BlogMas

It's 20 days left until Christmas...who's excited? The weather is starting to get chilly especially early in the morning. Everybody wants a white Christmas but for a tropical country like the Philippines, I think we're all set when the weather feels like it's going to snow as long as there's no rain.

I'm still not done with my Christmas shopping but I'm hoping that I will be asap before the holiday rush because I hate last minute stuff and I'm crossing my fingers that it won't happen, lol, but we'll see. 

I've been quite busy these past few months because I'm running my own online business plus two of our beloved pets were rushed to the hospital just few weeks apart. My sister and I brought our ginger cat to the vet because he had a "cat fight" and had his left hand and right foot severely damaged it was all stiched up and was on meds thank God he's fully recovered. Just when we thought that we have nothing more to worry about, our German Shepherd dog caught some sort of bacterial infection he was starting to get dehydrated so we rushed him to the vet clinic and was confined overnight. Our GSD is still on medication we're hoping that his follow-up check-up next week will turn out okay, it will depend on the result of his CBC (complete blood count). Having pets are like having extra family members and getting sick is not easy because it's costly but hey they are family and they also need a lot of TLC  (tender, loving, care). We've lost two dogs early this year and we cannot afford to lose another that is why we make sure to take them to the vet as early as possible when we feel like they need proper care. 

I guess that's it for now. Happy holidays wherever you are!

Happy holidays!

It's 68 days more to go till Christmas. My sister and I are done decorating for the holidays as early as September would you believe it? Nope, we're not that excited, lol. Our holiday theme this year consists of black, white and gold accents, we'd like a rustic Christmas for a change. We recycle our Christmas decors every year because buying new ones is not the most practical thing to do so I just buy a large can of spray paint and change the color of our Christmas balls and wreath as well. DIY-ing stuff is always a fun activity for me, it also gets my creative juices flowing. I thought about selling our old decors and just buy new ones but then again, why buy when you can simply DIY? 

Our rustic holiday table setting

Spray-painted our Christmas balls from last year
from silver and blue to black

These are all empty boxes for now.
For decorative purposes only

I put together this centerpiece for our living room
table

Our Halloween/Christmas wreath, lol.

While unpacking bale of clothes for my online shop, I also found real cute Christmas socks I thought what a coincidence because we really need them. My sibs and I really enjoy coming up with different Christmas motif each year, because why not? Christmas is not just the usual red, white and green but all the wonderful colors that brings about the holiday cheers right? 

Frosty the Snowman

Holly Jolly Christmas socks

My Rainy Day Survival Tips

Rainy days are here again and it's here to stay. With class suspensions here and there due to inclement weather plus a lot of experimenting going on to alleviate traffic, we must be ready to brave anything or everything, pretty much. If you're a commuter, imagine the hassle of having to go to school despite the bad weather just to learn that after a few hours classes will be suspended. It would be totally chaotic also for those who go to work because they have to go through the same hell over again just to get home. So what's the solution for all these? "Patience" and I mean lots of it. I use to be a commuter myself (I work from home now) so I know how it feels to get stuck in the middle of traffic, get stranded and all. Well, you just really have to find a way to calm yourself amidst it all or stress yourself which does not solve anything, to be honest. 

Let me share three (3) rainy day survival tips especially when you get stuck in traffic. As we all know when it pours, expect heavy traffic anywhere in the Philippines.

1. Rain gear 

What better way to protect yourself but to wear rain gear? A raincoat will not just prevent you from getting soaked, it will also protect your bag and everything inside it. Make sure to wear rain boots as well for health reasons. You wouldn't want your feet soaked in dirty waters you might catch athlete's foot or even worse leptospirosis and other communicable diseases. 

All geared up for the rainy days

Waterproof backpack

Rainy days call for extra space in your bag but I assure you it would be worth it. A waterproof bag is ideal but if you don't have one, then that's no problem at all because you can always wear a raincoat to cover it or you can use any plastic. If you're not comfortable wearing rain gears then you can always bring an umbrella. In my experience, a single fold umbrella is more reliable since it's more resistant to strong winds because it does not flip easily compared to the three-fold ones. But if you tend to be forgetful like me, I suggest carrying an umbrella that you can easily tuck inside your bag just make sure to cover it with plastic so everything inside your bag will not get wet. I do this all the time because I do not want to leave my umbrella in the umbrella rack at my workplace as I get paranoid it might get lost. I would rather have my umbrella inside my bag in the locker so I can have peace of mind. Let's just say that my stuff has sentimental value to me.

The classic big umbrella

Three folds umbrella

2. First Aid Kit 

First aid kit is not limited to medicines, water, and light snacks alone but extra clothing (including undergarments), towels and hygiene kit as well. Make sure to waterproof them properly because there is no point in bringing all the extra stuff if it will be soaked too. You can put all your important belongings including your gadgets and power bank in ziplock bags or any other waterproof case if you're trying to reduce plastic usage to help save mother earth. Make sure to charge your phone, power bank, and other gadgets for emergency purposes. Your first aid kit is not just a lifesaver during rainy days but also in case of other natural calamities.

First Aid Kit

Hygiene kit

Bring extra clothes in case you get wet

3.  Chill

Do not leave home without saving tons of your favorite music, TV shows or movies on your phone or tablet. This not only relieves stress but helps kill time as well. Time flies when you're pre-occupied as long as you have a power bank to back you up when you run low on is battery, then you're good to go. When you're stuck in traffic you can still try to be as productive as you can. You can listen to relaxing music or stream movies from your phone/tablet, eat, hydrate yourself or even get a nap because when traffic hits you hard you can't really fight sleepiness. I'm not really comfortable sleeping inside public vehicles but there are times that I really cannot control myself especially when I'm very tired. Our body needs time to recover from a long day but make sure to wake up when somebody needs to alight to avoid annoying other passengers.

Stream

A power bank should always come handy

Eat

Get a nap

Just remember to always expect the unexpected and it's better to be safe than sorry. Make sure to keep R.F.C. in mind: Rain Gear, First Aid Kit and to Chill, be optimistic because everything will pass, just like the rain.

What’s Up With Faceapp?

FaceApp is a mobile application for iOS and Android developed by Russian company Wireless Lab which uses artificial intelligence to generate highly realistic transformations of faces in photographs. The app can transform a face to make it smile, look younger, look older, or change gender (source: Wikipedia).

Faceapp has become very popular on social media because of its cool filters. Everyone, even celebrities, went gaga over this app. How it works is, you simply have to download the app for free. It is available for download to both Android and iOS users. It’s pretty straightforward and not complicated at all. You can either take a selfie or upload a picture from your mobile phone and voila! You can start playing with different filters already, simple as that. Everyone seems to enjoy Faceapp until recently, privacy issues started surfacing the Internet. 

According to news, Faceapp might have unauthorized access to users personal camera roll or that photos were being stored in the cloud and then transferred to Russian servers, where they could be accessed by Russian state security agencies. People on the Internet began to panic that Russians might be able to share any user data they wanted. Another issue raised by FaceApp users was that the iOS app appears to be overriding settings if a user had denied access to their camera roll, after people reported they could still select and upload a photo even if, for instance, the app not having permission to access their photos.

FaceApp added that they “might” store the photo users have chosen to upload in the cloud for a short period, claiming this is done for “performance and traffic” — such as to make sure that a user doesn’t repeatedly upload the same photo to carry out another edit. Furthermore, Faceapp mentioned that “most images” are deleted from their servers within 48 hours from the upload date. It also claims no user data is “transferred to Russia”, even though its R&D team is based there. According to Faceapp founder Yaroslav Goncharov that: “We don’t sell or share any user data with any third parties.”

So how do users delete their data? If you are worried and would like to completely get rid of all your photos on FaceApp, the only way to do it is by sending delete requests via the mobile app using “Settings-Support-Report a bug” with the word “privacy” in the subject line. 

Just recently, Faceapp releases a statement for its users’ peace of mind. Here it is in full:

We are receiving a lot of inquiries regarding our privacy policy and therefore, would like to provide a few points that explain the basics:

1. FaceApp performs most of the photo processing in the cloud. We only upload a photo selected by a user for editing. We never transfer any other images from the phone to the cloud.

2. We might store an uploaded photo in the cloud. The main reason for that is performance and traffic: we want to make sure that the user doesn’t upload the photo repeatedly for every edit operation. Most images are deleted from our servers within 48 hours from the upload date.

3. We accept requests from users for removing all their data from our servers. Our support team is currently overloaded, but these requests have our priority. For the fastest processing, we recommend sending the requests from the FaceApp mobile app using “Settings-Support-Report a bug” with the word “privacy” in the subject line. We are working on the better UI for that.

4. All FaceApp features are available without logging in, and you can log in only from the settings screen. As a result, 99% of users don’t log in; therefore, we don’t have access to any data that could identify a person.

5. We don’t sell or share any user data with any third parties.

6. Even though the core R&D team is located in Russia, the user data is not transferred to Russia.

Inclement Weather + Online Shopping

Here comes the rain again. I'm no girl scout but due to the inclement weather, I never leave the house without my rain gear. Rainy day sucks for the most part but what can you do when you live in a country where the only seasons available are wet and dry, plus blame the rest of it on climate change. My cat has been sleeping a lot lately so I can tell that it's cuddle season once again. 

Rain, rain, go away...

Bed weather for Atari cat

Rainy season comes with a lot of delay in terms of parcel deliveries, thank God I got all my packages already. I used to shop on eBay a lot but it takes a month or two before my parcel arrives because majority of the shops are virtually located abroad so I opted for something local although these days I heard that even orders coming from overseas no longer take forever to arrive in the mail but still, I prefer to shop from local sellers just to be sure in case a problem arises. I would like to be able to talk to someone I can understand. I thought I will stay with eBay for the rest of my life until I discovered Shopee maybe three or four years ago (this is not sponsored btw). I am so far still satisfied with their service because I am able to receive my packages in less than a week. Of course, I had my share of order problems in the past but it's nothing major and was resolved in no time. I still enjoy online shopping for over a decade now I guess because I am vigilant enough to know if a seller can be trusted or not. I suggest checking buyer feedback on items that you are looking to purchase first to make sure that it's legit and always opt for online sellers with high ratings and good reviews. It's better to be safe than sorry.

My Shopee haul (L-R): Macbook Air 11 case, 16cm Studio Ring Light & my cute Cat Coffee Teaspoon

Not All That Glitter Is Gold

I love anything that shimmers from makeup to nail polish, but it never occurred to me where that shine actually comes from until after watching The Dark Secret Behind Your Favorite Makeup Products, a documentary that exposes child labor on Mica Mining, the dark side of beauty is that, not all that glitter is gold. 

So what exactly is Mica? It is a naturally occurring mineral dust often found in foundations, as filler in cement and asphalt and as insulation material in electric cables. Mica is pretty much everywhere, so to speak, it is used in construction materials that require the use of protective gear and masks when exposed, as prolonged exposure may cause lung scarring. Mica can be found in Russia, China, Finland, U.S., and Canada but India is the largest producer of this mineral. 

Mica is mined by children as early as four or five years old because their hands are small enough to fit into the tight crevices where it is commonly found. Imagine the children in remote villages of Jharkhand and Bihar who risk their lives every single day going inside dangerous caves without protection because there is no vital means of livelihood in the area. Children have died in collapsed mines but those who survived still kept coming back because they are left with no choice to sustain their lives. According to Responsible Mica Initiative that about 25% of the world production of mica comes from illegal collection in North-East India where more than 20,000 children are working in extremely harsh conditions to support their family (source: https://www.responsible-mica-initiative.com/the-mica-issue.html). Mica being linked to child labor is known to the cosmetic industry but laxity is the problem that is why even vegan makeup brands have no guarantees that it is cruelty-free for children. There are makeup brands, however, that are working towards ethically sourced mica such as Sephora Collection, Revlon, Estee Lauder Companies (which includes Bobbi Brown, Becca, Smashbox, Tom Ford Beauty, Clinique and Too Faced), L'Oreal Companies (such as Urban Decay, Maybelline, Essie and NYX) just to name a few (link to source here).

The mica miners of India

As a vegan, it hit hard me that supporting cruelty-free brands is NOT enough. Yes, animals are the most abused living beings on this planet but it does not mean that humans especially children do not experience cruelty as well. The ugly truth about the beauty industry is child labor. Slavery is very rampant not just in the beauty industry but pretty much in every industry and the only way to make it stop is to discontinue support for brands that continue to enslave and take advantage of helpless human beings just for profit. 

A little bit of compassion goes a long way so please, take child labor out of your cosmetics. 

Back to School + Positive Reinforcement on Animals

It’s Back to School 

It's back to school season again. June is the start of a new academic school year for most schools in the Philippines, but not yet for my niece who's an incoming grade six student because the start of classes is not until August. It was just like yesterday when she’s in grade three, time flies really. It’s only three more weeks until the new school year begins. She’s pretty much ready for school, she’s got new set of books, uniforms and we’re also done shopping for school supplies. I guess what I'm excited about is that she will get to see her old friends again and hopefully meet new ones. 

I thought the main reason for moving the start of the school year from June to August is just because it's the start of the rainy season in the country, but also to align it with the international academic calendar. According to sources, the Philippines and Thailand are the only countries that start their classes in June. To be honest, I did not notice a huge difference at all because the rainy season does not end in June, it's pretty much until the end of the year actually so there's still a lot of typhoons and class suspensions. 

Positive Reinforcement on Dogs

I’ve also been training our pets basic tricks for four years now. Jagger, our three-year-old German Shepherd just recently learned to catch food. I’m no pro when it comes to training animals but I believe that it is necessary for them to at least learn basic tricks like sit, stay, lay down, etc. Animals are more disciplined when they are taught basic tricks at an early age and they also learn to become patient and tolerant. Positive reinforcement on dogs and other animals works like a charm. We have three dogs and a cat in our household and I’m proud to say that all of them knows a trick or two. Animals will do anything for food so I make sure to reward them for a job well done. No matter how challenging it is to train pets, it’s always a rewarding feeling to see them learn something new. 

Positive reinforcement means adding something immediately 
after a behavior occurs that makes the frequency of the behavior go up.

First of JULY

Image courtesy of Rappler

Hello July, Goodbye June. It's the beginning of more rainy days to come, weather we like it or not.


Just a little bit of introduction and some interesting facts about July. The month of July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of the seven months with the length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honor of the Roman general, Julius Caesar, it being the month of his birth (source: popculturemadness.com). The middle day of the year is also the month of July, as far as theory goes. For non-leap years, the third of July happens to be the mid-point of any given year. Far more interesting is that it is the month known for the highest number of US Presidents' death. Ruby is regarded as the lucky birthstone for July, according to some beliefs that a gorgeous fine Red Ruby stone brings luck to the wearer (source: www.speakingtree.in). 

I'm not really a fan of the rainy season especially if I am running out of clothes to wear because they don't dry up anymore. On the contrary, however, there are reasons to feel optimistic on a rainy day. Rainy day bring us closer to our families,  it also has a multitude of benefits to the earth including watering wild plants and crops, humidifying the air, etc.


I don't really have expectations each month but just the same, I hope that July will bring about new adventures and excitement. New month new goals.  

Bring it on July, surprise me!

Vegan for Life

Today marks my first year as a Vegan. Growing up I never fail to eat my vegetables because of all its health benefits. My mom was a pescatarian and sometimes a flexitarian. She was my inspiration to eat healthily and avoid meat as much as possible. When I was a child she would always tell me and my siblings to refrain from eating junk food, processed food including meat as it is carcinogenic (cancerous). I guess she was right all along because if I only paid more attention to my diet when I was young, then I wouldn’t have lost my gallbladder at the age of 34. 

As I grew older I realize that it is “payback time,” indeed. My diet changed drastically after my laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) operation. I decided to cut down on eating pork and went for chicken meat instead and the reason being was, it is easier to digest. Losing a gallbladder may not sound like too big of a deal since it is not a major organ, but I guess I was wrong. I experienced heartburn whenever I eat something even with very little fat content in it. I felt bloated and once in a while had constipation issues. So I increased my fiber intake, I even switched from white to brown or red rice. In spite of it all, I still feel like there is something wrong with how I live my life. It did not occur to me however, that one day I will make the switch to veganism. 

Vegetarian vs Vegan Diet: What is the difference? 

Most people confuse vegetarian and vegan diets to be the same. According to healthline.com, Vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, game, fish, and shellfish. Certain types of vegetarians also exclude eggs, dairy or other animal by-products. A Vegan diet, on the other hand, can be viewed as the strictest form of vegetarianism. Veganism is currently defined by the Vegan Society as a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty as much as possible.

Why the switch? 

I became vegan primarily for ethical reasons as well as to live a healthier lifestyle. At first, I was a little concerned because I am not sure if I’m ready to give up eating meat yet, but all my worries were finally put to rest after reading informative articles and watching Netflix documentaries’ “What the Health” and “Cowspiracy.” There’s a lot of documentaries that tackle how switching to a plant-based diet is beneficial to health and the environment but these two definitely got stuck in my head. 

For the love of animals

“I love animals,” I hear this a lot from pet owners including myself before becoming a vegan. We feed and rescue helpless animals, we even open our homes to neglected ones to give them another chance in life. But I still don’t think it’s fair. If we love animals, we have to love them equally not just the ones we share our homes with. Animals are friends,  not food. They feel pain, physically or emotionally just like humans do. We’re not God, so taking the life that is gifted to them is not our decision to make. 

On helping the environment

According to independent.co.uk, study finds that veganism is “the single biggest way” to reduce our environmental impact on the planet. 

Avoiding meat and dairy could reduce the carbon footprint from food by nearly three-quarter. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73%. 

Health effects of vegan diets

For many vegans, nutritional choices center around taking better care of the earth’s resources and the environment, ethical issues about animal care, the use of antibiotics and growth stimulants for the production of animals, the threat of animal-borne diseases, and the health advantages of a plant-based diet. In addition, the potential of allergies from dairy products and lactose intolerance have fueled the popularity of soy-based dairy substitutes.

Vegan diets are usually higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, iron, and phytochemicals, and they tend to be lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol, long-chain n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B-12. In general, vegetarians typically enjoy a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers (source: acedemic.oup.com).

I developed an allergic reaction to poultry products particularly eggs and chicken, as well as seafood like shrimp and crab when I was a kid. I thought I have to deal with it for the rest of my life. I think that is why transitioning to a vegan diet is a piece of cake for me because I don’t have to deal with avoiding certain kinds of food anymore. 

Veganism is here to stay

Becoming vegan is not just a diet, it is a lifestyle. It’s a choice I made because my body is not a graveyard. And no it is definitely not just a phase, like what most people thought. It’s not something that will pass and soon enough I will go back to eating meat again. Education is the key to fully understand what veganism is all about. It is not enforced so please, don’t criticize vegans and disrespect just because you are not, to each his/her own. 

One thing is for sure ... once a VEGAN will always be a vegan, FOR LIFE.

D.I.Y. Notebook & Reusable Cloth Pads

D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) Notebook

If you are into recycling and d.i.y. stuff, you know for sure that there are many ways to save money while being creative at the same time. Before I start a project, I make sure to find inspiration first. I usually pick ideas from Pinterest. 

The idea of making a d.i.y. notebook came to mind while I was putting away my niece's old books (we have donated all the books, btw) and notebooks, I noticed that there are many unused pages so I thought why not recycle instead of throwing them away? When I saw a denim covered notebook on Pinterest, I knew for sure that it will be my inspiration for this. I'm glad I found an old denim jacket from a pile of used clothes that we are looking to donate soon.

Look how thick it is

Cover (front)

Cover (back)

(Inside) Back

Worth recycling

Inside

I started by binding the pages together with a fastener, then I cut a piece of the denim jacket to the size of the front and back cover. I just basically hand stitched the inside so it will not come off. I also use a glue stick to attach the cloth to the paper cover of the notebook. Lastly, I added a gift wrapping paper to make the inside cover look a little bit artsier.

Reusable Cloth Pads Are Back

It is foldable just like disposable
sanitary napkins

Back in the late 80s until the early 90s, I remember using cloth pads during my period although disposable pads or sanitary napkins already exist. It was my mom’s advise not to use disposable pads all the time because it is dangerous and may cause cancer since it is made of plastic materials with chemicals in it. Disposable pads are not very absorbent or leak-proof back then. Cloth pads a.k.a. “pasador” in Tagalog, is not leak proof at all that is why it is for home use only.

The grey side is the bamboo

charcoal that provides protection 

against slippage and leaks

In my case, I use both disposable and cloth pads during my heavy flow days, unfortunately, I still often experience leaks. Only regular pads are available in the market. There is no such thing as with “wings” or “overnight pads” yet so imagine having to deal with the embarrassment (although later on, I realized that it is nothing to be ashamed of) and agony of removing sudden blood stains on your school uniform skirt while feeling helpless about the situation. My point is if you haven’t experienced any of these, consider yourself lucky.

After thorough research and experiments, disposable pads’ functionality has improved a lot over the years. Cloth pads have become a thing in the past, gone for good. Well at least that’s what I thought until a few months ago, I noticed that it is slowly making a comeback. Online shops selling washable reusable cloth pads (that’s what they call it now) are sprouting like mushrooms. Gone are the days when it is just a piece of cloth, now it comes in a variety of size and printed designs. There are regular and heavy flow or overnight pads. According to the product description that it is made from soft, breathable fabrics so it is less irritating. I thought hmm…really? How is that possible? I was apprehensive at first because I know how cloth pads work. I even checked out Youtube reviews until I was finally convinced that I have to give it a go. 

The outer covering is made of
soft and breathable material

I  bought my first cloth pads from The Vegan Grocer PH when I went grocery shopping for vegan supplies (yes, I am vegan). I got myself a heavy flow pad and panty liner (just one of each) since I am not certain yet if it is going to be worth it or not.

So how do you use it? First things first, make sure to wash the cloth before use to make sure that it is clean. Wash it using mild soap and water then let it air dry. I tried using the panty liner first and I must say that it is quite promising because it feels comfortable, it’s barely there. It moves a little because there is no adhesive but it did not bother me at all. When I finally have my period I got excited to try the heavy flow pad. In case you’re wondering why I got the heavy flow pad, it is because I am more comfortable with longer pads not because I move a lot but I just feel like I am more protected from leaks. So did it work? Yes, it did, and I am ecstatic about it.  Similar to the panty liner, it is comfortable and surprisingly absorbent. There’s no leak because of this bamboo charcoal thingy. Amazing right? It's very easy to wash but make sure to do it properly. Use mild soap, rinse (with cold or tap water but definitely not hot water) and dry. 

You can fold it like this

Final thoughts:

I think these reusable pads saves the day. I don't have to buy a pack of sanitary napkins every time I have my period so I must say that it is a good investment after all. It also changed my perception regarding cloth pads that it is not reliable. I have dealt with leak problems since I was a kid but now I am definitely switching to help reduce waste in our landfills to save mother earth. I have been vegan for almost a year now and if I can help save animals then it would not hurt to contribute to saving mother earth. Maybe I cannot save the world but always remember that whatever we do for the earth no matter how big or small, it definitely counts.

  

Thoughts on Home-Based Jobs // Donate a Book

Working from home

I've been quite busy with work lately I spend most of my day sleeping and working during wee hours of the morning. There are pros and cons of working from home of course but one thing is for sure, it is not for everyone. Let me start with (3) advantages of home-based jobs (for me), first off I like that I can work in my own phase. I can have coffee or restroom breaks anytime I want to. I have control of how I would like to make use of my time. Secondly, I don't have to deal with the hustle of commuting to and from work. If you live in a neighborhood where commuting is such a pain in the neck and it will take you forever to get a ride, then you'd rather stay home, less stress. Lastly, if you are an introvert like me, you don't have to worry about dealing with people you dislike. I would rather spend my time in front of the computer finding something to do than talk about the lives of other people, especially during idle time. It's so typical of a workplace setting really. Now for the cons, let me just reiterate that these are just base on my personal experience. I must say that home based jobs are not very stable and reliable for the most part. If you are expecting a fixed pay or get paid twice a month then, this is not for you. Most home-based jobs are good for extra income but do not expect it to be as good as full-time jobs unless of course, you are in the I.T. industry or a full-time Youtuber.  Home-based jobs, in my opinion, might work as on-the-side jobs. Also, you have to pay your government benefits voluntarily because they will not take care of it for you compared to on-site jobs wherein you just have to work, work, work and wait until you get paid. I guess what I just miss about working on-site are the paid leaves, holiday pay and HMO (medical benefits). Nevertheless, if you are willing to take the risk (like me) if you are really fed up of your daily work routine, then go for it for a change. 

Donate a Book

My niece's old books

I've been wanting to donate my niece's used schools books for the longest time. We've been keeping all her books from grade three so imagine how many bundles of books we already have since she is now an incoming grade six student. I am in dire need of disposing of her used books because it has taken so much space in our storage room when, lo and behold, my sister told me that she saw books being donated in SM Store. She asked me if I can research on how we can donate all the books that's when I learned about The SM Store's #ShareMovement: Donate-a-Book Project, which is the official umbrella campaign of the SM Store Corporate Social Responsibility chain. This joint project of The SM Store and SM Stationery will give its shoppers and customers the opportunity to share the joy of reading by donating used and new books to less fortunate children. Designated booths have been set up in all SM Store branches nationwide where customers can drop their donations. Every donation entitles a customer a P50 discount coupon which can be redeemed from the SM Stationery section for every minimum P500 single receipt purchase on regular-priced items at the SM Store. This program will run from May 20, 2019, until July 8, 2020, so coupons will be valid from the said dates only.

Donate-a-book coupons