Three Extraordinary Women, One Extraordinary Moisturizer - Physiogel

One of the side effects of having cancer is the drying up of skin. I was told this during the time hubby was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo oral chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Radiation, in particular, was what tended to have an immediate drying effect on his skin. Our doctors told us that this would happen specifically in some areas of the body like the extremities and in the area that is irradiated.

But Physiogel, a leading dermatologist-prescribed moisturizer from GlaxoSmithKline, is what three extraordinary women turned to when they were going through their cancer journey. One of these beautiful survivors is a SoMoms friend of mine, Patty B. Balquiedra, 44 years of age, a mommy blogger, online entrepreneur and a loving mom of 2 beautiful girls. Two other cancer survivors also used Physiogel. One is Alya B. Honasan, a veteran editor and writer for newspapers, magazines and books, a certified Iyengar yoga teacher, avid scuba diver, occasional theater actress and doting mom to her dog Kikay. The other is Michee Cadhit, head of customer service and international relations department of The Medical City, a mother of three.

(L-R) Patty Balquiedra, Michee Cadhit, Alya Honasan

Each one had her own extraordinary story.

It's not too late to catch this season's Starbucks beverages and desserts!

I just realized that I only have till November 1, 2013 to catch this season's beverages!

BEVERAGES (till Nov. 1, 2013)

Ristretto Bianco

Ristretto Blanco (Tall-PhP 145; Grande-PhP 160; Venti-PhP 170)

Ristretto Blanco is new in the espresso line-up. It's a rich, smooth and velvety beverage. Ristretto shots are created by forcing less water through the coffee. This results in a fuller-bodied shot with a deep coffee flavor. Steamed whole milk creates the foam and it is poured in such a way that it ends with that white dot finish you see. 

Salted Caramel Mocha (Tall-PhP 150; Grande-PhP 165; Venti-PhP 175)

From salted caramel ice cream to salted caramel-flavored milk tea and now to Starbucks' Salted Caramel Mocha, one enjoys this unique blend of sweet and salty. This concoction is made from a creamy mix of espresso with velvety steamed milk, blended with mocha sauce and toffee nut flavored syrup. It's finished off with a topping of whipped cream, buttery caramel sauce, and a mixture of turbinado sugar as well as smoked sea salt. This description is enough for me to want to go out and get one. I just might do that in the coming days.

Why I Don't Leave Home Without my BDO Rewards Card

If you had a chance to peek into the contents of my wallet (don't bother to count the money because I don't put much in there), you'll see all sorts of plastic cards. I have a credit card, grocery membership cards, a bookstore discount card, a drugstore loyalty card, cafe loyalty cards and ID cards. They are nice to have handy but there is one more card I won't leave home without - my BDO Rewards card.

Look! I've been a BDO Rewards cardholder since June 2007!!! When I was asked to share about BDO Rewards, it really was no problem because I have been using it already for years.

My own BDO Rewards card (serial numbers erased for security)

I actually started out with an SM Advantage Card but switched to BDO Rewards. Both earn reward points but if you're a Banco de Oro depositor like I am, the BDO Rewards card is actually the better option because you can rack up more points. I'll tell you why.

24/7 Banking Convenience with BPI

Online banking has really brought so much convenience to depositors these days.

I remember what it was like in the 80s. If you walked into a bank's branch, the first thing you'd notice is that the area allocated to backroom operations was so much larger than the area for its depositors. Signature cards were contained in several, long metal file containers; deposit slips were filled out in duplicate or triplicate and different types of checks (on us, local, regional, out of town checks) would require different, color-coded deposit slips; and perhaps the biggest inconvenience was that you could only transact from Monday to Friday and oftentimes, only till 3:30 pm. Clearly, banking processes then were designed more for the banking institutions rather than for the depositing public.

Fast forward to today and we see all banks having some kind of online presence. But even then, not all banks are the same. More banks are better at bringing greater convenience to its depositors than others. In my personal experience, having banked with several banks over my lifetime, BPI's 24/7 online banking channels are among the best, if not the best.

A Spa-rty with SoMoms at The Nail Room Libis

ME time is special because that is the time I get to myself. On those days, I treasure a trip to a nearby salon or spa for my mani-pedi or a hair trim. But what could be better than having a spa-rty session with my SoMoms friends upon the invitation of Janine Go and Jay Tiu of The Nail Room at Libis!

It is located right beside Nuat Thai Libis (owned also by Janine and Jay). Two years ago, some of my mommy friends and I spent a wonderful afternoon having foot and body massage treatments at Nuat Thai.

Read about my Nuat Thai Libis experience here.

A delightful food spread met us as we opened the door - a truly gastronomic delight because I thought we'd just have simple food and drinks.

Only the best brands of nail polish are used at The Nail Room. I specifically noticed that they had Chanel and Orly, popular nail polish brands that not only harden fast but also leave an evenly coated look and last longer on the nails without chipping.

Travel More with BPI's Get Out More 2 promo

Be bitten by the travel and cultural bug! BPI will reward lucky clients who avail of its 24/7 Banking Channels (BPI Express Online, BPI Express Mobile, and BPI Express Phone) with dream vacations. You can be one of them.

Last year, BPI’s Get Out More promo gave away 7 all-expense paid trips for four to local tourist spots: Bohol, Davao, Boracay, Cebu, Legazpi, Iloilo, and Puerto Princesa. BPI 24/7 Banking gives you the chance to get farther away from your home, your city or your province. This year, the Get Out More 2 promo is even bigger because the lucky winners will be going Asian!

Up for grabs this time will be exciting places both here and abroad: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur (KL), and Boracay. Every winner also gets pocket money worth PhP 24,700. If you’ve been dreaming of traveling and seeing the world, you now have the chance to cross that off your bucket list.

And why not? Aside from seeing our own beautiful Philippines, visiting our Asian neighbors lets us see the cultural diversity and beauty of nature and tourist attractions of our neighbors. I’ve visited at least half of the places covered by the promo and I certainly won’t mind visiting the remaining places (if I win, cross my fingers).

Marvel at the cosmopolitan air of Shanghai with its ultramodern architecture mixed in with traditional Chinese sights; eat your way around Hong Kong’s popular food spots and shop till you drop; visit the centuries-old Korean palaces dotting Seoul’s metro and maybe sneak in a visit to KPop sites; enjoy the hospitality of Kuala Lumpur and its rich cultural mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian races; and bask in the sun at our very own Boracay, world known for its white sand beaches and clear waters.

Watch this short, exciting video and see where and what you can do in these places.




It’s really very easy to earn raffle entries. From August 1 to November 30, 2013, all new and existing BPI, BPI Family Savings Bank and BPI Direct Accountholders who use the services of BPI 24/7 Banking are qualified to earn raffle entries. Just pay your bills (utility bills, telco bills, and other kinds of bills) using any of the 24/7 banking channels of BPI and you automatically earn raffle entries. Each payment must be at least P50 and above and must have a unique reference/account number within that month.

For Boracay, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai, BPI will pick one (1) winner for each place who will get a free trip for two which includes roundtrip airfare, accommodations and pocket money. For Hong Kong, three (3) winners will be chosen, each one getting also a free trip for two (roundtrip airfare, accommodations and pocket money).

For more details on promo mechanics, click HERE.
To enroll in BPI Express Online, click HERE.

BPI Team behind Get Out More 2