely captured the hearts of many families and individuals who are looking for hope for their loved ones who have been diagnosed with autism.

Congratulations to you, Temple Grandin and to the cast who made this biopic possible for us to view