Chubby Lakwatsera Paradizoo Entrance Giveaway

Hello guys! Last year, before the year 2013 ended, Purple Plum Fairy had given away some loot items for our lucky readers. I did promised there's more to come so here it is: my newly revived travel blog Chubby Lakwatsera which you guys can find at http://www.chubbylakwatsera.blogspot.com aims to share in more travel finds and destinations. Thus, through the kindness of our friends from Zoomanity Group--Purple Plum Fairy and Chubby Lakwatsera will be giving away seven FREE entrance tickets (each good for two) to Zoomanity's Paradizoo--a paradise and zoo located in Mendez, Cavite. Each ticket also comes with a 50% off discount entrance at Tagaytay's Residence Inn which is only 15 minutes away from Paradizoo and a free shuttle service too. 

It means there will be seven winners (that means 14 individuals who will be enjoying the wonders of Paradizoo!). Here's how to join: Note: These three steps are MANDATORY. Failure to do so will result to disqualification.

1. Follow Chubby Lakwatsera (http://www.chubbylakwatsera.blogspot.com) via Google Friend Connect (see upper right side of the said blog page).

2. LIKE Purple Plum Fairy on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dolcecerise).

3. Comment below by answering who would you love to spend the day with at Paradizoo? Don't forget to put in your name, email address and/or your mobile number. 

Take note that winners must be willing to meet up with me somewhere in Cubao to receive their prizes. Winners will be raffled off via a fish bowl. Winners will be notified via email and or mobile. 

Contest will run until February 1, 2014. Thank you so much and I hope you'll find time to join the contest. Good luck! 

NIDO 3+: Milk with Lactobacillus PROTECTUS that helps Moms Protect Kids from Sickness

Kids are naturally playful and curious about a lot of things that surrounds them. Oftentimes as parents, our kids bombard us with tons of questions because they've become inquisitive like little scientists with their very own made up hypothesis. They prefer to explore outdoors and interact more with people, animals, the nature and other stuff. But by doing so, they are more exposed to possible sickness and accidents. We are very much concerned when it comes to our kids' health--from vaccinations to vitamins, we make sure to protect our kids in the best way we can. However, in as much as we'd like to be with our kids to prevent them from illness we know we cannot always be there for them. And this is where we can rely on NIDO 3+, made specifically for kids 3 and up by Nestle Research.

We went recently to an exclusive event attended by media and bloggers for the 2014 NIDO 3+ campaign together with Nestle executives which was held at the private function room of Chef Jessie Restaurant in Amorsolo Square, Rockwell, Makati. NIDO 3+ brand ambassador singer/songwriter/artist and celebrity mom Barbie Almalbis-Honasan graced the said event alongside child expert and Associate Professor at the FamilyLife and Child Development Department of the Home Economics of UP Diliman, Dr. Lilian Leynes-Juadiong where parenting experiences and expert insights that most moms worry about were discussed, including how moms can boost their child's body defenses against sickness while the kids can simply be precocious kids. 

I used to be very anxious when it comes to my kids (she has two kids-Stina, 6 and Liam,3), I used to panic whenever my kids hurt themselves and they would cry. They say that having a child is like having your heart walk around outside your body, that's exactly how I feel about my kids. It was my husband who told me to have a keep calm attitude," Barbie shared. "I later realized that it was my reaction that caused my kids to fear and cry. My son tests his limits, he likes to fly while my daughter loves role playing. I now allow them to play and pick themselves up each time they fall. I'm thankful for the products like NIDO 3+ that help me equip and protect my kids everyday," Barbie added.

"Mothers are very perceptive on what they give their kids and they mainly worry about three things during growing up years. First is if they are getting real value for their money. Second is the acceptability of these purchases, which may be food or drinks, to their kids. Is it appealing to their kid's palate? Is this something that their kids can appreciate daily? Does it does it protect them as they explore new things? And lastly, is it easy to prepare as there are first-time moms and working moms to consider?" Shared Dr. Juadiong during the said media event. "Given these factors, good and high-quality sourced of nourishment and nutrients become mommy's little helpers to lessen the things they worry about. Special ingredients such as Lactobacillus PROTECTUS, a unique combination of live active good microorganisms can be found in NIDO 3+, as it plays an important role in strengthening your child's body defenses. With this, first-time mom will surely have peace of mind while giving their kids the chance to be kids--play and be healthy without adverse effects." 

It was also during the said NIDO 3+ event where the refreshed version of the popular NIDO jingle "You're My Number One" video was launched. Attendees of the event had an exclusive screening of the impressive collaborative video of NIDO 3+ brand ambassadors Ms. Sharon Cuneta and Barbie Almalbis-Honasan. "I'm so excited to work with Ms. Sharon. I'm honored and privileged to do so," enthuses Barbie. "Ms. Sharon last revived the song in 2009, and for this project I got to work with her and her son, Miguel. I am equally thrilled that I got to do this with my kids Stina and Liam who enjoy NIDO 3+ as well,"said Barbie.

For Moms, there's an exciting news to watch out for in NIDO 3+ Facebook Fan Page. NIDO's signature song, "You're My Number One" Sing-Along Tab will be is now available. With a fresh new beat, easy to listen and follow song, Moms and their kids will surely have fun as they sing along together with Barbie for fostering bonds between mother and child. Other exciting apps include a digital meter which can gauge what worries mothers have during the kid's growing up years plus special promotion for moms and their little ones to capture the protection and enjoyment kids experience with NIDO 3+. 

Moms can look forward to use these awesome apps beginning February 2014 at www.facebook.com/nidofortified.ph

Max's Restaurant Treats Bloggers to a Meaningful Christmas Dinner

Max's Restaurant, known for its sarap-to-the-bones chicken treated bloggers to an intimate Christmas dinner held at Max's Glorietta 1. But it ain't like any ordinary Christmas dinner. It was a special one--for instead of having a lavish party, Max's opted to hold an intimate dinner for their loyal online supporters and donate a portion meant for the party to a meaningful purpose--they had given them to the Philippine National Red Cross on behalf of the bloggers to help build lives for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in Tacloban. 

While eating our favorite Max's dishes that night, we felt truly special. We were able to enjoy an intimate dinner with our fellow blogger friends and Max's awesome PR people from Bright Ideas. We knew in our hearts sharing and helping others wasn't beyond our means because the PR people from Max's Restaurant took the initiative to do this charity and donated an amount on the bloggers' name. It might not be much, but it felt so good to know that it could help to buy more food for the people. 

This is what I loved most about Max's Restaurant--that close-knit family feeling and sense of belonging, where everyone seems to know everybody. We also got to taste Max's Corner Bakery Holiday Cakes such as Toffee Torte, Triple Treat, Salted Caramel Tableya, Choco Moist, and Choco Meringue Delight. They were all delectable treats you should definitely not miss! We also received Max's Corner Bakery goodie treats like polvoron and our personal favorite Max's decadent caramel bars. As if that wasn't enough, we were also given the limited edition Max's table calendar with special monthly freebie coupons to use this year. 

Thank you so much Max's Restaurant and Bright Ideas team. 

Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center and Ateneo Celadon Presents the 8th Chinese Spring Film Festival

I've always looked forward to the month of January. Not only because it is the start of a new year but more so because of two other reasons: one, I'd get to do things on a clean slate and in doing so I'd be able to get my act together. And the other reason is, it's time for the Chinese Spring Film Festival again. For those who probably haven't heard of this good news, the Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies and the Ateneo Celadon have joined hands to make people become more aware of the Chinese artistry and culture through free film screenings via the annual Chinese Spring Film Festival. 

Now on its eight year, the Chinese Spring Film Festival is one of the most celebrated festivals in the Chinoy (Chinese-Filipino) community. I'm also happy to note that they have extended their audience reach this year as the 8 Chinese films of the Chinese Spring Festival will now be shown simultaneously in different areas such as in Cebu, Davao, Naga, Dagupan and Baguio apart from Metro Manila.  

I came across the Spring Film festival by accident. I went to Shangri-La mall because I came to see a friend who lived nearby and decided to check out the latest items at a specialty store I used to frequent a lot. I passed by the queue at the cineplex and asked around what the line was all about. And that's how I came to know about the Spring film festival. I remember it was through the past Chinese Spring Film Festival that I was able to discover Jet Li (yes, the popular Chinese action star) essaying a father role in a poignant film about autism. It was refreshing to see Jet Li in a drama scene, far from the usual action movies he's known for. Then, last year, I've watched another family-oriented featured film about a father who does everything to please his only daughter and tried his best to save his marriage. He even went to try the extremes just so he could give his daughter a grand piano. I could still vividly recall how heartwarming the storyline was--it really tugs at your heart, hitting your soft spot yet I recall coming out of the Shangri-La Cineplex with a smile as it also had funny moments that made me laugh out loud. 

If you haven't tried seeing Chinese Spring Film Festival movies, I'm telling you, you're missing out on a whole lot of fun stuff. I can assure you that you will enjoy all the films regardless of their genre even if you don't understand a single word in Chinese. no worries though, they have English subtitles so it's easy for you to understand them. Here's the Best Part: It's FREE and open to the public. You just have to show up at the cinema counter at least an hour before the actual screening time to get tickets as slots are limited per screening. It's on a first cone, first served basis. 

Save the date folks, mark your calendars. The 8th Chinese Spring Festival will be held from January 24 - February 2, 2014 at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall Cineplex in Mandaluyong City as well as in other venues. 

 For this year, here are the following movie and their Synopsis:

Snowfall in Taipei

May, a singer from mainland China, suddenly lost her voice and had conflicts with Ah Lei, her producer and secret lover. In anger, she came to Old Town of Jingtong where she met Xiao Mo, a warmhearted man. Xiao Mo helped May find a dwelling place, and introduced her to work at a local restaurant. Thanks to their constant contacts, they made a good impression with each other. May found happiness and consolation from the old streets of the small town, and her voice was getting better and better. However, May had left her heart at another place. Gradually, Xiao Mo understood that when one deliberately disappears, one wants to be looked for by others. Along with a sudden appearance of Jack, a muckraking journalist, the situation began to develop towards the uncontrolled direction.  

City Monkey

He Zhipeng is a senior student in high school who lives in a big old Beijing hutong yard with his mother and grandmother. He loves parkour, an extremely dangerous sport in most people’s eyes. With his good psychology and physique, he becomes the star player of “City Monkey” parkour club. But his mother strongly disapproves it and hopes he could focus only on his entrance exams to university. Clashes of different concepts, rebellion of the youth, and persistence to the ideal are unavoidable problems for them. What would the two generations do?

Aftershock Tangshan, 1976. 

Two seven-year-old twin children are buried under the rubble of the devastating earthquake. The rescue team explains to their mother, Li Yuanni that freeing either child will almost certainly result in the death of the other. She is forced to make the most difficult decision of her life and must choose between her children. Li Yuanni has no idea that her decision is overheard by her daughter Fang Deng, the female twin. Although she has been left behind as dead, the little girl miraculously survives for several more days before being pulled clear by another rescue team who believe that she is simply a corpse. She wakes up in the pouring rain next to the dead body of her father. Suffering from the emotional shocks of the disaster and the painful memory of her mother's choice, Fang Deng refuses to reveal her identity. She is adopted by a middle-aged Chinese couple and years later moves to Canada to marry. Shadowed by the traumatic experiences of the earthquake and devastated by her mother's decision to abandon her, she continues to be emotionally withdrawn throughout her adult years.

Where is My Home

Mrs. Geng is a simple village mother who raised two children on her own. Her son made his way to the city and offers to have her come live with him and his family. Despite the improved material conditions of the city, Mrs. Geng cannot help feeling isolated and lonely. It takes some time for her children to understand how she feels, and they rebuild their family’s affection.

The Go-King and his Son

Liu Yishou, an amateur Go player, is called by his friends “the king of Go”. Liu Yishou has been laid off quite a long time ago and now, with no other skills to make a living, teaches Go in a humble training course for children. Life has been hard, and his wife has decided to divorce him. His young son, Xiaochuan, has chosen to stay with him through his difficulties. On an unexpected occasion, Xiaochuan displayed an amazing talent for Go, and his father vowed to support him to further develop his gift for the game. They confronted challenges, but with courage, persistence and profound love between father and son, they eventually arrived at the destination towards which they were heading.

1911 Revolution

As the country enters the new century, China is facing a crisis. Two warring factions have emerged, starvation amongst the citizens is rampant and political reforms have made matters worse. The seven year old Emperor and his mother, Empress Dowager Longyu (Joan Chen), are out of sync with people’s needs after 250 years of total power.  As Huang Xing (Jackie Chan) arrives from his studies on modern warfare in Japan, he finds himself picking up his sword to lead a rebellion against the powerful Qing Dynasty and the New Army.

Let’s Fall in Love

Tan Momo, who showed his natural gift in music in his childhood, entered the Conservatory of Music to learn to play Guqin (seven-stringed plucked instrument) smoothly. His teacher placed great hopes on him and his girlfriend Xia Fei had the greatest esteem for him. Upon their graduation, Momo, Xia Fei and other young people who cherished dreams finally walked out of the campus and began to experience the ups and downs in real life. While in front of conflicts between their ideals and family relation, love and morality, what would they choose…

Li Mi Conjecture

Due to the intervention of her parents, taxi driver girl Li Mi had to break up with her long-term boyfriend, Fang Wen, who had disappeared from her life yet seemed to remain connected. For four years, Li Mi had continued to search for his whereabouts in a constant tug-of-war between hope and despair. An eerie murder was witnessed, leading her to a man nearly identical to her missing lover. Could he be the one she has been looking for? Her life suddenly changes. Then come terrible yet pitiful drug dealers, and irascible but highly duteous police detectives…Behind the cascades of mysteries, compromises lie still between those who were once in love.

So, come one, come all! They say the BEST things in life are FREE, and what better way to start your year right than to watch quality Chinese films for free at the 8th Chinese Spring Film Festival. Go ahead and take your pick among the featured films this year as well as their screening dates and enjoy. See you at the cinema! 

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are my own. 

Green Apple Dental Group and MRC Clinic Offers Myobrace: Painless and Affordable Way to Align Crooked Teeth

I remember having crooked teeth or better known as sungki when I was young. I've worn braces for almost five years from the time I was fifteen and in junior high up until my college years. Of course, at the time, I thought that was cool as I didn't know any better--so I didn't really mind wearing braces because they were sort of a "status symbol" back then. But what most people don't know were the difficulties one has to endure if you wear one. The truth behind wearing braces was that it's a totally painful experience and it was so uncomfortable + there were certain foods you're not allowed to eat (like corn on a cob, crackling pork rind or chicharon), plus the fact that the whole world seemed to  know what you've just eaten if you don't brush your teeth right away. Braces will make you prone to canker sores often among many other conditions. And the worst part of it all, braces tend to relapse after a period of time. In my case, a few years after my braces were off, it was only then that my impacted wisdom tooth sprouted which would even require for a dental surgery to be extracted. My braces cost my Mom a fortune in its maintenance yet it made my teeth problem even worse. How I wish I met Dr. Gamaliel Urbi earlier. A most sought-after orthodontist, he's the pioneer of Myobraces in the Philippines and owns the Green Apple Dental Group and MRC Clinics in the country.

Myofunctional Research Clinic or MRC Clinics is an Australian based dental concept technology that introduces an innovative and holistic way of improving the dental and facial development of growing children aged 5 to 15 years old. Dr. Gamaliel Urbi is a franchiser of MRC Clinic in the country and he is also the official lecturer in Asia. A first in the Philippines, MRC Clinic and Green Apple Dental opened its doors to the public in 2009. As of this time, it has four branches throughout the country--all located in different Ayala Malls--in Cebu, Davao, and TriNoMa mall. 

 Dr. Gamaliel Urbi and his expertise on Myobraces and MRC Clinic had also been featured in top health-related television and radio programs such as ABS-CBN's Salamat Doc and Cory Quirino's show. "I'm a maverick," says Dr. Urbi. "I'd like to do more for my patients so I researched around the world to learn more. We at Myofunctional Research Clinic and Green Apple Dental Group practice holistic, interceptive and preventive dentistry. We treat each patient with symmetry by addressing the root cause, focusing on the main history like abnormal swallowing, mouth breathing, thumb-sucking, tongue thrusting, etc. We educate what's proper and what's not normal," relates Dr. Urbi. 

Myobraces are customized trainers for each arch type. Compared to the traditional braces, myobraces aligns crooked teeth without the need for wired braces and it's also painless and more affordable. With myobrace, since it's based on the treatment of the root cause of the problem, it does not have a relapse. In fact, based on a research, 3 out of 4 children develops poor facial development and crooked teeth because of bad habits like reverse breathing, thumb sucking and mouth breathing. Even babies teeth can greatly benefit from myobrace even before their first tooth comes out. According to Dr. Urbi, "Instead of using rubber pacifier, it's best to use a myobrace to create wider arches as it trains the baby to develop nose breathing instead of mouth breathing which the typical pacifier does. Mouth breathing creates an overbite and later on crooked teeth." 

Oh, and did I mention the coolest thing about wearing a myobrace? Although myobrace should be worn everyday, myobraces are worn only at home. Yes, it could be worn during study time, while watching your favorite TV show, playing games and overnight while sleeping. How's that? Nobody even knows you're aligning your teeth properly because there's no need to wear traditional wired braces. This means you won't get teased for your "sampayan teeth" like me. You won't be looking like some kind of geek either because they won't be seeing you with braces. It saves you from all the stares and bullies at school and you won't be rejected at go-sees or VTR auditions because there isn't a proof anymore that you're on the treatment of aligning your teeth with myobrace. 

People may not know it but proper breathing had a lot to do with one's good health. Dr. Urbi says, "We at MRC Clinic and Green Apple Dental Group teaches Buteyko Method, a safe, effective and drug-free breathing reconditioning program with our patients. What most parents don't know is that when a child breathes through mouth, he or she gets all the pollution and bacteria in the air that he breathes and it all goes directly to his lungs which makes him more susceptible to certain illnesses. When we breathe the proper way, through the nose, our nose has natural filters--the child becomes healthier and with better looking face and straighter teeth."

Developed over 50 years ago by Russian respiratory specialist Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, the method also provides long-term benefits to people with asthma, emphysema, diabetes, migraine, bronchitis, digestive disorders, hypertension and immune and hormonal disorders. "Parents would come up to me and thank me because not only were their kids became healthier and better looking but also because they've all gained confidence," Dr. Urbi said. 

Dr. Urbi says, there are three ways to get a good set of teeth:

1. Nutrition--Sometimes we tend to overlook the most important ones. Modern day human diet includes all white sugar, carbs and white flour. It depresses the body and creates abnormality. Instead, eat fiber rich nutritious food and as much as possible avoid the bad ones.

2. Breastfeeding--As compared to bottle-feeding that creates abnormal swallowing habits and abnormality in breathing, breastfeeding is all-natural and perfect. It makes both the baby and the mother healthier. 

3. Avoid mouth breathing. 

You see, if I could really turn back the time, I wish I had met Dr. Gamaliel Urbi as a teenager. If I did, I knew I never had to go through all those painful wired braces and suffer from impacted wisdom tooth. To conclude this article, I prefer not to say much to prove how effective myobrace and MRC Clinic and Green Apple Dental Group treatment was, just check out the huge differences in the pictures of before and after treatments of the patients' above--and you'll know it's worth your every peso. 

To learn more about myobraces and other MRC Clinic and Green Apple Dental Group services, please feel free to visit them and check them out at the 2nd floor, TriNoMa mall (near Seattle's Best Coffee), North EDSA, Quezon City

Green Apple Dental Clinic and MRC Clinics offer a free consultation and myobrace assessment. Call them at 494-2248/ 901-0506 or their mobile 0916-5935669

For those in Cebu, you may visit Green Apple Dental Group and MRC Clinic at the Stall G114, Wellness Area, Garden Level, The Terraces, Ayala Mall, Cebu City

Visit their websites at www.nobraces-ph.com or www.zerobraces.com

Email them at mrcclinicphils@yahoo.com

Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GreenAppleDental/MRCClinic

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Special thanks to Dr. Gamaliel Urbi, MRC Clinic, Green Apple Dental Group and Ms. Ma. Leonila Garcia.